The Role of Sensory Experiences and Information on the Willingness to Pay for Organic Wheat Bread

This study examined the size and the determinants of the price premium a sample of Edmonton-area consumers was willing to pay for organic wheat bread. The development of these premiums included consideration of providing information on health or environmental advantages of organic production and consideration of sensory (taste) acceptance. To do this conventional and organic wheat was grown under similar conditions and milled and baked into 60% whole wheat bread under identical conditions. Samples of these breads were presented to consumers for sensory acceptance and a survey of their attitudes, behaviours and characteristics. The survey included a closed-ended contingent valuation question to examine consumers' willingness-to-pay (WTP) premiums for the organic bread. A trained sensory panel was used to quantify differences in the sensory characteristics of the two breads. The results suggest that in the absence of taste information respondents' WTP when environmental information was provided was greater than WTP when health information was given. When sensory taste information was included, however, the WTP estimates under the health information treatment were about twice those under the environmental information. The trained sensory panel observed the two treatments of bread to differ in texture but not in flavor, aroma or colour characteristics. The implications of these findings are that successful marketing of organic foods depends on circumstance - in the absence of sensory experience the environmental benefits of organic production appear to be more appealing than potential health benefits. Health claims are only viewed positively when the product can be tasted. Sensory scientists should use caution in interpreting WTP estimates in that they must take into account the type of information and placement of WTP questions in their study designs. We also found that sensory variables when included in the regression model had statistically significant effects on WTP estimates. The economic significance of including these variables in the logit model was limited, however. Nevertheless we feel that under some circumstances economists may find it advantageous to include sensory information in their models of food demand.Organic foods, price premium, willingness to pay, taste, health, environment, Demand and Price Analysis, Food Consumption/Nutrition/Food Safety, Q13, Q18,

Difference and conflict in global citizenship in higher education in Canada

This paper presents a multi-voiced response to the question: how might conflict and difference be conceptualised in global citizenship education (GCE) imaginaries in Canada? It offers responses from six educators engaged with GCE research and practice in higher education institutions in Canada. The responses address different angles and issues related to difference and GCE, such as multiculturalism, (neo) colonialism, paternalism, indigeneity, internationalism, neoliberalism, benevolence and national identity building in Canada

Honey bee neurogenomic responses to affiliative and agonistic social interactions

Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/147835/1/gbb12509-sup-0003-FigureS3.pdfhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/147835/2/gbb12509-sup-0002-FigureS2.pdfhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/147835/3/gbb12509-sup-0001-FigureS1.pdfhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/147835/4/gbb12509.pdfhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/147835/5/gbb12509_am.pd

A Phase 1a/1b Clinical Trial Design to Assess Safety, Acceptability, Pharmacokinetics and Tolerability of Intranasal Q-Griffithsin for COVID-19 Prophylaxis

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic remains an ongoing threat to global public health. Q-Griffithsin (Q-GRFT) is a lectin that has demonstrated potent broad-spectrum inhibitory activity in preclinical studies in models of Nipah virus and the beta coronaviruses SARS-CoV, MERS-CoV, and SARS-CoV-2. Methods: Here, we propose a clinical trial design to test the safety, pharmacokinetics (PK), and tolerability of intranasally administered Q-GRFT for the prevention of SARS-CoV-2 infection as a prophylaxis strategy. The initial Phase 1a study will assess the safety and PK of a single dose of intranasally administered Q-GRFT. If found safe, the safety, PK, and tolerability of multiple doses of intranasal Q-GRFT will be assessed in a Phase 1b study. Group 1 participants will receive 3 mg of intranasal Q-GRFT (200 μL/nostril) once daily for 7 days. If this dose is tolerated, participants will be enrolled in Group 2 to receive 3 mg twice daily for 7 days. Secondary endpoints of the study will be user perceptions, acceptability, and the impact of product use on participants’ olfactory sensation and quality of life. Discussion: Results from this study will support further development of Q-GRFT as a prophylactic against respiratory viral infections in future clinical trials

Concert recording 2022-11-08

[Track 1]. Beau soir / Claude Debussy -- The lass from the Low Countree / John Jacob Niles – [Track 2]. Into the night / Clara Edwards -- [Track 3]. An Silvia / Franz Schubert -- [Track 4]. Se tu m’ami, se sospiri / Alessandro Parisotti -- [Track 5]. Erlafsee / Franz Schubert -- [Track 6]. Vittoria, mio core / Giacomo Carissimi -- [Track 7]. Aufenthalt / Franz Schubert -- [Track 8]. Amarilli, mia bella / Giulio Caccini -- [Track 9]. There’s a Fine, Fine Line, from Avenue Q / Robert Lopez and Jeff Marx -- [Track 10]. Go, lovely rose / Roger Quilter -- [Track 11]. Vagabond / Ralph Vaughan Williams -- [Track 12]. Sebben, crudele / Antonio Caldara -- [Track 13]. Love’s philosophy / Roger Quilter (1877–1953) -- [Track 14]. Perla gloria / Giovanni Bononcini -- [Track 15]. Money, O! / Michael Head -- [Track 16]. Lasciate mi morire / Claudio Monteverdi -- Across the western ocean / Arr. Celius Dougherty -- [Track 17]. Perduta ho la Speranza / Stefano Donaudy -- [Track 18]. Lonley House from Street Scene / Kurt Weill -- [Track 19]. Preghiera / Paolo Tosti -- [Track 20]. Allerseelen / Richard Strauss -- [Track 21]. Im wunderschönen Monat Mai / Robert Schumann -- [Track 22]. Una furtiva lagrima from L’elisir d’amore / Gaetano Donizetti -- [Track 23]. V’adoro, pupille, from Giulio Cesare / George Handel -- [Track 24]. Sympathy / Florence Price -- [Track 25]. The German U-boat captain / Gene Scheer -- [Track 26]. Eri tu che macchiavi, from Un Ballo in Maschera / Giuseppe Verdi

Concert recording 2022-11-08

[Track 1]. Beau soir / Claude Debussy -- The lass from the Low Countree / John Jacob Niles – [Track 2]. Into the night / Clara Edwards -- [Track 3]. An Silvia / Franz Schubert -- [Track 4]. Se tu m’ami, se sospiri / Alessandro Parisotti -- [Track 5]. Erlafsee / Franz Schubert -- [Track 6]. Vittoria, mio core / Giacomo Carissimi -- [Track 7]. Aufenthalt / Franz Schubert -- [Track 8]. Amarilli, mia bella / Giulio Caccini -- [Track 9]. There’s a Fine, Fine Line, from Avenue Q / Robert Lopez and Jeff Marx -- [Track 10]. Go, lovely rose / Roger Quilter -- [Track 11]. Vagabond / Ralph Vaughan Williams -- [Track 12]. Sebben, crudele / Antonio Caldara -- [Track 13]. Love’s philosophy / Roger Quilter (1877–1953) -- [Track 14]. Perla gloria / Giovanni Bononcini -- [Track 15]. Money, O! / Michael Head -- [Track 16]. Lasciate mi morire / Claudio Monteverdi -- Across the western ocean / Arr. Celius Dougherty -- [Track 17]. Perduta ho la Speranza / Stefano Donaudy -- [Track 18]. Lonley House from Street Scene / Kurt Weill -- [Track 19]. Preghiera / Paolo Tosti -- [Track 20]. Allerseelen / Richard Strauss -- [Track 21]. Im wunderschönen Monat Mai / Robert Schumann -- [Track 22]. Una furtiva lagrima from L’elisir d’amore / Gaetano Donizetti -- [Track 23]. V’adoro, pupille, from Giulio Cesare / George Handel -- [Track 24]. Sympathy / Florence Price -- [Track 25]. The German U-boat captain / Gene Scheer -- [Track 26]. Eri tu che macchiavi, from Un Ballo in Maschera / Giuseppe Verdi

Baseline microglial activation correlates with brain amyloidosis and longitudinal cognitive decline in Alzheimer disease

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: This study aims to quantify microglial activation in individuals with Alzheimer disease (AD) using the 18-kDa translocator protein (TSPO) PET imaging in the hippocampus and precuneus, the 2 AD-vulnerable regions, and to evaluate the association of baseline neuroinflammation with amyloidosis, tau, and longitudinal cognitive decline. METHODS: Twenty-four participants from the Knight Alzheimer Disease Research Center (Knight ADRC) were enrolled and classified into stable cognitively normal, progressor, and symptomatic AD groups based on clinical dementia rating (CDR) at 2 or more clinical assessments. The baseline TSPO radiotracer [11C]PK11195 was used to image microglial activation. Baseline CSF concentrations of Aβ42, Aβ42/Aβ40 ratio, tau phosphorylated at position 181 (p-tau181), and total tau (t-tau) were measured. Clinical and cognitive decline were examined with longitudinal CDR and cognitive composite scores (Global and Knight ADRC-Preclinical Alzheimer Cognitive Composite [Knight ADRC-PACC] Score). RESULTS: Participants in the progressor and symptomatic AD groups had significantly elevated [11C]PK11195 standard uptake value ratios (SUVRs) in the hippocampus but not in the precuneus region. In the subcohort with CSF biomarkers (16 of the 24), significant negative correlations between CSF Aβ42 or Aβ42/Aβ40 and [11C]PK11195 SUVR were observed in the hippocampus and precuneus. No correlations were observed between [11C]PK11195 SUVR and CSF p-tau181 or t-tau at baseline in those regions. Higher baseline [11C]PK11195 SUVR averaged in the whole cortical regions predicted longitudinal decline on cognitive tests. DISCUSSION: Microglial activation is increased in individuals with brain amyloidosis and predicts worsening cognition in AD. CLASSIFICATION OF EVIDENCE: This study provides Class II evidence that in patients with AD, higher baseline [11C]PK11195 SUVR averaged in the whole cortical regions was associated with longitudinal decline on cognitive tests

Utility of perfusion PET measures to assess neuronal injury in Alzheimer's disease

Introduction: 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography (PET) is commonly used to estimate neuronal injury in Alzheimer's disease (AD). Here, we evaluate the utility of dynamic PET measures of perfusion using 11C-Pittsburgh compound B (PiB) to estimate neuronal injury in comparison to FDG PET. Methods: FDG, early frames of PiB images, and relative PiB delivery rate constants (PiB-R1) were obtained from 110 participants from the Dominantly Inherited Alzheimer Network. Voxelwise, regional cross-sectional, and longitudinal analyses were done to evaluate the correlation between images and estimate the relationship of the imaging biomarkers with estimated time to disease progression based on family history. Results: Metabolism and perfusion images were spatially correlated. Regional PiB-R1 values and FDG, but not early frames of PiB images, significantly decreased in the mutation carriers with estimated year to onset and with increasing dementia severity. Discussion: Hypometabolism estimated by PiB-R1 may provide a measure of brain perfusion without increasing radiation exposure