Proteins : Sources, benefits and global challenges

Publisher PD

Planbasierte graphische Hilfe in objektorientierten Benutzungsoberflächen

Wir stellen das System PLUS vor, ein planbasiertes graphisches Hilfesystem für Applikationen mit einer objektorientierten Benutzerschnittstelle. Es werden die Hilfekomponente InCome+, die Animationskomponente und der graphik-orientierte Planeditor PlanEdit+ beschrieben. PlanEdit+ ermöglicht den interaktiven Aufbau der hierarchischen Planbasis, die die Grundlage für den Planerkennungsprozeß bildet.Eine zentrale Komponente der graphischen Hilfe in unserem System stellt das Modul InCome+ dar, das den Interaktionskontext des Benutzers visualisiert und darüberhinaus weitere Features wie semantische Undo- und Redo-Möglichkeiten und einen kontext-sensitiven Tutor zur Verfügung stellt. Als wesentliche Erweiterung der graphischen Benutzerunterstützung wird innerhalb von PLUS die Präsentation animierter Hilfe integriert. Es werden Benutzeraktionen simuliert, indem eine Animation über die aktuelle Benutzerschnittstelle gelagert wird. Die Animationssequenz wird im Kontext der aktuell vom Benutzer verfolgten Aufgabe generiert

Whole grains, legumes, and health

Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Fish Oil Supplementation Reduces Markers of Oxidative Stress But Not Muscle Soreness After Eccentric Exercise

Peer reviewedPostprin

Intelligent user support in graphical user interfaces

1. This paper presents a frontend to an intelligent help system based on plans called InCome (Interaction Control Manager). It visualizes user actions previously executed in a specific application as a graph structure and enables the user to navigate through this structure. A higher level of abstraction on performed user actions shows the dialog history, the interaction context and reachable goals. Finally, the user is able to act on the application via InCome by performing undo mechanisms as well as specifying user goals inferred already by the help system. 2. This paper describes the system PLUS, a plan-based help system for applications offering an object-oriented user interface. Our plan recognition process is based on a predefined static hierarchical plan base, that is modelled using a goal plan language. This language is designed to especially cope with the problems arising when plan recognition is performed in a graphical user interface environment whose interaction is based on a user-directed dialog by means of direct manipulation -- so-called Direct Manipulation User Interfaces. The plan hierarchy is entered using the interactive graphics-oriented plan editor PlanEdit+. The plan recognition module PlanRecognizer+ builds a dynamic plan base by mapping user actions to plans stored in the static plan base. The dynamic plan base contains hypotheses about tasks the user is pursuing at the moment. These plan hypotheses serve as a basis to offer various kinds of assistance to the user. A central component of our graphical help is the module InCome+. InCome+ visualizes user actions previously executed in an application as a graph structure and enables the user to navigate through this structure. A higher level of abstraction on performed actions shows the dialog history, the interaction context, and reachable goals. InCome+ offers special features like task-oriented undo und redo facilities and a context-sensitive tutor. As a substantial extension of the graphical user assistance, we integrate the presentation of animated help within PLUS. Animation sequences are generated in the context of the tasks the user is currently working on

Effects of wheat and oat-based whole grain foods on serum lipoprotein size and distribution in overweight middle aged people : a randomised controlled trial

Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Oats and bowel disease: a systematic literature review.

Whole-grain foods such as oats may protect against colorectal cancer and have benefits on inflammatory bowel disease and coeliac disease. The present study aimed to systematically review the literature describing intervention studies that investigated the effects of oats or oat bran on risk factors for bowel disease. A literature search was conducted using Embase, Medline and the Cochrane library, which identified 654 potential articles. Thirty-eight articles describing twenty-nine studies met the inclusion criteria. Two studies carried out in participants with a history of colorectal adenomas found no effects of increased oat-bran intake on indirect risk makers for colorectal cancer. One of two interventions with oat bran in patients with ulcerative colitis showed small improvements in the patients' conditions. Most of the eleven studies carried out in adults with coeliac disease showed no negative effects of uncontaminated oat consumption. The fourteen studies carried out in volunteers with no history of bowel disease suggest that oats or oat bran can significantly increase stool weight and decrease constipation, but there is a lack of evidence to support a specific effect of oats on bowel function compared with other cereals. A long-term dietary intake of oats or oat bran could benefit inflammatory bowel disorders, but this remains to be proven. A protective effect on colorectal adenoma and cancer incidence has not yet been convincingly shown. The majority of patients with coeliac disease could consume up to 100 g/d of uncontaminated oats, which would increase the acceptability of, and adherence to, a gluten-free diet

Oats and CVD risk markers: a systematic literature review.

High consumption of whole-grain food such as oats is associated with a reduced risk of CVD and type 2 diabetes. The present study aimed to systematically review the literature describing long-term intervention studies that investigated the effects of oats or oat bran on CVD risk factors. The literature search was conducted using Embase, Medline and the Cochrane library, which identified 654 potential articles. Seventy-six articles describing sixty-nine studies met the inclusion criteria. Most studies lacked statistical power to detect a significant effect of oats on any of the risk factors considered: 59 % of studies had less than thirty subjects in the oat intervention group. Out of sixty-four studies that assessed systemic lipid markers, thirty-seven (58 %) and thirty-four (49 %) showed a significant reduction in total cholesterol (2–19 % reduction) and LDL-cholesterol (4–23 % reduction) respectively, mostly in hypercholesterolaemic subjects. Few studies (three and five, respectively) described significant effects on HDL-cholesterol and TAG concentrations. Only three out of twenty-five studies found a reduction in blood pressure after oat consumption. None of the few studies that measured markers of insulin sensitivity and inflammation found any effect after long-term oat consumption. Long-term dietary intake of oats or oat bran has a beneficial effect on blood cholesterol. However, there is no evidence that it favourably modulates insulin sensitivity. It is still unclear whether increased oat consumption significantly affects other risk markers for CVD risk, and comprehensive, adequately powered and controlled intervention trials are required to address this question

Cardiovascular benefits of lycopene : fantasy or reality?

Acknowledgements F. T. and S. M. are grateful for support from the Scottish Government (Rural and Environmental Science and Analytical Services). Financial Support F. T. and L. F. M. received funding from the UK Food Standard Agency for tomato and lycopene-related researchPeer reviewedPublisher PD