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The impact of inorganic nitrate on endothelial function: a systematic review of randomised controlled trials and meta-analysis
Get PDFContext: Inorganic nitrate is an exogenous source of nitric oxide, an established regulator of vascular homeostasis via nitrate-nitrite-nitric oxide pathway. Here, we evaluate the impact of inorganic nitrate on endothelial function, a risk factor for cardiovascular disease.
Objective: A systematic review of the existing literature and a meta-analysis were performed. Trials testing inorganic nitrate versus a control were selected and the change in forearm endothelial function (as assessed by flow mediated dilatation; FMD) were included.
Data Sources: The following databases were searched: MEDLINE, Web of Science, and Scopus.
Data Extraction and Analysis: Standardised mean differences in %FMD were pooled using a random-effects model and thirteen studies were included in the analysis. Quality assessment was performed using the Cochrane risk-of-bias score.
Results: Inorganic nitrate was associated with improved ∆%FMD versus the control, standardised mean difference was 1.48% (95% CI: 0.70- 2.27), p< 0.01; high heterogeneity (I2= 98.2%) was observed. The significant effect observed remained irrespective of dose (± 600 mg nitrate), duration (acute or chronic consumption), health status (± health conditions) and type of nitrate (dietary or non-dietary). Notably acute studies had a greater FMD response than chronic studies (1.93%, 95% CI: 0.71, 3.15 versus 0.90%, 95% CI: 0.48, 1.31). More than half of the studies reviewed showed low risk of bias; the rest of the studies were classified as “some concern” due to lack of information about randomisation process and lack of pre-specified analysis plans.
Conclusion: Our results show that from a modest number of included trials, inorganic nitrate consumption improves FMD response by more than 1%, a clinically relevant magnitude for the prevention of cardiovascular disease
Once sued, twice shy: international litigation, trust radius, and international expansion
No full textThe world is witnessing an increase in interorganizational conflicts across borders, yet their impact on firms’ international expansion remains largely underexplored. Building on intergroup contact theory, we theorize that involvement in conflict with a foreign firm constitutes a form of negative intergroup contact, which can spill over into broader unfavorable attitudes—not only toward the specific foreign entity involved but also toward the foreign market more generally. Specifically, we predict that involvement in international litigation discourages a firm from undertaking international expansion. Furthermore, this negative spillover effect can be mitigated by trust radius—the width of the cooperation circle within a society. Firms embedded in regions with a wider trust radius and hence accustomed to interacting with diverse groups are less affected by international litigation. Results from a sample of Chinese publicly listed firms support our hypotheses. By testing and extending intergroup contact theory in international business research, we establish a theoretical link between interorganizational conflict and international expansion, and we also highlight trust radius as a key contributing factor to firms’ intergroup contact dynamics
Civic societies and the planning process part B: understanding the drivers behind how civic societies engage in planning
Get PDFInvestigating beta-thalassaemia in micro-CT scans of deciduous teeth
Get PDFObjective: To assess if ‘iris-like’ changes to deciduous incisors are a consistent feature associated with archaeological
cases of beta-thalassaemia.
Materials: Deciduous teeth from three individuals from the Romano-British cemetery of Poundbury Camp,
Dorchester, England, and one individual from the contemporary site of Butt Road, Colchester, England, identified
as having transfusion dependent thalassaemia with varying degrees of confidence were examined, alongside an
additional child from Poundbury Camp with possible scurvy.
Methods: Micro-CT scans were taken of deciduous incisors, canines and molars and examined for changes in the
dentine.
Results: No teeth showed an ‘iris-like’ appearance. Instead, interglobular dentine (IGD) was identified in children
from Poundbury Camp, Dorset and Butt Road, Colchester, previously identified with probable thalassaemia. No
pathological changes were seen in the remaining children. There were two examples where postmortem changes
were identified in one tooth but not in the additional teeth from the same individual.
Conclusions: While this research rejects the idea that ‘iris-like’ changes to the dentine are a diagnostic feature of
beta-thalassaemia, it flags the possibility of a link between IGD development and the disease.
Significance: Previously identified ‘iris-like’ changes due to beta-thalassaemia are unlikely to present in deciduous
incisors due to timing of disease onset and therefore can not be used as a diagnostic feature. The results also
highlight that different teeth within the same individual can display varying taphonomic changes.
Limitations: The sample size is small, and no individuals had thalassaemia confirmed by ancient DNA analysis,
although the ‘rib-within-rib’ radiographic sign present in one individual from Poundbury Camp, is highly
diagnostic.
Further Research: Micro-CT scanning teeth of individuals with known beta-thalassaemia could further investigate
if IGD development is associated with disease progression
Fair Voting BC: the charter, courts, and election law
Get PDFThis article focuses on the argument based on the right to vote in Fair Voting BC v Canada, and what the Ontario Court of Appeal’s rejection of it tells us about the interpretation of the Charter. It also addresses the broader issues surrounding the role of the courts in relation to election laws that arise out of the apparent disagreement between Dawes JA’s concurring opinion and Huscroft JA’s majority one
Associations between space-use behaviour and temperature-humidity index in barn-housed dairy cows
No full textCattle may modify their space-use behaviour as thermal conditions change within their environment. Here we examined the relationship between the temperature-humidity index (THI) and various space-use metrics in a UK barn-housed dairy cow herd. Using a real-time local positioning system, as part of a precision livestock farming (PLF) approach, we continuously tracked the spatial position and activity of cows at high temporal resolution from 1st June to 1st December 2024. Localised ambient barn temperature and relative humidity were also continuously monitored within the barn. We assessed the amount of time individuals spent in key resource areas, their activity levels, distance travelled, and z-axis values, as well as bunching behaviour based on four metrics: range size (individual and herd), intercow distance (ICD) and nearest neighbour distance (NND). Cows spent more time near water troughs and fans as THI increased, and less time in the feeding zone under higher THI, except during early morning hours. Time spent in the cubicle area varied by time of day. Activity increased with rising THI except during the late evening. When highly active, individuals travelled further with increasing THI during the day. Additionally, z values increased with increasing THI during the day, suggesting cows spent more time standing. Bunching behaviour also changed with increasing THI: ICD decreased and individual range size increased. Patterns for NND were unclear. Monitoring space-use metrics such as proximity to resources and bunching behaviour, alongside activity levels, may provide early behavioural indicators of heat stress in livestock. Further research is needed to assess the generality of these indicators across different barn environments, to help inform welfare and production management
Pollination success in apples is dependent upon wild bees and orchard design
No full textInsect pollinators are important drivers of fruit quality and yield in horticultural systems. The global reduction in wild bee populations has increased the demand for managed honeybees, despite honeybees relatively low pollination efficiency. Here, we assessed how bee communities, bee behaviour, and orchard design in Norwegian apple orchards affects apple pollination success, an important determinant of apple quality. We placed pan and vane traps in 18 apple orchards, in six distinct locations, within the two main apple growing regions in Norway. We also tracked individual bees (honeybees, bumblebees, and solitary bees) throughout the apple flowering season, and recorded their flower handling time, number of flower visits, stigma contact, and movement between apple flowers. Finally, we calculated the seed set rate (ovules developed into seeds / total number of ovules) from 908 harvested apples to estimate pollination success. Our key finding is that pollination success was driven by the abundance of wild bees and overall orchard planting design. We found lower pollination success in block design orchards where a single cultivar is planted continuously over a large area, compared to orchards with an integrated design where compatible cultivars are planted within the orchard. We also found that stigma contact decreased as apple flowering progressed, and that solitary bees visited fewer flowers per foraging event but were potentially more thorough foragers. Our results highlight the importance of promoting wild bees in apple orchards while also ensuring there is compatible pollen in the orchards for optimal pollination
Perceived loneliness, anxiety and depression symptomology before, during and after COVID-19 lockdowns in England
No full textThis study investigated perceived loneliness, anxiety, and depression among young adults in the UK across five timepoints: pre-pandemic (December 2019), two coronavirus disease (COVID-19) lockdowns (March–June 2020, January–April 2021), and two post-lockdown phases (November–December 2021, May 2022). It aimed to assess mental health resilience, defined as a return to baseline levels post-lockdown, and identify critical timepoints where loneliness predicted mental health outcomes. A total of 158 participants (aged 18–82, predominantly under 25) completed online questionnaires measuring mental health (Patient Health Questionnaire-8 (PHQ-8); General Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7)) and loneliness (DeJong Gierveld Loneliness Scale) at two data collection points, under a cross-sectional design. Retrospective data were collected for pre-pandemic and lockdown periods, while prospective data were gathered post-lockdown. Linear mixed models and regression analyses were used to examine changes in mental health and loneliness over time and to identify predictive relationships. Loneliness and mental health significantly deteriorated during lockdowns, with depression and anxiety scores worsening from pre-pandemic levels. Partial recovery was observed post-lockdown, but scores remained above baseline. Loneliness emerged as a key predictor of mental health outcomes, particularly during post-lockdown phases. The immediate post-lockdown period was identified as a critical window for intervention. COVID-19 lockdowns were associated with heightened loneliness and mental health challenges, with sustained effects post-lockdown. Timely interventions targeting loneliness, especially after periods of social restriction, are essential to mitigate long-term mental health impacts and inform future responses to global crises
Judicial independence and political connection: evidence from China
No full textResearch Question/Issue: Ample evidence highlights the importance of accumulating political assets to mitigate external uncertainty. However, relatively little is known about when firms decide to reduce their political connections. This study examines how firms adjust their politician appointments in response to the improvements in institutional quality.
Research Findings/Insights: This study utilizes a unique research setting involving the establishment of circuit courts in China. As a part of judicial reform, the establishment of circuit courts substantially enhances local judicial independence. The results reveal that as judicial independence strengthens, firms tend to reduce their reliance on political connections and consequently appoint fewer politicians to their boards and/or top management teams. The negative relationship between judicial independence and politician appointments is more pronounced when firms are engaged in interfirm R&D collaboration and less pronounced when economic policy uncertainty is high. Theoretical/Academic Implications: Building on resource dependence theory, this study explores firms' nonmarket strategies by examining how they reduce engagement with local political connections as legal institutions improve. In addition, this study adds to the antecedents of political connections from an institutional perspective.
Practitioner/Policy Implications: The findings highlight the value of legal reforms that promote judicial impartiality and in dependence. Moreover, practitioners can benefit from institutional improvements by balancing market and nonmarket strategies