19683 research outputs found
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A cross-sectional study of the willingness to consume insects in a culture without entomophagy
No full textAbstract: Entomophagy is the technical term for eating insects and traditionally a part of daily diet in many tropical and subtropical countries. The rapidly increasing world population, industry and human-induced environmental pollution, and global warming reduce agricultural lands and clean water resources and make it difficult to produce sufficient food and therefore protein. Although edible insects are a promising opportunity as they require fewer natural resources than other animal foods, they are not considered as the food of the future in many Western countries for reasons such as disgust. A growing body of research in a diverse array of cultural contexts has examined people’s attitudes towards eating insects, but this work has not yet included Türkiye, a country with a well-established traditional cuisine and where entomophagy is highly novel. This study examined attitudes toward eating insects, and predictors thereof, in a large Turkish community sample (n = 914). For willingness to eat whole insects, age was a significant positive predictor, and food neophobia, disgust sensitivity, and being female were negative predictors for both whole insects and insect flour foods. For both types of insect foods, disgust was a negative predictor and belief in the benefits of eating insects was a positive predictor. This pattern of results is concordant with work from many other cultural contexts in the Americas, Asia, and Western Europe, providing further evidence for the importance of reducing food neophobia and disgust sensitivity and providing information about the benefits of insect foods in order to improve attitudes toward entomophagy.</p
Cryptography-Based Bootstrapping Scheme for Permissionless Sharding Blockchain
No full textNo description supplied.</p
Ionization by XFEL radiation produces distinct structure in liquid water
No full textIn the warm dense matter (WDM) regime, where condensed, gas, and plasma phases coexist, matter frequently exhibits unusual properties that cannot be described by contemporary theory. Experiments reporting phenomena in WDM are therefore of interest to advance our physical understanding of this regime, which is found in dwarf stars, giant planets, and fusion ignition experiments. Using 7.1 keV X-ray free electron laser radiation (nominally 5×105J/cm2), we produced and probed transient WDM in liquid water. Wide-angle X-ray scattering (WAXS) from the probe reveals a new ~9 Å structure that forms within 75 fs. By 100 fs, the WAXS peak corresponding to this new structure is of comparable magnitude to the ambient water peak, which is attenuated. Simulations suggest that the experiment probes a superposition of two regimes. In the first, fluences expected at the focus severely ionize the water, which becomes effectively transparent to the probe. In the second, out-of-focus pump radiation produces O1+ and O2+ ions, which rearrange due to Coulombic repulsion over 10 s of fs. Our simulations account for a decrease in ambient water signal and an increase in low-angle X-ray scattering but not the experimentally observed 9 Å feature, presenting a new challenge for theory
Bridging the evidence‐to‐practice gap: exploring dental professionals' perspectives on managing oral health during pregnancy in Tasmania, Australia
No full textBackground: Poor oral health is associated with adverse health, social and economic consequences for pregnant women. While dental professionals promote good oral health within the dental practice context, more broadly, women in the antenatal period face poor oral health outcomes. Therefore, this study explored dental professionals' perceptions of their role in managing the oral health of pregnant women and identified the barriers and facilitators to improving maternal oral health. Methods: This study employed a descriptive qualitative method utilizing semi-structured interviews. Convenience and snowball sampling were used to recruit 13 dental professionals from Tasmania, Australia, comprising dentists (n = 10), oral health therapists (n = 2) and dental therapist (n = 1). Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim and analysed using inductive thematic analysis. Results: Three major themes were constructed from the interviews: (1) dental professionals' oral health care of women during pregnancy; (2) perceived challenges to maternal oral health; and (3) proposed strategies to improve maternal oral health. Conclusions: Findings suggest dental professionals' competence in maternal oral health, but that several barriers, such as dental care access and maternal factors, hinder oral health outcomes. To address these barriers, oral health policies that support interprofessional collaboration, professional training and evaluation of existing community oral health programmes are needed. </p
New Foundational Burials from the Natufian Site of Wadi Hammeh 27
No full texthttps://publications.acorjordan.org/articles/new-foundational-burials-from-the-natufian-site-of-wadi-hammeh-27/</p
Tregs delivered post-myocardial infarction adopt an injury-specific phenotype promoting cardiac repair via macrophages in mice
No full textRegulatory T cells (Tregs) are key immune regulators that have shown promise in enhancing cardiac repair post-MI, although the mechanisms remain elusive. Here, we show that rapidly increasing Treg number in the circulation post-MI via systemic administration of exogenous Tregs improves cardiac function in male mice, by limiting cardiomyocyte death and reducing fibrosis. Mechanistically, exogenous Tregs quickly home to the infarcted heart and adopt an injury-specific transcriptome that mediates repair by modulating monocytes/macrophages. Specially, Tregs lead to a reduction in pro-inflammatory Ly6CHi CCR2+ monocytes/macrophages accompanied by a rapid shift of macrophages towards a pro-repair phenotype. Additionally, exogenous Treg-derived factors, including nidogen-1 and IL-10, along with a decrease in cardiac CD8+ T cell number, mediate the reduction of the pro-inflammatory monocyte/macrophage subset in the heart. Supporting the pivotal role of IL-10, exogenous Tregs knocked out for IL-10 lose their pro-repair capabilities. Together, this study highlights the beneficial use of a Treg-based therapeutic approach for cardiac repair with important mechanistic insights that could facilitate the development of novel immunotherapies for MI
Green innovation and corporate default risk
No full textWe investigate the impact of green innovation on default risk for the period 2003–2020. Using 15,015 firm-year observations from 2301 unique U.S. firms and a firm-fixed effects regression model, we find that firms with higher green-innovation experience lower default risk as measured by the distance-to-default, probability of default, and CDS spreads. We find robust evidence addressing potential endogeneity in the association between green innovation and default risk by applying three different approaches: the propensity score matching approach, the instrumental variable approach, and the difference-in-differences technique. Our channel analysis results show that high green innovation reduces cashflow volatility and managerial risk-taking, which translates into lower default risk. The influence of green innovation on default risks is contingent on various firm characteristics. It is more pronounced in firms with greater institutional ownership, a younger age, and more carbon-intensive operations
What Lies Beneath? The Role of Community Engagement in Translating COVID-19 Research Findings to Policy-Makers
No full textBACKGROUND: Community engagement is key to developing local and context-specific strategies for the prevention and control of COVID-19. However, expedited research design and approval in the early days of the pandemic may have limited the opportunities for community members to influence pandemic-related research. In this study, we sought to understand how a Community Engagement Group (CEG) could impact a large longitudinal COVID-19 research project (Optimise), when involved solely in the interpretation and knowledge translation phases of the research. METHODS: Seven community members were recruited for the CEG, representing a diverse range of groups. Each month, Optimise data of topical importance were compiled into a draft report. The CEG discussed the draft report at their monthly meeting and members' contributions were incorporated into the final report for distribution to policy-makers. In this study, a document analysis was undertaken of ten consecutive reports produced between February and November 2021. Each report was compared pre- and post- the inclusion of CEG contributions, which were then analysed using thematic analysis. RESULTS: Community engagement in the interpretation and knowledge translation phases of Optimise had positive impacts on reports for policy-makers, including grounding the empirical findings in broader community perspectives, identifying policy issues affecting different groups and contributing unique insights beyond the empirical findings. Overall, the CEG contributions demonstrated the complexity of lived experience lying beneath the empirical data. CONCLUSION: Community engagement in the translation of the Optimise findings resulted in research reports to policy-makers that were reflective of a broader range of community perspectives, and that provided potential solutions to emerging policy issues related to COVID-19. This study adds to the evidence base about the impact of community engagement in the later interpretation and knowledge translation phases of research, particularly in the context of reporting to policy-makers during a public health emergency
Nanoengineered sustainable antimicrobial packaging: integrating essential oils into polymer matrices to combat food waste
No full textAs global populations rise, the need for sustainable food security and waste reduction solutions becomes crucial. Antimicrobial food packaging presents a strategic defence against spoilage and pathogens and has the potential to minimise foodborne illnesses and global food losses. Essential oils (EOs), known for their inherent antioxidant and antimicrobial properties, are utilised as natural additives in active food packaging materials. These oils, rich in terpenes and hydrocarbons, are promising for food longevity but face challenges like reduced effectiveness in packaging films, highlighting the necessity for nanoengineered solutions to improve their stability and function in polymer matrices. This article aims to review recent work on the use of EOs incorporated in active food packaging. The focus is on the use of nanotechnology to enhance the antimicrobial efficacy of plant-derived essential oils as preservatives. This article illustrates the nanoscale interactions among essential oils, polymers and food substances, aiming to elucidate how technologies such as nanoencapsulation, nanoemulsions and nanocomposites enhance antibacterial and antioxidant performance while improving packaging structural integrity.</p
Using the Knowledge to Action framework to improve housing and support for people with Multiple Sclerosis
No full textBackground: People with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) have unique housing and support needs that are essential for maintaining independence at home; however, there is limited research to guide the design of community living options for this population. The aim of this study was to examine housing and support needs and preferences of people with MS with the intention to inform the planning of a co-designed intervention based on the study's findings. Methods: Using the Knowledge to Action (KTA) framework, quantitative (n = 79) and qualitative (n = 6) data from people with MS were extracted and integrated from projects completed by the research team that explored the housing and support needs and preferences of people with disability. Results were synthesised and presented to a reference group for validation, contextualisation, and adaptation to the Australian context. Results: High physical support needs were common across participants. People most commonly required home modifications to improve accessibility, such as ramps, equipment such as heating and cooling, and assistive technology. Many people required more than 8 hours per day of paid support. Moving into individualised housing facilitated independence and community reintegration. People reported gaps between what they wanted from support workers and what they received, citing individual and systemic barriers. Conclusion: People with MS have support needs that require proactive and responsive funding arrangements, housing design and support provision. In line with KTA principles, findings will inform the planning of a co-designed intervention that involves people with lived experience of MS and other stakeholders to influence policy and improve home and living outcomes for this population