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Long-chain omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids are associated with brain connectivity and mood in young adults with subthreshold depression: a preliminary study
Get PDFThe long-chain omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) have beneficial effects in depression, and these effects may be mediated via changes in functional brain connectivity. However, little is known about these effects in those with subthreshold depression. 15 Participants aged 18-29 years with Patient Health Questionnaire-8 (PHQ-8) scores ≥ 4 and Generalised Anxiety Disorder Assessment-7 (GAD-7) scores ≥ 5, underwent resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging. Whole-brain, seed-based connectivity analyses were performed using bilateral orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) and amygdala seeds. Omega-3 and -6 PUFA status was assessed from dried bloodspot analysis of %DHA, %EPA, Omega-3 Index (calculated as the sum of DHA plus EPA expressed as a percentage of the total measured fatty acids and a correction applied as dried blood spot samples were used instead of erythrocytes) and ratio of the omega-6 PUFA arachidonic acid (ARA) to EPA (ARA/EPA). PHQ-8 scores indicated subthreshold depression (mean = 10.0; SD = 4.2) and were negatively associated with DHA levels and Omega-3 Index. Significant negative associations were also identified between connectivity of the OFC with the angular gyrus and DHA and Omega-3 Index, while weaker connectivity of these regions was associated with lower PHQ-8 and GAD-7 scores. DHA and Omega-3 Index values were significantly associated with greater connectivity of the amygdala with the posterior cingulate cortex, which was also associated with lower PHQ-8 scores. Higher omega-3 PUFA status in young adults with moderate, but mean subthreshold depression was associated with lower depression rating scores and altered functional connectivity of brain regions shown to play a role in the neurobiology of depression. [Abstract copyright: Copyright © 2025 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.
A Match Made in Heaven: Entrepreneurship Among Evangelical Immigrants in the UK
Get PDFEvangelical immigrants from the Global South have a high degree of confidence in their own ability to start a business in the UK, and they report a significant amount of entrepreneurial engagement within their communities. This article explores how these Christians developed their skills and dispositions, how they are launching businesses in the UK, and—most importantly—how the action of God can be perceived through their experiences. The author constructs a metanarrative which begins in the Global South. Through their encounter with evangelical faith, women and men are developing the ‘spiritual capital’ that has historically been proven to foster entrepreneurship. In many instances, however, this potential for success lies latent in a societal context that hampers and threatens entrepreneurial enterprise. The story then shifts to the UK. When these evangelicals immigrate, many find success in business as they choose to put their spiritual capital to work. It is here argued that the actions of God can be discerned within this story. In the same way that God acted in Biblical times to raise the helpless and to bless exiles in a foreign land, so he seen by his people to be working today
Humanistic Therapy for Young People: Client-Perceived Helpful Aspects, Hindering Aspects, and Processes of Change
No full textThis qualitative study aimed to establish aspects of humanistic therapy that young people (13-16 years old) perceived as helpful and hindering, and to test a novel method for identifying perceived processes of change. A "medium q" thematic analysis was conducted followed by a coding-based "process of change analysis." Participants were 50 young people in London schools who experienced moderate or severe emotional symptoms and had participated in up to 10 sessions of a school-based humanistic intervention. Participants were predominantly female and ethnically heterogeneous. Therapist qualities most often perceived as helpful were affiliative in nature. Unhelpful therapist activities were silences and a lack of input. Young people described feeling free to talk and open up. Helpful outcomes included feeling unburdened, gaining insight, and improving relationships. "Getting things off their chest," "Advice and guidance," "Modeling relationships," and "insights to behavior change" were identified as specific processes of change in over 50% of young people. Approximately one-third felt hindered by a lack of therapist input, silences, or not feeling able to open up or trust. These findings indicate the potential value of an active, "process guiding" stance in humanistic therapy. Our process of change analysis has potential for identifying perceived change mechanisms in therapy. This work was supported by the Economic and Social Research Council [grant reference ES/M011933/1]. Anonymized qualitative interview transcripts are available on request to the First Author/Chief Investigator. Quantitative, participant-level data for the ETHOS study (with data dictionary), and related documents (e.g., parental consent form), are available via the ReShare UK Data Service (reshare.ukdataservice.ac.uk/853764/). Access requires ReShare registration
When rudeness goes home: the impact of supervisor incivility on employees’ work–family conflict
Get PDFThis study uses the frustration-aggression theory to examine how supervisor incivility relates to employee interpersonal incivility toward customers and co-workers and work–family conflict. Work–family conflict refers to the incompatibility between the demands and responsibilities of an individual’s work role and their family role. Service employees from the banking industry (N = 750) participated in the study’s daily multisource questionnaires over a continuous two-week period. The study’s findings, based on multilevel structural equation modeling, show that supervisors’ hostility toward subordinates increases employee interpersonal deviance toward customers and co-workers, as well as work–family conflict. Additionally, the study found in a parallel mediation that the association between supervisor-initiated incivility and work–family conflict is mediated by employee interpersonal deviance toward co-workers and customers. These findings indicate the detrimental effects of incivility from supervisors on both the workplace and employees’ personal lives. The study suggests that workplace incivility causes a negative spiral of mistreatment where a target of incivility may respond by mistreating other, resulting in a toxic work environment. However, organizations can mitigate the negative effects of incivility and promote productivity and success for employees and organization by investing in employee well-being and creating a respectful work culture
Real-Time, Adaptive AI Driven Business Simulation::Design Science Research on a Dynamic Learning Platform
Get PDFThis working paper presents a design science research (DSR) investigation into the development and evaluation of an innovative real-time, adaptive AI-driven business simulation platform. Traditional business simulations typically operate with static scenarios and predefined parameters that fail to capture the dynamic complexity of contemporary business environments. Using a rigorous DSR methodology spanning four design cycles over twenty-four months, we developed and refined a prototype system that integrates machine learning algorithms, natural language processing, and knowledge graph technologies to create dynamically evolving simulation scenarios. The platform was evaluated across diverse contexts including MBA education programmes, corporate strategy training, and entrepreneurial incubators, involving 287 participants across multiple evaluation phases. Our findings demonstrate the system's efficacy in enhancing strategic decision-making capabilities, improving knowledge transfer, and fostering adaptive reasoning skills among users. The paper lays the groundwork for next-generation business education and strategy testing environments that more authentically reflect the complex, evolving nature of real-world business ecosystems
Strategies for Carbon Reduction Maturity: A Longitudinal Case Study of Unilever PLC
No full textThis case study of Unilever PLC, an acknowledged leader in green strategy, builds on a sustainability maturity model to develop a specific carbon reduction maturity model to show how a consumer goods company has evolved its strategies towards carbon reduction. Based largely on 10 years of archival data (2011–2020), this research analyses the narrative in the company's annual reports and carbon disclosure survey responses, using both quantitative (form‐oriented) and qualitative (meaning‐oriented) content analysis, to position it in a carbon reduction maturity model. Our results show the stages in Unilever's carbon maturity journey in terms of their strategies and performance over the 10 years and captures (through supplementary interviews) how various interested parties view this journey. This research demonstrates how the company's strategies and leadership may influence carbon reduction beyond the consumer goods sector, helping to define green stewardship
Automating the practice of science: Opportunities, challenges, and implications
No full textAutomation transformed various aspects of our human civilization, revolutionizing industries and streamlining processes. In the domain of scientific inquiry, automated approaches emerged as powerful tools, holding promise for accelerating discovery, enhancing repro-ducibility, and overcoming the traditional impediments to scientific progress. This article evaluates the scope of automation within scientific practice and assesses recent approaches. Furthermore, it discusses different perspectives to the following questions: Where do the greatest opportunities lie for automation in scientific practice?; What are the current bottlenecks of automating scientific practice?; and What are significant ethical and practical consequences of automating scientific practice? By discussing the motivations behind automated science, analyzing the hurdles encountered, and examin-ing its implications, this article invites researchers, policymakers, and stakeholders to navigate the rapidly evolving frontier of automated scientific practice
Towards a New Taxonomy of Pattern-Making in the Visuo-Spatial Domain in Early Childhood Based on Zygonic Theory and the Sounds of Intent Framework of Musical Development
No full textPattern identification is an important part of children's development in understanding both music and mathematics. However, a review of the literature indicates that no formal taxonomy of pattern-making in the visual domain exists, which potentially limits practitioners’ capacity to support children in improving their mathematical understanding. This paper seeks to redress this situation with a theoretical examination of whether visuo-spatial pattern-making in early childhood develops on the same trajectory as pattern-making in the auditory domain. The cognition of musical structure (which is based on repeating patterns) in childhood has been defined in zygonic theory and the subsequent Sounds of Intent framework. Prior observational studies of children with both neurotypical and non-typical development (i.e., Ockelford et al., 2011; Voyajolu, 2021) have confirmed this thinking. Drawing on the principles set out in zygonic theory and using the structure laid out in the Sounds of Intent framework, the researchers propose how to map the development of pattern understanding from the auditory domain onto the visuo-spatial domain. An algorithm is used to demonstrate the structural processing load for different pattern types, which allows the putative developmental stages of pattern-processing capacity to be plotted sequentially. As a future step, exploratory research with children is suggested to test these assumptions and further develop our understanding of the perception of patterns within and between the domains. It is anticipated that this work would support practitioners working with children to offer alternative strategies to support the development of pattern-making in mathematics
When rudeness goes home: the impact of supervisor incivility on employees’ work–family conflict
Get PDFThis study uses the frustration-aggression theory to examine how supervisor incivility relates to employee interpersonal incivility toward customers and co-workers and work–family conflict. Work–family conflict refers to the incompatibility between the demands and responsibilities of an individual’s work role and their family role. Service employees from the banking industry (N = 750) participated in the study’s daily multisource questionnaires over a continuous two-week period. The study’s findings, based on multilevel structural equation modeling, show that supervisors’ hostility toward subordinates increases employee interpersonal deviance toward customers and co-workers, as well as work–family conflict. Additionally, the study found in a parallel mediation that the association between supervisor-initiated incivility and work–family conflict is mediated by employee interpersonal deviance toward co-workers and customers. These findings indicate the detrimental effects of incivility from supervisors on both the workplace and employees’ personal lives. The study suggests that workplace incivility causes a negative spiral of mistreatment where a target of incivility may respond by mistreating other, resulting in a toxic work environment. However, organizations can mitigate the negative effects of incivility and promote productivity and success for employees and organization by investing in employee well-being and creating a respectful work culture
