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Psychometric properties of a Romanian translation of the compensatory eating and behaviors in response to alcohol consumption scale (CEBRACS)
No full textThe 21-item Compensatory Eating and Behaviors in Response to Alcohol Consumption Scale (CEBRACS) is the most widely used instrument for the assessment of food and alcohol disturbance. In the present study, we examined the psychometric properties of a novel Romanian translation of the CEBRACS in two studies. In Study 1 with 1,022 Romanian university students, exploratory factor analysis and parallel analysis indicated that our data reduced to three latent factors reflecting Alcohol Effects, Bulimia, and Diet and Exercise motives. In Study 2 with 614 Romanian university students, we found that a 3-factor model based on exploratory structural equation modelling (ESEM) had better fit to the data than a model based on confirmatory factor analysis. In both studies, we found evidence of complete measurement invariance across gender identity and a lack of differential item functioning based on participant age and body mass index. The results of Study 2 also supported the convergent and concurrent validity of the Romanian CEBRACS, insofar as the three factors were significantly associated with symptoms of disordered eating, problematic alcohol use, body image, and psychological well-being. These results suggest that a 3-factor, ESEM-based model of the CEBRACS has adequate psychometric properties.</p
Migrant-led community organisations: mobilising ethnic capital to support refugees and asylum seekers in England
No full textRefugees and asylum seekers (RASs) are among the most marginalised, vulnerable, and economically disadvantaged groups worldwide. As a result, many government and non-government organizations, including migrant-led community organizations (MLCOs), support RASs to improve their lives in their host countries. However, there is a lack of research on the role and challenges of MLCOs supporting RASs. Therefore, informed by the concepts of grassroots humanitarianism and ethnic capital, and based on data collected through focus group discussions, this article explores the rationale, activities, and challenges of Eritrean MLCOs in England. The findings indicate that MLCOs help fill some gaps left by government agencies by providing RASs with strong advocacy and support systems to protect their rights and meet their needs. Although volunteers with limited funding run these organizations, they utilise ethnic capital to provide knowledge, raise awareness, and deliver culturally sensitive services to RASs in their own language. This article advances understanding of MLCOs’ work and improves their services to better meet the needs of RASs. It also contributes to knowledge by highlighting MLCOs’ role as sites of learning and education.</p
Agreement between cognitive screening tools: a comparison of MoCA, ACE-III, M-ACE, and MoCA-MIS
No full textIntroduction: Early detection of cognitive decline is critical, yet commonly used screening tools may yield divergent results. This study examined the alignment of four widely used instruments in a community-dwelling cohort. Method: Seventy-nine participants (Mage = 71.20, SD = 6.29; 39 male, 40 female) were recruited from the general community and assessed under standardized laboratory conditions. Participants completed the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) and the Addenbrooke’s Cognitive Examination-III (ACE-III), from which scores for the MoCA Memory Index Score (MoCA-MIS) and the Mini-Addenbrooke’s Cognitive Examination (M-ACE) were also calculated. Test agreement was examined using observed agreement and Cohen’s kappa, and score relationships were evaluated using Pearson correlations. Results: All but one test pair (M-ACE vs MoCA-MIS) showed strong score correlations. However, agreement between MoCA and ACE-III for classifying participants as below threshold was only fair. MoCA identified twice as many participants as impaired compared with ACE-III, raising the possibility of either greater sensitivity or higher false-positive classification. Overall, 41% of participants (n = 32) scored below threshold on at least one measure, but only 6% (n = 5) were below threshold across all four. Of four participants with a prior mild cognitive impairment (MCI) diagnosis, only one, who had more pronounced deficits, scored below threshold in all tests. Conclusions: Despite strong inter-test correlations, substantial divergence in classification outcome was observed, particularly between MoCA and ACE-III. Reliance on a single screening instrument risks misclassification, with implications for both over- and under-diagnosis. Greater harmonization between screening tools is needed to improve diagnostic consistency. Clinical practice should therefore combine multiple-instrument approaches, potentially including premorbid function, and interpret screening test scores cautiously. Comprehensive neuropsychological assessment may provide a more complete picture, particularly in cases where diagnostic confidence is low, although this is not routine practice in all services.</p
Exploring CEOs' decision making in Fintech Financing: evidence from UK SMEs
No full textThe recent COVID-19, Brexit and current inflation made access to credit harder for UK SMEs. The innovation in financial services such as financial technology (Fintech) designed to redefine the delivery of financial services which dramatically influence and transmute the financing system. However, how CEOs make their Fintech financing decisions is not fully investigated. This research aims to fill in this gap. To capture different characteristics of CEOs, this research interviewed 20 CEOs from UK SMEs to explore CEOs’ Fintech financing decision at the individual (micro), organisational (meso) and country (macro) levels. Results, supported by the cognitive theory of decision-making, confirm that CEOs make rational decisions and significantly rely on their leadership attributes to choose the best financing option for the benefit of their organisations. Results support the pecking order theory of financing indicate that CEOs prefer Fintech financing due to its flexibility in funding options, low costs and fewer regulations. Further findings suggest that the effects of micro factors on CEOs, such as family, vision, values, education level and prior experience, positively support CEOs to make Fintech decisions. Interestingly, at the meso level, results indicate that CEOs’ networking and the board's collective decisions play an important role in Fintech decision-making. In addition, the organic organisational structure stimulates Fintech financing. Lastly, the complexities of macro factors to navigate CEOs in their Fintech financing decisions uncovered that there is no specific Fintech law, forum or guidelines from the government to create awareness.This research contributes to the extant knowledge by providing compelling evidence that most SME CEOs make rational decisions, underpinned by their transformational leadership approach, which are influenced by factors at the micro, meso and macro levels. These findings provide insights to government policies, International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank initiatives aimed at fostering innovation in finance.</p
Flexibility of territorial aggression in urban and rural chaffinches
No full textRapid environmental change due to urbanization poses novel challenges to animals. Behavioral change and individual plasticity are generally hypothesized to be the key to adapting to these challenges. One commonly observed behavioral change is higher observed aggression levels in urban animals, perhaps because anthropogenic noise disrupts effective acoustic communication during conflicts, leading to greater use of physical aggression. We investigated the hypothesis that urban noise drives aggression by performing repeated simulated territorial intrusion experiments on rural and urban chaffinches ( Fringilla coelebs ). We expected urban chaffinches to be more aggressive, change their aggression levels more between trials, and for aggression to increase with noise levels, irrespective of the habitat. We found that while aggression did not differ between habitats in the initial trial, rural chaffinches decreased their aggression level in the second trial and thus were less aggressive than the urban chaffinches, which did not change their response. That is, urban birds were less flexible in responding to an intruder than rural birds, contrary to previous findings in other songbirds. Moreover, aggression levels correlated positively with ambient noise levels. Given our small sample size and lack of spatial replicates, our results should be interpreted with caution. Nevertheless, as a lack of flexibility in aggression is potentially costly, our results highlight the importance of studying the plasticity in aggressive behavior in human‐impacted landscapes.</p
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 high sensor-recorded activity values were recorded, cows 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.</p
Safety awareness campaigns evaluation and developing KPIs to measure its effectiveness: case study of Abu Dhabi high-risk road users
No full textTraffic safety awareness is regarded as a key tool for enhancing road safety, as it aims to change driver behaviors that account for more than 95% of traffic crashes. This research seeks to evaluate the effectiveness of road safety awareness campaigns among drivers in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, to explore the most effective methods and messages in awareness programs, and to propose strong key performance indicators (KPIs) for local campaigns.To achieve the research objectives, two main open surveys were conducted on a random sample of drivers representing Abu Dhabi’s driving population. In addition, a survey before-and-after was carried out among a group of delivery motorcycle riders, making up a third survey in this study. This included a pre- and post-awareness workshop questionnaire, supported by telematics data, to monitor behavioral changes in this group after receiving awareness messages, serving as a practical case study. The first survey explored the relationship between drivers’ knowledge, beliefs, and awareness of road safety on one hand, and their actual driving behavior on the other. The second survey assessed the impact of previous awareness campaigns on behavior and identified the most effective methods and messages. The third survey, focusing on delivery riders, applied awareness messages designed based on the findings of the first two surveys, providing a practical application for evaluating their effectiveness.The results revealed a gap between knowledge and beliefs versus actual risky behaviors, highlighting the limitations of current awareness campaigns in delivering effective messages and addressing critical factors in road safety. Analysis showed that 28% of drivers lacked road safety awareness, while about 32% were unaware of penalties for using mobile phones while driving. Furthermore, approximately 42% believed that handheld mobile phone use for conversation did not affect their driving skills or abilities, reflecting overconfidence. However, the analysis confirmed that this group of drivers recorded higher crashes and violation rates compared to others. For example, drivers who admitted to using a mobile phone while driving experienced crash rates approximately 3.1 times higher than those who refrained from this behavior. Age and nationality were also identified as key factors influencing drivers’ knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors. Messages based on real-life crash stories, videos depicting risky behaviors, and emotionally engaging messages were found to be among the most effective in influencing driver behavior. The practical case study demonstrated improved risky behaviors in 76% of participants, although around 18% showed no behavioral improvement.One of the key outcomes of this research is the recognition of the need to integrate behavior change based on knowledge and awareness first (Knowledge–Attitude–Behavior Model, KAB) with other factors, including broader societal influences—since community behavior strongly affects individual behavior—and the presence of legal and enforcement mechanisms to address drivers who remain unconvinced by awareness alone (Theory of Planned Behavior, TPB). Based on these findings, a tailored behavioral change model for Abu Dhabi was proposed.Finally, the research provided a set of information, survey forms, and key performance indicators that can be used as a baseline for monitoring and evaluating awareness effectiveness in future years. This represents an important step toward developing a comprehensive road safety awareness strategy for the Emirate of Abu Dhabi.</p
Trends and cross-country inequalities in the global burden of Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias among adults aged 65+ years, 1990–2021: a population based study with projections into 2050
No full textBackground
Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias (ADOD) pose a significant global health challenge, with projected annual increases. The growing elderly population exacerbates burdens, underscoring the need for interventions.
Methods
Using data from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021, we analysed global ADOD trends from 1990 to 2021 among adults aged 65+ and projected to 2050. Average annual percentage change (AAPC) in the age-standardised prevalence, mortality and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) rates of ADOD were calculated to quantify the temporal trends.
Results
Globally, the number of adults aged 65 years or older living with ADOD increased from 18.1 (95% uncertainty interval [UI] 14.4–22.5) million in 1990 to 49.1 (38.7–61.3) million in 2021 (AAPC 0.09%). While mortality rates remained relatively stable (AAPC 0%), DALYs increased by 176% (AAPC 0.02%). Females consistently exhibited a higher age-standardised prevalence (7,603 [95% UI 6,023–9,469] cases per 100,000 population) vs. 5,744 [4,486–7,205]) and mortality (304 [78 to 782] vs. 225 [54–626]) rate compared to males, with notable regional variations. From 1990 to 2021, the age-standardised prevalence of ADOD increased only in East Asia and High-income Asia Pacific (AAPC 0.79% and 0.16%). High fasting plasma glucose, high body-mass index, and smoking were identified as primary risk factors. Projections indicate a 50.1% increase in age-standardised prevalence by 2050, with an estimated 191 (52–330) million cases, and a predicted death toll of 6.8 (2.4–11.3) million.
Conclusion
The global number of people living with dementia nearly tripled from 1990 to 2021, mainly due to increases in population ageing and growth. The findings emphasize the need for comprehensive strategies to address ADOD, including prevention, early diagnosis, and effective management, with a focus on gender and regional disparities.</p
Accelerometers dataset for Criollo horses performing perfromance manouevres
No full textWearable inertial measurement units (IMUs) offer unprecedented opportunities for field‑based quantification of complex equine manoeuvres. In this study, we applied fetlock‑mounted Pegasus accelerometers (±16 g, 100 Hz) and Pegasus Poseidon® processing to five adult Criollo breed horses performing three linear gaits (walk, trot, canter) and two Freio de Ouro–specific reining manoeuvres (esbarrada, volta sobre patas). Raw acceleration data were band‑pass filtered (0.5–30 Hz) and hoof‑on/off events detected with < 10 ms error. From 38 valid stride cycles, we derived stride length, duration, protraction range, medio‑lateral displacement and symmetry index. Principal component analysis (PCA) retained two components explaining 71% of variance, separating observations by symmetry (PC1) and lateral displacement versus protraction amplitude (PC2). K‑means clustering (k = 3) delineated high‑symmetry, low‑displacement gaits; intermediate patterns; and asymmetric, high‑load manoeuvres. Esbarradas exhibited peak hindlimb decelerations of ~37.9 m/s² (∼3.9 g), generating transient loads up to 30 kN, whereas spins produced sustained mediolateral acceleration cycles and extended forelimb suspension. A strong positive correlation (r = 0.90) between trot symmetry and manoeuvre balance suggests baseline gait assessments can predict performance in asymmetric tasks. These findings validate fetlock‑mounted accelerometry for objective monitoring of discipline‑specific equine movements and hold promise for performance optimisation, injury risk mitigation, and welfare enhancement in Criollo Freio de Ouro and reining-like competitions.</p
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