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What factors shape the effectiveness of a leader-focused mental health training?
No full textIn light of the high prevalence of mental health (MH) problems and the important role that has been ascribed to MH-focused leadership training in addressing MH concerns in organizations, this study examines the conditions necessary for such training to be effective. Drawing on resource allocation theory, we explore the factors that influence training-induced changes in leaders’ MH-related knowledge and self-efficacy following participation in the 3-
hour long Mental Health Awareness Training (MHAT; Dimoff et al., 2016). Using multisource, multi-wave data from 83 leaders and their followers (n = 383) from 13 organizations, we confirmed that leaders were more knowledgeable of and felt more confident to promote mental health in the workplace following MHAT. Furthermore, leaders’ learning goal orientation (LGO) predicted this increase in MH-related self-efficacy, but not in MH-related knowledge. The relationship between LGO and self-efficacy changes was not moderated by leaders’ pre-training MH-supportive behaviors but was positively moderated by organizational climate of MH openness. Neither moderator had an effect on the
relationship between leader LGO and changes in MH-related knowledge. We discuss the theoretical and practical implications of our findings in relation to reaping the benefits of MH-focused leadership training
Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy of battery systems, including sodium materials
No full textAn overview is given of the literature on current approaches to the measurement, analysis and interpretation of broadband impedance data and examples of its application to Na materials, cells and batteries. Standard 2-terminal measurements on full cells are often complemented by both 2- and 3-terminal measurements on a range of materials and cell configurations; this should enable identification of the different impedance contributions that control full cell operation. Data analysis usually revolves around equivalent circuit modelling; strategies to identify the most appropriate circuits are reviewed, including the increasing use of the distribution of relaxation times methodology. Interfacial phenomena are fundamental components of solid electrolyte interfaces and composite electrodes in operational batteries; these are reviewed for Na-based materials and systems
Quantitative Diagenesis for the Characterization of CCUS Storage in Carbonates
No full textRecent years have seen the growth of new techniques that combine conventional stratigraphic and observational approaches to characterizing the type, scope, extent, timing, and effects of diagenetic processes with petrophysical measurements of their rock microstructure. These new Quantitative Diagenesis (QD) techniques can be used to predict post- and predolomitization porosities and permeabilities as well as track petrodiagenetic pathways. The objective of this paper is to use QD to calculate changes to the CO2 storage of a CCUS target for the first time. These QD approaches include porosity and permeability prediction resulting from varying degrees of dolomitization, calculation of porosity and permeability of the host rock before dolomitization, using petrodiagenetic pathways to track quantitatively the type, extent, and timing of diagenetic processes, and methods for determining the impact of fractures (the Fracture Effect Index, FEI). This paper reports the impact of dolomitization and fracturing on CO2 storage by considering the Butmah and Shiranish formations (NE Iraq). The Butmah Formation data show that the CO2 storage of the formation increased significantly 154.23 Mt (78%) due to dolomitization. The Shiranish Formation showed an increase in CO2 storage of 144.23 Mt (70%) from the almost unfractured rocks of its U.1(A) lithofacies (FEI = 0.31) to the highly fractured rocks of its U.4 lithofacies (FEI = 15.55). The main scientific contribution of this paper is that it shows for the first time that QD techniques can be used to calculate very significant changes in CO2 storage capacity concomitant with fracturing, dolomitization, and precipitation. Such techniques should therefore be employed when judging any legacy reservoir or aquifer in carbonates the potential CCUS use
What about the delta (ẟ13C)? A case for brackish fish in Mediterranean palaeodietary isotopic baselines
No full textWhile a lot of paleodietary studies in the Mediterranean region have reported ẟ13C and ẟ15N values for humans, similar data for aquatic resources is much more limited. The aim of our paper is to make relevant data available for isotopic faunal baselines and future paleodietary research in the eastern Mediterranean. We analysed the collagen extracted from the bones of freshwater and brackish fish from two coastal archaeological sites in the Levant, Kinet Höyük (n = 21) (1550 BCE − 14th c. AD, present day Turkey) and Tell el-Burak (n = 8) (975–332 BCE, present day Lebanon). From the original 29 bones sampled, 17 (59 %) produced collagen which met quality control criteria and we present the corresponding ẟ13C and ẟ15N values here. Whereas freshwater and marine ecosystems in an area typically have distinctive ẟ13C values, paleodietary interpretations regarding aquatic resource consumption can be challenging when isotopic values reflecting the range of exploitable aquatic environments are not available. Bearing this in mind, our data set is used to demonstrate the potential range of ẟ13C values (−27.97 ‰ to −10.87 ‰) of freshwater and brackish environments along the Levantine coast, encouraging future palaeodietary studies in the region to consider this more robust isoscape for aquatic resources
Characteristics of alcohol care teams in England: results of the ProACTIVE national survey
No full textAims
This study aimed to identify (i) the number of alcohol care teams (ACTs) in England, (ii) the characteristics of patients supported by ACTs, and (iii) the service structure and care components offered by ACTs.
Methods
All acute hospitals (i.e. those providing short-term high-dependency medical care) in England were approached to complete a survey of alcohol care provision. Surveys were completed through researcher-guided interviews by staff familiar with the hospital’s alcohol provision. It featured questions on service structure, patient characteristics, service functions, and policies. Data collection took place between May and October 2023.
Results
Of 170 hospitals approached, 122 completed a survey and 80 reported having an ACT. Most ACT patients were male (mean 64.1%; 95% confidence interval (CI) 61.8–66.4), white (mean 79.2%; 95% CI 75.1–83.4), aged 45–54 (mean 27.8%; 95% CI 25.0–30.5), and experiencing severe alcohol dependence (mean 66.2%; 95% CI 36.8–95.7). Most services had a clinical lead but only 58% funded this role. Fifty-nine percent of services operated 7 days per week. Most services reported identification and brief advice, though it was rarely systematized. Nearly all supported medically assisted alcohol withdrawal, though a quarter of patients did not complete medically assisted alcohol withdrawal before discharge.
Conclusions
ACT numbers increased significantly between 2019 and 2024. They offer a clinical service to highly vulnerable and complex patients. There is significant variation in ACT operational models, training, and leadership which will impact the effectiveness of identification strategies and management of patients with comorbid alcohol use disorder within acute medical settings
Overfitting, regularisation and condition estimation in regression
No full textOverfitting is a problem in regression and deep neural networks, and it is often stated that Tikhonov regularisation minimises its adverse effects, but the relationship between regularisation and overfitting has not been established. The theory of regularisation is well developed, but overfitting has a qualitative description and it is not defined mathematically. This paper addresses the relationship between overfitting, regularisation and condition estimation by considering underdetermined and overdetermined least squares (LS) problems that arise in regression. This study is important because regularisation is not benign since its use when a condition on the decay of the singular values of the coefficient matrix in the LS minimisation is not satisfied leads to a large error in the solution of the regularised LS problem. Examples in which the regression curve overfits the data are shown, but regularisation must not be applied because the LS problem is well conditioned. Also, an ill conditioned LS problem whose solution does not display overfitting is shown, but its ill conditioned nature implies regularisation should be applied in order to obtain a numerically stable solution. It is concluded that regularisation does not solve the problem of overfitting in regression
Extreme weather and corporate fixed asset policies: leasing as alternative finance
No full textThis paper investigates how weather-affected firms make decisions on fixed asset purchases and financing choices for fixed asset acquisition. Utilizing a unique dataset comprising over 26,000 firms across 40 countries, we find that weather-affected firms are more prone to purchase fixed assets, increasing investments in machinery, equipment, and real estate. These purchases are primarily financed through equity, bank loans, and government grants. Particularly, we find that leasing is a vital fallback financing source for firms experiencing losses due to extreme weather. Firms that exclusively rely on leasing rather than other financial sources are more likely to face significant external financing barriers, including complex loan procedures, high collateral requirements, and increased loan rejection rates. Interestingly, weather-affected firms that have successfully obtained non-leasing finance for fixed asset purchases have a higher tendency to also engage in leasing, highlighting that such firms adopt flexible strategies for fixed asset acquisition
The effect of television advertising on gambling behaviour: a quasi-experimental study during the 2022 Qatar FIFA World Cup
No full textIntroduction
Gambling is a recognised public health problem, and population-level advertising restrictions may be an effective way to reduce gambling-related harm. This study fills an important evidence gap by employing a quasi-experiment to estimate the impact of television gambling advertising on gambling behaviour during the 2022 Qatar World Cup. It exploits the variation in gambling advertising between two broadcasters to evaluate its impact on gambling behaviour in a real-world setting.
Methods
Poisson and Logistic panel data regression models using the broadcaster in place of gambling advertising are employed with individual fixed effects and match-level controls. Betting data is from a purposive sample of 365 men aged 18 to 45 who bet on football in England.
Results
Frequency of betting on football was 16 % to 24 % higher during games televised on a channel with gambling advertising compared to one without [IRR: 1.16 – 1.24,p < 0.01]. Furthermore, participants were 22 % to 33 % more likely to place a football bet during games that contained television gambling advertising [OR: 1.22 – 1.33, p < 0.01].
Conclusions
Using a pseudo-randomised quasi-experiment, this study found that television advertising significantly increased both the likelihood and frequency of betting during live football games in the sample studied. This raises concerns about the adequacy of current advertising restrictions in the UK and suggests that a policy which restricts television gambling advertising around live football might be an effective part of a wider public health strategy to tackle gambling-related harms. Future studies should replicate this design, using larger, more representative samples, to inform policy
