Vegetarian, vegan, or plant-based? Comparing how different labels influence consumer evaluations of plant-based foods.

Market actors have a role to play in enabling sustainable food transitions. One challenge for these actors is how to promote plant-based foods in ways that appeal to a growing number of consumers. Here we test how different plant-based related labels affect consumer appraisals of a range of foods (cookies, sausages, cheese, chocolate, pasta). In two studies (pre-registered; NUSA = 1148, NGermany = 491), we examined the effects of a 'vegetarian', 'vegan', or 'plant-based' label (compared to no label) on five attributes (healthy, tasty, ethical, pure, environmentally friendly) related to the products. We also measured self-reported likelihood to purchase the products. Overall, the results indicated that the 'plant-based' label was slightly more appealing to participants than the 'vegetarian' and 'vegan' labels. However, contrary to our expectations, neither consumers' information-seeking tendencies nor their pre-existing attitudes toward plant-based foods influenced (i.e., moderated) the effects of the labels. Anticipated taste was a strong and consistent predictor of purchase likelihood for all labeled products, but the ethical and pure attributes also accounted for unique variance in this outcome variable. Taken together, our findings and discussion provide insights into the role of labels and label terminology on consumer appraisals of plant-based foods.

ONLAY VERSUS RIVES-STOPPA TECHNIQUES IN THE TREATMENT OF INCISIONAL HERNIAS.

BACKGROUND: In the surgical correction of large incisional hernias, the use of a prosthesis is essential in most cases regardless of the technique chosen. The preference is for the polypropylene prosthesis. AIMS: To compare the onlay and Rives-Stoppa techniques in the correction of incisional hernias, their immediate results, complications, advantages, and disadvantages. METHODS: Two groups of patients with incisional hernias were analyzed, submitted to the onlay (19 patients) and Rives-Stoppa (17 patients) techniques, and that used polypropylene prostheses. General epidemiological variables, perioperative data variables, and postoperative complications were assessed. RESULTS: The patients' epidemiologic profile was similar between both groups. The majority were women (58.4%), with a mean age of 65.5 years and a previous mean body mass index of 41.5 kg/m². The Rives-Stoppa technique was employed in most patients (52.7%). Those submitted to the onlay technique had longer abdominal drainage time and longer hospital stay, as well as a higher incidence of seromas and surgical wound infection. CONCLUSIONS: The incisional herniorrhaphy technique with the placement of a pre-peritoneal polypropylene mesh by the Rives-Stoppa technique was superior to the onlay due to lower rates of drain use, hospital stay, and postoperative complications.

Promoting plant-based eating in meat-centric meal contexts: a field study.

OBJECTIVE: Shifting from meat-centric to plant-rich diets may help to enable healthier and more sustainable food systems. Here we present the results of a 1-week intervention to promote plant-based eating in a meat-centric food context (i.e. canteen). DESIGN: The intervention included environmental restructuring strategies (e.g. promotional materials and menu redevelopment) and improvements to the offer of plant-based meals. The evaluation (sales data; pre-registered) spanned 3 weeks prior to the intervention (baseline), 1 week during the intervention (immediate/short-term impact) and 3 weeks after the intervention (follow-up). Opinion surveys were also used to collect data with customers during the intervention. SETTING: Canteen unit of a university campus in Portugal (Lisbon metropolitan area). PARTICIPANTS: In addition to sales data (baseline: 7965 meals; immediate/short-term: 2635 meals; follow-up: 7135 meals), we used opinion surveys to assess customers' meal appraisals during the intervention (n = 370). RESULTS: The odds of a sold meal being vegetarian were 24 % higher in the intervention week compared with the pre-intervention period [OR = 1·24, 95 % CI (1·10, 1·40)] and 9 % higher in the post-intervention period compared with the pre-intervention period [OR = 1·09, (95 % CI (1·00, 1·19)]. Survey data showed that vegetarian meals compared favourably to meat and fish alternatives in liking, sustainability and satiety. CONCLUSIONS: A short-term, theory-driven, operationally feasible intervention was effective in promoting increased plant-based meal choices in a collective meal context. Nevertheless, these changes were not entirely sustained over time. Future studies could test whether prolonged or more transformative interventions are necessary to unlock entrenched food practices more effectively in meat-centric collective meal contexts.

How to enable healthier and more sustainable food practices in collective meal contexts: A scoping review.

Collective meal contexts such as restaurants, cafeterias and canteens can help accelerate transitions to healthier and more sustainable diets. However, evidence from intervention studies on these contexts lacks integration. This scoping review aimed to map determinants of dietary change in collective meal contexts across multiple settings, interventions, target groups, and target behaviors. The review provided two main outcomes: (i) identifying intervention components to promote dietary change in collective meal contexts, based on the existing body of evidence; and (ii) classifying and integrating these intervention components into an overarching framework of behavior change (i.e., COM-B system). The review encompassed twenty-eight databases via two indexing services and extracted information from 232 primary sources (27,458 records selected for title and abstract screening, 574 articles selected for full-text screening). We identified a total of 653 intervention activities, which were classified into intervention components and grouped under three broad themes, namely contextual and environmental changes, social influence, and knowledge and behavioral regulation. Multi-component interventions tended to report overall positive outcomes. The review proposes several directions for future research, including: (i) moving toward more theory-based interventions in collective meal contexts; (ii) providing more detailed information about intervention settings, implementation, target groups, activities, and materials; and (iii) improving the use of open science practices in the field. Furthermore, the review offers a free, original, open-access list and synthesis of 277 intervention studies in collective meal contexts, which can help intervention planners and evaluators optimize their efforts to promote healthier and more sustainable food practices in these contexts.

Insights into parents' and teachers' support for policies promoting increased plant-based eating in schools.

Global environmental and public health challenges related to current food systems call for large-scale shifts towards increasingly plant-based diets, especially in Western meat-centric societies. School meal systems can play a role in these changes due to their widespread prevalence and multi-sectoral impact. However, there is a lack of evidence about how adults involved in the school meals system perceive school-based pro-environmental food policies, which limits the ability to align those policies with the needs and expectations of the school community. This study aimed to address this knowledge gap by exploring parents' (n = 104) and teachers' (n = 252) support for policies to promote increased plant-based eating in public schools in a highly meat-centric EU country (Portugal). Overall, teachers seemed to be slightly more supportive of such policies and displayed more favorable (injunctive and dynamic) norms toward plant-based eating, more negative appraisals of meals with meat (i.e., perceived healthiness, naturalness, and sustainability), and lower attachment to meat consumption. Furthermore, injunctive norms in favor of plant-based meals were linked with higher support for measures promoting plant-based meals in schools, in both samples (parents, teachers). Lower meat attachment and favorable perceived meal attributes (e.g., perceptions about plant-based and fish meals) were associated with teachers' support for measures promoting plant-based meals in schools. These findings suggest that future efforts and research with parents and teachers to enable less meat-centric and more flexitarian food practices in schools should consider social and motivation variables relevant to plant-forward transitions.

Onlay versus rives-stoppa techniques in the treatment of incisional hernias / Técnicas onlay versus rives-stoppa no tratamento das hérnias incisionais

ABSTRACT BACKGROUND: In the surgical correction of large incisional hernias, the use of a prosthesis is essential in most cases regardless of the technique chosen. The preference is for the polypropylene prosthesis. AIMS: To compare the onlay and Rives-Stoppa techniques in the correction of incisional hernias, their immediate results, complications, advantages, and disadvantages. METHODS: Two groups of patients with incisional hernias were analyzed, submitted to the onlay (19 patients) and Rives-Stoppa (17 patients) techniques, and that used polypropylene prostheses. General epidemiological variables, perioperative data variables, and postoperative complications were assessed. RESULTS: The patients' epidemiologic profile was similar between both groups. The majority were women (58.4%), with a mean age of 65.5 years and a previous mean body mass index of 41.5 kg/m². The Rives-Stoppa technique was employed in most patients (52.7%). Those submitted to the onlay technique had longer abdominal drainage time and longer hospital stay, as well as a higher incidence of seromas and surgical wound infection. CONCLUSIONS: The incisional herniorrhaphy technique with the placement of a pre-peritoneal polypropylene mesh by the Rives-Stoppa technique was superior to the onlay due to lower rates of drain use, hospital stay, and postoperative complications.

RESUMO RACIONAL: Na correção cirúrgica das grandes hérnias incisionais, independente da técnica escolhida, na maioria das vezes, o uso de uma prótese é imprescindível. A preferência é pelas próteses de polipropileno. OBJETIVOS: Comparar a técnicas onlay e Rives-Stoppa na correção de hérnias incisionais, os seus resultados imediatos, as complicações, as vantagens e desvantagens. MÉTODOS: Foram analisados dois grupos de portadores de hérnias incisionais, submetidos à técnica onlay (19 pacientes) e técnica Rives-Stoppa (17 pacientes), utilizando prótese de polipropileno. As variáveis gerais epidemiológicas, variáveis de dados perioperatórios e complicações pós-operatórias foram analisados. RESULTADOS: O perfil epidemiológico dos pacientes foi semelhante entre os grupos, a maioria eram mulheres (58.4%), com média de idade de 65.5 anos e com índice de massa corpórea (IMC) médio prévio de 41,5kg/m². A técnica de Rives-Stoppa foi utilizada na maioria dos pacientes (52.7%). Pacientes submetidos a técnica onlay apresentaram maior tempo de uso de dreno abdominal e maior tempo de internação hospitalar, além de maior incidência de seromas e infecção de ferida operatória. CONCLUSÕES: A técnica de herniorrafia incisional com colocação de tela de polipropileno pré-peritoneal, pela técnica de Rives-Stoppa apresentou-se superior à técnica onlay, devido menor taxa de uso de drenos, menor taxa de tempo de internação hospitalar, bem como menor taxa de complicações pós-operatórias.

Impaired Mineral Ion Metabolism in a Mouse Model of Targeted Calcium-Sensing Receptor (CaSR) Deletion from Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells.

BACKGROUND: Impaired mineral ion metabolism is a hallmark of CKD-metabolic bone disorder. It can lead to pathologic vascular calcification and is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular mortality. Loss of calcium-sensing receptor (CaSR) expression in vascular smooth muscle cells exacerbates vascular calcification in vitro. Conversely, vascular calcification can be reduced by calcimimetics, which function as allosteric activators of CaSR. METHODS: To determine the role of the CaSR in vascular calcification, we characterized mice with targeted Casr gene knockout in vascular smooth muscle cells ( SM22α CaSR Δflox/Δflox ). RESULTS: Vascular smooth muscle cells cultured from the knockout (KO) mice calcified more readily than those from control (wild-type) mice in vitro. However, mice did not show ectopic calcifications in vivo but they did display a profound mineral ion imbalance. Specifically, KO mice exhibited hypercalcemia, hypercalciuria, hyperphosphaturia, and osteopenia, with elevated circulating fibroblast growth factor 23 (FGF23), calcitriol (1,25-D3), and parathyroid hormone levels. Renal tubular α-Klotho protein expression was increased in KO mice but vascular α-Klotho protein expression was not. Altered CaSR expression in the kidney or the parathyroid glands could not account for the observed phenotype of the KO mice. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that, in addition to CaSR's established role in the parathyroid-kidney-bone axis, expression of CaSR in vascular smooth muscle cells directly contributes to total body mineral ion homeostasis.

An appetite for meat? Disentangling the influence of animal resemblance and familiarity.

Consumers in modern society are often less exposed to meat that resembles the animal, and thus are less familiar with it, making it difficult to disentangle the influence of these two inputs (familiarity vs. animal resemblance) on meat appetite. Across three studies, we sought to systematically disentangle the impact of familiarity and animal resemblance on meat appetite using inductive (Study 1) and experimental (Studies 2a-2b) approaches. In Study 1 (N = 229) we separated familiarity and animal resemblance into orthogonal dimensions using 28 meat products. Participants provided free associations and rated the products on familiarity, animal resemblance, and appetitive appeal. In Studies 2a and 2b (N = 514) we experimentally examined the independent contributions of familiarity and animal resemblance, using stimuli normed in Study 1. We hypothesized that animal resemblance has its most pronounced influence on appetite when meat products are unfamiliar. Participants' free associations and ratings of the products were in line with this conditional hypothesis (Study1), as were the experimental manipulations of familiarity and animal resemblance (Studies 2a-2b), confirmed by a mini meta-analysis. In all three studies, familiarity had a pervasive influence on appetite. These findings suggest that product familiarity can attenuate the psychological impact that animal reminders have on appetite. Thus, interventions aimed at eliciting animal associations with meat should consider the familiarity of the products employed.

Why Are Men More Likely to Endorse Myths About Child Sexual Abuse Than Women? Evidence From Disposition and Situation-Based Approaches.

Research on attitudes toward Child Sexual Abuse (CSA) consistently shows that men are more likely to endorse myths about CSA events, victims and perpetrators, compared to women. Here we present two studies that examine why these gender differences occur. Study one (N = 439) followed a dispositional approach to test the mediating role of empathy, social dominance orientation (SDO) and propensity for moral disengagement in the association between gender and the endorsement of CSA myths. Male participants showed higher levels of SDO and propensity for moral disengagement, and lower empathy, which in turn were associated with greater CSA myths acceptance. Study two (N = 360) followed a situational approach to test these processes using a specific case of CSA. Male participants showed higher levels of SDO and lower empathy, which in turn were associated with lower scores of perceived assault seriousness, victim credibility, perpetrator culpability, and greater victim culpability. Overall, the results suggest that men and women may appraise CSA differently, which can be partly explained by differences in SDO, propensity to morally disengage, and empathy. Furthermore, different cognitive mechanisms may be activated with regard to general appraisals of CSA compared to specific cases of CSA.

Consumer perceptions of conventional and alternative protein sources: A mixed-methods approach with meal and product framing.

Understanding consumer perceptions of meat alternatives is key to facilitating a shift toward more sustainable food consumption. Importantly, these perceptions may vary according to the characteristics of the consumer (e.g., preferences, motivations), the product (e.g., sensory attributes) and the encounter (e.g., how the meat alternative is presented/framed). Qualitative and quantitative methods were applied to examine consumer perceptions of five proposed alternatives to meat: legumes, tofu, seitan, lab-grown meat, and insects. In Study 1, 138 participants provided free associations with regards to conventional animal proteins (e.g., red/white meat, fish) and the five alternatives. Three profiles of consumers were identified: (1) hedonically motivated meat eaters uninterested in meat substitutes; (2) health-oriented meat eaters open to some meat substitutes; and (3) ethically conscious meat avoiders positively oriented to most meat alternatives. In Study 2, the presentation of the product was experimentally manipulated: 285 participants evaluated the same five meat alternatives along several dimensions (e.g., edibility, healthiness), either when framed as an individual product or as part of a larger meal. Overall, most meat alternatives benefited from a meal framing, with the notable exception of legumes, which benefited from an individual framing, and insects which were evaluated quite negatively regardless of framing. The present findings suggest that there is not a single way to frame all meat alternatives that will improve their appeal to all consumers.

Comparison of local and centralized biowaste management strategies - A spatially-sensitive approach for the region of Porto.

The increasing concern with greenhouse gas emissions and nutrients cycling creates a need for cost-effective, practical and environmentally sensible biowaste management strategies. Centralized systems have struggled to comply with those needs. Decentralized systems, treating waste at source, promise local nutrient circularity and increased resource sovereignty. The large-scale performance of decentralized systems remains unclear, especially concerning the local sink capacity to assimilate the treatment products. This study aimed to compare centralized and decentralized systems for the region of Porto and assess whether creating additional urban farms could reduce costs and environmental impacts. Spatial analysis was used to assess waste generation, potential compost bin locations, peri-urban and potential urban farmland available, and collection and transport requirements. The carbon footprint of different scenarios was determined using life-cycle assessment. The results show that local composting led to cost savings over centralized systems. However, this system encompassed positive carbon emissions and most districts evidenced limited sink capacity for compost application. Additional urban farms added significant sink capacity, however, their impact on cost and carbon footprint was insignificant. The carbon footprint of centralized systems was heavily dependent on factors influencing collection such as population density, and affected by the renewable content of the electricity grid. Anaerobic digestion was the most climate-friendly option in the urban center and local composting in remote and less dense districts. Municipalities may benefit from tailoring the treatment systems to specific districts, creating additional jobs while reducing cost and climate impacts overall.

Child Sexual Abuse Myth Scale: Validity and Reliability Evidence in the Portuguese Context.

Child sexual abuse myths legitimize abusive behaviors, involving high levels of victim blame and low levels of offender liability. The present study aims to: (i) adapt a measure of endorsement of child sexual abuse myths to the Portuguese context (i.e., Child Sexual Abuse Myth Scale - CSAMS); and (ii) provide validity and reliability evidence for this measure. A total of 423 adults (66.2% female) filled out a sociodemographic questionnaire, the Ambivalent Sexism Inventory, and the CSAMS. The CSAMS validity and reliability results supported the original structure, which comprises three dimensions: Blame Diffusion (e.g., 'Adolescent girls who wear very revealing clothing are asking to be sexually abused'), Restrictive Stereotypes (e.g., 'Most children are sexually abused by strangers or by men who are not well known to the child'), and Denial of Abusiveness (e.g., 'Older children, who have a better understanding of sexual matters, have a responsibility to actively resist sexual advances by adults'). Configural and metric invariance by sex were held, and criterion validity was observed through significant associations between myths, sexism and sex. This study provided evidence in support of the validity and reliability of the Portuguese version of the Child Sexual Abuse Myth Scale.

Em torno da pandemia: factos, perceções e conjeturas / About the pandemic: facts, perceptions, and conjectures / Sobre la pandemia: hechos, percepciones y conjeturas / Autour de la pandémie: faits, perceptions et conjectures

A pandemia da covid interpelou diretamente as nossas sociedades de múltiplas formas, desde aspetos atinentes à confiança social na ciência até à possível hiperpolitização dela, passando pelas prioridades assignadas ao funcionamento dos sistemas económicos e às formas da sua regulação. Sendo o nosso ambiente cultural marcado por evidentes traços de sinofobia, a experiência civilizacional de longo prazo da China é confrontada com a das sociedades ocidentais. As frequentes reclamações de maior intervenção económica estatal e de cooperação social entrecruzam-se com diversos outros problemas, designadamente as desigualdades sociais. O caso sueco foi também objeto de consideração, ficando expressa uma visão cética quanto ao seu valor enquanto modelo médico. São, enfim, destacadas várias complexidades e incertezas da situação presente.

The covid pandemic has directly tested our societies in multiple ways, ranging from aspects regarding social trust in science to its possible over-politicization, through the priorities assigned to the functioning of economic systems and their regulation. Given that our cultural environment is marked by obvious traits of Sinophobia, China's long-term civilizational experience is confronted with that of Western societies. Nowadays frequent claims of bigger state economic intervention and increased social cooperation intersect with various other problems, namely social inequalities. The Swedish case was also the subject of consideration, with a skeptical view being expressed regarding its worth as a medical model. Finally, several complexities and uncertainties of the present situation are highlighted.

La pandemia de la covid afectó a nuestras sociedades de diversas formas, desde aspectos relativos a la confianza social en la ciencia hasta la posible super-politización de la misma, pasando por las prioridades del funcionamiento de los sistemas económicos y sus formas de regulación. Tomando en cuenta los evidentes rasgos de sinofobia en nuestro ambiente cultural, la experiencia civilizadora a largo plazo de China se confronta con la de las sociedades occidentales. Las frecuentes quejas de una mayor intervención económica estatal y de cooperación social se cruzan con diversos otros problemas, especialmente las desigualdades sociales. El caso sueco fue también objeto de consideración, revelando una visión escéptica en relación a su valor como modelo médico. Se destacan varias complejidades y dudas de la presente situación.

La pandémie du covid a interpellé directement nos sociétés de façons multiples, dès les aspects touchant la confiance sociale dans la science, jusqu'à sa possible hyperpolitisation, tout en passant par les priorités assignées au fonctionnement des systèmes économiques et aux formes de sa régulation. Comme notre environnement culturel est marqué par des traits de sinophobie évidents, l'expérience civilisationnelle de longue durée de la Chine est confrontée à celle des sociétés occidentales. Les fréquentes demandes d'une plus grande intervention économiques de la part de l'Etat et d'une coopération sociale, aussi bien que d'autres problèmes divers s'entrecroisent. Le cas suédois a été lui aussi objet d'une analyse, et il en reste un point de vue sceptique concernant sa valeur en tant que modèle médical. Enfin, on met en évidence plusieurs incertitudes et complexités de la situation actuelle.

A intervenção do enfermeiro no exame físico à fístula arteriovenosa da pessoa em programa de hemodiálise / The nurse's intervention in the physical examination of the arteriovenous fistula of the person in the hemodialysis program

A Doença Renal Crónica (DRC) constitui um problema de saúde pública, crescente à escala mundial. No estadio mais avançado desta doença, o cliente depende de uma técnica de terapêutica substitutiva da função renal (TSFR) para sobreviver. As TSFR incluem: a Hemodiálise (HD), a Diálise Peritoneal (DP) e o Transplante Renal (TR). A HD consiste na remoção de água e solutos do sangue por meio de uma membrana semipermeável designada de dialisador. Para a realização do tratamento de HD, é indispensável a existência de um acesso vascular (AV) para HD e este pode ser: uma fístula arteriovenosa (FAV), um(a) enxerto/prótese arteriovenoso(a) (EAV/PAV) ou um cateter venoso central (CVC). No ano de 2018, em Portugal, a FAV foi o AV mais utilizado nos clientes prevalentes no tratamento hemodialítico. Apesar de as FAV serem consideradas o tipo de AV ideal para o referido tratamento, estas podem estar sujeitas a várias complicações e o enfermeiro assume um papel determinante na deteção das mesmas. O exame físico (EF) que o enfermeiro deve efetuar à FAV, principalmente antes do tratamento de HD mas também durante e após o mesmo, é essencial para a sua preservação e consequente longevidade. Neste sentido, com a realização de um EF completo, o enfermeiro aposta na qualidade dos cuidados de enfermagem prestados. A revisão scoping realizada pretendeu responder à seguinte questão: "Qual a precisão do EF na deteção de complicações da FAV da pessoa em HD?". Constatou-se que o EF apresenta um elevado desempenho e precisão no diagnóstico de estenoses venosas nas FAV, existindo uma limitação de estudos relativos à deteção de outros tipos de complicações. Em suma, o EF constitui uma ferramenta muito importante para a deteção e localização de estenoses venosas nas FAV, devendo fazer parte dos protocolos das unidades de HD para o referido diagnóstico e, dessa forma, contribuindo para a melhoria da gestão da qualidade do AV.

Chronic Kidney Disease is a public health problem, growing worldwide. In the most advanced stage of this disease, the client depends on a renal function replacement therapy technique to survive. Renal function replacement therapy include: Hemodialysis, Peritoneal Dialysis and Kidney Transplantation. Hemodialysis consists of removing water and solutes from the blood through a semipermeable membrane called a dialyzer. In order to perform hemodialysis treatment, the existence of a vascular access for hemodialysis is essential and can be: an arteriovenous fistula, an arteriovenous graft/prosthesis or a central venous catheter. In 2018, in Portugal, the arteriovenous fistula was the most used vascular access in prevalent clients in hemodialysis treatment. Although arteriovenous fistulas are considered the ideal type of vascular access for that treatment, they can be subject to various complications and the nurse assumes a determining role in detecting them. The physical examination that the nurse must perform on the arteriovenous fistula, especially before hemodialysis treatment, but also during and after it, is essential for its preservation and consequent longevity. In this sense, with a complete physical examination, the nurse bets on the quality of nursing care provided. The scoping review carried out intended to answer the following question: "How accurate is physical examination in detecting arteriovenous fistula complications of the person on hemodialysis?". It was found that physical examination has a high performance and precision in the diagnosis of venous stenosis in arteriovenous fistulas, with a limitation of studies related to the detection of other types of complications. In short, physical examination is a very important tool for the detection and localization of venous stenosis in arteriovenous fistulas, and should be part of the Hemodialysis unit protocols for the referred diagnosis and, thus, contributing to the improvement of vascular access quality management.

Animal Images Database: Validation of 120 Images for Human-Animal Studies.

There has been increasing interest in the study of human-animal relations. This contrasts with the lack of normative resources and materials for research purposes. We present subjective norms for a set of 120 open-source colour images of animals spanning a total of 12 biological categories (e.g., mammals, insects, reptiles, arachnids). Participants (N = 509, 55.2% female, MAge = 28.05, SD = 9.84) were asked to evaluate a randomly selected sub-set of 12 animals on valence, arousal, familiarity, cuteness, dangerousness, edibility, similarity to humans, capacity to think, capacity to feel, acceptability to kill for human consumption and feelings of care and protection. Animal evaluations were affected by individual characteristics of the perceiver, particularly gender, diet and companion animal ownership. Moral attitudes towards animals were predominantly predicted by ratings of cuteness, edibility, capacity to feel and familiarity. The Animal Images Database (Animal.ID) is the largest open-source database of rated images of animals; the stimuli set and item-level data are freely available online.

Results from the experimental evaluation of CeBr 3 scintillators for 4 He prompt gamma spectroscopy.

PURPOSE: The presence of range uncertainties hinders the exploitation of the full potential of charged particle therapy. Several range verification techniques have been proposed to mitigate this limitation. Prompt gamma spectroscopy (PGS) is among the most promising solutions for online and in vivo range verification. In this work, we present the experimental results of the detection of prompt gamma radiation, induced by 4 He beams at the Heidelberg Ion-Beam Therapy Center (HIT). The results were obtained, using a spectroscopic unit of which the design has been optimized using Monte Carlo simulations. METHODS: The spectroscopic unit is composed by a primary cerium bromide (CeBr 3 ) crystal surrounded by a secondary bismuth germanate (BGO) crystal for anticoincidence detection (AC). The digitalization of the signals is performed with an advanced FADC/FPGA system. The 4 He beams at clinical energies and intensities are delivered to multiple targets in the experimental cave at the HIT. We analyze the production of prompt gamma on oxygen and carbon targets, as well as high Z materials such as titanium and aluminum. The quantitative analysis includes a systematic comparison of the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) improvement for the spectral lines when introducing the AC detection. Moreover, the SNR improvement could provide a reduction of the number of events required to draw robust conclusions. We perform a statistic analysis to determine the magnitude of such an effect. RESULTS: We present the energy spectra detected by the primary CeBr 3 and the secondary BGO. The combination of these two detectors leads to an average increase of the signal-to-noise ratio by a factor 2.1, which confirms the Monte Carlo predictions. The spectroscopic unit is capable of detecting efficiently the discrete gamma emission over the full energy spectrum. We identify and analyze 19 independent spectral lines in an energy range spacing from E γ = 0.718  MeV to E γ = 6.13  MeV. Moreover, when introducing the AC detection, the number of events required to determine robustly the intensity of the discrete lines decreases. Finally, the analysis of the low-energy reaction lines determines whether a thin metal insert is introduced in the beam direction. CONCLUSIONS: This work provides the experimental characterization of the spectroscopy unit in development for range verification through PGS at the HIT. Excellent performances have been demonstrated over the full prompt gamma energy spectrum with 4 He beams at clinical energies and intensities.

Consumption orientations may support (or hinder) transitions to more plant-based diets.

There have been increasing calls for triggering and sustaining a large-scale transition toward healthier and more sustainable food systems. To help materialize this transition, the present work aims to inform efforts for developing, marketing and promoting plant-based meals and plant-forward lifestyles, following a consumption-focused approach. The findings (Nparticipants = 1600, Portugal; 52.6% female, Mage = 48.30) allowed to identify trends and differences on three sets of variables - (a) current eating habits (i.e., meat, fish, and plant-based meals), (b) consumer willingness to change (i.e., reduce meat consumption, follow a plant-based diet, maintain the status quo), and (c) enablers for eating plant-based meals more often (i.e., capability, opportunity, motivation) -, considering consumer orientations toward consumption in general, and food consumption in particular. Taken together, the results suggested that some consumption orientations were aligned with the transition to more plant-based diets (e.g., food orientation toward naturalness), others were open to - but not yet materialized in - the transition (e.g., general orientation toward consumption as exploration), and still others were in tension with the transition (e.g., food orientation toward pleasure). The discussion calls for developing and testing pathways to reduce meat consumption and increase plant-based eating which capture and build upon a range of consumption orientations, rather than against them.

Acerca da multidimensionalidade da categoria sofrimento / On the multidimensionality of the suffering category / Sobre la multidimensionalidad de la categoría sufrimiento / A propos de la multi-dimensionnalisé de la catégorie souffrance

O sofrimento constitui uma realidade complexa, devendo ser distinguido da dor e demandando um tratamento interdisciplinar. São nele identificáveis dimensões várias, nomeadamente físicas, psíquicas, culturais, políticas e socioeconómicas, sendo todavia plenamente legítimo considerá-lo um fato social. As tendências para a tecnologização das respostas ao sofrimento, nomeadamente a psiquiatrização, impõem elas próprias uma abordagem de pendor sociológico, nalguns casos vincando mesmo diversos traços estritamente políticos. Tanto os aspectos atinentes à cultura e à vida religiosa quanto as questões relativas à economia são relevantes na consideração dessa problemática. Em particular, torna-se necessário sublinhar a importância do consumo competitivo e sinalizador de status. Esse relevo do consumo pode, nalguns casos, contribuir para reforçar as desigualdades sociais, do que por sua vez se ressente o bem-estar social geral. Esse reconhecimento, porém, não constitui garantia de que medidas de redistribuição igualitárias sejam consideradas desejáveis, mesmo do ponto de vista dos seus beneficiários.

Suffering is a complex reality, which we ought to distinguish from pain. Various dimensions, namely physical, psychological, cultural, political and socioeconomic, being identifiable, an interdisciplinary treatment is thus required. It is fully legitimate to consider it a social fact. Trends towards rendering responses to suffering a merely technical issue, namely psychiatrization, impose themselves a sociologically inclined approach, and in some cases even the consideration of strictly political traits. Both cultural aspects (including those related to religious life) and the economic facets are relevant to the consideration of this problem. Particularly, it is necessary to underline the importance of competitive consumption as a form of status signalization. This importance of consumption may, in some cases, contribute to reinforce social inequalities, which in turn may have negative repercussions in the general social welfare. This recognition, however, does not warrant that egalitarian redistribution measures are perceived as desirable, even from the point of view of its beneficiaries.

El sufrimiento constituye una realidad compleja, debiendo ser distinguido del dolor y demandando un tratamiento interdisciplinario. En él se identifican varias dimensiones en particular físicas, psíquicas, culturales, políticas y socioeconómicas, siendo plenamente legítimo considerarlo un hecho social. Las tendencias para la tecnología de las respuestas al sufrimiento, en particular la psiquiatrización, imponen por si mismas un enfoque de pendiente sociológico, en algunos casos viniendo incluso a varios rasgos estrictamente políticos. Tanto los aspectos relativos a la cultura y la vida religiosa como las cuestiones relativas a la economía son relevantes en la consideración de esta problemática. En particular, es necesario subrayar la importancia del consumo competitivo y el indicador de estado. Este relieve del consumo puede, en algunos casos, contribuir a reforzar las desigualdades sociales, de lo que a su vez se resiente el bienestar social general. Este reconocimiento, sin embargo, no garantiza que las medidas de redistribución igualitarias se consideren deseables, incluso desde el punto de vista de sus beneficiarios.

La souffrance constitue une réalité complexe qui doit être distinguée de la douleur et qui demande un traitement interdisciplinaire. On y identifie plusieurs dimensions, à savoir physiques, psychiques, culturelles, politiques et socioéconomiques. Néanmoins il est parfaitement légitime de la considérer comme un fait social. Les tendances pour rendre les réponses à la souffrance technologiques, telles que celles de la psychiatrie, imposent elles-mêmes une approche de penchant sociologique, dans certains cas marquant même plusieurs traits strictement politiques. Les aspects liés à la culture et à la vie religieuse, ainsi que les problèmes liés à l'économie, sont des questions majeures pour l'examen de ce problème. En particulier, il devient nécessaire de souligner l'importance de la consommation compétitive et qui sert à signaler le statut. Cet accent mis sur la consommation peut, dans certains cas, contribuer à renforcer les inégalités sociales dont, à leur tour, le bien-être social général éprouve les conséquences. Cette reconnaissance, cependant, n'est pas une garantie que des mesures de redistribution égalitaires seront considérées comme souhaitables, même du point de vue de leurs bénéficiaires.

Emergency residential care settings: A model for service assessment and design.

There have been calls for uncovering the "black box" of residential care services, with a particular need for research focusing on emergency care settings for children and youth in danger. In fact, the strikingly scant empirical attention that these settings have received so far contrasts with the role that they often play as gateway into the child welfare system. To answer these calls, this work presents and tests a framework for assessing a service model in residential emergency care. It comprises seven studies which address a set of different focal areas (e.g., service logic model; care experiences), informants (e.g., case records; staff; children/youth), and service components (e.g., case assessment/evaluation; intervention; placement/referral). Drawing on this process-consultation approach, the work proposes a set of key challenges for emergency residential care in terms of service improvement and development, and calls for further research targeting more care units and different types of residential care services. These findings offer a contribution to inform evidence-based practice and policy in service models of residential care.

Active vitamin D potentiates the anti-neoplastic effects of calcium in the colon: A cross talk through the calcium-sensing receptor.

Epidemiological studies suggest an inverse correlation between dietary calcium (Ca(2+)) and vitamin D intake and the risk of colorectal cancer (CRC). It has been shown in vitro that the active vitamin D metabolite, 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 (1,25-D3) can upregulate expression of the calcium-sensing receptor (CaSR). In the colon, CaSR has been suggested to regulate proliferation of colonocytes. However, during tumorigenesis colonic CaSR expression is downregulated and we hypothesized that the loss of CaSR could influence the anti-tumorigenic effects of Ca(2+) and vitamin D. Our aim was to assess the impact of CaSR expression and function on the anti-neoplastic effects of 1,25-D3 in colon cancer cell lines. We demonstrated that in the healthy colon of mice, high vitamin D diet (2500 IU/kg diet) increased expression of differentiation and apoptosis markers, decreased expression of proliferation markers and significantly upregulated CaSR mRNA expression, compared with low vitamin D diet (100 IU/kg diet). To determine the role of CaSR in this process, we transfected Caco2-15 and HT29 CRC cells with wild type CaSR (CaSR-WT) or a dominant negative CaSR mutant (CaSR-DN) and treated them with 1,25-D3 alone, or in combination with CaSR activators (Ca(2+) and NPS R-568). 1,25-D3 enhanced the anti-proliferative effects of Ca(2+) and induced differentiation and apoptosis only in cells with a functional CaSR, which were further enhanced in the presence of NPS R-568, a positive allosteric modulator of CaSR. The mutant CaSR inhibited the anti-tumorigenic effects of 1,25-D3 suggesting that the anti-neoplastic effects of 1,25-D3 are, at least in part, mediated by the CaSR. Taken together, our data provides molecular evidence to support the epidemiological observation that both, vitamin D and calcium are needed for protection against malignant transformation of the colon and that their effect is modulated by the presence of a functional CaSR. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled '17th Vitamin D Workshop'.