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"NEW TECHNOLOGIES"
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Measuring diet in the 21st century: use of new technologies
The advent of the internet and smartphone technology has allowed dietary assessment to reach the 21st century! The variety of foods available on the supermarket shelf is now greater than ever before. New approaches to measuring diet may help to reduce measurement error and advance our understanding of nutritional determinants of disease. This advance provides the potential to capture detailed dietary data on large numbers of individuals without the need for costly and time-consuming manual nutrition coding. This aim of the present paper is to review the need for new technologies to measure diet with an overview of tools available. The three main areas will be addressed: (1) development of web-based tools to measure diet; (2) use of smartphone apps to self-monitor diet; (3) improving the quality of dietary assessment through development of an online library of tools. A practical example of the development of a web-based tool to assess diet myfood24 (www.myfood24.org) will be given exploring its potential, limitations and challenges. The development of a new food composition database using back-of-pack information will be described. Smartphone apps used to measure diet with a focus on obesity will be reviewed. Many apps are unreliable in terms of tracking, and most are not evaluated. Accurate and consistent measurement of diet is needed for public health and epidemiology. The choice of the most appropriate dietary assessment method tends to rely on experience. The DIET@NET partnership has developed best practice guidelines for selection of dietary assessment tools, which aim to improve the quality, consistency and comparability of dietary data. These developments provide us with a step-change in our ability to reliably characterise food and nutrient intake in population studies. The need for high-quality, validated systems will be important to fully realise the benefits of new technologies.
Journal Article
New mobile methods for dietary assessment: review of image-assisted and image-based dietary assessment methods
For nutrition practitioners and researchers, assessing dietary intake of children and adults with a high level of accuracy continues to be a challenge. Developments in mobile technologies have created a role for images in the assessment of dietary intake. The objective of this review was to examine peer-reviewed published papers covering development, evaluation and/or validation of image-assisted or image-based dietary assessment methods from December 2013 to January 2016. Images taken with handheld devices or wearable cameras have been used to assist traditional dietary assessment methods for portion size estimations made by dietitians (image-assisted methods). Image-assisted approaches can supplement either dietary records or 24-h dietary recalls. In recent years, image-based approaches integrating application technology for mobile devices have been developed (image-based methods). Image-based approaches aim at capturing all eating occasions by images as the primary record of dietary intake, and therefore follow the methodology of food records. The present paper reviews several image-assisted and image-based methods, their benefits and challenges; followed by details on an image-based mobile food record. Mobile technology offers a wide range of feasible options for dietary assessment, which are easier to incorporate into daily routines. The presented studies illustrate that image-assisted methods can improve the accuracy of conventional dietary assessment methods by adding eating occasion detail via pictures captured by an individual (dynamic images). All of the studies reduced underreporting with the help of images compared with results with traditional assessment methods. Studies with larger sample sizes are needed to better delineate attributes with regards to age of user, degree of error and cost.
Journal Article
Building capacity in biodiversity monitoring at the global scale
Human-driven global change is causing ongoing declines in biodiversity worldwide. In order to address these declines, decision-makers need accurate assessments of the status of and pressures on biodiversity. However, these are heavily constrained by incomplete and uneven spatial, temporal and taxonomic coverage. For instance, data from regions such as Europe and North America are currently used overwhelmingly for large-scale biodiversity assessments due to lesser availability of suitable data from other, more biodiversity-rich, regions. These data-poor regions are often those experiencing the strongest threats to biodiversity, however. There is therefore an urgent need to fill the existing gaps in global biodiversity monitoring. Here, we review current knowledge on best practice in capacity building for biodiversity monitoring and provide an overview of existing means to improve biodiversity data collection considering the different types of biodiversity monitoring data. Our review comprises insights from work in Africa, South America, Polar Regions and Europe; in government-funded, volunteer and citizen-based monitoring in terrestrial, freshwater and marine ecosystems. The key steps to effectively building capacity in biodiversity monitoring are: identifying monitoring questions and aims; identifying the key components, functions, and processes to monitor; identifying the most suitable monitoring methods for these elements, carrying out monitoring activities; managing the resultant data; and interpreting monitoring data. Additionally, biodiversity monitoring should use multiple approaches including extensive and intensive monitoring through volunteers and professional scientists but also harnessing new technologies. Finally, we call on the scientific community to share biodiversity monitoring data, knowledge and tools to ensure the accessibility, interoperability, and reporting of biodiversity data at a global scale.
Journal Article
The effects of chatbots’ attributes on customer relationships with brands: PLS-SEM and importance–performance map analysis
PurposeMany firms are investing in digital services to improve customer experiences. Virtual service agents, or “e-service agents” (“e-agents”) such as chatbots, are examples of these efforts. Chatbots are types of virtual-assistant software programs that interact with users through speech or text. This paper aims to investigate whether the perceived hedonic and utilitarian attributes of chatbots can influence customer satisfaction and, consequently, their relationships with brands.Design/methodology/approachData were collected through a questionnaire-based survey among a sample of Italian consumers. A convenience sampling technique was used. Data were then analyzed through Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling to provide a prediction-oriented model assessment. The findings were then complemented with an importance–performance map analysis (IPMA) to gain more detailed insights and actionable guidelines for managers.FindingsThe findings highlighted that the perceived hedonic and utilitarian attributes of chatbots positively influenced customer satisfaction and improved customer relationships with the brands. However, the IMPA highlighted that the performance levels of two most important attributes – system quality and experience with chatbot – could be improved resulting in additional improvements of customer satisfaction.Practical implicationsThis study suggests the importance of firms’ investments in and adoption of e-agents to strengthen consumer–brand relationships and of considering both the hedonic and utilitarian attributes of their e-agents.Originality/valueThis article attempts to enrich and consolidate the growing body of literature concerning the impacts of new technologies – and, specifically, chatbots – in service marketing.
Journal Article
Gut Microbiome in Obesity, Metabolic Syndrome, and Diabetes
Purpose of ReviewObesity and diabetes are worldwide epidemics. There is also a growing body of evidence relating the gut microbiome composition to insulin resistance. The purpose of this review is to delineate the studies linking gut microbiota to obesity, metabolic syndrome, and diabetes.Recent findingsAnimal studies as well as proof of concept studies using fecal transplantation demonstrate the pivotal role of the gut microbiota in regulating insulin resistance states and inflammation.SummaryWhile we still need to standardize methodologies to study the microbiome, there is an abundance of evidence pointing to the link between gut microbiome, inflammation, and insulin resistance, and future studies should be aimed at identifying unifying mechanisms.
Journal Article
Mastering new technologies: does it relate to teleworkers’ (in)voluntariness and well-being?
Purpose
This study aims to examine the associations among mastering new technologies, teleworkers’ voluntariness and involuntariness and employee well-being (i.e. work engagement and exhaustion). To the best of the authors’ knowledge, no studies have explored the relationships among these constructs in the same conceptual model.
Design/methodology/approach
Data were collected from a sample of 451 individuals performing telework in Portugal. AMOS was used to test all hypotheses of the study.
Findings
The findings showed a positive relationship between mastering new technologies and teleworkers’ voluntariness and a negative relationship between mastering new technologies and teleworkers’ involuntariness. However, contrary to expectations, voluntariness in teleworking was not significantly related to either work engagement or exhaustion. However, consistent with the theoretical background of self-determination theory, involuntariness in teleworking was negatively related to work engagement and positively related to exhaustion.
Originality/value
This study contributes to the literature by addressing the analysis of telework-related variables that may impact workers’ well-being. Implications for human resource management policies and knowledge management are discussed.
Journal Article
Bariatric Surgery in the Treatment of Type 2 Diabetes
Purpose of ReviewWe seek to characterize the impact of bariatric surgery on diabetes mellitus by recalling its history, examining the clinical data, exploring the putative mechanisms of action, and anticipating its future.Recent FindingsResults of clinical trials reveal that bariatric surgery induces remission of diabetes in 33–90% of individuals at 1-year post-treatment versus 0–39% of medically managed. Remission rates decrease over time but remain higher in surgically treated individuals. Investigations have revealed numerous actions of surgery including effects on intestinal physiology, neuronal signaling, incretin hormone secretion, bile acid metabolism, and microbiome changes.SummaryBariatric surgery improves control of diabetes through both weight-dependent and weight-independent actions. These various mechanisms help explain the difference between individuals treated surgically vs. medically. They also explain differing effects of various bariatric surgery procedure types. Understanding how surgery affects diabetes will help optimize utilization of the therapy for both disease prevention and treatment.
Journal Article
Effect of Health Information Technologies on Glycemic Control Among Patients with Type 2 Diabetes
Purpose of ReviewThis study was to present meta-analysis findings across selected clinical trials for the effect of health information technologies (HITs) on glycemic control among patients with type 2 diabetes.Recent FindingsHITs may be promising in diabetes management. However, findings on effect size of glycated hemoglobin level (HbA1c) yielded from HITs varied across previous studies. This is likely due to heterogeneity in sample size, adherence to standard quantitative method, and/or searching criteria (e.g., type of HITs, type of diabetes, specification of patient population, randomized vs. nonrandomized trials).SummaryWe systematically searched Medline, Cumulative Index of Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), and the Cochrane Library for peer-reviewed randomized control trials that studied the effect of HITs on HbA1c reduction. We also used Google Scholar and a hand search to identify additional studies. Thirty-four studies (40 estimates) met the criteria and were included in the analysis. Overall, introduction of HITs to standard diabetes treatment resulted in a statistically and clinically reduced HbA1c. The bias adjusted HbA1c reduction due to the combined HIT interventions was − 0.56 [Hedges’ g = − 0.56 (− 0.70, − 0.43)]. The reduction was significant across each of the four types of HIT intervention under review, with mobile phone-based approaches generating the largest effects [Hedges’ g was − 0.67 (− 0.90, − 0.45)]. HITs can be an effective tool for glycemic control among patients with type 2 diabetes. Future studies should examine long-term effects of HITs and explore factors that influence their effectiveness.
Journal Article
Modulation of Type 1 Diabetes Risk by the Intestinal Microbiome
Purpose of Review
The purpose of this review is to summarize potential modulations of the intestinal microbiome aimed at preventing or delaying progression to overt type 1 diabetes in the light of recently identified perturbations of the gut microbiota associated with the development of type 1 diabetes.
Recent Findings
Accumulated data suggest that the gut microbiota is involved at two different steps in the evolution of type 1 diabetes. At the first step, the intestinal tract is colonized by a microbial community unable to provide an adequate education of the immune system. As a consequence, the infant acquires susceptibility to immune-mediated diseases, type 1 diabetes included. At the other step, the young child seroconverts to positivity for diabetes-associated autoantibodies. This is preceded or accompanied by a decrease in the diversity of the intestinal microbiota and an increased abundance of
Bacteroides
species. These changes will affect the disease process promoting progression toward overt type 1 diabetes.
Summary
By providing specific probiotics, one can affect the colonization of the intestinal tract in the newborn infant or strengthen the immune education in early life. Human milk oligosaccharides function as nutrients for “healthy” bacteria. Dietary interventions applying modified starches can influence the numbers and activities of both autoreactive and regulatory T cells and provide protection against autoimmune diabetes in non-obese diabetic mice. Modulation of the intestinal microbiome holds the promise of effective protection against human type 1 diabetes.
Journal Article