: Eye-tracking methods have become a valuable tool for reading research, as they provide significant evidence on the behavioral and cognitive performance of developing readers. They also help identify reading behavior patterns among children with neurodevelopmental conditions, such as reading difficulties (RD) or attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). In this paper, we reviewed relevant literature (73 empirical studies) from 2008 to 2023 (15 years). We documented how reading performance was measured through eye-tracking methodology among typical and atypical readers across various languages. To ensure a rigorous and transparent review, we adhered to the PRISMA framework, defined keywords, established inclusion and exclusion criteria, conducted data extraction, and employed a multi-phase selection process. We focused on research samples, stimulus designs, independent variables, eye-tracking systems, and metrics. The results indicated that research involving typically developing children mainly included participants from primary school and employed various eye-tracking methods, with English being the most studied language. Studies on children with RD and ADHD varied significantly in participants' sample sizes, languages, and experimental designs. The discussion emphasizes the need for standardized data-collection procedures to enhance the reliability and comparability of findings, thereby supporting the development of effective interventions and instructional methods for reading difficulties.
Lateral gene transfer (LGT) is a key driver of evolutionary innovation, underlying protists’ lifestyles and interactions in anaerobic environments. Yet, its significance in free-living protists remains underexplored. Here, we address this gap by presenting the first single-cell transcriptomes of Metopus yantaiensis and genome-wide LGT screens across 36 omics datasets from nine anaerobic APM ciliates (classes Armophorea, Muranotrichea, and Parablepharismea)—a group in soil/sediment environments. Through phylogenetic analyses and validation testing, we identified 63 candidate prokaryotic LGT genes preferentially enriched in APM ciliates. Among these, 19 form interconnected pathways for degrading complex organics (polysaccharides, amino sugars); their high diversity and completeness are rarely seen in reported protist LGTs. A rare fused gene (arcC-OTC) and two novel genes (acs, ME2) were exclusively identified in APM ciliates, with their potential as the first evidence of LGT-mediated carbon metabolite retention and ammonia assimilation in phagotrophic protists inferred. Notably, 27 LGTs (including arcC-OTC, acs, and ME2) trace to candidate phyla radiation (CPR) bacteria or described prokaryotes, marking the first CPR-to-eukaryote LGT documentation. Collectively, these 63 LGTs are predicted to enhance nutrient utilization (complex organics, other carbon metabolites, inorganic elements), bioenergetic efficiency, and stress resistance (heavy metals, oxygen), facilitating soil/sediment adaptation. Overall, our results highlight lateral prokaryotic gene acquisition may be key for free-living anaerobic ciliates’ adaptation to new environments, shedding light on protists’ evolutionary dynamics and ecological roles.
How constraints affect individuals' creative potential interests many scientific fields. Education, especially after 2000, actively supports creativity promotion, with creativity occupying a prominent place in Physical Education (PE) curricula of many countries. However, the relationship between research and practice on creativity remains challenging to bridge. While teachers appear willing to promote creativity, they lack knowledge or training on effective implementation. This paper develops a scientifically based approach to promoting creativity in PE, particularly in fundamental movement skills, by transferring the Integrated Constraints in Creativity (IConIC) model to motor contexts and incorporating empirical data from motor creativity and divergent thinking research. The Motor Creativity Instructional Constraints (MOCIN) Framework provides a visual representation of instructional constraints conditions, serving as a reference tool for structuring, applying, or testing constraint-based instructional conditions for creativity promotion through fundamental movement skills. By incorporating empirical evidence from motor and cognitive creativity research, which share common pathways and mechanisms, a comprehensive Principles' Index for creativity promotion through movement exploration is synthesized. The Index provides instructional guidance for PE and movement professionals in motor creativity promotion. This work also highlights new research directions in motor creativity assessment and intervention development, introducing the concept of instructional constraints neutrality for unbiased assessment.
PurposeRecent increases in mega-crises and extreme events underscore the need to better understand vulnerabilities and the dynamics of leadership trust. This study aims to introduce relational vulnerability as a novel concept to improve crisis leadership effectiveness.Design/methodology/approachThe study used a multiple-case design to examine two crisis leaders during the 9/11 attacks. Because of the event's uniqueness, only secondary data was used. Specifically, sources included autobiographies, media and research articles about their leadership.FindingsExploring trust and vulnerability in extreme contexts revealed that relational vulnerability is a third, distinct form that complements imposed and elective types. When leaders openly acknowledge and share their vulnerability with followers, they strengthen collective trust, unity and resilience, which, in turn, supports faster and more successful recovery.Research limitations/implicationsThis study contributes to existing literature by demonstrating that relational vulnerability, as a leadership mechanism, is crucial for effective crisis management, thereby opening new avenues for research.Practical implicationsThe study offers practical implications for crisis managers and leaders: develop training programs that help them embrace relational vulnerability and convert crises into learning opportunities.Originality/valueThis study fills a research gap by showing how relational vulnerability helps leaders connect with followers during extreme events. While previous studies treated vulnerability as an individual trait, this study reconceptualizes it as an interactive, relational process. Building on this, the work develops a theoretically grounded framework linking trust, vulnerability and leadership behavior during extreme events.
The UN 2030 Agenda sets an ambitious framework for all countries and actors, state and non-state, and calls for them to align their development perspectives with the sustainable development goals (SDGs). Higher education institutions (HEIs) have an important role to play in fulfilling SDG 4 'Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all'. Target 4.7 requires mainstreaming of sustainable development in national policies, curricula, and assessment tools. This paper analyses the development and implementation of appropriate mechanisms and tools in HEIs sustainability benchmarking and identifies best practices for institutional sustainability self-assessment tools under the lens of the whole-institution approach. It presents most prominent self-assessment tools for sustainability benchmarking applied by HEIs, which could lead to sustainable and energy-efficient universities. Finally, it explores future trends in higher education sustainability benchmarking. The analysis and results may offer a new perspective to academic research in this field.
