This study investigated information literacy skills and research productivity of female academic staff in selected public universities in South-West, Nigeria. Survey research design of correlative type was adopted, while purposive sampling technique was used to select six (6) universities. Stratified random sampling technique was used to select five hundred and thirty-six (536) female academic staff in the selected universities surveyed. A total of 536 copies of questionnaire were distributed and 413 copies were returned (77.1% response rate) and used for the study. Data collected were analysed using descriptive statistics of frequency count and percentages, mean and standard deviation, while Pearson’s Product Moment Correlation was employed to analyze data to test the three hypotheses. The findings of the study revealed that the information literacy skills of the surveyed female academic staff were at a moderate level (mean = 2.88), while the research productivity of female academic staff was low (mean = 3.15). The challenges faced by female academic staff in their research productivity included delays in the implementation of promotion and 358 (86.7%), inadequate funding 344 (83.3%), and heavy teaching loads 344 (83.3%). There is no relationship between information literacy skills and research productivity (r = - 0.035; p = 0.473). It is recommended that female academic staff ought to be encouraged to be information literate since some of them could have ideas to boost their research output and the administration of universities should be more receptive to initiatives promoting productivity in forms of publishing other than journal articles.

The present article provides an interdisciplinary assessment of cultural heritage preservation in resource-rich territories, focusing on Kazakhstan's Aktobe Region as an emblematic case of the tensions and synergies between natural resource exploitation and heritage conservation. Despite the fact that Kazakhstan is home to over 25,000 registered cultural heritage sites, the protection of these sites is constrained by industrial pressures, insufficient institutional capacity, limited community engagement, and fragmented regulatory mechanisms. These challenges are particularly pronounced in regions with high concentrations of mining, oil, and gas activities. In such areas, technogenic transformations, landscape degradation, and environmental stressors have a detrimental effect on the integrity of archaeological, architectural, and museological assets. The study employs a systematic qualitative review based on PRISMA 2009/2020 guidelines. A total of 85 peer-reviewed sources published between 2000 and 2025 across heritage studies, geography, sustainability science, and environmental governance have been synthesised. A comparative analysis of international contexts demonstrates that developed countries are increasingly integrating adaptive reuse, heritage impact assessments, climate-risk adaptation, and participatory governance into heritage management systems. In contrast, post-Soviet states, including Kazakhstan, continue to encounter structural impediments such as legislative inconsistency, inadequate funding, and ineffective coordination between heritage authorities and extractive industries. The findings indicate that cultural heritage can function as a strategic catalyst for sustainable territorial development when integrated within governance models that combine legal protection, ESG-aligned corporate responsibility, community-based stewardship, and spatial planning. In the context of territories with abundant natural resources, achieving a balance between economic growth and heritage conservation is not merely a preservation task; rather, it is an essential prerequisite for ensuring long-term socio-ecological resilience and the formation of regional identity.

Tuberculosis (TB) remains a major public health challenge in Indonesia, highlighting the need for a robust and responsive surveillance system to guide effective control strategies. This study aimed to evaluate the performance of the TB surveillance system at Puskesmas Wua-Wua by assessing its input, process, output components, and surveillance attributes. A descriptive qualitative design was employed, using total sampling to recruit key and general informants involved in TB program implementation. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews, direct observation, and document review, and analyzed using Miles and Huberman’s interactive model with methodological and source triangulation to enhance data credibility. The findings show that digital transformation through the SITB platform has substantially improved data processing, reporting efficiency, and timeliness, enabling real-time access to surveillance information and supporting evidence-based decision-making. Several surveillance attributes including simplicity, flexibility, completeness, and timeliness performed strongly, and structured validation mechanisms supported data quality. However, the most critical gaps were observed in the input components: limited human resource capacity, dual workloads, insufficient certified training, and inadequate funding for essential operational needs. These constraints hindered optimal data validity, analytical capacity, and long-term system sustainability. Although reporting and cross-sectoral collaboration largely complied with national regulations, the absence of epidemiological analysis at the health center level and logistical shortages indicated areas requiring strengthening. Despite notable digital progress, the TB surveillance system’s effectiveness relies on strengthened workforce capacity, sustainable financing and improved interfacility coordination to ensure a system that is both technologically advanced and operationally resilient.

This study investigates the role of Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) in fostering green skills for sustainable economic growth in Ghana. The study adopts a quantitative cross-sectional design involving 139 respondents drawn from TVET institutions, industry partners, and government agencies. Findings indicate that government policy support, trainer competence, institutional infrastructure, and industry collaboration significantly predict the integration of green skills (R² = 0.58) and collectively enhance employability and economic growth (R² = 0.49). Although policy awareness and institutional readiness are commendable, persistent barriers such as inadequate funding, gender disparities, and weak industry engagement continue to constrain systemic transformation. This study significantly contributes to the global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 4 (Quality Education), 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth), and 9 (Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure). The study underscores the necessity of cross-sector partnerships and sustained capacity-building to ensure an inclusive green transition. It concludes that aligning TVET curricula with sustainable industry needs and strengthening trainer development are essential to achieving Ghana's green economy aspirations. The study recommends targeted investments, policy coherence, and international collaboration to institutionalize sustainability within TVET systems and promote gender equity across technical fields.

BackgroundIt has been well documented that Indigenous people in northern remote communities in Canada continue to experience a disproportionate burden of health disparities due to complex interactions of multiple determinants of health, including food insecurity, colonialism, barriers in accessing primary healthcare, and disrupted socioeconomic and political structures. Health promotion programs are essential in building preventive measures and empowering communities to take control over their health by helping them make informed health choices. This study described Indigenous-led nutrition-related health programs, the Healthy Babies, Healthy Children Program (HBHCP) and the Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP), which respond to food insecurity drivers and support community needs in Moose Cree First Nation (MCFN). It also documented the on-the-ground realities of program delivery and highlighted community-informed priorities for improved programming.MethodsGrounded in community-based participatory research (CBPR) principles, our approach emphasized the importance of community engagement in supporting the healing process within this cultural context. Data collection included first-hand participation in program delivery alongside program coordinators, participant feedback, and semi-structured interviews from community members (n = 6) and Health Center staff (n = 3). Thematic analysis was used to identify themes across interview data, field notes, and community feedback.ResultsHigh food costs, limited access and availability, and poor food quality remain the primary food-related challenges experienced in the community. Health programs serve as frontline responders to community needs and address these challenges through culturally grounded and family-oriented nutrition education activities. Community members valued the programs’ knowledge-sharing approaches, tangible support, and social connections. However, systemic barriers significantly constrain program delivery, including inadequate funding, limited resources, staffing shortages, and the impact of COVID-19. These barriers limited the programs’ capacity to reach their full potential, despite strong community resilience.ConclusionIndigenous-led nutrition programs are vital in addressing food insecurity and promoting health in northern communities. The findings underscore the need for sustainable funding and stronger policy support that reflects the true cost of service delivery in remote Indigenous communities. The findings emphasize the need for policy changes that move beyond top-down approaches toward community-informed policies and Indigenous-led health programming.

The purpose of the article is to analyze electronic document collections as a component of the information space of a modern library, to determine their role in meeting the information needs of remote users in the conditions of digitalization of library structures and martial law in our country, to determine the current state and prospects for development. The methodology. In the research we applied methods of analysis, synthesis and comparison. The analysis method allowed us to analyze the features of creating electronic document collections presented on regional, Ukrainian and foreign library sites. The synthesis method allowed us to determine the main aspects of the functioning of electronic libraries on regional, Ukrainian and foreign library sites. The comparison method was used to determine the types and features of electronic document collections presented on the websites of the libraries of Dnipro. The results. Analysis of the experience of foreign libraries and the libraries of Dnipro, statistical indicators of site attendance prove that electronic document collections are an essential component of the information space of a modern library, which contributes to the quantitative, qualitative and operational provision of information needs of remote users. Currently, the organization of electronic document collections is one of the main areas of activity for most libraries in the region, where there are many obstacles: inadequate funding, lack of material and technical base, personnel, lack of a clear definition in the legislation of Ukraine of the rights of book collections to store and provide the opportunity to use digital versions of printed publications for scientific, educational or cultural purposes, etc. The scientific novelty. In the conditions of martial law in our country and the transition of most library structures to digital technologies, the main areas of library and information activity are constantly changing. One of the main aspects of meeting the information needs of remote users and the functioning of a modern library is the creation of electronic document collections presented on library websites. The practical significance. Three options for solving problems on the way to creating electronic document collections by modern libraries are proposed. 1) Own projects of libraries to create electronic funds and document collections with financial support from the state or sponsors; 2) Formation of full-text corporate digital resources by libraries of a separate region and providing access to real and remote users; 3) Organization of training of relevant specialists at advanced training courses, or in higher education institutions. Conclusions. Analysis of the experience of foreign libraries and the libraries of Dnipro, statistical indicators of site attendance prove that electronic document collections are an essential component of the information space of a modern library, which contributes to the quantitative, qualitative and operational provision of the information needs of remote users. Currently, the organization of electronic document collections is one of the main areas of activity for most libraries in the region, where there are many obstacles: inadequate funding, lack of material and technical resources, personnel, the absence in the legislation of Ukraine of a clear definition of the rights of book collections to store and provide the opportunity to use digital versions of printed publications for scientific, educational or cultural purposes, etc. Therefore, we offer the following options for solving the above problems: 1) Own projects of libraries to create electronic funds and document collections with financial support from the state or sponsors; 2) Formation of full-text corporate digital resources by libraries of a separate region and providing access to real and remote users; 3) Organization of training of relevant specialists at advanced training courses, or in higher education institutions.

Aim: The aim of the research was to assess the state of library activities and provide recommendations for improvement in accordance with the Library Activity Law of Tuzla Canton and international standards. Methodology: The methodological approach is entirely innovative and the first of its kind in Tuzla Canton, and it can serve as a model for other cantons in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina. This methodological approach combines: quantitative analysis (statistical data, numerical indicators), qualitative assessment (field visits, interviews), formalized documentation (minutes with recommendations), and systematic monitoring of implementation. Results: The result of the analysis of the collected data indicates significant deficiencies in the functioning of libraries, including inadequate funding, insufficient number of professional staff, and weak connectivity with modern library-information systems, as prerequisites for compliance with legal regulations. Social significance: By achieving social significance, it is expected that this work will encourage similar initiatives in other cantons, serve as reference material for policy makers, contribute to the standardization of approaches to coordinating library services in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and be cited in future library research, as the work proposes specific measures to improve the overall state of libraries and their integration into the COBISS system. Practical application: From a practical application perspective, the work proposes systemic measures through urgent, medium-term, and long-term interventions, including increasing budgetary expenditures, technological modernization, and staff strengthening. Originality: This professional paper represents the first comprehensive analysis of the state of the library network in Tuzla Canton based on professional supervision conducted in the period 2023–2024. The research covers 22 libraries of different types: nine public libraries, three special libraries, and thirteen organizational units of the University Library, as well as continuous monitoring of over 131 libraries through dossiers.

Research plays a critical role in advancing medical practice and patient care, yet its integration into undergraduate medical education remains challenging. Early exposure to research enhances critical thinking and provides valuable experience in scientific inquiry, communication, and publication. However, medical students face barriers such as limited time, topic selection difficulties, and inadequate mentorship and funding. The establishment of the Department of Clinical Epidemiology at the University of Santo Tomas has strengthened student research capacity, culminating in this JMUST Special Issue, which showcases high-quality, ethics-approved student-led scholarly work.

Indonesia, as an archipelagic country, is highly vulnerable to climate change, experiencing sea-level rise, intensified floods and droughts, and altered rainfall patterns affecting food security, coastal areas, and natural resources. In response, the government has outlined mitigation and adaptation strategies, including commitments under the Paris Agreement through the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), aiming for a 29% emissions reduction by 2030, with up to 41% achievable with international support. Local initiatives such as the Climate Village Program (ProKlim) focus on community-based adaptation, while renewable energy is targeted to constitute 23% of the national energy mix by 2025. This qualitative study, based on a literature review of policy documents, international reports, and scientific articles, uses content analysis to explore climate change mitigation, adaptation, financing, and implementation challenges in Indonesia. The findings highlight key policies like RAN-GRK, RAN-API, and ProKlim, with mitigation efforts focused on deforestation, ecosystem restoration, and clean energy. Adaptation strategies center on community empowerment and local resource management. However, challenges remain, including weak coordination, law enforcement, limited private sector engagement, and inadequate domestic financing. Recommendations include improving coordination, enhancing green investment incentives, optimizing financing, and strengthening regulatory enforcement. This study aims to inform more effective and sustainable climate change policies in Indonesia.

The bio- and geodiversity communities aim to build digital infrastructures capable of delivering high-quality, well-structured, and richly interlinked data at a scale that enables powerful analyses to support the conservation and management of Earth’s diversity. Informaticians, scientists, and resource managers face the challenge of globally accelerating and upscaling open data availability. Achieving this requires sustainable, resilient, and bi-directional socio-technical connections that promote interactions and feedback both ways across the data landscape. Such interactions will connect global and national repositories to local providers, data stewards, and data users in ways that are context-sensitive and adapted to partners' location, time and communities. Although communities ranging from individual local experts to the governing bodies of global platform consortia are highly motivated and productive, they struggle to manage the rapidly growing volume of data, keep pace with technical innovation, and adhere to shared standards and best practices. Persistent challenges include insufficient recognition and visibility for contributors; functional and operational limitations in infrastructure; and inadequate long-term funding. Although the importance of the life cycles of data, infrastructures, and services is well-recognized, insufficient expertise in assessing the value that they represent and generate, and integrating those benefits into global, whole-community finance strategies presents an additional challenge. However, methodologies developed by global initiatives such as the United Nations System of Environmental-Economic Accounting (SEEA; United Nations et al. 2025) and UN Biodiversity Finance (BIOFIN; Cruz-Trinidad et al. 2024) provide innovative examples for addressing these. Without mechanisms that return generated value to data providers, stewards, and infrastructure developers, the community cannot initiate the self-reinforcing cycle of social and technical capacity growth needed for global upscaling. Instead, the current resource-limited landscape threatens the robustness of community networks and the long-term sustainability of existing infrastructures. The insights from comprehensive community outreach and infrastructure reviews conducted by the U.S.-based BIOFAIR (Building an Integrated, Open, Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable) Data Network form the foundation for a living roadmap designed to support effective solutions and sustainable models for global biodiversity data infrastructures (Kunkel et al. 2025). Informed by these findings, the International Partners for the Digital Extended Specimen (IPDES) network are discussing shared and unique strengths and gaps across partners at different levels in this ecosystem. Adding theory of change (Rice et al. 2020), as well as socioeconomic and biodiversity finance considerations to the BIOFAIR roadmap, members of IPDES developed an extended model of infrastructure sustainability and a project proposal. Key elements include: involving economists in the process of integrating data, infrastructure, and services in information-economy value chains into natural capital accounting frameworks (e.g., SEEA), and developing comprehensive finance plans for bio/geodiversity data (e.g. adapting the methodology of BIOFIN); building governance and organizational frameworks that support transparent, community-centered decision-making; engaging the global community through coordinated participation and shared infrastructures; conducting pilot implementations that apply accounting methods to key use cases; and performing risk assessments of, and establishing safeguards for, the arising feedback loops in a socioeconomic system of returning value to data providers, stewards and users. involving economists in the process of integrating data, infrastructure, and services in information-economy value chains into natural capital accounting frameworks (e.g., SEEA), and developing comprehensive finance plans for bio/geodiversity data (e.g. adapting the methodology of BIOFIN); building governance and organizational frameworks that support transparent, community-centered decision-making; engaging the global community through coordinated participation and shared infrastructures; conducting pilot implementations that apply accounting methods to key use cases; and performing risk assessments of, and establishing safeguards for, the arising feedback loops in a socioeconomic system of returning value to data providers, stewards and users. Together, these actions outline a path toward community-wide finance strategies that can support sustainable, scalable, and globally coherent biodiversity data infrastructures.

Modern school administration faces growing demands for efficiency, data-driven decision-making, inclusive leadership, and continuous improvement in learning outcomes. However, many school leaders continue to rely on traditional, manual practices that limit timely insights and create inefficiencies in planning, monitoring, staffing, and communication, particularly in resource-constrained systems. This study employed a descriptive survey design to examine the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in school leadership. The sample comprised 60 school leaders from public tertiary institutions in Anambra State, purposively selected to represent different levels of experience (22 males and 38 females). Data were collected using a structured online questionnaire administered via Google Survey, covering AI utilization, its influence on decision-making, barriers to adoption, and its role in leadership transformation. Findings indicated that AI was moderately to highly utilized, primarily for communication and administrative tasks. The impact of AI on decision-making was moderate, particularly in enhancing reliance on data-based information and reducing error. Major barriers to adoption included limited training, inadequate funding, technical challenges, and staff resistance. AI was perceived as a driver of organizational change, especially in improving operational efficiency and leadership practices. ANOVA results revealed a statistically significant effect of AI on decision-making and organizational change (p < 0.05), while prior AI usage and perceived difficulties were not statistically significant (p > 0.05). The study concludes that AI holds strong potential to transform school leadership and emphasizes the need for capacity building, technological investment, and ethical guidelines to support effective AI integration in education.

Start-up and growing businesses require adequate financial resources to survive and achieve sustainable growth. Empirical evidence indicates that a significant proportion of business failures result from inadequate financing alongside operational and managerial challenges. This study investigates the effectiveness of capital structure on the growth and start-up of businesses, focusing specifically on the roles of equity capital, debt capital, and retained earnings. A desk review methodology was adopted, synthesizing relevant theoretical and empirical literature. The study draws on the Pecking Order Theory, which emphasizes the superior impact of internal financing on financial performance, favoring equity and retained earnings over debt. The Modigliani–Miller Capital Structure Theory provides a conceptual benchmark, though its relevance is limited to perfect market conditions. Agency Theory highlights the influence of corporate governance and managerial decision-making on capital structure choices, while Trade-off Theory underscores the cost-effectiveness of equity and retained earnings relative to debt. Empirical evidence indicates that equity financing significantly enhances financial performance, and retained earnings support firm growth when effectively reinvested. In contrast, debt financing generally has an insignificant or negative impact on start-up and growing businesses. The study concludes that low-cost, internally generated financing is most effective in promoting sustainable growth and recommends that start-up businesses prioritize equity mobilization through personal savings and family contributions while strategically limiting external borrowing and reinvesting retained earnings. Keywords: Capital Structure, Business Start-up and Growth, Pecking Order Theory, Modigliani–Miller Capital Structure Theory, Agency Theory, Trade-off Theory, Empirical Review.

In this epoch of the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR), digital advancement, technological initiatives, and advancements, as well as their imperative role, have improved universities’ performance and transformed business models, practices, and processes. This study aimed to systematically review the existing digital transformation discourses as the main axis for the higher education (HE) sector. It elucidates the required skill sets, benefits, barriers, and challenges brought about by digital transformation. The article commences by identifying the relevant literature on digital transformation in general, which is not confined to one methodology. It also includes the case studies that were conducted across the globe, the skills needed to drive the transformation agenda, the benefits, the barriers, and the challenges that impede digital transformation in the HE sector. This article found that the sector has been exploiting digital tools to improve performance, business processes, restructuring systems, structures, and practices. The myriad of digital transformation impacts, benefits, and skills to drive the digital transformation have been overshadowed by diverse barriers and challenges in the HE sector. Constraints such as inadequate funding, employee resistance, limited digital literacy, and insufficient infrastructure stand in opposition to the principles of the connectivity theory, which emphasises access, interaction, and the knowledge flow as prerequisites for effective digital integration.

This study investigates the implementation of the School Feeding Program (SFP) and its influence on educational achievement in community secondary schools within Kigamboni Municipality, Tanzania. Employing a mixed-methods approach, the research explores how stakeholder participation particularly in financial oversight affects the effectiveness and sustainability of the SFP. Data collected from teachers, head teachers, parents, and education officers through questionnaires and interviews. The findings reveal limited and inconsistent involvement of teachers and parents in budget planning and financial decision-making, contributing to inefficiencies in program management. Although stakeholder engagement fosters transparency and accountability, inadequate government funding and weak communication structures hinder program outcomes. The study concludes that institutionalizing stakeholder participation and ensuring equitable funding are essential to achieving the SFP’s educational and nutritional objectives. Recommendations include consistent government funding for both day and boarding students, regular financial meetings, and capacity-building initiatives to strengthen financial management and program sustainability.

Start-ups, which are key to promoting innovation in a globalised economy, have a high risk of failure, often linked with inadequate funding. The article attempts to search for a paradigm combining start-up management strategies with concepts of their financing. An inductive method of scientific reasoning was used. The main objective is to characterize the management strategy depending on the adopted sources of financing, and the auxiliary objective is to determine the specificity of these sources in the context of the adopted strategy. Research questions were asked about the adequacy of the strategy in relation to the sources of financing and the emerging risks. Based on the analysis, it was concluded that the selection of the source of financing should be closely related to the adopted strategic goal. Unicorn start-ups, with aggressive growth strategies, are more dependent on external sources of funding than on equity. This is associated with a possible loss of management control of the start-up, but it allows for its rapid development. On the other hand, start-ups focused on long-term activity, preferring stable strategies, should rely more on debt financing (bank loans, grants) and on self-financing, which allows them to maintain independence, but may limit the pace of growth. Start-ups planning a quick sale can use a variety of financing sources, including debt financing, accepting higher capital costs in exchange for a quick return on investment.

Abstract The United Nations Development System plays a key role in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, but it faces criticisms such as duplication of efforts, lack of coordination, and poor fit. Drawing on research in the tradition of organizational pathologies, we interrogate how inadequate funding structures underlie such problems. We develop a framework that connects features of earmarked funding to development effectiveness through their effect on organizational pathologies. Synthesizing the findings from 28 UN evaluation reports and 53 semi-structured interviews with key informants in the UN Development System and donor governments, we analyze how earmarked funding decreases the effectiveness of UN agencies. Our results have implications for our understanding of the UN Development System and multilateralism more generally.

Background: Mental health disorders represent a significant public health challenge in Nigeria, where approximately 20-30% of the population experiences mental health issues, yet access to effective care remains limited. The country faces substantial treatment gaps exacerbated by limited resources, cultural barriers, and inadequate mental health infrastructure. This article explores the current landscape of mental health prevention and treatment models in Nigeria, with emphasis on emerging evidence-based approaches that leverage digital technology, cultural adaptations, and integrated care systems. Methods: A comprehensive analysis of peer-reviewed literature, government reports, and research studies on mental health in Nigeria was conducted. The search encompassed multiple databases including PubMed, African Journals Online, and Google Scholar, focusing on studies published between 2013 and 2025. The review examined epidemiological data, intervention studies, policy documents, and implementation research to synthesize the current state of mental health prevention and treatment in Nigeria. Results: Findings reveal that Nigeria has a high prevalence of mental health disorders, with an estimated 11.1% to 20% of the population affected. Anxiety and depression are predominant conditions, with a treatment gap exceeding 75%. Digital mental health interventions show promising results, with studies demonstrating efficacy in improving depression outcomes and clinic attendance. Cultural adaptations of evidence-based interventions for youth suicide prevention have shown large effect sizes (Cohen's d=1.30-3.02). Implementation challenges include limited mental health specialists (psychistrist to population ratio of 1:700,000), inadequate funding, and significant stigma. Conclusions: Mental health prevention in Nigeria requires a multi-faceted approach that integrates digital technologies, culturally adapted interventions, task-shifting strategies, and strengthened policy implementation. Successful models demonstrate the importance of community engagement, cultural relevance, and systemic support. Future efforts should focus on sustainable implementation, capacity building, and scaling up evidence-based practices across the country.

BackgroundMedical research is increasingly recognized as crucial for career progression, prompting institutions to embed research into curricula. Despite these efforts, barriers continue to impede medical students’ engagement in meaningful research. This comprehensive nationwide study explores medical students’ research perceptions, attitudes, and challenges across UAE medical universities, capturing insights from a significant and diverse student population.MethodsThis cross-sectional study utilized an online self-administered questionnaire distributed to medical students enrolled at seven medical colleges across the UAE. Data collection was conducted over 6 months from May to October 2024. The questionnaire comprised 53 items rated on a 5-point Likert scale and was organized into four key domains: demographics, prior research experience, attitudes toward research, and perceived barriers. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics to summarize participant characteristics and inferential analyses, including multivariate linear regression, to explore associations and predictors of research attitudes, experiences, and barriers. A p-value of < 0.05 was considered statistically significant.ResultsA total of 612 medical students participated (68.8% male; 66.5% pre-clinical). While 68.3% reported prior research experience, only 15.7% had published. Most students agreed research should be integrated into medical curricula (91.0%) and is crucial for careers (88.4%), yet 19.8% found existing curricula insufficient. Primary barriers included lack of funding (46.4%), insufficient mentorship (35.6%), statistical skills deficits (47.7%), and limited protected research time (39.5%). Younger students (≤ 21 years) were curriculum vitae (CV)-driven and cited mentorship gaps (p = 0.009), while older students (≥ 24 years) reported funding constraints (p < 0.001) but achieved higher publication rates (p = 0.001). Males more frequently reported financial barriers (p = 0.007); females cited limited mentorship (p = 0.044). Senior students published more (p < 0.001) but struggled with balancing research with academics (p < 0.001). Multivariate regression identified age, research barriers, nationality, medical college, cumulative grade point average (CGPA), and prior publication as significant predictors of research attitudes and participation (all p < 0.05).ConclusionMedical students in the UAE demonstrate positive attitudes toward research but face significant structural barriers, including inadequate funding, limited mentorship opportunities, and insufficient institutional support. Early structured research training, formal mentorship programs, and protected research time are essential interventions. Institutions should embed these elements longitudinally to cultivate a robust research culture and enhance undergraduate research outputs.

The manufacturing sector in Nigeria faces significant challenges, including inadequate financing, high debt levels, and poor financial performance, which hinder its potential for economic growth. This study investigates the relationship between capital structure and financial performance of listed manufacturing firms in Nigeria, focusing on the impact of debt and equity financing. The study used regression analysis, correlation analysis, and descriptive statistics to examine the financial statements of ten chosen enterprises over ten years (2013– 2022) using secondary data from the Nigerian Exchange Group. The findings indicate that while total debt to total assets and long-term debt to total assets have a favorable influence on financial performance, total debt to total equity and short- term debt to total assets have a negative effect. According to the study's findings, improving capital structure management is essential for improving the financial performance of Nigerian manufacturing companies. Maintaining a balanced debt-to-equity ratio, giving equity financing first priority, leveraging total debt to assets, reducing short-term debt, and skillfully managing long-term debt are some of the recommendations. These findings contribute to a better understanding of the impact capital structure plays in financial performance and are of great use to Nigerian manufacturing companies, policymakers, and regulators.

Dental caries remains a significant public health issue in Indonesia, with high prevalence across age groups and ongoing disparities in access to preventive care. While national initiatives such as the 'Caries-Free Indonesia by 2030' goal signal increasing political attention, the effectiveness and equity of current oral health strategies remain uncertain. This scoping review aims to assess the policy direction and documented effectiveness of Indonesia's national-level caries prevention programmes through a review of government policy documents and relevant literature. This scoping review followed the PRISMA-ScR guidelines. A systematic search was conducted through PubMed, Scopus, Cochrane Library and Google Scholar, and supplemented by government policy documents. Studies were included if they focused on oral health policy or national caries prevention programmes in Indonesia and were published in English or Indonesian. Exclusion criteria included reviews, commentaries, clinical treatment-focused studies and articles without full text or policy relevance. In total, 32 articles were included in this study. Indonesia's oral health policy framework has evolved toward greater integration and equity, reflected in expanded target populations and alignment with WHO's life-course approach. However, implementation remains fragmented due to inconsistent implementation, workforce shortages, inadequate funding and weak evaluation. The School Dental Health Program (UKGS) demonstrates inconsistent outcomes across provinces and lacks a robust data system for monitoring. Community-based initiatives, such as Posyandu and integrated antenatal care (iANC), show promise but are limited in scale and evaluation. Preventive efforts are underfunded under the UHC scheme, while curative services dominate. Additionally, the absence of a sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) tax and poor integration of oral health into national surveillance systems hinders upstream and system-wide interventions. Despite policy advancements, Indonesia's oral health policies and national-level programmes face some barriers that limit programme effectiveness. Strengthening data systems, rebalancing health financing toward prevention, implementing fiscal measures and formalising multi-sectoral coordination are essential to support sustainable oral health improvements.