Consumer science

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Today's smartphones boast more computing power than the Apollo Guidance Computer. Given the ubiquity and popularity of smartphones, are we already carrying around miniaturized sleep labs in our pockets? RECENT FINDINGS: There is still a lack of validation studies for consumer sleep technologies in general and apps for monitoring sleep in particular. To overcome this gap, multidisciplinary teams are needed that focus on feasibility work at the intersection of software engineering, data science and clinical sleep medicine...

OBJECTIVES: Coffee is one of the most popular and consumable drinks worldwide. However, there are conflicting results on the influence of this drink in oral and pharyngeal cancer risk. To clarify this, we aimed to systemically review and carry out a meta-analysis of the relevant literature on the association between coffee and oral and pharyngeal cancer. STUDY DESIGN: We carried out an electronic search of publications up to August 2016 from PubMed, National Library of Medicines Medline, Embase, Science Direct and the Cochrane Central Register...

The Butia sp. are native South America trees, whose fruits are consumed in natura and have significant biological properties; however, trees of this genus plant are in danger of extinction. A systematic review of the literature and a technological overview were carried out to summarize the available evidence on the therapeutic uses and the phytochemical compounds of Butia sp. The following electronic databases were researched: MedLine (PubMed), Web of Science, Scopus, Scielo, and the gray literature. Furthermore, the online system such as the US Patent and Trademark Office, Espacenet, National Institute of Industrial Property, and Google Patents were accessed to obtain patent data...

Several divergent standpoints are hosted under the umbrella of Peer Review. Authors, who wish to see the results of scrupulous work published, in the anticipation of career promotion or secure funding. Editors, who are under pressure to identify sound and novel research. Reviewers, who try to fit a thoughtful and time-consuming process within busy schedules, often receiving no credit for it. And Publishers competing in a transforming landscape of fast and abundant science publishing. This article is protected by copyright...

Analytic advances are enabling more precise definitions of the molecular composition of key food staples incorporated into contemporary diets and how the nutrient landscapes of these staples vary as a function of cultivar and food processing methods. This knowledge, combined with insights about the interrelationship between consumer microbiota configurations and biotransformation of food ingredients, should have a number of effects on agriculture, food production, and strategies for improving the nutritional value of foods and health status...

Cloud computing is a pattern for delivering ubiquitous and on demand computing resources based on pay-as-you-use financial model. Typically, cloud providers advertise cloud service descriptions in various formats on the Internet. On the other hand, cloud consumers use available search engines (Google and Yahoo) to explore cloud service descriptions and find the adequate service. Unfortunately, general purpose search engines are not designed to provide a small and complete set of results, which makes the process a big challenge...

In vitro human skin benzene permeation was measured from gasoline formulations with benzene concentrations ranging from 0.8 to 10 vol% and from neat benzene. Steady-state fluxes (JSS), permeability coefficients (kp) and lag times (tlag) were calculated from infinite dose exposures. Permeation of benzene from small gasoline doses administered over a two-day period was also studied. The thermodynamic activity of benzene in gasoline at 30 °C was determined and the solution is near-ideal over the range from 0...

OBJECTIVES: To determine the effects of low-to-moderate levels of maternal alcohol consumption in pregnancy on pregnancy and longer-term offspring outcomes. SEARCH STRATEGY: Medline, Embase, Web of Science and Psychinfo from inception to 11 July 2016. SELECTION CRITERIA: Prospective observational studies, negative control and quasiexperimental studies of pregnant women estimating effects of light drinking in pregnancy (≤32 g/week) versus abstaining...

CDC's Division of Laboratory Sciences developed and validated a new method for the simultaneous detection and measurement of 11 sugars, alditols and humectants in tobacco products. The method uses isotope dilution ultra high performance liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS) and has demonstrated high sensitivity, selectivity, throughput and accuracy, with recoveries ranging from 90% to 113%, limits of detection ranging from 0.0002 to 0.0045μg/mL and coefficients of variation (CV%) ranging from 1...

Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, NJ, USA, is undergoing a transformation in the way that it prosecutes R&D programs. Through the adoption of a "model-driven" culture, enhanced R&D productivity is anticipated, both in the form of decreased attrition at each stage of the process and by providing a rational framework for understanding and learning from the data generated along the way. This new approach focuses on the concept of a "Design Cycle" that makes use of all the data possible, internally and externally, to drive decision-making...

Patient referral is a protocol where the referring primary care physician refers the patient to a specialist for further treatment. The paper-based current referral process at times lead to communication and operational issues, resulting in either an unfulfilled referral request or an unnecessary referral request. Despite the availability of standardized referral protocols they are not readily applied because they are tedious and time-consuming, thus resulting in suboptimal referral requests. We present a semantic-web based Referral Knowledge Modeling and Execution Framework to computerize referral protocols, clinical guidelines and assessment tools in order to develop a computerized e-Referral system that offers protocol-based decision support to streamline and standardize the referral process...

BACKGROUND: Preoperative anesthesia long time fasting, may increase patient hemodynamic instability during surgery and may affect the patient's post-surgery electrolyte balance. No meta-analysis has been conducted to explore the effects of preoperative liquid intake amount on gastric fluid PH, gastric fluid volume, surgery inhalation of pulmonary complications, and patient self-perceptions quality of care systematic review and meta-analysis of the literature. PURPOSE: To assess the pros and cons of preoperative liquid intake using a systematic review of the literature...

BACKGROUND: To compare three molecular methods, PCR-RFLP for internal transcribed spacer, PCR sequencing and high resolution melting analysis shown reliable sensitivity and specificity for detecting Leishmania tropica as a model for cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) as the perspective overview for scientific and economic approaches. METHODS: This study was carried out between 2015 and 2016 in Leishmaniasis Research Center in Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran...

What is the topic of this review? There is a need to revisit the basic principles of exercise mass and water balance, the use of common equations and the practice of interpreting outcomes. What advances does it highlight? We propose use of the following equation as a way of simplifying exercise mass and water balance calculations in conditions where food is not consumed and waste is not excreted: ∆body mass - 0.20 g/kcal(-1)  = ∆body water. The relative efficacy of exercise drinking behaviours can be judged using the following equation: percentage dehydration = [(∆body mass - 0...

BACKGROUND: Behaviors established during the adolescence have life-long consequences to the onset of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in later life. Therefore, it is essential to understand adolescents' knowledge and practices with the intention of developing preventive programs focusing on this age group. The objective of the study was to assess knowledge about selected NCDs, and lifestyle choices among school students aged 17-19 years in state schools of the Maharagama Educational Division, Sri Lanka...

Ground and especially drinking water could be contaminated by heavy metal ions such as lead and chromium, or the metalloid arsenic, discarded from industrial wastewater. These heavy metal ions are regarded as highly toxic pollutants which could cause a wide range of health problems in case of a long-term accumulation in the body. Thus, there have been many efforts to reduce the concentration of lead ions in effluent wastewater. They have included the establishment of stringent permissible discharge levels and management policies, the application of various pollution-control technologies, and the development of adsorbent materials for lead reduction...

BACKGROUND: Adaptive reuse-the practice of identifying, acquiring, renovating, and placing back into service a building or similar structure for a purpose different than that for which it was originally designed-offers great potential for addressing the spatial expansion needs of healthcare establishments in a unique and mutually beneficial manner. This repurposing approach, however, has received very little attention in the health sciences literature, diminishing the opportunities of those serving in hospitals, medical clinics, and related care providing institutions to acquire an understanding of the practice...

Many industrial sectors, from pharmaceuticals to consumer products, are required to provide data on their products to demonstrate their efficacy and that they are safe for patients, consumers and the environment. This period of testing typically requires the use of animal models, the validity of which has been called into question due to the high rates of attrition across many industries. There is increasing recognition of the limitations of animal models and demands for safety and efficacy testing paradigms which embrace the latest technological advances and knowledge of human biology...

BACKGROUND: Tension-type headaches are a common source of pain and suffering. Our purpose was to assess the efficacy of tricyclic (TCA) and tetracyclic antidepressants in the prophylactic treatment of tension-type headache. METHODS: We searched the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, MEDLINE, EMBASE, the ISI Web of Science, and clinical trial registries through 11 March 2017 for randomized controlled studies of TCA or tetracyclic antidepressants in the prevention of tension-type headache in adults...

It is well known that consumption of Brassica vegetables has beneficial effect on human's health. The greatest interest is focused on glucosinolates and their hydrolysis products isothiocyanates, due to their potential as cancer preventing compounds. Brassica vegetables are also rich in flavor compounds belonging to many chemical groups. The main sensory sensation related to these vegetable is their characteristic sharp and bitter taste, and unique aroma. Because of these features this group of vegetables is often rejected by consumers...