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Relational work in motion: navigating romantic relationships as digital nomads
Get PDFDigital nomads (DNs) employ digital tools to work remotely while traveling, allowing them to explore various locations without having the constraints of a single workplace. This research focusses on the perceived challenges of DNs in forming and maintaining romantic relationships. Through participant observation, 20 in-depth interviews with DNs, and an analysis of the r/digitalnomad sub-reddit, this study explores: 1) how DNs explain their experience with romantic relationships in relation to their lifestyle; 2) how they deal with the difficulties of forming and maintaining romantic relationships. Guided by relational work and inter-role conflict theories, we identify four conflict types of within DNs’ romantic relationships: attitude-based, location-based, time-based, and money-based. To address these conflicts, our interviewees used resource conservation, segmentation, and compensation mechanisms. The paper also discusses DNs’ strategies for finding new romantic partners, such as attending DN events organised via social media groups to connect with fellow DNs, as many believed that finding a partner who was also a DN would be ideal to keep their lifestyle and not to have to reduce their mobility patterns. Moreover, DNs engaged with locals through meetups and dating apps. In existing romantic relationships, technology played an important role by enabling connectedness between partners that might be in different locations. Higher levels of communication were also key to maintaining romantic relationships and negotiating boundaries. Our findings highlight the prioritisation of the lifestyle over romantic commitments, while identifying the significant role of boundary negotiations in sustaining intimate relationships
Cross-cultural consumer valuation of precision fermentation milk: effects of information, individual traits, and labelling preferences
Get PDFThe adoption of alternative protein sources, including precision fermentation (PF) milk, emerges as a key strategy for sustainably nourishing a growing population, offering a viable alternative to conventional dairy production. This study investigates how different information framing, on animal welfare, health, and environmental benefits, affects consumer willingness-to-pay (WTP) for PF milk in Denmark (DK), Italy (IT), the United Kingdom (UK), and the United States (US). Using a choice experiment (CE) that examined milk products varying on several attributes, namely type of milk technology, animal welfare information, protein type, Carbon Trust label, and price, we found that consumers generally exhibited reluctance towards PF milk. This reluctance varied by country, the type of benefits provided, and consumer traits. Additionally, latent class analysis identified three consistent consumer segments across all countries, strong traditionalists with strong preferences for conventional cow milk, light traditionalists open to alternatives but price-sensitive, and a third group with inconsistent (random) choices, highlighting both commonalities and cross-country differences in responses to PF milk. Consumer preferences for policy labelling of PF dairy products vary by country, with the US and Italy exhibiting a higher preference for these new products labelled similarly to conventional dairy products. These findings offer valuable directions for effectively communicating the benefits of PF milk products across different cultural contexts. They highlight key marketing strategies for differentiation and competition in a market crowded with conventional dairy and plant-based options. Finally, they underscore important strategic and policy implications for future labelling and regulations of PF milk
Synthesis and identification of 3-Oxazolines in cocoa
Get PDFAdding water to chocolate is known to cause a large increase in the concentration of Strecker aldehydes which are key aroma compounds in cocoa. 3-Oxazolines may be precursors responsible for this, however only a low concentration of 2-isobutyl-5-methyl-3-oxazoline was previously identified in chocolate. This study investigates the possibility of other types of 3-oxazolines being the relevant precursors present in cocoa. A range of novel 3-oxazolines were synthesized and characterized by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Using the synthesized compounds as references, four of these were identified by GC-MS for the first time in aroma extracts of cacao nibs, cocoa liquor and chocolate, obtained by solvent-assisted flavor evaporation. This study may reveal a new focus for enhancing cocoa aroma, and potentially other roasted food products as well
Benchmark CCSD(T) and density functional theory calculations of biologically relevant catecholic systems
Get PDFApproximate complete basis set CCSD(T), MP2 and HF calculations are performed for thirty-two catechol-containing complexes. These complexes, which include metal-coordination, hydrogen-bonding, pi-stacking, and other, weaker interactions, are representative of the types of non-covalent interactions that catechols undergo when binding to proteins in the body, such as in the biosynthesis of dopamine. The catechols studied include the neutral catechol and dinitrocatechol molecules, as well as the charged dopamine and DOPAC molecules. Calculations with twenty-one density functional theory methods with triple and quadruple-zeta basis sets are evaluated against the CCSD(T) benchmarks to ascertain their accuracy. It is found that MN15, M06-2X-D3, wB97XD, wB97M-V and CAM-B3LYP-D3 provide good accuracy when compared with CCSD(T)/CBS calculations for these systems and may be used for the study of relevant biological systems. The local DPLNO CCSD(T) method is also evaluated against the CCSD(T)/CBS energies for a subset of the complexes and found to agree within 1-3%, with a maximum difference of 0.26 Ha
An in vitro batch culture study to assess the fermentation of human milk oligosaccharides by faecal microbiota from healthy and irritable bowel syndrome stool donors
Get PDFAbstract
This study explored the effects of different human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs), solely and in combination, on gut microbiota composition and metabolic activity (organic acid production), using anaerobic in vitro batch culture fermenters. The aim was to compare prebiotic effects of HMOs (2’FL, 3’FL, 3’SL, 6’SL, LNT, LNnT, and 1:1 ratio mixes of 2’FL/3’SL and 3’SL/LNT) in faecal samples from irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) donors and healthy controls, and to determine the best-performing HMO in IBS. Fluorescent in situ hybridisation coupled with flow cytometry was utilised to study microbiota changes in major colonic genera, and organic acid production was assessed by gas chromatography. IBS donors had different starting microbial profiles compared to healthy controls and lower levels of organic acids. In response to HMOs, there were alterations in both the control and IBS faecal microbiomes. In IBS donor fermenters, Bifidobacterium , Faecalibacterium , total bacterial numbers, and organic acid production significantly increased post-HMO intervention. When comparing the effect of HMO interventions on the microbiota and organic acid production, a mix of 3’SL/LNT HMOs may be the most promising intervention for IBS patients
Eveningness and procrastination: an exploration of relationships with mind wandering, sleep quality, self-control, and depression
Get PDFWhile morningness (a preference for rising earlier in the day) is associated with
positive affect and life satisfaction, eveningness is correlated with negative emotionality,
poor sleep, less self-control, and more procrastination. The current study investigated
inter-relationships between morningness–eveningness; bedtime, academic, and exercise
procrastination; mind wandering; sleep quality; self-control; and depressive symptoms.
An online survey including questionnaire measures of these variables was completed by
306 university students (aged 18–51 years; mean = 20.36, SD = 4.001; 34 male). Morningness
correlated with more self-control and better sleep quality—eveningness correlated
with more bedtime, academic, and exercise procrastination; depressive symptoms; and
mind wandering. All forms of procrastination negatively correlated with self-control and
sleep quality, and positively correlated with depressive symptoms and mind wandering,
although more strongly with spontaneous than deliberate mind wandering. Mediation
effects were found—bedtime procrastination (BP) between eveningness and spontaneous
mind wandering (MW); spontaneous MW between BP and sleep quality; sleep quality
between BP and depressive symptoms; self-control between depressive symptoms and
academic procrastination. A path model of these inter-relationships was developed. This
study adds to a growing body of research indicating that interventions to reduce bedtime
procrastination may bring about improvements in wellbeing and academic achievement
Observations of tall-building wakes using a scanning Doppler lidar
Get PDFHigh-rise buildings, increasingly a feature of many large cities, impact local atmospheric flow conditions. Tall building wakes affect air quality downstream due to turbulent mixing and require parameterisation in dispersion models. Previous studies using numerical or physical modelling have been performed under idealised and neutral conditions. There has been a lack of data available in real urban environments due to the difficulty in deploying traditional wind sensors. Doppler wind lidars (DWLs) have been used frequently for studying wind turbine wakes but never building wakes. This study presents a year-long deployment of a DWL in a complex urban environment, studying tall-building wakes under atmospheric conditions. A HALO Photonics Stream- Line DWL was deployed in a low- and mid-rise densely packed area in central London. From its rooftop position (33.5ma.g.l. compared to mean building height of 12.5 m), velocity azimuth display (VAD) scans at 0° elevation intersected with two taller nearby buildings of 90 and 40ma.g.l. Using an ensemble-averaging approach, wake dimensions were investigated in terms of wind direction, stability, and wind speed. Boundary layer stability categories were defined using eddy covariance observations from the BT Tower (191 m), and mixing height estimations were made from vertical stare scans. A method for calculating normalised velocity deficit from VAD scans is presented. For neutral conditions, wake dimensions around both buildings for the prevailing wind direction were compared with the ADMS-Build wake model for a single, isolated cube. The model underpredicts wake dimensions, confirming previous wind tunnel findings for the same area. Under varying stability, unstable and deep boundary layers were shown to produce shorter, narrower wakes. Typically observed wake lengths were 120–300 m, and widths were 80–150m and reduced by 50–100m downwind. Stable and shallow boundary layers were less frequent and produced an insignificant difference in wake dimensions compared to neutral conditions. The sensitivity to stability was weakened by enhanced turbulence upstream (i.e. due to other building wakes). Weakened stability dependence was confirmed if there were more obstacles upstream as the wind direction incident on the buildings changed. The results highlight the potential for future wake studies using multiple DWLs deploying both vertical and horizontal scan patterns. Dispersion models should incorporate the effect of a complex urban canopy within which tall buildings are embedded
E-mail-assisted guided self-help for binge eating: an illustrative case study
Get PDFThe internet has been increasingly employed in the treatment of binge eating, including to facilitate guided self-help (GSH). However, few studies have investigated provision of GSH over email and there are questions regarding the viability of this approach, and how facilitators might best deliver this treatment. We describe a case study of a woman in her early 50s with a diagnosis of binge-eating disorder (BED) who received email-supported GSH over 12 weeks within a larger randomised controlled trial. At assessment, she presented with regular binge eating episodes (approximately twice a week) in addition to co-morbid medical and psychiatric issues, for which she was prescribed several medications. Treatment, provided within the UK National Health Service, involved provision of a self-help manual (Overcoming Binge Eating; Fairburn, 2013) in addition to email support over 12 weeks. A summary of the intervention is provided, along with email excerpts to demonstrate practice, illustrate how treatment might be delivered, and outline the type of interaction that may occur during email support. Consistent with larger studies, improvement on several self-report symptom measures was seen, including eating disorder symptoms, psychosocial impairment, psychological distress, self-esteem, and therapeutic alliance, all of which met criteria for reliable improvement at post-treatment. This case study, which provides data from one individual, demonstrates delivery of GSH with email support for regular binge eating, which could be considered as an alternative to face-to-face treatment. Future work might look to enhance outcomes following GSH, including reducing drop-out, and increase dissemination and uptake of GSH
Mirroring the EU Digital Markets Act to tackle gatekeepers’ anti-competitive conduct in South Africa? – case study of Google
No full textFocusing on restraining Google’s anti-competitive practices, this article evaluates the effectiveness of the European Union’s (“EU”) and South Africa’s approaches in regulating digital markets. Exploring the role of public interest in both jurisdictions’ Competition Law, this article asks: Is now the right time for the South African Competition Commission to mirror the EU’s regulatory approach to tackle digital gatekeepers’ anti-competitive practices