Food Recognition using Fusion of Classifiers based on CNNs

With the arrival of convolutional neural networks, the complex problem of food recognition has experienced an important improvement in recent years. The best results have been obtained using methods based on very deep convolutional neural networks, which show that the deeper the model,the better the classification accuracy will be obtain. However, very deep neural networks may suffer from the overfitting problem. In this paper, we propose a combination of multiple classifiers based on different convolutional models that complement each other and thus, achieve an improvement in performance. The evaluation of our approach is done on two public datasets: Food-101 as a dataset with a wide variety of fine-grained dishes, and Food-11 as a dataset of high-level food categories, where our approach outperforms the independent CNN models

Moderate alcohol consumption increases insulin sensitivity and ADIPOQ expression in postmenopausal women: a randomised, crossover trial

Aims/hypothesis To determine whether 6 weeks of daily, moderate alcohol consumption increases expression of the gene encoding adiponectin (ADIPOQ) and plasma levels of the protein, and improves insulin sensitivity in postmenopausal women. Methods In a randomised, open-label, crossover trial conducted in the Netherlands, 36 apparently healthy postmenopausal women who were habitual alcohol consumers, received 250 ml white wine (~25 g alcohol/day) or 250 ml of white grape juice (control) daily during dinner for 6 weeks. Randomisation to treatment allocation occurred according to BMI. Insulin sensitivity and ADIPOQ mRNA and plasma adiponectin levels were measured at the end of both periods. Insulin sensitivity was estimated using the homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR). Levels of ADIPOQ mRNA in subcutaneous adipose tissue were determined by RT-PCR. Results All subjects completed the study. Six weeks of white wine consumption reduced fasting insulin (mean¿±¿SEM 40.0¿±¿3.4 vs 46.5¿±¿3.4 pmol/l; p

Low urine pH and acid excretion do not predict bone fractures or the loss of bone mineral density: a prospective cohort study

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The acid-ash hypothesis, the alkaline diet, and related products are marketed to the general public. Websites, lay literature, and direct mail marketing encourage people to measure their urine pH to assess their health status and their risk of osteoporosis.</p> <p>The objectives of this study were to determine whether 1) low urine pH, or 2) acid excretion in urine [sulfate + chloride + 1.8x phosphate + organic acids] minus [sodium + potassium + 2x calcium + 2x magnesium mEq] in fasting morning urine predict: a) fragility fractures; and b) five-year change of bone mineral density (BMD) in adults.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Design: Cohort study: the prospective population-based Canadian Multicentre Osteoporosis Study. Multiple logistic regression was used to examine associations between acid excretion (urine pH and urine acid excretion) in fasting morning with the incidence of fractures (6804 person years). Multiple linear regression was used to examine associations between acid excretion with changes in BMD over 5-years at three sites: lumbar spine, femoral neck, and total hip (n = 651). Potential confounders controlled included: age, gender, family history of osteoporosis, physical activity, smoking, calcium intake, vitamin D status, estrogen status, medications, renal function, urine creatinine, body mass index, and change of body mass index.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>There were no associations between either urine pH or acid excretion and either the incidence of fractures or change of BMD after adjustment for confounders.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Urine pH and urine acid excretion do not predict osteoporosis risk.</p

Kinetics of HDL Cholesterol and Paraoxonase Activity in Moderate Alcohol Consumers

Background: The inverse association between moderate drinking and coronary heart disease mortality is well established. This study was performed to investigate the kinetics of the alcohol-induced increases in apo A-1, HDL cholesterol, and paraoxonase (PON) activity, as well as to study whether the alcohol-induced increases in PON activity differ within different PON polymorphisms, and to investigate whether moderate alcohol consumption has similar effects on the outcome measures in postmenopausal women as in middle-aged men. Methods: In a randomized, diet-controlled, crossover study, 10 middle-aged men and 9 postmenopausal women, all apparently healthy, nonsmoking, and moderate alcohol drinkers, consumed beer or no-alcohol beer (control) with evening dinner during two successive periods of 3 weeks. During the beer period, alcohol intake equaled 40 and 30 g/day for men and women, respectively. The total diet was supplied to the subjects and had essentially the same composition during these 6 weeks. Before each treatment was a 1-week washout period, in which the subjects were not allowed to drink alcoholic beverages. Results: Moderate alcohol consumption significantly increased serum apo A-I level after 5 days (3.7%, p < 0.05); after 10 days, serum HDL cholesterol level was increased (6.8%, p < 0.001), and after 15 days serum PON activity was increased (3.7%, p < 0.05), all compared with no alcohol consumption. Gene polymorphisms did not modulate the alcohol effect on PON. Conclusions: Serum apo A-I, HDL cholesterol, and PON activity were significantly increased during 3 weeks of moderate alcohol consumption as compared with no alcohol consumption. Moreover, the results suggest that there is a sequence in induction of these parameters. After an increase in apo A-I, HDL cholesterol is increased followed by an increase in PON activity. Increased serum HDL cholesterol level and PON activity may be a mechanism of action not only in healthy middle-aged men but also in post-menopausal women, underlying the reduced coronary heart disease risk in moderate drinkers. Chemicals/CAS: Apolipoprotein A-I; Aryldialkylphosphatase, EC 3.1.8.1; Cholesterol, HDL; Esterases, EC 3.1

Dietary adherence and weight loss success among overweight women: results from the A TO Z weight loss study

BACKGROUND: Dietary adherence has been implicated as an important factor in the success of dieting strategies; however, studies assessing and investigating its association with weight loss success are scarce. OBJECTIVE: We aimed to document the level of dietary adherence using measured diet data and to examine its association with weight loss success. DESIGN: Secondary analysis was performed using data from 181 free-living overweight/obese women (mean±s.d. age=43±5 years, body mass index=31±4kgm(−2)) participating in a 1-year randomized clinical trial (the A TO Z study) comparing popular weight loss diets (Atkins, Zone and Ornish). Participants’ dietary adherence was assessed as the difference between their respective assigned diet’s recommended macronutrient goals and their self-reported intake. Association between dietary adherence and 12-month weight change was computed using Spearman’s correlations. Differences in baseline characteristics and macronutrient intake between the most and least adherent tertiles for diet groups were compared using t-tests. RESULTS: Within each diet group, adherence score was significantly correlated with 12-month weight change (Atkins, r(s)=0.42, P=0.0003; Zone, r(s)=0.34, P=0.009 and Ornish, r(s)=0.38, P=0.004). Twelve-month weight change in the most vs least adherent tertiles, respectively, was −8.3±5.6 vs −1.9±5.8 kg, P=0.0006 (Atkins); −3.7±6.3 vs −0.4±6.8 kg, P=0.12 (Zone) and −6.5±6.8 vs −1.7±7.9 kg, P=0.06 (Ornish). CONCLUSIONS: Regardless of assigned diet groups, 12-month weight change was greater in the most adherent compared to the least adherent tertiles. These results suggest that strategies to increase adherence may deserve more emphasis than the specific macronutrient composition of the weight loss diet itself in supporting successful weight loss

Effect of a high-protein energy-restricted diet on weight loss and energy expenditure after weight stabilization in hyperinsulinemic subjects

Copyright © 2003 Nature Publishing GroupObjectiveTo determine the effect of replacing some dietary carbohydrate with protein, during energy restriction, on weight loss, total energy expenditure (TEE), resting energy expenditure (REE), respiratory quotient (RQ), and the thermic effect of feeding (TEF) in subjects with hyperinsulinemia.DesignParallel, clinical intervention study of 12 weeks energy restriction (6.5 MJ/day) and 4 weeks energy balance (8.2 MJ/day) in two groups of subjects randomly assigned to either a high-protein (HP) diet (27% of energy (%E) as protein, 45%E as carbohydrate) or a lower-protein (LP) diet (16%E as protein, 57%E as carbohydrate).SubjectsA total of 36 obese nondiabetic volunteers with hyperinsulinemia (10 males/26 females, aged 34-65 y, BMI 28-43 kg/m(2), fasting insulin 12-45 mU/l).MeasurementsBody weight and composition, TEE, REE, and RQ were measured at baseline and at week 16. In addition, the TEF to an HP or LP meal was determined for 3 h, at baseline and at week 16.ResultsAfter 16 weeks, weight loss was similar in response to each diet; the overall decrease was 7.9+/-0.6 kg (PConclusionIn subjects with hyperinsulinemia an energy-restrictive diet containing an increased protein-to-carbohydrate ratio does not enhance weight loss or significantly affect energy expenditure. Caloric restriction, rather than the macronutrient composition of the diet, is the most important determinant of weight loss.N D Luscombe, P M Clifton, M Noakes, E Farnsworth and G Witter