62880 research outputs found
Sort by
Bioactive compounds in milk/dairy foods and their value to health at key life stages: functionality beyond nutrient supply
No full textThis review aims to highlight some of the key bioactivefunctionalities that a range of components
in milk can potentiallymake to reduce risks to health at key life stages. Suchfunctionalities cannot
be adequately explained by traditional estimates of nutrient supply. The benefits of gangliosides
from the milk fat globule membrane (MFGM) for neonatal neurodevelopment are examined
along with milk proteins for growth stimulation of children via the proteins’ ability to stimulate
insulin-like growthfactor-1 (IGF-1). Exosomes in bovinemilk and theirmiRNA are bioavailable,
with an animal study indicating that placenta development and embryo survival were both
enhanced. Concerning bone health, the unique characteristics of the casein micelle for supplying
Ca, P and Mg to the GI tract were considered. The so-called dairy food matrix and the
hypotensive effect of some peptides from milk proteins may be compensatory factors for SFA
regarding CVD risk. The recent rise in use of glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists
for adiposity reduction and improving glycaemic control is noted alongside evidence that milk
proteins can stimulate GLP-1 synthesis potentially reducing GLP-1 receptor agonist need in high
milk protein consumers. Other functionality included the ability of whey proteins to stimulate
synthesis of skeletal muscle protein, crucial for bone protection and glycaemic control and the
role of milk/Ca for reducing colorectal cancer risk. Perhaps the most exciting functionality is that
of polar phospholipids in the MFGM potentially improving cognition and reducing the risk of
dementia in the elderly. Clearly more human studies are needed
Canine ticks, tick-borne pathogens and associated risk factors in Nigeria
Get PDFTick-borne pathogens (TBPs) pose a significant threat to canine health in Nigeria. Despite this, there is little data on the molecular identification of ticks and TBPs of dogs in Nigeria. This study assessed the prevalence of ticks and TBPs in Nigerian dogs, along with associated risk factors. A total of 259 dogs were enrolled in the study, from which 112 adult ticks were collected. Of these, 40 were characterized by molecular barcoding confirming Rhipicephalus sanguineus (R. sanguineus, 35/40) and Haemphysalis leachi (H. leachi, 5/40) infestations. Nucleotide sequences showed high percentage similarity to R. sanguineus tropical lineage and H. leachi sequences from Chad. Point-of-care (POC) testing of 259 dogs detected antibodies to TBPs in 40.9% of blood samples, with Ehrlichia (29.7%), Anaplasma (10.8%), and Dirofilaria (0.4%) species identified. PCR assays revealed a prevalence of 58.7% for TBPs, including Ehrlichia (40.5%) and Babesia (17.4%), with 7.3% co-infected. Risk factor analysis showed that adult dogs and those infested with ticks had a higher likelihood of TBP seropositivity. Exotic breeds and dogs examined during the rainy season were more likely to test positive for TBPs via PCR. Overall, this study demonstrates the high prevalence of diverse TBPs in Nigerian dogs and suggests that dog breed may play a role in susceptibility to diseases
The impact of human decision-making on the research value of archaeological data
Get PDF‘Good data in, good data out’ is a well-known adage, often used to consider the ‘precision’ of data entry rather than other human activity when inputting information into a database. These could be omissions or errors, but are just as likely to be inconsistencies in data recording. This is especially relevant when thinking about the efficiencies that recorders might make (i.e., to make their work easier) and what this could mean for end users (e.g., researchers). For example, a recorder of an archaeological object might do things differently based on their knowledge or understanding of the value of recording certain types of data (e.g., the various characteristics of the object) and how this information is likely to be used by others. With this in mind, this article will consider the research question of how can advancing Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable (FAIR) principles be used to contextualise the impact of human decision-making on the research value of archaeological data, taking (as a test case) the Portable Antiquities Scheme (PAS) database of archaeological finds from England and Wales. The methodology used here examines data recorded within the PAS database directly and through a separate web application demonstrator (PASampo) that is being developed. The latter, in particular, enables ease-to-use visualisation of the data to provide an analytical evaluation of how data is inputted into the PAS database and, more significantly, how the researcher might extract this data. Through a series of case studies exploring aspects of material culture, we will highlight how data quality is affected by human decision-making alongside elements of the database framework. We will then argue that this provides the basis for new learning alongside adopting FAIR principles that could benefit the development of a wide range of future archaeological and cultural heritage databases, including the PAS database itself
Consumer preferences for gene-edited foods: a review of the literature and discussion of industry and policy implications
Get PDFGene editing (GE), a revolutionary genetic engineering technology that makes targeted modifications to plant and animal genomes, offers the potential to address key challenges in food security, nutrition, safety, health, agricultural productivity, and sustainability, yet consumer demand for GE foods remains uncertain and complex. This study reviews (1) the factors affecting consumer preferences for GE foods and (2) studies on consumer acceptance of GE foods that feature comparisons to genetically modified (GM) foods. The present manuscript also discusses implications for industry and policymakers and identifies areas where additional research would further promote the acceptance of GE technology. A total of 74 consumer studies were identified, reviewed, and discussed. The results indicate that many factors drive consumer preferences for GE foods, mainly sensory attributes, nutritional content, price, risk perception, trust in institutions, consumer socio-demographics, and available knowledge and information about GE technology. Furthermore, we found that consumers generally prefer GE foods over GM foods, but this preference varies depending on specific products and contexts. These findings provide useful insights for science, industry, and policymakers aiming to develop, commercialise, and regulate GE foods. Finally, several future research avenues are outlined and discussed
Analysing TCATA citation proportions as a tool to optimise temporal vocabulary selection: a case study of whey protein model beverages
Get PDFSequential profiling is used to assess the temporal variability of attribute intensity perception with repeated
consumption; this is insightful for attributes which build-up with repeated consumption, such as mouthdrying in
whey protein beverages. It is common for researchers to select attributes for use in sequential tests from the
vocabulary lists of descriptive sensory profiling with limited justification being provided. It was hypothesised
that Temporal Check All That Apply (TCATA) can be used as an effective and objective technique to select relevant vocabulary. This was investigated using model whey protein beverages containing 10 % whey protein isolate powder with a trained sensory panel and comparing the proportion of citations at regular time intervals across the assessment window. The proportion of panellists selecting an attribute was used to represent panel confidence in the attribute’s applicability. Using a consensus vocabulary for TCATA, mouthdrying was selected by 58 % of panellists at 30 s and 71 % at 60 s relative to consumption, identifying this attribute as relevant for temporal investigations. Sweetness was selected by fewer than 10 % of panellists throughout the assessment window. In sequential profiling, mouthdrying significantly increased over time whereas sweetness did not,
confirming TCATA as an effective vocabulary selector in this context. The results demonstrate that TCATA can be used to ensure the unbiased selection of relevant attributes to be investigated in subsequent temporal intensity methods. The use of citation proportions can elucidate additional information from TCATA data surrounding the applicability of attributes and panel confidence
M-SAT: multi-state-action tokenisation in decision transformers for multi-discrete actions
No full textEffective decision-making in complex environments with multi-discrete action spaces poses significant challenges for agent architectures, particularly in image-based settings. While Decision Transformers have shown promise in various domains, their performance often suffers in environments where agents must handle multi-discrete actions. Existing enhancements to Decision Transformer architectures have yet to address this critical issue, limiting their ability to support agents in learning robust policies in these environments. To address this gap, we propose Multi-State Action Tokenisation (M-SAT), a novel approach designed to improve agent decision-making by tokenising actions at the individual action level and incorporating auxiliary state information. This disentanglement of actions improves both the performance of agents and the interpretability of individual actions within attention layers, fostering better visibility into agent decision processes. Importantly, M-SAT facilitates the development of more interpretable and transparent agents capable of making complex decisions in dynamic environments involving multi-discrete action spaces. We evaluate M-SAT on the challenging ViZDoom environments, focusing on scenarios with multi-discrete action spaces and image-based observations, such as Deadly Corridor, My Way Home and Death Match. Our approach demonstrates superior performance compared to baseline Decision Transformers, with no additional data or significant computational overheads. Furthermore, we observe that M-SAT does not require positional encoding to achieve high performance, with its removal occasionally leading to further improvements. These findings suggest that M-SAT enables more efficient and interpretable agent-based decision-making in multi-discrete action spaces
A dog in the hunt
No full textThis article introduces a fragment from a white-figure volute krater, from the Pan Painter's early phase, which is decorated with a dog in the presence of a horse and hunters. By contextualising it within the Pan Painter's oeuvre and the depictions & other sources of dogs, especially dogs hunting, in Classical Greece, it considers the usefulness of animal—particularly canine—anatomy as a criterion for artistic attributions
Causation and the fiduciary ‘No Profit’ rule— Recovery Partners GP Ltd v Rukhadze Part 1
Get PDFA critical analysis of what the Supreme Court said about the role of causation in liability to account under the fiduciary ‘no profit’ rule in Recovery Partners GP Ltd v Rukhadze [2025] UKSC 10, [2025] 2 WLR 529. It questions the approach and outcome—at least in part
The nature of the fiduciary ‘No Profit’ rule—Recovery Partners GP Ltd v Rukhadze Part 2
Get PDFAn examination of the divisions in the Supreme Court in Recovery Partners GP Ltd v Rukhadze [2025] UKSC 10, [2025] 2 WLR 529, regarding how the fiduciary ‘no profit’ rule works—including the impact of Professor Lionel Smith’s book The Law of Loyalty (OUP 2024)
Exploring barriers to evidence-based nursing practice in a developing yet promising nation: a qualitative study from China
Get PDFBackground: Evidence-based nursing practice (EBNP) has emerged as a key strategy for improving healthcare
services across various countries. However, the effectiveness of its implementation is substantially influenced by
contextual factors within the health environment. While numerous barriers have been explored within advanced
healthcare systems, the situation in China, where the development of EBNP is progressing slowly despite high
demand of medical services, has not been adequately examined. This study aims to identify the barriers to
implementing EBNP from an integrated perspective and to provide insights that can assist policymakers in designing
effective strategies for the implementation of EBNP in China.
Methods: A descriptive qualitative approach was employed, utilizing in-depth semi-structured interviews. We
conducted interviews with 71 participants, including educators, hospital managers, nursing directors, and nurses from
18 Chinese provinces. Content analysis was performed using an inductive approach.
Results: Thirteen barriers to implementing EBNP were identified across educational, organizational, and operational
levels. Key barriers include the lack of collaboration between university and hospital to establish EBNP platform,
insufficient courses to obtain EBNP knowledge and skills, and lack of performance incentives for EBNP. Respondents
highlighted that the gap between theoretical and clinical practice in medical education plays a fundamental role in
obstructing the successful implementation of EBNP.
Conclusions: This study underscores the barriers to EBNP implementation from an integrated perspective, addressing
challenges at educational, organizational, and operational levels. Our findings provide valuable implications
for enhancing the implementation of EBNP in China and similar contexts, offering guidance for future policy
development and healthcare practice