Enhancing Competitiveness and Quality of Life in Destinations through Female Entrepreneurship

To stay competitive, destinations require frequent adaptation and transformation. One trend that has emerged in the early 21st century is the integration of the location, destination and living spaces. One example is the proposed "Ecosystem of Hospitality" that includes aspects such as quality of life, culture, resilience or entrepreneurship. Entrepreneurial activity can contribute to local and regional economic development. Business foundations in creative markets such as education, fashion, medicine, arts and entertainment may positively impact both residents (living space) and visitors (destination space). As female entrepreneurs are perceived as particularly active in these markets and are often considered to establish more adaptable, resilient, sustainable and transformation-oriented startups, they have great potential to achieve competitiveness of destinations and enhance the quality of life for residents and visitors. As a connection of these fields has not been investigated yet, this paper investigates possible correlations between female entrepreneurship and destinations' competitiveness and quality of life. Secondary data from a variety of sources have been analyzed. The findings enhance the linkage between destination development and local entrepreneurship and provide new perspectives for destination managers. Hence, the study contributes to the understanding of the role of female entrepreneurs

Analysing the role of female entrepreneurs in spatial ecosystem approaches using quantitative methods

This case study, Analysing the role of female entrepreneurs in spatial ecosystem approaches using quantitative methods, by Hannah Zehren, Madlen Schwing, Julia Schiemann and Julian Philipp, proposes to analyse, through a quantitative perspective, female entrepreneurship, destinations’ competitiveness and quality of life using secondary data

Epidemiology of Human Herpes Virus 8 in Pregnant Women and their Newborns - A cross-sectional delivery survey in Central Gabon

SummaryObjectivesOn the background of a high prevalence of HHV-8 infection in pre-pubertal Central African children, this study investigated the potential for in utero transmission of HHV-8.PatientsGabonese pregnant women were invited to provide peripheral and cord blood samples for serological and PCR diagnostics of HHV-8 infection at delivery for this cross-sectional survey.ResultsOut of 344 participants 120 (35%, 95% CI: 30-40%) were serologically positive for HHV-8. 31% (95% CI: 22-40%) of cord blood samples of seropositive women had detectable IgG antibodies. Among all seropositive participants HHV-8 was detected by PCR in one maternal peripheral blood sample at delivery (1%, 95% CI: 0.2-7%) and in none of cord blood samples. There was no association between demographic characteristics and infection status. Similarly, there was no difference in risk for premature delivery, low birth weight, and maternal anaemia in HHV-8 seropositive women.DiscussionThese data suggest a high seroprevalence of HHV-8 infection in pregnant women, however viraemia at delivery does not commonly occur in Central Africa. Based on these observations it may be speculated that infection of children may occur more commonly either antepartum or later on in infancy and childhood

Bringing Big Team Science to Comparative Cognition Research: Challenges and Ways Forward

Big Team Science (BTS) offers immense potential for comparative cognition research, enabling larger and more diverse sample sizes, promoting open science practices, and fostering global collaboration. However, implementing BTS in comparative cognition also presents unique challenges, such as making comparisons “species fair,” dealing with multi-site variation, reaching consensus among researchers from diverse backgrounds, and incentivizing participation in BTS. Here, we explore these challenges and propose potential solutions. These include capitalizing on the collective expertise of a diverse team to facilitate species-fair experimental designs, implementing thorough documentation and data analysis techniques to account for cross-site variability, employing consensus-building strategies to foster collaboration and address theoretical discrepancies, and advocating for the value of BTS contributions in promoting cultural shifts within academia. We conclude that BTS is well-positioned to pave the way for groundbreaking discoveries in comparative cognition research—BTS holds the potential to transform the field by leveraging its collaborative power and addressing long-standing and highly complex questions with unprecedented scope