The effects of Veganuary on meal choices in workplace cafeterias: an interrupted time series analysis

Meat-based food production has a detrimental impact on the environment and health. In response, Veganuary (an international non-profit organisation) encourages people to go vegan each January. We investigated the effects of a Veganuary campaign in workplace cafeterias which increased the availability and salience of plant-based products. We conducted an interrupted time series analysis on a large dataset from a UK catering company, which comprised 2,255,404 meals sold between 2016 and 2022, with Veganuary activity starting from 2019. Analysis indicated that Veganuary activity had a positive effect on sales of vegan products in 2020, 2021 and 2022, estimated at an initial increase of 86-113% in the proportion of weekly sales (relative to the baseline, depending on year). The effects of the 2020 and 2021 campaigns were still present - at approximately one third of their initial magnitude - one year following the campaigns. There was a positive effect on vegetarian products in 2019, 2021 and 2022; initial effects were smaller - 23-79% - due to higher levels of pre-campaign consumption. The effects of the 2019 and 2021 campaigns endured, with a small impact present after one year for 2019 and six months for 2021

Psychological inoculation protects against the social media infodemic

Misinformation can have a profound detrimental impact on populations' wellbeing. In this large UK-based online experiment (n = 2430), we assessed the performance of false tag and inoculation interventions in protecting against different forms of misinformation ('variants'). While previous experiments have used perception- or intention-based outcome measures, we presented participants with real-life misinformation posts in a social media platform simulation and measured their engagement, a more ecologically valid approach. Our pre-registered mixed-effects models indicated that both interventions reduced engagement with misinformation, but inoculation was most effective. However, random differences analysis revealed that the protection conferred by inoculation differed across posts. Moderation analysis indicated that immunity provided by inoculation is robust to variation in individuals' cognitive reflection. This study provides novel evidence on the general effectiveness of inoculation interventions over false tags, social media platforms' current approach. Given inoculation's effect heterogeneity, a concert of interventions will likely be required for future safeguarding efforts

‘On the face of it’: the use of automatic facial coding to understand the emotional impact of normative feedback

In today’s society, we are often exposed to interventions that compare our behaviour to that of others (for example, on our utility bills, in exercise apps and other such locations). One such intervention is personalised normative feedback. In these interventions, individuals’ behaviour is compared to the norm in each society, with the aim of generating positive behaviour change (Saxton et al., 2021). While these interventions have been shown to have an impact on a variety of different target behaviours (see Ramli & Laffan, 2022; Wally & Cameron, 2017), research has not examined how they impact individuals’ wellbeing. In the present research, we focus on assessing immediate emotional impact of normative feedback interventions using automatic facial coding (Stöckli et al., 2018). In particular, we focus on whether those whose behaviour differs to the normative behaviour appear to have a negative emotional response to receiving this information

Location, location, location: a discrete choice experiment to inform COVID-19 vaccination programme delivery in the UK

BACKGROUND: Large-scale vaccination is fundamental to combatting COVID-19. In March 2021, the UK's vaccination programme had delivered vaccines to large proportions of older and more vulnerable population groups; however, there was concern that uptake would be lower among young people. This research was designed to elicit the preferences of 18-29-year-olds regarding key delivery characteristics and assess the influence of these on intentions to get vaccinated, to inform planning for this cohort. METHODS: From 25 March to 2 April 2021, an online sample of 2012 UK adults aged 18-29 years participated in a Discrete Choice Experiment. Participants made six choices, each involving two SMS invitations to book a vaccination appointment and an opt-out. Invitations had four attributes (1 × 5 levels, 3 × 3 levels): delivery mode, appointment timing, proximity, and sender. These were systematically varied according to a d-optimal design. Responses were analysed using a mixed logit model. RESULTS: The main effects logit model revealed a large alternative-specific constant (β = 1.385, SE = 0.067, p < 0.001), indicating a strong preference for 'opting in' to appointment invitations. Pharmacies were dispreferred to the local vaccination centre (β = - 0.256, SE = 0.072, p < 0.001), appointments in locations that were 30-45 min travel time from one's premises were dispreferred to locations that were less than 15 min away (β = - 0.408, SE = 0.054, p < 0.001), and, compared to invitations from the NHS, SMSs forwarded by 'a friend' were dispreferred (β = - 0.615, SE = 0.056, p < 0.001) but invitations from the General Practitioner were preferred (β = 0.105, SE = 0.048, p = 0.028). CONCLUSIONS: The results indicated that the existing configuration of the UK's vaccination programme was well-placed to deliver vaccines to 18-29-year-olds; however, some adjustments might enhance acceptance. Local pharmacies were not preferred; long travel times were a disincentive but close proximity (0-15 min from one's premises) was not necessary; and either the 'NHS' or 'Your GP' would serve as adequate invitation sources. This research informed COVID-19 policy in the UK, and contributes to a wider body of Discrete Choice Experiment evidence on citizens' preferences, requirements and predicted behaviours regarding COVID-19

WITHDRAWN: Multiscale Methods for Engineering Double Negative Metamaterials

The approach taken here solves the Maxwell equations inside metamaterial crystals directly and explicitly with no approximations made. The Bloch wave solution and dispersion relation is given by a power series in the ratio between wave number and period. Each term is iteratively defined by the solution of an auxiliary problem depending on the configuration and shapes of the scatterers. The leading order term in the power series for the dispersion relation is given by the complex effective index of refraction. The effective properties and their resonance frequencies depend explicitly on the shape of the scatterers. Double negative behavior is explicitly controlled by the location of resonance frequencies related to spectra intrinsic to the geometric configuration of the multi-phase inclusions. This provides for the rational shape design of inclusions for control of double negative behavior across prescribed frequency ranges. © 2013 Elsevier B.V

A WideField Suprachoroidal Retinal Prosthesis Reliably Elicits Cortical Activity after Chronic Implantation. The Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology Annual Meeting. Fort Lauderdale

Citation: Villalobos J, Nayagam DAX, Allen PJ, et al. A wide-field suprachoroidal retinal prosthesis is stable and well tolerated following chronic implantation. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2013;54:3751-3762. DOI:10.1167/ iovs.12-10843 PURPOSE. The safety of chronic implantation of a retinal prosthesis in the suprachoroidal space has not been established. This study aimed to determine the safety of a wide-field suprachoroidal electrode array following chronic implantation using histopathologic techniques and electroretinography. METHODS. A platinum electrode array in a wide silicone substrate was implanted unilaterally in the suprachoroidal space in adult cats (n ¼ 7). The lead and connector were tunneled out of the orbit and positioned subcutaneously. Postsurgical recovery was assessed using fundus photography and electroretinography (ERG). Following 3 months of passive implantation, the animals were terminated and the eyes assessed for the pathologic response to implantation. RESULTS. The implant was mechanically stable in the suprachoroidal space during the course of the study. The implanted eye showed a transient increase in ERG response amplitude at 2 weeks, which returned to normal by 3 months. Pigmentary changes were observed at the distal end of the implant, near the optic disc. Histopathologic assessment revealed a largely intact retina and a thin fibrous capsule around the suprachoroidal implant cavity. The foreign body response was minimal, with sporadic presence of macrophages and no active inflammation. All implanted eyes were negative for bacterial or fungal infections. A midgrade granuloma and thick fibrous buildup surrounded the extraocular cable. Scleral closure was maintained in six of seven eyes. There were no staphylomas or choroidal incarceration. CONCLUSIONS. A wide-field retinal prosthesis was stable and well tolerated during long-term suprachoroidal implantation in a cat model. The surgical approach was reproducible and overall safe