Globalization of clinical research in oncology: status, challenges, and future directions.

PURPOSE: Cancer is the second-leading cause of death worldwide, and its burden is increasing around the world, particularly in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Yet, cancer research has historically been conducted primarily in high-income countries (HICs). METHODS: In this review, we describe the results of our literature search into the current state of international cancer trials, including the benefits, challenges, limitations, and ethical concerns regarding the international conduct of HIC-led trials. We also propose some possible means of addressing these challenges and overcoming these barriers to extend the benefits of cancer research to people around the world. RESULTS: Over the last several decades, there has been a shift toward inclusion of investigators and participants from LMICs in pivotal cancer clinical trials. CONCLUSIONS: While inclusion of LMIC countries has benefits, including increased diversity of participant populations, investment in research infrastructure in LMICs, and potential expansion of cancer treatment options around the world, the continued leadership of most trials by HICs presents ethical concerns, including potential exploitation of researchers and participants from LMICs, lack of focus on cancer types prevalent in all participating regions, and disparities in access to approved therapies once the trial is complete.

The imperative for cross-cultural medical education in globalized healthcare.

Current healthcare systems are like living creatures. They are highly complex, multi-faceted, and dynamic. They must constantly change and adapt; they are like a melting pot, brimming with both rich and diverse cultures from all corners of the world. Beyond just nationality, these systems can include many languages, religious beliefs, socioeconomic backgrounds, and unique health practices. The tides of globalization, multicultural societies, migration, and international collaboration are continuously reshaping how healthcare providers are educated and how healthcare is delivered in an equitable, inclusive, and fair manner. To keep pace with, and within, these highly vibrant socio-cultural frameworks, Cross-Cultural Medical Education is needed to educate healthcare professionals. This education is essential to create professionals who are not just skilled, but who are also culturally savvy and able provide fair and equal care to patients from all sorts of backgrounds. It provides professionals with foundational knowledge to navigate the complex landscape of diverse patient populations. Cross-Cultural Medical Education is thus of paramount importance to satisfy the need for effective cross-cultural communication and understanding in patient care preferences, ultimately leading to improved health outcomes.

Chains of extraction: shifting bioeconomies in India and East Africa.

Since the early 2000s, India has been a world leading hub for cross border reproductive treatments, in particular surrogacy, with the nation positioning itself as the "mother destination" for transnational commercial surrogacy, offering "First world services at Third world prices". State policies, lack of legal regulation, state of the art medical infrastructure and a steady supply of women ready to take on the role as surrogate mothers against meager remuneration have been key factors behind the Indian success story. Yet, a gradual process of regulation in recent years, culminating in the introduction of the Surrogacy (Regulation) Bill 2020, has forced the industry to reinvent itself in order to maintain its role as a market leader in a booming global bioeconomy. This article takes the 2020 bill as a starting point for an exploration of the key trajectories that the Indian reproductive industry has taken since. This includes moving into new market segments, such as the unregulated practice of oocyte donation, and expanding globally into new geo-political contexts. Through these practices, India has successfully rebranded itself as a world leading "pre-conception assemblage hub" where embryos are assembled and implanted into surrogates who carry their pregnancies to term in countries with no protective legislation. The article begins to map the emerging links between the reproductive industry in India and East Africa - where diasporic networks are mobilized in the creation of new reproductive markets, dominated by Indian IVF providers. In particular, we discuss the current expansion in Kenya, which we situate against the backdrop of the colonial entanglements between the two countries. While the ART industry in Kenya is still young, we suggest that these emerging developments illuminate the effect of the ban on commercial surrogacy in India, which appears to have resulted in a partial relocation to countries that lack regulation, shifting the precarious conditions of surrogates in India to other women, elsewhere, in ways that rearticulate colonial racial hierarchies and migration patterns.

Unlocking time-quantile impact of energy vulnerability, financial development, and political globalization on environmental sustainability in Turkey: Evidence from different pollution indicators.

Increasing energy vulnerability can cause environmental pollution by increasing fossil fuel consumption. If it leads to cost-cutting-oriented industry growth, financial development can lead to environmental regulations being ignored, compromising environmental quality. Political globalization and economic growth can increase short-term environmental pressures, straining long-term ecological balance and causing habitat loss and pollution. This study investigates the impact of energy vulnerability, financial development, and political globalization on environmental sustainability in Turkey for the 2000-2019 period using with wavelet quantile-based techniques. According to results, while the negative effect of energy vulnerability on environmental quality is lower in the short term, the size of the effect increases in the medium and long term. In addition, at low quantiles of environmental quality, the negative effect of financial development is low in the short and long term, while the effect becomes evident in the long term. Moreover, the effects of political globalization on environmental quality are positive in all quantiles. Additionally, the harmful effects of economic growth are more evident at lower quantiles of environmental quality. Turkey should increase its clean energy investments by using its geographically advantageous location. Policymakers should also prioritize environmental regulations and promote sustainable practices in industries. Incentives for cleaner production technologies and environmentally friendly initiatives can help steer the financial sector towards more responsible and environmentally friendly practices. Additionally, the study suggests that increasing institutional capacity and aligning national policies with international agreements can accelerate the positive effects of political globalization.

How do income inequality, poverty and industry 4.0 affect environmental pollution in South Asia: New insights from quantile regression.

While many factors have been studied as potential causes of environmental degradation, the impact of poverty and inequality has been largely overlooked in the research. The Sustainable Development Goals are aligned with the intersection of poverty, inequality, and the environment. In addition, most previous research has used carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions as a surrogate for pollution. These gaps are filled by this study, which uses ecological footprint (a comprehensive measure of pollution) and CO2 emissions to examine the effects of income disparity and poverty on environmental pollution in 13 nations. Dynamic panel Quantile regression methods are used in this study because of their resilience to various econometric problems that can crop up during the estimate process. The empirical results reveal that the whole panel's carbon emissions and ecological footprint rise when income disparity and poverty exist. When the panel is subdivided, however, we see that income inequality reduces carbon emissions and environmental footprint for the wealthy but has the opposite effect on the middle class. While high-income households see no impact from poverty on their carbon emissions, middle-income households see an increase in both. Overall, the results of this study suggest that income disparity and poverty are major factors in ecological degradation. Therefore, initiatives to reduce environmental degradation should pay sufficient attention to poverty and inequality to achieve ecological sustainability.

Young people on social media in a globalized world: self-optimization in highly competitive and achievement-oriented forms of life.

Research investigating young people's social media use has been criticized for its limited theoretical foundations and scope. This paper elaborates young people's social media activity from a socio-ecological evolutionary perspective (SEE), where young people's online exchanges cannot be divorced from the highly competitive and achievement-oriented modern market cultures in which they live. In highly competitive and achievement-oriented forms of life, young people's social media environments are often constituted as dynamic and evolving extrinsically oriented ecological niches that afford for status and identity enhancement while also affording for peer approval, belongingness, and self-worth nested within, and subordinate to, these higher-order affordances. The extrinsic value organization of social media platforms that serve young people's status and identity-enhancement are embodied by a community of mutually interdependent criteria that are evolutionary-based, developmentally salient, and market-driven: physical attractiveness, high (educational and extracurricular) achievements, and material success. Young people's online signaling of these interdependent extrinsic criteria affords for status-allocation and self-enhancement, where each criteria becomes an arena for social competition and identity formation, enabling young people to build personal and optimal models of social success congruent with their own interests and abilities. Young people's status and identity enhancing signaling of these extrinsic criteria is moving toward increasingly idealized or perfect embodiments, informed by accelerating, short-term positive feedback processes that benefit from the technological affordances and densely rewarding peer environments instantiated on social media.

Exploring the impact of financial globalization, good governance and renewable energy consumption on environmental pollution: Evidence from BRICS-T countries.

The nations of Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, and Turkey (BRICS-T) have yet to find a satisfactory answer to the problem of how to reduce environmental pollution in their environments significantly. Using panel data from 1990 to 2022, this study analyzes the dynamic relationship between energy financial globalization (FG), good governance (GG), renewable energy consumption (REC), urbanization (URB), economic growth (GDP), and environmental pollution. To estimate the long-run and short-run interaction among the variables, this research included the Cross-sectional- ARDL. This research shows that economic growth, energy use, urbanization, and environmental degradation correlate positively and significantly. In contrast, the BRICS-T economies have significantly reduced environmental pollution due to FG, GG and REC. These results also lend credence to the Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) concept for developing nations, which has been the focus of recent attention. Additionally, the results from fixed effects-difference in differences (FE-DK) and AMG robustness tests also validate the results from the CS-ARDL estimator. Finally, the findings found that the BRICS-T countries may benefit from this study.

Medical school origins of award-winning pathologists; analysis of a complete national dataset.

BACKGROUND: The ultimate aim of medical education is to produce successful practitioners, which is a goal that educators, students and stakeholders support. These groups consider success to comprise optimum patient care with consequently positive career progression. Accordingly, identification of the common educational features of such high-achieving doctors will facilitate the generation of clinical excellence amongst future medical trainees. In our study we source data from British clinical merit award schemes and subsequently identify the medical school origins of pathologists who have achieved at least national distinction. METHODS: Britain operates Distinction Award/Clinical Excellence Award schemes which honour National Health Service doctors in Scotland, Wales and England who are identified as high achievers. This quantitative observational study used these awards as an outcome measure in an analysis of the 2019-20 dataset of all 901 national award-winning doctors. Where appropriate, Pearson's Chi-Square test was applied. RESULTS: The top five medical schools (London university medical schools, Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Oxford and Cambridge) were responsible for 60.4% of the pathologist award-winners, despite the dataset representing 85 medical schools. 96.4% of the pathologist merit award-winners were from European medical schools. 9.0% of the pathologist award-winners were international medical graduates in comparison with 11.4% of all 901 award-winners being international medical graduates. CONCLUSIONS: The majority of pathologists who were national merit award-winners originated from only five, apparently overrepresented, UK university medical schools. In contrast, there was a greater diversity in medical school origin among the lower grade national award-winners; the largest number of international medical graduates were in these tier 3 awards (13.9%). As well as ranking educationally successful university medical schools, this study assists UK and international students, by providing a roadmap for rational decision making when selecting pathologist and non-pathologist medical education pathways that are more likely to fulfil their career ambitions.

Spillover impacts of financial development and globalization on environmental quality in ASEAN countries.

In the globalization era, the economic policy of a specific country might be influenced by the development of neighboring countries. Thus, this study aims to probe the direct and spillover effects of financial development, economic growth, and globalization on environmental sustainability in ASEAN countries during the period of 1992-2021. By applying three spatial regression models, the results are summarized: (1) There are positive spillover effects of financial development in neighboring countries on ecological footprint in a particular country; (2) Economic growth has a positive impact on ecological deficits in both the host country and neighboring countries in the short-run; (3) The expansion of globalization in neighboring countries has a negative spillover effect on the ecological footprint in a particular country and vice versa. Based on these findings, the study recommends that when a country formulates its economic policies, it is necessary to calculate the impact of that policy on neighboring countries and vice versa. Encouraging economic growth and expanding the money supply ought to go hand in hand with fostering greater integration. This integration is essential to counterbalance the potential adverse effects of these macroeconomic variables on environmental quality and ecological balance.

Dynamic nexus among fossil fuels utilization, economic growth, and urbanization: a tri-regional selected countries analysis.

There are worldwide growing concerns about environmental issues such as global warming and climate change. Moreover, it is expected that there will be regional differences in environmental issues. Therefore, this study focuses on a tri-regional comparison: America, Europe, and Asia-Pacific. Previous literature has paid less attention to exploring regional comparisons while considering regional heterogeneity. Against this backdrop, this study delves into the dynamic relationship between fossil fuel utilization, economic growth, globalization, urbanization, and CO2 emissions to understand the environmental implications of these interconnected factors. The study period spans from 1990 to 2021. Additionally, it employed rigorous tests to confirm cross-sectional dependence and data heterogeneity, following methodologies proposed by Pesaran (2004, 2015) and Pesaran (2007), utilizing the CS-ARDL panel cointegration methodology by Chudik and Pesaran (2015). The results confirm long-term significant relationships among OC, NGC, FDI, and UR variables in both combined panels, with and without regional dummies. However, GDP and COC become insignificant in the long run in the dummy variables regression. Furthermore, the regional dummies were found to be negative but remain insignificant, possibly due to heterogeneous effects or unobserved factors influencing each region independently. Analysis by region reveals predominant coal consumption in Asia, higher oil consumption in America, and greater gas consumption in Europe. Economic growth and CO2 emissions are positive in Asia and America but negative in Europe, aligning with theories prioritizing growth over environmental concerns in Asia and America, and advocating for renewable energy adoption in Europe. Urbanization increases energy demand and emissions, supporting the environmental revolution theory, while FDI holds the potential to reduce CO2 emissions, as per the endogenous growth theory.

Globalization: Embracing global citizenship and the right to migrate.

This comprehensive commentary explores various facets of globalization, including the right to migrate, cultural dimensions, power dynamics in shaping global narratives, the impact of globalization on health, and the roles of international institutions and multinational corporations. It delves into the socioeconomic implications of migration, emphasizing the ethical considerations surrounding globalization and the responsibilities of affluent nations. Examples such as the Fair Trade movement, global collaboration in health care during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, and the influence of power dynamics on cultural narratives provide a nuanced understanding. The commentary underscores the need for international collaboration, ethical business practices, and responsible investment to address global challenges. By examining these dimensions, the analysis contributes to a holistic understanding of the complexities associated with globalization, emphasizing the importance of balanced and inclusive approaches. This commentary is in response to an editorial published in this journal titled "Globalization through global citizenship and right to migrate."

Corrigendum: What Is the Modern Human Eating? Dietary Transition of the Age-Old to the Modern Man of India.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/phrs.2022.1604058.].

Unveiling the menace: a thorough review of potential pandemic fungal disease.

Fungal diseases have emerged as a significant global health threat, with the potential to cause widespread outbreaks and significant morbidity and mortality. Anticipating future pandemic fungal diseases is essential for effective preparedness and response strategies. This comprehensive literature review aims to provide a comprehensive analysis of the existing research on this topic. Through an extensive examination of scholarly articles, this review identifies potential fungal pathogens that have the potential to become pandemics in the future. It explores the factors contributing to the emergence and spread of these fungal diseases, including climate change, globalization, and antimicrobial resistance. The review also discusses the challenges in diagnosing and treating these diseases, including limited access to diagnostic tools and antifungal therapies. Furthermore, it examines the strategies and interventions that can be employed to mitigate the impact of future pandemic fungal diseases, such as improved surveillance systems, public health education, and research advancements. The findings of this literature review contribute to our understanding of the potential risks posed by fungal diseases and provide valuable insights for public health professionals and policymakers in effectively preparing for and responding to future pandemic outbreaks. Overall, this review emphasizes the importance of proactive measures and collaborative efforts to anticipate and mitigate the impact of future pandemic fungal diseases.

Economic globalization-energy diversification nexus and implications for environmental management in China.

Every nation on earth has the responsibility to implement effective environmental management measures for sustainable environmental quality. In doing so, this study scrutinizes the relationship between economic globalisation and energy diversification in the Chinese economy from 1995 to 2022 for designing and implanting policies for environmental management. It uses industrialization, foreign direct investment, foreign remittances, and information & communication technology as supplementary factors into augmented energy diversification demand function. This empirical analysis shows cointegration between the variables, with economic globalisation positively impacting energy diversification. Factors such as foreign direct investment, foreign remittances, and information & communication technology contribute to energy diversity. However, industrialization has an adverse relationship with energy diversification. The relationship forms an inverted-U shaped between economic globalization and energy diversification. Our causality analysis indicates that economic globalization positively causes energy diversification. This study also reveals a reciprocal and beneficial cause-and-effect association between foreign direct investment and energy diversification. Lastly, foreign remittances and information & communication technologies positively cause energy diversification.

Financial globalization and economic growth amid geopolitical risk: A study on China-Russia far East federal district.

Geopolitics, natural resource efficiency and financial globalization have arisen as a new concept for low CO2 to achieve sustainable economic growth (EG). Therefore, developed and developing economies focus on Geopolitics risk (GPR), natural resource (NRS) efficiency and financial globalization (FG) to cope with CO2 neutrality targets. In order to understand the elements that contribute to achieving CO2 neutrality, this study sought to establish a relevant connection between geopolitics, the efficiency of NRS, financial globalization (FNG), and economic growth. For the abovementioned objectives, modern econometric methods, such as the canonical cointegration, CS-FGLS and GMM were adopted to evaluate the China-Russia Far East dataset between 1990 and 2022. In order to achieve CO2 neutrality in the long run, the study's elements are crucial, according to the results. In addition, GMM shows that each of the parameters affects CO2 neutrality. As a result, the ecological Kuznets curve rules the economic landscape, and long-term CO2 neutrality is greatly facilitated by geopolitics, efficient use of natural resources, financial globalization, and economic growth. Consequently, numerous domains necessitate far-reaching and revolutionary policy changes, such as economic integration to mitigate geopolitical risk, effective management of natural resources, efficient financial systems, and sustainable technology.

Solving the 250-year-old mystery of the origin and global spread of the German cockroach, Blattella germanica.

The origin of the German cockroach, Blattella germanica, is enigmatic, in part because it is ubiquitous worldwide in human-built structures but absent from any natural habitats. The first historical records of this species are from ca. 250 years ago (ya) from central Europe (hence its name). However, recent research suggests that the center of diversity of the genus is Asian, where its closest relatives are found. To solve this paradox, we sampled genome-wide markers of 281 cockroaches from 17 countries across six continents. We confirm that B. germanica evolved from the Asian cockroach Blattella asahinai approximately 2,100 ya, probably by adapting to human settlements in India or Myanmar. Our genomic analyses reconstructed two primary global spread routes, one older, westward route to the Middle East coinciding with various Islamic dynasties (~1,200 ya), and another younger eastward route coinciding with the European colonial period (~390 ya). While Europe was not central to the early domestication and spread of the German cockroach, European advances in long-distance transportation and temperature-controlled housing were likely important for the more recent global spread, increasing chances of successful dispersal to and establishment in new regions. The global genetic structure of German cockroaches further supports our model, as it generally aligns with geopolitical boundaries, suggesting regional bridgehead populations established following the advent of international commerce.

Digital Traceability in Agri-Food Supply Chains: A Comparative Analysis of OECD Member Countries.

In an era marked by globalization and rapid technological advancements, the agri-food sector confronts both unprecedented challenges and opportunities. Among these, digital traceability systems have emerged as pivotal in enhancing operational efficiencies, ensuring food safety, and promoting transparency throughout the supply chain. This study presents a comparative analysis of digital traceability adoption and its impact across member countries of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). By utilizing a multidimensional analytical framework, this study investigates national regulations, legal frameworks, and key food commodities affected by digital traceability implementations. It systematically assesses the efficacy of these systems in meeting consumer transparency expectations, regulatory compliance, and the overarching goal of sustainable agri-food supply chains. Through case studies and empirical evidence, the paper elucidates the complex interplay between technological innovation and regulatory environments, offering insights into best practices and potential integration barriers. Ultimately, this comprehensive investigation contributes to the scholarly discourse on digital traceability, providing actionable recommendations for policymakers, industry stakeholders, and academia to navigate the complexities of modern agri-food systems.

The effect of renewable energy on carbon emissions through globalization.

The sustainability of the environment debate cannot be addressed without considering the type of energy to use. The pace at which the world is industrializing, globalizing, and developing economically has prompted many researchers to investigate the kind of energy required to preserve the environment. In this regard, this study employs the mediation model to assess renewable energy's direct and indirect effects on carbon emissions through globalization. The data for the study is from 1990 to 2020. The study's findings showed that while renewable energy has no appreciable impact on trade openness, it directly and negatively affects carbon emissions. However, foreign direct investment has a direct and significant positive effect on carbon emissions, while trade openness has no significant effect. The indirect result revealed that renewable energy through foreign direct investment has a negative effect on carbon emissions; however, renewable energy through trade openness has a positive effect on carbon emissions. Policymakers are encouraged to restrict the trade sector to reduce the trading of high-emission technologies.