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Sleep, Diet and Chrononutrition: Studying the Dual Effect of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBTi) on Sleep and Dietary Habits
No full textRationale: Sleep and diet are two essential pillars of health that closely influence one another. Poor sleep has been directly linked to poor dietary habits, including increased cravings for energy-dense foods and irregular meal patterns. On the other hand, certain dietary choices and meal timings can disrupt sleep quality and circadian rhythms. Although CBTi is well established as the first-line treatment for insomnia, its potential to improve dietary habits and quality has received limited empirical examination. This study aimed to investigate whether CBTi could also positively impact dietary quality and eating behaviors in Lebanese adults suffering from insomnia.
Methods: Adults with insomnia were recruited and randomly assigned to receive either CBTi or basic Sleep Hygiene (SH) education over a 4-week period. Sleep outcomes were assessed using actigraphy and the Insomnia Severity Index (ISI), while diet and chrononutrition were evaluated using 24-hour dietary recalls and the Emotional Eating Questionnaire (EEQ) at baseline and post-intervention.
Results: Preliminary analysis revealed improvements in sleep outcomes in the CBTi group, including a 10.57% increase in total sleep time (TST) (p = 0.043) and a 61.8% reduction in wake after sleep onset (WASO) (p = 0.018). Dietary outcomes also improved, with the CBTi group demonstrating a 31.38% reduction in late-night eating frequency (p = 0.0089) and increased adherence to World Health Organization (WHO) dietary guidelines, particularly regarding total fat intake (p = 0.05).
Conclusion: These preliminary results suggest that improved sleep through CBTi is accompanied with improved dietary quality and eating patterns. Once the full sample size is recruited, these findings will be further validated. These findings highlight the need for integrated behavioral interventions targeting both sleep and diet in populations with insomnia
A Broader Perspective on the Connection Between Audit Committee and Audit Report Lag
No full textThe article investigates the relationship between audit committee composition and audit report lag in the context of a developed country where the governance environment is well-established. The study also tests the factors that influence the relation between audit committee composition and audit report lag. A sample of FTSE 350 firms over a 9-year period prior to COVID-19 was tested. We used Thomson Reuters to collect firms’ governance and financial data, and we manually collected the audit lag data. The results show that audit committee independence reduces the audit report lag only if the board is highly independent and if the firm has relatively high profitability. Contrary to our hypothesis, audit committee financial experts positively influence the timeliness of audit report lag. Additionally, when firms are characterized by low board independence or high profitability, the frequency of audit committee meetings leads to a larger audit report lag. The positive association between audit committee meetings and audit report lag proposes that audit committees of relatively high profitable firms and low board independence have higher concerns regarding earnings management and financial statement manipulation, leading to demand for more audit effort for a higher assurance level. The study can be used as a tool that highlights the factors leading to the extended audit lag and also provides a broader understanding of the influence of the audit committee structure on audit report lag under different board independence and firm profitability levels.Publishe
Oldies Timeless Tunes
No full textPerformed Thursday, April 24, 2025 at 5:00 p.m. at Irwin Hall Auditorium, LAU Beirut Campus; Directed by Reem Deeb with LAU Music Club Vocal Ensemble; Henry Ichkhanian, pianist.1 Poster (Digital) : Colo
AI washing: A conceptual exploration
No full textThis paper introduces and explores the concept of AI washing, a phenomenon where companies misrepresent or exaggerate their artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities to enhance marketing appeal and gain a competitive advantage. Despite its increasing prevalence, AI washing has received limited theoretical attention. Drawing on literature from similar practices, this paper develops a conceptual framework and typology to categorize various forms of AI washing. Theoretical implications include extending marketing ethics frameworks and existing theories to the domain of AI. The paper also highlights avenues for future empirical research, particularly in validating the proposed typology and exploring the consequences of AI washing on trust and brand reputation. From a practical standpoint, the paper offers recommendations for businesses to adopt more transparent AI marketing strategies and calls for regulatory interventions to mitigate the risks of AI washing. Finally, it discusses limitations and directions for further study.Publishe
Adaptive Federated Learning Architecture To Mitigate Non-IID Through Multi-Objective GA-Based Efficient Client Selection
No full textFederated Learning (FL) has emerged as a promising framework for collaborative model training across distributed devices without centralizing sensitive data. However, FL encounters significant challenges when dealing with non-independent and non-identically distributed (Non-IID) data across participating clients, such as skewed label distributions and varying data quantities. Existing solutions still have several constraints leading to suboptimal model performance and slow convergence. In this paper, we propose a novel approach that incorporates genetic algorithms with an enhanced client selection strategy, utilizing client metadata rather than raw data. Our approach not only mitigates the impact of non-IID data by selecting clients with diverse and representative data distributions, but also enables continuous assessment after each training round without compromising model performance. We demonstrate the effectiveness of our approach through extensive experimentation using the MNIST, CIFAR-10, and FeKDD datasets. Our results show a significant reduction in communication overhead and enhancement in overall FL performance compared to random client selection methods. This research provides practical insights and solutions for using FL in real-world scenarios with diverse data distributions
An efficient second order ImEx scheme for the shallow water model in low Froude regime
No full textThis paper presents the development and analysis of a second order numerical method tailored for shallow water flows in regimes characterized by low Froude numbers. The focus is on modeling oceanic and coastal dynamics across different scales, with particular attention on the variation of the Froude number from 1 near the shoreline to significantly lower values offshore. Classical hyperbolic schemes, such as Riemann solvers, become inefficient in these deep water conditions. To address this challenge, a hybrid numerical approach is proposed where part of the system is treated implicitly, resulting in an ImEx (Implicit-Explicit) scheme that allows long time simulation using a CFL condition that is independent of the Froude number. To minimize the computational cost associated with solving linear systems, a fully segregated approach is used. In this method, the water height and hybrid mass fluxes are handled implicitly, while velocities are treated explicitly, thus avoiding large linear system resolutions. While various Runge-Kutta schemes are available for a second-order time integration, we chose here a Crank-Nicolson scheme to reduce the number of linear systems required. Spatial discretization is performed using a second-order MUSCL reconstruction. The novel scheme is demonstrated to be Asymptotic Preserving (AP), ensuring that a consistent discretization of the limit model, known as the "lake equations" is obtained as the Froude number approaches zero. Through a series of one-and two-dimensional test cases, the method is shown to achieve second-order accuracy for different Froude numbers. Additionally, the computational efficiency of the proposed method is compared with that of a fully explicit scheme, demonstrating significant time savings with the ImEx approach, particularly in scenarios governed by low Froude numbers.Pre-prin
Human Recombinant Arginase I (Co)-PEG5000 [HuArgI (Co)-PEG5000]-Induced Arginine Depletion Leads to Autophagy-Dependent Cell Death in Prostate Cancer Cells
No full textProstate cancer ranks as the second most frequently diagnosed malignancy in men and represents the fifth highest cause of cancer-related mortality globally. While conventional treatments like surgery and radiotherapy reliably cure patients, advanced and recurrent prostate cancer often necessitates alternative therapies. Emerging treatments targeting cancer cell metabolism show promise, particularly those focusing on amino acid deprivation, such as arginine, specifically in tumor types that downregulate argininosuccinate synthetase 1 (ASS1) and ornithine transcarbamylase (OTC) expression—urea cycle enzymes important for the synthesis of arginine—rendering those tumor types auxotrophic for arginine. In this study, we report the use of a pegylated recombinant human arginase I coupled to cobalt, [HuArgI (Co)-PEG5000], to induce arginine depletion in two prostate cancer cell lines: DU-145 and PC-3. Our objective was to investigate the cytotoxic effects of the [HuArgI (Co)-PEG5000]-induced arginine deprivation, characterize the extent of arginine auxotrophy in these cell lines, and elucidate the underlying mechanisms of cell death induced by arginine deprivation. This was tested through a series of proliferation inhibition assays, analysis of ASS1 and OTC expression on flow cytometry and western blots, as well as examining the type of cell death through Annexin V/PI staining. Autophagy activation was assessed through a CYTO-ID autophagosome detection kit on flow cytometry and the impact of autophagy on cell cytotoxicity was investigated after its inhibition through cytotoxicity assays. Our findings reveal that [HuArgI (Co)-PEG5000]-induced arginine deprivation exhibited cytotoxicity in both cell lines, with the earliest effect observed at 24 hours post-treatment and maximal cell death at 120 hours post-treatment. The addition of excess exogenous L-citrulline rescued cell viability in cells, suggesting partial arginine auxotrophy. Analysis of ASS1 and OTC expression confirms partial arginine auxotrophy and suggests a possible feedback loop through which expression patterns change depending on the availability of extracellular arginine and L-citrulline. Analysis of cell death mechanisms revealed negative Annexin V staining, indicating a possible non-apoptotic pathway. Furthermore, autophagy activation was evident following arginine deprivation and the inhibition of this autophagy using chloroquine reduced the cytotoxic effects, underscoring the role of autophagy in cell death induced by arginine deprivation. Our results, in conclusion, demonstrate the potential of arginine deprivation by [HuArgI (Co)-PEG5000] as a potent and selective treatment for prostate cancer, and highlight the involvement of autophagy in this process
Breaking barriers: unveiling motivations, challenges and policy recommendations for women’s entrepreneurship in Vietnam
No full textPurpose
This study aims to explore the impact of social, financial and institutional factors on women’s entrepreneurship in Vietnam, emphasizing motivation’s role in addressing challenges. Women’s entrepreneurship holds economic significance, driving local economies and creating opportunities. Government efforts to support women entrepreneurs have increased, but research on this in developing economies, especially in Vietnam, is limited.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper investigates women’s entrepreneurship in Vietnam, examining social, financial and institutional influences and emphasizing motivation in overcoming challenges. Using a qualitative approach, it conducts in-depth interviews with 28 female entrepreneurs, analyzing data thematically. Methodologically, the study uses purposive sampling, triangulation and member checking to enhance credibility.
Findings
Findings reveal key motivations like financial incentives, self-achievement and social impact. These motivations empower women to overcome financial constraints, skill gaps, limited support and societal perceptions. This research guides women entrepreneurs to enhance success through learning, persistence, skill development and self-awareness.
Originality/value
This paper presents a novel exploration into women’s entrepreneurship in Vietnam, offering original insights into the interplay of social, financial and institutional factors, with a spotlight on motivational drivers. It provides unique perspectives on their motivations, challenges and support mechanisms. The study’s contribution lies in its comprehensive understanding of women’s entrepreneurship dynamics in a developing economy like Vietnam, offering valuable insights for policymakers, practitioners and academics alike. Its originality lies in its holistic approach and nuanced examination, enriching the discourse on women’s entrepreneurship in emerging.Publishe
Graduate employability in Lebanon: leveraging alumni networks and cross-cultural competencies
No full textPurpose
This viewpoint aims to provide an overview of graduate employability in Lebanon from the perspective of the Dean of Olayan School of Business at the American University of Beirut, who is a reputable academic leader heading a world-ranked business school. The discussion also looks at the external factors that affect graduate employability in Lebanon with direct references to the Covid-19 pandemic and the economic crisis.
Design/methodology/approach
Through conversation with the Dean of a prominent business school in Lebanon, this viewpoint discusses several topics pertaining to the concept of graduate employability.
Findings
To boost graduate employability the focus should be on developing the curriculum, engaging with the alumni network, exploiting the board of governors and building on the school’s reputation and legacy.
Originality/value
Crises do offer new opportunities. Covid-19 pandemic has prepared employers to accept the idea of remote working, which has helped in boosting graduate employability in Lebanon.Publishe
عائلة بلا رب
No full textمسرحية من إنتاج طلّابي، الأربعاء، 15 أيار 2024، الساعة 7:30 مساءً على مسرح غلبنكيان، حرم الجامعة في بيروت؛ كتابة تريسي ليتس؛ إخراج ياسمينا الأمين