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Minding some animals but not others: Strategic attributions of mental capacities and moral worth to animals used for food in pescatarians, vegetarians, and omnivores
No full textYesWhile moral concern for animals has become increasingly important for both consumer food choice and food policy makers, previous research demonstrated that meat eaters attribute lower moral status and mental capacities to animals raised for meat compared to non-food animals. The current research investigated whether this strategic flexibility in moral concern and mind perceptions also occurs when considering aquatic food animals and animals used for dairy and egg products, and the degree to which these concerns and perceptions are evident in pescatarians and vegetarians. We compared perceptions (mind attributions and moral concern) of land food animals versus aquatic food animals, and of animals in the meat versus dairy and egg industry between omnivores (n = 122), pescatarians (n = 118), vegetarians (n = 138), vegans (n = 120), and flexitarians (n = 60). Pescatarians scored lower than other dietary groups on moral concern and mind attribution for aquatic animals relative to farmed land animals. Unlike the other dietary groups, pescatarians and vegetarians scored lower on moral concern and mind attribution for dairy than beef cows and for layer chickens than broiler chickens. These findings demonstrate that pescatarians and vegetarians were flexible in their moral thinking about different types of food animals in ways that suited their consumption habits, even when the same animal was evaluated (e.g., dairy vs beef cows). This research highlights the psychological barriers that might prevent people from reducing animal product consumption and may need to be addressed in interventions to encourage transitioning towards more plant-based diets
The entrepreneurial university: strategies, processes, and competing goals
Get PDFYesThe configuration of the entrepreneurial university remains poorly understood given the complexity of the university as an organisation with multiple missions and multiple ‘products and services’, delivered by multiple and sometimes competing sub-organisations with different cultures and norms, in response to different outside pressures and demands. The outcomes of the entrepreneurial university reflect the plurality of goals, including research, teaching, knowledge commercialisation, and civic and community empowerment, but they are rarely considered within the same conceptual and empirical framework. Hence, the aim of this paper is to explore how multiple and sometimes competing strategies and associated arrangements, resources and capabilities within the entrepreneurial university affect the delivery of economic and social benefits to the external world across teaching, research, knowledge commercialisation, and civic and community empowerment missions. To achieve this aim, we elaborate the entrepreneurial university ecosystem concept so that we can systematically capture the cross-influences of the entrepreneurial university elements in their entirety rather than focussing on selected ecosystem elements and their effects in relation to one particular university mission. Our analysis is based on a novel institution-level database on university strategies, goals, policies, and support mechanisms, providing annual data for all higher education institutions in the UK over the period 2017–2020, complemented with annual administrative data on staff, finances, graduate outcomes, and infrastructure, as well as contextual data on the wider regional entrepreneurship ecosystem. Using a Seemingly Unrelated Estimation approach, we contribute with novel fundings explicitly identifying synergies and tensions between different elements of the entrepreneurial university ecosystem that affect the delivery of its outcomes
Identifying the influence of obsolescence risk and health beliefs in fitness wearable healthcare technology
Get PDFYesThis study aimed to examine factors influencing the adoption of fitness wearable technologies (FWTs) by extending the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT2). A survey was conducted with 574 fitness wearable users in India to test a conceptual Fitness Wearable Adoption Model (FWAM) incorporating additional constructs of obsolescence risk, health belief, and perceived accuracy alongside UTAUT2 variables. Structural equation modeling revealed performance expectancy, effort expectancy, social influence, hedonic motivation, price value, health belief, and obsolescence risk positively affected adoption intentions, while perceived security had no effect. Perceived accuracy mediated the impact of performance expectancy, while price value mediated the relationship between obsolescence risk and intentions. The research makes key contributions by adapting UTAUT2 to a new context, integrating additional adoption factors, identifying mediating mechanisms, and revealing moderating effects of age. Findings provide valuable insights into consumer acceptance of fitness wearables that can inform strategies for manufacturers, marketers, and health practitioners to promote adoption. A major focus of the investigation is to develop strategies for increasing the adoption of wrist-worn fitness technology that provides an opportunity for fitness wearable technology manufacturers to strengthen relationships with older age groups through effective communication techniques.Open Access funding has been provided by the Qatar National Library
"Making it work in the face of extreme adversity" - Exploring perceptions for the future of the imaging and oncology workforce using 'soundbite' interviews
Get PDFYesBackground: Public demand and scrutiny, an aging population, inefficient funding and the legacy of Covid-19 are just some of the challenges the United Kingdom's health service faces. In imaging and oncology, there has been an exponential growth in service need against a workforce which is struggling to recruit and retain. This project aims to explore what the current, and future, workforce perceive the main opportunities and solutions, threats and risks are.
Method: Very short structured ‘soundbite’ interviews were employed to capture brief opinions or ‘snippets’ of dialogue. Participants recruited at a large imaging and oncology congress were asked what they considered the most significant opportunity/solution and threat/risk related to the future workforce. Descriptive and content analysis was undertaken to provide evaluation of role, regions, and frequency of themes.
Results: 88 ‘soundbite’ interviews were undertaken lasting between 30 s and 4 min in length. The most common themes relating to opportunities/solutions considered education and students, workforce development and skill mix, and the use of technology. The most common threats/risks were identified as a lack of support for the workforce, recruitment and retention, national strategic issues, and barriers to workforce development.
Conclusion: The current workforce perceives a greater number of threats/risks for the future than potential opportunities/solutions. In particular, burnout and staff attrition were the most frequent perceptions of risk, though role development was often highlighted as the biggest opportunity. Interestingly AI and technology were frequently considered both opportunity and threat.
Implications for practice
This study highlights that a lot needs to be done to support our future workforce and make best use of the potential opportunities and solutions
Can animals tune tissue mechanics in response to changing environments caused by anthropogenic impacts?
Get PDFYesAnthropogenic climate change and pollution are impacting environments across the globe. This Review summarises the potential impact of such anthropogenic effects on animal tissue mechanics, given the consequences for animal locomotor performance and behaviour. More specifically, in light of current literature, this Review focuses on evaluating the acute and chronic effects of temperature on the mechanical function of muscle tissues. For ectotherms, maximal muscle performance typically occurs at temperatures approximating the natural environment of the species. However, species vary in their ability to acclimate to chronic changes in temperature, which is likely to have longer-term effects on species range. Some species undergo periods of dormancy to avoid extreme temperature or drought. Whilst the skeletal muscle of such species generally appears to be adapted to minimise muscle atrophy and maintain performance for emergence from dormancy, the increased occurrence of extreme climatic conditions may reduce the survival of individuals in such environments. This Review also considers the likely impact of anthropogenic pollutants, such as hormones and heavy metals, on animal tissue mechanics, noting the relative paucity of literature directly investigating this key area. Future work needs to determine the direct effects of anthropogenic environmental changes on animal tissues and related changes in locomotor performance and behaviour, including accounting for currently unknown interactions between environmental factors, e.g. temperature and pollutants
Experimental and numerical study on flexural performance of ultra-high performance concrete frame beams reinforced with steel-FRP composite bars
No full textYesThis paper presents the bending tests of four ultra-high performance concrete (UHPC) frame beams and one normal strength concrete (NSC) frame beam, all reinforced with steel-FRP composite bars (SFCBs). A comprehensive analysis was carried out, encompassing evaluation of the failure mode, crack propagation, bearing capacity, deformation, strain response, and plastic rotational capacity of the frame beams. Investigating the effects of concrete type, reinforcement type, and beam-end reinforcement ratio on the flexural performance of the frame beams was a key aspect of this study. A three-dimensional finite element (FE) model of the frame beam was established and rigorously verified. The developed model enabled a detailed parametric analysis involving the steel ratio, the yield strength of the inner core steel bar, the elastic modulus of the FRP, and the ultimate tensile strength of the SFCB. The results indicated a consistent failure mode of all frame beams: crushing of concrete at the beam-end, initiating a sequence of plastic hinge occurrence starting at the beam-end and then progressing to mid-span. The substitution of normal strength concrete with UHPC significantly enhanced various aspects of the frame beams, including the flexural capacity, deformation, ductility, ultimate energy dissipation, and plastic rotational capacity, while inhibiting the generation and expansion of cracks. Notably, the plastic rotation angle of SFCB-UHPC frame beams was 4.9 times greater than those of steel-UHPC frame beams, emphasizing the effectiveness of SFCB in enhancing the beam-end plastic rotational capacity. A decrease in the beam-end reinforcement ratio significantly reduced the flexural capacity, ultimate energy dissipation, and beam-end plastic rotational capacity, while improving ductility. Additionally, the study established a formula for calculating the equivalent plastic hinge length, utilizing the relative compressive zone height and effective section height of the beam-end controlling section as variables, which demonstrated good alignment between predicted and experimental results.High-End Foreign Experts Project of Ministry of Science and Technology, China (G2022014054L), the Natural Science Foundation of Jiangsu Province, China (BK20201436), the Science and Technology Project of Jiangsu Construction System (2023ZD104, 2023ZD105), the Science and Technology Project of Gansu Construction System (JK2021-19), the Science and Technology Cooperation Fund Project of Yangzhou City and Yangzhou University (YZ2022194) and the Science and Technology Project of Yangzhou Construction System (202309, 202312), Graduate Research and Innovation Projects of Jiangsu Province (KYCX24_3750), Jiangsu Provincial Government Scholarship Project (2024), Excellent Doctoral Dissertation Fund of Yangzhou University (2024)
Deformation Temperature Dependency of Microstructure Evolution in Die-Drawn iPP/UHMWPE Blends
No full textYesUltrahigh molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) is one of the most promising polyolefins, but its processability and consequently applications are limited by its high melt viscosity. An effective method to improve the processability is to introduce another polymer component. Yet it is challenging to deform the sample if the components are not compatible with each other. In this work, we blended the UHMWPE with isotactic polypropylene (iPP) and successfully processed the iPP/UHMWPE samples via die-drawing at temperatures below, near, and above the melting temperature of UHMWPE. It was found that the melting behavior of the die-drawn samples was determined by the deformation temperature. The molecular chain orientation slightly decreased, while the long periods first increased and then decreased with increasing deformation temperature. Three melting peaks observed in the samples deformed at 130 and 140 °C originated from the melting of cooling-induced UHMWPE crystallites, deformation-induced fibrillar UHMWPE crystallites, and deformation-induced fibrillar iPP crystallites, respectively. The melting peak of deformation-induced fibrillar UHMWPE crystallites could not be observed in the sample deformed at 150 °C because it is unlikely for UHMWPE chains to crystallize at such a high temperature. This sample also has the lowest melting point since the UHMWPE lamellae formed during deformation could serve as nucleation sites in the other two samples
Preparation of flexible polymer sensor material by Spatial Confining Forced Network Assembly Micro Injection Molding
Get PDFYesThe development of high-performance flexible pressure-sensing materials necessitates the simultaneous achievement of exceptional flexibility, conductivity, and alignment of micro-nano structures with the mechanical response characteristics inherent to these materials. In this study, we propose a novel method for preparing flexible microneedles as a pressure-sensitive sensor array. Firstly, we obtain conductive composite particles through extrusion granulation, which consists of a compact conductive network with micron-scale filler as the skeleton and nano-filler filling in the gaps within the network. Moreover, by utilizing the ‘volume exclusion’ effect of the microneedle array on the micron-scale filler during injection molding, nanofillers dominate in entering the microneedle. As a result, our molded product exhibits high flexibility and moderate conductivity in its pressure-sensitive area, thereby providing ultra-high-pressure resistance along with desired response characteristics and sensitivity for sensors. Additionally, due to synergistic effects between microscale fillers and nano-fillers in non-pressure sensitive bases, a compact conductive network is formed that imparts sufficient conductivity to sensor materials. The method yields sensors with excellent repeatability, high dimensional accuracy, and good consistency, effectively addressing core application challenges of flexible sensors. The microstructure array flexible sensor fabricated using high-precision injection molding technology offers high efficiency, low cost, and scalability for mass production. Furthermore, the sensitivity of sensors produced by this method is significantly higher—26.6% greater than those made using traditional methods—with a sensitivity as high as 4.71kPa -1
Formulation, characterisation, and biocompatibility assessment of rifampicin-loaded poly(d,l-lactide-co-glycolide) composites for local treatment of orthopaedic and wound infections
Get PDFYesBackground/Objectives: The escalating challenge of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) necessitates the development of targeted antibiotic delivery platforms, minimising systemic administration. Polymer-based drug delivery emerges as a promising solution, ensuring sustained release and prolonged efficacy of bioactive compounds, ensuring long-term efficacy. Methods: This study focuses
on encapsulating rifampicin (RIF), a key antibiotic for orthopaedic and wound-related infections, within Poly(d,l-lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA), a biodegradable polymer, through solvent casting, to formulate a PLGA-RIF composite membrane. Comprehensive characterisation, employing Fourier-transformed infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), thermal analysis and X-ray Diffraction (XRD), confirmed the integrity of both the starting and produced materials. UV-Vis spectroscopy revealed a controlled drug release profile over 21 days in various media, with the chosen media influencing the drug release, notably the tryptic soya broth (TSB) caused the
highest release. The quantitative assessment of the antimicrobial efficacy of the developed PLGA-RIF composite was conducted by measuring the size of the inhibition zones against both Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria. Results: The results confirmed the composite’s potential as a robust
antibacterial biomaterial, demonstrating a rapid and effective antibacterial response. Cytocompatibility tests incorporated human fibroblast and osteoblast-like cell lines and demonstrated that the RIF:PLGA (1:8) formulation maintained eukaryotic cell viability, indicating the composite’s potential
for targeted medical applications in combating bacterial infections with minimal systemic impact.
Conclusions: This study presents the significance of investigating drug release within appropriate and relevant physiological media. A key novelty of this work therefore lies in the exploration of drug release dynamics across different media, allowing for a comprehensive understanding of how varying physiological conditions may influence drug release and its effect on biological responses
Encapsulation and delivery of mitoxantrone using zirconium-based metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) and their cytotoxic potential in breast cancer cells
Get PDFYesMitoxantrone (MTX) is a drug employed in breast cancer treatment, but its application is largely limited due to side effects. A controlled delivery approach can potentially reduce the side effects. In this study, two zirconium (Zr)-based MOFs, UiO-66 and UiO-66-NH2, were studied for a more controlled delivery of MTX with a 40% and 21% loading capacity, respectively. Characterisation via powder X-ray diffraction, thermogravimetric analysis, Fourier transform infrared spectrometry, scanning electron microscopy, and dynamic light scattering confirmed the integrity of structure post-MTX loading. UV–vis spectrophotometry revealed distinctive release profiles, with UiO-66-MTX exhibiting a 25% cumulative release after 96 h in water and 120 h in PBS +10% FBS. UiO-66-NH2-MTX displayed a more sustained release, reaching 62% in water and 47% in PBS +10% FBS after 168 h. The interaction between MTX and the MOFs was also proposed based on computational modelling, suggesting a stronger interaction of UiO-66NH2 and MTX, and an optimised interaction of MTX in the tetrahedral and octahedral pores of the MOFs. The study also reports the release profile of the drug and antiproliferative activity against a panel of breast cancer cell lines (MDA-MB-231, MDA-MB-468, and MCF7) and a normal breast epithelial cell line (MCF10A). MTX-encapsulated MOFs were thoroughly characterised, and their biological activity was assessed in vitro. MTT cell viability assay indicated a higher IC50 value for MTX-loaded MOFs compared to free MTX in physiological conditions, albeit with a slower release profile. These findings suggest the potential of these MTX-loaded MOFs as an alternative avenue for formulation to mitigate side effects.A.R. would like to thank The Royal Society (RGS\R1\221399) and the MRC Confidence in Concept grant (RM0039); MAA is grateful for HPC resources via membership of the UK’s HEC Materials Chemistry Consortium, which is funded by EPSRC (EP/X035859), this work used the UK Materials and Molecular Modelling Hub, which is partially funded by EPSRC (EP/T022213)