Liverpool Hope University is a public university with campuses in Liverpool, England. The university grew out of three teacher training colleges: Saint Katharine's College (originally Warrington Training College), Notre Dame College, and Christ's College. Uniquely in European higher education, the university has an ecumenical tradition, with Saint Katharine's College having been Anglican and Notre Dame and Christ's both Catholic. The Anglican Bishop of Liverpool David Sheppard and the Catholic Archbishop of Liverpool Derek Worlock (who give their names to the university's Sheppard-Worlock Library) played a prominent role in its formation. Its name derives from Hope Street, the road which connects the city's Anglican and Catholic cathedrals, where graduation ceremonies are alternately held.The university is both a research and teaching intensive institution. It has gained notable recognition for its teaching. In the late 2010s it achieved a Gold rating in the UK Government's Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF), and rankings in teaching-focused league tables is comparable with lower-performing Russell Group universities.The current Vice Chancellor Gerald Pillay has summarised the university as a liberal arts college-style environment where "[students are] a name, not a number." Its "small and beautiful" ethos has been contrasted with the larger neighbouring University of Liverpool and Liverpool John Moores University (LJMU).
Neutrinoless double-beta (0 nu beta beta) decays provide an excellent probe for determining whether neutrinos are Dirac or Majorana fermions. The short-range matrix elements associated with the pi- -> pi+ee process contribute at leading order in the 0 nu beta beta decay channel nn -> ppee through pion exchange between nucleons. However, current lattice calculations show notable discrepancies in predicting these short-range contributions. To address this issue, we perform a lattice QCD calculation of the pi- -> pi+ee matrix elements using domain wall fermion ensembles at the physical pion mass generated by the RBC/UKQCD Collaboration. To mitigate contamination from around-the-world effects, we develop a new method to reconstruct and subtract them directly from lattice data. We then perform nonperturbative renormalization in the regularization-independent symmetric momentum-subtraction scheme (RI/SMOM), using the (gamma mu, gamma mu) and (/4, /4) projectors. Compared with previous studies, this work reduces the uncertainties in the matrix elements and provides an independent cross-check that helps to reconcile the discrepancies among previous lattice calculations.
Agrisemantics promises improved interoperability, traceability and analytics in food and agriculture, yet adoption remains limited. This study reports 28 semi-structured interviews and a survey of 76 practitioners, analyzed thematically to identify organizational, financial, technical and cultural factors shaping uptake. Key barriers include decision-maker resistance, internal gatekeeping, limited tools, data heterogeneity and shortages of skilled personnel, with additional constraints in less developed countries. Drivers include provenance, traceability, digitalization, regulation and individual champions. The study contributes an empirically grounded account of adoption and recommends incentive alignment, stronger governance and enhanced tooling and training to support sustainable Agrisemantic infrastructure.
This article critically appraises Clint Hocking's seminal blog post, "Ludonarrative Dissonance in Bioshock." In doing so, it aims to provide clarity on ludonarrative dissonance: a concept that has been widely utilised yet under-theorised since its inception. First, the article reviews contesting notions of ludonarrative dissonance before establishing a game-centred, rather than a player-centred, understanding of the term. Then, by expanding on Hocking's brief reading of the acclaimed 2007 video game, BioShock, the article challenges the common assumption that certain aspects of this game's ludic and narrative properties are in flux. Finally, the article advocates moving away from Hocking's perception of ludonarrative dissonance as a design flaw in video games; embracing the concept from the point of view of the researcher and video game developer as a signifier of ideological tensions and a rhetorical device.
Functional foods have attracted increasing scientific and commercial interest due to their potential roles in health promotion and the prevention of non-communicable diseases such as diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. In this review, we will critically examine the current evidence on functional foods by focusing on their classification, bioactive components, biological mechanisms, consumer acceptance and regulatory frameworks. Bioactive compounds, such as polyphenols, dietary fibre and probiotics, from both plant- and animal-origin functional foods, have also been examined in this review. Despite substantial experimental and epidemiological evidence, the translation of functional foods into consistent health benefits remains challenged by variability in bioavailability, food matrix effects, processing conditions and interindividual differences in genetics and gut microbiota. Key mechanistic determinants of bioefficacy, including intestinal transport processes, molecular structure, stereochemistry, and food–drug interactions, are discussed. Consumers’ perception and purchasing behaviour are examined, identifying the influence of product format, socio-demographic characteristics, information sources, health motivation and price sensitivity. Our review also compares the regulatory approaches in the United States, European Union, Japan and China, highlighting the heterogeneity in definitions and health claim substantiation requirements. Finally, emerging opportunities such as metabolic profiling technologies and personalised nutrition are highlighted as future directions to support evidence-based, effective and equitable functional food development.
We show how to derive noncommutative versions of integrable partial difference equations using Darboux transformations. As an illustrative example, we use the nonlinear Schr & ouml;dinger system. We derive a noncommutative nonlinear Schr & ouml;dinger equation and we construct its integrable discretisations via the compatibility condition of Darboux transformations around the square. In particular, we construct a noncommutative Adler-Yamilov type system and a noncommutative discrete Toda equation. For the noncommutative Adler-Yamilov type system we construct B & auml;cklund transformations.
