Effects of cognitive distraction on the regulation of human eating behaviour

In humans, what, when, and how much is eaten is the result of a complex interplay between physiological and psychological dietary controls. The need to identify how these different influences interact is integral to understanding how eating behaviour is regulated in a range of different contexts. In particular, one phenomenon that remains poorly understood is why eating while distracted is associated with increased food intake. The aim of this thesis is to attempt to identify the nature of the potential process that underlies this phenomenon. In Part I, the relationship between dietary strategy, allocation of attention, and amount eaten is explored in three experiments. The results confirm that intake can be predicted by how attention is directed during a meal. Furthermore, contrary to previous accounts that view overeating as a passive behaviour, this research suggests that individuals may choose to direct their attention strategically in order to control their intake. In Part II, four experiments investigate the possibility that the mechanism underlying the relationship between attention and intake is related to a process akin to ‘sensory-specific satiety'. This term describes the hedonic shift in the sensory properties of a food that occur as it is eaten and which is believed to be important in meal termination. The results suggest that distraction is associated with an attenuation of the rate at which ‘desire to eat' (both generally and specifically for the food being eaten) declines. Furthermore, although declining pleasantness is reported to remain influential in determining eating cessation when distracted, this response is somewhat inhibited, occurring after a greater amount of food has been consumed. Based on this, the conclusion drawn is that the deficit underlying overeating is one of attention, and that this may lead to overeating by undermining the rate at which satiety develops.EThOS - Electronic Theses Online ServiceGBUnited Kingdo

A right to care: Putting care ethics at the heart of UK reconciliation legislation

This article will examine how a right to care could be applied in the UK to better support people’s ability to balance their paid work and caring responsibilities. I will argue that this would inject the ethic of care into the body of work-life balance legislation to better value caring relationships and carers. This is important because paid work is currently prioritised in this body of legislation. I will argue that better valuing caring labour is key to achieving transformative changes in both the workplace and the division of caring labour

Valuing caring relationships within UK labour law

This thesis will consider UK labour law’s role in promoting fairness for carers. Building upon Fineman’s work, I will argue that caring relationships are of vital importance to society and should be supported by the state. The principle of justice as fairness, substantiated by the capabilities approach, will underpin this argument. I will focus upon modifying the workplace through care centric labour laws to achieve fairness for carers. Care centric legislation, developed by Busby, focuses upon promoting carers’ rights to work, rather than workers’ rights to care. Much of the analysis will focus upon reconciliation legislation, which aims to support people providing care within the paid workplace. This is because it has been the main way successive UK governments have aimed to help people reconcile these competing commitments. Although this body of legislation has gone some way towards achieving this, I will show that it could have done more. To make labour law care centric, something more radical is required. In this regard, I will analyse a right to care. To conclude, I will highlight the need for more empirical work in this context to further understand how fairness for all carers could be achieved

Prevalence of eating disorders amongst dancers: a systemic review and meta-analysis

Eating disorders in dancers are thought to be common, but the exact rates remain to be clarified. The aim of this study is to systematically compile and analyse the rates of eating disorde rs in dancers. A literature search, appraisal and meta-analysis were conducted. Thi rty-three relevant studies were published between 1966 and 2013 with sufficient data for extraction. Primary data were extracted as raw numbers or confidence intervals. Risk ratios and 95% confidence intervals were calculated for controlled studies. The overall prevalence of eating disorders was 12.0% (16.4% for ballet dancers), 2.0% (4% for bal let dancers) for anorexia, 4.4% (2% for ballet dancers) for bulimia and 9.5% (14.9% for ballet dancers) for eating disorders not otherwise specified (EDNOS). The dancer group had higher mean scores on the EAT-26 and the Eating Disorder Inventory subscales. Dancers, in general, had a higher risk of suffering from eating disorders in general, anorexia nervosa and EDNOS, but no higher risk of suffering from bulimia nervosa. The study concluded that as dancers had a three times higher risk of suffering from eating disorders, particularly anorexia nervosa and EDNOS, specifically designed services for this population should be considere

Recruitment, risks, rewards, and regrets : senior researcher reflections on working with alcohol industry social aspects organisations

INTRODUCTION A growing body of literature suggests alcohol industry corporate social responsibility activity, including the creation of 'social aspects' organisations (SAO), may harm rather than improve public health. We aimed to explore established researcher experiences of working with SAOs, and the factors informing their decisions to do so. METHODS Qualitative interview study with senior alcohol researchers who had previous or ongoing connections to SAOs or their predecessors initiated when their careers were established (n = 16). Thematic analysis using NVivo software. RESULTS Established researchers were recruited for their expertise by alcohol industry SAOs via employees who were previously academics or via academic colleagues with SAO connections. Motivated by the desire to improve public health and 'reach out' beyond academia, researchers were confident that they could maintain their independence when sharing their expertise with SAOs. Short-term connections included attendance at SAO-funded events and book chapter contributions. Sometimes, these led to long-term relationships with SAOs, or researchers were invited to long-term roles by a colleague. These included memberships of scientific advisory committees, board positions, or work as independent consultants. Most researchers reflected negatively on their experiences and had ended their associations, while some had positive experiences. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION Current and former researchers play key roles in initiating connections with SAOs, with industry-funded events and invitations to long-term roles by trusted colleagues, mechanisms used to facilitate the development of such relationships. Our study adds to existing evidence that SAO scientific activity does not contribute to public health goals, but does present industry with public relations opportunities

The Views of Researchers on the Alcohol Industry's Involvement in Science : Findings from an Interview Study

INTRODUCTION: Debates in the peer-reviewed literature on alcohol industry involvement in science have been polarized, with the activities of the International Center on Alcohol Policies and industry provision of research funding being particularly contentious. We aimed to explore researchers' views on the nature of the debates and the issues raised. METHODS: Qualitative interview study with experienced researchers working on alcohol policy-relevant topics across ten countries (n = 37). Thematic analysis of views articulated, supported where appropriate by accounts of how experiences informed particular perspectives. RESULTS: The main finding is how much common ground there now is among participants, regardless of whether they had previously worked with industry organizations or received alcohol industry funding. Norms have changed and participants agree that the earlier debates were dysfunctional. Participants on all sides of these earlier debates experienced significant psychological burdens as a result of industry-related activity in alcohol research. These include reputational harms from working with industry organizations and/or receiving research funding, and harassment by industry for producing findings contrary to commercial interests. Key ongoing contentious issues include the extent to which conflicts of interest can or should be managed by individual researchers, and how distinct the alcohol industry is from other funders and other industries. Participant views on ways forward include improving the evidence-base underpinning the debates, and having collegiate discussions among researchers, including all strands of opinion and experience. CONCLUSIONS: This group of alcohol researchers shares more nuanced contemporary positions on issues relating to industry involvement in science than are reflected in the existing material in peer-reviewed journals. Almost all regard the alcohol industry's involvement in research as having been damaging

The ‘snowball effect’ : short and long-term consequences of early career alcohol industry research funding

Despite extensive evidence of bias resulting from industry sponsorship of research across health sciences, and longstanding concerns about alcohol industry research funding, there has not been a strong tradition of empirical research on this subject. This study explores researcher decision-making regarding industry funding at the early career stage and the consequences of such funding. Data were derived from semi-structured interviews with researchers working on alcohol policy-relevant topics who first received alcohol industry funding early in their careers (n = 7). Data were analyzed thematically using NVivo software. These early-career researchers largely initiated contact with the industry by applying for funding, mostly from industry research funding organizations. Their decisions were shaped by their research environments, where seeking alcohol industry funding early in careers was normative, in large part due to senior colleagues and peers having connections to the industry. Despite being ‘no strings attached’ a ‘snowball’ effect occurred, whereby initial funding led to more industry funding and other opportunities. Receiving early career industry funding had long-term consequences for researchers, not only shaping research networks but also leading to reputational harms as norms around the acceptability of industry funding changed. Exploring this controversial subject in the context of researcher careers adds depth and meaning to larger quantitative studies on bias resulting from industry sponsorship, and identifies mechanisms through which bias may be produced. Further research is required to study the impact of these processes on alcohol policy-relevant research agendas, and also to explore the wider generalizability of these exploratory findings

Roles of Candida albicans Mig1 and Mig2 in glucose repression, pathogenicity traits, and SNF1 essentiality.

Metabolic adaptation is linked to the ability of the opportunistic pathogen Candida albicans to colonize and cause infection in diverse host tissues. One way that C. albicans controls its metabolism is through the glucose repression pathway, where expression of alternative carbon source utilization genes is repressed in the presence of its preferred carbon source, glucose. Here we carry out genetic and gene expression studies that identify transcription factors Mig1 and Mig2 as mediators of glucose repression in C. albicans. The well-studied Mig1/2 orthologs ScMig1/2 mediate glucose repression in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae; our data argue that C. albicans Mig1/2 function similarly as repressors of alternative carbon source utilization genes. However, Mig1/2 functions have several distinctive features in C. albicans. First, Mig1 and Mig2 have more co-equal roles in gene regulation than their S. cerevisiae orthologs. Second, Mig1 is regulated at the level of protein accumulation, more akin to ScMig2 than ScMig1. Third, Mig1 and Mig2 are together required for a unique aspect of C. albicans biology, the expression of several pathogenicity traits. Such Mig1/2-dependent traits include the abilities to form hyphae and biofilm, tolerance of cell wall inhibitors, and ability to damage macrophage-like cells and human endothelial cells. Finally, Mig1 is required for a puzzling feature of C. albicans biology that is not shared with S. cerevisiae: the essentiality of the Snf1 protein kinase, a central eukaryotic carbon metabolism regulator. Our results integrate Mig1 and Mig2 into the C. albicans glucose repression pathway and illuminate connections among carbon control, pathogenicity, and Snf1 essentiality

Broadcasting the science stories of BGS: The British Geological Survey communications strategy

The British Geological Survey (BGS) is a world leading geological survey that focuses on public-good science for government, and research to understand earth and environmental processes. Prior to November 2006, the communications culture of the BGS had been largely driven by reaction to news events and managing media requests as they emerged. Since 2007, when greater emphasis was placed on more proactive communications, the public profile of the BGS was successfully raised. In 2014, the BGS released its new science strategy, Gateway to the Earth: Science for the next decade. This has the vision of BGS becoming a global geological survey with a focus on new technologies, responsible use of natural resources, management of environmental change and resilience to environment hazards. This has informed the development of a new communications strategy for the BGS, which is outlined in this report. The main audiences for BGS science and technology are the public, government and other decision makers, industry and private business, academia, BGS staff and the wider NERC community and the media. Communication with these audiences is largely through the broadcast media and the internet, with additional communication through the print media, and the public engagement activities of the BGS. The UK Governments communications plan for 2014-15 has as its vision ‘exceptional communications’, and the Government’s Digital Strategy aims to put more data into the public domain. The key messages in the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills policy paper ‘Engaging the public in science and engineering’ are that new audiences need to be targeted outside those already interested in science and that engagement needs to be ‘where people naturally congregate, rather than expecting them to come to us’. The communication trends that have influenced the development of the new BGS communications strategy have included: mobile went mainstream; transparency and trust; social media; science stories; image is everything; and, analytics and evidence. The new communication vision is to Establish the British Geological Survey as a global authority for geoscience. The over-arching aim is to create the maximum impact for BGS science and technology by communication with the world through the media, web and public engagement. BGS will make use of traditional, new and emerging communication channels to communicate its research with the following overarching themes: • broadcasting – broadcast the science of the BGS • science – demonstrate the impact of BGS science • stories – tell the geoscience stories of the BGS. The following are the key communication objectives: • make BGS the ‘go to’ organisation for geoscience news events in the UK and globally • use broadcast quality video to communicate the research of the BGS • use infographics to illustrate the impact of BGS research • engage a wider audience by telling the science stories of the BGS • create a website that is the first port of call for geoscience information • create a positive reputation and strong brand image for the BGS using social media • create a novel digital publication channel to publish the research of the BGS • actively work to promote geoscience as a career choice and to explain BGS research • create a more successful research community in BGS by effective internal communication (both one-way and two-way)

Measurement of volatile organic compounds emitted in libraries and archives : an inferential indicator of paper decay?

A sampling campaign of indoor air was conducted to assess the typical concentration of indoor air pollutants in 8 National Libraries and Archives across the U.K. and Ireland. At each site, two locations were chosen that contained various objects in the collection (paper, parchment, microfilm, photographic material etc.) and one location was chosen to act as a sampling reference location (placed in a corridor or entrance hallway). Of the locations surveyed, no measurable levels of sulfur dioxide were detected and low formaldehyde vapour (< 18 μg m-3) was measured throughout. Acetic and formic acids were measured in all locations with, for the most part, higher acetic acid levels in areas with objects compared to reference locations. A large variety of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) was measured in all locations, in variable concentrations, however furfural was the only VOC to be identified consistently at higher concentration in locations with paper-based collections, compared to those locations without objects. To cross-reference the sampling data with VOCs emitted directly from books, further studies were conducted to assess emissions from paper using solid phase microextraction fibres (SPME) fibres and a newly developed method of analysis; collection of VOCs onto a polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) elastomer strip. In this study acetic acid and furfural levels were consistently higher in concentration when measured in locations which contained paper-based items. It is therefore suggested that both acetic acid and furfural (possibly also trimethylbenzenes, ethyltoluene, decane and camphor) may be present in the indoor atmosphere as a result of cellulose degradation and together may act as an inferential non-invasive marker for the deterioration of paper. Direct VOC sampling was successfully achieved using SPME fibres and analytes found in the indoor air were also identified as emissive by-products from paper. Finally a new non-invasive, method of VOC collection using PDMS strips was shown to be an effective, economical and efficient way of examining VOC emissions directly from the pages of a book and confirmed that toluene, furfural, benzaldehyde, ethylhexanol, nonanal and decanal were the most concentrated VOCs emitted directly from paper measured in this study