Ebola Lessons for a Global Village: I am my brothers’ (and sisters’) keeper

The ongoing Ebola outbreak is estimated to have resulted in over 8,300 deaths, and is the largest such outbreak in recorded history. Although largely confined, this time, to West Africa the ramifications of the disease have been global. Widespread transmission of the disease was evident in Guinea, Liberia, Sierra Leone, with additional cases also noted in Mali, Nigeria, Senegal, Spain, the UK and the USA

sj-pdf-1-jrs-10.1177_01410768231202656 - Supplemental material for The Women’s Soccer World Cup Final 2023: gender equity and alcohol promotion

Supplemental material, sj-pdf-1-jrs-10.1177_01410768231202656 for The Women’s Soccer World Cup Final 2023: gender equity and alcohol promotion by Frank Houghton and Daisy Houghton in Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine</p

“Blacklists” and “whitelists”: a salutary warning concerning the prevalence of racist language in discussions of predatory publishing

This commentary addresses the widespread use of racist language in discussions concerning predatory publishing. Examples include terminology such as blacklists, whitelists, and black sheep. The use of such terms does not merely reflect a racist culture, but also serves to legitimize and perpetuate it

Commentary on: predatory publishing;pressures, promotions and perils

no abstract availabl

An examination of Ireland’s sugar sweetened beverage tax (sugar tax) in practice

Background In the face of rising obesity levels, Ireland introduced a sugar sweetened beverage tax (SSBT) in 2018, the scope of which was extended in 2019. To date, there is a dearth of research on the actual impact of the SSBT on the pricing. Method This study involved an examination of the relative cost of leading brand full-sugar and sugar-free carbonated soft drinks in a convenience sample of 14 different Irish supermarkets. In light of manufacturers’ reformulation of certain brands (7UP, Sprite and Fanta), information was collected on the relative in-store pricing of three brands (Coca Cola, Pepsi and Club). Results In-store comparisons of equivalent size and unit number indicate that, in ∼60% of cases, the full-sugar and sugar-free versions of the same drink are being offered at the same price. Even when full-sugar versions of these brands were more expensive than the sugar-free alternatives, the price differential was sometimes less than the SSBT rate. Conclusions The pass-through rate of the SSBT to consumers is sub-optimal. Future policy and research suggestions are outlined </p

Responding to health inequities in New Zealand: the potential of dissuasive cigarettes

Dissuasive cigarettes attempt to de-normalise smoking by portraying cigarettes as a repellent product in counter advertising. Emerging research is developing an evidence base that suggests that dissuasive cigarettes may offer significant potential in combating smoking. Much of this research has been led by researchers in New Zealand, but further research has also been conducted in Norway and the United Kingdom

Institutional status and identity dimensions to cardiovascular stress responses

This study aimed to examine the effect of shared social identity (i.e., whether the source of information about a stressor comes from an ingroup vs. outgroup member) and message content (i.e., whether people were informed that the task is stressful vs. challenging) on cardiovascular reactivity to stress (CVR) across two higher education institutions differing in status (University vs. Institute of Technology [IoT]). The study employed a quasi-experimental 2 × 2 × 2 design. 80 healthy undergraduate students (38 female, 47.5%) were recruited from two institutions—a University (n = 40) and an IoT (n = 40). All students underwent a standardised cardiovascular stress testing protocol (i.e., baseline rest period, manipulation, stress task). Blood pressure and heart rate were continuously monitored throughout. Results indicated that IoT students who were informed that the task would be stressful by an outgroup member (a University student) displayed relatively higher SBP reactivity (M = 17.53, SD = 4.72). Interestingly, those from the University who were informed that the task would be stressful by an ingroup member (also a University student) similarly displayed high level of reactivity (M = 19.45, SD = 4.33). It appears that being told the task is stressful had different effects depending on what institution the person was in, and who provided the information. These findings provide preliminary evidence to suggest that cardiovascular responses to stress may not simply be impacted by the source or content, but also the status or social position of the informants group.</p