Big Squeeze Research Articles

The Big Squeeze: Lessons from the Trans Mountain Pipeline about the Costs of Invisible Bottlenecks

The Big Squeeze: Lessons from the Trans Mountain Pipeline about the Costs of Invisible Bottlenecks

The big squeeze: a product content and labelling analysis of ready-to-use complementary infant food pouches in Australia

BackgroundEncouraging the early development of healthy eating habits prevents diet-related chronic disease. It is well understood that highly processed foods with high amounts of sugars, salt and fats are a risk factor for non-communicable diseases. Commercial baby foods in ready-to-use squeeze pouches emerged in the global food market around 2012. The long-term effects of this now ubiquitous packaging on the quality of infant diets, baby food consumption and marketing are unknown. This study aimed to conduct a rigorous mixed-methods audit of squeeze pouches in Australia to inform product regulation and policy.MethodsNutritional and marketing data were sourced from products available in Australian retailers. Analysis of nutritional content, texture and packaging labelling and serving size was conducted. Pouches were given a Nutrition Profile Index (NPI) score and compared with the Australian Infant Feeding Guidelines. Marketing text was thematically analysed and compared to existing infant nutrition policy around regulation of marketing claims.Results276 products from 15 manufacturers were analysed, targeting infants from 4 + to 12 + months. Total sugar content ranged 0.8-17.5 g/100 g, 20% (n = 56) of products had added sugars, 17% (n = 46) had added fruit juice, 71% (n = 196) had added fruit puree. Saturated fat content ranged from 0.0 to 5.0 g/100 g, sodium 0.0-69 mg/100 g and dietary fibre 0.0-4.3 g/100 g. Only two products were nutritionally adequate according to a nutrient profiling tool. Marketing messages included ingredient premiumisation, nutrient absence claims, claims about infant development and health, good parenting, and convenience. Claims of ‘no added sugar’ were made for 59% of pouches, despite the addition of free sugars.ConclusionsSqueeze pouch products available in Australia are nutritionally poor, high in sugars, not fortified with iron, and there is a clear risk of harm tothe health of infant and young children if these products are fed regularly. The marketing messages and labelling on squeeze pouches are misleading and do not support WHO or Australian NHMRC recommendations for breastfeeding or appropriate introduction of complementary foods and labelling of products. There is an urgent need for improved regulation of product composition, serving sizes and labelling to protect infants and young children aged 0–36 months and better inform parents.

The big squeeze: maintaining the green infrastructure role of estuarine foreshores while adapting to sea-level rise

ABSTRACT A global challenge concerns reconciling population growth and increasing built infrastructure with foreshore ecosystems that are ‘squeezed’ against a rising sea levels, hampering their ability to deliver life-sustaining ecosystem services. This paper tests established sea-level rise strategies – fortification, accommodation, and retreat – using a city-centre adjacent estuarine case study in Western Australia to understand the implications for foreshore ecosystem service provision. The results indicate that some retreat of urban areas will be required, combined with the migration of the foreshore reserves landward, to maintain ecosystem service functions over the longer term.

Electrostatic Forces in Field-Perturbed Equilibria: Nanopore Analysis of Cage Complexes

Summary Molecular recognition has been widely investigated under equilibrium conditions, but little is known about such processes when perturbed by external forces. Here, we investigate the influence of electric fields on complexes formed between metallosupramolecular cages and a protein nanopore at the single-molecule level. Association rates were dominated by the applied voltage, whereas local electrostatic interactions between the cage and the nanopore more greatly influenced the dissociation kinetics. By exploiting these principles, we showed that the externally applied voltage could be used to selectively bind a specific cage from a mixture containing a large excess of other cages. Moreover, the applied voltage could also be used to drive supramolecular enantio-inversion of the chiral cages or, occasionally, the non-equilibrium capture and disassembly of cages deep within the nanopore. Similar principles might be exploited in the design of other molecular devices that operate within externally applied electric fields or biogenic transmembrane potentials.

The big squeeze.

The big squeeze.

The Big Squeeze: Freedom of Speech Under Pressure

The Big Squeeze: Freedom of Speech Under Pressure

Inequality of opportunity: Some lessons from the case of highly selective universities

Many egalitarians believe that there is a pro tanto reason to remedy inequalities of opportunity in access to higher education. This consensus, I argue, masks practical disagreement among egalitarians: in many real-world choice contexts, egalitarians will disagree about which policies are to be endorsed, both from the point of view of equality and all things considered. I focus my discussion on a real-world case (the ‘big squeeze’ – so-called because the children of well-off families ‘squeeze out’ the children of less well-off families from access to highly selective US universities) that has recently been discussed by Amy Gutmann. I argue that while (a) the ‘big squeeze’ is condemned by the ideal of equal opportunity, nevertheless (b) different egalitarians will favor different policies in response to the ‘big squeeze’, and (c) one intuitive, and apparently egalitarian, response lacks support from most plausible egalitarian views.

Animal behaviour: Kingsnakes go for the big squeeze.

Animal behaviour: Kingsnakes go for the big squeeze.

BIG RIP AND OTHER SINGULARITIES IN ISOTROPIC HOMOGENEOUS COSMOLOGICAL MODELS WITH ARBITRARY EQUATION OF STATE

We study the possible types of future singularities in the isotropic homogeneous cosmological models for the arbitrary equation of state of the contents of the Universe. We obtain all known types of these singularities as well as two new types using a simple approach. No additional singularity types are possible. We name the new singularities type “Big Squeeze” and “Little Freeze”. The “Big Squeeze” is possible only in the flat Universe after a finite time interval. The density of the matter and dark energy tends to zero and its pressure to minus infinity. This requires the dark energy with a specific equation of state that has the same asymptotical behaviour at low densities as the generalised Chaplygin gas. The “Little Freeze” involves an eternal expansion of the Universe. Some solutions can mimic the ΛCDM model.

The big squeeze: scaling of constriction pressure in two of the world's largest snakes, Python reticulatus and Python molurus bivittatus.

Snakes are important predators that have radiated throughout many ecosystems, and constriction was important in their radiation. Constrictors immobilize and kill prey by using body loops to exert pressure on their prey. Despite its importance, little is known about constriction performance or its full effects on prey. We studied the scaling of constriction performance in two species of giant pythons (Python reticulatus and Python molurus bivittatus) and propose a new mechanism of prey death by constriction. In both species, peak constriction pressure increased significantly with snake diameter. These and other constrictors can exert pressures dramatically higher than their prey's blood pressure, suggesting that constriction can stop circulatory function and perhaps kill prey rapidly by over-pressurizing the brain and disrupting neural function. We propose the latter 'red-out effect' as another possible mechanism of prey death from constriction. These effects may be important to recognize and treat properly in rare cases when constrictors injure humans.

Real Wages and Unemployment in the Big Squeeze

UK real wage growth has slowed down, stagnated and recently turned sharply negative. We document the nature of real wage changes across the wage distribution over the last three decades, showing that recent patterns represent a distinct break of trend that pre-dates the onset of recession. We explore whether unemployment has become a stronger moderating influence on real wage growth and report, using aggregate economy-wide and regional panel data, that real wage–unemployment sensitivities have become stronger in the period from 2003 onwards. Finally, we offer some assessment of possible drivers of this increased sensitivity of real wages to unemployment.

Ultrasound for critical care physicians: the big squeeze

Ultrasound for critical care physicians: the big squeeze

The big squeeze: a social and political history of the controversial mammogram

The big squeeze: a social and political history of the controversial mammogram

The Big Squeeze: A Social and Political History of the Controversial Mammogram

The Big Squeeze: A Social and Political History of the Controversial Mammogram

Using systematic change management to improve emergency patients' access to specialist care: the Big Squeeze

BackgroundDelayed access to specialist care for emergency patients is associated with increased risk of morbidity and mortality, and increased patient anxiety.Objectives(1) To provide timelier access to inpatient and urgent outpatient...

Big Budget Squeeze Looms for Major New Facilities

Recent actions by Congress raise serious questions about the National Science Foundation's ability to obtain funding in a timely and orderly manner for major new facilities.

The big squeeze

When the price of oil jumps, logic dictates that people should rush to invest in renewables. But it's not so simple.

Solar: beginning of the big squeeze?

ALL SOLAR technologies face significant challenges going forward. To maintain growth, the industry needs lower component costs - and decisive action, argues Paula Mints.

To the Point - Nursery is a big society

We have to ‘tighten our belts’ we must be prepared for ‘changes’, the ‘Big Squeeze’ is on. If the details are not clear yet, we should be in no doubt about what to expect from Whitehall in the Spending Review on 20 October.

The big squeeze [optical fibre networks

The author looks at what can be done about the limit to how much data optical fibres can carry. Digging ditches to bury more optical fibre is expensive, so operators are looking at ways to squeeze extra capacity from the fibres they already have in the ground by borrowing from the modulation schemes used in wireless. These schemes can encode relatively high numbers of bits per second per Hz of available spectrum, using phase states or phase states combined with polarisation states to carry the information.