Experience with Using the Sensewear BMS Sensor System in the Context of a Health and Wellbeing Application

An assessment of a sensor designed for monitoring energy expenditure, activity, and sleep was conducted in the context of a research project which develops a weight management application. The overall goal of this project is to affect sustainable behavioural change with respect to diet and exercise in order to improve health and wellbeing. This paper reports results of a pretrial in which three volunteers wore the sensor for a total of 11 days. The aim was to gain experience with the sensor and determine if it would be suitable for incorporation into the ICT system developed by the project to be trialled later on a larger population. In this paper we focus mainly on activity monitoring and user experience. Data and results including visualizations and reports are presented and discussed. User experience proved positive in most respects. Exercise levels and sleep patterns correspond to user logs relating to exercise sessions and sleep patterns. Issues raised relate to accuracy, one source of possible interference, the desirability of enhancing the system with real-time data transmission, and analysis to enable real-time feedback. It is argued that automatic activity classification is needed to properly analyse and interpret physical activity data captured by accelerometry

Does the face show what the mind tells? A comparison between dynamic emotions obtained from facial expressions and Temporal Dominance of Emotions (TDE)

Measuring food-evoked emotions dynamically during consumption can be done using explicit self-report methods such as Temporal Dominance of Emotions (TDE), and implicit methods such as recording facial expressions. It is not known whether or how dynamic explicit and implicit emotion measures correspond. This study investigated how explicit self-reported food-evoked emotions evaluated with TDE are related to implicit food-evoked emotions determined from facial expressions. Fifty-six participants evaluated six yogurts with granola pieces varying in size, hardness and concentration, using multiple bite assessment employing TDE for the first, third and fifth bite of consumption. Consumers were video recorded during each bite of consumption and facial expressions were analysed using FaceReader™. Happy, interested, disgusted and bored were similar descriptors measured explicitly and implicitly. Little overlap was observed regarding the type of emotion characterization by FaceReader™ and TDE. Products were mainly discriminated along the valence dimension (positive – negative), and directly reflected product discrimination in terms of liking. FaceReader™ further differentiated the least liked products from each other on arousal and negative facial expressions. Our results indicated little dynamics in food-evoked emotions within and between bites. Facial expressions seemed more dynamic within bites, while explicit food-evoked emotion responses seemed more dynamic between bites. We conclude that FaceReader™ intensities of emotions and dominance durations observed in TDE are not directly comparable and show little overlap. Moreover, food-evoked emotion responses were fairly stable from first to last bite and only very limited changes were observed using implicit and explicit emotions measures.</p

Requirements for a Nutrition Education Demonstrator

[Context and Motivation] Development of innovative ICT-based applications is a complex process involving collaboration of all relevant disciplines. This complexity arises due to differences in terminology, knowledge and often also the ways of working between developers in the disciplines involved. [Question/problem] Advances in each discipline bring a rich design environment of theories, models, methods and techniques. Making a selection from these makes the development of distributed applications very challenging, often requiring a holistic approach to address the needs of the disciplines involved. This paper describes early stage requirements acquisition of a mobile nutrition education demonstrator which supports overweight persons in adopting healthier dietary behaviour. [Principal idea/results] We present a novel way to combine and use known requirements acquisition methods involving a two stage user needs analysis based on scenarios which apply a theory-based model of behavioural change and are onstructed in two phases. The first phase scenarios specify an indicative description reflecting the use of the transtheoretical model of behavioural change. In the second phase, a handshake protocol adds elements of optative system-oriented descriptions to the scenarios such that the intended system can support the indicative description. [Contribution] The holistic and phased approach separates design concerns to which each of the disciplines contributes with their own expertise and domain principles. It preserves the applied domain principles in the design and it bridges gaps in terminology, knowledge and ways of working

Mobile monitoring application to support sustainable behavioural change towards healthy lifestyle

We describe the development of body area networks (BANs) incorporating sensors and other devices to provide intelligent mobile services in healthcare and well-being. The first BAN applications were designed to simply transmit biosignals and display them remotely. Further developments include analysis and interpretation of biosignals in the light of context data. By including feedback loops, BAN telemonitoring was also augmented with teletreatment services. Recent developments include incorporation of clinical decision support by applying techniques from artificial intelligence. These developments represent a movement towards smart healthcare, making health BAN applications more intelligent by incorporating feedback, context awareness, personalization, and decision support.\ud The element of decision support was first introduced into the BAN health and well-being applications in the Food Valley Eating Advisor (FOVEA) project. Obesity and overweight represent a growing threat to health and well-being in modern society. Physical inactivity has been shown to contribute significantly to morbidity and mortality rates, and this is now a global trend bringing huge costs in terms of human suffering and reduction in life expectancy as well as uncontrolled growth in demand on healthcare services. Part of the solution is to foster healthier lifestyle. A major challenge however is that exercise and dietary programs may work for the individual in the short term, but adherence in the medium and long term is difficult to sustain, making weight management a continuing struggle for individuals and a growing problem for society, governments, and health services. Using ICT to support sustainable behavioral change in relation to healthy exercise and diet is the goal of the FOVEA monitoring and feedback application. We strive to design and develop intelligent BAN-based applications that support motivation and adherence in the long term. We present this healthy lifestyle application and report results of an evaluation conducted by surveying professionals in related disciplines

Cabbage and fermented vegetables : From death rate heterogeneity in countries to candidates for mitigation strategies of severe COVID-19

Large differences in COVID-19 death rates exist between countries and between regions of the same country. Some very low death rate countries such as Eastern Asia, Central Europe, or the Balkans have a common feature of eating large quantities of fermented foods. Although biases exist when examining ecological studies, fermented vegetables or cabbage have been associated with low death rates in European countries. SARS-CoV-2 binds to its receptor, the angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2). As a result of SARS-CoV-2 binding, ACE2 downregulation enhances the angiotensin II receptor type 1 (AT(1)R) axis associated with oxidative stress. This leads to insulin resistance as well as lung and endothelial damage, two severe outcomes of COVID-19. The nuclear factor (erythroid-derived 2)-like 2 (Nrf2) is the most potent antioxidant in humans and can block in particular the AT(1)R axis. Cabbage contains precursors of sulforaphane, the most active natural activator of Nrf2. Fermented vegetables contain many lactobacilli, which are also potent Nrf2 activators. Three examples are: kimchi in Korea, westernized foods, and the slum paradox. It is proposed that fermented cabbage is a proof-of-concept of dietary manipulations that may enhance Nrf2-associated antioxidant effects, helpful in mitigating COVID-19 severity.Peer reviewe

Nrf2-interacting nutrients and COVID-19 : time for research to develop adaptation strategies

There are large between- and within-country variations in COVID-19 death rates. Some very low death rate settings such as Eastern Asia, Central Europe, the Balkans and Africa have a common feature of eating large quantities of fermented foods whose intake is associated with the activation of the Nrf2 (Nuclear factor (erythroid-derived 2)-like 2) anti-oxidant transcription factor. There are many Nrf2-interacting nutrients (berberine, curcumin, epigallocatechin gallate, genistein, quercetin, resveratrol, sulforaphane) that all act similarly to reduce insulin resistance, endothelial damage, lung injury and cytokine storm. They also act on the same mechanisms (mTOR: Mammalian target of rapamycin, PPAR gamma:Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor, NF kappa B: Nuclear factor kappa B, ERK: Extracellular signal-regulated kinases and eIF2 alpha:Elongation initiation factor 2 alpha). They may as a result be important in mitigating the severity of COVID-19, acting through the endoplasmic reticulum stress or ACE-Angiotensin-II-AT(1)R axis (AT(1)R) pathway. Many Nrf2-interacting nutrients are also interacting with TRPA1 and/or TRPV1. Interestingly, geographical areas with very low COVID-19 mortality are those with the lowest prevalence of obesity (Sub-Saharan Africa and Asia). It is tempting to propose that Nrf2-interacting foods and nutrients can re-balance insulin resistance and have a significant effect on COVID-19 severity. It is therefore possible that the intake of these foods may restore an optimal natural balance for the Nrf2 pathway and may be of interest in the mitigation of COVID-19 severity

Oral processing and texture perception

In this chapter we will discuss what texture is, why it is important for appreciation of food and how it is perceived. We will review some of the recent findings in the area of instrumental and sensory measurements and perception of texture, and how oral processing impacts on the texture of food and the perception thereof. The main part of the chapter will be based on research performed on semi-solids

Relating oral physiology and anatomy of consumers varying in age, gender and ethnicity to food oral processing behavior

The aim of this study was to link parameters describing oral physiology and anatomy of consumers varying in age, gender and ethnicity to food oral processing behavior. Three groups of healthy consumers were compared: Dutch, Caucasian adults (18–30 yrs, n =32), Chinese, Asian adults (18–30 yrs, n =32) and Dutch, Caucasian older adults (65–85 yrs, n =32). Mastication performance, salivary flow rate (stimulated and unstimulated) and dental status were quantified to characterize oral physiology. Volume of oral cavity, tongue dimensions, facial anthropometry, height and weight were quantified to characterize anatomy. Oral processing behavior of three solid foods (carrot, cheese and sausage) was quantified by video recordings and eating rate (g/s), average consumption time (s), chews per bite (-) and average bite size (g) were determined. Dutch, Caucasian older adults had smaller volume of oral cavity, lower number of teeth and larger head width compared to Dutch, Caucasian adults. Chinese, Asian adults showed significantly higher mastication performance and larger head width compared to Dutch, Caucasian consumers, while dental status did not significantly differ between groups. Males had significantly larger volumes of oral cavity and larger head height and width compared to females. Dutch, Caucasian adults had a shorter average consumption time (s), less chews per bite and consumed the three foods with higher eating rate (g/s) compared to Dutch, Caucasian older adults. Chinese, Asian adults had a significantly longer average consumption time (s), more chews per bite, smaller average bite size (g) and lower eating rate (g/s) compared to Dutch, Caucasian adults. Twenty-one significant relationships were found between oral physiological and anatomical parameters and oral processing behavior. Body weight resulted in the largest β-values, indicating to be the anatomical parameter of largest influence on oral processing behavior. We conclude that only few oral physiological and anatomical parameters related with food oral processing behavior. We suggest that other factors, including cultural factors contribute to variation in food oral processing behavior between different consumer groups more than saliva flow, volume of oral cavity, mastication performance and dental status.</p

Techniques in the Quantitative Study of Human Olfaction

This chapter will illustrate some techniques and procedures relevant to the study of the functional properties of human olfaction. Rather than deal with methodology in detail, we will deal largely with the outcome of psychophysical work on the premise that outcome illustrates methodology best. Although olfaction may be the least well understood of the five classical senses, there do exist solid data on various of its functions. We will cover only a few here and will occasionally highlight techniques that may prove of interest to a person who wishes to evaluate the modality clinically. First, however, we will look briefly at matters of stimulus control