19684 research outputs found
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Ultra Processed:Why the modern world makes you ill. (a polemic)
No full textAnalysis of the origin and application of the term ultra processed in food and its relevance to architecture and Urbanis
CEO compensation and bank’s performance following bank-rescue
Get PDFPurpose: This paper examines the effect of restrictions on executive pay and high CEOs’ compensation on bank performance following the “2008 UK bank rescue policy”. Design/methodology/approach: Using the difference-in-difference estimation technique we assess the relationship between executive compensation and financial performance of rescued banks relative to non-rescued banks over the period 1999–2019. Findings: Our main finding indicates that the relationship between executive compensation and financial performance declines in rescued banks relative to non-rescued banks. Further, we document that performance continues to deteriorate in rescued banks relative to non-rescued banks. Our results are robust to different estimation techniques. Originality/value: This study contributes to the literature that examines the efficacy of government bailouts during the 2008 crisis. To the best of the author’s knowledge, this study is among the first to examine the long-term implications of bank rescue and pay restrictions on executive compensation and performance post–rescue.</p
Definitions of Sustainable Leadership in Education:A Systematic Review and Analysis
Get PDFSustainable leadership has become a significant focus in educational leadership. Still, concerns persist regarding the clarity of its definitions and their impact addressing critical educational needs. This study employs a systematic review to address these definitional challenges. Seven themes emerge, categorized into three Meta-Themes: Effectiveness and Impact, Sustainability Systems Thinking, and Collaborative Responsibility and Future Orientation. These findings reveal the diversity of sustainable leadership themes and challenge the assumption that achieving a universal definition is the key to collaborative progress. This methodologically rigorous study enhances our understanding of sustainable leadership in education, offering valuable insights for further research
Building a Solid Foundation:The Need for Causal Evidence Before Advancing Anti-Obesity Drug Development Targeting the Endocannabinoid System
No full textComparative efficacy of liberal and restrictive blood transfusion strategies in anemic patients with acute myocardial infarction:A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials
No full textIntroduction: Acute myocardial infarction (AMI) poses a significant global health burden, warranting meticulous management strategies, particularly in patients with concurrent anemia. Blood transfusion strategies play a pivotal role in optimizing oxygen delivery while minimizing transfusion-related risks. Two contrasting approaches, liberal and restrictive transfusion strategies, have emerged, yet their comparative effectiveness remains uncertain due to conflicting evidence. Methods: We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis focusing on randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing liberal versus restrictive transfusion strategies in AMI patients with anemia (hemoglobin levels <10 g/dL). Comprehensive searches were performed across electronic databases up to March 31, 2024. Data extraction, risk of bias assessment using Cochrane's RoB 2 tool, and meta-analysis were conducted following methodology. Results: Among 327 initially identified studies, four high-quality RCTs met the inclusion criteria. These trials encompassed varied sample sizes and patient demographics. Meta-analysis revealed no significant difference in 30-day all-cause mortality nor recurrent MI between liberal and restrictive transfusion strategies. However, combining these outcomes into a composite measure demonstrated a significant reduction favoring liberal transfusion (pooled odds ratio = 0.82; 95% confidence interval = 0.69–0.99). Conclusion: While liberal transfusion strategies show promise in reducing adverse outcomes, clinical decision-making should be guided by individual patient factors and preferences. Personalized care remains paramount in determining the most appropriate transfusion approach for AMI patients with anemia. Further research is warranted to elucidate the optimal transfusion strategy in this population.</p
Data-driven optimisation of process parameters for reducing developed surface area ratio in laser powder bed fusion
No full textOptimising process parameters is a key category of approaches to improve the surface quality of laser powder bed fusion parts. So far, many optimisation methods have been presented, which provide effective ideas and approaches for improving surface quality. However, these methods all focus on the improvement of Ra, Sa, Rsk, or R∆q. These parameters are sufficient for most applications. They are however not suitable for applications where functional performance is linked with surface area. To quantify the quality of surfaces for these applications, the developed surface area ratio (Sdr) is a more appropriate parameter as it can be used to quantitatively express the exposed functional surface area. In this paper, a data-driven method for optimising five process parameters, namely layer thickness, laser power, hatch spacing, point distance, and exposure time, to reduce the developed surface area ratio of laser powder bed fusion parts is proposed. Firstly, experiments are designed and actual build and measurement experiments are conducted to acquire a fixed amount of data. A Bayesian ridge regression model for predicting a developed surface area ratio from the five process parameters is then trained and tested and compared with several other machine learning models using the acquired data. After that, optimisation of the five process parameters to reduce developed surface area ratio is carried out using the genetic algorithm, in which the objective function values (developed surface area ratios) are predicted using the established Bayesian ridge regression model. Finally, an additional actual build and measurement experiment is conducted to validate the optimisation. The testing results show that the Bayesian ridge regression model can obtain an average R2 score of 0.77 and an average mean absolute error of 8.48 on the testing dataset. The validation results suggest that the developed surface area ratios generated by the optimisation are relatively small and on average they are 52.11% smaller than the developed surface area ratio under the process parameters recommended by the used laser powder bed fusion syste
A Systematic Review of Spironolactone Nano-Formulations for Topical Treatment of Skin Hyperandrogenic Disorders and Chronic Wounds
No full textBackground/Objectives: Spironolactone (SP), an aldosterone inhibitor widely used to treat androgen-dependent disorders such as acne, hirsutism, and alopecia, has demonstrated therapeutic potential in both oral and topical formulations. However, SP’s low solubility and poor bioavailability in conventional formulations have driven the development of novel nanocarriers to enhance its efficacy. This review systematically examines recent advancements in SP-loaded nanocarriers, including lipid nanoparticles (LNPs), vesicular nanoparticles (VNPs), polymeric nanoparticles (PNPs), and nanofibers (NFs). Methods: A search strategy was developed, and the relevant literature was systematically searched using databases such as Scopus, PubMed, and Google Scholar. The review process, including screening, inclusion, and exclusion criteria, adhered to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Results: A comprehensive analysis of 13 eligible research articles, corresponding to 15 studies, highlights key aspects such as encapsulation efficiency, stability, particle size, and in vitro and in vivo efficacy. Six studies focused on lipid nanoparticles (LNPs), including solid lipid nanoparticles (SLNs) and nanostructured lipid carriers (NLCs), which were found to improve SP’s bioavailability and skin permeation. Another six studies investigated vesicular nanoparticles (VNPs), such as ethosomes and niosomes, demonstrating superior skin targeting and penetration capabilities. Two studies on polymeric nanoparticles (PNPs) showed effectiveness in delivering SP to hair follicles for the treatment of alopecia and acne. Additionally, one study on SP-loaded nanofibers indicated significant potential for topical rosacea therapy. Conclusions: SP-loaded nanocarrier systems represent promising advancements in targeted topical therapy. However, further clinical studies are required to optimize their safety, efficacy, and delivery mechanisms
Paracrine role of endothelial IGF-1 receptor in depot-specific adipose tissue adaptation in male mice
No full textDuring recent decades, changes in lifestyle have led to widespread nutritional obesity and its related complications. Remodelling adipose tissue as a therapeutic goal for obesity and its complications has attracted much attention and continues to be actively explored. The endothelium lines all blood vessels and is close to all cells, including adipocytes. The endothelium has been suggested to act as a paracrine organ. We explore the role of endothelial insulin-like growth factor-1 receptor (IGF-1R), as a paracrine modulator of white adipose phenotype. We show that a reduction in endothelial IGF-1R expression in the presence of high-fat feeding in male mice leads to depot-specific beneficial white adipose tissue remodelling, increases whole-body energy expenditure and enhances insulin sensitivity via a non-cell-autonomous paracrine mechanism. We demonstrate that increased endothelial malonate may be contributory and that malonate prodrugs have potentially therapeutically relevant properties in the treatment of obesity-related metabolic disease.</p
‘Aesthetic Reflective Judgment’ and transformative experience in the aesthetic encounter:experiences from a walk at Yorkshire Sculpture Park
No full textOver the past two decades there has been significant development of the Creative Health sector (Gordon- Nesbitt, 2017; National Centre for Creative Health, 2023). The term Creative Health encompasses a range of social and creative activities,however the position of “art”, as the end product of creativity, in this context is less defined. Furthermore, studies tend to focus on conversations about the beneficial impacts of Creative Health activities with less consideration on the specificitiesor contingencies of how these impacts may occur (Daykin, 2017). This position piece will focus on the latter- whether viewing a piece of art in an art gallery or museum environment might also be positive for our wellbeing- by way of a discussion about Kantian aesthetic reflective judgement and a phenomenological approach to transformative experience in the aesthetic encounte
Accurate Extraction of Graphene Scattering Properties via a Robust Formulation for Fundamental Modes
Get PDFThis article explores graphene’s quasinormal modes (QNMs) by developing a finite-element method (FEM) solver, which addresses an augmented eigenvalue problem where graphene is represented as an equivalent surface current. This representation correlates with the surface conductivity of the material through a Debye frequency dispersion model. Initially, the straightforward intraband term is considered, while the study delves into the interband contributions to graphene’s conductivity, described via a complex conjugate series of Debye terms. Also, it examines the magneto-optical properties of graphene, which can be tuned by an external magnetic field to produce nonreciprocal effects. Finally, the proposed formulation covers the normalization of graphene QNMs and the reconstruction of scattered fields, providing a complete analysis tool that handles graphene as a scattering surface. The featured methodology is successfully validated by comparing the evaluated absorption cross section (ACS) due to scattering from graphene sheets with the corresponding outcomes of a commercial full-wave solver. Graphene attributes are selected properly to model high-quality-factor resonances indicating the remarkable accuracy of the proposed scheme
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