Latest news with #QUB
Belfast Telegraph
4 days ago
- Health
- Belfast Telegraph
Dark chocolate and tea among foods that could lead to longer life, Queen's University study finds
New research conducted by Queens University Belfast (QUB) has found that consuming a diverse range of foods rich in flavonoids like dark chocolate and tea may help extend your life. The study tracked over 120,000 people aged between 40 and 70 for over a decade. It's research was led by a team of academics from QUB, alongside Edith Cowan University Perth (ECU), and the Medical University of Vienna and Universitat Wien. Their findings revealed that diversifying the consumption of plant compounds called flavonoids could help prevent diseases such as cancer, heart disease and type-2 diabetes. Flavonoids are a group of naturally occurring substances found in plant foods like tea, berries, oranges, grapes, dark chocolate and even red wine. It is the first study to suggest that there is a benefit for those who eat a wide range of these foods beyond consuming a high quantity of them. Co-leading the research was Professor Adeín Cassidy who called the findings 'significant' in helping to increase the chance of reducing ill-health. Professor Cassidy from the Co-Centre for Sustainable Food Systems and Institute for Global Food Security at QUB said: 'We have known for some time that higher intakes of dietary flavonoids, powerful bioactives naturally present in many foods and drinks, can reduce the risk of developing heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and neurological conditions like Parkinson's. 'We also know from lab data and clinical studies that different flavonoids work in different ways, some improve blood pressure, others help with cholesterol levels and decrease inflammation. 'This study is significant as the results indicate that consuming a higher quantity and wider diversity has the potential to lead to a greater reduction in ill health than just a single source.' He added that the results provide 'a clear and public health message' for basic dietary swaps which can help improve health in the long-term. Also co-leading the paper was ECU Research Fellow Dr Benjamin Parmenter who explained how just two cups of tea was enough to reduce all-cause mortality by 16%. 'However, those who consumed the widest diversity of flavonoids, had an even lower risk of these diseases, even when consuming the same total amount.' Dr Parmenter explained: 'So for example, instead of just drinking tea, it's better to eat a range of flavonoid-rich foods to make up your intake, because different flavonoids come from different foods.' Professor Tilman Kuhn from QUB and the partnering Austrian university's highlighted the diversity aspect of flavonoid consumption has never been explored until now. The study co-lead said: 'The importance of diversity of flavonoid intake has never been investigated until now, so our study is very significant as the findings align with popular claims that eating colourful foods are invaluable to maintain good health. 'Eating fruits and vegetables in a variety of colours, including those rich in flavonoids, means you're more likely to get the vitamins and nutrients you need to sustain a healthier lifestyle.'
Belfast Telegraph
03-05-2025
- Sport
- Belfast Telegraph
Meet the QUB academic who's still clocking run times at international level: ‘I didn't think I would be as fast at this age'
Gladys Ganiel has a lot of demands on her time. Alongside being an academic at Queen's University Belfast, she is also a mother and a dedicated marathon runner. She is successful in both her work and her hobby: she is a professor of the Sociology of Religion at QUB, and still runs impressive times in marathons, having previously competed at the Commonwealth Games.
Yahoo
28-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Are Qube Holdings Limited's (ASX:QUB) Mixed Financials Driving The Negative Sentiment?
It is hard to get excited after looking at Qube Holdings' (ASX:QUB) recent performance, when its stock has declined 3.4% over the past three months. It is possible that the markets have ignored the company's differing financials and decided to lean-in to the negative sentiment. Fundamentals usually dictate market outcomes so it makes sense to study the company's financials. In this article, we decided to focus on Qube Holdings' ROE. Return on equity or ROE is an important factor to be considered by a shareholder because it tells them how effectively their capital is being reinvested. In other words, it is a profitability ratio which measures the rate of return on the capital provided by the company's shareholders. Our free stock report includes 1 warning sign investors should be aware of before investing in Qube Holdings. Read for free now. ROE can be calculated by using the formula: Return on Equity = Net Profit (from continuing operations) ÷ Shareholders' Equity So, based on the above formula, the ROE for Qube Holdings is: 7.1% = AU$222m ÷ AU$3.1b (Based on the trailing twelve months to December 2024). The 'return' is the profit over the last twelve months. Another way to think of that is that for every A$1 worth of equity, the company was able to earn A$0.07 in profit. View our latest analysis for Qube Holdings So far, we've learned that ROE is a measure of a company's profitability. Based on how much of its profits the company chooses to reinvest or "retain", we are then able to evaluate a company's future ability to generate profits. Assuming all else is equal, companies that have both a higher return on equity and higher profit retention are usually the ones that have a higher growth rate when compared to companies that don't have the same features. When you first look at it, Qube Holdings' ROE doesn't look that attractive. Yet, a closer study shows that the company's ROE is similar to the industry average of 6.1%. Particularly, the exceptional 23% net income growth seen by Qube Holdings over the past five years is pretty remarkable. Taking into consideration that the ROE is not particularly high, we reckon that there could also be other factors at play which could be influencing the company's growth. Such as - high earnings retention or an efficient management in place. We then compared Qube Holdings' net income growth with the industry and found that the company's growth figure is lower than the average industry growth rate of 47% in the same 5-year period, which is a bit concerning. The basis for attaching value to a company is, to a great extent, tied to its earnings growth. What investors need to determine next is if the expected earnings growth, or the lack of it, is already built into the share price. By doing so, they will have an idea if the stock is headed into clear blue waters or if swampy waters await. Has the market priced in the future outlook for QUB? You can find out in our latest intrinsic value infographic research report. The high three-year median payout ratio of 80% (implying that it keeps only 20% of profits) for Qube Holdings suggests that the company's growth wasn't really hampered despite it returning most of the earnings to its shareholders. Additionally, Qube Holdings has paid dividends over a period of at least ten years which means that the company is pretty serious about sharing its profits with shareholders. Upon studying the latest analysts' consensus data, we found that the company's future payout ratio is expected to drop to 59% over the next three years. Accordingly, the expected drop in the payout ratio explains the expected increase in the company's ROE to 9.7%, over the same period. On the whole, we feel that the performance shown by Qube Holdings can be open to many interpretations. Although the company has shown a fair bit of growth in earnings, the reinvestment rate is low. Meaning, the earnings growth number could have been significantly higher had the company been retaining more of its profits and reinvesting that at a higher rate of return. That being so, a study of the latest analyst forecasts show that the company is expected to see a slowdown in its future earnings growth. To know more about the company's future earnings growth forecasts take a look at this free report on analyst forecasts for the company to find out more. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned. Sign in to access your portfolio
BBC News
21-04-2025
- General
- BBC News
Meeting Pope Francis: 'He told us to go to the pub with our friends'
"We have one hour - ask the Pope whatever you want."Those were words that County Armagh woman Shannon Campbell did not expect to hear in an audience with Pope that is how he began a meeting with a group from Queen's University Belfast (QUB) in had travelled to the Vatican to mark the 50th anniversary of the Catholic Chaplaincy and were invited to meet him in his private 27, who is the director of campus ministry at the chaplaincy, described how an unknown cardinal had tried to soothe the group's nerves as they waited by telling them that it would be "like meeting your grandfather". They were surprised when the door to the room was opened by the Pope himself, who was beaming and smiling – but further surprises were to come."There was a seat out for each of us and on the seat was a copy of the speech that he was going to give. When he got to his seat, he picked up the speech and said 'you can read this in your own time, we have one hour, ask the Pope whatever you want'." So – what did they ask the pontiff and leader of the world's 1.3 billion Catholics?"Students were asking him about his time at university and how to live the faith as a young Catholic. He was talking about his university days in Argentina. He was super relaxed and made us all feel relaxed," said Shannon."He really encouraged us to live our faith in a joyful, life-giving way and to be authentic. He told us to go to the pub with your friends, do what young people do but always have the message of the gospel in your back pocket."Michael Loughran is a fourth year engineering student at Queen's – he described meeting Pope Francis as an inspiration."Whenever he spoke there was always a calmness he would bring and you would be reassured that your church would be in the right place when he was there," he 22-year-old added that he felt the Pope was willing to hear both sides of things."He does go right into conversations whereas popes in the past would have been more on eggshells with certain topics. He did address things that are social issues – especially for young people." Shannon said she thought this Pope's time at the head of the church would be remembered as a "very joyful papacy that was very much at one with the people".And as for those calming words from the cardinal – was he right?"What that cardinal said was true – it was like walking in to meet with your grandparent," she said."Part of our choir was actually part of the group too and usually he finishes a private audience by giving us a blessing and this time he asked us to sing the blessing. So we sang him an Irish blessing to end our meeting."
BBC News
09-04-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Queen's University Belfast: Irish language speakers hold protest
Around 100 Irish-speaking students have held a demonstration to call for bilingual signage at Queen's University of Belfast (QUB).The demonstration on Wednesday was organised by An Cumann Gaelach, the university's Irish language want "more visibility" for the Irish language on campus, including signage in Irish and English.A QUB spokesperson said: "The university's leadership will meet with Cumann Gaelach next week to discuss this important issue." Róisín Nic Liam is a PhD student at the university and spoke at the demonstration."There's been no problems with bilingual signage across the rest of the United Kingdom or in the Republic," she told BBC News NI."Queen's is actually lagging behind other universities in terms of representations and equality."It's not that we're looking for supremacy."We're not looking for Irish only signs, we're looking for bilingual signs which recognise both Irish speakers and English speakers in this country."An Cumann Gaelach said that around 1,000 students and staff had backed their call for bilingual signage. Some staff also came to Wednesday's demonstration to offer support, including Dr Michael said that QUB had already made progress by appointing an Irish language support officer."We've seen a lot of movement forward at Queen's and I think this is an extra move that's a simple one, a straightforward one, " he said."Signage makes people feel welcome. It allows the expression of culture in a very basic way and it suggests that we're a tolerant open inclusive place."But not all students have been supportive of the call for Irish and English bilingual a statement posted on social media, the QUB Young Unionists said the "cost of such signage is not something which we would want to see the university try to cover, especially when the university is facing cutbacks in some areas."Queen's should strive to be a neutral and shared space, and we would urge the university to make this their priority."Forcing the issue could only play further into the idea that it is a cold house." 'Irish is for everyone' But Eoghan Ó Conghaile from An Cumann Gaelach said that history showed that Irish was for said the QUB Irish language society had been founded by a Protestant unionist, William Mac Arthur, over a century ago."It's one of the oldest societies in Queen's University and he formed this society to protect and to progress the use of the visibility of the Irish language on and around campus,"In a statement to BBC News NI, a QUB spokesperson said the university was "keen to continue to work in partnership with the Cumann and build on the progress to date".It said this included "the creation of Irish language accommodation, the appointment of an Irish language support officer in the university's language centre, and engagement with a range of staff and student networks which support and promote Irish and other minority languages".
