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Does sustainability auditing lead to enhanced corporate governance, environmental performance, and financial outcomes? Empirical evidence from high‐impact industries
No full textThis study employs hierarchical regression modelling on a survey of 550 firms from Nigeria and Ghana to examine the impact of sustainability auditing on corporate governance, environmental performance, and financial outcomes of high‐impact industries. Our findings reveal that internal sustainability auditing significantly enhances environmental performance, regulatory compliance, corporate governance transparency, and accountability. Additionally, external sustainability auditing positively influences firms' financial performance and long‐term value. Notably, we identify cross‐country variations: Internal sustainability auditing has a stronger effect on environmental performance and corporate governance in Ghana, whereas external audits exhibit a greater impact on financial performance and long‐term firm value in Nigeria. Moreover, industry‐specific insights indicate that internal audits are particularly influential in improving environmental performance within the mining sector while they play a critical role in strengthening corporate governance within the oil and gas industry. The study underscores the importance of sustainability auditing in corporate governance frameworks for promoting environmental and financial sustainability in high‐impact industries, providing valuable insights for policymakers and corporate leaders.</p
Influence of lens thickness on the accommodative range in healthy eyes
No full textBackgroundThe maximum accommodative range is a useful indication of visual function. It decreases with age, but the exact cause of this decrease is not fully understood. It is associated with the increasing rigidity of the lens and changes to the lens shape, as well as the geometry of the zonular attachments. This work aims to determine the relationship between the accommodative range and lens shape in a group of healthy young adults.MethodsThis study includes 40 emmetropic participants between 20 and 30 years of age. They filled in a questionnaire and underwent accommodation measurements using the RAF Convergence Rule and the Negative Lens Test. After a drop of Tropicamide 0.5 % and Cyclopentolate 1 %, participants underwent measurements with autorefractor, Scheimpflug tomography (Pentacam HR, Oculus), anterior segment Optical Coherence Tomography and optical biometry.ResultsThe accommodative range did not correlate significantly (p > 0.05) with any of the lenticular or ocular parameters considered, such as lens thickness, lens radii of curvature, axial length, or corneal power.ConclusionThe crystalline lens shape does not affect the accommodative range of the eye. This may be due to the smaller deformation required to bring a thicker lens to the same level of accommodation as a thinner lens. The amount of force on the zonular fibres may therefore be similar, in all lenses, regardless of the lens shape.</p
The significance of chewing in horses
No full textChewing is crucial to both the physical and psychological wellbeing of horses, but it remains understudied. Physiologically, it reduces feed particle size, stimulates saliva production, maintains dental health and supports digestion. Psychologically, chewing satisfies natural behavioural needs, and unmet chew requirements can lead to redirected foraging behaviours and frustration. Understanding and optimising chew parameters – such as frequency, duration and intensity – is particularly relevant for horses on restricted rations for weight management or dental issues. While current nutritional interventions often focus on more convenient solutions, such as supplements or bucket feed adjustments, and do not consider chew behaviour, addressing fundamental aspects like fibre intake and chew parameters has the potential for significant impact on equine health and welfare. Existing studies highlight the complexity of chewing, influenced by forage type, presentation and feed form, suggesting potential for this to inform and improve feed management. However, to improve relevance and applicability to practical feeding scenarios, further research should investigate factors like feed palatability, physical structure and the difference between bite and chew, all of which may be valuable in increasing understanding and interpretation of chew parameter data. Developing consistent terminology and methodologies is crucial to advancing this field. While new technologies offer opportunities to measure chew parameters, establishing foundational research is vital for future studies to accurately assess and enhance equine feeding strategies.</p
Disproportionality analysis from World Health Organization data on migraine-specific medications and cerebrovascular diseases
No full textBackground: Migraine is a major cause of population ill health, with an estimated global prevalence of approximately 14–15%. However, given the limited research on the associations between specific migraine medications and adverse cerebrovascular events, this study aimed to investigate these relationships and their impact on cerebrovascular risk.Methods: This study utilized data from the global pharmacovigilance database, which covers 170 countries from 1968 to 2024. We examined the reporting frequency of adverse cerebrovascular events with 10 migraine medications, with analysis stratified by sex and age. The information component (IC) was calculated using a Bayesian method, while the reporting odds ratio (ROR) was calculated using a frequentist approach to compare reported versus non-reported outcomes.Results: Among the more than 140 million adverse drug events, 6,080 cases were identified as adverse cerebrovascular events associated with migraine-specific medications. Significant associations with cerebrovascular diseases were observed in both males (ROR, 1.24 [95% CI, 1.19–1.30]; IC 0.31 [IC0.25, 0.24]) and females (1.73 [1.67–1.79]; 0.78 [0.72]), with most age groups showing significance, except for those 75 years and older. Among the 10 medication categories, 6 categories were associated with adverse cerebrovascular diseases: CGRP antagonists (ROR, 1.22 [95% CI, 1.12–1.33]; IC, 0.28 [IC0.25,0.14]), ergot alkaloids (3.66 [2.97–4.51]; 1.84 [1.49]), 5-HT₁ receptor agonists (3.33 [2.97–4.51]; 1.72 [1.59]), beta-blockers (2.03 [1.94–2.13]; 1.02 [0.94]), calcium channel blockers (1.46 [1.30–1.64]; 0.54 [0.34]), and clonidine (2.18 [2.04–2.33]; 1.11 [1.00]).Conclusion: This study found that commonly used migraine medications are significantly associated with an increased risk of cerebrovascular diseases, highlighting the need for careful patient evaluation and selection.</p
Final-year nursing student’s placement experiences in a critical care setting: a qualitative study
No full textBackground: Traditionally, ward placements have been utilised for nursing students to refine their management skills before registration. While intensive care units offer unique learning opportunities, they are underutilised for student practice, and limited research has examined intensive care units (ICUs) as conducive environments for developing management skills. Aim: This qualitative study aimed to explore the experiences of nursing students during their final-year placement in critical care. Study design: An inductive methodology was employed to explore the complexities of being a final-year nursing student in a critical care setting. Ten students were recruited between September 2019 and February 2020. Data were collected using individual, face-to-face, semi-structured interviews before the Covid-19 pandemic. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the interview data. Results: Three themes were identified: barriers to learning, empowering transformation, and a state of readiness. All the nursing students valued a placement that provided 'real learning' experiences and informed their needs and growth. Coaching and constructive feedback provided crucial markers and influenced students' learning performance. As their confidence increased, students became proactive in identifying complex caring activities to test and refine their knowledge and skills. Students visualised themselves working as a Registered Nurse within the critical care team. Conclusions: With appropriate support and supervision, a critical care placement for final year nursing students is a stimulating and transformational experience. Relevance to Clinical Practice: This study highlights the importance of critical care placements for nursing students, aiding their transition to professional practice. Integrating well-supported placements into nursing curricula enhances decision-making abilities, and readiness for future roles. Critical care nurse educators and managers should focus on developing effective support systems during these placements. By providing tailored support and preparing students for the demands of critical care, these experiences can improve job satisfaction and confidence, which are crucial for staff recruitment and retention in this challenging field.</p
An ethnographic account of faith-based environmental and sustainability (FB-ESE) in England
No full textThis thesis presents an ethnographic study of faith-based Environmental and Sustainability Education (FB-ESE) in England, focusing on two Christian faith-based organisations’ (FBO) ESE settings. The aim is to determine whether FB-ESE leads to transformative learning and climate action, while exploring its potential and implications for broader ESE scholarship through its value-based approach, which may extend beyond faith-believers. An ethnographic approach was taken including participant observation, in-depth interviews and focus groups. Findings indicate that FB-ESE is closely linked to faith rationale and values, elements that contribute to transformative learning. FBOs are increasingly responding to the climate crisis, including through the provision of FB-ESE, making it timely to focus on the ESE they provide to understand how FB-ESE is transformative and how it may lead to behaviour change supporting environmental sustainability. This study has implications for wider ESE scholarship and practice, as FB-ESE presents another avenue to bridge the knowledge-to-action gap. Although learners participating in FB-ESE may initially be drawn by their faith-values the learning is relevant to non-faith-based learners in the community who align with the broader environmental ethics and values of FBOs. FBOs actively share resources and collaborate with other social and community actors through their trusted networks. The FB-ESE explored is non-formal and semi-formal, aimed at intergenerational and adult learners beyond institutional schooling, making the findings useful for wider collaboration towards an inclusive ESE. Considering FB-ESE as a new focus in ESE could ensure that value-based ESE knowledge is shared with the broader research community.</p
Unclean cooking fuel use and sleep problems among adults aged 65 years and older from six countries
No full textWe investigated the association between unclean cooking fuel use and sleep problems in a nationally representative sample of adults aged ≥65 years from six low- and middle-income countries (China, Ghana, India, Mexico, Russia, South Africa). Cross-sectional, community-based data from the WHO Study on global AGEing and adult health (SAGE) were analyzed. Unclean cooking fuel referred to kerosene/paraffin, coal/charcoal, wood, agriculture/crop, animal dung, and shrubs/grass. Outcomes related to sleep included self-reported nocturnal sleep problems, lethargy, poor sleep quality, and sleep duration. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was conducted. Data on 14585 individuals aged ≥65 years were analyzed [mean (SD) age 72.6 (11.5) years; 55.0% females]. After adjustment for potential confounders, unclean cooking fuel use was associated with a significant 1.51 (95%CI=1.03-2.22) times higher odds for nocturnal sleep problems, while it was also associated with 1.64 (95%CI=1.20-2.26) times higher odds for long sleep duration (i.e., >9 h vs. >6 to 9 h) but not with other sleep-related outcomes. These findings suggest that the implementation of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 7, which advocates affordable, reliable, sustainable, and modern energy for all, may also have a positive impact on sleep problems, as well as a plethora of other health and environmental impacts.</p
An innovative nanocomposite for sustainable organic dye removal: Sodium titanate/carbon
No full textUtilizing waste to develop advanced materials for pollutant removal is an innovative and promising strategy for effective environmental management. In this article, a novel bifunctional adsorbent/Fenton-like catalyst, Na4Ti5O12/Na0.23TiO2@carbon (NTC), is prepared using waste polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and commercially available TiO2 through a simple and low-cost molten salt treatment method. This agent exhibits excellent adsorption and catalytic activity for the removal of organic dyes from aqueous solutions across a wide pH range, due to its high surface area (621.0 m2 /g) and total pore volume (0.32 cm3 /g), as well as the presence of abundant oxygen vacancies and graphene layers derived from waste PET. In the presence of H2O2 at concentrations as low as 0.3 g/L, the degradation efficiency of CV exceeds 99 % within 60 min, due to the formation of • OH, • O2− and 1 O2 reactive oxygen species (ROS) as the key reactive agents, with 1 O2 as the major ROS. The reaction rate constant increases by a factor of six to 9.48 × 10− 2 min− 1 upon increasing temperature from 20 to 40 ◦C. In the absence of H2O2, NTC exhibits a CV adsorption capacity of 165.8 mg/g, which is significantly higher than that of the initial TiO2 (13.2 mg/g). In the presence of low concentrations of H2O2, the rate of combined adsorption and Fenton-like reaction is 3.5 to 6.6 times faster than adsorption alone, with total activation energies of 38.3 and 51.0 kJ mol− 1 , respectively. NTC effectively removes cationic dyes, leveraging its negatively charged surface to preferentially adsorb such dye species.</p
Vocal communication in corvids: A systematic review
No full textVocal communication is broadly distributed in a wide range of nonhuman animal species and is hypothesized to play an important role in mate attraction, territory defence, predator avoidance and parental care. Understanding the ecological and social drivers of vocal communication is key to enhancing our understanding of the evolution of social structures, mating systems and group dynamics. We reviewed 130 studies investigating vocal communication in the family of corvids. As oscine passerines, living in complex and flexible social systems and a wide range of ecological systems (e.g. different habitats, trophic niches), corvids present a key model group in advancing our understanding of evolutionary drivers of vocal communication. Here, we outline empirical evidence for vocal learning, ecological adaptation (e.g. calls encoding information about predator type) and social adaptation (e.g. vocalizations for group cohesion and coordination) in corvid vocalizations and behavioural responses of receivers to calls. Only 35 out of 128 (27%) of corvid species have been studied with regards to their vocal communication. While some species, like American crows, common ravens and Eurasian magpies, are well studied, and supporting evidence for vocal learning and ecological as well as social adaptations is available, most corvid species remain poorly studied. We hope our review will inspire future work on previously underinvestigated corvid species, as well as replications of previous research with standardized observational and experimental paradigms, to allow for direct comparison between different corvid species. More broadly, further research systematically investigating social and ecological factors driving variation in vocal communication systems is necessary to further advance our general understanding of animal vocal communication.</p
Enhanced Sensing for Automotive mmWave Radar: Super-Resolution Range and Angle Estimation With Coherent Extension and Advanced IAA
No full textThis article delves into the super-resolution problem of range and angle for millimeter wave (mmWave) frequency-modulated continuous wave radar. First, a modified diagonal loading (MDL) is proposed for range estimation in practical scenarios to improve the convergence of the iterative adaptive approach (IAA). This loading term can be flexibly adjusted according to the actual noise level, and it has the potential to surpass the existing adaptive diagonal loading IAA under low signal-to-noise ratio. Second, the range estimation results are used for signal enhancement. A coherent extension technique is adopted to address the phase discontinuity between adjacent chirps, thus enabling the construction of a longer chirp signal. Finally, the extended signal is used to generate a super-resolution range-angle map. Practical and numerical examples demonstrate the feasibility of the above methodology.</p
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