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Understanding of the metabolic fingerprints of lamb meat (via Rapid Evaporative Ionisation Mass Spectrometry REIMS) associated with pH via WEKA machine learning platform
No full textThe ultimate pH of a muscle is closely related to meat quality. It is highly dependent on the types of muscle fibres where intermuscular difference between fast glycolytic and slow oxidative muscles affects post-mortem metabolism. The aim of the current study was the prediction of ultimate pH via WEKA machine learning by using the Rapid Evaporative Ionisation Mass Spectrometry (REIMS) features to evaluate the classification of data with the interference of stressors. Ten different muscles from 20 lamb carcasses (10 control group, no exercise while another 10 from treated group, exercise) were subjected to REIMS analysis at slaughter and pH measurement at 24h post-mortem. Data from these measurements was preprocessed into datasets with three selection algorithms; feature selection, clustering (via simpleKmeans) and feature extraction (via Principal Component), generated three sets of reduced datasets (smaller number of attributes). The predictive accuracies of the three machine learning algorithms/ classifiers (Simple Linear Regression, Multilayer Perceptron and Random Forest) of each individual reduced dataset were compared based on the Mean Absolute Error (MAE). The impact of muscle attribute on the predictive accuracy was also examined using the same algorithms. Overall, Random Forest classifier model using feature selection approach had the lowest MAE value, 0.59 and 0.581 for “without muscle attribute” and “with muscle attribute”, respectively. The low MAE value indicated the higher predictivity of the model. The presence of muscle attribute lowered the MAE value, showing the correlation between ultimate pH and types of muscles
Impacts of tourism on coastal areas
No full textThe socioeconomics of the Anthropocene is exposing coastal regions to multiple pressures, including climate change hazards, resource degradation, urban development and inequality. Tourism is often raised as either a panacea to, or exacerbator of, such threats to ecosystems and sustainable livelihoods. To better understand the impacts of tourism on coastal areas, Scopus and Web of Science databases were searched for the top 100 cited papers on coastal tourism. Web of Science suggested ‘highly cited’ papers were also included to allow for more recent high-impact papers. Of the papers retrieved, 44 focused on the impacts of tourism. Social/cultural and environmental impacts were viewed as mostly negative, while economic impacts were viewed as mostly positive but only of actual benefit to a few. In addition, when compared with recent whole-of-sector reviews and reports it was evident that coastal tourism is increasingly a global enterprise dominated by large corporations that leverage various interests across local to transnational scales. Through this global enterprise, even the positive economic benefits identified were overshadowed by a broader system of land and property development fuelling local wealth inequity and furthering the interests of offshore beneficiaries. Only two highly cited papers discussed tourism within a broader context of integrated coastal zone management, suggesting that tourism is mostly assessed as a discrete sector within the coastal zone and peripheral to other coastal management considerations or the global tourism sector as a whole. The findings have relevance to the holistic management of coasts, coastal tourism and the achievement of sustainable development goals in a way that considers the increasing threats from coastal hazards, resource extraction and urbanisation, as well as the pervasive impacts of international business systems from local to global scales
Reliability of a novel indoor GPS technology during a basketball exercise simulation test
No full textIntroduction: Exercise tests used to assess acute and chronic athletic performance need to closely simulate the movement characteristics of players during the actual game or match. Such tests also need to have adequate reliability to ensure changes in performance can be appropriately identified. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the measurement reliability of movement characteristics during a simulated basketball exercise simulation test using novel indoor GPS technology (VX Sport, Omni, Wellington New Zealand).
Methods: Eighteen regional or national representative basketball athletes (13 males; 20.4 ± 1.3 yr, 185.8 ± 27.5 cm, 87.7 ± 8.0 kg and 5 females; 20.4 ± 1.5 yr, 175.5 ± 7.5 cm, 75.2 ± 6.0 kg mean ± SD) performed two trials (7-8 days apart) of the basketball exercise simulation test (BEST) on a FIBA-sized basketball court with VXSport Omni devices inserted into custom-made pockets located between thoracic vertebrae T1-T4 in the back of the VXSport Smartvests. Initially, each player completed a standardised movement sequence on an outside field to allow the VXSport unit to calibrate for the players gait cycles and movement patterns before moving inside to the basketball court. Measures taken included total distance and relative distance covered during the test, maximal speed, total number of sprints, total number of jumps, total number of accelerations/decelerations as well as high-intensity accelerations/decelerations (> 3m/s2) and average heart rate. The test-retest reliability was determined by using the typical (standard) error, coefficient of variation (CV) and intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC).
Results: All movement parameters showed reasonably high between-trial ICCs ranging from 0.77 to 0.98. Total distance covered during the test, total number of sprints, total number of jumps, total number of accelerations/decelerations and average heart rate all exhibited low CVs (≤5%), while relative distance, maximal speed, and total number of sprints over 15 km/h had slightly higher CVs (5.8, 7.0, 7.2%). Total number of high-intensity accelerations and decelerations had high CVs (17.8 and 15.6% respectively).
Conclusion: The novel finding of this study was that the VXSport Omni unit showed adequate reliability for most movement characteristics measured indoors during an on-court basketball simulation test. This suggests that using GPS units with added micro-technology (accelerometers, gyroscopes, and inertia sensor) can reliably measure most simple movement characteristics in basketball players on indoor courts where satellite coverage is unavailable
Women Empowerment in Migration Index (WEMI): What have we learned for inclusive migration policy? Insights from the Gender-Sensitive Risks and Options Assessment for Decision Making (ROAD) to Support Work-in-Freedom Phase 2
No full textA presentation at a workshop titled "Empowering women migrant workers: Role of policy
A geospatial modelling approach to understand the spatio-temporal impacts of grazing on soil susceptibility to erosion
Get PDFGrazing management to reduce soil erosion is paramount for preserving and enhancing grassland health under pastoral livestock production systems. However, as the focus of these production systems is to increase productivity, the inclusion of the soil and its complexity in grazing management has been usually neglected. Detailed consideration of the soil spatio-temporal susceptibility to erosion may be best approached with simulation modelling. To understand and explore the spatio-temporal impact of grazing strategies on soil surface erosion, this work used a geospatial model approach in a high-country pastoral livestock production system in New Zealand as a case study. We modelled 45 scenarios characterized by different stock densities and occupation periods applied for each season of the year and for different livestock types: sheep, beef, and deer, producing a total of 540 scenarios. In addition, we included scenarios to represent ungrazed pastures for each season and the current grazing management of the case study station as the baseline for comparisons (resulting in a total of 545 scenarios). Spatio-temporal variation of natural soil superficial erosion from ungrazed pastures appears to be more relevant than the impact of manipulating grazing intensity and indicates that paddocks in our study area have different capacities to support grazing which also changes during seasons. Increases in occupation period seem more detrimental to soil erosion compared to increases in stock density, and cattle are the most detrimental stock type compared to sheep and deer. Our results suggest that grassland health can be enhanced in LUMGS by applying context-adjusted grazing management strategies according to the station spatio-temporal heterogeneity and susceptibility to erosion
Fungistatic activity mediated by volatile organic compounds is isolate-dependent in Trichoderma sp. “atroviride B”
Get PDFTrichoderma spp. produce multiple bioactive volatile organic compounds (VOCs). While the bioactivity of VOCs from different Trichoderma species is well documented, information on intraspecific variation is limited. The fungistatic activity of VOCs emitted by 59 Trichoderma sp. “atroviride B” isolates against the pathogen Rhizoctonia solani was investigated. Eight isolates representing the two extremes of bioactivity against R. solani were also assessed against Alternaria radicina, Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici and Sclerotinia sclerotiorum. VOCs profiles of these eight isolates were analyzed using gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS) to identify a correlation between specific VOCs and bioactivity, and 11 VOCs were evaluated for bioactivity against the pathogens. Bioactivity against R. solani varied among the fifty-nine isolates, with five being strongly antagonistic. All eight selected isolates inhibited the growth of all four pathogens, with bioactivity being lowest against F. oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici. In total, 32 VOCs were detected, with individual isolates producing between 19 and 28 VOCs. There was a significant direct correlation between VOC number/quantity and bioactivity against R. solani. 6-pentyl-α-pyrone was the most abundant VOC produced, but 15 other VOCs were also correlated with bioactivity. All 11 VOCs tested inhibited R. solani growth, some by >50%. Some of the VOCs also inhibited the growth of the other pathogens by >50%. This study demonstrates significant intraspecific differences in VOC profiles and fungistatic activity supporting the existence of biological diversity within Trichoderma isolates from the same species, a factor in many cases ignored during the development of biological control agents
Exploring CBD retail performance, recovery and resilience of a smart city following COVID-19
Get PDFThe city of Christchurch, New Zealand, incurred significant damage due to a series of earthquakes in 2010 and 2011. The city had, by the late 2010s, regained economic and social normalcy after a sustained period of rebuilding and economic recovery. Through the concerted rebuilding effort, a modern central business district (CBD) with redesigned infrastructure and amenities was developed. The Christchurch rebuild was underpinned by a commitment of urban planners to an open and connected city, including the use of innovative technologies to gather, use and share data. As was the case elsewhere, the COVID-19 pandemic brought about significant disruptions to social and economic life in Christchurch. Border closures, lockdowns, trading limitations and other restrictions on movement led to changes in traditional consumer behaviors and affected the retail sector’s resilience. In this study, we used CBD pedestrian traffic data gathered from various locations to predict changes in retail spending and identify recovery implications through the lens of retail resilience. We found that the COVID-19 pandemic and its related lockdowns have driven a substantive change in the behavioral patterns of city users. The implications for resilient retail, sustainable policy and further research are explored
Earth worming—An evaluation of earthworm (Eisenia andrei) as an alternative food source
Get PDFAside from their bioremediation roles, little is known about the food and feed value of earthworms. In this study, a comprehensive evaluation of the nutritional composition (proximate analysis and profiles of fatty acids and minerals) and techno-functional properties (foaming and emulsion stability and capacity) of earthworm (Eisenia andrei, sourced in New Zealand) powder (EAP) were investigated. Lipid nutritional indices, ω6/ω3, atherogenicity index, thrombogenicity index, hypocholesterolemic/hypercholesterolemic acid ratio, and health-promoting index of EAP lipids are also reported. The protein, fat, and carbohydrate contents of EAP were found to be 53.75%, 19.30%, and 23.26% DW, respectively. The mineral profile obtained for the EAP consisted of 11 essential minerals, 23 non-essential minerals, and 4 heavy metals. The most abundant essential minerals were potassium (8220 mg·kg¯¹ DW), phosphorus (8220 mg·kg¯¹ DW), magnesium (744.7 mg·kg¯¹ DW), calcium (2396.7 mg·kg¯¹ DW), iron (244.7 mg·kg¯¹ DW), and manganese (25.6 mg·kg¯¹ DW). Toxic metals such as vanadium (0.2 mg·kg¯¹ DW), lead (0.2 mg·kg¯¹ DW), cadmium (2.2 mg·kg¯¹ DW), and arsenic (2.3 mg·kg¯¹ DW) were found in EAP, which pose safety considerations. Lauric acid (20.3% FA), myristoleic acid (11.20% FA), and linoleic acid (7.96% FA) were the most abundant saturated, monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated fatty acids, respectively. The lipid nutritional indices, such as IT and ω-6/ω-3, of E. andrei were within limits considered to enhance human health. A protein extract derived from EAP (EAPPE), obtained by alkaline solubilisation and pH precipitation, exhibited an isoelectric pH of ~5. The total essential amino acid content and essential amino acid index of EAPPE were 373.3 mg·g¯¹ and 1.36 mg·g¯¹ protein, respectively. Techno-functional analysis of EAPPE indicated a high foaming capacity (83.3%) and emulsion stability (88.8% after 60 min). Heat coagulation of EAPPE was greater at pH 7.0 (12.6%) compared with pH 5.0 (4.83%), corroborating the pH-solubility profile and relatively high surface hydrophobicity (1061.0). These findings demonstrate the potential of EAP and EAPPE as nutrient-rich and functional ingredients suitable as alternative food and feed material. The presence of heavy metals, however, should be carefully considered
The effect of contrasting biosolids application strategies on soil quality
Get PDFPurpose: Incorporating biosolids into the soil improves plant yield compared with surface application, but it can result in the increased uptake of trace elements. However, there is a lack of knowledge about how different types of biosolids applications affect soil quality. We aimed to determine the effect of the type and rate of biosolids application on soil quality and the mobility of contaminants.
Methods: Soil quality was determined by soil fertility (inorganic N, exchangeable P, Mg, Ca, K), exchangeable trace and non-essential elements (Al, Mn, Zn, Cu and Cd) and biological activity (dehydrogenase activity). We measured the properties of soil pore water, bulk soil and rhizosphere in a pot and a rhizobox experiment, with increasing concentration of biosolids (equiv. 16 t ha¯¹, 48 t ha¯¹ and 145 t ha¯¹ dry weight), applied on the surface, incorporated to 25 cm, or incorporated into a patch.
Results and discussion: The incorporation of biosolids into the soil increased the exchangeable Zn, Cu, Cr, Ni and Cd, compared with surface application. The surface application of biosolids increased the inorganic N in the soil compared with biosolids incorporation (680 mg kg¯¹ vs. 380 mg kg¯¹), and decreased soil pH by 1.1 units. This aligned with solubilisation of Al (43 mg kg¯¹ vs. 6 mg kg¯¹) and Mn (43 mg kg¯¹ vs. 33 mg kg¯¹) and explains the decreased microbial activity in the soil compared with the unamended soil. Incorporating biosolids in the soil increased the biological activity, likely due to biosolids-borne microbes. The root systems significantly increased microbial activity, pH, and the concentration of NH₄⁺, NO₃⁻, and exchangeable P, S, Mg, Na, Zn, Cu and Ni, and significantly decreased exchangeable concentration of Mn and Fe
Extreme downside risk transmission between green cryptocurrencies and energy markets: The diversification benefits
No full textThis study investigates the connectedness between renewable energy cryptocurrencies and various energy categories, focusing on extreme downside risk or tail risk. The research employs a novel framework that combines the CAViaR model with the TVP-VAR based connectedness approach to analyze the systematic tail risk transmission mechanisms. The study covers a period from January 2, 2018, to January 25, 2023, and reveals that Solar and WILDERHILL clean energy markets had the highest risk levels. Conversely, clean energy cryptocurrencies like GARID, POWR, and SNC demonstrated stable tail risk over time, offering diversification benefits, particularly in relation to energy metals and fossil fuels. The study identified strong intra-class connectedness clusters and highlighted extreme risk spillovers during crisis periods through time-varying trends. Several implications for policymakers, investors, and financial market participants are suggested