A new age of leadership in academia: Need for change and innovation during COVID-19

© The Author(s) 2025.The aim of this study is to explore the role of academic leadership and adaptive leadership on organizational readiness for change. During times of pandemic, adaptive leadership has emerged as a vital leadership discipline along with academic leadership due to uncertainty and sensitivity of situation. In addition, demand of innovative behavior has also increased over the years particularly during Covid-19. The study has been carried out in Higher Education Institutions of Pakistan where the data was collected from deans, directors and head of departments in two phases. Quantitative research strategy was opted for the study. Survey research design was followed to respond objectives of the study. The purpose behind the selection of senior academicians is to draw empirical results from the perspective of all the heads of their relevant departments. The data was collected from seven public sector universities across Pakistan. About 251 responses were found valid. Covariance based SEM was used to analyze the data. Analysis reveals a positive and direct relationship between academic and adaptive leadership and organizational readiness for change and similar results were found by placing innovative behavior as a mediator leading to the acceptance of all developed hypotheses. This study is unique in nature and has implications for leaders in academia in terms of unleashing the potential toward uncertain situation in higher education institutions. Study’s major limitation include less representation of the Pakistan as whole country as it included Punjab province only for data collection.Unfunde

Book Review: Comrades Betrayed: Jewish World War I Veterans Under Hitler

This is a pre-copyedited, author-produced version of an article accepted for publication in [German History] following peer review. The version of record [Grady, T. (2021). [Review of the book Comrades Betrayed: Jewish World War I Veterans Under Hitler by M. Geheran]. German History, 39(3), 478–479] is available online at: https://academic.oup.com/gh/article/39/3/478/6308748Book review of Comrades Betrayed: Jewish World War I Veterans Under HitlerUnfundedAAM out of embargo 24/06/2023, output uploaded to CR 30/01/202

Perceptions of social care

The initial findings of a study evaluating the perspectives of learners and educators in higher education institutions (HEIs) in England.Unfunde

‘Excuse me, I have a delivery’ The [re] construction of interview ‘space' in the Covid-19 pandemic

© University of LeedsCovid-19 has transformed the qualitative interview process, as remote video methods have become mainstream, challenging the domination of face-to-face interviews. In the pandemic churn, researchers’ focus was on ensuring participants’ safety and care in the virtual interview environment. There was more limited consideration of what this ‘new normal’ meant for the researcher. This reflection draws on two qualitative research projects conducted during the 2020/2021 pandemic period in the UK. We propose that assumptions of ‘space’ in the qualitative interview process have been (re)constructed in remote interviews during Covid19. To be present virtually creates geographic freedoms of participant access, but subjective risks from interviewing in the virtual space. Context can no longer be understood through the shared experience of an interview space. There is a delineation of what is ‘public’ or ‘private’ as participants and researchers share their domestic spheres. Using ethnographic reflections, we explore the changing notions of geographic, public and private space in the Covid-19 interview.Unfunde

Evaluation of serum and tissue biochemical assays of Rattus norvegicus after sub-acute oral administration of ethyl acetate sub-fraction of Spilanthes filicaulis

© The Author(s) 2025.Background: Plants medicinal potential is well established, yet unregulated use can lead to health risks without proper toxicological assessments. This study aimed to evaluate the sub-acute toxicity of the ethyl acetate sub-fraction of Spilanthes filicaulis (ESSF) in Rattus norvegicus. Methods: Seventy-two male Wistar rats (148 ± 8.0 g) were randomly divided into groups. Group I (control) received 0.5 ml of distilled water, and Groups II–VI were administered ESSF orally at 62.5, 125, 250, 500, and 750 mg/kg body weight, respectively. Serum along with tissue (liver, kidney, and brain) biochemical assays were analysed after 14 and 28 days. Results: The results showed no significant differences (p > 0.05) in total protein, albumin, serum electrolytes, creatinine, urea, or total and conjugated bilirubin between treatment and control groups. However, minor elevations were noted in some biomarkers at specific doses after 14 and 28 days of treatment, though these remained within normal physiological ranges. A significant increase in serum glutamate dehydrogenase (GDH) was observed after 14 days in treated groups compared to controls (p < 0.05), but this were normalised by day 28, suggesting a reversible effect. Alkaline phosphatase (ALP), GDH, and creatinine kinase (CK) activities in tissues showed no significant differences between treated and control groups after 28 days of treatment, indicating no long-term tissue damage. Conclusions: These findings suggest that sub-acute oral administration of ESSF does not induce significant biochemical abnormalities. This implies that ESSF is relatively safe at the tested doses and supports its potential for therapeutic development. However, further long-term studies are necessary to establish its safety profile fully.Unfunde

The Physical Behaviour Intensity Spectrum and Body Mass Index in school-aged youth: A compositional analysis of pooled individual participant data

© 2022 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.We examined the compositional associations between the intensity spectrum derived from incremental acceleration intensity bands and the body mass index (BMI) z-score in youth, and investigated the estimated differences in BMI z-score following time reallocations between intensity bands. School-aged youth from 63 schools wore wrist accelerometers, and data of 1453 participants (57.5% girls) were analysed. Nine acceleration intensity bands (range: 0−50 mg to ≥700 mg) were used to generate time-use compositions. Multivariate regression assessed the associations between intensity band compositions and BMI z-scores. Compositional isotemporal substitution estimated the differences in BMI z-score following time reallocations between intensity bands. The ≥700 mg intensity bandwas strongly and inversely associated with BMI z-score (p < 0.001). The estimated differences in BMI z-score when 5 min were reallocated to and from the ≥700 mg band and reallocated equally among the remaining bands were −0.28 and 0.44, respectively (boys), and −0.39 and 1.06, respectively (girls). The time in the ≥700 mg intensity band was significantly associated with BMI z-score, irrespective of sex. When even modest durations of time in this band were reallocated, the asymmetrical estimated differences in BMI z-score were clinically meaningful. The findings highlight the utility of the full physical activity intensity spectrum over a priori-determined absolute intensity cut-point approaches.Funding for the selected contributing studies was provided by the Waterloo Foundation (#1669/3509), West Lancashire Sport Partnership, West Lancashire Leisure Trust, Edge Hill University, and Wigan Council. Alex Rowlands is supported by the Lifestyle Theme of the Leicester NHR Leicester Biomedical Research Centre and NIHR Applied Research Collaborations East Midlands (ARC-EM). Dorothea Dumuid is supported by the Australian National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) Early Career Fellowship APP1162166 and by the Centre of Research Excellence in Driving Global Investment in Adolescent Health funded by NHMRC APP1171981

Fruit and vegetable intake in minority ethnic groups in the UK: Analysis from ‘Understanding Society’ and UK Biobank

© The Author(s), 2025. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of The Nutrition SocietyObjective: To examine differences in fruit and vegetable intake and food insecurity between Black African and Caribbean and South Asian (Indian, Pakistani and Bangladeshi) ethnic minority groups with a White (British) reference population in the UK. This study was part of the TANGERINE project (nuTritional heAlth aNd aGeing in oldER ethnIc miNoritiEs). Design: Longitudinal analysis using multilevel logistic regression from Understanding Society, and a cross-sectional comparison with UK Biobank. Setting: Understanding Society waves 2 (2010-2012), 5 (2013-2015), 7 (2015-2017), 9 (2017-2019) 11 (2019-2021), and 13 (2021-2023). UK Biobank baseline data (2006-2010). Participants: Understanding Society: adults aged 16 years and above (approximately 44,000 households). UK Biobank: participants aged 37-73 years (n=502,412). Results: At wave 2, African, Caribbean, Pakistani, and Bangladeshi participants in Understanding Society had lower odds of daily vegetable intake than White British/Irish participants, with Pakistanis showing the lowest intake. These disparities persisted after adjusting for socioeconomic position (SEP) at individual and area level, particularly for Caribbean and Pakistani groups. Indians consistently had higher odds of vegetable intake. Ethnic differences in fruit intake were smaller and largely attenuated by SEP adjustment. Food insecurity was more prevalent in all ethnic minority groups (except Indians) and associated with lower vegetable and fruit intake, though SEP explains more of the ethnic difference. Conclusions: Ethnic differences in fruit and vegetable intake are at least partially explained by SEP, with persistent vegetable consumption disparities after adjustment. Culturally tailored interventions addressing affordability, accessibility, and SEP disparities are needed to improve dietary behaviours among minority ethnic groups.This work was supported by funding from the Medical Research Council – UK Research and Innovation (Reference number: MR/Y010752/1)AAM removed and archived and VoR uploaded to CR 23/09/202

From Kenya to Kendal: Colonel Edgar Garston Harrison’s taxidermy collection, Kendal Museum

The collections at Kendal Museum date back to 1796 when the museum was first formed as a private collection. Today the collections are publicly owned by Westmorland and Furness Council, cared for by longstanding curators Carol Davies and Morag Clement, and managed through Kendal College. One of the major donors to, and benefactors of, the museum in the 20th century was a local man called Edgar Garston Harrison (1863-1947), of High Hundhowe, near Staveley. A soldier and big game hunter, reaching the rank of Lieutenant Colonel in the Kings African Rifles, Harrison was active in several military campaigns related to British colonialism in eastern Africa between 1895 and 1905. During this time Harrison acquired a significant number of ‘hunting trophies,' mounted taxidermy animal heads and animal skins of the characteristic fauna of the region. In 1937 Harrison proposed to donate £2,000 towards the building of an extension to the museum’s existing buildings, on condition that this be used to display his collection of hunting trophies and other artefacts to the public, the majority of which were at that time housed in his purpose-built trophy room at High Hundhowe.Unfunde

The evolution and implementation of Norway’s ultimate penalty: An exceptional approach to life imprisonment?

© The Author(s), 2025. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of American Bar FoundationThough formal life sentences have been abolished in Norway, forvaring (post-conviction indefinite preventive detention) – a type of informal life sentence – can be imposed on individuals convicted of certain offenses who are considered to be at high risk of future offending. While great attention has been paid to Norway as an “exceptional” penal outlier globally, there is a notable lack of comprehensive knowledge about its indefinite penal sanction. Drawing on extensive historical research and legal and policy documentary analysis as well as leveraging a unique national dataset on the total forvaring population, this article provides the first international in-depth assessment of the evolution and implementation of Norway’s ultimate penalty. In so doing, it highlights significant disparities between policy ambitions and current practice and questions the extent to which the sanction of forvaring can be considered an “exceptional” approach to life imprisonment. It is argued that the development and growth of this type of informal life sentence can be seen as the epicenter of the impact of a more punitive ideology in Norway, emphasizing the need to move away from the concept of penal exceptionalism to better understand the full spectrum and practice of Norwegian and Nordic penality.Unfunde

Designing Value-Aligned Traffic Agents through Conflict Sensitivity

Autonomous traffic agents (ATAs) are expected to act in ways tat are not only safe, but also aligned with stakeholder values across legal, social, and moral dimensions. In this paper, we adopt an established formal model of conflict from epistemic game theory to support the development of such agents. We focus on value conflicts-situations in which agents face competing goals rooted in value-laden situations and show how conflict analysis can inform key phases of the design process. This includes value elicitation, capability specification, explanation, and adaptive system refinement. We elaborate and apply the concept of Value-Aligned Operational Design Domains (VODDs) to structure autonomy in accordance with contextual value priorities. Our approach shifts the emphasis from solving moral dilemmas at runtime to anticipating and structuring value-sensitive behaviour during development.N/