Understanding cycle tourism experiences at the Tour Down Under

Sport tourism experiences are subjective and emotional, laden with symbolic meaning. This study explores the experiences of participants who adopted the multiple roles of both an active participant and event spectator, within the parameters of one chosen sporting event. A professional cycling race event, the Tour Down Under in South Australia was chosen for this investigation, and 20 face-to-face individual interviews were conducted with cycle tourists. The three main themes emerging from the data were the interaction of people and temporary spaces on a sport tourism ‘stage’; the co-creation of authentic personal experiences and meanings; and identity reinforcement and the development of a sense of belonging. Consequently, a model for understanding sport event tourism experiences is proposed. The findings suggest that providing tourists with authentic and memorable experiences lies at the heart of what constitutes sport tourism. Whilst the results demonstrate that cycling events provide the individual with a sense of belonging or membership to a wider social group, they also illustrate that there is a continued need for more focused and nuanced approaches towards understanding sport tourism experiences that reflect the ever-increasing diversity and complexity of the interaction between sport, events and tourism

The effects of processing and mastication on almond lipid bioaccessibility using novel methods of in vitro digestion modelling and micro-structural analysis

A number of studies have demonstrated that consuming almonds increases satiety but does not result in weight gain, despite their high energy and lipid content. To understand the mechanism of almond digestion, in the present study, we investigated the bioaccessibility of lipids from masticated almonds during in vitro simulated human digestion, and determined the associated changes in cell-wall composition and cellular microstructure. The influence of processing on lipid release was assessed by using natural raw almonds (NA) and roasted almonds (RA). Masticated samples from four healthy adults (two females, two males) were exposed to a dynamic gastric model of digestion followed by simulated duodenal digestion. Between 7·8 and 11·1 % of the total lipid was released as a result of mastication, with no significant differences between the NA and RA samples. Significant digestion occurred during the in vitro gastric phase (16·4 and 15·9 %) and the in vitro duodenal phase (32·2 and 32·7 %) for the NA and RA samples, respectively. Roasting produced a smaller average particle size distribution post-mastication; however, this was not significant in terms of lipid release. Light microscopy showed major changes that occurred in the distribution of lipid in all cells after the roasting process. Further changes were observed in the surface cells of almond fragments and in fractured cells after exposure to the duodenal environment. Almond cell walls prevented lipid release from intact cells, providing a mechanism for incomplete nutrient absorption in the gut. The composition of almond cell walls was not affected by processing or simulated digestion

Purification and characterization of mannitol dehydrogenase from the fungal tomato pathogen Cladosporium fulvum (syn. Fulvia fulva)

As part of our studies to elucidate the mechanisms by which biotrophic plant pathogens obtain and retain carbon from their plant hosts, we have investigated the properties of the mannitol dehydrogenase (E.C. 1.1.1.67) of Cladosporium fulvum (syn. Fulvia fulva). The enzyme has been purified to near-homogeneity and has a subunit mol. wt of 29 kDa and is probably tetrameric. The Michaelis-Menten constants for mannitol and fructose are high and the equilibrium constant lies towards mannitol accumulation. A β-fructosidase (invertase) activity was detected and found to be largely wall-bound. The properties of these enzymes are consistent with a role in the hydrolysis of photosynthetically produced sucrose and the accumulation of mannitol as a storage compound during fungal growth in the plant

Changes in the sugar content of barley anthers during culture on different carbohydrates

The quantity of glucose liberated by an anther homogenate from nine different carbon substrates, was examined to elucidate the rate of carbohydrate breakdown by anther tissues in culture. The possible relationship between these results and development in culture was examined by extraction, and HPLC analysis of the soluble sugars from anthers cultured on medium containing one of four of the previously tested carbon substrates. Similarly, sugars from anthers subjected to one of three different inductive pretreatments, were analysed and compared with extracts from fresh anthers. The most successful carbon source in culture, when measured by fresh, and dry weight gain of the developing anthers, were the diglucoses maltose and cellobiose. Glucose was probably liberated from these diglucose substrates at a similar rate to that at which it could be utilized during the development of microspore derived structures. Pretreatments were shown to increase the glucose content of anthers, providing a pulse of the sugar at the start of culture. This effect was particularly pronounced when anthers were preincubated on a medium containing mannitol, and this type of pretreatment was found to be the most successful in promoting the development of microspore derived structures (measured by gain in fresh and dry weight) when subsequently cultured on medium containing maltose

A retrospective study of the indications for relative analgesia by inhalation of a mixture of 50% oxygen / 50% nitrous oxide in special needs dentistry

International audienc

Impact of a leaflet explaining nursing caries on the parents of new-born babies.

International audienc

Kinetics of gastro-intestinal transit and carotenoid absorption and disposal in ileostomy volunteers fed spinach meals

Background: Reports of low carotenoid absorption from food sources has undermined their postulated ‘protective’ role as one of the active agents in diets rich in vegetable matter. Aim of the study: This study quantified β-carotene and lutein absorption from a representative green vegetable with different degrees of processing, using both mass balance and metabolic modelling of triglyceride-rich lipoprotein plasma fraction (TRL) response. Methods: Whole or chopped-leaf cooked spinach was fed to volunteers (n = 7, paired) with vegetable oil (40 g) in yoghurt. Blood and ileal effluent samples were collected for up to 24 h. Effluent and TRL samples were analysed for lutein and β-carotene by HPLC. A digesta transit model was used to describe meal transit and a single compartment model used to predict percentage absorption from the plasma TRL response. Results: Mass balance showed 25% of lutein and β-carotene were absorbed from chopped spinach, compared with 25% β-carotene and 40 % lutein from whole-leaf spinach. Increased lutein absorption correlated to slower gastrointestinal (GI) transit for the whole-leaf meal. An area under the curve (AUC) response for the TRL fraction, found in 50% of cases, was not confined to those with the greatest percentage absorption. Absorption by mass balance and TRL AUC indicate a half-life of newly absorbed carotenoid around 11 min Conclusion: GI residence time appears to have an effect on the absorption of lutein but not β-carotene. Rapid clearance is probably the main reason for absence of measurable plasma concentration excursions. Lack of plasma response cannot be interpreted as lack of carotenoid absorption without knowledge of the absorption and disposal kinetics

On-road measures of the visibility of pedestrians at night

Most collisions between vehicles and pedestrians occur at night. This experiment quantified the ability of drivers to detect pedestrians at night. Ten younger (M=27.8 yrs) and ten older (M=67.9 yrs) participants drove an instrumented car ten laps around an unilluminated 1.1 mile test track. Drivers pressed a dash-mounted touchpad when they recognized the presence of a pedestrian. A computer-based system measured recognition distances by interpreting the parallax provided by two synchronized digital video cameras mounted on the car's roof. Two pedestrians walked in place at different positions on the far shoulder. One pedestrian was in darkness and one was positioned just beyond a stationary pair of headlights that was a source of glare for the approaching driver. Across laps, drivers used both low and high beams and pedestrians wore four different clothing configurations. The effects of age, glare, clothing, and beam all significantly influenced both pedestrian identification (all p < .01) and recognition distance (all p < .001). With and without glare, older drivers identified only 48% and 59% of the pedestrians, respectively. Younger drivers identified significantly more pedestrians (75% with glare, 94% without glare). Recognition was worst for pedestrians wearing black (34% identified). Only 5% of drivers identified the black-clad pedestrian when the driver used low beams and faced glare. Recognition was best (94% identified) for pedestrians wearing retroreflective markings configured to depict biological motion. Analysis of the recognition distances revealed that when identification occurs it is often at a distance insufficient to allow a successful avoidance maneuver. Taken together, these data confirm that even alerted drivers can have great difficulty recognizing the presence of pedestrians at night. The problem is greatest for older drivers, when drivers rely on low beams, when pedestrians wear low reflectance clothing, and when glare is present.</p

Extended longevity of wild-derived mice is associated with peroxidation-resistant membranes

Two lines of mice, Idaho (Id) and Majuro (Ma), both derived from wild-trapped progenitors, have previously been shown to have extended lifespans in captivity when compared to a genetically heterogenous laboratory line of mice (DC). We have examined whether membrane fatty composition varies with lifespan within the species Mus musculus in a similar manner to that previously demonstrated between mammal species. Muscle and liver phospholipids from these long-living mice lines have a reduced amount of the highly polyunsaturated omega-3 docosahexaenoic acid compared to the DC mice, and consequently their membranes are less likely to peroxidative damage. The relationship between maximum longevity and membrane peroxidation index is similar for these mice lines as previously observed for mammals in general. It is suggested that peroxidation-resistant membranes may be an important component of extended longevity