This conceptual article focuses on student engagement, and the use of digital games in language classrooms. In making a contribution to the mapping of student engagement across SLA (Dörnyei, 2019a), and in line with the need to use established theories to develop insights into engagement when L2 learning involves digital games, a case is made for the concept of immersion (Brown & Cairns, 2004)

During the past decade, many parliamentary democracies have experienced bargaining delays when forming governments. The previous literature has attributed protracted government formation processes to a high degree of preference uncertainty among the political parties and a high level of bargaining complexity. The article draws on such theories, but also adds a third theoretical mechanism, commitme

Short-chain fatty acids (SCFA) are involved in immune system and inflammatory responses. We comprehensively assessed the host genetic and gut microbial contribution to a panel of eight serum and stool SCFAs in two cohorts (TwinsUK, n = 2507; ZOE PREDICT-1, n = 328), examined their postprandial changes and explored their links with chronic and acute inflammatory responses in healthy individuals and

Adipocyte dysfunction is a crucial driver of insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes. We identified EH domain-containing protein 2 (EHD2) as one of the most highly upregulated genes at the early stage of adipose tissue expansion. EHD2 is a dynamin-related ATPase influencing several cellular processes, including membrane recycling, caveolae dynamics and lipid metabolism. Here, we investigated the ro

Environmental exposure to noise and particle matter (PM) are risk factors for cardiovascular disease (CVD). Although there are often higher levels in occupational settings, little is known about noise and particle exposures at work and CVD risks. We investigated occupational noise and particle exposures and acute effects on pulse rate and blood pressure. 46 active, non-smoking, male construction w

Despite their detrimental circumstances, the number of refugee-owned businesses is on the rise—a situation referred to as “the paradox of refugee entrepreneurship.” However, a key question is how refugees, having undergone extreme life disruption due to war, conflict, and forced displacement, fare as entrepreneurs in their host country. Extant studies do not address this question, as they primaril

With the world facing severe ecological degradation, we hear calls for radical change more and more often. One of these calls is for degrowth in materially wealthy nations, including the Nordics. Degrowth fundamentally challenges the modern assumption that economic growth is good for humanity and the planet, and therefore necessitates change in civil society, state and production. In the contempor

The COVID-19 pandemic put a lot of strain on healthcare organizations. Nurses accountfor over 50% of healthcare staff, and how nurses perform in their work is influenced by a number ofhuman and work environmental factors. However, to our knowledge, there has not been a previousstudy with the intention to look at all areas that affect a sustainable working life and how theseimpact nurses’ mental we

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a metabolic disorder characterized by hyperglycemia resulting from defects in insulin secretion and/or insulin action. Increasing evidence suggests that inflammation played an important role in the pathogenesis of T2DM. Prospective studies on the link between immunoglobulins concentrations and the risk of T2DM in adults are limited. We developed a cohort study in

Vaccine hesitancy is a significant concern worldwide. While some attribute it to a lack of knowledge, experiments have revealed that merely providing additional scientific information has little effect on vaccination hesitancy. This chapter aims to better understand negative and positive vaccination sentiments and actions by examining scientific findings’ non-random and non-linear influence on peo