British Gen Z perceptions of sustainable fisheries: developing a measurement instrument.

With continued pressure upon fisheries, alongside improved fisheries management in some places, there has been a decline in fish catches with changes in the structure of the ecosystem affecting its' functionality. The use of scientific based indicator frameworks in an attempt to pursue sustainable fisheries is a common trend, however the management decisions are often socially driven and can deviate, or even, conflict with the science. This study aimed to investigate British Gen Z perceptions upon what creates a sustainable fishing industry through a series of three studies. A compilation of 82 statements, derived from practitioner indicator systems, was used by 23 participants in a concept mapping process consisting of five steps; create statements, sort & rate statements, multi-dimensional scaling of sorted units, cluster analysis, and label the clusters. The next stage of the study looked to refine the large number of statements by statistically verifying them with exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory composite analysis using split halves of a sample containing 657 participants and generating a three-factor solution of Community, Ecological Management and, Economic. The domain was then switched to the descriptive typology and a further 179 British Gen Z evaluated the fisheries at Hastings and Brixham based upon case studies which further validated the three-factor solution. The significance of this study demonstrates that consumers, who influence policy and management of fisheries through their purchasing behaviour, interpret sustainable fisheries differently to science which is evidenced by the merging of the elements of ecologically and management.

Exploring the perceptions of Malaysian Gen Z towards the impact of COVID-19 on sustainable development.

COVID-19 has affected the pursuit of sustainable development in multifaceted ways; this study investigates Malaysian Gen Z perceptions of the COVID-19 pandemics' disruptions to sustainable development. The exploratory research began with brainstorming from Malaysian Gen Z individuals with the following excerpt, 'The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted the world and led to unprecedented change. How do you believe this has impacted either positively or negatively, the global pursuit of sustainable development?' Ninety-eight unique statements were generated with subsequent participants sorting these statements into thematic groups before rating each of them on impact and duration. Subsequently, multi-dimensional scaling and cluster analysis was performed with eight-cluster solution being proposed. This study suggests that the pandemic has contributed both positively and negatively to sustainable development, while also highlighting the duration of these impacts. This community-based participatory research provides a guide for policy to mitigate negative impacts whilst also attempting to fully realise the positive impacts in response to managing the unprecedented effects of the pandemic.

Treatment and management of head injuries in children.

Head injury is defined as any trauma to the head other than superficial injuries to the face (National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence 2010) and is the most common type of traumatic injury seen in children (Johnstone et al 1996). A skull fracture, meanwhile, describes a break in the cranial bones and is highly predictive of intracranial injuries (Schutzman and Greenes 2001). Emergency practitioners should understand the signs and symptoms indicative of skull fracture, therefore, and know when to refer children to neurosurgical colleagues. This article examines the literature on skull fractures and the available guidelines on the management of head injuries, and presents a relevant case study.

WPI Gel Microstructure and Mechanical Behaviour and Their Influence on the Rate of In Vitro Digestion.

The influence of microstructure and mechanical properties on the in vitro digestibility of 15% whey protein isolate (WPI) gels was investigated. Gels were prepared via heat set gelation at three pH values (pH 3, 5 and 7), which produced gels with distinct microstructures and mechanical properties. The gels were minced to simulate an oral/chewing phase, which led to the formation particles of various sizes and textures. The minced gels were passed through either an Infogest (pre-set pH of 3) or Glass stomach (dynamic pH) protocol. Gels were digested in the gastric phase for up to 120 min, at which point the extent of digestion was measured by the amount of filterable nitrogen passing through a sieve. The digesta from both gastric methods were passed through an in vitro simulated intestinal phase. A strong link was found between the elasticity of the initial gel and the gel particle size following simulated oral processing, which significantly (p < 0.01) affected the rate of digestion in the gastric phase. A weaker correlation was also found between the pH of the gels and the extent of gastric digestion. This work highlights the differences in the rate of gastric digestion, arising from oral processing, which can be attributed to the material properties of the substrate.

Determination of the thermo-mechanical properties in starch and starch/gluten systems at low moisture content - a comparison of DSC and TMA.

The impact of heating rate on the glass transition (Tg) and melting transitions observed by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) on starch and a starch/gluten blend (80:20 ratio) at low moisture content was examined. The results were compared to those determined by thermo-mechanical analysis (TMA). Comparison with dynamic mechanical thermal analysis (DMTA) and phase transition analysis (PTA) is also discussed. Higher heating rates increased the determined Tg as well as the melting peak temperatures in both starch and the starch/gluten blend. A heating rate of 5°C/min gave the most precise value of Tg while still being clearly observed above the baseline. Tg values determined from the first and second DSC scans were found to differ significantly and retrogradation of starch biopolymers may be responsible. Tg values of starch determined by TMA showed good agreement with DSC results where the Tg was below 80°C. However, moisture loss led to inaccurate Tg determination for TMA analyses at temperatures above 80°C.

Effect of NaCl on the thermal behaviour of wheat starch in excess and limited water.

The effect of NaCl on the thermal behaviour of wheat starch was investigated with particular focus on starch at low moisture contents (25-45 wt%). Increasing the level of NaCl reduced the starch peak viscosity (in 90% water) as measured by RVA and shifted all of the thermal peaks (up to 120°C) to higher temperatures as observed by DSC. Above a moisture content of 45%, the temperature difference of the first thermal transition of starch in the presence of 2% NaCl and in the absence of NaCl was found to be constant. In the absence of NaCl, the peak temperature of gelatinisation (Tp) increased by 12°C (from 62 to 74°C) as the water content was reduced from 35% to 25%. In the presence of 2% NaCl, the variation in Tp due to changes in water content was significantly reduced. At NaCl concentrations greater than 2% (w/w total), the Tp of the starch remained constant irrespective of water content. Evidence of this effect was observed in situ using confocal microscopy. In the presence of 2% NaCl, images taken at elevated temperatures show little difference in the extent of starch swelling at 25% compared to 45% water content. However, in the absence of NaCl, significantly more swelling was observed at 45% than at 25% water content. With increasing NaCl concentration, the interaction of starch and NaCl became dominate. Thus the on-set of the thermal transitions of starch granules is primarily controlled by the amount of NaCl present, and secondarily by the water content which becomes dominant when the NaCl concentration is low.