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Cutting the odds: understanding non-suicidal self-injury patterns among people gambling online
Full text linkBackground and aims
Non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) and gambling are considered notable public health challenges, each linked to emotion dysregulation, impulsivity, and heightened mental health risks. Although examined separately, their co-occurrence may reflect overlapping vulnerabilities. The present study examined the prevalence, correlates, and predictors of NSSI among ndividuals who gamble online and identified distinct behavioral subgroups using latent class analysis.
Methods
A cross-sectional study was conducted among individuals with past-year online gambling (N = 1047; 50% males; mean age = 39.60 years [SD = 12.46]). Measures included psychometric scales assessing problem-gambling severity, NSSI, impulsivity, sleep difficulties, and psychological distress. Multinomial logistic regressions tested associations between gambling severity and NSSI, and latent class analysis (LCA) was conducted to identify NSSI subgroups. Hierarchical multinomial regressions assessed demographic, gambling-related, and psychological predictors of class membership.
Results
Lifetime NSSI was reported by 64% of participants, with higher odds among those with scores reflecting problem gambling. LCA identified three subgroups: low/no self-harming (61.6%), moderate/occasional self-harming (23.2%), and high/multi-method self-harming (15.2%), reflecting stepwise increases in frequency and method diversity. NSSI class membership was significantly associated with problem-gambling severity (χ2[3] = 45.0, p < .001). Younger age, insomnia, impulsivity, and psychological distress predicted higher NSSI class membership, with insomnia and distress emerging as the strongest independent predictors.
Conclusion
NSSI is a prevalent and clinically significant correlate of online gambling, emerging even at lower levels of problem-gambling severity, underscoring the importance of integrating emotion regulation and distress-focused support into interventions targeting problem gambling. The study's findings deepen the understanding of psychological pathways linking gambling and self-injury among adults
Multi-scale fatigue crack growth behavior and unified XFEM-VNE predicting approach of L-PBF titanium matrix composites
No full textThis study establishes an experimental and numerical framework to elucidate fatigue crack growth and life prediction in TiC-reinforced Ti-6Al-4V composites manufactured by laser powder bed fusion. In-situ fatigue tests were conducted under stress ratios of 0 and 0.3 at room temperature to monitor real-time crack growth. Subsequently, scanning electron microscopy was used to identify the underlying fracture mechanisms. Digital image correlation, interpreted through the strain energy density criterion, shows that the crack grows in a direction corresponding to the minimum distance to the elastoplastic boundary. A numerical approach combining the extended finite element method (XFEM) with adaptive local mesh refinement and variable-node elements was developed to accurately model the crack-tip stress field without constraining the mesh to crack geometry. Localized updates around the crack tip allowed small crack increments without compromising stress intensity factor stability. Crack growth direction is predicted using the maximum tangential stress criterion, and growth rates are evaluated via Paris’ law. Validation against experiments demonstrated good agreement in stress intensity factors and crack growth rates under studied conditions, confirming the framework as a reliable tool for fatigue life prediction and structural assessment of additively manufactured titanium matrix composites
Potential for improving micronutrient supply and environmental sustainability by using underutilized crops in China
Full text linkRice and wheat provide the bulk of calories in diets globally. However, foods made from these cereals are commonly in refined forms and are low in micronutrients and dietary fiber. Increasing the consumption of more nutrient-dense, underutilized cereals and beans (UCBs), such as millet, sorghum, mung bean, along with unrefined rice and wheat, could improve diet quality. Compared with rice and wheat, UCBs are generally cultivated using less intensive methods, resulting in a lower environmental impact, though their productivity is generally lower. This study explores how reallocating rice and wheat areas to UCBs, either alone or combined with greater use of unrefined rice and wheat, could potentially enhance micronutrient supply (iron, thiamin, riboflavin, calcium, zinc), while reducing water use and greenhouse gas emissions in China. A strategy combining area reallocation and greater use of unrefined rice and wheat increased micronutrient supply and dietary fiber by 12–82%, reduced environmental impact by 11–12%, and slightly increased energy supply (3%). These outcomes were achieved by reallocating 7.9 million hectares (Mha) of rice area (26% of the current total) and 1.7 Mha of wheat area to sorghum (+5.5 Mha), millet (+2.5 Mha), beans (+1.4 Mha), and oats (+0.2 Mha). As a result, the supply of UCBs and unrefined rice and wheat products increased, supporting healthier diets. Reallocating only 5% of the rice area would still yield improvements, especially for dietary fiber and iron (27%). These findings offer insights for rethinking the value of UCBs and supporting their integration into future food system strategies
Burnout among Algerian public healthcare workers: prevalence, predictors, and the protective roles of self-compassion and communication skills
No full textOfsted experiences: performing inspection and suicidal ideations
No full textIn this paper, we examine people’s experiences of Ofsted, the state school inspectorate in England. From thematic analysis of the 233 written submissions published by the Education Committee Parliamentary Inquiry into Ofsted, we argue that the inspectorate can lead to teachers experiencing suicidal ideation (suicidal thoughts and feelings). Our analysis suggests 229 submissions (98%) contained negative comments about Ofsted, including accounts of teacher suicidal ideation. Whilst attempting to perform for Ofsted, teachers experience a ‘disturbed’ working environment leading to, for some, suicidal ideation. Consequently, rather than inspections and the inspectorate being simply performative, we contend they are performatively harmful, potentially putting children at risk. Drawing on Durkheim’s theory of anomic and fatalistic suicide, we argue teacher suicidal ideation is an urgent issue, for which Ofsted and the Department for Education have responsibility. We conclude Ofsted and the government’s responses to the concerns of the submissions to be far from adequate since the substantive criticisms about how the inspectorate operates and inspections are conducted remain unresolved
FNDC4 regulates TGF-β1-induced hepatic stellate cell activation and liver fibrosis via the AMPK/YAP pathway
No full textStreets as platforms of public life
Full text linkStreets are emerging as vibrant platforms of public life. While mobility continues to be the dominant function of these spaces, streets are being reconfigured by various stakeholders to promote multifunctional benefits, including socialisation and inclusion, play and rest, political action, economic opportunities, biodiversity, and cultural expression. This thematic issue includes a wide range of contributions to address how streets are being (re)configured as public spaces. The contributions build upon existing scholarship that addresses the role and governance of public space in cities, including notions of the “right to the city” and everyday life. These perspectives inform the rising concerns about privatisation and securitization of public space in cities globally, and about the diminishing emancipatory potential of streets for urban residents. At the same time, there are increasing calls to design more people‐centred cities and enhance the safety and wellbeing of urban residents by transforming vehicle‐centric streets into multifunctional spaces—actions often driven by local governments. The contributions to this thematic issue demonstrate how these strategies are playing out in a wide range of contexts, highlighting the emancipatory potential of street transformations for residents, practitioners, and scholars
What differentiates educational literature? A multimodal fusion approach of transformers and computational linguistics
Full text linkThe integration of new literature into the English curriculum remains a challenge since educators often lack scalable tools to rapidly evaluate readability and adapt texts for diverse classroom needs. This study proposes to address this gap through a multimodal approach that combines transformer-based text classification with linguistic feature analysis to align texts with UK Key Stages. Eight state-of-the-art Transformers were fine-tuned on segmented text data, with BERT achieving the highest unimodal F1 score of 0.75. In parallel, 500 deep neural network topologies were searched for the classification of linguistic characteristics, achieving an F1 score of 0.392. The fusion of these modalities shows a significant improvement, with every multimodal approach outperforming all unimodal models. In particular, the ELECTRA Transformer fused with the neural network achieved an F1 score of 0.996. Unimodal and multimodal approaches are shown to have statistically significant differences in all validation metrics (accuracy, precision, recall, F1 score) except for inference time. The proposed approach is finally encapsulated in a stakeholder-facing web application, providing non-technical stakeholder access to real-time insights on text complexity, reading difficulty, curriculum alignment, and recommendations for learning age range. The application empowers data-driven decision making and reduces manual workload by integrating AI-based recommendations into lesson planning for English literature
Pellet-fed continuous-silk-fibre 3D/4D printing of PLA/bamboo-charcoal bio-composites with shape recovery and thermomechanical stability
Full text linkA pellet-fed extrusion platform with integrated continuous-fibre co-deposition is presented, enabling 3D/4D printing of bio-composites directly from pellets, avoiding a separate filament-making step, thereby reducing time, energy, and material waste. A polylactic acid/bamboo-charcoal/continuous-silk-fibre (PLA/BC/CSF) system was formulated to overcome PLA’s low strength, thermal creep, and flammability. With 3 wt% BC, PLA tensile strength increased by 28%; with CSF, tensile strength reached 108 MPa (+213% vs PLA). Three-point bending strength rose + 247% over PLA (+200% vs PLA/BC; +40% vs PLA/CSF). The burning rate decreased by 41% relative to PLA, evidencing improved flame resistance. Under 70 °C and constant load, PLA/BC/CSF beams retained geometry whereas PLA sagged, confirming superior thermo-mechanical stability. Architected honeycomb and trapezium meta-composites printed from PLA/BC/CSF exhibited quasi-constant force, and quasi-zero stiffness plateaus with energy dissipation and shape recovery (full after 25% compression; 85% recovery after 45% upon heat activation), supporting reuse and overload protection. The approach delivers a low-cost, lower-energy route to continuous-fibre bio-composites and demonstrates printable, recoverable components for logistics and automotive use (e.g., pallets, chassis inserts, dashboard face-parts), advancing sustainable additive manufacturing and circular-economy goals