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The effects of taurine ingestion on anaerobic and physiological performance in female rugby players
No full textThe purpose of this study was to investigate the acute effect of low, moderate, or high doses of taurine on anaerobic and physiological performance in female rugby players. A total of 16 sub-elite female rugby athletes (21.3 ± 1.5 yr, 168.0 ± 4.9 cm, 62.1 ± 3.5 kg mean ± SD) participated in this research. Following familiarization, participants attended 4 successive tests separated by 72 h in a randomized, counter-balanced, crossover research design. Following an over night fast, participants completed a 5-min 60 Watt warm-up followed by a 30-s Wingate anaerobic test on a cycle ergometer after ingestion of either 2 g taurine (LOWTAU), 4 g (MODTAU), 6 g (HIGHTAU) or placebo (PLA) 1 h before the test. Peak (PP) and mean power (MP) along with heart rate (HR), rating of perceived exertion (RPE), capillary lactate and blood glucose were measured. LOWTAU did not affect PP, MP, HR, lactate and glucose compared to PLA (p > 0.05), while MODTAU improved MP and HIGHTAU improved PP and MP compared to PLA and LOWTAU (p 0.05). A single dose of taurine (MODTAU or HIGHTAU) 1 h prior to competition or training would provide an ergogenic effect on subsequent power output
Texture and consistency in oatmeal: A study on the effects of plant-based protein : A dissertation submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Science in Food Innovation at Lincoln University
No full textOatmeal is a very popular breakfast cereal all over the world. Oatmeal is known for its practicality as well as its health benefits. This fast and nutritious breakfast meal can provide high carbohydrate and dietary fiber such as β-glucan, which can reduce LDL cholesterol. However, it is also known that plant-based foods such as oatmeal has low protein content. This study investigated the rheological and textural changes on oat paste when fortified with five different plant proteins such as fava bean, mung bean, pea protein, chickpea, and green lentil in order to boost its nutritional value. The study of this particular topic is very important for food developers since having a better understanding of starch-protein interaction will allow food developers to modify the rheological properties and to improve the organoleptic quality of various food products better, so that they can be more appealing and satisfying to consumers. In this experiment, oat flour was combined with different plant proteins and distilled water, then the mixture was put into a waterbath for 30 minutes at 95 °C. The textural analysis showed that the addition of some plant proteins such as mung bean and pea protein can increase the firmness, consistency, and cohesiveness; while the addition of chickpea and green lentil can decrease those factors. When exposed to increasing shear rate, the oat-protein mixture can maintain its viscosity better than the oatmeal alone. However, the addition of plant protein to oat paste in rising temperature can make the oatmeal more vulnarable to shear rate, which resulted to a decreased in viscosity. Meanwhile, the dynamic rheology tests such as amplitude sweep test and frequency test showed the crossover point in which the mixture turn from visoelastic solid to viscoelastic liquid and the rheological stability of the mixture in an increasing angular frequency range. Furthermore, the findings from this study can be used as a reference for food developers to expand the application of plant-based proteins in oatmeal or any oat-based/starch-based food products
Evaluating the potential of double-muscled Angus sires to produce progeny from dairy cows to meet premium beef brand specifications
No full textIn response to the increasing global demand for sustainable beef production, this review of the literature was undertaken to explore the possibility of using the progeny of cows in the pasture-based New Zealand dairy production system that are mainly of the Holstein–Friesian, Jersey, and Holstein–Friesian x Jersey-cross breeds, to produce beef that meets the standards demanded by the Certified Angus Beef® (CAB) standard. CAB is a United States of America (USA) benchmark for beef quality. Traditionally, the offspring of dairy breeds have not been suitable for producing high-quality beef due to their genetic makeup and physical characteristics. However, in the USA, breeding programmes have used genetic strategies to boost muscle meat yield in terminal-sire breeds like the Lim-Flex® and NuEra Genetics® T14 cattle lines. In these lines, selection has focused on
enhancing muscling and other Angus traits, including ensuring the cattle are homozygous polled and black-coloured. The overall aim has been to alter the phenotypic characteristics of the offspring of dairy cows by terminal-sire crosses, so they resemble the phenotype of purebred Angus cattle and meet the CAB standard. The approach can involve using different alleles of the myostatin gene (MSTN) carried by the terminal Angus sires to increase carcass value from the dairy cow-derived male progeny (including the MSTN c.821(del11) allele or the myostatin protein p.F94L leucine-containing allele) to increase meat yield and eating characteristics. It is concluded that a targeted selection and mating strategy could provide another source of high-quality beef production, and one that also meets societal demands for better animal welfare and increased sustainability
The value of Green and Blue spaces given house prices and walkability
No full textUrban green and blue spaces are important amenities within highly urbanised areas which offer social, economic and ecological benefits and provide a number of valuable direct and indirect ecosystem of services to surrounding land uses, urban households and are integral to sustainable urban development. Existing research has revealed that green (and blue) space is not a uniform environmental amenity but rather a set of distinct goods with quite different impacts on the house prices. This disequilibrium in green and blue spaces and their aesthetic and hydromorphological characteristics and indeed management of green and blue spaces therefore impact upon and influence house prices in different ways. Moreover, the different utility-bearing preferences for green or blue space has been shown to be related to income and education levels and inequalities driven by socioeconomic differences. Hence, the relationship between housing prices and amenities might vary considerably across a wide metropolitan area. Consequently, the purpose of this study is to examine the heterogeneity of green and blue space using 4,985 sales transactions applying quantile regression to investigate the proximity effects of diverse types of blue spaces on property prices across different conditional distributions. The findings provide empirical evidence to inform urban design and planning in line with sustainable development goals and biodiversity strategies for inclusive, and accessible public spaces within cities and preserve biodiversity, enhance community cohesion, civic identity, and quality of life
Driving young Muslim loyalty toward Muslim-majority tourism destinations: The sense of community theory perspective
No full textPurpose
This paper aims to assess the sense-of-community role in affecting young Muslim loyalty towards Muslim-majority tourism destinations. Specifically, this research assesses the sense of community dimension in the halal tourism context and evaluates its effects on destination satisfaction, image and loyalty.
Design/methodology/approach
This research used a quantitative approach by using data from 376 young Indonesian Muslim tourists with past travel experiences to destinations where Muslims are the majority. The dimension of the sense of community was evaluated using exploratory factor analysis. The association between variables was tested using partial least square-structural equation modelling.
Findings
The finding exhibits three notable sense of community dimensions: membership, influence and need fulfilment and emotional connection. Emotional connection shapes, directly and indirectly, destination loyalty, while influence and need fulfilment affect destination loyalty by satisfaction and destination image mediating role. Lastly, membership has no impact on developing destination loyalty.
Practical implications
This study offers tourism destinations in Muslim-majority countries an opportunity to draw and create loyalty among young Muslim tourists. Besides offering superior halal services and products, Muslim-majority tourism destinations need to develop young Muslim tourists' emotional connection to the destinations.
Originality/value
To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first empirical examination of the sense of community's role in influencing tourist loyalty, specifically in halal tourism
Fried soybean oil causes systemic low-grade inflammation by disrupting the balance of gut microbiota in mice
No full textPrevious reports have mainly investigated the long-term effects (>30 d), such as gut microbiota dysbiosis and systemic low-grade inflammation, in mice fed fried oil. However, short-term intake of deep-fried oil is more likely to occur in daily life, and such studies are lacking. This study aimed to investigate the short-term effects of fried oil intake on systemic low-grade inflammation. Male Kunming mice were fed non-fried soybean oil or low (25%), medium (50%), or high (100%)—fried oil at 4.4 g/kg for 6 d. Serum and fecal samples were collected on day 7. In all groups fed fried oil, the serum levels of tumor necrosis factor (TNF-α) were significantly elevated 2-4-fold. Among the gut microbiota, the abundance of Alloprevotella significantly decreased by up to 76%, while Lactobacilli significantly increased by up to 385%. The fecal valeric acid content was significantly increased and positively correlated with TNF-α levels. Both valeric acid and TNF-α levels were positively correlated with the abundance of Lactobacilli and negatively correlated with that of Alloprevotella. In summary, a short-term ingestion of even low doses of fried oil alters the gut microbiota Alloprevotella and Lactobacilli and increases fecal valeric acid content, which correlates with increased serum TNF-α levels
Stock markets cycles and macroeconomic dynamics
No full textThere is a consensus that stock markets are procyclical. However, answers to some important questions remain unclear. Do stock markets lead or lag business cycles? More interestingly, what is the duration with which they lead or lag them? This study uses different time-series filters and time-difference analysis to answer these questions by examining the dynamic interactions between three major stock indices and key macroeconomic indicators in the United States. The findings show that stock markets have been strongly procyclical, lagging industrial production by one to three months in recent decades. There have been noteworthy changes in the relationship between inflation and stock market cycles. The correlations changed from negative in the 1980s and 1990s to positive in the 2000s and 2010s. The results also reveal close associations between the stock indices, offering new insights into the interplay between financial markets and economic cycles
The best of both worlds: A proposal for further integration of Candidatus names into the International Code of Nomenclature of Prokaryotes
No full textThe naming of prokaryotes is governed by the International Code of Nomenclature of Prokaryotes (ICNP) and partially by the International Code of Nomenclature for Algae, Fungi and Plants (ICN). Such codes must be able to determine names of taxa in a universal and unambiguous manner, thus serving as a common language across different fields and activities. This unity is undermined when a new code of nomenclature emerges that overlaps in scope with an established, time-tested code and uses the same format of names but assigns different nomenclatural status values to the names. The resulting nomenclatural confusion is not beneficial to the wider scientific community. Such ambiguity is expected to result from the establishment of the ‘Code of Nomenclature of Prokaryotes Described from DNA Sequence Data’ (‘SeqCode’), which is in general and specific conflict with the ICNP and the ICN. Shortcomings in the interpretation of the ICNP may have exacerbated the incompatibility between the codes. It is reiterated as to why proposals to accept sequences as nomenclatural types of species and subspecies with validly published names, now implemented in the SeqCode, have not been implemented by the International Committee on Systematics of Prokaryotes (ICSP), which oversees the ICNP. The absence of certain regulations from the ICNP for the naming of as yet uncultivated prokaryotes is an acceptable scientific argument, although it does not justify the establishment of a separate code. Moreover, the proposals rejected by the ICSP are unnecessary to adequately regulate the naming of uncultivated prokaryotes. To provide a better service to the wider scientific community, an alternative proposal to emend the ICNP is presented, which would result in Candidatus names being regulated analogously to validly published names. This proposal is fully consistent with previous ICSP decisions, preserves the essential unity of nomenclature and avoids the expected nomenclatural confusion
Recent advances of recycling proteins from seafood by-products: Industrial applications, challenges, and breakthroughs
No full textBackground: The exploration of unconventional sources of animal protein, driven by the increasing global demand, has brought the seafood industry into focus. Despite being high in protein, seafood by-products are often underutilized. Utilizing these by-products is important for meeting global protein demands and aligns with sustainable development goals. Therefore, the industrial application of seafood by-product proteins is important. Scope and approach: This review critically assesses techniques for extracting proteins from seafood by-products, categorizing them based on their working principles according to protein properties. The challenges faced by these techniques in industrial applications is evaluated. Additionally, the review delves into the industrial applications of recovered proteins in the food, animal feed, medical, and cosmetics industries, discussing both challenges and breakthroughs.
Key findings and conclusions: The increasing global protein demand has shifted the focus of recycling seafood by-products from non-food to food applications. While conventional methods such as enzymatic hydrolysis continue to be used, there is a growing interest in more eco-friendly technologies. Despite facing challenges in quality assurance, technology transfer, financial constraints, market acceptance, and regulatory concerns, these proteins show promise for broad industrial applications in food, animal feed, medical, and cosmetic products. Technological innovations and integrated biorefineries represent major breakthroughs in this field. To further advance, it is important to bridge the gap between laboratory research and production-scale operations and improve communication between researchers and industry stakeholders. By scaling up to industrial-level production, these proteins could enhance the value of the seafood industry and contribute to resource sustainability
A new set of international Leptosphaeria maculans isolates as a resource for elucidation of the basis and evolution of blackleg disease on Brassica napus
No full textA collection of isolates of the fungi Leptosphaeria maculans and L. biglobosa, which cause blackleg disease on Brassica napus (canola/oilseed rape) and other Brassicaceae species, was assembled to represent the global diversity of these pathogens and a resource for international research. The collection consists of 226 isolates (205 L. maculans and 21 L. biglobosa) from 11 countries. The genomes of all 205 L. maculans isolates were sequenced, and the distribution and identity of avirulence gene alleles were determined based on genotypic information and phenotypic reactions on B. napus lines that hosted specific resistance genes. Whilst the frequencies of some avirulence alleles were consistent across each of the regions, others differed dramatically, potentially reflecting the canola/oilseed rape cultivars grown in those countries. Analyses of the single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) diversity within these L. maculans isolates revealed geographical separation of the populations. This "open access" resource provides a standardized set of isolates that can be used to define the basis for how these fungal pathogens cause disease, and as a tool for discovery of new resistance traits in Brassica species