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Consumers' valuation for cultured meat: a multi‐city choice experiment in China
Get PDFDespite the rising interest in cultured meat, there remains scant information on whether consumers would value it. This study evaluated consumers' willingness‐to‐pay (WTP) for cultured chicken and examined how information affects WTP. Using a choice experiment with a total of 571 samples, the results found that consumers are unwilling to pay a premium price for cultured chicken. The provision of information significantly enhances consumers' WTP, resulting in an increase of 8.66RBM/500 g for cultured chicken. Consumers who are younger, males, have higher environmental awareness, and exhibit lower levels of new food neophobia are willing to pay more for cultured meat
Large biodiversity monitoring gaps remain across Europe
Get PDFTransnational monitoring frameworks are crucial for tracking progress and guiding biodiversity conservation policies at continental and global levels. Yet their development is constrained by the lack of comprehensive analyses of biodiversity monitoring gaps. Focusing on Europe, we quantified the shortfall between data integrated by transnational initiatives and the requirements for producing 48 Essential Biodiversity Variables (EBVs) identified with stakeholders for continent‐wide monitoring. About 20% of EBVs lacked transnational data integration, and existing initiatives often covered fewer than 70% of countries. Even where integration occurred, major deficiencies remained in sampling standardization, taxonomic and ecosystem coverage, spatial and temporal resolution, data collection frequency, and data accessibility. Monitoring shortfalls varied widely across countries. Addressing monitoring gaps will require sustained funding for new transnational initiatives, stronger alignment between national and supranational efforts, improved sampling designs, novel technologies, and equitable open data sharing. Establishing such a framework could offer a model for global biodiversity monitoring
Solar transient recognition using deep learning (STRUDL) for heliospheric imager data
Get PDFCoronal Mass Ejections (CMEs) are space weather phenomena capable of causing significant disruptions to both space‐ and ground‐based infrastructure. The timely and accurate detection and prediction of CMEs is a crucial steps toward implementing strategies to minimize the impacts of such events. CMEs are commonly observed using coronagraphs and heliospheric imagers (HIs), with some forecasting methods relying on manually tracking CMEs across successive images in order to provide an estimate of their arrival time and speed. This process is time‐consuming and results may exhibiting considerable interpersonal variation. We investigate the application of machine learning (ML) techniques to the problem of automated CME detection, focusing on data from the HI instruments aboard the STEREO spacecraft. HI data facilitates the tracking of CMEs through interplanetary space, providing valuable information on their evolution. Building on advances in image segmentation, we present the Solar Transient Recognition Using Deep Learning (STRUDL) model. STRUDL is designed to automatically detect and segment CME fronts in HI data. We address the challenges inherent to this task and evaluate the model's performance across a range of solar activity conditions. To complement segmentation, we implement a basic tracking algorithm that links CME detections across successive frames, thus allowing us to automatically generate time‐distance profiles. Our results demonstrate the feasibility of applying ML‐based segmentation techniques to HI data, while highlighting areas for future improvement, particularly regarding the accurate segmentation and tracking of faint and interacting CMEs
Therapists’ experiences of chairwork with children and adolescents: a qualitative interview analysis
Get PDFObjective: Chairwork describes a set of experiential techniques where different parts of the self or representations of others are placed into chairs and given a voice. Using chairwork, individuals can practice self-reflexivity, address internal conflicts, and develop greater acceptance of their self-parts. There is a dearth of research regarding chairwork with young people and little is known about how therapists perceive and implement chairwork with this population. This study aims to explore therapists’ experiences of chairwork with children and adolescents.
Method: Twelve qualified therapists from seven countries who were trained in and had facilitated chairwork with young people were recruited using convenience sampling. Semi-structured interviews were conducted online and analysed using reflexive thematic analysis.
Results: Six themes were generated: “Playfulness and Creativity”, “Working with the Developmental Needs of the Young Person”, “Contextualizing the Young Person in their Relational World”, “Facilitating Insight and Integration of the Self”, “Overcoming Fear of Failure- Therapists’ Professional Development”, and “Therapist Agency and Confidence”.
Conclusion: Therapists should seek to facilitate chairwork more effectively with young people by incorporating playful and creative methods, tailor the work to the young person’s developmental stage, consider those in their relational system, and address therapist hesitations through peer support and supervision
Unveiling the peripheral nerve hallmarks of chemotherapy-induced neuropathy: insights from paclitaxel treatment in a murine model
Get PDFChemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) is a frequent and debilitating side effect of anticancer drugs like paclitaxel, significantly reducing the quality of life for cancer patients. Paclitaxel-induced peripheral neuropathy (PIPN) is primarily characterized by sensory disturbances such as mechanical allodynia and thermal hyperalgesia. Despite its prevalence, the mechanisms driving PIPN are not fully understood, and current treatment options remain limited. This study explores the impact of varying doses of paclitaxel on neuropathic pain, nerve structural changes, and metabolic alterations in a mouse model. Behavioural assessments demonstrated that paclitaxel induced dose-dependent mechanical allodynia and thermal hyperalgesia, with prolonged symptoms at higher doses. Furthermore, sciatic nerve dysfunction was observed, while metabolic tests revealed significant disruptions in glucose and triglyceride levels, suggesting a link between metabolic imbalances and neuropathy. Histological and molecular analyses identified increased TRPV1 and CGRP expression in skin nerve fibers, accompanied by Schwann cell dysfunction, characterized by myelin disorganization, decreased levels of myelin proteins (P0, MBP), and elevated LC3 levels, pointing to autophagy involvement. Moreover, infiltration of macrophages and mast cells into sciatic nerves indicated an innate immune response. These results emphasize the complex nature of PIPN, which involves sensory nerve sensitization, Schwann cell damage, and metabolic dysregulation. Elucidating these pathways could inform the development of more effective therapies aimed at preventing or alleviating the impact of CIPN
