Blending: consequences for wheat breeding

Established and supported under the Australian Government’s Cooperative Research Centre Progra

Rapid Electrophoretic Verification of Varietal Identity: Application to 30 Current Australian Wheats

Established and supported under the Australian Government’s Cooperative Research Centre Progra

Characteristics of effective interventions promoting healthy eating for preschoolers in childcare settings: an umbrella review

Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) settings have a pivotal role in shaping children’s dietary food habits by providing the contextual environment within which they develop these behaviours. This study examines systematic reviews for (1) the effectiveness of interventions to promote healthy eating in children aged 2–5 years attending centre-based childcare; (2) intervention characteristics which are associated with promoting healthy eating and; (3) recommendations for child-health policies and practices. An Umbrella review of systematic reviews was undertaken using a standardized search strategy in ten databases. Twelve systematic reviews were examined using validated critical appraisal and data extraction tools. Children’s dietary food intake and food choices were significantly influenced. Interventions to prevent obesity did not significantly change children’s anthropometric measures or had mixed results. Evidence was more convincing if interventions were multi-component, addressed physical activity and diet, targeted individual-level and environmental-level determinants and engaged parents. Positive outcomes were mostly facilitated by researchers/external experts and these results were not replicated when implemented in centres by ECEC providers without this support. The translation of expert-led interventions into practice warrants further exploration of implementation drivers and barriers. Based on the evidence reviewed, recommendations are made to inform child-health directed practices and policies

Measuring Physiological Arousal Towards Packaging: Tracking Electrodermal Activity Within the Consumer Shopping Environment

Contrasted against the popular belief that consumers make purely rational decisions, purchasing decisions are rapid, subconscious, and emotional decisions. In order to understand a consumer’s purchasing decisions, we suggest finding methods beyond focus groups, which typify this type of research, to measure and interpret consumer reactions to various packaging designs. In this paper, we examine electrodermal activity, a measure of emotional arousal, and eye tracking in the context of a realistic shopping environment as possible measures to support insight into customer preference of packaging. We hypothesized that presenting consumers with an experience more closely related to actual shopping would encourage more natural selections. Further, that the combination of eye tracking and physiological measures with self-report would support a more holistic understanding of decision-making. Although our eye-tracking hypothesis was supported in the studies conducted, a revision of our approach to physiological measurement is necessary to fully understand the validity of electrodermal activity for in-context experiments. We end by presenting suggestions for future research in the field of consumer emotions, highlighting the struggles and successes of measuring one’s subconscious motives

"5 Days in August" – How London Local Authorities used Twitter during the 2011 riots

© IFIP International Federation for Information Processing 2012This study examines effects of microblogging communications during emergency events based on the case of the summer 2011 riots in London. During five days in August 2011, parts of London and other major cities in England suffered from extensive public disorders, violence and even loss of human lives. We collected and analysed the tweets posted by the official accounts maintained by 28 London local government authorities. Those authorities used Twitter for a variety of purposes such as preventing rumours, providing official information, promoting legal actions against offenders and organising post-riot community engagement activities. The study shows how the immediacy and communicative power of microblogging can have a significant effect at the response and recovery stages of emergency events

Arnotts Blending Project

Established and supported under the Australian Government’s Cooperative Research Centre Progra

Cardiac-restricted IGF-1Ea overexpression reduces the early accumulation of inflammatory myeloid cells and mediates expression of extracellular matrix remodelling genes after myocardial infarction

Strategies to limit damage and improve repair after myocardial infarct remain a major therapeutic goal in cardiology. Our previous studies have shown that constitutive expression of a locally acting insulin-like growth factor-1 Ea (IGF-1Ea) propeptide promotes functional restoration after cardiac injury associated with decreased scar formation. In the current study, we investigated the underlying molecular and cellular mechanisms behind the enhanced functional recovery. We observed improved cardiac function in mice overexpressing cardiac-specific IGF-1Ea as early as day 7 after myocardial infarction. Analysis of gene transcription revealed that supplemental IGF-1Ea regulated expression of key metalloproteinases (MMP-2 and MMP-9), their inhibitors (TIMP-1 and TIMP-2), and collagen types (Col 1α1 and Col 1α3) in the first week after injury. Infiltration of inflammatory cells, which direct the remodelling process, was also altered; in particular there was a notable reduction in inflammatory Ly6C+ monocytes at day 3 and an increase in anti-inflammatory CD206+ macrophages at day 7. Taken together, these results indicate that the IGF-1Ea transgene shifts the balance of innate immune cell populations early after infarction, favouring a reduction in inflammatory myeloid cells. This correlates with reduced extracellular matrix remodelling and changes in collagen composition that may confer enhanced scar elasticity and improved cardiac function

An Eye-Tracking Methodology for Testing Consumer Preference of Display Trays in a Simulated Retail Environment

Display trays have traditionally been used to support distribution packaging and retail stocking. Yet, it is becoming increasingly common to find display trays as devices to garner attention and increase the shelf presence of packaging. This paper presents a method for testing consumer preference of display trays for liquid dish soap and canned tomatoes in CUShop™, a consumer experience laboratory, using eye-tracking technology. It was hypothesized that display trays would increase total fixation duration and decrease time to first fixation on the respective products tested. However, it was determined that attention to products in a display tray was less favorable to products not in a display tray. Experimental results are limited because of the many variables that exist for display trays. If further studies were to be conducted on a larger variety of display trays using the methodology described, the appeal and attention value of display trays could be comprehensively understood

The Effect of Decorative Foil Stamping on Consumer Attention

Packaging plays a crucial role in communicating product benefits to consumers. Oftentimes, designers use high visibility enhancements to differentiate packaging within the competitive array. Although luxury brands commonly use enhanced graphical and printing techniques to convey high quality products, many private label package designers are also utilizing enhancements to attract attention to their products. This research sought to understand how incorporating foil stamping to the primary panel of fast moving consumer good packaging will affect consumer attention and purchase preference. Through the collection of quantitative data, consumer attention and purchase preference were evaluated. Three different products were selected for evaluation for the study: popcorn, cereal, and boxed pasta dinners. A total of 172 participants completed the study, which took place in a realistic and immersive shopping environment (CUshop™). Two eye tracking metrics were collected using mobile eye tracking technology. Participants completed a qualitative survey, which recorded basic demographic information. Significance tests were conducted to test for statistical differences in consumer attention behavior as well as purchase decision between the foil and control packages. It was determined that foil stamping did significantly (α =0.05) affect consumer attention towards the respective product compared to the control, yet the effect was not consistent. Eye tracking metrics varied across the products and categories tested; some foil stamped samples positively affected consumer attention, others negatively and some had no effect whatsoever. Results show that foil stamping can be a highly strategic influencer (both positively and negatively) on consumer attention and purchase decision. However, it is recommended that this enhancement be tested within an in-context environment to ensure it benefits the brand and product within the competitive array