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UPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS identification, antioxidant, and alpha-glucosidase inhibition activities of three forms of phenolic compounds from Yemeni jujube fruit: In vitro and in silico investigations
No full textJujube fruits have rich medicinal value due to their biological properties which are affected mainly by geographical locations. This study investigates the antioxidant properties of free fraction (FF), esterified fraction (EF), bound fraction (BF), and other metabolites prepared from dried Yemeni jujube fruit and compare to those previously reported in the literature. Results from UPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS analysis showed that this fruit consists of a total of 33, 26, and 27 free, esterified, and bound compounds identified, respectively. In terms of ABTS, DPPH, FRAP, and H2O2 assays, the BF exhibited values 1.2, 1.3,1.3, and 1.4 times higher than those of the FF, and similarly, 1.8, 1.9,2.0, and 2.5 times higher than the EF. A similar trend was observed in the inhibition of α-glucosidase (α-Glu), where the BF was 1.6, and 2.4 times more effective compared to the FF and EF, respectively. In silico analysis showed that flavonoids, the key active compounds, had substantial α-glucosidase binding capacity. In the meat model, all fractions inhibited protein and lipid oxidation during storage, and the BF exhibited the highest antioxidant capacity. This study provides the first investigation of the structure of active compounds and their biological properties in Yemeni jujube fruit. Yemeni fruits can be utilized as natural antioxidants, and nutraceuticals in food preservation, and medicine respectively.2022YFD1600403: National Key Research and Development Program of Chin
Long-term stability of chimpanzee personality: comparing trait ratings and behaviour codings over a quarter of a century
Get PDFThere is a lack of research examining whether trait ratings and behaviour codings yield similar measures of personality in nonhuman animals, and whether these measures are stable over the long term. Here, we compare personality assessments in the same group of zoo-housed chimpanzees over a 25 year period, offering a rare opportunity for the analysis of long-term temporal stability of personality in this species. We attempt to disentangle the effects of time and measure through an analysis of similarities and differences at a group and individual level. The first wave of the study rated 59 chimpanzees’ personality traits on an adapted version of the Madingley Questionnaire. The trait principal component analysis (PCA) revealed five components: Submissiveness, Extraversion, Neuroticism, Agreeableness and Openness. A separate PCA identified five components based on behavioural codings: Grooming, Play, Sociability, Aggression and Responsibility. The second wave, with 19 individuals, identified three components arising from behavioural codings: Popularity, Sociability and Influence. When comparing across time for the 11 chimpanzees common to both waves, our primary hypothesis, that trait ratings from the first wave would not correlate with behaviour codings from the second because they are measuring different axes, was largely supported. Our second hypothesis, that the behaviour codings carried out during the two waves would correlate because they were measuring the same thing, was supported, both at the component level and the individual behaviour level, thus providing evidence of stability of behaviour codings over time, particularly those reflecting sociability measures. Personality trait ratings were different to behavioural codings and included aspects not captured through those codings, including intelligence, apprehension, excitability and gentleness; thus, we argue that they represent a more comprehensive characterisation of individuality.Partially funded by SERCAAM removed and archived and VoR uploaded to CR 23/09/202
Transforming geography education: The role of generative AI in curriculum, pedagogy, assessment, and fieldwork
No full textThis is an Accepted Manuscript of an article published by Taylor & Francis in International Research in Geographical and Environmental Education on 04/02/2025, available online: https://doi.org/10.1080/10382046.2025.2459780Generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) represents a major leap forward in AI technology, offering the potential to reshape education in various aspects. This paper explores the transformative potential of GenAI in geography education, focusing on its impacts across curriculum, pedagogy, assessment, and fieldwork, through the lens of the Substitution, Augmentation, Modification, and Redefinition (SAMR) model. In curriculum development, GenAI enables automatic generation and personalization of geographic content. Pedagogical approaches are evolving from text-based instruction to data-driven learning experiences where students analyze geographic phenomena using GenAI tools. Assessment methods are shifting to adaptive evaluation systems with continuous feedback, while fieldwork benefits from real-time data processing and opportunities for global collaboration. Nevertheless, these advancements are accompanied by substantial risks, including challenges such as overreliance on AI, content inaccuracies, biases, and data privacy concerns.Unfunde
A multi-study paper on the development and validation of the Value Clarity Questionnaire in adults and adolescents
Get PDF© 2025 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.Engaging in behavior that promotes flourishing is a key outcome sought in several evidence-informed psychotherapies (e.g., “valued action” within Acceptance and Commitment Therapy). However, we cannot deliberately engage in valued action without first having value clarity. Having value clarity means understanding and being aware of the qualities of character we want to embody (i.e., the type of person we aspire to be). To date, there is no distinct process or outcome measure evaluating value clarity. In this multi-study paper, including two cross-sectional studies (Studies 1 and 2) and one, three-wave longitudinal study (Study 3), we describe the development and validation of a novel, unidimensional measure of value clarity (the Value Clarity Questionnaire; VCQ). Study 1 (convenience sample of adults, total N = 506) describes the development of and the empirical refinement of the VCQ through a series of exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses. Study 2 confirmed the VCQ’s factor structure and internal consistency (a United Kingdom-representative sample, N = 491). Study 3 (a school-aged sample (N1 = 468 boys) revealed that the VCQ showed good internal consistency over time, test-retest stability, and a series of longitudinal measurement invariance tests supported configural, metric, scalar and strict invariance. Across the studies, value clarity was correlated with and predicted multiple aspects of flourishing including engaged living, depression, behavioral activation, assertiveness, productiveness, and energy levels, over and above known predictors. Overall, the results show that the VCQ is a reliable and valid measure that could be an especially useful proximal index of the effectiveness of targeted value clarification interventions.UnfundedAAM uploaded to CR and embargo date of 13/01/2026 applied. VoR upl 13/01/2025. AAM archived 05/02/202
My legal life
No full textTo access this article please click on the URL under the Additional Links headingArticle on legal life.Unfunde
Efficacy and safety of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation in curing Sickle Cell Disease: A systematic review and meta-analysis of single-arm studies
No full text© 2025 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. on behalf of The American Society for Transplantation and Cellular Therapy.Sickle cell disease (SCD) is a life-threatening hemolytic genetic disorder affecting approximately 20 to 25 million people globally. Conventional treatment, like hydroxyurea, is supportive but not a cure. Allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (Allo-HSCT) has gained popularity recently as it offers a potential cure for SCD. Although several independent studies exist supporting this, there is a lack of consolidated evidence for a more comprehensive analysis of clinical outcomes. In this systematic review and meta-analysis, we assessed the safety and efficacy of allo-HSCT in SCD, offering information on results for various age groups, donor types, conditioning procedures/regimens, and stem cell sources. A systematic literature search was carried out in PubMed and Scopus for articles published between January 2010 and March 2025. Articles that satisfied the inclusion requirements were subjected to quality assessment using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS). Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) 2020 guidelines were followed throughout. Statistical analyses were performed using meta, an R package. The meta-analysis of 58 studies (n = 7931) revealed allo-HSCT to have 94%, 86%, 20%, 14%, 9%, 6% for overall survival (OS), event-free survival (EFS), acute graft-versus-host disease (aGVHD), chronic graft-versus-host disease (cGVHD), graft-failure (GF), and mortality, respectively, in SCD. Subgroup analysis demonstrated that clinical outcomes varied based on the type of donors, conditioning procedures/regimens and stem cell sources. The findings of this study show that allo-HSCT is safe and efficacious in curing SCD with an OS of 94%. GF and GVHD issues could be reduced by following personalized conditioning regimens/post-transplantation prophylaxis.UnfundedInitially only the AAM was available OA. Delay in publisher making the VoR available. AAM removed and VoR uploaded to ChesterRep 20/01/202
Determinants of consumer willingness to invest in green energy solutions: Perspectives from South Africa
Get PDF© 2025 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.The energy sector holds critical importance for South Africa, particularly as a developing country grappling with persistent economic challenges and energy insecurity. These pressures have stimulated growing scientific and policy interest in renewable energy as a pathway to sustainable development. This study examines public perceptions and awareness of renewable energy technologies and estimates willingness to pay (WTP) for their increased integration into South Africa’s energy mix. By linking these objectives, the study provides insights into the social and economic factors that shape a just energy transition and informs targeted policies, investments, and engagement strategies to accelerate the adoption of renewable energy. A descriptive research design was employed, incorporating a systematic random sampling approach to ensure reliability and representativeness. Data were collected through structured questionnaire surveys conducted in both urban and rural households across Limpopo Province, South Africa. Findings reveal a generally positive public attitude toward the expansion of renewable energy, although knowledge levels remain moderate and are most pronounced with respect to solar energy systems. The mean household WTP for increased renewable energy penetration was estimated at ZAR 163.4 per annum. Binary logistic regression analysis identified eight statistically significant predictors of WTP: Education, Occupation, Income, Recognised Advantages (A1), Financial Incentive Schemes for RES (A3), Expansion Strategies for Renewable Energy (A4), Price Parity with Fossil Fuels (A7), and Interest-Free Financing Options (A8). These results highlight the importance of affordability, policy support, and tangible benefits in driving public acceptance. Overall, the findings highlight the potential for targeted policy and educational interventions to foster household participation and advance South Africa’s just energy transition.Unfunde
Cyborg or goddess? Religion and posthumanism from secular to postsecular
Get PDFThis article works on the premise that critical posthumanism both exposes and calls into question the criteria by which Western modernity has defined the boundaries between nature, humanity, and technology. Yet the religious, cultural and epistemological developments of what is known as the ‘postsecular’ may signal a further blurring of another set of distinctions characteristic of modernity: between sacred and secular, belief and non-belief. Using Donna Haraway’s famous assertion that she would ‘rather be a cyborg than a goddess’, I consider whether critical posthumanism’s valorisation of cyborg identities is also capable of negotiating this ‘final frontier’ between immanence and transcendence, secular and sacred, humanity and divinity. In essence: is there space for a religious dimension to visions of the posthuman?Unfunde
Fun in the formative phase to scaffold success in the summative phase: Collaboration between Academics and Learning Technologists to build engaging, fun and authentic practice opportunities
No full textIn the serious space of higher education (HE), there is pressure to ensure that students are engaged and learning; while formerly, this may have been seen as a compulsorily serious business, increasing attention is being paid to how much students enjoy their studies, including as a means to enrich learning and improve outcomes (Whitton and Langan, 2019). This case study draws from the experience of three academics working with learning technologists to deliver game-based and simulation learning through technology. In each case, the work completed relied on a dynamic, collaborative and synergistic approach to learning and technology, with the learning technologist enabling enhanced opportunities for student engagement while reducing the time required from academics. The vignettes discussed are from a range of disciplines and include a Volcanic Hazard Simulation (Geography), a card game to generate practice case visitor scenarios (Social Work), and a board game to emulate stadium policing on a match day (Policing).
This work explores how game-based learning provided enhanced engagement, integrated employability skills, authentic opportunities (QAA, 2024) to practice these core skills, and inspire a state of “flow” (Csikszentmihalyi, 2008) in students encountering their learning activities. It focuses on the collaborative approach between the learning technologists and academics to develop and deliver immersive learning activities, with fun being a motivator for all parties (staff included). Students can bridge the gap between theory, knowledge and competency, and build their confidence in a way that makes them keen to return for more.N/
Challenges and Solutions in Ethnographic Research: Ethnography with a Twist
No full textThis book chapter is not available on ChesterRepTo access the chapter please click on the DOI in the Additional Links sectionIn this paper, seven writers experiment with ethnographic and artistic responses to each others’ walking practices. We employed various forms of ethnography, sharing our attempts to transform a walk into other objects, all the while performing together. We are trying to push the representational limits of an ethnography of walking, reflecting on the various modes of inscription available to us. In this sense, this chapter is a report on our knowledge engagements with walking practices. The conversation between and within the passages sheds new light on our individual efforts but also produces knowledge that speaks about walking as a practice and an experience. At the level of transforming experiences into text, our paths kept intersecting through key metaphors that emerged from our individual observations. Without deliberately setting out to do so, we found ourselves approaching arts-based practice as research. This chapter is not to be seen as a conclusive result of our findings but rather as a manifestation of our collaborative meaning-making. It is (at its heart) PROCESS as both beginning and end. Moreover, it is a questioning of the dominant cultural modes which have a tendency to pedestalize the final product.Unfunde
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