Optimal early childhood nutrition is central to healthy growth, wellbeing and development. The World Health Organisation (WHO) Regional Office for Europe Nutrient and Promotion Profile Model (NPPM)(1) recommends that commercial infant and toddler foods do not carry compositional, nutrition, health or marketing claims. The Food Regulation Standing Committee of Australia and New Zealand (NZ) has identified labelling of these foods as a current area of concern(2). This study aims to identify on-pack labelling and marketing claims on commercial packaged foods aimed at infants and toddlers in NZ. Relevant infant and toddler products available in NZ supermarkets were identified through Nutritrack(3), a packaged food database managed by the University of Auckland. Information was collected from four major NZ supermarket chains in Auckland. Photographs of packaged foods and beverages were taken and names, brands, labelling, ingredients and NIP information identified. Data were collected between April and July 2023. In January 2024, online supermarket websites were checked for additional products. Infant products were those intended for ages up to 11 months as indicated on the package, and toddler products for ages 12 months to 36 months. Claims on each side of the package were coded using a pre-existing coding structure according to the three main categories identified in the WHO NPPM, composition and nutrition claims, health claims, and marketing claims, The absence or presence of the type of claim was noted. Descriptive statistics were conducted using Microsoft Excel to analyse frequency of types of claims. Two hundred and ten products were identified, 167 infant and 43 toddler products. All products had some type of claim on the package. On average, there were 7 unique types of claims per product (range 3-14) for both infant and toddler foods. The most common type of claims were composition and nutrition claims, with a mean of 4.0 types per product, followed by 3.3 types of marketing claims and 0.16 health claims. The most prevalent composition and nutrition claims were ‘free from’ claims relating to the absence of ingredients generally perceived to be harmful, most commonly flavours (on 72% of packages), colours (71%), added sugar (53%), preservatives (43%) and salt (33%). Two-thirds of packages (68%) carried statements on the natural or healthy nature of the ingredients mentioning words like organic/fresh/real or natural on-pack. All infant and toddler products carried some type of claim with the most common being about the composition or nutrition of the product, particularly the absence of additives, sugar and salt. Regulation is needed to ensure that parents and caregivers receive accurate information, preventing them from being misled when making purchasing decisions for their children.

Increased temporal variability in the gut microbiome is associated with intestinal conditions such as ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease, leading to the recently established concept of microbial volatility (1). Increased physiological stress has been shown to increase microbial volatility indicating that microbial volatility is susceptible to external interventions(1). Dietary fibre positively affects the gut microbiome, but it is unclear if it impacts microbial volatility. The gut microbiota influences hypertension, and high-fibre intake reduces blood pressure (BP)(2). However, not all individuals exhibit a response to these fibre-based dietary changes, and the reasons for this variability remain unclear. Similarly, it is unknown whether the degree of stability of the gut microbiota consortium could be a determining factor in individual responsiveness to dietary interventions. Here, we aimed to identify: i) whether gut microbiome volatility differs when dietary fibre vs placebo interventions, and ii) whether microbiome volatility discriminates between BP responders and non-responders to a high fibre intervention. Twenty treatment-naive participants with hypertension received either placebo or 40g per day of prebiotic acetylated and butyrylated high amylose maize starch (HAMSAB) supplementation for 3 weeks in a phase II randomised cross-over double-blind placebo-controlled trial(3). Blood pressure was monitored at baseline and each endpoint by 24-hour ambulatory BP monitoring, with those experiencing a reduction between timepoints of ≥ 2 mmHg classified as responders. Baseline stool samples were collected, and the V4 region of the 16S gene was sequenced. Taxonomy was assigned by reference to the SILVA database. Microbial volatility between timepoints (e.g., pre- and post-intervention) was calculated as the Euclidian distance of centred log-ratio transformed genera counts (Aitchison distance). No difference was observed in microbial volatility between individuals when they received the dietary fibre intervention or the placebo (21.5 ± 5.5 vs 20.5 ± 7.7, p = 0.51). There was no significant difference between microbial volatility on the dietary intervention between responders and non-responders (21.8 ± 4.9 vs 20.9 ± 7.2, p = 0.84). There was no association between the change in BP during intervention and microbial volatility during intervention (r2 = −0.09, p = 0.72). These data suggest that temporal volatility of the gut microbiota does not change with fibre intake or contribute to the BP response to dietary fibre intervention trials in people with hypertension.

Oceania is currently facing a substantial challenge: to provide sustainable and ethical food systems that support nutrition and health across land and water. The Nutrition Society of Australia and the Nutrition Society of New Zealand held a joint 2023 Annual Scientific Meeting on ‘Nutrition and Wellbeing in Oceania’ attended by 408 delegates. This was a timely conference focussing on nutrition challenges across the Pacific, emphasising the importance of nutrition across land and water, education settings, women’s health and gut health. Cutting-edge, multi-disciplinary and collaborative research was presented in a 4-day programme of keynote presentations, workshops, oral and poster sessions, breakfast and lunch symposiums and early career researcher sessions. The conference highlighted the importance of collaboration between nations to address the challenge facing nutrition and wellbeing across Oceania. A systems approach of collaboration among scientists, industry and government is vital for finding solutions to this challenge.

The eight well-known food security indicators were developed in 1997 using a stepwise process that involved five focus group interviews (one Māori, one Pakeha, two Pacific, and one mixed ethnicity) of 8-16 people, all of whom were either on a low income or were government beneficiaries(1). As part of the development of the tools and methods for a future New Zealand National Nutrition Survey, these eight indicators were considered for inclusion. The Māori and Technical Advisory Groups convened for the development of the National Nutrition Survey foresaw issues with the interpretation of some of the questions given the changes in the food environment and sources of food assistance in the last 25 years and recommended that cognitive testing should be conducted to see if changes were required. Participants were recruited through two community organisations, a local marae, and community Facebook pages. Participants were given the option of participating in a one-on-one interview or as part of a focus group. During each session, participants were asked five (three original and two new) questions relating to food security (running out of basics, use of food assistance, household food preparation and storage resources). After each question, the participants were asked a series of additional probing questions to ascertain whether they had interpreted the question as intended. All interviews were audio recorded and transcribed, and a qualitative analysis was performed on the transcripts to determine areas of concern with each question. A total of 46 participants completed the cognitive testing of the food security questions, including 26 aged 18-64 years, and 20 aged 65+ years. Participants also spanned a range of ethnicities including 8 Māori, 15 Pasifika, 15 Asian, and 8 New Zealand European or Other. Just over half of the participants (n=24) reported themselves to be financially secure, 16 participants reported that their financial security was borderline, 1 participant reported that they were not at all financially secure, and 5 participants declined to answer. Variable interpretations of terms by participants were found in all questions that were tested. Therefore, answers to the food security questions may have not reflected the actual experience of participants. This study also identified other dimensions of food security not assessed by the current eight indicators (e.g., lack of time, poor accessibility). These findings indicate that the food security questions need to be improved to ensure they are interpreted as intended and that new questions are needed that considers all dimensions of food insecurity (i.e., access, availability, utilisation, and stability). These new and amended questions should be cognitively tested in groups that are more likely to be experiencing food insecurity.

National nutrition surveys play a pivotal role in shaping public health policies and programmes by providing valuable insights into dietary intake and the nutritional wellbeing of a population. A team from the University of Auckland and Massey University worked alongside the Ministry of Health and the Ministry for Primary Industries to develop the methods and tools for a future New Zealand Nutrition Survey. Throughout these developmental stages, we partnered and engaged with Māori as tangata whenua, and other key ethnic groups in Aotearoa - New Zealand, ensuring that their unique dietary practices and preferences were accurately captured. This presentation centres on the adaptation of Intake24, an innovative web-based 24-hour dietary recall tool, to optimize dietary data collection within the New Zealand context. The adaptation process involved several key steps including rationalisation of a New Zealand-specific food list, incorporating cultural dishes, adding new portion size estimation aids, and further customisation of the user interface(1). We provide new insights into the user experience and the tool’s functionality, sharing findings from field testing and valuable user feedback. This approach ensures collection of dietary data that is truly representative of the New Zealand population and acknowledges the rich diversity and dietary nuances within the country. As such, this adapted New Zealand version of Intake24 could serve as an essential tool for use in a future National Nutrition Survey or other research initiatives to collect accurate, culturally sensitive, and actionable nutrition data providing evidence to inform future public health programmes and policies.

Uncontrolled hypertension is a primary cause of non-communicable diseases and death globally(1). The gut microbiota plays a role in hypertension and dietary interventions high in fibre have been shown to lower blood pressure (BP)(2). Not all participants respond to dietary fibre interventions, for reasons which are unclear. Here we aimed to identify responders of a high fibre intervention based on their baseline gut microbiome. Twenty treatment-naive participants with hypertension received either placebo or 40g per day of prebiotic acetylated and butyrylated high amylose maize starch (HAMSAB) supplementation for 3 weeks in a phase II randomised cross-over double-blind placebo-controlled trial. Blood pressure was monitored at baseline and each endpoint by 24-hour ambulatory BP monitoring, with those experiencing a reduction between timepoints of ≥ 2 mmHg classified as responders. Baseline stool samples were collected and the V4-V5 region of the 16S gene sequenced. Taxonomy was assigned by reference to the SILVA database. The MaAsLin2 package was used for assessing the relationship between baseline gut microbiota and response to dietary intervention. Overall participants had significant reduction in 24-hour systolic BP (–6.1 mmHg, p = 0.03), with 14 individuals classified as responders and six individuals as non-responders. 13 genera were found to be differentially abundant between responders and non-responders. Genera significantly enriched in responders included Dialister (β = 1.29, q = 1.921x10-134), Coprococcus (β = 1.26, q = 3.282x10-121), Bifidobacterium (β = 1.67, q = 1.11x10-81), Ruminococcus (β = 0.161, q = 1.11x10-8) and Roseburia (β = 0.82, q = 4.275x10-2). Participants who experienced a decrease in systolic BP following a dietary fibre intervention had increased level of bacterial genera known to contain species that produce short-chain fatty acids (e.g. Bifidobacterium, Roseburia and Ruminococcus) at baseline. These data suggest that baseline microbiota composition contributes to the response to dietary fibre intervention trials in people with hypertension.

Publicly-funded healthcare facilities in Australia(1) and New Zealand(2) have adopted healthy food and drink policies to enable staff and visitors to choose and consume healthier options. However, adopting such policies does not translate to their full implementation and compliance by food providers, who face barriers to providing healthier food and drinks(3). As part of the wider HealthY Policy Evaluation (HYPE) study, we interviewed hospital food providers and public health dietitians/professionals to understand their experiences implementing the voluntary National Healthy Food and Drink Policy introduced in New Zealand in 2016. Semi-structured interviews focused on the awareness, understanding of, and attitudes towards the Policy; level of support received; perceived customer response; tools and resources needed to support implementation; and unintended or unforeseen consequences. All semi-structured interviews were transcribed verbatim, inductively coded with the assistance of QSR’s NVivo software, and analysed using the reflexive thematic analysis method by Braun and Clarke(4). Twelve participants from across New Zealand were interviewed. Time in their roles ranged from one to 14.5 years, and many were not in the position when the Policy was first adopted. There was a discrepancy in the awareness of the voluntary Policy. However, there was agreement that hospitals should be healthy eating role models for the wider community. Reflexive thematic analysis identified three themes relating to the implementation of the Policy in New Zealand: 1) complexities of operating food outlets under the Policy in hospitals; 2) adoption, implementation and monitoring of the Policy as a series of incoherent ad-hoc actions; and 3) the Policy as (currently) not achieving the desired impact. Participants recognised that the current food supply, presence of food outlets nearby hospitals serving unhealthy foods and culture of unhealthy eating, combined with the difficulty of changing people’s eating habits, leaves doubts if the Policy and healthier options served in the healthcare facilities have any tangible positive impact on staff or visitors. Key suggestions to promote successful Policy implementation included adoption of a mandatory National Policy, funding of central government support for implementation (including supportive implementation tools), regular and systematic monitoring of food availability in each region, and frequent and ongoing communication with staff and visitors using positive messaging around healthy eating and non-health related benefits (e.g. sustainability) to increase their buy-in. Findings from stakeholder interviews and the remaining parts of the HYPE evaluation study are informing the update of the National Policy and associated supportive tools, and highlight the potential positive impact a comprehensive policy evaluation could have on improving policy implementation.

In this paper, we describe the system design and capabilities of the Australian Square Kilometre Array Pathfinder (ASKAP) radio telescope at the conclusion of its construction project and commencement of science operations. ASKAP is one of the first radio telescopes to deploy phased array feed (PAF) technology on a large scale, giving it an instantaneous field of view that covers $31\,\textrm{deg}^{2}$ at $800\,\textrm{MHz}$. As a two-dimensional array of 36$\times$12 m antennas, with baselines ranging from 22 m to 6 km, ASKAP also has excellent snapshot imaging capability and 10 arcsec resolution. This, combined with 288 MHz of instantaneous bandwidth and a unique third axis of rotation on each antenna, gives ASKAP the capability to create high dynamic range images of large sky areas very quickly. It is an excellent telescope for surveys between 700 and $1800\,\textrm{MHz}$ and is expected to facilitate great advances in our understanding of galaxy formation, cosmology, and radio transients while opening new parameter space for discovery of the unknown.

The present study analyzed lexical processing efficiency in Spanish-speaking English language learners (ELLs) and their monolingual English-speaking peers from kindergarten through second grade. Specifically, changes in the patterns of speed and accuracy on a rapid object-naming task were evaluated across languages for the ELL children and across the groups of children. Repeated measures analysis of variance demonstrated that ELL children have a rapid shift in language processing efficiency from Spanish to English by the end of kindergarten. Results also showed that by the end of kindergarten ELL children were slightly faster and more accurate in English compared with their monolingual peers. This work provides perspective on how lexical processing is impacted by the development of a dual lexical system. We discuss how lexical density, strength of lexical connections, and environmental constraints may influence this rapid shift in lexical processing efficiency for young Spanish-speaking ELL children.

This paper examines the velocity distribution function and cyclotron resonance conditions for a beam of electrons moving in a magnetic field which gradually changes with time. A spatial gradient of magnetic field is known to result in an unstable horseshoe distribution of electrons. The field gradient in time adds additional effects due to an induced electric field. The resultant anisotropic velocity distribution function, which we call a Luvdisk distribution, has some distinctive properties when compared to the horseshoe. Fitting the cyclotron resonance condition circle shows that the frequency of the resultant emission is under the local cyclotron frequency. While the spatial gradient results in the emission coming almost perpendicularly to the field, the direction of the radiation under a time-changing field has more variability. The Luvdisk distribution also arises when the magnetic field has a gradient both in space and time. The beam can be unstable if those gradients are added or subtracted from each other (if the gradients are of equal or different sign), which occurs even when the total change of magnetic field is negative. While the frequency of the emission is related to the final magnetic field value, its direction is indicative of the field’s history which produced the instability.

Addictive disorders are being increasingly influenced by technology and one of the most recent developments is for gamblers to access games via the Internet. Prevalence data show that up to 10% of the population gamble online and studies have consistently indicated that Internet gamblers are particularly susceptible to developing gambling problems. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to explore differences between Internet and non-Internet gamblers to help determine why online gamblers are more likely to have gambling problems. Three hundred and seventy four participants (143 online gamblers, 172 males) from a large Canadian university completed an online questionnaire to investigate demographic, medium-related, comorbid psychological and cognitive factors with strong empirical support for contributing to problem gambling severity. Variables that significantly differentiated Internet and non-Internet gamblers in a univariate analyses were entered into a logistic regression to predict online gambling. A test of the full model was statistically significant, correctly classifying 77% of gamblers (64% of Internet gamblers and 85% of non-Internet gamblers). Cognitive distortions made an independent contribution to predicting Internet gamblers from those that had never wagered online. A hierarchical linear regression analysis revealed that cognitive distortions added significantly to problem gambling severity among online gamblers after controlling for other contributing variables. The findings have implications for clinicians working with Internet gamblers to specifically address thoughts related to luck, perseverance and illusion of control. As gambling technologies change and evolve, research needs to inform practice by identifying possible causal factors contributing to problem severity.

A national need is to prepare for and respond to accidental or intentional disasters categorized as chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, or explosive (CBRNE). These incidents require specific subject-matter expertise, yet have commonalities. We identify 7 core elements comprising CBRNE science that require integration for effective preparedness planning and public health and medical response and recovery. These core elements are (1) basic and clinical sciences, (2) modeling and systems management, (3) planning, (4) response and incident management, (5) recovery and resilience, (6) lessons learned, and (7) continuous improvement. A key feature is the ability of relevant subject matter experts to integrate information into response operations. We propose the CBRNE medical operations science support expert as a professional who (1) understands that CBRNE incidents require an integrated systems approach, (2) understands the key functions and contributions of CBRNE science practitioners, (3) helps direct strategic and tactical CBRNE planning and responses through first-hand experience, and (4) provides advice to senior decision-makers managing response activities. Recognition of both CBRNE science as a distinct competency and the establishment of the CBRNE medical operations science support expert informs the public of the enormous progress made, broadcasts opportunities for new talent, and enhances the sophistication and analytic expertise of senior managers planning for and responding to CBRNE incidents.

GravityCam is a new concept of ground-based imaging instrument capable of delivering significantly sharper images from the ground than is normally possible without adaptive optics. Advances in optical and near-infrared imaging technologies allow images to be acquired at high speed without significant noise penalty. Aligning these images before they are combined can yield a 2.5–3-fold improvement in image resolution. By using arrays of such detectors, survey fields may be as wide as the telescope optics allows. Consequently, GravityCam enables both wide-field high-resolution imaging and high-speed photometry. We describe the instrument and detail its application to provide demographics of planets and satellites down to Lunar mass (or even below) across the Milky Way. GravityCam is also suited to improve the quality of weak shear studies of dark matter distribution in distant clusters of galaxies and multiwavelength follow-ups of background sources that are strongly lensed by galaxy clusters. The photometric data arising from an extensive microlensing survey will also be useful for asteroseismology studies, while GravityCam can be used to monitor fast multiwavelength flaring in accreting compact objects and promises to generate a unique data set on the population of the Kuiper belt and possibly the Oort cloud.

Diet, obesity and adipokines play important roles in diabetes and CVD; yet, limited studies have assessed the relationship between diet and multiple adipokines. This cross-sectional study assessed associations between diet, adiposity and adipokines in Mexican Americans. The cohort included 1128 participants (age 34·7±8·2 years, BMI 29·5±5·9 kg/m2, 73·2 % female). Dietary intake was assessed by 12-month food frequency questionnaire. Adiposity was measured by BMI, total percentage body fat and percentage trunk fat using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. Adiponectin, apelin, C-reactive protein (CRP), dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-IV), IL-1β, IL-1ra, IL-6, IL-18, leptin, lipocalin, monocyte chemo-attractant protein-1 (MCP-1), resistin, secreted frizzled protein 4 (SFRP-4), SFRP-5, TNF-α and visfatin were assayed with multiplex kits or ELISA. Joint multivariate associations between diet, adiposity and adipokines were analysed using canonical correlations adjusted for age, sex, energy intake and kinship. The median (interquartile range) energy intake was 9514 (7314, 11912) kJ/d. Overall, 55 % of total intake was accounted for by carbohydrates (24 % from sugar). A total of 66 % of the shared variation between diet and adiposity, and 34 % of diet and adipokines were explained by the top canonical correlation. The diet component was most represented by sugar-sweetened beverages (SSB), fruit and vegetables. Participants consuming a diet high in SSB and low in fruits and vegetables had higher adiposity, CRP, leptin, and MCP-1, but lower SFRP-5 than participants with high fruit and vegetable and low SSB intake. In Mexican Americans, diets high in SSB but low in fruits and vegetables contribute to adiposity and a pro-inflammatory adipokine profile.

Introduction: Direct observation is essential to assess medical trainees and provide them with feedback to support their progression from novice to competent physicians. However, learners consistently report infrequent observations, and calls to increase direct observation in medical training abound. In this study, a theory-driven approach using the Theoretical Domains Framework (TDF) was applied to systematically investigate factors that serve as barriers and enablers to direct observation in residency training. Methods: Semi-structured interviews of faculty and residents from various specialties at two large tertiary-care teaching hospitals were conducted. An interview guide based on the TDF was used to capture 14 theoretical domains that may influence direct observation. Interview transcripts were independently coded using direct content analysis by two researchers, and specific beliefs were generated by grouping similar responses. Relevant domains were identified based on the frequencies of beliefs reported, presence of conflicting beliefs, and perceived influence on direct observation practices. Results: Data saturation was achieved after 12 resident and 13 faculty interviews, with a total of 10 different specialties represented. Median postgraduate year among residents was 4 (range 1-6), and mean years of independent practice among faculty was 10.3 (SD=8.6). Ten TDF domains were identified as influencing direct observation: knowledge, skills, beliefs about consequences, social professional role and identity, intention, goals, memory/attention/decision-making, environmental context and resources, social influences, and behavioural regulation. Discord between faculty and resident intentions to engage in direct observation, coupled with the social expectation that residents should be responsible for ensuring observations occur, was identified as a key barrier. Additionally, competing demands identified across multiple TDF domains emerged as an important and pervasive theme. Conclusion: This study identified key barriers and enablers to direct observation. The influencing factors identified in this study provide a basis for the development of potential strategies aimed at embedding direct observation as a routine pedagogical practice in residency training.