Browsing by Author "Miller P"

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    Outlier analyses and genome-wide association study identify glgC and ERD6-like 4 as candidate genes for foliar water-soluble carbohydrate accumulation in Trifolium repens.
    (Frontiers Media S.A., 2022-01-09) Pearson SM; Griffiths AG; Maclean P; Larking AC; Hong SW; Jauregui R; Miller P; McKenzie CM; Lockhart PJ; Tate JA; Ford JL; Faville MJ; Xie W; Rodriguez VM
    Increasing water-soluble carbohydrate (WSC) content in white clover is important for improving nutritional quality and reducing environmental impacts from pastoral agriculture. Elucidation of genes responsible for foliar WSC variation would enhance genetic improvement by enabling molecular breeding approaches. The aim of the present study was to identify single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with variation in foliar WSC in white clover. A set of 935 white clover individuals, randomly sampled from five breeding pools selectively bred for divergent (low or high) WSC content, were assessed with 14,743 genotyping-by-sequencing SNPs, using three outlier detection methods: PCAdapt, BayeScan and KGD-FST. These analyses identified 33 SNPs as discriminating between high and low WSC populations and putatively under selection. One SNP was located in the intron of ERD6-like 4, a gene coding for a sugar transporter located on the vacuole membrane. A genome-wide association study using a subset of 605 white clover individuals and 5,757 SNPs, identified a further 12 SNPs, one of which was associated with a starch biosynthesis gene, glucose-1-phosphate adenylyltransferase, glgC. Our results provide insight into genomic regions underlying WSC accumulation in white clover, identify candidate genomic regions for further functional validation studies, and reveal valuable information for marker-assisted or genomic selection in white clover.
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    Pre-drinking behaviour of people in the night-time economy: Evidence from a street-intercept survey in New Zealand
    (Wiley, 13/02/2022) Cameron M; Miller P; Roskruge M
    INTRODUCTION: Pre-drinking behaviour has grown in prevalence and generates harm for pre-drinkers and others. In this article, we answer three research questions: (i) Where and when do pre-drinkers obtain their alcohol?; (ii) What is the difference in the level of intoxication of pre-drinkers versus non-pre-drinkers, and how does this difference vary over the course of a night?; and (iii) Is the level of intoxication of pre-drinkers related to where and when they obtain their alcohol? METHODS: We obtained data from 469 respondents using a street-intercept survey conducted in Hamilton, New Zealand in 2019. Data were analysed by cross-tabulation, linear regression and plotting the average intoxication level in the night-time economy over time. RESULTS: The majority of pre-drinkers purchase their alcohol for pre-drinking on the day of consumption. Half of the same-day purchasers purchase before 6 pm. The average level of intoxication increases over the course of the night, and is unambiguously higher for pre-drinkers than non-pre-drinkers. The level of intoxication does not differ based on the source or timing of pre-drinking purchases. The main motivation for pre-drinking was price, especially among women. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS: Pre-drinking is a contributor to intoxication in the night-time economy, but most drinkers purchase their alcohol for pre-drinking before 7 pm. Further research is required to understand whether trading hours restrictions for off-premises alcohol suppliers will affect the most harmful drinking patterns. Price interventions to reduce the price differential between on-licenced and off-licence alcohol outlets offer the greatest potential to reduce pre-drinking and associated harm.
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    Side-loading prevalence and intoxication in the night-time economy
    (Elsevier, 31/12/2021) Cameron M; Miller P; Roskruge M
    Although pre-drinking has attracted considerable research interest, side-loading (any drinking occurring outside of licensed premises during a night out, and excluding drinking at home) is comparatively under-studied. In this paper, we investigate the prevalence of side-loading behaviour and intoxication in the night-time economy of Hamilton, New Zealand's fourth-largest city. Using a street-intercept survey conducted over six nights (n = 469) in March and April 2019, we found that 17.5% of research participants (82/469), and 19.9% of drinkers (82/413), had engaged in side-loading. Of those engaging in side-loading, the majority did so in a car (61.0%), with smaller proportions engaging in side-loading in the street (17.1%), a carpark (12.2%), or somewhere else (13.4%). Men were significantly more likely than women to engage in side-loading behaviour (p = 0.001). In linear models controlling for time of the night, day of the week, and demographic variables, side-loading was not statistically significantly associated with breath alcohol content. This contrasts with pre-drinking, which was associated with statistically significantly higher breath alcohol content. Our results suggest that side-loading might not be used as a method for drinkers to enhance intoxication, but instead as a means of sustaining a target level of intoxication during an evening.