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Recovery sleep after total sleep deprivation preserves neutral and enhances emotional declarative memory
Get PDFUnderstanding Out-of-Home Plate Waste:A systematic review and future research agenda
Get PDFConsumer food waste represents a critical global challenge with substantial social, economic, and environmental costs. One underexplored but significant domain is plate waste, which poses specific challenges for the hospitality and food service sector and undermines global sustainability goals. Given the theoretical fragmentation and methodological dispersion in this area, a comprehensive synthesis is urgently needed. This study presents a systematic literature review of 101 peer-reviewed publications to consolidate current knowledge of how plate waste has been understood and addressed and identify future research and practical directions. We find that, despite increasing interest, existing research tends to conceptualise plate waste as a static outcome of consumer choice, often relying on individualised, cognitive-behavioural models while underexploring social, contextual, and systemic influences and dynamic dining procedures. This SLR synthesises evidence to theorise plate waste as a processual and dynamic phenomenon, unfolding through a sequence of “decisive moments” in the dining-out experience—planning, ordering, food evaluation, and leftover handling. These moments are shaped by interacting micro level intrapersonal, meso level-social, physical, and macro-level factors, and entangled with broader household and cultural food practices. We develop an integrative framework that shifts the analytical focus from static, individualised, outcome-based to process-based, multi-leveled understandings of consumption and waste in hospitality. We conclude with a research agenda and implications for hospitality stakeholders. This review establishes a critical foundation for advancing context-sensitive, sustainable food consumption strategies in hospitality research
Peripheral manifestations in spondyloarthritis: a systematic literature review on their assessment and the effect of biological/targeted synthetic DMARDs
Get PDFObjectives
Peripheral manifestations (peripheral arthritis/enthesitis/dactylitis) are frequent in axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) yet, understudied. We (i) evaluated the assessment/reporting of peripheral manifestations in trials of biological or targeted synthetic DMARDs (b/tsDMARDs) for axSpA and peripheral SpA (pSpA), and (ii) synthesized the efficacy of b/tsDMARDs on these manifestations.
Methods
Systematic literature review (SLR) of controlled trials evaluating b/tsDMARDs in axSpA/pSpA (excluding psoriatic arthritis). Records were identified through previous SLRs informing ASAS-EULAR recommendations and updated searches. Outcomes included (i) frequency of assessment/reporting of peripheral arthritis/enthesitis/dactylitis and (ii) treatment efficacy of b/tsDMARDs on these peripheral manifestations [standardized mean differences (SMDs) or relative risk].
Results
We included 100 axSpA and four pSpA trials. In axSpA, peripheral arthritis was assessed in 54%, enthesitis in 64% and dactylitis in only 10% of studies. When assessed, results were reported in 69%, 72% and 10% of studies, respectively, and often in all patients (instead of those affected at baseline). Most frequently used instruments were 44-joint count for peripheral arthritis (48%), Maastricht Ankylosing Spondylitis Enthesitis Score for enthesitis (88%) and digit count for dactylitis (40%). Composite indices like DAS were not used. SMDs (range 0.26 to −1.18) indicated mainly small-to-moderate b/tsDMARD effects, typically higher in patients with baseline peripheral involvement. In pSpA, peripheral manifestations were always assessed/reported, with generally moderate effects (SMD range −0.10 to −1.22).
Conclusion
Peripheral manifestations are inconsistently assessed and reported in axSpA trials. While b/tsDMARDs have small-to-moderate effects on peripheral manifestations, these may be underestimated due to not being assessed in the population affected at baseline
Images Assisting Wor[l]ds::Black History Murals in South and West Philadelphia
Get PDFBlack history murals are often understood as examples of state or corporate obfuscation of racial inequality, sometimes known as “artwashing”; or, conversely, as “insurgent” political interventions. Focusing on murals in historically Black neighborhoods in South and West Philadelphia, this article instead highlights the processual, but no less political, relations involved in the production of Black history murals. Departing from “presentist” politically driven accounts that privilege “contemporary concerns and dispositions,” our objective is to offer a cultural and urban sociological analysis that highlights the anteceding words (texts and narratives), urban lifeworlds, “art worlds” and supply of meaningful urban locations that make Black history murals possible. We argue murals not only consolidate “the past” but contribute to the making of Black urban historicity
Genomic analyses of globally distributed Rhizopus microsporus populations indicate clinical isolates derived from environmental diversity reservoirs
Get PDFMucormycosis is a group of diseases that is increasing in frequency. A common opportunistic human fungal pathogen in this group is Rhizopus microsporus, which is a globally distributed species present in soil-associated environments. A subset of isolates in this species host endobacteria that are hypothesized to influence fungal pathogenicity in both clinical and environmental settings. We have limited understanding of how clinically and environmentally derived isolates are related or how physiological attributes, including thermotolerance and endosymbiosis, are correlated with population structure. Traditional molecular barcodes used to assess intraspecific relationships, such as ribosomal DNA internal transcribed spacer (ITS-rDNA)-based markers, do not provide species-level resolution, necessitating analyses of whole genome data. In this study, we generated novel whole genome sequencing data for six R. microsporus isolates and combined these data with publicly available whole genome sequences of 46 R. microsporus isolates. We evaluated these sequences to understand the evolutionary relationships among clinical and environmental isolates using phylogenomic and single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP)-based population genomics methods. We further studied their relationships by quantifying and comparing potential physiological differences and endosymbiont presence in a subset of 16 isolates with live cultures. We found that clinical isolates that originate from environmental settings contain higher molecular diversity than subpopulations isolated from clinical settings. We observed that environmental isolates grow faster than clinical isolates at temperatures between 22 and 37 C and that 7 of 16 (44%) contain endobacteria in the genus Mycetohabitans (Burkholderiales). Lastly, we observed that genome assembly size in R. microsporus is variable and that long-read sequencing technologies greatly enhance our ability to investigate the underlying genomic features. Our study provides a valuable backdrop for probing the basic biology and applied biomedical importance of Rhizopus and related fungi that cause mucormycosis
Waste Matters: Nuclear Technopolitics and Futures at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) in New Mexico
Get PDFThis article makes the case for nuclear weapons waste as an integral part of the US nuclear weapons complex and of international nuclear politics more broadly. Nuclear waste is not simply a by-product or issue of disposal, as assumed in much IR and security literature. Instead, waste creates and maintains socioeconomic drivers and narratives that have a productive power and enable particular nuclear futures. The article develops a three-part argument to support its claims about nuclear weapons waste arguing that: the political and socioeconomic impacts of nuclear weapons waste are deeply important at multiple levels; waste infrastructures are sites of contestation of nuclear futures; and the political dynamics of these impacts are obscured by the dynamics of technopolitics. The article grounds this argument in interviews collected during fieldwork on the US nuclear weapons waste complex in New Mexico, focusing specifically on the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP), the only permanent geologic disposal site for nuclear weapons waste in the United States. The dynamics around this site are in one way uniquely American, and specifically New Mexican, but they also can be used as one starting point to illuminate specific impacts of living in a world of nuclear weapons.
Cet article affirme que les déchets des armes nucléaires font partie intégrante du complexe des armes nucléaires américain et de la politique nucléaire internationale au sens large. Les déchets nucléaires ne se résument pas à un sous-produit ou une question d’élimination, comme le suppose la majorité de la littérature en RI et sur la sécurité. Ces déchets créent et entretiennent plutôt des facteurs socioéconomiques et des récits dotés d’un pouvoir productif et qui rendent possibles des avenirs nucléaires particuliers. L’article développe une argumentation en trois parties pour justifier son propos quant aux déchets des armes nucléaires, en affirmant que : les effets politiques et socioéconomiques des déchets des armes nucléaires revêtent une grande importance à plusieurs niveaux, les infrastructures de gestion des déchets sont des sites de contestation des avenirs nucléaires et les dynamiques politiques de ces effets sont masquées par les dynamiques de la technopolitique. L’article ancre son propos dans des entretiens recueillis lors d’un travail de terrain sur le complexe des déchets d’armes nucléaires américain au Nouveau-Mexique, en se concentrant en particulier sur l’usine Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP), le seul site d’élimination géologique permanent pour les déchets d’armes nucléaires aux États-Unis. D’un côté, les dynamiques qui entourent ce site sont exclusivement américaines, et plus précisément propres au Nouveau-Mexique, mais elles peuvent aussi servir de point de départ afin de mettre en lumière des conséquences spécifiques de la vie dans un monde où les armes nucléaires existent.
Este artículo argumenta que los desechos de armas nucleares son una parte integral del complejo de armas nucleares de Estados Unidos y de la política nuclear internacional en general. Los desechos nucleares no son simplemente un subproducto o un problema de eliminación, como se asume en gran parte de la literatura en materia de RRII y seguridad. En cambio, los desechos crean y mantienen estructuras y narrativas socioeconómicas que tienen un poder productivo y permiten futuros nucleares específicos. El artículo desarrolla una hipótesis, formada por tres partes, con el fin de respaldar nuestras afirmaciones con respecto a los desechos de armas nucleares. En ese sentido, el artículo argumenta que: los impactos políticos y socioeconómicos de los desechos de armas nucleares son profundamente relevantes a múltiples niveles, las infraestructuras de desechos son espacios de disputa sobre los futuros nucleares y las dinámicas políticas de estos impactos están oscurecidas por las dinámicas de la tecnopolítica. El artículo fundamenta este argumento a través de entrevistas recopiladas durante el trabajo de campo sobre el complejo de desechos de armas nucleares de Estados Unidos en Nuevo México, centrándose específicamente en la Planta Piloto para el Aislamiento de Residuos (WIPP, por sus siglas en inglés), el único emplazamiento de disposición geológica permanente de desechos de armas nucleares en Estados Unidos. Las dinámicas que rodean a este emplazamiento son, de alguna manera, característicamente estadounidenses, y específicamente de Nuevo México, pero también pueden usarse como un punto de partida que nos ayude a arrojar luz con respecto a aquellos impactos específicos que conlleva el hecho de vivir en un mundo con armas nucleares
Fractional modeling of nonlinear ship rolling dynamics under evolutionary and irregular sea-wave loads
Get PDFThis paper presents an efficient semi-analytical methodology for determining the non-stationary response of ships undergoing nonlinear rolling under stochastic sea-wave excitations. The dynamic response is captured through a comprehensive and physically consistent nonlinear formulation that incorporates both softening and hardening restoring moment characteristics, non-conventional fractional-order hydrodynamic damping mechanisms that naturally embed memory effects, and non-stationary stochastic wave loads representative of complex maritime environments. By leveraging a refined blend of stochastic averaging and statistical linearization the proposed stochastic fractional-order framework delivers computationally efficient, time-dependent second-order response statistics together with fully non-stationary roll angle amplitude probability-density surfaces. Tailored weighting factors and fractional derivative orders allow flexible tuning of restoring and damping characteristics to represent a wide range of relevant ship roll dynamics. Numerical analyses across a range of case studies, validated against benchmark Monte Carlo simulations, demonstrate the robustness and efficiency of the proposed methodology, underscoring its potential for assessing ship rolling response and seakeeping performance under dynamic and uncertain maritime conditions
Characterising power generation by model photovoltaic towers located in a simulated urban environment
Get PDFSolar cell installations are most often located in places where there is abundant open space. It is however more difficult to place solar cells in urban environments due to space constraints and suboptimal light conditions. One potential solution is to create three-dimensional structures covered with solar cell modules having a relatively small physical footprint (e.g., with a shape such as a tower), creating a three-dimensional (3D) solar cell installation (sometimes called ‘power towers’). To explore this, we fabricate physical models of 3D towers covered with solar cells (here referred to as 3DPV towers) and test them in a model urban environment. A number of different 3DPV designs are explored and are benchmarked against solar cells that are placed flat on the ground or inclined at 30° to the horizontal. When normalised by their physical footprint area, we find that 3DPV towers can produce as much as 3.05 times as much power in an ‘urban environment’ as the power generated by a conventionally sited solar cell that is inclined at 30°. Significantly, we also show that light scattered from nearby buildings can enhance the power collected by 3DPV towers by up to 29%. These findings indicate that 3DPV towers present a promising opportunity to generate solar power in complex urban environments
Ethnic differences in injury mortality rates among adult emergency healthcare service users in high-income countries: a scoping review
Get PDFBackground
Ethnic disparities in healthcare access and outcomes have been widely reported across different settings. In this scoping review, we aimed to explore whether adults from minority racial and ethnic backgrounds face higher risks of death after presenting with injuries to emergency healthcare services in high-income countries.
Methods
We searched five electronic databases [Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, MEDLINE, Cochrane, Scopus and PsycInfo® (American Psychological Association, Washington, DC, USA)] for peer-reviewed studies published between January 2010 and March 2024. We included studies that compared mortality outcomes by race or ethnicity in emergency healthcare settings such as ambulance services, trauma centres and hospital emergency departments in high-income countries.
Results
Out of the 1873 articles identified, 32 met the inclusion criteria. Of these, 20 reported higher risk of mortality for ethnic minority patients compared to White patients following injury. Most studies were conducted in the USA with limited representation from other high-income countries such as Canada and Israel. This strong emphasis on USA-based research limits how well the findings apply to other countries with different healthcare systems. A major issue identified across the studies was the inconsistency in how race and ethnicity were recorded and reported. This lack of standardisation makes it difficult to compare results across studies and may hide the true extent of disparities.
Future work
To better understand and address ethnic disparities in trauma care, future research should adopt consistent and inclusive ethnicity coding to improve data quality and comparability across studies. Studies should be conducted in a wider range of high-income countries and include pre-hospital settings, where disparities may first appear. This will help build a more globally relevant evidence base. Researchers should also take an intersectional approach, examining how ethnicity combines with other social determinants to influence outcomes. In addition to mortality, future studies using longitudinal and mixed-methods designs should explore long-term recovery and access to rehabilitation to gauge the full impact of these health disparities.
Limitations
The review focused solely on mortality outcomes, limiting insight into broader health outcomes such as long-term recovery, quality of life or patient experiences. It also did not explore how ethnicity interacts with other social factors such as gender, income, disability or immigration status. These gaps obscure the full extent of inequalities in emergency care.
Conclusion
This review adds to the growing evidence that ethnic minority patients in high-income countries could be at a higher risk of injury-related deaths. However, inconsistent ethnicity coding and a USA-centric evidence base limit the generalisability of findings. To create fairer and more effective emergency care systems, future research must improve data quality, broaden its geographic scope and consider the complex social factors that shape health outcomes.
Funding
This article presents independent research funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Health and Social Care Delivery Research programme as award number NIHR132744
TWIST1 drives endothelial-to-mesenchymal-transition to stabilize atherosclerotic plaques
Get PDFRupture of unstable atherosclerotic plaques is a major cause of mortality. Endothelial-to-mesenchymal transition associates with advanced atherosclerotic plaques and contributes to plaque progression. We examined the role of Twist1, a transcription factor that drives endothelial-to-mesenchymal transition, in plaque progression by inducible deletion from endothelial cells in hypercholesterolemic mice (Twist1ECKO Apo-/-). Single-cell RNA sequencing coupled to endothelial cell-tracking reveals that Twist1 promotes endothelial-to-mesenchymal transition in advanced atherosclerotic plaques. Histological analyses demonstrate that endothelial Twist1 promotes plaque growth and hallmarks of plaque stability (collagen, ACTA2-positive cells) and reduces features of instability (necrosis, macrophage accumulation). Analysis of cultured human aortic endothelial cells shows that TWIST1 contributes to endothelial-to-mesenchymal transition by promoting migration and proliferation through the transcriptional coactivator PELP1. Additionally, TWIST1 promotes endothelial cell proliferation via AEBP1-dependent upregulation of COL4A1. These findings challenge the prevailing view that endothelial-to-mesenchymal transition uniquely destabilizes plaques, by suggesting that TWIST1-driven endothelial-to-mesenchymal transition can promote plaque stability, offering new insights into atherosclerosis pathophysiology and therapeutic potential
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