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Physicochemical changes to surface deposited decomposing bone over different timescales: Investigating the influence of bone fractures and the use of non-destructive analytical techniques
No full textConsiderations on the drivers of bone diagenesis have received a lot of attention, yet there is still more to understand, particularly in relation to chemical changes that can occur post-mortem, and the rate at which these occur. The physicochemical composition of bone is altered during the post-depositional period, leading to a more thermodynamically stable crystal lattice, thus increasing the long-term survivability of the bone. Research has shown the potential for soft tissue trauma to affect the decomposition process, but the effect of bone trauma and fractures on diagenesis has not yet been considered. Most bone diagenesis research uses destructive analytical techniques, resulting in the loss of samples and the inability to perform repeat analyses. Presented here is a study investigating changes in the physicochemical composition of disarticulated Sus scrofa ribs, with and without fractures, using non-destructive analytical techniques. The aim was to explore the timescales in which physicochemical changes occur and to investigate the potential influence of bone fractures. Intact (control) or fractured (blunt-force or sharp-force) bone samples were deposited on a grassy surface for up to 240 days. Physicochemical changes to the bone sections were analysed using scanning electron microscopy – energy dispersive spectroscopy and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy with attenuated total reflectance. It was hypothesised that physicochemical changes could be quantified in < 240 days using these techniques, and that the presence of fractures would affect the observed changes. Statistically significant (p < 0.05) losses in Na, K, and Mg and increases in crystallinity were seen over time, as well as significant changes in carbonate content and a significant loss of proteins. Differences physicochemical composition were observed between the undamaged and fractured samples, and the samples with BFT appeared to be the least affected for many elemental and IR parameters indicating BFT could potentially inhibit physicochemical change. The analysis of Na and K showed potential for PMI estimation, as these changed significantly over time, but as these were influenced by the presence of bone fractures, more research is needed fully understand how different variables can affect physicochemical change in bone, particularly the presence of bone fractures/damage
Effects of the FIFA 11 + Program on Physical Fitness in Youth and Adult Soccer Players: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis
No full textBackground
Soccer is a high-intensity sport that requires high levels of physical fitness, including balance, change of direction (CoD), speed and power. The FIFA 11 + program has been widely promoted to enhance physical fitness and reduce injury occurrence.
Objective
This meta-analysis set out to examine how the FIFA 11 + program, implemented as a warm-up versus conventional warm-up (soccer-specific and alternative warm-ups), impacts physical fitness attributes in youth and adult soccer players.
Methods
After a priori defined inclusion and exclusion criteria, 17 intervention studies with 611 male and female soccer players (Tier 2–4) aged 9–29 years were eligible to be included. The FIFA 11 + program implemented in the warm-up was contrasted with conventional warm-up programs (control) on outcome measures such as dynamic balance, CoD speed, linear sprint and proxies of muscle power (vertical jump height). The influence of potential moderators (e.g., training duration, frequency, session duration, age, sex, training and performance calibre) on study outcome measures was examined using subgroup analyses with the median split method.
Results
Findings demonstrated small-to-moderate improvements in favour of FIFA 11 + compared with conventional warm-ups on dynamic balance (small standardized mean differences [SMDs] = 0.37, p < 0.001, heterogeneity [ I 2 ] = 7), CoD speed (moderate SMDs = − 0.65, p = 0.005, I 2 = 84), and vertical jump height (small SMDs = 0.56, p < 0.001, I 2 = 71). Results from the sub-analyses showed that, for dynamic balance, shorter training durations (< 9 weeks) produced larger effects than longer durations (≥ 9 weeks) (SMDs = 0.62 versus SMDs = 0.17). For vertical jump height, < 9 weeks also yielded greater improvements (SMDs = 0.79 versus SMDs = 0.26). In terms of weekly training frequency, ≥ 3 sessions/week elicited larger gains in change-of-direction speed (SMDs = − 1.05 versus SMDs = − 0.12) and vertical jump height (SMDs = 0.73 versus SMDs = 0.01) compared with < 3 sessions/week. Regarding participant characteristics, players aged ≥ 18 years showed greater improvements than those < 18 years in change-of-direction speed (SMDs = − 1.45 versus SMDs = − 0.06) and vertical jump height (SMDs = 0.64 versus SMDs = 0.22). For sex differences, males experienced greater benefits than females in change-of-direction speed (SMDs = − 0.79 versus SMDs = − 0.04) and vertical jump height (SMDs = 0.54 versus SMDs = 0.09). Finally, higher-level players (≥ tier 3) demonstrated greater improvements in vertical jump height than lower-tier players (< Tier 3) (SMDs = 0.75 versus SMDs = 0.01). The observed benefits were statistically significant but generally of small-to-moderate magnitude and affected by study heterogeneity and program implementation differences. Most studies included male participants, limiting generalizability to female and underrepresented populations. Several studies also lacked rigorous methodological design, particularly in allocation, concealment and blinding. Reporting of training and demographic variables was often incomplete. These limitations highlight the necessity for rigorously designed, low-bias randomized controlled trials with standardized implementation of the FIFA 11 + program and thorough reporting to enhance the reliability of causal conclusions and improve clinical interpretation.
Conclusion
The FIFA 11 + program was more effective than conventional soccer warm-up programs to enhance soccer players’ physical fitness (i.e., dynamic balance, CoD speed, vertical jump height). A shorter training duration (< 9 weeks) and more weekly training sessions (≥ 3 sessions/week) induced larger performance effects. FIFA 11 + was more effective in older (≥ 18 years) and male players and in players of higher performance calibre (≥ Tier 3). These findings underscore the versatility of the FIFA 11 + program to improve soccer players’ physical fitness, supporting its integration into the warm-up of regular soccer training sessions.
Protocol Registration
https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/view/CRD42025633810 , PROSPERO: CRD42025633810
Adherence to Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative Global Standards During the COVID ‐19 Pandemic: A Nationwide, Cross‐Sectional Study
No full textAim The COVID‐19 pandemic caused considerable organisational changes in maternity facilities. We investigated adherence to the Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative (BFHI) standards in Croatian maternity hospitals. Methods A cross‐sectional online survey targeted participants of the only Croatian antenatal course available during the pandemic. Women aged 18+ years, resident in Croatia, who had given birth in a Croatian maternity facility between February 2020 and December 2021 were eligible. A 75‐item questionnaire was created including BFHI adherence statements and open‐ended items. Quantitative data were analysed descriptively and content analysis was used for qualitative data. Results Out of 3288 responses from across Croatia, 2130 were valid. Two‐thirds (1473; 69%) had skin‐to‐skin contact (SSC) within 5 min of birth. Only 45% (795) held their baby for an hour, and 49% (1047) of babies latched during SSC. Just 29% (558) received breastfeeding help within 6 h, and 27% (582) exclusively breastfed in the first 2 days. Only 42% (886) were with their baby 24/7. Four qualitative themes are reported. Conclusion BFHI standards were not followed during the pandemic, leading to unnecessary separations and low exclusive breastfeeding rates. Prioritising breastfeeding is essential for the optimal health of mothers and newborns
AGN STORM 2. XI. Spectroscopic Reverberation Mapping of the Hot Dust in Mrk 817
No full textThe AGN Space Telescope and Optical Reverberation Mapping (STORM) 2 campaign targeted Mrk 817 with intensive multiwavelength monitoring and found its soft X-ray emission to be strongly absorbed. We present results from 157 near-IR spectra with an average cadence of a few days. Whereas the hot dust reverberation signal as tracked by the continuum flux does not have a clear response, we recover a dust reverberation radius of ∼90 lt-days from the blackbody dust temperature light curve. This radius is consistent with previous photometric reverberation mapping results when Mrk 817 was in an unobscured state. The heating/cooling process we observe indicates that the inner limit of the dusty torus is set by a process other than sublimation, rendering it a luminosity-invariant “dusty wall” of a carbonaceous composition. Assuming thermal equilibrium for dust optically thick to the incident radiation, we derive a luminosity of ∼6 × 1044 erg s−1 for the source heating it. This luminosity is similar to that of the obscured spectral energy distribution, assuming a disk with an Eddington accretion rate of ṁ∼0.2 . Alternatively, the dust is illuminated by an unobscured lower luminosity disk with ṁ∼0.1 , which permits the UV–optical continuum lags in the high-obscuration state to be dominated by diffuse emission from the broad-line region. Finally, we find hot dust extended on scales ≳ 140–350 pc, associated with the rotating disk of ionised gas we observe in spatially resolved [S III] λ9531 images. Its likely origin is in the compact bulge of the barred spiral host galaxy, where it is heated by a nuclear starburst
Negotiating ‘Chineseness’ Through Ethnic Minority Media: Brushstrokes Magazine and the British Chinese Experience
No full textLiterature on the British Chinese holds that this group’s geographic dispersion and internal diversity have contributed to a weak sense of collective identity, restricting their capacity to contest dominant representations of themselves. This chapter examines how a group of British Chinese individuals actively contested prevailing constructions of ‘Chineseness’ by creating a mediated space where a shared ethnic identity could begin to form through the processes of questioning, negotiating, and (re)defining the hegemonic discourse on ‘Chineseness’ in the UK.
Drawing on an analysis of the content of Brushstrokes: A Collection of British Chinese Writing and Drawing, an ethnic minority magazine published in Liverpool between 1995 and 2004, this chapter studies the narratives of British Chinese individuals as they questioned the labels imposed on them and searched, more or less successfully, for a shared identity and community, locally and later nationally. Contributing to academic debates on ethnicity, British Chinese, and ethnic minority media, this chapter argues that ethnic minority media operate as sites of identity formation, where dominant narratives are simultaneously contested and, at times, reaffirmed
Comparing professional judgment and decision-making capability in expert and novice cave leaders: an applied cognitive task analysis
No full textThis paper focuses on the novice-expert divide in cave leaders, comparing professional judgment and decision-making (PJDM) through Applied Cognitive Task Analysis (ACTA) methods. Novice leaders (n=4) were purposively sampled and undertook the three stages of the ACTA protocol. A Cognitive Demands Table was produced and the collected data were compared to our previous study of high-level instructors to compare the practice and behaviors of novices to expert cavers. Findings show that novice leaders’ PJDM differed significantly to the experienced experts by how their cognitive load management negatively impacted decision-making capability. The authors conclude that these original PJDM findings extend the literature base in caving and wider adventure sports, finding that ACTA offers a suitable method to explore decision-making in this domain whilst informing professional development. The study provides valuable educational resources and applied models to help develop PJDM in this domain, positively impacting Cave Leader and Vertical Cave Leader practice
AI Innovations and Future Enterprises
No full textWith the development of advanced technologies that are reshaping our future, businesses around the globe are encompassing technologies within their business frameworks. One of the technologies that is reframing business practices is artificial intelligence (AI). Presently, AI has become an integral part of enterprise operations by driving innovation and competitiveness. It has also revolutionised businesses by improving their decision-making and operations, which has a positive impact on their performance and customer experiences. The present study aims to examine AI's future in enterprises by outlining the various dimensions of AI adoption in modern enterprises. Alongside, case studies of successful AI models of three tech giants (Google, Amazon, and Meta) are provided to further facilitate a practical understanding of the concepts that are underlying AI-driven enterprises. The study has managerial and practical implications, as it provides significant insights for the development and adoption of AI strategies for enterprises
Identifying and selecting outcome measures for the children and families domestic abuse core outcome set
No full textBackground: The evidence base for child-focused domestic abuse (DA) interventions is weak. Part of the challenge is that studies measure a range of different outcomes using different outcome measurement instruments (OMI). To address this, a core outcome set (COS) comprising five outcomes was developed. The current study aimed to: (1) identify relevant OMIs and assess their quality for three outcomes in the DA-COS (family relationships, feelings of safety, freedom to go about daily life); and (2) reach consensus between participants on acceptable OMIs for use in research and practice contexts. Methods and results: We carried out a four-stage mixed-methods process to identify, appraise, and reach consensus on relevant tools including targeted, systematic literature searches, participant workshops to define outcome concepts, OMI appraisal of psychometrics and acceptability, and a multi-participant consensus workshop to reach consensus on OMI selection. In total, 239 OMIs were initially identified and reduced to 18 through a systematic appraisal process. Following a rating process of acceptability and feasibility, eight OMIs were taken to a final consensus workshop which resulted in the identification and provisional recommendation of two subscales from a newly developed tool for family relationships and feelings of safety. No suitable OMI was recommended for freedom to go about daily life. Discussion: This work is the next step toward the development of a child and family-focused DA-COS, that we hope will enable co-ordinated outcome measurement within and between practice and research. Further work is needed to adapt and evaluate the selected OMI as well as to develop a new tool to measure freedom to go about daily life. Work is needed to support the implementation of the DA-COS, ensure its applicability to families with diverse needs or from underserved communities and to track the benefits and potential harms of its use in this field
A set of genetic tools for use in Clostridioides difficile and related species
No full textThe Clostridia are a phylogenetically diverse group of anaerobic, spore-forming bacteria that include species of medical, veterinary and industrial importance. The last two decades have seen major advances in our understanding of Clostridial biology despite the difficulties of anaerobic microbiology and the challenges associated with limited genetic tools. Effort has largely focused on the human pathogen Clostridioides difficile , but many of the methods developed have also proven useful in other species. Here, we present a collection of new genetic tools, including an array of promoters of varying strength, that we have characterized in C. difficile , the food spoilage bacterium Clostridium sporogenes and industrially important Clostridium saccharoperbutylacetonicum . We also present a set of modular plasmids that allow expression of proteins with a variety of tags, including for protein purification and fluorescence microscopy and a method for genetic barcoding of C. difficile to facilitate competitive index experiments. We make these tools available in the hope that they will prove useful to the community in support of our growing understanding of these important bacteria