The Impact of Modern Processed and Natural Food Diets on Flavor-Nutrient Learning and Response to Sweet Taste in Rats

Animals use classical conditioning to learn predictive relationships between flavors and postingestive nutrients, which allows them to regulate their body weights. This is made difficult by modern diets, which have confusing flavor-nutrient relationships due to added fats, sugars, and flavors in processed foods. Cafeteria diets containing a variety of human-typical foods are often used to study the effects of a modern diet in animal models. Foods used in cafeteria diets typically combine aspects such as high-fat high-sugar, variety, and high palatability. However, no past studies have analyzed the effect of variety on flavor-nutrient learning by using only natural foods. In the current study, 36 rats were assigned to three dietary conditions: a processed foods (PF) cafeteria diet, natural foods (NF) cafeteria diet, or chow-only control (CON) diet. After three months on the diets, rats were tested on their ability to learn about new foods and on their response to sweet taste. The rats were first tested with flavor-nutrient conditioning (FNC) to analyze the degree to which they were capable of learning new flavor-nutrient relationships. Several measures of FNC revealed that PF rats were not impaired in learning, and were perhaps better able to discriminate between flavors than NF or CON rats. Throughout the present studies, rats in the cafeteria diet groups were found to consistently consume less sweet-tasting solutions than CON rats in ad libitum intake tests. To determine the cause of this difference in sweet intake, rats\u27 motivation and hedonic liking for sucrose was analyzed by using a progressive ratio lever-pressing task for sucrose reward as well as lick microstructure analysis. Results indicated that rats were all equally motivated to work for sucrose, but that NF rats perceived high concentrations of sucrose as much more palatable than PR and CON rats. This study demonstrates that processed and natural foods cafeteria diets do not impair new flavor-nutrient learning, but they do cause rats to reduce sugar intake, for which the reason is still unknown

Lifting the Veil of Violence: The October Crisis, 1970.

This work explores the uses of violence during the October Crisis of 1970 in Québec, Canada. The author questions the current state of historiographical approaches to the October Crisis and posits a new approach. Violence, seen as a language, permeates the events surrounding the kidnapping and later murder of Pierre Laporte. The reaction of the Québécois public at large is examine in response to the uses of violence by the belligerent parties. The work concludes that the FLQ did not possess the requisite capacity for violence to effectively compete with the Canadian Federal Government and other insights into the legacy of the Crisis itself

Frost Witches: The Spark of the Bamberg Witch Craze

This article explores the Bamburg Witch Craze from the point of view of the frost that devastated the wine harvest. The author uses the incident, which destroyed the crop that was vital to the local economy, to infer how this explainable natural disaster was interpreted to mean that the community had come under threat from super natural forces. The author finds that cases of witchcraft were more lethal depending on what type of community the accused lived in (i.e. urban vs. rural) and in what time period the trial occurred

Spirituality at work: The development of a theoretical model

Spirituality at work has received much interest in recent years, and a stream of research notes its benefits beyond a trend. Despite the topic’s growing recognition, the research community raised the need for the integration of spirituality at work with traditional areas of investigation (Giacalone & Jurkiewicz, 2003). A potentially fruitful first step towards this involves use of person-organisation (PO) fit theory (Ashforth & Pratt, 2003; Sheep, 2004, 2006; Singhal & Chatterjee, 2006; Singhal, 2007). The purpose of this study is to build upon initial attempts towards this integration and to promote further acknowledgement of the potential benefits of incorporating spirituality at work into wider organisational psychology frameworks. This was achieved by integrating both PO fit and transpersonal psychology, and subsequently developing a theoretical model that investigates three questions: a) what antecedents lead individuals and organisations to seek spirituality at work?, b) what are the perceived spiritual preferences (needs) of individuals and how are those preferences fulfilled through the context of the workplace (supplies)?, and c) what are the consequences of meeting spiritual preferences (needs), as perceived by individuals? Using constructivist grounded theory, analysis of interview data from thirty-four participants located in organisations (one spiritual and three non-spiritual) across The Netherlands, Ireland, the United Kingdom and Portugal led to a theory in which I propose a core category of reconciling self as a critical factor of spirituality at work. Reconciling self captures the process whereby the self consistently attempts to maintain a congruent relationship with the ego and the environment, and this construct emerged as the primary concern for participants. Reconciling self was influenced largely by meaning and purpose and the need to connect to something larger than oneself, and through the organisation making a difference. The congruence or perceived fit within the workplace was captured through the action strategy conscious reconciling experiences; in the case where the immediacy of such expression was compromised, reconciling self was noted through the action strategy active adjustment. The action strategies were influenced through a set of intervening conditions that included a set of spirituality at work needs and supplies, through a context that emphasised attributes such as spiritual values, a culture that focused on openness and support, and relational leadership. The consequences of spirituality at work included benefits such as individual job satisfaction, positivity and self-realisation, and organisational outcomes as being a force for good and fostering employee commitment. The contribution of this study includes a new theoretical model concerning why, when, and how spirituality at work influences individual and organisational processes and outcomes. Such understanding contributes to better understanding of spirituality at work, and identifies ways in which PO fit occurs within a broader psychological context than that proposed in mainstream organisational psychology (i.e. through reconciling self influenced by meaning and purpose, the need to connect to something larger than oneself, and a set of spirituality at work needs). These findings reduce the PO fit gap. Implications of the study include the findings that spirituality at work creates positive outcomes, and insistence on the role of connecting to something larger than oneself implies individuals are always in the process of moving toward reconciling self. Organisations should consider their ability to harness latent human potential and transcendence by extending self-boundaries and developing the self. Limitations and future research directions are discussed

Customer Attitudes to Water Use and Its Conservation

© 2016 Jenkins et al.; This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License CC BY 4.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.Aims: Understanding how customers engage with and view their water usage is crucial to the design of more effective water demand management policies and programmes. This paper presents the findings of a small-scale research project that sought to explore customer attitudes to the use of water and its conservation, particularly in the context of seasonal tariffs used during the summer peak usage months (May to August). Study Design: The study adopted a qualitative approach, implemented through a series of face-to-face semi-structured interviews. Place and Duration of Study: The study was conducted with domestic water users in Bishops Stortford, East Hertfordshire (UK). The research was carried out by staff from the School of Life and Medical Sciences at the University Hertfordshire. The study was conducted over a period of 6 weeks. Methodology: A series of 20 face-to-face semi-structured interviews were carried out with a pre-defined sample population. The selected customers were split into two equal sized groups depending on their relative water usage to reflect either an increase or a decrease in water usage [as a consequence of Affinity Water’s seasonal tariff trial]. Results and Discussion: The study highlights study participants as being disengaged from their water usage and the associated efforts to reduce their usage, so simply increasing water prices at seasonal peak usage times was not, on this occasion, an effective method to adopt to reduce domestic water usage. However, by subsequently exploring customer attitudes towards a selected range of alternative water conservation measures, such as the subsidisation of water efficient appliances, and rebates for reduced water usage, it is established that alternative water conservation measures may have the potential to more effectively encourage a reduction in water usage. However, as the findings of this study also serve to highlight, the issue of ‘institutional trust’ emerges as a key issue to consider when seeking reductions in water usage by increasing its unit cost, with accusation of profiteering looming large. Conclusion: It is suggested that a richer mix of policy responses demand management will be needed to convince domestic water users of the need to reduce their water usage.Peer reviewedFinal Published versio

Multimodal representation and the making of knowledge : a social semiotic excavation of learning sites

This research is concerned with the construction of knowledge as evidenced in the multimodal representations of students. In the spirit of an archaeological excavation it seeks to uncover evidence of that which can not be seen; of learning. It provides systematic classification and analysis of multimodal texts retrieved from secondary school science and history lessons. By conducting this analysis and accounting for the conditions of representation that stimulate learning it also demonstrates the instrumentality of representational activity in the making of knowledge.\ud Applying social semiotic theory to textual artefacts from the two sites, a new methodology is utilised to expose evidence of learning. This methodology is derived from theories of social semiotics (Halliday, 1978 and Hodge and Kress, 1988) and multimodality (Kress and van Leeuwen, 1996). It is based on a conception of learning as a process in which the status and identity of the individual are changed. It is informed by, amongst others, Bernstein (1996) - in relation to the socialising of individuals through systems of education and by Vygotsky (1962) - in relation to the shaping of consciousness.\ud The thesis consists of the description and demonstration of new methods for multimodal analysis of students' representational activity. The technique used for the presentation of data is tracking semiosis and for analysis process charting and mode mapping. Together these methods expose changes arising from the reconfigurations, transformations and transductions undertaken by students engaged in representational activity. In so doing, new directions are offered for the orientation of education practices in the face of rapidly changing patterns of communication. The efficacy of learning in multiple modes is also established and groundwork laid for fresh approaches to assessment. \u

From cost-effectiveness to economic-efficiency in conservation planning: the importance of considering the economic benefits of conservation

Includes bibliographical references.Providing an economic case for establishing new protected areas and demonstrating how conservation enhances human well-being is becoming necessary to reinforce moral arguments for biodiversity protection. Accordingly; this study aimed to assess whether the spatial distribution of priority areas changes in accordance with gains in economic-efficiency when ecosystem service benefits are explicitly considered. Using the site-selection software Marxan, priority areas for South Africa were identified under four scenarios, two of which incorporated a spatial cost benefit analysis of the opportunity costs and ecosystem service benefits associated with conservation. Additional scenarios assessed how reserve design and costs changed when communal-land agriculture and resource use were weighted to account for the social costs of conservation. Opportunity costs were spatially variable and greatest in regions where mixed commercial farming was practiced. Economic benefits exceeded costs in the western interior, northern regions and along the eastern coastline. These areas contracted when ecosystem service benefits were more conservatively estimated by applying the principle of additionality. There was minimal to moderate spatial agreement between the scenarios (0.12 100) were applied, the reserve systems became dispersed (R = 0.91 (for weighting factor of 10), R = 0.52 (for weighting factor of 1000)) in the former homelands and more costly overall (difference of R2.95B between the extremes). Considering the economic benefits of conservation changes the spatial distribution of priority areas and improves their economic efficiency. Disregarding economic benefits may compromise the implementation potential of priority areas, particularly when the economic benefits of competing land-uses are brought to the table. Furthermore, it is important to explicitly consider the social costs of conservation and consider resettlement or compensation costs among the trade-offs

Human capital of financial planners and value creation in South African financial planning businesses

Improved healthcare enables people to live longer and thus spend more time in retirement than ever before. In addition, South Africans have a low propensity to save and invest, resulting in the danger of them living longer than their finances permit. The financial planning industry is also experiencing the technological automation of many transactional services, which could make the “traditional” role of financial planners redundant. Furthermore, financial planning businesses are prone to failure, especially during the start-up phase. As such, appropriate business management strategies, especially those relating to human capital, are critical to facilitate the effective development of financial planning businesses and which will enable financial planners to better engage with existing and new clients, resulting in creating more value creation for their financial planning businesses and benefitting the South African economy at large. It is a well-known fact that people who engage with a financial planner report better outcomes in terms of financial and general well-being than those who approach financial planning with a “do-it-yourself” mindset, which further emphasises why the longevity of financial planning businesses in South Africa is important. To date, however, limited academic research has been conducted on the influence of financial planners’ human capital on value creation in their financial planning businesses. Furthermore, although research in the financial planning field is growing, previous research has mostly focused on areas pertaining to financial advice, the financial planning process and products used in financial planning, rather than on the creation of profitable businesses or on how to create value within these businesses. Against this background, the primary objective of this study is to investigate the influence of selected Human capitals of financial planners on value creation in South African financial planning businesses. More specifically, the study investigates the influence of the independent variables of Social capital (measured individually in terms of its sub-categories, Relational social capital, Network social capital and Cognitive social capital), Entrepreneurial capital and Psychological capital on the dependent variables (Perceived financial value creation and Perceived non-financial value creation). v Based on the primary objective and research questions of the study, as well as the assumptions of the researcher, this study was positioned in the positivistic research paradigm and a deductive approach to theory development was adopted. The purpose of the study was explanatory, and a mono-method, quantitative methodological approach was selected. A survey strategy using a cross-sectional approach was undertaken and a measuring instrument in the form of an online questionnaire was developed to gather the data required. After undertaking a pilot study, the electronic link to the covering letter and online questionnaire was sent to potential respondents identified through the convenience and snowball sampling techniques. The data collection yielded 360 usable responses from South African financial planners on which to undertake the statistical analysis. Data analysis ensued to investigate the hypothesised relationships between the independent and dependent variables. A confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was performed on each of the factors that made up the measurement models. These CFAs were compared to the various goodness-of-fit indices and then validity and reliability assessments of the factors were conducted to confirm the suitability of the measuring instrument. Thereafter, Cronbach’s alpha coefficients, average variance extracted (AVE) estimates and squared correlations between the constructs were reported. The hypothesised model was confirmed based on these analyses. Descriptive statistics and correlation results on the dependent and independent variables were then reported. Structural equation modelling (SEM) was used as the statistical technique to test the significance of the hypothesised direct and moderating relationships. The results confirmed a direct, significant relationship between all the independent variables, namely, Social capital (measured individually in terms of its sub-categories, Relational social capital, Network social capital and Cognitive social capital), Entrepreneurial capital and Psychological capital, and the dependent variables (Perceived financial value creation and Perceived non-financial value creation). Regarding the hypothesised moderating influence of Social capital on the relationships between the independent variables Entrepreneurial capital and Psychological capital, and the dependent variables, it was found that only Relational social capital and Network social capital moderated the relationship between Psychological capital and Perceived financial value creation. vi This study has contributed to the body of knowledge of financial planning in general, as well as how the human capital of financial planners influences both financial and non-financial value creation in financial planning businesses. Practical recommendations were made that could enhance financial planners’ value creation in financial planning businesses, which, in turn, would influence the sustainability of these important businesses.Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Business and Economic science, 202