Research Grant Funding Research Articles

The costs of open access publication

This article explores the financial dynamics of open access (OA) publication in Catalan universities by combining four data sources: publication data coupled with article processing charge (APC) estimates; information on journal subscriptions, transformative agreements and APC payments made by universities; acknowledgements of APC funding sources in OA scholarly outputs; and a survey of authors. The findings reveal a consistent increase in OA publication across Catalan universities, with 60% of the articles indexed in the Web of Science being published in either gold or hybrid OA in 2022. In parallel, investment in the research publishing system shows an upward trend. Resources allocated to journal subscription licenses have been redirected towards transformative agreements, leading to a rise in hybrid OA publications. Additional budget allocations have been made to accommodate APCs for gold OA journals. Authors employ varied funding sources for gold and hybrid OA, with university funding programmes and research grants commonly facilitating gold OA, while transformative agreements often support hybrid OA. Authors associated with Catalan universities frequently benefit from funding schemes and transformative agreements that are accessible to their coauthors. However, survey responses underscore the multifaceted nature of researchers’ financial support, including personal assets and waivers. Authors express frustration with the evolving OA landscape, particularly concerning the exorbitant publication fees. Nevertheless, the allure of high-impact journals and expedited peer review processes continues to incentivize authors towards gold OA. Researchers voice concerns regarding the lack of equitable funding programmes and potential conflicts of interest within gold OA models, which signals the risk of compromising peer review integrity to prioritize profits. This study underscores the need for further research to deepen our understanding of scholarly publishing expenditure and inform strategies for fostering a sustainable, equitable OA ecosystem.

Involving children and young people in supportive cancer care research: the value of FDS grant funding and charitable partnerships

INTRODUCTION Involvement of children and young people in research has a multitude of benefits for children, researchers and the quality of the research itself. Despite the benefits of involvement, this is not always completed or reported in practice. METHODS This paper looks at the involvement of children and young people during a research study exploring the acceptability of photobiomodulation for mucositis management. It considers the importance of costing involvement into grant funding, and the value of charitable partnerships in conducting research with patient and public involvement. RESULTS Children and young people with experience of cancer, and their parents, were involved at the stages of grant application, research design, data analysis and dissemination. Involvement of families resulted in changes to inclusion criteria, plain language summaries and participant information documents. They provided insight into data analysis, and designed and filmed co-created video outputs to support acceptability of the treatment, dissemination of the research and research involvement of other children. Involvement was supported both practically and financially by charitable partnership with the Candlelighters children’s cancer charity as well as research grant funding from the Royal College of Surgeons of England’s Faculty of Dental Surgery. CONCLUSIONS Child and parent contributors shaped the research project, resulting in changes to the study design, data analysis and co-creation of video resources. Charitable partnership and flexibility of involvement supported diversity in the context of paediatric cancer research. Researchers should consider what they can contribute in return to child contributors and charities who provide support.

Biallelic RXFP2 variants lead to congenital bilateral cryptorchidism and male infertility, supporting a role of RXFP2 in spermatogenesis.

Does RXFP2 disruption impair male fertility? We identified biallelic variants in RXFP2 in patients with male infertility due to spermatogenic arrest at the spermatid stage, supporting a role of RXFP2 in human spermatogenesis, specifically in germ cell maturation. Since RXFP2, the receptor for INSL3, plays a crucial role in testicular descent during prenatal development, biallelic variants lead to bilateral cryptorchidism, as described in four families to date. While animal models have also suggested a function in spermatogenesis, the postnatal functions of RXFP2 and its ligand INSL3, produced in large amounts by the testes from puberty throughout adulthood, are largely unknown. A family with two male members affected by impaired fertility due to spermatogenic maturation arrest and a history of bilateral cryptorchidism underwent clinical, endocrinological, histological, genomic, in vitro cellular, and in silico investigations. The endocrinological and histological findings were correlated with publicly available single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) data. The genomic defects have been characterized using long-read sequencing and validated with in silico modeling and an in vitro cyclic AMP reporter gene assay. An intragenic deletion of exon 1-5 of RXFP2 (NM_130806.5) was detected in trans with a hemizygous missense variant c.229G>A, p.(Glu77Lys). The p.(Glu77Lys) variant caused no clear change in cell surface expression or ability to bind INSL3, but displayed absence of a cAMP signal in response to INSL3, indicating a loss-of-function. Testicular biopsy in the proband showed a maturation arrest at the spermatid stage, corresponding to the highest level of RXFP2 expression in scRNA-seq data, thereby providing a potential explanation for the impaired fertility. Although this is so far the only study of human cases that supports the role of RXFP2 in spermatogenic maturation, this is corroborated by several animal studies that have already demonstrated a postnatal function of INSL3 and RXFP2 in spermatogenesis. This study corroborates RXFP2 as gene implicated in autosomal recessive congenital bilateral cryptorchidism due to biallelic variants, rather than autosomal-dominant cryptorchidism due to monoallelic RXFP2 variants. Our findings also support that RXFP2 is essential in human spermatogenesis, specifically in germ cell maturation, and that biallelic disruption can cause male infertility through spermatogenic arrest at the spermatid stage. Funding was provided by the Bellux Society for Pediatric Endocrinology and Diabetology (BELSPEED) and supported by a Research Foundation Flanders (FWO) senior clinical investigator grant (E.D.B., 1802220N) and a Ghent University Hospital Special Research Fund grant (M.C., FIKO-IV institutional fund). The authors declare no conflict of interest. N/A.

The Role of the Nawasena Kemala as an Added Economic Value for the Daleman Kidul Village

This service is an output of activities from the Ministry of Education and Culture, Research and Technology's Belmawa grant funding to PPK Ormawa HMJM Tidar University. This service activity aims to improve the quality of organic and non-organic waste processing in Daleman Kidul Village, Pakis District, Magelang Regency. The method for implementing PPK Ormawa HMJM UNTIDAR service activities is in the form of training and counseling, as well as the establishment of institutions at the village level to create sustainability of the waste processing program. The objects of this activity are residents' agricultural waste, residents' kitchen waste, and plastic waste which can still be used as handicrafts, while residual waste is collected for collective processing at the Magelang Regency Environmental Service. Internal partners involved in this activity include the Village Head, Village Secretary, Kadus, Babinsa, Bhabinkamtibnas, Tomas, religious figures. PKK mothers and Karangtaruna. Meanwhile, external partners in this activity include academics across universities in Magelang Regency, Bappeda Litbangda Magelang Regency,MySmash app, and various Department elements within the Magelang Regency Government. The tools and materials used are a set of tools for cultivating maggots, a shelter for making compost fertilizer, and supporting tools for making handicrafts. The result of this service activity is the organized handling of both organic and non-organic waste banks, as well as increasing public awareness in managing waste into economically valuable products.

Cancer research is not correlated with driver gene mutation burdens

Cancer research is pursued with the goal of positively impacting patients with cancer. Decisions regarding how to allocate research funds reflect a complex balancing of priorities and factors. Even though these are subjective decisions, they should be made with consideration of all available objective facts. An accurate estimate of the affected cancer patient population by mutation is one variable that has only recently become available to inform funding decisions. We compared the overall incident burden of mutations within each cancer-associated gene with two measures of cancer research efforts: research grant funding amounts and numbers of academic manuscripts. We ask to what degree the aggregate set of cancer research efforts reflects the relative burdens of the different cancer genetic drivers. We thoroughly investigate the design of our queries to ensure that the presented results are robust and conclusions are well justified. We find cancer research is generally not correlated with the relative burden of mutation within the different genetic drivers of cancer. We suggest that cancer research would benefit from incorporating, among other factors, an epidemiologically informed mutation-estimate baseline into a larger framework for funding and research allocation decisions. This work was supported in part by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) P30CA014195 and NIH DP2AT011327.

Bridging the Chasm Between Intentions and Behaviors: Developing and Testing a Construal Level Theory of Internal Whistle-Blowing

The recent wave of corporate scandals has necessitated a more systematic investigation of internal whistle-blowing as a potential way to prevent wrongdoing. Our understanding of whistle-blowing, however, has been hampered by a deep chasm that exists between employees’ intent to blow the whistle and their whistle-blowing behaviors. We argue that to fully bridge this gap, we need to consider employees’ cognitive states at the time of whistle-blowing intentions versus behaviors and to link these cognitive states to the ethical systems within the organization’s ethical infrastructure to understand which systems are more effective in cultivating whistle-blowing intentions and which systems help translate those intentions into behaviors. Across one multisource field study and one multiwave experiment, we found support for our arguments that top management values-based communication systems, which are more high construal (abstract), affect whistle-blowing intentions whereas ethical accountability systems and ethical retaliatory systems, which are more low construal (concrete), moderate the relationship between whistle-blowing intentions and behaviors. By linking ethical systems within the organization’s ethical infrastructure to the two stages (intentions and behaviors) of the whistle-blowing process and the accompanying cognitive states, we develop and empirically test a construal level theory of internal whistle-blowing. Funding: This work was supported by the Ministry of Education, Singapore, under its Academic Research Fund Grant Calls [MOE 2019-T2-1-192 and MSS16B012].

The Influence of IGF-1, Progesterone, Androstenedione, Aromatase, and Estrogen in Successful and Unsuccessful IVF Treatments

Follicular steroidogenesis, involving proteins including insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1), progesterone (P4), androstenedione, aromatase, and estrogen (E2), may influence the success of in vitro fertilization (IVF) treatments. This research aimed to 1) compare levels of these proteins in follicular fluid (FF) between subjects with successful (n=10) and unsuccessful (n=20) outcomes; 2) compare these proteins between FF and serum within each group; and 3) investigate correlations of these proteins with reproductive hormones. Classification into successful and unsuccessful groups was based on the detection of fetal heartbeat. Blood samples were collected to measure anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) at baseline as well as IGF-1, FSH, P4, androstenedione, aromatase, and E2 in FF and serum on the day of ovum pick-up (OPU). In unsuccessful pregnancies, FF and serum IGF-1 levels and FF aromatase levels were significantly higher, whereas FF and serum androstenedione levels were significantly lower when compared to successful pregnancies ( P<0.05 all). There were no significant differences in FF E2 and P4 levels between groups; however, there was a non-significant trend towards decreased FF E2 levels in unsuccessful pregnancies. Levels of IGF-1, P4, androstenedione, and E2 were significantly higher in FF than in serum in both successful and unsuccessful groups ( P<0.01 all). The FF/serum ratios for successful and unsuccessful subjects were 2.28 and 2.06 for IGF-1, 7,920.61 and 1,919.26 for P4, 5.49 and 4.00 for androstenedione, and 193.45 and 225.60 for E2, respectively. For correlation analyses, basal AMH showed significant positive correlations with serum androstenedione in all subjects and a significant negative correlation with FF E2 in unsuccessful subjects ( P<0.05 all). Basal FSH levels were significantly negatively correlated with serum androstenedione levels in all subjects ( P<0.05). On OPU day, FF androstenedione levels showed significant positive correlations with FF and serum E2 levels in unsuccessful subjects ( P<0.05 all). Serum androstenedione levels were significantly positively correlated with FF E2 levels in successful subjects and with serum E2 levels in all and unsuccessful subjects ( P<0.01 all). FF aromatase levels had significant positive correlations with serum FSH levels in all and unsuccessful subjects ( P<0.01 all). FF E2 levels were significantly positively correlated with FF androstenedione levels in unsuccessful subjects and with serum androstenedione levels in successful subjects ( P<0.01 all). In unsuccessful pregnancies, elevated aromatase levels, despite similar or insignificantly lower FF E2 levels, could likely result from high FSH levels, potentially indicating defective FF E2 production processes that may be due to inadequate substrate availability or decreased aromatase activity. Lower androstenedione levels in unsuccessful pregnancies suggest that there may be a defect in substrate production; however, we could not determine whether there is a defect in aromatase function in these subjects. Lower FF and serum androstenedione levels in unsuccessful pregnancies might be due to poor ovarian response, as indicated by lower basal AMH and higher FSH levels observed in these subjects in our previous study, findings further supported by a positive correlation between androstenedione and basal AMH, and a negative correlation with basal FSH. The elevated IGF-1 levels in the unsuccessful group might be attributable to high FSH levels. Higher levels of IGF-1, P4, androstenedione, and E2 in FF than in serum indicate that these hormones might be primarily secreted into FF before being released into circulation. In conclusion, unsuccessful pregnancies exhibited lower FF and serum androstenedione levels, but higher FF aromatase and IGF-1 levels in both FF and serum, indicating a decreased substrate availability for E2 production in subjects with poor ovarian response. IGF-1, P4, androstenedione, and E2 were likely synthesized primarily in FF rather than serum. This research was funded by the Faculty of Medicine Siriraj Hospital Research Fund ((IO) R016433005 and Grant to support Strategic Driving Project for pushing the World University Rankings by Subject, Fiscal Year 2021 ((IO) R016421007). This is the full abstract presented at the American Physiology Summit 2024 meeting and is only available in HTML format. There are no additional versions or additional content available for this abstract. Physiology was not involved in the peer review process.

Cell viability and chemotherapeutic resistance across melanoma lines from various stages of progression

Background: The melanoma stem cell (MSC) hypothesis holds that a subpopulation of cells with stem-cell like features are important for tumor progression and chemoresistance. We examined four V600E BRAF-mutated melanoma lines at various stages of melanoma progression. Within each cell line, we assessed the expression of putative MSC markers: CD20, CD44, CD133, CD186, and CD271. Subsequently, we assessed cell viability in the four lines during mono- or combination chemotherapy relative to surface marker expression. Methods: We examined two primary melanoma lines: WM35 (radial growth phase) and WM278 (vertical growth phase). Additionally, we analyzed two metastatic melanoma lines from brain metastases: LM-Mel-71 and LM-Mel-45, exhibiting epithelial and fibroblastic morphologies, respectively. MSC surface marker expression was determined using a Biorad S3e cell sorter to collect 25,000 cells each into one of 4 chemotherapeutic treatments on a 96-well plate. The treatments included: control, dabrafenib (1.25 μM, BRAF inhibitor), trametinib (0.125 μM, MEK inhibitor), and a combination of dabrafenib (1.25 μM) and trametinib (0.125 μM). Following 72 hours of incubation, we analyzed cell viability using an MTT assay. Statistical analysis was performed using ANOVA and Tukey posthoc testing. Results: All cell lines exhibited over 99% CD44+ cells. The only surface markers detected were CD44 and CD271; the remaining markers were undetectable across the four cell lines. LM-Mel-71 and WM35 cells presented both CD44+/CD271+ (14% and 31%, respectively) population and a larger CD44+/CD271- population. LM-Mel-45 and WM278 cells displayed a CD44+/CD271- population. LM-Mel-45 consistently exhibited higher viability than LM-Mel-71 (p<0.002) or WM271 (p<0.03) under both control and the three chemotherapeutic regimens. For LM-Mel-71, cell viability did not differ with CD271 expression in any treatment condition (p=0.64). For WM35 cells, viability was significantly higher in CD271+ compared to CD271- cells under all treatment conditions. Based on cell viability, monotherapy with trametinib or combination therapy appeared more effective than monotherapy with dabrafenib alone across all melanoma lines. Conclusions: The results suggest that there is not a simple relationship between CD271 expression and the origin of the cell line. While CD44+CD271+ expression may correlate with increased cell viability — as observed in WM35 radial growth phase melanoma — such an association is not universal, as CD44+/CD271+ and CD44+/CD271- cells demonstrated similar viability under each chemotherapeutic condition. Additional factors beyond the examined surface markers likely modulate melanoma progression and BRAF/MEK chemotherapy effcacy. Supported by A T Still Univeristy Student Research Fund Grant 560-950 to EH and MR. This is the full abstract presented at the American Physiology Summit 2024 meeting and is only available in HTML format. There are no additional versions or additional content available for this abstract. Physiology was not involved in the peer review process.

Trends in financial payments from industry to US cancer centers, 2014-2021.

Industry payments to US cancer centers are poorly understood. US National Cancer Institute (NCI)-designated comprehensive cancer centers were identified (n = 51). Industry payments to NCI-designated comprehensive cancer centers from 2014 to 2021 were obtained from Open Payments and National Institutes of Health (NIH) grant funding from NIH Research Portfolio Online Reporting Tools (RePORT). Given our focus on cancer centers, we measured the subset of industry payments related to cancer drugs specifically and the subset of NIH funding from the NCI. Despite a pandemic-related decline in 2020-2021, cancer-related industry payments to NCI-designated comprehensive cancer centers increased from $482 million in 2014 to $972 million in 2021. Over the same period, NCI research grant funding increased from $2 481 million to $2 724 million. The large majority of nonresearch payments were royalties and licensing payments. Industry payments to NCI-designated comprehensive cancer centers increased substantially more than NCI funding in recent years but were also more variable. These trends raise concerns regarding the influence and instability of industry payments.

The bifactor model of the Hungarian self-report version of the Strengths and Weaknesses of ADHD and Normal Behaviors scale

IntroductionAttention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is one of the most common neuropsychiatric conditions, maintaining its presence well into adolescence and adulthood, resulting in impaired functioning. Evaluating ADHD symptoms through self-reporting plays a crucial role in assessing individuals within these age groups. The novel self-report version of the Strengths and Weaknesses of ADHD and Normal Behaviors (SWAN) scale offers a comprehensive assessment of behaviour, extending beyond just focusing on the typical signs and symptoms of ADHD, thus providing a more holistic perspective.ObjectivesOur goal was to assess the factorial validity of the Hungarian version of the SWAN self-report by comparing a two-factor model with bifactor models with a general and 1) two specific factors (inattention, hyperactivity/impulsivity), 2) three specific factors (inattention, motor hyperactivity/impulsivity, verbal hyperactivity/impulsivity) in a community sample.MethodsData from 717 adolescents and young adults (mean age = 20.0 years, SD = 3.10, range: 14 - 25 years, female: N = 664, 92.6%) were analysed. Participants completed an online questionnaire including the SWAN scale after giving informed consent. Confirmatory factor analyses were conducted based on the maximum likelihood estimator (ML).ResultsThe bifactor model with a general and three specific factors demonstrated the best fit to our data (CFI = .933, RMSEA = .064 [90% CI: .058 – .071], SRMR = .038). While the overall composite reliability was excellent (ω = .91), the reliability of the specific verbal hyperactivity/impulsivity factor fell below acceptable (ωh = .40).ConclusionsIn line with previous studies, the fit indices of the bifactor models were superior to the non-hierarchical two-factor model. Our results support the existence of a strong general factor but suggest uncertainty in the capacity of the specific factors to consistently explain the distinct variance in observed variables, particularly when compared to the overarching influence of the general factor.This work was supported by the ÚNKP-22-2 New National Excellence Program of the Ministry for Culture and Innovation from the source of the National Research, Development and Innovation Fund (grant number ÚNKP-22-2-I-ELTE-854).Disclosure of InterestNone Declared

Abstract 3062: Unraveling the role of RCC2 in glioblastoma by mutational analysis and a murine model of glioma

Abstract Glioblastoma (GBM) is a brain malignancy characterized by being highly aggressive, lethal, yet treatment modalities remain limited. Recent studies have implicated Regulator of Chromosome Condensation 2 (RCC2), a guanine nucleotide exchange factor (GEF) for RalA, as a potential regulator in glioblastoma pathogenesis. RCC2 has been shown to play a role in promoting glucose metabolism through BACH1-dependent upregulation of hexokinase II (HK2)(1). In this study, we investigated the functional mechanism of RCC2 in gliomagenesis using two complementary approaches. First, the relevance of RCC2 structural regions on its downstream functions were examined. By superimposing the three-dimensional crystal structure of RCC2 onto RCC1 (Regulator of Chromosome Condensation 1), a related GEF, we identified several unique regions within the RCC1-like domain of RCC2. A panel of point, substitution, and deletion mutants were generated, and pulldown experiments were performed to assess their relative binding affinity with BACH1. Additional assays to assess their relative ability to modulate the expression of HK2 and other cellular parameters will be discussed. The structure-functional characterization of distinct regions within RCC2 may identify unique sequences within RCC2 that could have relevance to glucose metabolism, cell proliferation and cell motility. Additionally, we have established a murine glioma model utilizing a Pten heterozygous mice expressing a GFAP-Cre-recombinase transgene (Gfap-cre;Ptenfl/+). Glioma were induced by stereotaxically injected lentiviral constructs expressing either with HRasV12 oncogene alone or together with RCC2. Neurological symptoms were monitored over a period of 7 months, and histopathological analysis was performed to evaluate the morphological and molecular features of the tumors. We showed that co-expression of HRasV12 and RCC2 exhibited earlier emergence of neurological manifests in both male and female groups (Log-rank test, p<0.05) when compared to HRasV12 alone. Overall, our study provides insights into both the structural mechanism of RCC2 in gliomagenesis through mutational analysis of RCC2 and the functional relevance through a murine model of glioma. (1)Liu, T. et. al. Cancer Lett (2022) 549:215914. Funding: This work is supported by a General Research Fund grant (#14113519) from the University Grants Committee of Hong Kong. Citation Format: Wayne L.H. Ho, Penelope M.Y. Or, Andrew M. Chan. Unraveling the role of RCC2 in glioblastoma by mutational analysis and a murine model of glioma [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2024; Part 1 (Regular Abstracts); 2024 Apr 5-10; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2024;84(6_Suppl):Abstract nr 3062.

Metrics in research impact assessment and grant funding: Insights from researchers in the “Reviewer 2 Must Be Stopped!” Facebook group

Metrics in research impact assessment and grant funding: Insights from researchers in the “Reviewer 2 Must Be Stopped!” Facebook group

Return on investment from educational research grant funding: deliverables and measurement

This paper investigates the return on investment (ROI) paradigm from fundamental educational research grant funding perspectives. The researchers conducted a wide-ranging literature search regarding the educational research grant funding ROI from public policy and economics viewpoints. The preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses (PRISMA) were utilized to identify and analyze research articles and original reports related to ROI from educational research grant funding. The research data were screened through a literature review based on the inclusion criteria, namely study focusing on return on investment of educational research funding and study published between 2001 and 2021 (as of December 2022). This study found evidence that ROI calculation from fundamental educational research grants is not straightforward and varies. Besides, most available research focuses on research impact rather than economic and intrinsic research value. Based on the compiled literature on research-related performance attributes, this study identified three distinct deliverables of educational research funding: tangible output, intangible output, and research outcome. The present research proposes more robust and reliable methods for measuring the ROI of fundamental educational research impact, potentially generating a much-inform decision-making and resource allocation in educational research grant funding.

Local fistula injection of allogeneic human amnion epithelial cells is safe and well tolerated in patients with refractory complex perianal Crohn's disease: a phase I open label study with long-term follow up

Local fistula injection of mesenchymal stromal/stem cells (MSC) is effective for complex perianal Crohn's fistulas but is also expensive and requires specialised facilities for cell revival before administration. Human amnion epithelial cells (hAEC) are non-MSC cells with therapeutic properties. The primary aim of this study was safety of hAEC therapy. Secondary aims included hAEC efficacy, feasibility of the protocol and impact on quality of life. A phase I open label study of ten adults with active complex Crohn's perianal fistulas refractory to conventional treatment, including anti-tumour necrosis factor alpha therapy, was undertaken. A single dose of hAEC was injected into the fistula tract(s) after surgical closure of the internal opening(s). Study outcomes were assessed at week 24 with follow up for at least 52 weeks. Local injection of hAEC was safe, well tolerated and the injection procedure was feasible. Complete response occurred in 4 patients, and a partial response in an additional 4 patients. There was a mean reduction in the Perianal Disease Activity Index of 6.5 points (95% CI-9.0 to-4.0, p=0.0002, paired t-test), modified Van Assche MRI Index of 2.3 points (95% CI-3.9 to-0.6, p=0.012, paired t-test) and a mean improvement of 15.8 points (95% CI 4.9 to 26.8, p=0.010, paired t-test) in quality of life using the Short IBD-Questionnaire in complete responders. Local injection of hAEC therapy for refractory complex perianal fistulising Crohn's disease appears safe, well-tolerated, feasible and demonstrated improvement. Quality of life is improved in those who achieve complete fistula healing. This study was funded by competitive research grant funding from the Gastroenterological Society of Australia Seed Grant2018.

Supply Risk Mitigation in a Decentralized Supply Chain: Pricing Postponement or Payment Postponement?

Problem definition: In a multistage model of a bilateral supply chain, we study two postponement strategies that the downstream retailer may adopt to mitigate the supply yield risk originating from the upstream production process. The retailer could either postpone the procurement payment until after the yield is realized and pay only for the delivered amount; postpone the pricing decision to better utilize the available supply; or do both. Although both strategies have been separately studied in literature, there is little research on their combined effect and system-wide implications in a decentralized setting. Methodology/results: Taking a game-theoretic approach, we formulate a Stackelberg game and solve for the equilibrium in four scenarios, respectively, in which the retailer uses different combinations of the postponement strategies. There are three main findings. First, when the production cost is low and the yield loss is highly likely, the retailer never strictly benefits from either postponement strategy; with relatively high production cost, the retailer is more likely to adopt payment, rather than pricing, postponement. Second, we uncover a situation where postponing payment and postponing pricing are strategic complements for the retailer. That is, the use of one strategy may increase the benefit of using the other. Third, we identify conditions under which the postponement strategies can be Pareto optimal to the entire supply chain, making the firms’ profits and the consumer surplus simultaneously higher. Managerial implications: These results can be applied in many practical settings to provide guidance for firms to better design the procurement contract and properly use marketing instrument (pricing) to effectively mitigate supply risk and increase profit. Funding: G. Xiao acknowledges financial support from the Research Grants Council of Hong Kong [General Research Fund Grant PolyU 15503920]. X. Guo acknowledges the support from the National Natural Science Foundation of China [Grant 72293564/72293560]. Supplemental Material: The online appendix is available at https://doi.org/10.1287/msom.2022.0198 .

Using a Modern Linked Research Database to Examine Gender Disparities in Orthopaedic Grant Funding from 2010 to 2022.

Gender disparities in research grant funding persist in many disciplines. With use of the Dimensions database, we sought to examine the extent of gender disparities in U.S. orthopaedic grant funding from 2010 onward. Our aim was to provide insights into the extent of gender disparities in the field of orthopaedic research and to highlight the potential need for future action to address these disparities. Using orthopaedic-related search terms, we queried all U.S. grants awarded for orthopaedic research from 2010 to 2022. A total of 22,326 results were then manually screened to exclude those without a direct focus on orthopaedic research. The amounts received per principal investigator were reported in U.S. dollars and adjusted for inflation. Author gender was predicted with use of the Genderize.io algorithm application programming interface. The iCite Relative Citation Ratio (RCR) was utilized to assess the impact of the publications linked to each grant. A total of 1,723 grants were included. Men principal investigators received significantly higher median funding per grant in 2011, 2012, and 2013; however, this trend reversed with women receiving nonsignificantly higher funding in 2015, 2017, 2018, 2021, and 2022. In 2020, women received significantly higher median funding per grant than men ($166,234 versus $121,384; p = 0.04). Throughout the 13-year period, men principal investigators accounted for approximately 71% of grants, with a very weak increasing trend in the percent of grants attributed to women (R 2 = 0.16; p < 0.001). Grants with men principal investigators resulted in more publications than those with women principal investigators (mean publications, 11.1 versus 6.6; p = 0.001). Publications resulting from grants awarded to men had a significantly higher mean RCR than those resulting from grants awarded to women (2.42 versus 2.09; p = 0.04). There was no significant difference in the median amounts of funding per grant awarded to men and to women in 7 of the past 8 years, despite significantly greater funding per grant having been awarded to men from 2011 to 2013. Men principal investigators accounted for the majority of grants received during the study period, although this proportion was lower than the proportion of men among orthopaedic surgeons in 2022. This study could inform initiatives aimed at promoting equity in grant funding for orthopaedic research.

16 Autistic Perspectives on the Acceptability of Paediatric Autism Therapies

Abstract Background Autistic children and their families access services, such as occupational therapy (OT), speech language pathology (SLP) services, applied behaviour analysis (ABA)-based therapies and physiotherapy (PT). There are varying levels of evidence supporting the efficacy of these therapies, and some autistic-led advocacy is critical of the methods and aims of certain services. Exploring stakeholder perspectives is critical to ensure services are appropriate and informed by lived experiences. This work is part of a larger survey that explored the perspectives of autistic individuals, parents of autistic children, and clinicians on these services. Objectives This study explored how autistic people perceive the acceptability of OT, SLP services, ABA-based therapies, and PT. Design/Methods Using the Theoretical Framework of Acceptability (TFA), a survey was built with input from autistic people, parents of autistic children, and clinicians and shared online through social media and autism organizations. Demographic data and perspectives were captured. An acceptability sub-score was produced for each therapy, ranging from 0 (least accepting) to 64 (most accepting). The sub-scores were combined into an overall acceptability score. Open-ended questions were qualitatively analyzed using deductive content analysis following the TFA, and categories within constructs of ethicality are presented. Results 21 autistic people completed the survey, and their median (range) sub-scores were OT 40 (16 – 56), SLP 43.5 (28 – 57), ABA 19.5 (8 – 48), PT 39.5 (28 – 57). Qualitative categories within the TFA construct of ethicality included: 1) concerns about harms and negative experiences that can potentially occur because of therapies; 2) a lack of support for what respondents identified as behavioural techniques or methods. Conclusion Findings are similar to existing perspectives that some autistic people have towards ABA-based therapies. However, these findings highlight that some autistic people may view any therapy as unacceptable if it incorporates behavioural methods. Further work is needed to better understand aspects of behavioral methods that are viewed as unacceptable, given that some strategies, such as positive reinforcement, are used in different therapies and with the general population. Future work should explore perspectives from larger samples. Potential competing interests Melanie Penner has received consulting fees from the province of Nova Scotia and Addis &amp; Associates / Roche, and research grant funding from Autism Speaks.

15 Parent and Clinician Perspectives on Acceptability of Paediatric Autism Therapies

Abstract Background Autistic children and their families access services, such as occupational therapy (OT), speech language pathology (SLP) services, applied behaviour analysis (ABA)-based therapies and physiotherapy (PT). There are varying levels of evidence supporting the efficacy of these therapies, and some autistic-led advocacy is critical of the methods and aims of certain services. There is limited information about the perspectives of parents of autistic children, and clinicians, on the acceptability of these services. This work is part of a larger survey that also explored autistic individuals’ perspectives. Objectives This study explored how parents of autistic children, and clinicians, perceived the acceptability of OT, SLP services, ABA-based therapies, and PT. Design/Methods The survey was built using the Theoretical Framework of Acceptability (TFA), with input from autistic people, parents, and clinicians, and shared online. Demographic data and perspectives were captured. An acceptability sub-score was produced for each therapy, ranging from 0 (least accepting) to 64 (most accepting). These sub-scores were combined into an overall acceptability score. Following the TFA, open-ended questions were qualitatively analyzed using deductive content analysis, and categories within the construct of intervention coherence are presented. Results 140 clinicians completed the survey, and their median (range) sub-scores were: OT 46 (16 – 59), SLP 47 (24 – 60), ABA 34 (9 – 60), PT 40 (14 – 60). 87 parents completed the survey, and their median (range) sub-scores were: OT 40 (16 – 60), SLP 41 (14 – 58), ABA 28 (7 – 54), PT 35 (25 – 57). The construct of intervention coherence reflects an individual’s understanding of a therapy, and respondents viewed goals as unacceptable or acceptable. Acceptable goals included those that are client and family-driven, inclusive of multi-modal communication, and support sensory needs. The goal of behaviour change was variably viewed as acceptable or unacceptable. Respondents who viewed this goal as acceptable identified that ABA could teach skills or decrease behaviours. Conversely, respondents who described the goal of behaviour change as unacceptable were often critical of the promotion of neurotypical behaviors. Conclusion For both groups, how they viewed therapy goals influenced their acceptability. ABA-based therapies have been critiqued elsewhere, and some respondents shared similar criticisms, often related to promoting neurotypical behaviour. However, many respondents viewed skill-building as an acceptable goal. This work contributes to the important conversation as to how therapies can meaningfully support autistic children. Notably, many respondents were wealthy, well-educated, and white. Future work should learn from more diverse samples of parents and clinicians. Potential competing interests Melanie Penner has received consulting fees from the province of Nova Scotia and Addis &amp; Associates / Roche, and research grant funding from Autism Speaks.

The impact of artificial intelligence on modern education: prospects and challenges

This paper examines the intricate links between artificial intelligence (AI) and education, delving into both theoretical and practical aspects while evaluating possible ramifications for labor market dynamics, professional activity, and wider educational paradigms. Our research methodology involved analyzing relevant scientific literature, classifying data, consulting with subject matter experts, and synthesizing the results. Our research suggests that AI has the ability to greatly improve pedagogical processes, personalize learning experiences to meet individual student needs, and successfully address the time and financial limitations that are inherent in traditional educational models. However, our study also reveals challenges related to data confidentiality, potential plagiarism and fraud associated with AI use, and socioeconomic disparities resulting from unequal technology access. Additionally, we identified a significant gap in current AI usage standards legislation. It is essential for researchers, educators, and policymakers to recognize the potential risks of AI implementation in educational settings and proactively develop strategies that prioritize ethics, safety, and effectiveness. With labor market trends favoring specialists knowledgeable in utilizing AI tools, a consequent change in curricula is expected. In response to our findings, we recommend the creation of new academic disciplines that concentrate on the cultivation of AI expertise; the establishment of comprehensive national AI strategies; the crafting of retraining roadmaps for those who may be affected by AI automation; the inclusion of online AI courses in existing educational programs; and the promotion of grant funding for future AI research. Our future research will concentrate on reducing the potential negative impacts of integrating AI into educational systems.

Gender disparity among psychiatry departments awarded Canadian Institutes of Health Research grants: a retrospective study

ObjectiveAlthough medical institutions aim to promote equity within the workplace, gender disparities persist in academic psychiatry. Previous evidence indicates that women in psychiatry encounter gender-based barriers to career advancement, resulting...