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Supply of energy and selected nutrients in meals consumed by Moroccan students at home and on a university campus
Get PDF© Copyright by the National Institute of Public Health NIH - National Research InstituteBACKGROUND: Student life is often accompanied by changes in eating behavior. Adopting a balanced and varied diet and healthy eating habits can promote the health, growth and intellectual development of young people at different stages of life. According to the WHO, a healthy diet helps protect against all forms of malnutrition, as well as against noncommunicable diseases. The nutritional and energy intake must follow nutritional norms, for example energy intake must be adapted to expenditure. To avoid excessive weight gain, fat should not exceed 30% of total energy intake
OBJECTIVE: The goal of this study was to compare energy consumption, macronutrients and selected minerals in food rations consumed by students at university campus and at home.
MATERIALS AND METHOD: The subjects were chosen at random from among volunteer students from Hassan II University in Casablanca. A sample of 130 students (54 women and 76 men) aged 18 to 25, participated in this study. Anthropometric measurements were performed to assess general characteristics, and records of one-day food intakes at university and at the parental home were performed by 24-hour food diary, and as well as conducting face-to-face. Variables were expressed as mean ± standard deviation (SD). The Kolmogorov–Smirnov test was used to check the normality of data.
RESULTS: In accordance with the body mass index classifications, 69.5% of male university students and 77.7% of female were in normal weight categories. The overweight classes were 25.1% and 5.6%, respectively, for men and women.
Assessment of the energy and nutritional intakes of university and home meals shows that students consume more calories, protein, carbohydrates, sodium, potassium, and iodine at home than at university, but these contributions remain insufficient in relation to the RDAs. Students consume more fat, especially saturated fatty acids, at university than at home. More than half of students exceed the recommended daily recommendations for saturated fatty acids.
CONCLUSION: These results indicate that a university students’ diet is influenced by their behaviors, attitudes, and knowledge. Hence the importance of nutrition education, based on what foods to consume rather than what foods to avoid, a societal issue that requires a multidisciplinary, multisectoral and culturally appropriate approach.UnfundedVoR uploaded 14/02/202
An elite perspective on interviewing entrepreneurs – methodological considerations for the entrepreneurship field
Get PDF©Patrick Kraus, Peter Stokes, Neil Moore, Ashok Ashta and Bernd Jurgen Britzelmaier. Published by Emerald Publishing Limited.Purpose: Elite interviewing is a well-established area of interview research methods. Nevertheless, the actual casting of an “elite” has been generally conducted in a prima facie or broad manner. A consideration of entrepreneurs and owner-managers as “elites” has been less profiled and received less attention, therefore the paper views the entrepreneurs and owner-managers as constituting a form of “local elite” within given and varying sectorial, regional and community boundaries. The authors argue that a consideration of entrepreneurs as “local elites” and transferring knowledge from an elite interviewing perspective may strongly support scholarly research in the entrepreneurship field.
Design/methodology/approach: The study conducts a comprehensive narrative literature review of elite interviewing literature and transfers key methodological insights to the entrepreneurship field. The methodological contribution based on literature is complemented by experiences and observations from an extensive inductive interview study with over 30 entrepreneurs of German manufacturing Small and Medium-sized Entities (SMEs) and are used to reflect on, and refine, interview research approaches with entrepreneurs.
Findings: The reflections and discussions in this paper provide valuable insights for other researchers conducting research in entrepreneurship domains regarding the power dynamics of negotiating access, procedural issues of interviews and thereby enhancing the quality of data.
Originality/value: The contribution to knowledge is mainly of a methodological nature. While the paper takes a novel act of recasting elite interviewing in the SME and entrepreneurship context, the paper methodologically contributes to the entrepreneurship and elite interview literature thereby facilitating higher quality interviews.unfunde
Knowledge partnerships in youth justice: Building learning and evaluative cultures
Get PDFHM Inspectorate of Probation is committed to reviewing, developing and promoting the evidence base for high-quality probation and youth justice services. Academic Insights are aimed at all those with an interest in the evidence base. We commission leading academics to present their views on specific topics, assisting with informed debate and aiding understanding of what helps and what hinders probation and youth justice services.
This report was kindly produced by Dr Sean Creaney and Dr Jayne Price, highlighting the purpose, value and functioning of knowledge partnerships in youth justice. These partnerships involve the sharing of ideas, insights and experiences between members of the research/academic community and youth justice professionals. Through aligning the worlds of academia/
research and practice, the partnerships can be mutually beneficial, bridging gaps between evidence and action while also facilitating the further development of the evidence base. Furthermore, the partnerships can help to build evaluation/research cultures across the youth justice sector, with research and evidence moving from a marginal to more central role within
organisations and services. For the partnerships to function effectively, meaningful participation and reciprocal collaboration are essential components, enabled through trusting and respectful professional relationships, with everyone recognising each other’s areas of expertise, experiences, interests and priorities. Within the inspectorate, we collaborate with academics and external researchers in numerous ways, looking to utilise and maximise the knowledge, experience and skills across the research
community, helping to produce a rounded and balanced view of the evidence base, while also recognising that the evidence base never stands still. Critically, knowledge partnerships and research collaborations can help drive the continuing development of rights-respecting, child-centred practice.Unfunde
What lessons can we learn from the leavers? A comparison of physics teacher attrition in England and Scotland
No full textThis article draws on the studies into why physics teachers in England and Scotland had left teaching (Farmer and Whalley, 2025; Whalley, 2024) and identifies common issues but also differences between the countries. These studies gathered data using online surveys and semi-structured interviews involving eleven participants from each country.N/
Growth and micronutrient status parameters of Nigerian preterm infants consuming preterm formula or breastmilk
Get PDF© The Author(s) 2024. The version of record of this article, first published in [Pediatric Research], is available online at Publisher’s website: http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41390-023-02976-6Background: Moderate-to-late preterm infants (32–34 weeks GA) have increased risk of neonatal morbidities compared to term infants, however dedicated nutritional guidelines are lacking.
Methods: Moderate-to-late preterm infants received a preterm formula (n = 17) or breastmilk (n = 24) from age 2–10 weeks in a non-randomized, open-label observational study. Anthropometric measurements were assessed bi-weekly. Blood concentrations of hemoglobin, ferritin, serum retinol, and 25-hydroxy-vitamin D (25OHD) were analyzed at age 2 and 10 weeks.
Result: Average growth per day was 14.7 g/kg BW/day in formula-fed and 12.8 g/kg BW/day in breastmilk-fed infants but not different from each other. Length and head circumference in both groups were in line with the median reference values of the Fenton growth chart. At 10 weeks of age, hemoglobin tended to be higher in the formula-fed group (10.2 g/dL vs. 9.6 g/dL, p = 0.053). 25OHD increased in formula- and breastmilk-fed infants from 73.8 to 180.9 nmol/L and from 70.7 to 97.6 nmol/L, respectively. Serum retinol only increased in the formula-fed group (0.63 to 1.02 µmol/L, p < 0.001).
Conclusion: Breastfeeding resulted in adequate growth in moderate-late preterm infants but was limiting in some micronutrients. The preterm formula provided adequate micronutrients, but weight gain velocity was higher than the Fenton reference value.
Impact statement: Unfortified breastmilk resulted in adequate growth in weight, length and head circumference in Nigerian moderate to late preterm infants during an study period of 8 weeks, but status of vitamin D, vitamin A and iron needs to be monitored. The high-energy formula, developed for very preterm infants, resulted in higher growth in body weight in moderate to late preterm infants than the median of the Fenton preterm growth chart. This study supports the necessity of dedicated nutritional guidelines, and regular monitoring of growth and nutritional status of moderate to late preterm infants.This study was sponsored by FrieslandCampina, Amersfoort, The Netherlands
Efficacy and safety of lentivirus gene therapy in the correction of sickle cell disease
Get PDF© 2025 The Author(s).Background and objective: Lentivirus gene therapy (LGT) is an emerging therapy for sickle cell disease (SCD), although its efficacy and safety are under evaluation in clinical trials. This review assessed the efficacy and safety of LGT in relation to hydroxyurea (HU). Materials and methods: A systematic review was conducted using The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-analysis protocol. Following a set of inclusion criteria, 10 studies were selected for quality assessment, extraction, and meta-analysis from 499 studies pooled from PubMed, ScienceDirect and Sematic Scholar. Data obtained were described and subjected to random effect meta-analysis using RevMan software. Results: There was a significant increase (p-value<0.00001) in haemoglobin (Hb) level after LGT and production of HbAT87Q and foetal haemoglobin (HbF). Clinical outcome decreased significantly, and no hospitalization was required following LGT. A significant age-related difference in the LGT outcome was observed. Mode 1 treatment had significantly higher (p=0.004) outcome compared to mode 2 treatment. There was a significant increase (p<0.00001) in treatment outcome in SCD patients treated with LGT compared to those treated with HU. Gastroenteritis and leucopenia were the most reported adverse effects. Conclusion: The review has demonstrated that LGT has a promising efficacy in the treatment of SCD although there are existing safety concerns.Unfunde
Effects of transglutaminase and epigallocatechin gallate on the structural and physicochemical properties of fish skin gelatin from Takifugu rubripes
Get PDF© 2025 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.Fish skin gelatin (FG) has garnered considerable attention as a potential substitute for mammalian gelatin. In this study, Takifugu rubripes skin gelatin was chemically modified using transglutaminase (TG) and epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG). Subsequently, the rheological, structural, and physicochemical properties of FG modified with varying concentrations of TG and EGCG were systematically examined and compared. As the concentrations of TG and EGCG increased, more extensive interactions occurred in FG, leading to a significant enhancement of gelatin properties. Following modification, the molecular weight of FG proteins increased, and this was accompanied by enhanced surface hydrophobicity and gel strength. Rheological analysis further demonstrated that the viscosity of FG modified with TG and EGCG was higher than that of unmodified FG and was positively correlated with the treatment concentrations of TG and EGCG. Additionally, the results indicated that the effect of TG modification was more pronounced than that of EGCG modification. Overall, this study demonstrates that both TG and EGCG modifications can effectively overcome the inherent limitations of fish skin gelatin, with TG showing superior efficiency as a cross-linking agent. The enhanced thermal stability, gel strength, and rheological properties achieved through these interactions significantly expand the potential applications of fish gelatin in the food industry, making it a more viable alternative to mammalian gelatin.This research was funded by National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 32202232), Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities (044420250051), and Key research and Development Project of Liaoning Province (2024JH2/102400055)
Designing a Community Ecosystem to Address Food Insecurity and Well-Being Among Elderly South Asian Adults: A Service Evaluation Framework Approach
No full textLevels of poverty and deprivation and the demand for food aid has increased significantly as a result of the joint effects of ongoing austerity measures (O’Loughlin et al., 2024), welfare reforms (DWP, 2015), pension credit cuts (Slocombe, 2023), the COVID-19 pandemic (Oncini, 2021; Summers et al., 2021) and the ongoing cost-of-living crisis (Moraes et al., 2024; Bull et al.,2023). Moreover, a significant correlation exists between these economic/social drivers and health inequalities (Garthwaite et al., 2015), with many predicting a public health emergency (Wolfson and Leung, 2020). Despite recording significantly higher levels of poverty, poor health and housing in comparison to white ethnic groups, older individuals from ethnic minorities are under-represented as recipients of food aid. Thus, there are many knowledge gaps in our understanding of food services provided to older people within older ethnic minority communities (Power et al., 2017). In response to this empirical gap, this research draws on service ecosystem evaluation frameworks (see Baron et al., 2018) to empirically advance our understanding of community food service provisioning within South Asian communities as well as identify appropriate food support ecosystem approaches which can be used to address food insecurity in ethnic minority communities. Through the use of in-depth interviews carried out by researchers belonging to Bangladeshi and Pakistani communities, our findings reveal that systems adressing food insecurity and well-being issues within older ethnic minorities are inadequate, especially considering specific cultural, social and economic shortfalls in the provision of appropriate services. Consequently, we conclude by providing recommendations to food service providers within ethnic minority communities.N/
Effects of cis-Jasmone treatment of Brassicas on interactions with Myzus persicae aphids and their parasitoid Diaeretiella rapae
Get PDF© 2021 Ali, Covaci, Roberts, Sobhy, Kirk and Bruce.There is a need to develop new ways of protecting plants against aphid attack. Here, we investigated the effect of a plant defence activator, cis-jasmone (CJ), in a range of cultivars of Brassica napus, Brassica rapa and Brassica oleracea. Plants were sprayed with cis-jasmone or blank formulation and then tested with peach potato aphids (Myzus persicae Sulzer) (Hemiptera: Aphididae) and their parasitoid Diaeretiella rapae (M'Intosh) (Hymenoptera: Braconidae). CJ treated plants had significantly lower aphid settlement than control plants in a settlement bioassay. Conversely, in a foraging bioassay, D. rapae parasitoids spent a significantly longer time foraging on CJ treated plants. Our results reveal that CJ treatment makes plants less attractive to and less suitable for M. persicae but more attractive to D. rapae in a range of brassica cultivars. It is likely that these effects are due to changes in volatile emission indicating activation of defence and presence of conspecific competitors to aphids but presence of prey to parasitoids. Increases in volatile emission were found in CJ induced plants but varied with genotype. Among the synthetic volatile compounds that were induced in the headspace of CJ treated brassica cultivars, methyl isothiocyanate, methyl salicylate and cis-jasmone were most repellent to aphids. These results build on earlier studies in Arabidopsis and show that tritrophic interactions are influenced by CJ in a wide range of brassica germplasm. The implication is that CJ is a promising treatment that could be used in brassica crops as part of an integrated pest management system.The research was funded by BBSRC project BB/R021708/1
Sensing the danger signals: cis-Jasmone reduces aphid performance on potato and modulates the magnitude of released volatiles
Get PDF© 2020 Sobhy, Caulfield, Pickett and Birkett.In response to herbivory, plants synthesize and release variable mixtures of herbivore-induced plant volatiles (HIPVs) as indirect defense traits. Such induction of indirect plant defense can also be “switched on” by certain chemicals known as priming agents. Preceding work showed that the plant HIPV cis-jasmone (CJ) induced the emission of aphid defense-related volatiles affecting their behavioral response. However, little is known about the extent to which CJ-induced volatiles impacts aphid performance. In the current study, we conducted growth assays of potato aphids, Macrosiphum euphorbiae, observing their reproduction, development, and survival on CJ-primed potato plants. Adult M. euphoribae produced fewer neonates on CJ-treated plants compared to untreated plants. The weight and survival of M. euphorbiae reproduced neonates were significantly lower on CJ-treated plants. Additionally, there was a significant reduction in mean relative growth rate (MRGR) of M. euphoribae nymphs that fed on CJ-treated plants. Furthermore, the intrinsic rate of population increase (rm) of M. euphoribae was significantly reduced on CJ-treated plants. Volatile analysis showed that CJ treatment significantly increased the emission of differently assigned volatile groups that have functional or biosynthetic characteristics, i.e., alcohols, benzenoids, homoterpenes, ketones, and sesquiterpenes at all sampling periods. Such enhanced volatile emissions were persistent over 7 days, suggesting a long-lasting effect of CJ defense priming. A negative correlation was found between volatile emission and MRGR of M. euphoribae. Principal component analysis (PCA) of data for the volatiles showed that (Z)-3-hexen-1-ol, α-pinene, (E)-ocimene, (E)-4,8-dimethyl-1,3,7-nonatriene (DMNT), cis-jasmone, indole, and (E,E)-4,8,12-trimethyl-1,3,7,11-tridecatetraene (TMTT) were the main volatiles contributing to the emitted blends, suggesting possible involvement in the reduced performance of M. euphorbiae. Overall, our findings demonstrate that priming potato with CJ significantly results in elevated emission of known biologically active volatiles, which may negatively impact aphid settling and other performance traits on primed plants.This work was supported by a Rothamsted International Fellowship (RIF Project No: 0006) to IS. Rothamsted Research receives grant-aided support from the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) of the United Kingdom
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