The climate‐induced changes in the life history of the common cuttlefish in the English Channel.

The population of common cuttlefish Sepia officinalis in the English Channel recently developed two life cycles: annual (spawning 1 y.o.) and biennial (spawning 2 y.o.) instead of the biennial strategy known before, associated with increasing environmental temperatures in recent decades because of climate changes. Both groups differ in the size of mature animals (110–196 mm mantle length vs. 140–262 mm) and the number of chambers in the cuttlebone (60–97 in annual vs. 93–152 in biennial). The annual group represented some 15%–20% of the population, and the proportion of early spawners increased during the reproductive period, from 3%–5% in February/March to 50%–70% in June/July. Among spawning cuttlefish males predominated as ~2:1. Such environmentally driven changes in historical ecology as exemplified by the cuttlefish might be a critical link in the adaptation of the cephalopod life cycles to changing ecosystems

Understanding lived experiences of navigating supermarket foodscapes of people living with obesity on a low income: the Food insecurity in people living with obesity (FIO) food project.

Approximately 8 million adults and 3 million children in the UK are experiencing food insecurity in 2024. In the UK, healthier foods are three times more expensive per calorie than unhealthy foods. This limits dietary choices to a low-price, high-energy combination, which can promote weight gain. Sustainable, healthy diets should be promoted and affordable for all. The FIO Food Project's overall aim is to provide actionable evidence for policy on retail strategies to address dietary inequalities in people living with obesity and food insecurity, to support sustainable and healthier food choices in the UK food system

Transdisciplinary and arts-centred approaches to stewardship and sustainability of urban nature.

This paper explores case studies of how artists working with scientists and land managers affiliated with the Urban Field Station Collaborative Arts Program (UFS Arts) are fostering new relations of care with urban nature and thereby informing landscape decisions. The 'wicked' problems related to sustainability demand novel, holistic approaches to transformation that engage multiple ways of knowing. We present 4 examples from UFS Arts by triangulating data across programmatic documentation, evaluation, and ethnographic materials from 2016-present. Matthew López-Jensen's Tree Love and Nikki Lindt’s Underground Sound Project sensitise us to the capacities of trees and forests through image and sound. Mary Mattingly’s Swale is a floating food forest that enacts new forms of community stewardship. The exhibition Who Takes Care of New York? maps the stories and practices of civic environmental groups. Three themes in these works suggest opportunities for transformation throughout the knowledge production cycle: posing novel questions, engaging multiple methodologies, and communicating ideas with the public. Through these transdisciplinary works, we learn things we could not have learned via traditional disciplinary or interdisciplinary work and assert that stewardship offers a pathway towards sustainability transforming management practices and landscape decisions by reshaping our relationships to community and the land

Examining the influence of customers, suppliers and regulators on environmental practices of SMEs: evidence from the United Arab Emirates.

This study explores which stakeholders have more substantial influence than others and which combinations of stakeholders will have the greatest impact on small‐ and medium‐sized enterprises' environmental practices. A quantitative survey of 150 manager‐owners of SMEs found that while customers and suppliers significantly influence SMEs' sustainability behaviors, the demands and expectations set by regulatory bodies have a more substantial impact on how SMEs shape their environmental practices. Further, the presence of regulatory pressures does more than directly influence SMEs. Pressure from regulatory bodies also amplifies the effect of other forces on SMEs' environmental practices. In other words, when regulatory pressures exist, the impact of customer and supplier pressures on SMEs' sustainability behaviors becomes even more substantial. This synergistic effect underscores the pivotal role of regulatory pressures in shaping and enhancing SMEs' commitment to environmental sustainability

Give it a rest: a systematic review with Bayesian meta-analysis on the effect of inter-set rest interval duration on muscle hypertrophy.

We systematically searched the literature for studies with a randomized design that compared different inter-set rest interval durations for estimates of pre-/post-study changes in lean/muscle mass in healthy adults while controlling all other training variables. Meta-analyses on non-controlled effect sizes using hierarchical models of all 19 measurements (thigh: 10; arm: 6; whole body: 3) from 9 studies meeting inclusion criteria analyses showed substantial overlap of standardized mean differences across the different inter-set rest periods (binary: short: 0.48 [95%CrI: 0.19 to 0.81], longer: 0.56 [95%CrI: 0.24 to 0.86]; Four categories: short: 0.47 [95%CrI: 0.19 to 0.80], intermediate: 0.65 [95%CrI: 0.18 to 1.1], long: 0.55 [95%CrI: 0.15 to 0.90], very long: 0.50 [95%CrI: 0.14 to 0.89]), with substantial heterogeneity in results. Univariate and multivariate pairwise meta-analyses of controlled binary (short vs longer) effect sizes showed similar results for the arm and thigh with central estimates tending to favor longer rest periods (arm: 0.13 [95%CrI: -0.27 to 0.51]; thigh: 0.17 [95%CrI: -0.13 to 0.43]). In contrast, central estimates closer to zero but marginally favoring shorter rest periods were estimated for the whole body (whole body: -0.08 [95%CrI: -0.45 to 0.29]). Subanalysis of set end-point data indicated that training to failure or stopping short of failure did not meaningfully influence the interaction between rest interval duration and muscle hypertrophy. In conclusion, results suggest a small hypertrophic benefit to employing inter-set rest interval durations >60 seconds, perhaps mediated by reductions in volume load. However, our analysis did not detect appreciable differences in hypertrophy when resting >90 seconds between sets, consistent with evidence that detrimental effects on volume load tend to plateau beyond this time-frame

View from the BRIDGE: information and digital literacy for primary schools.

This presentation gives an overview of the "BRIDGE" project, a transnational project covering Finland, Greece, Italy, Spain, Turkey and the UK. The project aims to promote information and digital literacy as a way of underpinning equality, diversity and inclusiveness. It aims to embed global citizenship values in primary school education, particularly for children aged 8-11 years old. This presentation provides information about the project and reports on its current results and outputs

Understanding the impact of antenatal care policies in Georgia (USA) and Scotland (UK): a textual synthesis. [Preprint]

This study aims to: 1) understand the role of policy in maternal health outcomes; and 2) establish any differences or similarities between health systems, providing benchmarks for future maternal and infant care policies in Georgia and Scotland. Guided by JBI methodology, a textual review of policies and public health interventions that have influenced the antenatal care process in both health systems was conducted. Inclusion criteria for this review were classified using the "PCC" mnemonic: Population (pregnant women and mothers), Concept (policies and strategies that support prenatal and maternal health) and Context (relevant to Scotland and Georgia). Published primary and secondary research, and grey literature (guidelines, reports, and legislation from authoritative sources) were included. Overall, 60 sources contributed to the report on maternal health system topics. Findings of the textual synthesis presented a regionalized system of maternity care led by physician-provided care models in Georgia compared to the nationalized health system in Scotland with an extended scope for midwife-led care models. On a secondary, organizational level, Scotland also widely operates on protocolized, standardized care informed by clinical guidelines such as NICE. The Georgia health systems also follow national guidelines for care, but extent of standardization may vary based on a mixed system of private and public insurance coverage. This is the first study to comprehensively examine maternal health policies in the distinct contexts of Georgia and Scotland, shedding light on the diverse approaches within their respective healthcare systems. These observed variations stem from historical, cultural, and policy contexts unique to each region. As the United States continue to prioritize maternal and child health through public health initiatives, our findings feature crucial considerations for maternal antenatal care policies. Specifically, there is a discernible need to increase access to antenatal care and invest in the maternity care provider workforce, revealing opportunities for targeted improvements in support of maternal health

Bridging the divides: a case study of collective action across Scottish university business schools to support small business.

Support for small business is widely acknowledged as a complex issue of interrelated economic resilience and sustainability. Despite an established literature on the mechanisms through which university business schools support business, few studies have focused on relations between business schools in matters of such national importance. Our qualitative case study contributes to this limited stock of empirical knowledge by following a consortium of 16 university business schools and associated public bodies in Scotland, as they develop a national business support programme. A Networks of Practice (NofP) lens allows us to identify three processual components crucial in developing relations between entrepreneurial universities: acknowledging drivers, establishing relationships, and building a vision-based reference. These three components reveal tensions and challenges as a network of common interest forms. Fresh theoretical insights are offered on the nature of the entrepreneurial university and role of vision to bridge a fragmented higher education environment

Distal-extremity cryotherapy in preventing chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy from paclitaxel administration in people affected by breast cancer: a systematic review.

To explore the experiences of utilising distal-extremity cryotherapy in reducing chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy during Paclitaxel treatment on physical functioning, clinical and patient-reported outcomes, compared to standard care in people affected by breast cancer. Four databases and one register were searched on 11 April 2023 to identify all relevant studies meeting the inclusion and exclusion criteria. These were CINAHL (via EBSCOhost), Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Medline (via EBSCOhost), Scopus, and Web of Science Core Collection, with no limiters placed on any of the searches. Additionally, relevant systematic reviews were scrutinised for potentially relevant studies for screening. Distal-extremity cryotherapy is a safe intervention with minimal risk for serious adverse events. However, insufficient data supports the mainstay clinical use of cryotherapy in reducing chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy from Paclitaxel use within the breast cancer population. Heterogeneity in study design, cryotherapy mode, and measurement tools underscore the need for additional research. Despite limited data on the impact of distal-extremity cryotherapy in preventing chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy, there are valuable implications for nursing practice arising from this review. Nurses play a vital role in the clinical and experiential journey of people with breast cancer, it is important that they understand the available evidence and act as patient advocates. Assisting patients in understanding current research and encouraging participation in future studies, thereby enhancing our knowledge, and strengthening the available evidence base

"Doing" is never enough, if "being" is neglected: exploring midwives' perspectives on the influence of an emotional intelligence education programme: a qualitative study. [Article]

The role of the midwife is emotionally demanding, with many midwives experiencing high levels of stress and burnout, and a great number considering leaving the profession. This has serious implications for the delivery of high-quality, safe maternity care. One of the major factors leading to job dissatisfaction is the conflict between midwives' aspiration of truly 'being' with the woman and the institutional expectations of the role, which focuses on the 'doing' aspects of the job. 'Being' present to a woman's psychological needs, whilst meeting the institutional demands, requires high levels of emotional intelligence (EI) in the midwife. Therefore, enhancing midwives' EI could be beneficial. An EI programme was made available to midwives with the intention to promote their emotional intelligence and enable them to utilise relaxation techniques for those in their care. The aim of this study was to explore midwives' perspectives on the influence of the EI education programme on their emotional wellbeing and experiences of practice. The study took a descriptive qualitative approach. Thirteen midwives participated in focus group interviews. The data were analysed using thematic analysis. The overarching theme of 'The Ripple Effect' included three themes of 'Me and my relationships', 'A different approach to practice', and 'Confidence and empowerment'. The programme was seen to create a positive ripple effect, influencing midwives personally, their approach to practice, and feelings of confidence in their role. The study concluded that EI education can reduce emotional stress in midwives, enhance their empathy and feelings of confidence, and thereby improve the quality of care that they provide