bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Dietary considerations for sport and exercise
Authors: van Loon Luc J. C. , Trommelen Jorn
Published: April 2024

This chapter looks into dietary considerations for sport and exercise. It clarifies that nutrition is a key factor in determining physical well-being and exercise performance capacity to ensure athletes have reached limits in training volume and intensity. Clear-cut nutritional counselling is often difficult due to the lack of generally accepted nutritional recommendations for recreational athletes and available information about differences. The chapter explains that most countries have recommended nutrient intakes (RNIs) or recommended daily allowances (RDAs) for nutrients for different age groups and genders. It explores the practical use of nutritional supplements before considering the facts and fiction relating to the use of nutraceuticals as ergogenic aids.
Diseases of the gastrointestinal tract
Authors: Hunter John O. , Oldale Claire V.
Published: April 2024

This chapter explores the different diseases of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. It notes the GI tract's prime function to be the ingestion, digestion, and absorption of food. Food can be a contributory causal factor of some diseases, but nutritional deficiencies are frequently prominent, so diet is often the only practicable therapy for GI disorders. The chapter highlights the role of diet and nutrition in the management of GI disorders after detailing the aetiology and pathophysiology of the role of the microbiome. The gut may be damaged by a wide range of external factors including bacteria and other microorganisms, trauma, radiation, and chemicals.
Nutrition and the skeleton
Authors: Reid Ian R.
Published: April 2024

This chapter explains how nutrition plays a key role in the maintenance of bone health. Since the skeleton is the principal structural element of the body necessary for all movement, it plays a key role in the metabolism of the minerals calcium and phosphate. Additionally, bone density directly correlates to body weight throughout a person's life. The chapter looks into the structure of bone and the cellular events that provide remodelling and renewal of bone before considering the regulation of calcium metabolism and the vitamin D endocrine system. It then details the nature, pathogenesis, and management of osteoporosis, osteomalacia, and rickets.
Diet and epigenetics
Authors: Mathers John C.
Published: April 2024

This chapter explores the correlation between diet and epigenetics. It explains that epigenetics is the area of science concerned with heritable changes in gene expression which do not involve changes to the underlying DNA sequence. As the chapter explains, changes in epigenetic marks occur during embryogenesis and across the lifecourse in humans. The chapter elaborates on the marks and molecules which constitute the epigenetic machinery used to regulate gene expression. It also explains how dietary and other factors influence epigenetic patterns and relate to phenotype while discussing the effects of nutritional status, dietary patterns, and specific dietary factors on epigenetic marks and molecules in humans.
Dietary assessment
Authors: Holmes Bridget
Published: April 2024

This chapter examines the purpose of dietary assessment. Dietary assessment involves the collection of information on the quantity and frequency of foods and drinks consumed over a specified time, and using food composition tables. The level of assessment and method must be selected with careful consideration by taking into account the exact purpose of the assessment. All dietary assessments aim to measure food consumption or to estimate the intake of nutrients or non-nutrients in individuals or groups for various reasons, such as the estimation of total food quantity for consumption of an entire country. The chapter notes the important factors in dietary assessment, such as portion assessment, use of technology, food composition tables, and assessment in special populations.
Malnutrition: global trends
Authors: Geissler Catherine , Lartey Anna
Published: April 2024

This chapter tackles the global trends of malnutrition. It starts by looking at the nutritional health of population groups. It considers the assessment of the extent and distribution of types and causes of malnutrition alongside the policies and interventions of nutrition-related organizations. The extent of various types of malnutrition differs between low-, middle-income, and high-income countries. The chapter provides an overview of the extent, distribution, and causes of malnutrition using the food-care-health model of the UNICEF conceptual framework. It looks into the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on nutrition in terms of deficiencies in the food systems.
Carbohydrates
Authors: Reynolds Andrew , Mann Jim
Published: April 2024

This chapter discusses carbohydrates, which are the most important source of food energy in the world. The major sources of dietary carbohydrate worldwide are cereal grains (primarily rice, wheat, and maize), with refined sugar, root crops (potatoes, cassava, yams, sweet potatoes, and taro), pulses, vegetables, fruit, and milk products contributing less to overall energy intake. Carbohydrate-containing foods, with the exception of sugar, contribute important amounts of protein, vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals, sterols, and antioxidants to diet. The chapter then looks at the measurement of dietary carbohydrates; the digestion and absorption of carbohydrates; and carbohydrate metabolism. It also considers the relationship between carbohydrates and postprandial glycaemia, gut disorders, and non-communicable disease. Finally, the chapter examines energy values and recommended intakes of carbohydrates.
Energy
Authors: Prentice Andrew M.
Published: April 2024

This chapter focuses on energy, which is the primary currency of nutrition. In humans, dietary energy is derived from four major food types—carbohydrate, fat, protein, and alcohol. These are termed macronutrients and each can be composed of numerous subtypes that have slightly different energy contents. Generation of energy from the various macronutrients requires different chemical processes, and for each there are optional pathways that can be used in different metabolic circumstances. The chapter then outlines the energy value of foods and how they may be calculated, and summarizes human energy needs and how these can be measured. It also looks at the mechanisms by which energy balance is regulated.
Major Minerals: Calcium and Magnesium
Authors: Lambert Helen , Hakim Ohood , Lanham-New Susan A.
Published: April 2024

This chapter examines the elements of calcium and magnesium. Calcium is the main mineral in bone, being stored as hydroxyapatite. One of the key roles of our skeletal system is to protect the vital organs. Moreover, the skeleton provides a store of minerals from which calcium (and phosphorus) may be continually withdrawn or deposited, according to physiological needs. The content of total body calcium differs considerably amongst individuals, at all ages, due to the fact that some people grow better skeletons than others, which is related to a combination of genetic/familial factors, as well as nutritional and other influences. Low blood calcium (hypocalcaemia) may cause seizures and tetany, while high blood calcium (hypercalcaemia) results in thirst, mild mental confusion and irritability, loss of appetite, and general fatigue and weakness. Meanwhile, intracellular magnesium is involved in energy metabolism, in the replication of DNA, and the synthesis of RNA and protein.
Other Biologically Active Substances in Plant Foods: Phytochemicals
Authors: Watzl Bernhard
Published: April 2024

This chapter focuses on phytochemicals, which are secondary plant metabolites that are non-nutritive dietary components (excluding vitamins). Secondary plant metabolites have various functions in the plant, such as serving as a defence against destructive weeds, insects, and micro-organisms, as growth regulators, and as pigments. Chemically, these secondary plant metabolites are quite diverse compounds and are found only in minute amounts, in contrast to the primary plant metabolites. Secondary plant metabolites have potential pharmacological effects on humans, a thought that was already discussed in the 1950s. More recently, nutrition scientists have systematically begun to investigate the health-promoting effects of these plant substances. The chapter then considers the classification and physiological effects of phytochemicals. It also looks at epidemiological evidence for the protective effects of vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and phytochemicals.
Functional Foods and Health Claims
Authors: Katan Martijn B.
Published: April 2024

This chapter examines functional foods and health claims. One definition of functional foods is ‘foods that provide health benefits beyond basic nutrition’. However, that definition ignores the commercial character of functional foods. Therefore, functional food can be defined as: a branded food that claims explicitly or implicitly to improve health or well-being. Functional foods and dietary supplements are related. The active ingredients of functional foods, such as vitamins, plant sterols, lactic acid bacteria, or herbal extracts, can also be packaged into a capsule or tablet to create a supplement. Ultimately, health claims need to be regulated, otherwise market forces will produce a proliferation of unsubstantiated health claims. The chapter then looks at nutrient profiling.
Public Health Approaches to Implement Dietary Recommendations
Authors: Jebb Susan A.
Published: April 2024

This chapter addresses public health approaches to implementing dietary recommendations. Dietary recommendations provide the prescription for a healthy diet, but in order to improve what people eat, these recommendations need to be implemented. Public health nutrition policy is aimed at supporting this goal. While the final step in the process of eating is an individual action, implementing recommendations that require a change in dietary behaviours needs action across society to create a culture in which healthy lifestyle choices at home, school, work, and in the community are easy, accessible, affordable, and normative. Public health interventions to implement dietary recommendations need to encourage and empower individuals with practical strategies suited to the prevailing environment, while also making the healthier choices easier by changing the environmental determinants to favour diets that meet recommendations for good health.
Food Systems: Challenges and Ways Forward
Authors: Waterlander Wilma , Swinburn Boyd
Published: April 2024

This chapter provides a broad overview of food and nutrition issues at the global and population levels. It considers emerging trends in food systems, population health, and planetary health that nutritionists need to be familiar with if they are going to help provide the answers for today's and tomorrow's nutrition challenges. The chapter begins by looking at some of the global contextual factors that are influencing the very shape and nature of food systems. It then evaluates the increased awareness of the importance of food systems to human and planetary health and some of the key paradigms for thinking about the changing nature of food systems. Finally, the chapter outlines several broad challenges within the global food system, before identifying some of the potential ways forward in trying to address these complex food and nutrition problems.
Nutrition, the Environment, and Sustainable Diets
Authors: Lang Tim , Mason Pamela
Published: April 2024

This chapter explores key ways in which the environment shapes human nutrition and vice versa: how what people eat reflects how they treat and think of the environment. Nutrition has traditionally focused on the availability and interaction of nutrients in food and the influence of nutrients, foods, and diet on human health. In the twenty-first century, calls have become stronger for nutrition science to recognize how ecosystems underpin food systems and food systems are key drivers of environmental degradation. Issues such as energy, climate change, biodiversity, water, land use, and soil all shape food systems, the availability of nutrients, and food production. Ultimately, the future of food systems and nutrition is likely to hinge on whether food production and consumption can become more sustainable. The chapter then considers the role of governments, non-governmental organizations, the food industry, and nutritionists in promoting both healthy and sustainable diets.
Childhood and Adolescent Nutrition
Authors: Taylor Rachael , Heath Anne-Louise
Published: April 2024

This chapter discusses childhood and adolescent nutrition. Childhood and adolescence are periods of rapid growth, learning, and development. Nutritional needs are high and differ in many respects from those of adults. Ensuring adequate food intake remains the challenge for many of the world's children. In contrast, for most children in high income countries, making more appropriate food choices and developing and maintaining healthy eating habits is paramount. Dietary recommendations for children and adolescents are expressed in two very different, but complementary, formats: dietary guidelines and nutrient intake values. Ideally, each country should develop its own dietary guidelines to ensure that the food- and nutrient-related health concerns of the country are addressed in the context of customary dietary patterns. The chapter then looks at undernutrition, childhood obesity, and some special issues that predominantly relate to adolescents.
Nutritional Support for Hospital Patients
Authors: Smith Ross C.
Published: April 2024

This chapter studies nutritional support for hospital patients. The concept of ‘enteral nutrition’ has developed as a specialized form of nutrition therapy out of the space programme, where a balanced nutrition that resulted in minimal excretion was a distinct advantage. Enteral nutrition is indicated as a means of nutritional support for patients who are unable to sustain themselves with an oral diet and who have a sufficient normal intestine available for absorption of enteral formula. Meanwhile, parenteral feeding is indicated when patients cannot be nourished with oral nutrition or enteral feeding for more than five days. Parenteral nutrition needs to provide all necessary electrolytes, trace elements, and vitamins in balanced amounts. The chapter then looks at the benefit of nutritional support teams.
Bounding Radon Numbers via Betti Numbers
Authors: Patáková Zuzana
Published: April 2024

We prove general topological Radon-type theorems for sets in $\mathbb R^{d}$ or on a surface. Combined with a recent result of Holmsen and Lee, we also obtain fractional Helly theorem, and consequently the existence of weak $\varepsilon $-nets as well as a $(p,q)$-theorem for those sets. More precisely, given a family ${\mathcal{F}}$ of subsets of ${\mathbb{R}}^{d}$, we will measure the homological complexity of ${\mathcal{F}}$ by the supremum of the first $\lceil d/2\rceil $ reduced Betti numbers of $\bigcap{\mathcal{G}}$ over all nonempty ${\mathcal{G}} \subseteq{\mathcal{F}}$. We show that if ${\mathcal{F}}$ has homological complexity at most $b$, the Radon number of ${\mathcal{F}}$ is bounded in terms of $b$ and $d$. In case that ${\mathcal{F}}$ lives on a surface and the number of connected components of $\bigcap \mathcal G$ is at most $b$ for any nonempty $\mathcal G\subseteq \mathcal F$, then the Radon number of ${\mathcal{F}}$ is bounded by a function depending only on $b$ and the surface itself. For surfaces, if we moreover assume the sets in ${\mathcal{F}}$ are open, we show that the fractional Helly number of $\mathcal F$ is linear in $b$. The improvement is based on a recent result of the author and Kalai. Specifically, for $b=1$ we get that the fractional Helly number is at most three, which is optimal. This case further leads to solving a conjecture of Holmsen, Kim, and Lee about an existence of a $(p,q)$-theorem for open subsets of a surface.
Range-wide genetic analysis of an endangered bumble bee (Bombus affinis, Hymenoptera: Apidae) reveals population structure, isolation by distance, and low colony abundance
Authors: Mola John M , Pearse Ian S , Boone Michelle L , Evans Elaine , Hepner Mark J , Jean Robert P , Kochanski Jade M , Nordmeyer Cale , Runquist Erik , Smith Tamara A , Strange James P , Watson Jay , Koch Jonathan B U
Published: April 2024

Declines in bumble bee species range and abundances are documented across multiple continents and have prompted the need for research to aid species recovery and conservation. The rusty patched bumble bee (Bombus affinis) is the first federally listed bumble bee species in North America. We conducted a range-wide population genetics study of B. affinis from across all extant conservation units to inform conservation efforts. To understand the species’ vulnerability and help establish recovery targets, we examined population structure, patterns of genetic diversity, and population differentiation. Additionally, we conducted a site-level analysis of colony abundance to inform prioritizing areas for conservation, translocation, and other recovery actions. We find substantial evidence of population structuring along an east-to-west gradient. Putative populations show evidence of isolation by distance, high inbreeding coefficients, and a range-wide male diploidy rate of ~15%. Our results suggest the Appalachians represent a genetically distinct cluster with high levels of private alleles and substantial differentiation from the rest of the extant range. Site-level analyses suggest low colony abundance estimates for B. affinis compared to similar datasets of stable, co-occurring species. These results lend genetic support to trends from observational studies, suggesting that B. affinis has undergone a recent decline and exhibit substantial spatial structure. The low colony abundances observed here suggest caution in overinterpreting the stability of populations even where B. affinis is reliably detected interannually. These results help delineate informed management units, provide context for the potential risks of translocation programs, and help set clear recovery targets for this and other threatened bumble bee species.
Pedagogic obligations towards a decolonial and contextually responsive approach to teaching philosophy in South Africa
Authors: Kumalo Siseko H
Published: April 2024

With the calls to decolonize the philosophy curriculum, and the university more generally, which have seen a series of intellectual interventions in South Africa, this article takes its cue from Nyoka’s recommendation when he suggests moving beyond merely thinking about decolonization. In reflecting on processes of decolonizing the curriculum, this article considers the successes and failures of a course taught during a global pandemic, wherein pedagogic strategies were constrained. Reflecting on a module taught in the first semester of 2021, this article thinks through the fundamental question that underpins the course, primarily: how to develop a contextually responsive philosophical approach on the southernmost tip of the African continent. Using two primary texts, Kumalo’s Decolonization as Democratization and Jansen’s Decolonization in Universities, the module analysed this question by juxtaposing, respectively, a philosophical and educational text. In this pedagogic autocritique, I reflect on ‘what obligation do intellectuals owe their students’ in a decolonizing context.
Successful management of prolonged abdominal pregnancy in low-resource setting: a case report
Authors: Zita Cátia Samajo , Villa Gonzalo Gonzáles , Matediana Eduardo , Tomás Pita , Pizzol Damiano , Smith Lee
Published: April 2024

Ectopic pregnancy is a life-threatening complication of pregnancy and represents the leading cause of maternal mortality in the first trimester. In developing countries early diagnosis, necessary for favorable outcomes, is often unavailable and women are often not aware of possible conditions and associated complications. Moreover, access to sexual and reproductive health services and antenatal care are limited in such settings. Finally, management options are restricted and often performed in emergency with higher risk of complications and mortality. We report here a 33-year-old woman presenting a 41 weeks abdominal pregnancy successfully managed in a low-resource setting.
Could insects be an alternative food source? A comprehensive review
Authors: Turan Yavuz , Berber Didem , Sesal Nüzhet Cenk
Published: April 2024

According to the United Nations, more than 800 million people are exposed to starvation. It is predicted that the world population will face much more serious starvation for reasons such as global warming, diseases, economic problems, rapid urbanization, and destruction of agricultural areas and water resources. Thus, there are significant hesitations about the sustainability of food resources, and the search for alternative food sources has increased. One of the leading alternative food sources is insects. Although the use of edible insects has been accepted in some areas of the world, entomophagy is not preferred in some countries due to sociocultural conditions, health concerns, neophobia, and entomophobia. Many people do not accept the direct consumption of raw insects, but insects can be transformed into more preferred forms by using different cooking techniques. Some ground edible insects are satisfactory in terms of nutritional value and have a reasonable level of acceptability when added to products such as bread, tortilla, and pasta in varying percentages. The world market value of edible insects was estimated to be US$3.2 million in 2021 and US$17.6 billion in 2032. In this review, the current and future situation of insects as an alternative food source is comprehensively discussed.
The Ontario Workplace Health Champions Program
Authors: Holness D L , Thompson A M S , Liss G M
Published: April 2024

To increase the presence of occupational medicine in the medical school curriculum in Ontario, Canada, the Ontario Workplace Health Champions Program was established 24 years ago. The Program supports a Workplace Health Champion in each medical school who ensures there is occupational medicine content in their medical school curricula. The program has expanded to postgraduate training programs, with a focus on primary care. There has been an increase in occupational medicine content in medical schools in Ontario.
Altered neuroepithelial morphogenesis and migration defects in iPSC-derived cerebral organoids and 2D neural stem cells in familial bipolar disorder
Authors: Phalnikar Kruttika , Srividya M , Mythri S V , Vasavi N S , Ganguly Archisha , Kumar Aparajita , S Padmaja , Kalia Kishan , Mishra Srishti S , Dhanya Sreeja Kumari , Paul Pradip , Holla Bharath , Ganesh Suhas , Reddy Puli Chandramouli , Sud Reeteka , Viswanath Biju , Muralidharan Bhavana
Published: April 2024

Bipolar disorder (BD) is a severe mental illness that can result from neurodevelopmental aberrations, particularly in familial BD, which may include causative genetic variants. In the present study, we derived cortical organoids from BD patients and healthy (control) individuals from a clinically dense family in the Indian population. Our data reveal that the patient organoids show neurodevelopmental anomalies, including organisational, proliferation and migration defects. The BD organoids show a reduction in both the number of neuroepithelial buds/cortical rosettes and the ventricular zone size. Additionally, patient organoids show a lower number of SOX2-positive and EdU-positive cycling progenitors, suggesting a progenitor proliferation defect. Further, the patient neurons show abnormal positioning in the ventricular/intermediate zone of the neuroepithelial bud. Transcriptomic analysis of control and patient organoids supports our cellular topology data and reveals dysregulation of genes crucial for progenitor proliferation and neuronal migration. Lastly, time-lapse imaging of neural stem cells in 2D in vitro cultures reveals abnormal cellular migration in BD samples. Overall, our study pinpoints a cellular and molecular deficit in BD patient-derived organoids and neural stem cell cultures.
Psychiatry and Family Medicine Residents’ Likelihood of Prescribing HIV Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) to Patients with Mental Illness and HIV Vulnerability
Authors: Bunting Samuel R. , Feinstein Brian A. , Vidyasagar Nitin , Sheth Neeral K. , Yu Roger , Hazra Aniruddha
Published: April 2024

Background:

People living with mental illness (PLMI) experience disproportionately high incidence of and vulnerability to HIV. Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is an effective and safe HIV prevention method, but data regarding prescription to PLMI are lacking. Psychiatrists may serve as important points of access for PrEP prescription for PLMI.

Methods:

We conducted a vignette-based study of residents in psychiatry and family medicine (FM) to assess likelihood of prescribing PrEP and assumptions about the fictional patient. The patients’ psychiatric diagnosis was varied (schizophrenia on LAI or oral antipsychotic, bipolar disorder, major depression) or a control condition without a psychiatric diagnosis.

Results:

A total of 439 residents participated. We found high percentages of psychiatry (96.8%) and FM (97.4%) residents were aware of PrEP. High percentages of psychiatry (92.0-98.1%) and FM (80.8-100%) residents indicated that PrEP was indicated for all patient conditions. Family medicine residents were more likely to prescribe PrEP to all experimental conditions compared to psychiatry residents. There was no difference in likelihood of prescribing to the control condition without a psychiatric diagnosis. The belief that PrEP prescription was out of the scope of practice was greater among psychiatry residents.

Conclusions:

A majority of psychiatry residents responded that PrEP was indicated for an array of patients with psychiatric diagnoses. However, psychiatry residents were broadly less likely to prescribe PrEP to patients with these diagnoses. The high percentage of psychiatry residents who reported that PrEP was indicated for all patients suggests additional training is needed to facilitate PrEP prescription by psychiatrists.
Circadian control of kidney regeneration via Lima1-mediated regulation of EMT
Authors: He Xian , Wang Ziming , Cheng Linxi , Wang Han , Sun Yuhua
Published: April 2024

The circadian clock genes are known important for kidney development, maturation and physiological functions. However, whether and how they play a role in renal regeneration remain elusive. Here, by using the single cell RNA-sequencing (scRNA-seq) technology, we investigated the dynamic gene expression profiles and cell states after acute kidney injury (AKI) by gentamicin treatment in zebrafish. The core clock genes such as per1/2 and nr1d1, which encode transcriptional repressors of the circadian system, are strongly induced in the proximal tubule epithelial cells (PTECs). By generating mutant zebrafish lines, we show that per1 and nr1d1 are required for proper renal regeneration, by facilitating the expression of renal progenitor cell (RPC) genes. In per1 and nr1d1 mutants, the expression of RPC genes and the number of RPCs were decreased, resulting in a marked delay in nephron regeneration. lima1a, which encodes a cytoskeleton binding protein that functions to negatively regulate epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT), is identified as the direct target of the clock proteins. Down-regulation of lima1a is associated with enhanced EMT, increased expression of RPC markers, and accelerated nephron regeneration. We propose that up-regulation of per1 and nr1d1 after AKI facilitates the formation of nephrongenic RPCs by repressing lima1a. Our findings using zebrafish provide important insights into the roles of the circadian clock genes in kidney repair.
95 GeV diphoton and
bb¯
excesses in the general next-to-minimal supersymmetric standard model
Authors: Cao Junjie , Jia Xinglong , Lian Jingwei , Meng Lei
Published: April 2024

The CMS and ATLAS Collaborations recently published their results searching for light Higgs bosons, using the complete Run 2 data of the LHC. Both reported an excess in the diphoton invariant mass distribution at mγγ≃95.4  GeV with compatible signal strengths. The combined result corresponded to a local significance of 3.1σ. Besides, the mass of the diphoton signal coincided with that of the bb¯ excess observed at the Large Electron Positron. Given the remarkable theoretical advantages of the general next-to-minimal supersymmetric Standard Model, we interpret these excesses by the resonant productions of the singlet-dominated CP-even Higgs boson predicted by the theory. Using both analytic formulas and numerical results, we show that the idea can interpret the excesses by broad parameter space without contradicting current experimental restrictions, including those from the 125 GeV Higgs data, the dark matter relic abundance and direct detection experiments, and the collider searches for supersymmetry and extra Higgs bosons. Although the explanations are scarcely affected by present Higgs data and the LHC search for supersymmetry, the dark matter physics may leave footprints on them. We also survey the other signals of the light Higgs boson at the LHC.

Published by the American Physical Society
2024
Quantization of second-order fermions
Authors: Ferro-Hernández Rodolfo , Olmos Julio , Peinado Eduardo , Vaquera-Araujo Carlos A.
Published: April 2024

The quantization of a massive spin-1/2 field that satisfies the Klein-Gordon equation is studied. The framework is consistent, provided it is formulated as a pseudo-Hermitian quantum field theory by the redefinition of the dual field and the identification of an operator that modifies the inner product of states in Hilbert space to preserve a real energy spectrum and unitary evolution. Since the fermion field has mass dimension one, the theory admits renormalizable fermion self-interactions.

Published by the American Physical Society
2024
Quadratic gravity in analogy to quantum chromodynamics: Light fermions in its landscape
Authors: de Brito Gustavo P.
Published: April 2024

We investigate a nonperturbative approach to quantum gravity built in terms of analogies between quadratic gravity and quantum chromodynamics. This approach is based on a conjectured phase transition between quadratic gravity in the trans-Planckian regime and an effective field theory, with general relativity as the leading-order term, below the Planck scale. We point out that not all aspects of the analogy between quadratic gravity and quantum chromodynamics are desired. A possible mechanism of chiral symmetry breaking driven by quantum gravity fluctuations could make this setup incompatible with our observed Universe. Here, we put forward a first investigation of chiral symmetry breaking in the context of quadratic gravity. We find indication that gravity, despite being an attractive force, does not trigger chiral symmetry breaking in a nonperturbative regime. This result is based on a (functional) renormalization group analysis of four-fermion interactions coupled to quadratic gravity. We also comment on the particularities associated with the single-flavor case. In summary, the analogy between quadratic gravity and chromodynamics passes this first phenomenological viability test.

Published by the American Physical Society
2024
Women leadership in higher education: past, present and future trends
Authors: Fauzi Muhammad Ashraf , Tan Christine Nya-Ling , Muhamad Tamyez Puteri Fadzline , Abd Aziz Nurul Ashykin , Wider Walton
Published: April 2024

Purpose

Gender bias and stereotypes are universal issues in today’s society. This study presents a comprehensive review of women’s leadership based on bibliometric analysis. The feminist approach to leadership is helpful in many ways, and it could be the type of leadership needed in the challenging world of academia. Women present unique characteristics and traits, particularly their motherly approach to leadership.

Design/methodology/approach

A review of the literature based on bibliometric analysis by mapping the knowledge structure of the subject is conferred by uncovering the past, present and future trends based on three bibliometric analyses.

Findings

The finding suggests that gender equality, stereotypes and barriers in women’s leadership are at the forefront of the subject in HEIs. The overall system, mindset and willingness for institutional transformation are needed to change the mindset of accepting women as leaders of HEIs.

Research limitations/implications

This study brought the significant idea of increasing women’s empowerment in HEIs, eventually strengthening institutional leadership’s capability towards advanced education.

Originality/value

This study would present a crucial foundation in women’s empowerment, particularly from the HEIs perspective and from the generic women’s leadership literature.
Co-creation solutions and the three Co’s framework for applying Co-creation
Authors: Pearce Gemma , Magee Paul
Published: April 2024

Purpose

A sense of collective free-thinking with tangible goals makes co-creation an enlightening experience. Yet despite the freedom and organic flow of the methodology, there remain barriers to deploying co-creation in the real-world context. The aim was to understand the barriers and solutions to co-creation, reflect on applying co-creation in practice and co-create an applicable framework for co-creation.

Design/methodology/approach

These reflections and conceptual developments were completed using a Participatory Action Research Approach through the co-creation of the Erasmus+ funded Co-creating Welfare course.

Findings

Results presented are centric to the experiences in the United Kingdom but led to application at an international level. Problem formulation led to solutions devised about who should co-create, what co-creation aims to achieve, how to receive management buy-in, co-creating beyond the local face to face context and evaluation.

Originality/value

The Three Co’s Framework is proposed using the outline of: Co-Define, Co-Design and Co-Refine. Those who take part in co-creation processes are recommended to be called co-creators, with less focus on “empowerment” and more about facilitating people to harness the power they already have. Utilising online and hybrid delivery methods can be more inclusive, especially in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The use of co-creation needs to be evaluated more moving forwards, as well as the output co-created.
Undrained shear strength of soft clay reinforced with encapsulated stone dust columns
Authors: Hoque Md. Ikramul , Hasan Muzamir , Datta Shuvo Dip
Published: April 2024

Purpose

The stone dust column was used to strengthen the sample and had a significant effect on improving the shear strength of the kaolin clay. The application of stone columns, which can improve the overall carrying capacity of soft clay as well as lessen the settlement of buildings built on it, is among the most widespread ground improvement techniques throughout the globe. The performance of foundation beds is enhanced by their stiffness values and higher strength, which could withstand more of the load applied. Stone dust is a wonderful source containing micronutrients for soil, particularly those derived from basalt, volcanic rock, granite and other related rocks. The aim of this paper is to evaluate the properties of soft clay reinforced with encapsulated stone dust columns to remediate problematic soil and obtain a more affordable and environmentally friendly way than using other materials.

Design/methodology/approach

In this study, the treated kaolin sample's shear strength was measured using the unconfined compression test (UCT). 28 batches of soil samples total, 12 batches of single stone dust columns measuring 10 mm in diameter and 12 batches of single stone dust columns measuring 16 mm in diameter. Four batches of control samples are also included. At heights of 60 mm, 80 mm and 100 mm, respectively, various stone dust column diameters were assessed. The real soil sample has a diameter of 50 mm and a height of 100 mm.

Findings

Test results show when kaolin is implanted with a single encased stone dust column that has an area replacement ratio of 10.24% and penetration ratios of 0.6, 0.8 and 1.0, the shear strength increase is 51.75%, 74.5% and 49.20%. The equivalent shear strength increases are 48.50%, 68.50% and 43.50% for soft soil treated with a 12.00% area replacement ratio and 0.6, 0.8 and 1.0 penetration ratios.

Originality/value

This study shows a comparison of how sample types affect shear strength. Also, this article provides argumentation behind the variation of soil strength obtained from different test types and gives recommendations for appropriate test methods for soft soil.
Environmental sustainability and information sharing related to delivery options in the B2B2C context of e-commerce: evidence from a survey
Authors: Belvedere Valeria , Kotzab Herbert , Martinelli Elisa Martina
Published: April 2024

Purpose

This paper aims to explore the conditions in a business-to-business-to-consumer (B2B2C) context characterized by new technologies. Innovations enhance disintermediation and pursue sustainability goals that drive customers’ willingness to use eco-friendly delivery options, namely, parcel lockers – in e-commerce and their impacts in terms of communication and transparency along the supply network.

Design/methodology/approach

The study conducted an extensive survey in Italy and Germany, collecting 1,010 usable responses. Structural equation modelling was used to analyse the data with the aim of identifying the factors that drive customers’ willingness to use parcel lockers and the effect on customers’ behaviour as determined by the disclosure of information about the environmental performance of different delivery options.

Findings

The results highlight several factors affecting the willingness to use parcel lockers, namely, performance and effort expectancy, social influence, technology anxiety, hedonistic motivation and environmental knowledge. The results also demonstrate that the disclosure of information about the environmental performance of different delivery options influences customers’ behaviour.

Research limitations/implications

This paper faces several limitations, mostly related to the focus on just two countries, the use of cross-sectional data and the survey’s explicit reference to just one type of product. Nevertheless, the findings contribute to the discussion on the relevance of information sharing along the supply chain, providing favourable evidence in this regard. It also improves the stream of research concerning technology adoption in the context of e-commerce, highlighting factors that can lead consumers to use eco-friendly self-service technologies.

Practical implications

The results can support companies in understanding how they can design and manage the last mile of delivery to jointly achieve customer satisfaction, process efficiency and superior environmental performance.

Originality/value

This pioneering contribution studies the adoption of delivery solutions for e-commerce and its implications for the supply network.
The Eighteenth‐Century Mentor Book
Authors: Blunsden Laura
Published: April 2024

The modern definition and associations of the word ‘mentor’ — a guide or adviser to a less experienced person — can be traced back to François Fénelon's didactic novel, Les aventures de Télémaque, fils d'Ulysse (1699). The novel was one of the most widely read works of the eighteenth century, but its influence on British didactic literature has received little critical attention. This article explores the development of the mentor book, a subgenre within the guide tradition, which invoked deeply interpersonal and mutually affectionate nature of the mentoring relationship in their titles and personified the text as an adviser of the reader. Fénelon's characterization of the mentor figure was imitated in the mode of instruction and pedagogical strategy of these mentor books, which reflected changing perceptions of the didactic role of print on eighteenth‐century society and culture.
Aging and intraocular pressure homeostasis in mice
Authors: Li Guorong , van Batenburg‐Sherwood Joseph , Safa Babak N. , Fraticelli Guzmán Nina Sara , Wilson Andrea , Bahrani Fard Mohammad Reza , Choy Kevin , de Ieso Michael L. , Cui J. Serena , Feola Andrew J. , Weisz Tara , Kuhn Megan , Bowes Rickman Catherine , Farsiu Sina , Ethier C. Ross , Stamer W. Daniel
Published: April 2024

Age and elevated intraocular pressure (IOP) are the two primary risk factors for glaucoma, an optic neuropathy that is the leading cause of irreversible blindness. In most people, IOP is tightly regulated over a lifetime by the conventional outflow tissues. However, the mechanistic contributions of age to conventional outflow dysregulation, elevated IOP and glaucoma are unknown. To address this gap in knowledge, we studied how age affects the morphology, biomechanical properties and function of conventional outflow tissues in C57BL/6 mice, which have an outflow system similar to humans. As reported in humans, we observed that IOP in mice was maintained within a tight range over their lifespan. Remarkably, despite a constellation of age‐related changes to the conventional outflow tissues that would be expected to hinder aqueous drainage and impair homeostatic function (decreased cellularity, increased pigment accumulation, increased cellular senescence and increased stiffness), outflow facility, a measure of conventional outflow tissue fluid conductivity, was stable with age. We conclude that the murine conventional outflow system has significant functional reserve in healthy eyes. However, these age‐related changes, when combined with other underlying factors, such as genetic susceptibility, are expected to increase risk for ocular hypertension and glaucoma.
Efficacy of immune checkpoint inhibitors in advanced non‐small cell lung cancer patients with KRAS mutations: A network meta‐analysis
Authors: Zhang Lin , Chen Wei , Wei Hongtao , Yu Junxian
Published: April 2024

Objective

Previous studies have shown that immune checkpoint inhibitors can improve the survival of patients with advanced non‐small cell lung cancer with KRAS mutations; however, there is a lack of comparisons between treatment regimens associated with immune checkpoint inhibitors, and our study aims to compare several treatment parties to find a more effective treatment regimen.

Method

A comprehensive literature search was conducted across multiple databases, namely PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, and Cochrane Library, to identify relevant studies. The screened studies were thoroughly examined, and data were collected to establish a Bayesian framework. The study focused on two primary endpoints: overall survival (OS) and progression‐free survival (PFS). Data analysis and graphical plotting using R software and Revman (version 5.3). It is worth mentioning that the study protocol was registered with the International Prospective Registry for Systematic Reviews, ensuring transparency and adherence to predetermined protocols (CRD42022379595).

Result

In total, our analysis included six RCTs involving 469 patients with KRAS mutations. Among these patients, 224 received chemotherapy, while 245 were treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors. Meta‐analysis results showed that the addition of ICIs could significantly improve OS and PFS (0.69, 95% CI 0.55, 0.86; 0.57, 95% CI 0.42, 0.77). The results of the network meta‐analysis showed that Pembrolizumab could improve OS (HR 0.42, 95% CI 0.22–0.80) and Pembrolizumab emerged as the most effective treatment option for enhancing OS in patients (SUCRA 65.03%). Additionally, pembrolizumab in combination with chemotherapy showed improvement in PFS (HR 0.47, 95% CI 0.29–0.76).

Conclusion

Our analysis found that among advanced NSCLC patients with KRAS gene mutations, first‐line treatment with pembrolizumab alone demonstrated greater efficacy. Similarly, second‐line treatment with nivolumab alone was found to be more effective in this patient population. However, the sample size of this study was limited, Therefore, additional clinical data is necessary to validate this finding in subsequent research.
The fortified site at Lanaken near Maastricht (Belgium/the Netherlands). New insights on early medieval military and elite strategies in the middle Meuse valley
Authors: Deschepper Ewoud , De Clercq Wim , Wesemael Elke
Published: April 2024

Archaeological excavation near Maastricht (the Netherlands) in the town of Lanaken (Belgium) revealed a previously unknown wooden‐and‐earth fortified site dating back to c.650–800. The fortification's construction, layout and dimensions are indicative of Roman military practice, suggesting active application of this practice during the early medieval period. This research delves into the implications of this discovery, shedding light on early medieval military strategies in the region and providing insights into potential historical contexts surrounding the fortified sitecation's construction and use. In so doing, it makes an important contribution to ongoing discussions regarding the nature of early medieval military organization and elite society.
Mortgage rates and credit risk: Evidence from mortgage pools
Authors: Antinolfi Gaetano , Brunetti Celso , Im Jay
Published: April 2024

In the 1990s, securitised subprime loans supported the growth of mortgage lending. We study the evolution of initial mortgage rates as a function of loan and borrower characteristics during 1992–2015. We compare the evolution of initial rates on securitised subprime mortgages with rates of prime privately securitised mortgages, mortgages securitised by government‐sponsored enterprises, and nonsecuritised mortgages. Starting in 2003 the risk premium on subprime loans decreases until it disappears at the onset of the Global Financial Crisis. We find that loading factors on subprime rates are cointegrated with delinquencies and house price movements, providing evidence of the important role of the subprime market.
Association between proactive esophageal cooling and increased lab throughput
Authors: Zagrodzky William , Cooper Julie , Joseph Christopher , Sackett Matthew , Silva Jose , Kuk Richard , McHugh Julia , Brumback Babette , Park Shirley , Hayward Robert , Taneja Taresh , Vu Andrew , Liu Taylor , Kulstad Erik , Kaplan Andrew , Ramireddy Archana , Omotoye Samuel
Published: April 2024

Introduction

Proactive esophageal cooling has been FDA cleared to reduce the likelihood of ablation‐related esophageal injury resulting from radiofrequency (RF) cardiac ablation procedures. Data suggest that procedure times for RF pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) also decrease when proactive esophageal cooling is employed instead of luminal esophageal temperature (LET) monitoring. Reduced procedure times may allow increased electrophysiology (EP) lab throughput. We aimed to quantify the change in EP lab throughput of PVI cases after the introduction of proactive esophageal cooling.

Methods

EP lab throughput data were obtained from three EP groups. We then compared EP lab throughput over equal time frames at each site before (pre‐adoption) and after (post‐adoption) the adoption of proactive esophageal cooling.

Results

Over the time frame of the study, a total of 2498 PVIs were performed over a combined 74 months, with cooling adopted in September 2021, November 2021, and March 2022 at each respective site. In the pre‐adoption time frame, 1026 PVIs were performed using a combination of LET monitoring with the addition of esophageal deviation when deemed necessary by the operator. In the post‐adoption time frame, 1472 PVIs were performed using exclusively proactive esophageal cooling, representing a mean 43% increase in throughput (p < .0001), despite the loss of two operators during the post‐adoption time frame.

Conclusion

Adoption of proactive esophageal cooling during PVI ablation procedures is associated with a significant increase in EP lab throughput, even after a reduction in total number of operating physicians in the post‐adoption group.