Chemodynamics of a simulated disc galaxy: initial mass functions and Type Ia supernova progenitors

We trace the formation and advection of several elements within a cosmological adaptive mesh refinement simulation of an L� galaxy. We use nine realizations of the same initial conditions with different stellar initial mass functions (IMFs), mass limits for Type II and Type Ia supernovae (SNII, SNIa) and stellar lifetimes to constrain these subgrid phenomena. Our code includes self-gravity, hydrodynamics, star formation, radiative cooling and feedback from multiple sources within a cosmological framework. Under our assumptions of nucleosynthesis we find that SNII with progenitor masses of up to 100 M� are required to match low-metallicity gas oxygen abundances. Tardy SNIa are necessary to reproduce the classical chemical evolution ‘knee’ in [O/Fe]–[Fe/H]: more prompt SNIa delayed time distributions do not reproduce this feature. Within our framework of hydrodynamical mixing of metals and galaxy mergers we find that chemical evolution is sensitive to the shape of the IMF and that there exists a degeneracy with the mass range of SNII. We look at the abundance plane and present the properties of different regions of the plot, noting the distinct chemical properties of satellites and a series of nested discs that have greater velocity dispersions are more α-rich and metal poor with age

Challenges experienced with early introduction and sustained consumption of allergenic foods in the Enquiring About Tolerance (EAT) study: A qualitative analysis.

BACKGROUND: The early introduction group participants of the Enquiring About Tolerance study were asked to undertake a proscriptive regimen of early introduction and sustained consumption of 6 allergenic foods. It was envisaged that this might be challenging, and early introduction group families were presented with an open-text question to express any problems they were experiencing with the regimen in recurring online questionnaires. OBJECTIVE: We sought to analyze these open-text questionnaire responses with the aim of identifying challenges associated with the introduction and regular consumption of allergenic foods. METHODS: Three combinations of interim questionnaire responses were selected for analysis, representing the early period (4, 5, and 6 months), middle period (8 and 12 months), and late period (24 and 36 months) of participation in the Enquiring About Tolerance study. Responses were assigned a code to describe their content and subsequently grouped into themes to portray key messages. A thematic content analysis allowed for conversion of qualitative codes into quantitative summaries. RESULTS: Three main challenges to allergenic food consumption were identified. First, some children refused the allergenic food, causing a sense of defeat among caregivers. Second, caregivers were concerned that allergenic foods might be causing a reaction, triggering a need for reassurance. Third, practical problems associated with the regimen compromised caregivers' capacity to persist. CONCLUSION: Understanding the challenges experienced with allergenic food introduction and sustained consumption is the necessary precursor to developing specific communication and support strategies that could be used by caregivers, practitioners, policymakers, and key stakeholders to address these problems

Long-Term Exposure to Traffic-Related Air Pollution and Diabetes: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Objectives: We report results of a systematic review on the health effects of long-term traffic-related air pollution (TRAP) and diabetes in the adult population.Methods: An expert Panel appointed by the Health Effects Institute conducted this systematic review. We searched the PubMed and LUDOK databases for epidemiological studies from 1980 to July 2019. TRAP was defined based on a comprehensive protocol. Random-effects meta-analyses were performed. Confidence assessments were based on a modified Office for Health Assessment and Translation (OHAT) approach, complemented with a broader narrative synthesis. We extended our interpretation to include evidence published up to May 2022.Results: We considered 21 studies on diabetes. All meta-analytic estimates indicated higher diabetes risks with higher exposure. Exposure to NO2 was associated with higher diabetes prevalence (RR 1.09; 95% CI: 1.02; 1.17 per 10 μg/m3), but less pronounced for diabetes incidence (RR 1.04; 95% CI: 0.96; 1.13 per 10 μg/m3). The overall confidence in the evidence was rated moderate, strengthened by the addition of 5 recently published studies.Conclusion: There was moderate evidence for an association of long-term TRAP exposure with diabetes

Feasibility of the Radner reading chards in low vision patients

Background: Being unable to read is a major problem for visually impaired patients. Since distance visual acuity (VA) does not adequately reflect reading ability, it is important to also evaluate near VA. The Radner Reading Charts (RRCs) are available to measure patients' reading performance. The present study tested the inter-chart and test-retest reliability of the RRCs in Dutch low-vision patients (i.e., visual acuity ≥0.3 logMAR) with various eye disorders. Methods: Thirty-eight patients read the three RRCs in random order. Then, about 1 month after the initial measurements, a test-retest procedure was performed in 15 of the 38 patients. Tested variables were reading acuity (logRAD), logRAD score, logRAD/logMAR ratio, maximum reading speed (MRS), and critical print size (CPS). Both MRS and CPS were calculated in two different ways. To determine the variability, a mixed-model analysis was used. Results: For all variables, the largest part of the variance was explained by the individual subject (86-89%) whereas the chart accounted for only 0-0.78% of the variability. Therefore, the inter-chart and test-retest reliability was high, except for the CPS which had a poor to moderate reliability (31-62%) when calculated in the two different ways. Conclusions: The inter-chart and test-retest results showed high reliability in patients with low vision due to various diseases; therefore, the charts are feasible to determine effects in large groups. © 2010 Springer-Verlag

Shrinking the food-print: A qualitative study into consumer perceptions, experiences and attitudes towards healthy and environmentally friendly food behaviours

Internationally, there is increasing recognition of the importance of multilevel policies and actions that address healthy and environmentally friendly food behaviours. However it is not yet clear which actions are most suitable to support consumers to adopt both behaviours concurrently. To this end, we undertook a qualitative study to assess consumer perceptions, experiences and attitudes towards healthy and environmentally friendly foods and four target behaviours: reducing overconsumption of food beyond energy needs, reducing consumption of low-nutrient energy dense foods, eating less animal- and more plant-derived foods, and reducing food waste. Online in-depth interviews were held with 29 Australian food shoppers representing different levels of involvement with health and environment in daily food choices. The results indicate that compared to health, the relationship between food and the environment is rarely considered by consumers. The four target food behaviours were primarily associated and motivated by an impact on health, except for not wasting foods. Participants had the most positive attitude and highest motivation for eating less processed and packaged foods, mostly to avoid excessive packaging and ‘chemicals’ in foods. This was followed by the behaviours reducing food waste and overconsumption. Conversely, there was a predominantly negative attitude towards, and low motivation for, eating less animal-derived products and more plant based foods. Overall, consumers found a joined concept of healthy and environmentally friendly foods an acceptable idea. We recommend that health should remain the overarching principle for policies and actions concerned with shifting consumer behaviours, as this personal benefit appears to have a greater potential to support behaviour change. Future consumer focused work could pay attention to framing behavioural messages, providing intermediate behavioural goals, and a multiple target approach to change habitual behaviours.AH and SJ are supported by funding from an Australian Research Council Discovery Project, “Shrinking the Food-Print by Creating Consumer Demand for Sustainable and Healthy Eating” (DP130102820), while DP, ML, and SF are researchers within this projec

Shrinking the food-print:A qualitative study into consumer perceptions, experiences and attitudes towards healthy and environmentally friendly food behaviours

Internationally, there is increasing recognition of the importance of multilevel policies and actions that address healthy and environmentally friendly food behaviours. However it is not yet clear which actions are most suitable to support consumers to adopt both behaviours concurrently. To this end, we undertook a qualitative study to assess consumer perceptions, experiences and attitudes towards healthy and environmentally friendly foods and four target behaviours: reducing overconsumption of food beyond energy needs, reducing consumption of low-nutrient energy dense foods, eating less animal- and more plant-derived foods, and reducing food waste. Online in-depth interviews were held with 29 Australian food shoppers representing different levels of involvement with health and environment in daily food choices. The results indicate that compared to health, the relationship between food and the environment is rarely considered by consumers. The four target food behaviours were primarily associated and motivated by an impact on health, except for not wasting foods. Participants had the most positive attitude and highest motivation for eating less processed and packaged foods, mostly to avoid excessive packaging and \u27chemicals\u27 in foods. This was followed by the behaviours reducing food waste and overconsumption. Conversely, there was a predominantly negative attitude towards, and low motivation for, eating less animal-derived products and more plant based foods. Overall, consumers found a joined concept of healthy and environmentally friendly foods an acceptable idea. We recommend that health should remain the overarching principle for policies and actions concerned with shifting consumer behaviours, as this personal benefit appears to have a greater potential to support behaviour change. Future consumer focused work could pay attention to framing behavioural messages, providing intermediate behavioural goals, and a multiple target approach to change habitual behaviours

Inter-sectoral action to support healthy and environmentally sustainable food behaviours: a study of sectoral knowledge, governance and implementation opportunities

There is increasing attention to the importance of healthy and environmentally sustainable food supply and demand but little empirical research exists on how this might be achieved. This study examines the potential for inter-sectoral policy and action to support consumer adoption of healthy and sustainable food behaviours, focusing on three key themes: (1) sectoral understandings of healthy and sustainable food behaviours; (2) modes of governance for intersectoral action on healthy and sustainable behaviours; and (3) barriers and enablers to inter-sectoral action. We undertook 29 semi-structured interviews with representatives of key government, food industry and non-government organisations in food-related health and environment sectors in Australia. We found that while definitions of health and sustainability are still diverse and often siloed, the rationale of a combined concept was generally acknowledged. There was also consensus on the need for any action to be inter-sectoral, but diverse views on what such action should entail. The main barriers to inter-sectoral action identified included relationships between food system actors and a lack of organisational attention to the issue. Enablers included political and institutional leadership to drive action as well as sectorspecific enablers such as market incentives. Overall a range of governance modes were identified that would potentially create a suite of actions across sectors, as well as opportunities to facilitate their implementation. Drawn together our findings outline a framework for action to move beyond the prevailing focus on individual-level change and develop inter-sectoral action and collaboration to support adoption of healthy and sustainable food behaviours to facilitate their implementation. Drawn together our findings outline a framework for action to move beyond the prevailing focus on individual-level change and develop inter-sectoral action and collaboration to support adoption of healthy and sustainable food behaviours

Healthy and environmentally sustainable food choices: Consumer responses to point-of-purchase actions

There are numerous government and industry actions that could advance consumer choices for healthier and environmentally sustainable food products. This study investigates the effect of point-of-purchase actions; price changes, health and/or environment logos, health and/or environment product information labels. Three hypothetical choice experiments investigated choices between specific products and their healthy and sustainable alternatives: rice (white versus brown rice, n = 280), meat (beef versus kangaroo steak, n = 344) and tomatoes (tinned versus fresh tomatoes for a tomato sauce, n = 320). Data was collected via an online survey from a representative nationwide sample of Australian household grocery buyers (N = 944). Results show that the effects of the investigated actions are very product and consumer segment dependent. In general, price changes, particularly a decreased price (subsidy) for the healthy and sustainable alternatives, had a bigger effect on shifting choices than did a logo and/or label. Product similarity seems to play an important role as we observed the greatest shift in choices in the rice experiment with more respondents opting for brown rice instead of white rice. The responsiveness of consumers to the investigated measures was largely influenced by whether they were familiar with, and liked, the healthy and sustainable product alternative. In conclusion this study indicates that point-of-purchase actions may partially contribute to advance uptake of healthy and sustainable food alternatives. The effects of such measures are expected to be greater when these alternatives are more similar to the standard products for their sensory properties, convenience, product liking and familiarity.AH and SJ were supported by funding from an Australian Research Council Discovery Project, ‘‘Shrinking the Food-Print by Creating Consumer Demand for Sustainable and Healthy Eating” (DP130102820), while DP, ML, and SF were researchers within this project. ML, SF, and SJ were also researchers on an Australian Research Council Linkage Project, ‘‘Modelling policy interventions to protect Australia’s food security in the face of environmental sustainability challenges” (LP120100168)