11237 research outputs found
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A preliminary study on feeding straw to horses and its effects on equine chewing and consumption rates
No full textStraw as a forage source has been investigated with regards to managing obese horses. However, its effect on chewing rate (CHR) and consumption rate (CR) lacks convincing evidence to encourage its inclusion. In this 2×7-day crossover study, the CHR (chews/5 mins) and CR (kg/hour) of eight horses were analyzed for differences in response to two diets: 50% oat straw, 50% haylage (S) and 100% haylage (CON). On Day 1, CR with S was lower compared to CON (p > 0.05), and by Day 7, this decrease was statistically significant (p = 0.018). CHR was lower on S on Day 1 than CON but higher on Day 7 (p > 0.05). The results suggest that oat straw provided at 50% of the forage ration slows consumption and alters chewing behavior in favor of managing obese horses. Adding oat straw to the forage diet can potentially improve the welfare of horses with low-energy requirements.</p
Organizing Economic, Environmental and Societal Transformation: An Introduction
No full textNo description supplied</p
Ocular effects of exposure to low‐humidity environment with contact lens wear: A pilot study
No full textPurpose: To compare the ocular effects of exposure to a low‐humidity environment with and without contact lens (CL) wear using various non‐invasive tests.MethodsFourteen habitual soft CL wearers were exposed to controlled low humidity (5% relative humidity [RH]) in an environmental chamber for 90 min on two separate occasions. First, when wearing their habitual spectacles and then, on a separate visit, when wearing silicone hydrogel CLs that were fitted specifically for this purpose. All participants had adapted to the new CL prior to data collection. Three non‐invasive objective measurements were taken at each visit: blinking rate, objective ocular scatter (measured using the objective scatter index) and ocular surface cooling rate (measured using a long‐wave infrared thermal camera). At each visit, measurements were taken before the exposure in comfortable environmental conditions (RH: 45%), and after exposure to environmental stress (low humidity, RH: 5%).Results: CL wearers showed increased blinking rate (p < 0.005) and ocular scatter (p = 0.03) but similar cooling rate of the ocular surface (p = 0.08) when compared with spectacle wear in comfortable environmental conditions. The exposure to low humidity increased the blinking rate significantly with both types of corrections (p = 0.01). Interestingly, ocular scatter (p = 0.96) and cooling rate (p = 0.73) were not significantly different before and after exposure to low humidity. There were no significant two‐way interactions between correction and exposure in any of the measurements.ConclusionsCLs significantly increased the blinking rate, which prevented a quick degradation of the tear film integrity as it was refreshed more regularly. It is hypothesised that the increased blinking rate in CL wearers aids in maintaining ocular scatter quality and cooling rate when exposed to a low‐humidity environment. These results highlight the importance of blinking in maintaining tear film stability.</p
Si-P-Cu internally bonded anode: An innovative strategy for low-cost and high-performance pseudocapacitive Li-ion storage
No full textMaintaining the structural integrity of silicon and phosphorus anodes during the Li+ insertion and extraction cycles poses a significant challenge. Inspired by the natural process of plant roots anchoring into soil, we present a simple yet effective method for integrating a Si–P anode into the copper current collector. This approach involves subjecting readily available and cost-effective micrometre-sized silicon particles (50–150 μm) and red phosphorus to mechanochemical treatment. Subsequently, the resulting Si/P composite is coated onto copper foil and subjected to annealing treatment, resulting in the formation of an integrated structure, incorporating Cu3Si, Cu3P, and P-doped Si, firmly established within the copper current collector. The electrode obtained (BM-Si@P/ Cu-350), promoted by a crosslinked (polyimide) PI binder, outperforms not only the ball-milled Si and red P but also the same electrode in which the annealing process is absent (BM-Si@P/Cu-100). During the mechanochemical treatment, red P acts as both the doping agent and a lubricant, facilitating the grinding of the Si particles into P-doped Si particles in the range of predominantly 200–300 nm; while during the thermal treatment, Si plays a key role in preventing excessive interaction between the P and the Cu current collector. Instead, a tailored rooting of the active material into the current collector is achieved through the formation of Cu3P and Cu3Si phases, not only increasing the mechanical stability of the electrode to endure volume changes during cycling and limit developing cracks, but also enhancing the electrical conductivity of the system. This article suggests a simple and potentially low-cost strategy for the utilization of highly available micrometre-sized silicon and red-P for Li-ion storage applications.</p
Corporate professional stratification in human resource management: a sequential multi-method Hong Kong and United Kingdom analysis
No full textThe rise of corporate professions reignites a longstanding sociological debate concerning the structure of intra-professional relations within purportedly collegiate entities. However, unlike the classic case of independent professions, research has yet to examine how corporate professions stratify occupationally. The omission is surprising since the motivational prospect of corporate practitioners climbing an embedded career ladder engenders what one might reasonably refer to as ‘stratification by design’. Theoretically, while scholars demarcate several types of intra-professional relations within independent professions (e.g. extraction, protection, and imperialism), how far such arrangements transpose to a corporate professional context lacking occupational autonomy remains uncertain. Addressing the research gap, our study corroborates sequential multi-method Hong Kong and UK data to examine intra-professional stratification in human resource management, a role engendering a distinctly organizational rather than independent professionalizing form. Three discerning research questions guide our investigation. First, how are documented human resources (HR) certification criteria structured by membership level and competency composition? Second, to what extent do the stipulated competencies reflect empirical practice? Third, on what organizational, occupational, and demographic grounds do ‘elite’ HR practitioners claim superordinate status? Across both case contexts, our study finds that while strategic competencies assume a higher certification status than administrative competencies, preserving routine maintenance remains an indispensable organizational activity. The exception concerns a group of predominantly executive-level practitioners abstaining from administrative duties, raising questions about their functional integration, and whether the ascendancy of managerial logics over professional logics produces a compromised form of occupational imperialism.</p
Fusarium Head Blight resistance measured by Type II inoculation method among UK wheat cultivars and investigations into the relationship with anthers trapped and anthers retained
No full textThere is a paucity of information on the relationship between anthers and Type II expression of Fusarium Head Blight resistance (measured by point inoculation of a spikelet and observing disease spread over the wheat spike). Twenty-nine UK commercial wheat varieties were evaluated for the expression of Type II resistance. Anther extrusion was measured by counting the number of spikelets with anthers trapped between the lemma and palea (anthers trapped). In five spikelets where trapped anthers were not observed, the number of spikelets with anthers contained within the spikelet was counted (anthers retained). There was variation in expression in the expression of Type II resistance (p p p p p p < .05) indicating the anthers are hidden from initial infection on the outside of the spikelet, particularly under low infection pressure. While preliminary, this work suggests that variation in anthers trapped, anthers retained and maturity date may increase Type II expression of resistance and could relate to increased Type I FHB susceptibility. </p
Corporate environmental crime: a contested notion?
No full textWhile many corporations embrace the concept of social and environmental responsibility, some claim to do so while at the same time causing considerable environmental damage.
Due to the challenges of litigation in Global South countries, action targeted at Global North headquarters is emerging as an alternate tactic.
This article contends that our notion of environmental harm needs to move beyond thinking solely of actual crimes and should consider human rights abuses, expanding our ideas of how a duty of care should be applied and considering the harm caused to present and future generations.</p
Risks of cutaneous immune-related adverse events in long COVID: multinational cohort studies in South Korea, Japan, and the UK
No full textPrevious research has not investigated the persistent cutaneous immune-related adverse events (cirAEs) related to long COVID to investigate the long-term sequelae. This multinational study, using a propensity-matched overlap weighting method, utilizes large national claims-based cohorts, using ICD-10 code diagnosis, focusing on patients aged ≥20 years from three countries: South Korean, Japanese, and the British cohorts. To estimate the risk of cirAEs in long COVID, the persistence or emergence of cirAEs occurring 4 weeks after the initial SARS-CoV-2 infection, we employed a Cox proportional hazard regression model. The Korean cohort (n = 5,937,373; mean age 49.2 years [SD: 13.2]), the Japanese cohort (n = 4,307,587; 42.5 years [13.6]), and the UK cohort (n = 395,435; 71.0 years [8.07]) were presented. An increased risk of cirAEs in long COVID was observed (HR, 1.10; 95% CI, 1.06–1.14) in Korean cohort, while a similar association was observed in Japanese and UK cohorts. The long-term risk of cirAEs in long COVID was higher in more severe COVID-19 cases (1.31; 1.22–1.39). Unlike the increased risk of cirAEs in long COVID, COVID-19 vaccination attenuated the risk, especially with two or more doses (1.03; 0.95–1.11) or heterologous regimens (0.98; 0.76–1.27). The time attenuation effect indicated a sustained risk for up to 6 months postinfection (<3 months: 1.13 [1.07–1.19]; 3-6 months: 1.14 [1.06-1.22]). SARS-CoV-2 infection is associated with an increased risk of cirAEs in the aspect of long COVID. Vaccination might reduce this risk, highlighting the need for preventive strategies in long COVID management.</p
Transliminality: Converging Evidence of Associations with Openness to Experience and its Facets in a Latent-Variable Analysis of Three Samples of Visitors to Art Galleries
No full textTransliminality refers to permeable mental boundaries that entail a susceptibility to, and awareness of, material from unconscious sources and the external environment. Here, we examined the extent to which transliminality is associated with the personality trait of Openness to Experience. Three samples of visitors to art galleries (total N = 770) completed measures of transliminality and Openness. Initial analyses suggested that the construct of transliminality was multidimensional, consisting of mild absorption-like experiences and more disintegrative-like experiences, respectively. Transliminality, at both manifest and latent levels, was significantly, positively, and with medium to large effect sizes associated with higher-order Openness. However, this correspondence was primarily driven by associations with three lower-order Openness facets (Fantasy, Aesthetics, and Values). These associations were replicable across all three samples and robust after accounting for participant sociodemographic variables. These convergent, internally replicating findings suggest that transliminality may lay at the end of a continuum of experiential openness.</p
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