Teaching from Examples in Assembly and Manipulation of Snack Food Ingredients by Robot

T. G. Williams, J.J. Rowland, and Lee M.H., Teaching from Examples in Assembly and Manipulation of Snack Food Ingredients by Robot, Proc. IEEE/RSJ Int. Conf. on Robots and Systems (IROS 2001), Nov., 2001, pp2300-2305.

Shining light on food microbiology; applications of luciferase-tagged microorganisms in the food industry

Bioluminescence is the production of light by living organisms as a result of a number of enzyme catalysed reactions caused by enzymes termed luciferases. The lux genes responsible for the emission of light can be cloned from one bioluminescent microorganism into one that is not bioluminescent. The light emitted can be monitored and quantified and will provide information on the metabolic activity, quantity and location of cells in a particular environment, in real-time. The primary aim of this thesis was to investigate and identify several food industry related applications of lux-tagged microorganisms. The first aim was to monitor a lux-tagged Cronobacter sakazakii in reconstituted infant milk formula, in realtime. The second aim was to investigate a bioluminescent-based early warning system for starter culture disruption by bacteriophages and antibiotic residues. The third of this thesis was to examine the use of a bioluminescent-based assay to test the activity of bioengineered Nisin derivatives M21V and S29A against foodborne pathogens in laboratory media and selected foods.

Sensory information and associative cues used in food detection by wild vervet monkeys.

Understanding animals' spatial perception is a critical step toward discerning their cognitive processes. The spatial sense is multimodal and based on both the external world and mental representations of that world. Navigation in each species depends upon its evolutionary history, physiology, and ecological niche. We carried out foraging experiments on wild vervet monkeys (Chlorocebus pygerythrus) at Lake Nabugabo, Uganda, to determine the types of cues used to detect food and whether associative cues could be used to find hidden food. Our first and second set of experiments differentiated between vervets' use of global spatial cues (including the arrangement of feeding platforms within the surrounding vegetation) and/or local layout cues (the position of platforms relative to one another), relative to the use of goal-object cues on each platform. Our third experiment provided an associative cue to the presence of food with global spatial, local layout, and goal-object cues disguised. Vervets located food above chance levels when goal-object cues and associative cues were present, and visual signals were the predominant goal-object cues that they attended to. With similar sample sizes and methods as previous studies on New World monkeys, vervets were not able to locate food using only global spatial cues and local layout cues, unlike all five species of platyrrhines thus far tested. Relative to these platyrrhines, the spatial location of food may need to stay the same for a longer time period before vervets encode this information, and goal-object cues may be more salient for them in small-scale space.

A review of recent developments in the speciation and location of arsenic and selenium in rice grain

Rice is a staple food yet is a significant dietary source of inorganic arsenic, a class 1, nonthreshold carcinogen. Establishing the location and speciation of arsenic within the edible rice grain is essential for understanding the risk and for developing effective strategies to reduce grain arsenic concentrations. Conversely, selenium is an essential micronutrient and up to 1 billion people worldwide are selenium-deficient. Several studies have suggested that selenium supplementation can reduce the risk of some cancers, generating substantial interest in biofortifying rice. Knowledge of selenium location and speciation is important, because the anti-cancer effects of selenium depend on its speciation. Germanic acid is an arsenite/silicic acid analogue, and location of germanium may help elucidate the mechanisms of arsenite transport into grain. This review summarises recent discoveries in the location and speciation of arsenic, germanium, and selenium in rice grain using state-of-the-art mass spectrometry and synchrotron techniques, and illustrates both the importance of high-sensitivity and high-resolution techniques and the advantages of combining techniques in an integrated quantitative and spatial approach.

Improving food and nutritional security of small and marginal coconut growers through diversification of crops and enterprises

This paper presents the impact of integrating interventions like nutrition gardening, livestock rearing, product diversification and allied income generation activities in small and marginal coconut homesteads along with nutrition education in improving the food and nutritional security as well as the income of the family members. The activities were carried out through registered Community Based Organizations (CBOs) in three locations in Kerala, India during 2005-2008. Data was collected before and after the project periods through interviews using a pre-tested questionnaire containing statements indicating the adequacy, quality and diversity of food materials. Fifty respondents each were randomly selected from the three communities, thereby resulting in a total sample size of 150. The data was analysed using SPSS by adopting statistical tools like frequency, average, percentage analysis, t – test and regression. Participatory planning and implementation of diverse interventions notably intercropping and off-farm activities along with nutrition education brought out significant improvements in the food and nutritional security, in terms of frequency and quantity of consumption as well as diet diversity. At the end of the project, 96%of the members became completely food secure and 72% nutritionally secure. The overall consumption of fruits, vegetables and milk by both children and adults and egg by children recorded increase over the project period. Consumption of fish was more than the Recommended Dietary Intake (RDI) level during pre and post project periods. Project interventions like nutrition gardening could bring in surplus consumption of vegetables (35%) and fruits (10%) than RDI. In spite of the increased consumption of green leafy vegetables and milk and milk products over the project period, the levels of consumption were still below the RDI levels. CBO-wise analysis of the consumption patterns revealed the need for location-specific interventions matching to the needs and preferences of the communities.

Effect of Information about benefits of biotechnology on consumer acceptance of genetically modified food; evidence from experimental auctions in the United States, England, and France

This study investigates the effect of information about potential benefits of biotechnology on consumer acceptance of genetically modified (GM) foods. Consumer willingness to accept compensation to consume a GM food was elicited using an incentive compatible auction mechanism in three US states (California, Florida, and Texas) and in two European countries (England and France). Results indicate that information on environmental benefits, health benefits and benefits to the third world significantly decreased the amount of money consumers demanded to consume GM food; however, the effect of information varied by type of information and location. Consistent with prior research, we find that initial attitudes toward biotechnology have a significant effect on how individuals responded to new information.

Food insecurity, malnutrition and mortality in Maewo and Ambae islands, Vanuatu

Context: This paper reports on findings from the ex-post evaluation of the Maewo Capacity Building project in Maewo Island, Vanuatu, which was funded by World Vision Australia.
Objectives: To examine the extent to which the infrastructure and systems left behind by the project contributed to the improvement of household food security and health and nutritional outcomes in Maewo Island, using Ambae Island as a comparator.
Setting: Two-stage cluster survey conducted from 6 to 20 July 2004, which included anthropometric measures and 4.5-year retrospective mortality data collection.
Participants: A total of 406 households in Maewo comprising 1623 people and 411 households in Ambae comprising 1799 people.
Main outcome measures: Household food insecurity, crude mortality rate (CMR), under-five mortality rate (U5MR) and malnutrition prevalence among children.
Results: The prevalence of food insecurity without hunger was estimated at 15.3%
(95% confidence interval (CI): 12.1, 19.2%) in Maewo versus 38.2% (95% CI: 33.6, 43.0%) in Ambae, while food insecurity with hunger in children did not vary by location. After controlling for the child’s age and gender, children in Maewo had higher weight-for-age and height-for-age Z-scores than children of the same age in Ambae. The CMR was lower in Maewo (CMR ¼ 0.47/10 000 per day, 95% CI: 0.39, 0.55) than in Ambae (CMR ¼ 0.59/10 000 per day, 95% CI: 0.51, 0.67) but no difference existed in U5MR. The major causes of death were similar in both locations, with frequently reported causes being malaria, acute respiratory infection and
diarrhoeal disease.
Conclusions: Project initiatives in Maewo Island have reduced the risks of mortality and malnutrition. Using a cross-sectional ‘external control group’ design, this paper demonstrates that it is possible to draw conclusions about project effectiveness where baseline data are incomplete or absent. Shifting from donor-driven evaluations to impact evaluations has greater learning value for the organisation, and greater value when reporting back to the beneficiaries about project impact and transformational
development in their community. Public health nutritionists working in the field are well versed in the collection and interpretation of anthropometric data for evaluation of nutritional interventions such as emergency feeding programmes. These same skills can be used to conduct impact evaluations, even some time after project completion, and elucidate lessons to be learned and shared. These skills can also be applied more widely to projects which impact on the longer-term nutritional status of
communities and their food security.

Out-of-home food outlets and area deprivation: case study in Glasgow, UK

Background
There is a popular belief that out-of-home eating outlets, which typically serve energy dense food, may be more commonly found in more deprived areas and that this may contribute to higher rates of obesity and related diseases in such areas.

Methods
We obtained a list of all 1301 out-of-home eating outlets in Glasgow, UK, in 2003 and mapped these at unit postcode level. We categorised them into quintiles of area deprivation using the 2004 Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation and computed mean density of types of outlet (restaurants, fast food restaurants, cafes and takeaways), and all types combined, per 1000 population. We also estimated odds ratios for the presence of any outlets in small areas within the quintiles.

Results
The density of outlets, and the likelihood of having any outlets, was highest in the second most affluent quintile (Q2) and lowest in the second most deprived quintile (Q4). Mean outlets per 1,000 were 4.02 in Q2, 1.20 in Q4 and 2.03 in Q5. With Q2 as the reference, Odds Ratios for having any outlets were 0.52 (CI 0.32–0.84) in Q1, 0.50 (CI 0.31 – 0.80) in Q4 and 0.61 (CI 0.38 – 0.98) in Q5. Outlets were located in the City Centre, West End, and along arterial roads.

Conclusion
In Glasgow those living in poorer areas are not more likely to be exposed to out-of-home eating outlets in their neighbourhoods. Health improvement policies need to be based on empirical evidence about the location of fast food outlets in specific national and local contexts, rather than on popular 'factoids'.

Spatial memory in a food storing corvid I. Near tall landmarks are primarily used

This work suggests how food storing corvids use spatial memory to relocate caches, and how they can do this after some landmarks surrounding caches have become hidden due to leaf fall, snow fall or plant growth. Experiments involved training European jays (Garrulus glandarius) to find buried food, the location of which was specified by an array of 12 landmarks. Tests were then performed with the array rotated, or with certain landmarks removed from the array. The.main findings were: (1) birds primarily remembered the position of the goal using the near tall landmarks (15-30 cm from the goal and 20 cm high); (2) birds obtained a sense of direction both from the landmark array and something external to the array; (3) birds did not use smell or marks in the surface of the ground to find the goal. Memory of near tall landmarks is likely to be functional for these birds since (a) nearer landmarks provide a more accurate fix, and (b) taller landmarks are less likely to be completely obscured by snow fall, leaf fall or intervening vegetation. The work also demonstrates the use of G.I.S. software for the analysis and representation of animal search patterns.

Fast food restaurant locations : could they be 'supersizing' local communities?

This review examines the current state of knowledge related to the location of fast food restaurants. Previous studies have revealed some communities are more exposed to fast food restaurants. However, the influence of increased exposure to fast food on dietary behaviours remains unresolved. This is identified as an area of priority for future research.

Food Content of Six Commercial Fishes from Mississippi Sound

Specific dietary contents from six fishes collected in Mississippi Sound are recorded. In order of their importance, primary components grouped in major taxonomic categories were fishes, penaeid shrimps, and other crustaceans for Cynoscion nebulosus; Crustaceans and fishes for C. arenarius; fishes and crustaceans for C. nothus; crustaceans, pelecypods, and polychaetes for Pogonias cromis; crustaceans, molluscs, polychaetes, and fishes for Archosargus probatocephalus; and fishes and penaeid shrimps for Paralichthys lethostigma. Principal items in the diets of most of the fishes included Anchoa mitchilli, Penaeus aztecus, P. setiferus, and Callinectes sapidus. Those crustaceans show that competition exists for commercial shellfishes in Mississippi Sound. Ratios among the different dietary items vary, according at least to species of fish, length of fish, season, specific location, and abundance of available prey. Some of these variations are documented and are additionally related to selected findings by other authors sampling different localities. We suggest that examination of food items in Archosargus probatocephalus can serve as a practical means to sample and assess seasonal prevalence and abundance of a wide range of invertebrates throughout different habitats in Mississippi Sound and elsewhere.

Period determination in the food-entrainable and methamphetamine-sensitive circadian oscillator(s)

Daily rhythmic processes are coordinated by circadian clocks, which are present in numerous central and peripheral tissues. In mammals, two circadian clocks, the food-entrainable oscillator (FEO) and methamphetamine-sensitive circadian oscillator (MASCO), are "black box" mysteries because their anatomical loci are unknown and their outputs are not expressed under normal physiological conditions. In the current study, the investigation of the timekeeping mechanisms of the FEO and MASCO in mice with disruption of all three paralogs of the canonical clock gene, Period, revealed unique and convergent findings. We found that both the MASCO and FEO in Per1(-/-)/Per2(-/-)/Per3(-/-) mice are circadian oscillators with unusually short (similar to 21 h) periods. These data demonstrate that the canonical Period genes are involved in period determination in the FEO and MASCO, and computational modeling supports the hypothesis that the FEO and MASCO use the same timekeeping mechanism or are the same circadian oscillator. Finally, these studies identify Per1(-/-)/Per2(-/-)/Per3(-/-) mice as a unique tool critical to the search for the elusive anatomical location(s) of the FEO and MASCO.

Food restrictions of patients who are undergoing treatment for oral and oropharyngeal cancer

Purpose: Oral squamous cell carcinoma and its treatment are associated with facial disfigurement and functional inabilities that may lead to malnutrition or under nourishment. This study assessed the incidence of food restrictions in patients undergoing treatment for oral and oropharyngeal cancer. Method: We interviewed 120 patients in two hospitals in Sao Paulo, Brazil, using a structured food frequency questionnaire comprising the most commonly consumed foods in Brazil. This questionnaire was applied twice; the first time to inform dietary patterns prior to the diagnosis of cancer and the second time to assess recent modifications of diet that were associated with the disease and its treatment. Hospital files provided information on clinical status. Multivariate Poisson regression models assessed covariates with prognostic value. Results: One third of patients suffered major food restrictions (i.e., they reduced substantially the intake of more than 50% of the most commonly consumed food items before the diagnosis); 39% suffered a less severe condition (they could not eat less than 50% of the most commonly consumed food items before the diagnosis, and they needed changes in food preparation). Larger tumour size (adjusted incidence ratio IR = 1.45), posterior location (IR = 1.33), radiotherapy (IR = 1.84), loss of tongue mobility (IR = 1.36) and loss of teeth (IR = 1.25) in the surgery were associated significantly with the study outcome. Conclusion: This study identified clinical predictors of food restrictions in patients undergoing treatment for oral and oropharyngeal cancer. This knowledge may contribute to improve patient care and management, and to develop interventions aimed at preventing nutritional depletion of these patients. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.