Interest in probiotics and prebiotics in sports nutrition is growing, but research on Jordanian athletes remains limited. While gut microbiota influences athletic performance, little is known about athletes’ understanding and use of probiotic- and prebiotic-rich foods in this region. This exploratory study investigates the knowledge, dietary habits, and correlations with gastrointestinal (GI) problems among Jordanian athletes to inform future research and interventions. The study provides insights into how awareness and consumption of gut-supportive foods can impact GI health, offering broader nutritional implications for global dietary strategies for athletes. A standardised questionnaire was administered to 324 athletes (ages 18–22) to assess knowledge, dietary practices, and GI symptoms. Descriptive statistics summarised the data, and chi-square tests examined associations among knowledge, diet, and GI symptoms (p < 0.05). Knowledge and diet were scored based on correct responses and reported intake of gut-supporting foods. Results showed that 55.9% of athletes were familiar with probiotics and 32.1% with prebiotics. The majority reported low consumption of probiotic- and prebiotic-rich foods, with 72.2% scoring low on diet intake. Although 60.5% seldom consumed fast food, overall intake of gut-supportive foods was limited. No statistically significant associations were found, but a weak positive trend between dietary habits and GI symptoms was observed, suggesting diet may have a modest influence on GI health. Living arrangements influenced both dietary choices and GI symptoms. This study highlights the need for targeted nutrition education to improve awareness and intake of probiotics and prebiotics, potentially supporting GI health and enhancing athletic performance.

This paper discusses the syntactic behaviour of a small subset of object control verbs that have an implicative interpretation (e.g. obrigar ‘force’, impedir ‘prevent’) as well as the behaviour of superficially similar syntactic causatives in European Portuguese. By exploring different syntactic properties and giving special attention to inflected infinitives as complements to the two classes of verbs, we argue that implicative object control verbs are ambiguous between true control verbs (which are ditransitive) and syntactic causatives (which take a single, clausal, internal argument). To this extent, we present an argument defying Landau’s (2015) analysis of control under these verbs as predication. We also argue that the implicative interpretation of these verbs is not determined by the syntactic nature of their complement: This interpretation is maintained in both the causative and the control counterparts of the verb. By comparing implicative object control verbs and the understudied and superficially similar pôr a ‘put to / make’ and deixar a ‘put to / make’, and by highlighting the distribution and interpretation of inflected infinitives in their complements, we can argue that the latter are unambiguous syntactic causatives, which take as complement a small clause in which we internally observe control.

Posture-related musculoskeletal issues among office workers are a significant health concern, mainly due to long periods spent in static positions. This research presents a Posture Lab which is a workplace-based solution through an easy-to-use posture monitoring system, allowing employees to assess their posture. The Posture Lab focuses on two key aspects: Normal Head Posture (NHP) versus Forward Head Posture (FHP) measurement and thoracic spine kyphosis. Craniovertebral (CA) and Shoulder Angles (SA) quantify NHP and FHP. The Kyphosis Angle (KA) is for measuring normal thoracic spine and kyphosis. To measure these angles, the system uses computer vision technology with ArUco markers detection via a webcam to analyze head positions. Additionally, wearable accelerometer sensors measure kyphosis by checking the angles of inclination. The framework includes a web-based user interface for registration and specialized desktop applications for different measurement protocols. A RESTful API enables system communication and centralized data storage for reporting. The Posture Lab serves as an effective tool for organizations to evaluate employee postures and supports early intervention strategies, allowing timely referrals to healthcare providers if any potential musculoskeletal issues are identified. The Posture Lab has also shown medium to very high correlations with standard 2D motion analysis methods – Kinovea – for CA, SA, and KA in FHP with kyphosis measurements (r = 0.607, 0.704, and 0.992) and shown high to very high correlations in NHP with normal thoracic spine measurements (r = 0.809, 0.748, and 0.778), with significance at p < .01, utilizing the Pearson correlation coefficient.

Our work is motivated by obtaining solutions to the quantum reflection equation (qRE) by categorical methods. To start, given a braided monoidal category ${\mathcal {C}}$ and ${\mathcal {C}}$-module category ${\mathcal {M}}$, we introduce a version of the Drinfeld center ${\mathcal {Z}}({\mathcal {C}})$ of ${\mathcal {C}}$ adapted for ${\mathcal {M}}$; we refer to this category as the reflective center ${\mathcal {E}}_{\mathcal {C}}({\mathcal {M}})$ of ${\mathcal {M}}$. Just like ${\mathcal {Z}}({\mathcal {C}})$ is a canonical braided monoidal category attached to ${\mathcal {C}}$, we show that ${\mathcal {E}}_{\mathcal {C}}({\mathcal {M}})$ is a canonical braided module category attached to ${\mathcal {M}}$; its properties are investigated in detail.

Our second goal pertains to when ${\mathcal {C}}$ is the category of modules over a quasitriangular Hopf algebra H, and ${\mathcal {M}}$ is the category of modules over an H-comodule algebra A. We show that the reflective center ${\mathcal {E}}_{\mathcal {C}}({\mathcal {M}})$ here is equivalent to a category of modules over an explicit algebra, denoted by $R_H(A)$, which we call the reflective algebra of A. This result is akin to ${\mathcal {Z}}({\mathcal {C}})$ being represented by the Drinfeld double ${\operatorname {Drin}}(H)$ of H. We also study the properties of reflective algebras.

Our third set of results is also in the Hopf setting above. We show that reflective algebras are quasitriangular H-comodule algebras, and we examine their corresponding quantum K-matrices; this yields solutions to the qRE. We also establish that the reflective algebra $R_H(\mathbb {k})$ is an initial object in the category of quasitriangular H-comodule algebras, where $\mathbb {k}$ is the ground field. The case when H is the Drinfeld double of a finite group is illustrated.

Ice-sheet volume during Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 3 (57–29 ka) is controversial. Several recent studies have proposed that the Greenland Ice Sheet was smaller during MIS 3 than it is today based on radiocarbon ages of molluscan bivalve shells reworked into sedimentary deposits adjacent to the present ice margin. Such a result contrasts with available records of MIS 3 climate, ice volume, and sea level. We revisited a site previously interpreted as containing evidence for smaller than present ice during MIS 3. We collected marine bivalve shells and combined progressive acid dissolution in preparation for radiocarbon dating with new-generation amino acid analysis, which focuses on aspartic acid racemization. Our results suggest that contamination by young carbon yields finite radiocarbon ages despite bivalve shells likely dating to MIS 5e (∼125 ka) or even older. This result should be further tested, which could be accomplished with additional studies of this kind in combination with ice-sheet modeling and additional paleoclimate data generated from adjacent seas.

In this article, we propose a series of latent trait models for the responses and the response times on low stakes tests where some test takers respond preliminary without making full effort to solve the items. The models consider individual differences in capability and persistence. Core of the models is a race between the solution process and a process of disengagement that interrupts the solution process. The different processes are modeled with the linear ballistic accumulator model. Within this general framework, we develop different model variants that differ in the number of accumulators and the way the response is generated when the solution process is interrupted. We distinguish no guessing, random guessing and informed guessing where the guessing probability depends on the status of the solution process. We conduct simulation studies on parameter recovery and on trait estimation. The simulation study suggests that parameter values and traits can be recovered well under certain conditions. Finally, we apply the model variants to empirical data.

Industrial concentration has increased in recent years with large companies consolidating their dominant positions. Concentrated markets are thought to benefit large firms as they earn elevated profits and gain political influence. Antitrust law is the main policy tool to reduce concentration. Calls to strengthen antitrust have come from the political left and the right, yet we know little about public support for such policies. We test how economic, moral, and democratic concerns influence support for antitrust. We find that the public does not respond to the consumer price benefits of antitrust but is moved by arguments invoking concerns for fairness and the importance of maintaining democratic institutions. We find that Republicans and Democrats often respond in divergent ways, with Republicans being less supportive of antitrust when informed that it could punish successful companies, whereas Democrats are more concerned about using antitrust to curb corporate influence. The findings accord with a general concern on the left for limiting business influence in politics and a concern on the right for maintaining business growth.

This is the first report of Jurassic brachyurans and anomurans from the territory of Russia. These findings come from the Upper Jurassic (Oxfordian) reef limestones of the North Caucasus. The anomuran Gastrosacus wetzleri von Meyer, 1851 was collected from the locality near the Urup River and is the first find of this species outside of western Europe. The dromiacean crab, Goniodromites aliquantulus Schweitzer, Feldmann, and Lazăr, 2007, was discovered from another locality near the Kamennomostsky village. This species was first described from the Oxfordian of Romania. Findings of fossil remains of Goniodromites aliquantulus and Gastrosacus wetzleri from the Oxfordian of the North Caucasus indicate an interconnected paleobiogeographical community of decapod faunas in the Late Jurassic in the Tethys basins.

Can the “us versus them” dynamic in politics undermine support for democracy even in the absence of strong party identification? While much is known about affective polarization in the USA, its impact on democratic commitment in other contexts remains understudied. We examine Chile’s 2022 plebiscite, where voters decided whether to approve or reject a new constitution amid low levels of party trust and identification. Through an experiment using an unobtrusive primer, we successfully induced short-term affective polarization, heightening animosity across multiple dimensions. Our findings show that individuals primed to this polarization significantly reduced their support for democracy, mirroring patterns observed in the USA. These results emphasize the importance of studying affective polarization, especially in regions with fragile democratic histories.

Research on stress damage induced by weaning and its underlying mechanisms in squabs is notably scarce. The study was designed to uncover the potential mechanisms behind the intestinal epithelial barrier impairment due to early weaning (EW) in squabs by evaluating the function of intestinal epithelial barrier, the balance of T helper cell (Th) subsets, and the link between them. A total of 160 hatched squabs were randomly assigned to two groups: one received artificial pigeon milk starting from day 7 post-hatching, while the other group continued to be nourished by their parent pigeons. Ileal tissue and serum samples from eight replicates were gathered for analyses at intervals of 1, 4, 7, 10, 14, and 21 days after weaning. Results showed that body weight of squabs in the EW group decreased significantly from 1 day after weaning and continued throughout the experiment period. The serum endotoxin, diamine oxidase of weaned squabs increased significantly. The mRNA expression of ileal tight junction proteins of weaned squabs was significantly downregulated at multiple time points from 1 to 21 days after weaning. Compared to squabs in the control group, the weaned squabs exhibited immune imbalances of Th1/Th2 and Th17/Treg in ileum, characterized by abnormal expression of specific transcription factors of Th1, Th2, Th17, and Treg, as well as abnormal concentrations of differentiation-inducing cytokines and effector cytokines. Mantel tests showed that the changes of factors related to the differentiation of Th17/Treg cell subsets were significantly correlated with the diamine oxidase, endotoxin level, and the CDLN1 mRNA expression. Summarily, EW could lead to impaired growth, compromised intestinal epithelial barrier function and an imbalance in the differentiation of Th cell subsets in squabs, among which the dysbalance between Th17 and Treg cells appeared to be more closely associated with the damage of the intestinal epithelial barrier function in early weaned squabs.

The bilingual advantage hypothesis, which associates bilingualism with benefits in executive functioning (EF), has been challenged by studies demonstrating inconsistent results. Considering explicit calls to revise the hypothesis, research has turned toward understanding which specific bilingualism-related aspects might impact bilinguals’ EF. Notably, patterns of everyday language use, referred to as interactional contexts in the adaptive control hypothesis (ACH), have emerged as a prominent factor modulating the association between bilingualism and EF. This scoping review synthesizes findings from 49 studies investigating interactional contexts and bilinguals’ EF. The results indicate that the current literature is highly heterogeneous regarding the operationalization, measurement, experimental manipulations of interactional contexts, the EF tasks employed and sample characteristics. This variability limits definitive conclusions about the adaptation of bilinguals’ EF to the demands of interactional contexts. More studies with comparable research designs and clearer predictions on the associations between EF domains and bilinguals’ language-use patterns are needed.

In the philosophy of religion, ‘de jure objections’ is an umbrella term that covers a wide variety of arguments for the conclusion that theistic belief is rationally impermissible, whether or not God exists. What we call ‘modal Calvinism’ counters these objections by proposing that ‘if God exists, God would ensure that theistic belief is rationally compelling on a global scale’, a modal conditional that is compatible with atheism. We respond to this modal Calvinist argument by examining it through the lenses of probability, modality, and logic – particularly, we apply analytical tools such as possible world semantics, Bayesian reasoning, and paraconsistent models. After examining various forms of the argument, we argue that none can compel atheists to believe that serious theistic possibilities worth considering would involve the purported divine measure.