Universal Japanese school lunch program significantly reduces obesity among teenagers, especially those from lower socioeconomic backgrounds
Peer-Reviewed Publication
Updates every hour. Last Updated: 7-May-2025 20:09 ET (8-May-2025 00:09 GMT/UTC)
A new study led by Professor Sayaka Nakamura from Sophia University in Japan and Professor Shiko Maruyama from Jinan University in China published in the journal Health Economics reveals the significant positive impact of the Japanese school lunch program on the weight of early teenagers. The research, titled "Wholesome Lunch to the Whole Classroom: Short- and Longer-Term Effects on Early Teenagers’ Weight," found that the program effectively reduces Body Mass Index (BMI), Percent Overweight (POW), and obesity rates, particularly among students from lower socioeconomic backgrounds.
A groundbreaking study from East China Normal University has leveraged AI to analyze classroom teaching patterns across China, revealing that teacher-centered instruction still dominates. This research utilizes a sophisticated AI-powered classroom intelligent analysis system to assess 1,008 recorded Chinese language classes spanning nine grade levels. Usage of AI enables effective systematic analysis of large volumes of classroom data, reducing time and human intervention.
The increasing prevalence of myopia is a global health concern, with high myopia increasing the risk of vision damage. This necessitates the use of artificial intelligence (AI) for early diagnosis, prevention, and management of myopia. Now, a Pediatric Investigation review sheds light on potential applications of AI in the early identification, risk assessment, and prevention of myopia. It further highlights the challenges and current development status of AI technology in the field of myopia.
The European Society for Clinical and Economic Aspects of Osteoporosis, Osteoarthritis and Musculoskeletal Diseases (ESCEO) and the International Osteoporosis Foundation (IOF) have awarded the 2025 ESCEO-IOF Pierre Meunier Young Scientist Award to Dr. Elizabeth M. Curtis, Associate Professor in Rheumatology at the MRC Lifecourse Epidemiology Centre, University of Southampton, and an honorary consultant rheumatologist at University Hospitals Southampton. The prestigious annual Award, which was presented on the occasion of the WCO-IOF-ESCEO Congress in Rome, Italy on April 12, 2025, recognizes young investigators in the field who have demonstrated outstanding scientific merit early in their careers, prior to reaching a prominent academic position.
Funded by the Pipeline Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, an agency within the Department of Transportation, this project aims to develop a realistic training system for teams to practice handling hazardous condition response and emergency response.
Purpose
The authors target the interrelationships between non-fungible tokens (NFTs), decentralized finance (DeFi) and carbon allowances (CA) markets during 2021–2023. The recent shift of crypto and DeFi miners from China (the People's Republic of China, PRC) green hydro energy to dirty fuel energies elsewhere induces investments in carbon offsetting instruments; this is a backdrop to the authors’ investigation.
Design/methodology/approach
The quantile vector autoregression (VAR) approach is employed to examine extreme-quantile-connectedness and spillovers among the NFT Index (NFTI), DeFi Pulse Index (DPI), KraneShares Global Carbon Strategy ETF price (KRBN) and the Solactive Carbon Emission Allowances Rolling Futures Total Return Index (SOLCARBT).
Findings
At bull markets, DPI is the only consistent net shock transmitter as NFTI transmits innovations only at the most extreme quantile. At bear markets, KRBN and SOLCARBT are net shock transmitters, while NFTI is the only consistent net shock receiver. The receiver-transmitter roles change as a function of the market conditions. The increases in the relative tail dependence correspond to the stress events, which make systemic connectedness augment, turning market-specific idiosyncratic considerations less relevant.
Originality/value
The shift of digital asset miners from the PRC has resulted in excessive fuel energy consumption and aggravated environmental consequences regarding NFTs and DeFi mining. Although there exist numerous studies dedicated to CA trading and its role in carbon print reduction, the direct nexus between NFT, DeFi and CA has never been addressed in the literature. The originality of the authors’ research consists in bridging this void. Results are valuable for portfolio managers in bull and bear markets, as the authors show that connectedness is more intense under such conditions.