11237 research outputs found
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Exercise training and inflammatory adipokines in patients with type 2 diabetes: a systematic review, meta-analysis, and meta-regression
No full textBackground: Improvements in adipocytes levels can reduce the risk of diabetes and cardiovascular disease, indicating adipocytes to be a hopeful remedial target in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and other related diseases. However, there is no consensus on the role of various exercise training on adipokines in T2DM and the results are contradictory. Therefore, this systematic review, meta-analysis, and meta-regression investigated the effects of different types of exercise training on some inflammatory adipokines concentrations in T2DM.Methods: A systematic search was conducted in PubMed/MEDLINE, Web of Science, Embase, Google Scholar, and Cochrane up to September 2024. Studies investigating the effects of exercise training on Resistin, apelin, visfatin, and vaspin were included. Meta-analysis was performed using a random-effect model (DerSimonian-Laird method) to calculate weighted means differences with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). The Cochrane Collaboration's tool was also used to asses risk of bias of studies.Results: Analysis of 36 studies (50 intervention arms, n = 1811) demonstrated that exercise training significantly decreased resistin (mean difference [MD]: −1.02 ng/ml, 95% CI −1.48 to −0.57, p Conclusions: Overall, aerobic and combined training decreased inflammatory adipokines with a positive supplementary effect for patient with T2DM.Registration: PROSPERO registration no. CRD42024617538.</p
Expressions of <i>theōsis</i> in selected Ethiopic monastic literature
No full textThe Ethiopian Orthodox Täwaḥǝdo Church (EOTC) is quickly becoming one of the largest autocephalous churches in the world, yet its theological distinctives are poorly understood even by related ‘Oriental’ Orthodox traditions. Because theōsis (θέωσις; ‘deification’) is recognised as the characteristic unifying theological trait of the overarching Eastern Orthodox branch of Christianity with which the EOTC claims affinity, this study aims to clarify for the first time how notions of theōsis have been understood within the historic Christian faith of Ethiopia. Understandings of theōsis, of course, have been indelibly shaped by the experiential witness of monastic communities. Therefore, this thesis draws upon the rich monastic literature of Ethiopia (and Eritrea) in order to consider the degree to which this non-Greek, pre-Chalcedonian tradition has inherited, incorporated, adapted, synthesised, stewarded, and developed a vital theological concept that was largely (though not exclusively) shaped by Greek-speaking Fathers of the Church. In the process, this study outlines fresh paradigms for conceptualising theōsis that allow the organic approaches of the Ethiopian tradition to be represented without capitulating to categories that have become standard within the broader Orthodox tradition. The findings and translations offered here demonstrate in unprecedented ways how the EOTC has expressed concepts of theōsis and integrated them as their own. This is shown through unprecedented analysis of Gǝʿǝz terminology, phrases, and metaphors, in addition to unprecedented transcription and translation of large portions of Ethiopic monastic literature. Ultimately, this thesis argues that the expressions of theōsis found throughout the monastic tradition of the EOTC represent unique, irreducible insights on the human experience of growth in godliness and are of considerable value for the perpetual theologising tasks of other Orthodox traditions—and ultimately the global Church as a whole.</p
An incomplete recontextualisation? Media literacy, policy and the school curriculum
No full textThe idea of media literacy - a set of skills and competencies which people should
possess in order to navigate and understand the media- has been recently characterised
in UK law by the Online Safety Act which makes token attempts to legislate for media
literacy needs. It does this through means of an Online Media Literacy strategy, making
recommendations about where it should appear in the school curriculum. This paper
argues, however, that media literacy is an example of an incomplete recontextualisation.
For Basil Bernstein, recontextualisation was the process by which an academic region,
discipline or field of study became transformed into something which appeared in the
school curriculum. In this paper it is argued that media literacy can only ever be an
incomplete recontextualisation, because attempting to ‘shoe-horn’ it into other curricular
areas, particularly PSHE or Computing does not allow for its fundamental conceptual
bases - most notably, understandings of audience, representation, institutional power and
media language - to be properly explored in the classroom. Ultimately the paper
concludes that media literacy is best explored through the curricular subject of Media
Studies, or through the curricular subject of English where criticality, textual analysis and
creative production have been ways of exploring media tex</p
Landscape‐as‐governance: Exploring agency, embodied sensing and decision preferences
No full textWe introduce landscape‐as‐governance (LAG) as a dynamic landscape property and theoretical approach that uses people's embodied sensing to explain their governance preferences. LAG incorporates enactive‐cognitive and polycentric governance approaches to reveal how sensing and sensemaking influence decision‐making at personal and landscape scales. LAG's novelty lies in showing how personal landscape sensing intertwines social and ecological factors, transforming individual experiences into collective governance norms. While people's interests undoubtedly play the dominant role in determining landscape governance, LAG argues that sensing and sensemaking are crucial components that shape these interests and preferences. LAG suggests that recognising the co‐constituted nature of human agency in landscapes can lead to more reflective, sustainable and equitable governance, emphasising the need for bottom‐up innovation and the integration of sensory experiences into decision‐making processes. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.</p
Tinder for teens: youth digital intimate cultures and tech facilitated violence on Snapchat
No full textSnapchat has long been a pivotal space for youth digital intimate and sexual cultures, as well as gendered and sexual risks and harms. Despite being one of the most widely used social media platforms among youth, there has been little in-depth research that connects Snapchat's unique features and affordances with young users' practices, behaviours, and experiences on the platform. Responding to this gap, our study used mixed methods to explore British teens' diverse social, sexual, and intimate experiences on Snapchat. We discuss how Snapchat's unique features, such as disappearing images (“Snaps”), algorithmic friend recommendations (“Quick Adds”), and geolocation tracking technology ("Snap Maps”), form new conditions and environments for teens' experiences of socialising, courtship, sexting, and technology-facilitated gender-based and sexual violence. We explore how teens' desires for intimacy underpin their motivations to continue to engage in a range of risk-taking activities—despite their awareness of the dangers involved. We conclude with recommendations for better platform specific regulation and digital literacy that pays attention to teens' rights and agency.</p
Sexual minority populations and disparities in cardiovascular healthcare
No full textCardiovascular disease (CVD) remains the leading global cause of death and significant cardiovascular health disparities have been documented. There is growing evidence that sexual minority (SM; e.g. lesbian, gay, bisexual, queer, and other non-heterosexual) people are at higher risk of developing CVD compared to heterosexual people across the lifecourse. The minority stress model of cardiovascular health (CVH) theorizes that minority stressors across multiple levels influence CVD risk in SM people through mediated psychosocial, behavioural, and physiological mechanisms. These mechanisms remain understudied, which has hindered the development of clinical and public health interventions to reduce CVD risk among SM people. The purpose of this state-of-the-art review was to: (i) elucidate the potential mechanisms underlying CVH disparities among SM populations; (ii) analyse research gaps; and (iii) provide suggestions for improving cardiovascular care and identifying potential targets for clinical and public health interventions in this population. The authors identified multilevel determinants, such as minority stressors and interpersonal violence, that have been associated with tobacco use, alcohol use, sleep problems, obesity, and hypertension among SM populations. They conclude that studies investigating CVH disparities among SM people have considerable methodological limitations that must be addressed to improve our understanding of mechanisms underlying CVH disparities in this population. The authors subsequently provide suggestions for improving cardiovascular care and considerations for the development and implementation of interventions to reduce CVD risk among SM people. This review can help cardiovascular clinicians and researchers devise strategies to reduce CVH disparities among SM populations.</p
Global prevalence of combustible cigarettes and noncombustible nicotine or tobacco products use among adolescents, 2014-2021
No full textBackground: Understanding global patterns of adolescent noncombustible nicotine or tobacco product (NNTP) and combustible cigarette (CC) use is vital due to rising prevalence and long-term health risks, but comparative international analyses are lacking. Thus, we aimed to assess smoking prevalence and trends among adolescents in 57 countries and territories and to identify factors associated with NNTP and CC use.Methods: We utilized World Health Organization (WHO) Global Youth Tobacco Survey data to investigate adolescent NNTP and CC use prevalence and trends globally from 2014 to 2021. We conducted a meta-analysis using random-effects models to identify the summary effect of smoking prevalence in each country. Weighted linear regression was used to calculate weighted β coefficients with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Each analysis was stratified by sex, World Bank income category, e-cigarette regulatory policy status, and WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control ratification status. Finally, a hierarchical Bayesian statistical model was employed to precisely predict the prevalence rates of both CC and NNTP use up to 2045.Results: Among the 57 countries with 173,658 adolescents, NNTP use exhibited a higher prevalence than CC use in 31 countries. Demographic groups exhibiting higher smoking prevalence included male adolescents (NNTP use: 10.78% [95% CI, 9.38 to 12.18]; CC use: 10.36% [9.03 to 11.69]), adolescents in high-income countries (NNTP use: 11.29% [8.62 to 13.95]; CC use: 10.48% [7.27 to 13.68]), and those in countries with less restrictive policies (NNTP use: 11.18% [7.32 to 15.04]; CC use: 11.44% [7.75 to 15.13]). Global NNTP use showed an overall increase from 2014 to 2021 (β, 0.73 [0.16 to 1.30]), with a particularly notable rise among male adolescents (β, 0.81 [0.05 to 1.57]). In 2044–2045, NNTP use is expected to remain relatively stable (10.61%), while CC use is projected to show a downward trend (1.05%).Conclusion: Over half of the countries exhibited a higher prevalence of NNTP use than CC use. Global smoking prevalence varied across diverse factors. NNTP use among adolescents has increased, especially among male adolescents.</p
Leveraging digital capabilities for ESG performance: the mediating roles of innovativeness and resilience in the UK healthcare sector
No full textThis study examines the extent to which digital business capabilities (DBCs) influence B2B firms' environmental, social, and governance (ESG) performance, and explores the mediating roles of business model innovativeness (BMI) and organisational resilience (OR) in this relationship. In addition, it investigates the moderating effects of absorptive capacity (AC) and market dynamism (MD), offering insights into how internal and external conditions shape the DBC–ESG performance linkage. Drawing on empirical data from managers in the UK healthcare sector, the study finds that while DBCs may not directly impact ESG outcomes, they play a crucial enabling role by positively influencing internal capabilities such as innovativeness and resilience. The direct DBC–ESG link is not significant in the pooled sample, but does emerge in the B2B healthcare context, while the most consistent pathway is the indirect effect through resilience. Furthermore, firms with higher levels of AC are better positioned to leverage digital capabilities for innovation. However, the positive effect of resilience on ESG performance is weakened under conditions of high MD. This study contributes to the literature on the drivers of ESG performance by elucidating how firms can manage ESG practices through the interplay of digital capabilities, innovation, and resilience.</p
Contributions of physical activity, diet and their composition in pregnancy to the development of foetal macrosomia
No full textBackground: Foetal macrosomia has a global prevalence of 10% of pregnancies. Previous studies suggest a focus on the composition of maternal diet and physical activity in pregnancy, rather than quantity.Aim: To determine the contributions of maternal physical activity, diet, and their composition in pregnancy to the development of foetal macrosomia.Methods: The study was designed in two phases (systematic review and an observational cross-sectional study). A total of 292 free-living pregnant women were recruited for the cross-sectional observational study from the East of England, and lifestyle factors were compared with birth weight.Results: Systematic review findings suggest links between specific components of maternal diet and physical activity, maternal serum biomarkers and epigenetic modification of the foetus to become macrosomic. Chi-squared analysis revealed no significant associations between foetal macrosomia and maternal physical activity. Significant associations were however found with maternal consumption of dairy products/food types including soft dairy [Chi-squared (df=6, N=292) =15.56, p>0.016], low fat spread [Chi-squared (df=6, N=292) = 15.34, p>0.018], very low fat spread [Chi-squared (df=4, N=292) = 9.70, p>0.046], milk puddings[Chi-squared (df=6, N=292) =15.47, p>0.017]), Cocoa/hot chocolate [Chi-squared (df=6, N=292) =16.12, p>0.013], and vitamin B12 [Chi-squared (df=6, N=292) =15.56, p>0.010]. Logistic regression analysis revealed that soft dairy consumption of 5-6 glasses per day increases the likelihood of having macrosomic babies [OR = 4.12 ]. Maternal cocoa/hot chocolate consumption 1-3 times per month reduced the likelihood of foetal macrosomia [OR = 0.13].Conclusion: Lifestyle interventions for the prevention of foetal macrosomia should seriously consider the effects of the specific composition of maternal diet, particularly milk, soft dairy, low-fat spread, cocoa/hot chocolate and vitamin B12, on increasing the likelihood of having macrosomic babies.. Future studies on the topic should also focus on specific types of foods, particularly those highlighted by the findings of this observational cross-sectional study.</p
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