Healthy Eating Today

A different way to bring AI to the edge: This article is trying to explain three difficult concepts in one go, starting with how reservoir computing works, moving on to how neural networks work, and then assuming that you understand how micro-electromechanical system (MEMs) work. In other words, there’s a lot going on. The short version — which doesn’t require you to know how this works (although it is really fascinating) — is that researchers in Canada have built a device that is smaller than the width of a human hair and could process a single type of physical input, such as motion or sound, on the chip itself. These MEMs devices would be able to perform such highly specific tasks in an energy-efficient manner, allowing them to be powered by energy harvesting. (IEEE Spectrum) -S.H.

Here’s Sidewalk Labs’ plan for data privacy in smart cities: I’ve written about the challenges of building smart cities, and Toronto’s Quayside water development project, which is done in conjunction with Sidewalk Labs, has exemplified some of those challenges. This week, the company proposed its plans for the area and shared its thinking on data privacy. The main idea is that all urban data should be placed in a Civic Data Trust and be made accessible to all. The other big idea is that any entity that wants to collect or use the data will have to file a Responsible Data Impact Assessment. That assessment will be publicly available and reviewable to anyone. These are reasonable steps, but they do have two implications. The first is that they put the municipality on the same footing as corporations when it comes to accessing the urban data. This gives me pause, because public safety is more important than marketing, and any data I might share with my police department for public safety purposes isn’t something I’d necessarily want to share with a private company. The second implication is that being able to review these assessment plans will require activists, journalists, and the like to bone up on their statistics and data analysis in order to understand how the data could be used and the potential impacts. (Medium) -S.H.

IoT bad citizen alert: One of the challenges of IoT security is that one bad apple can pollute a whole lot of the internet. Mixed metaphor aside, I am in love with this concept from Brian Krebs where he calls out a company that’s producing connected devices with terrible security practices, such as hard-coded passwords and a lack of updates. Here, he’s shaming Xiongmai, a maker of cheap IP video cameras. The company was called out in the wake of the Mirai botnet and promised to issue a recall. It hasn’t. Instead, it has threatened to sue security researchers and journalists. To learn more, read the article, as it lays out a strong case. (Krebs on Security) -S.H

Prepare for the rush of quantum security startups: This week, a startup called Crypto Quantique launched, claiming that its silicon couldn’t be hacked, even by quantum computers. This article clearly wants to take its claim with a grain of salt, but the writer may lack the technical depth. I’m not saying that to be a jerk, but because I, too, have waded into the crypto-quantum security mire before and returned with a bunch of equations that might as well have been written in Aramaic. We’ll see more of these companies emerge in the next few years because quantum computing is finally looking plausible. The concern is that with quantum computing, the current means of encryption that computing uses will become worthless. That’s why companies such as Crypto Quantique are launching and companies like Secure RF are touting their quantum impenetrability. Even the National Institute of Standards (NIST) is trying to solve this problem. I’m talking to the Crypto Quantique folks next week, so I’ll offer my two cents on the tech soon, but I’m worried I may just have to wait for NIST or someone much smarter to weigh in. (TechCrunch) -S.H.

Facial recognition and blockchain for…animals? Yup, it sounds weird, but it’s true. This article provides a dozen examples, ranging from the use of Google Cloud Auto-ML Vision on elephants to protect them from poachers, to using facial recognition on sheep to ascertain how they physically feel. A Chinese company is using similar tech with pigs to help track their age, weight, and diet. Perhaps the most unexpected example is “GoGo Chicken.” Using blockchain, you can learn where the chicken you bought for dinner was born, what it ate and — look out, Fitbit — even how many steps it walked during its lifetime. (NewYork Magazine) – K.C.T.

Alexa, whisper sweet nothings in my ear: Amazon announced Whisper Mode for Alexa last month, and the feature is now rolling out in the U.S. If you missed the news, in Whisper Mode Alexa will whisper back to you if you quietly say a voice command. This is ideal for nighttime use or, in my case, when the dog is napping (Alexa always wakes Norm). To enable the feature, you can say “Alexa, turn on whisper mode” to your Echo device. Alternatively, there’s a setting in the Alexa app, too. If you don’t see it yet, don’t yell. You’re sure to see it soon. (VentureBeat) – K.C.T.

With Smartfrog, Canary could leap into the EU: Since I bought it last year, there hasn’t been much new functionality added to the Canary camera security system in my home. It works fantastic as-is, though. And instead of Canary adding new features, the company is adding more money thanks to Smartfrog, an EU-based IoT company that sells its own webcams and services that turn smartphones into remote security cameras. Smartfrog invested $25 million in Canary and is also gaining a controlling interest in it, although that’s separate from the amount of the investment. Why does this make sense? Here in the U.S., Smartfrog isn’t well known, and you could say the same about Canary in the EU. Perhaps the two will cross the pond and expand their respective reputations. (TechCrunch) – K.C.T. 

Google Home integrations improve on Nvidia Shield: I could swear that some of these Google voice commands already work with my Nvidia Shield TV set-top box, but I do see some new ones. Now you can get a little more granular by telling Google to tune in to a particular channel or open a specific app on the TV. Perhaps this means those $50 Nvidia microphones designed to speak to a Google Assistant, the ones the company announced nearly two years ago, will never see the light of day. And why should they, when a Google Mini can often be found on sale for less? (Nvidia) – K.C.T

Related

The keto diet was the No. 1 searched diet on Google in 2018. Keto pancakes and keto cheesecake were the fourth- and fifth-ranked food search terms.

But as the diet's popularity has increased, so has the controversy surrounding it.

It all begins with very low carbs.

A normal diet consists of about 300 grams of carbohydrates every day, but for people on the keto diet, about 20 grams is the limit. The low-carb intake is replaced with a high consumption of fats. It's similar to the Atkins diet, which was popular in the early 2000s.

When carbohydrates are restricted, the body turns to glycogen, a backup carbohydrate stored in the liver, for energy. When this supply of glycogen is depleted, the liver produces ketones for energy, a process known as ketosis, according to the Mayo Clinic. For people on the keto diet, the goal is to be in a constant state of ketosis, where instead of storing fats the body burns them.

Elizabeth Parks, a professor of nutrition and exercise physiology in the University of Missouri's School of Medicine, said the keto diet is sustainable and the criticism is often misguided.

“We know that people can do this forever,” Parks said, referring to a study on the effects of low-carb diets on the heart. “From the metabolism standpoint it is sustainable.”

Adam Whaley-Connell, professor of medicine in the division of nephrology and hypertension in the School of Medicine and associate chief of staff at Truman Veterans' Hospital, said while the short-term gains from a ketogenic diet are great for weight loss, the long-term effects can pose increased risks to the heart and kidneys.

“As a physician, I routinely tell people that these types of high-fat diets can have different implications for your health that may not be in your favor,” he said.

For Brenda Breland, who has become a social media conduit for people wanting to go keto, there's an irony in the criticism and naysaying she's heard since she became a believer. “No one was worried about me when I ate chips and ice cream for dinner,” she said, “but now because I'm doing keto, people think I'm going to die.”

Becoming a believer

Six months after the birth of her second child, Breland wasn't happy. As a former college volleyball player, she wasn't used to feeling out of shape.

“I just wasn't in the best place, mentally or physically,” she said. “I had a lot of anxiety and didn't feel like myself.”

A friend introduced Breland, 29, to a keto drink supplement, and she decided to give it a go, hoping it would help her lose weight and feel healthier. After three months of drinking the supplement and changing to a low-carb diet, she decided to go full keto.

She didn't weigh herself, but she dropped from a size 6 to a 2 or 1 in the first three months, she said.

Breland begins her day drinking a ketogenic supplement that suppresses her hunger and helps her body stay in ketosis. She only eats between 1 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. For lunch and dinner, she sticks with leafy greens and meats, like a salad and a hamburger without a bun. It all adds up to about 1,400 calories per day, and she's now focusing on gaining muscle.

“After 7:30 at night I only drink water,” she said. “I allow myself one treat meal on the weekend, where I'll maybe consume 80 to 100 grams of carbs instead of the daily 20.”

Breland said she has never been in better shape physically or mentally.

“As a mom, I used to feel totally rundown at the end of the day with a lot of brain fog,” she said. “Now I can keep up with my kids, with my work and everything going on around me.”

Breland works out five days a week for 35 minutes during her lunch hour. Before going on the keto diet, she occasionally exercised and ate an unlimited amount of carbohydrates and sugars.

Long-term effects

Ashley Ritzo, a clinical dietitian for University of Missouri Health, typically does not recommend the keto diet to her patients. Her recommendations are based on the sustainability of the diet. “My philosophy on nutrition is to commit only to changes you can do for the rest of your life,” she said.

For someone to sustain a ketogenic diet and maintain good health, they must be committed to including plant-based fats like avocados and nuts in their diet, she said.

“One of the problems is that some people end up eating too much of animal-based fats, like bacon,” she said.

Whaley-Connell said research shows that high-fat diets in general can have negative health effects in the long-term, regardless of whether the fat comes from plants or animals.

“High-fat diets over time can induce kidney injury both functionally and structurally,” he said. “It does not matter what the source of fat is.”

Cardiovascular risks such as heart disease, stroke and high blood pressure can increase over time with a high-fat diet, he said.

That's why going on the keto diet under the supervision of a physician is important, he said. But he won't recommend it to his patients and explains that the long-term health risks outweigh the short-term weight loss results.

Parks is less persuaded by those risks.

“I wouldn't say there are no risks, but on the whole the risks are relatively low,” she said. “If you are relatively healthy, it is not a dangerous diet to try. People who are diabetic should check with their doctor before they start the diet. Some diabetes medicines do not work well on the keto diet.”

For her patients on low-carb diets, she recommends taking multivitamins, and making sure vitamin C is being replenished. Drinking plenty of water is important, as carbohydrates often supply most of the body's hydration, she said.

“Many people ask what the minimum amount of carbs you need a day is, which is controversial, but it's important to realize that your liver can supply the body with energy in other ways when on low-carb,” she said.

Works for her

The hardest part of the keto diet for Breland is the negativity and criticism that surrounds the lifestyle.

“The lifestyle isn't for everyone, but for me, it is sustainable long-term,” she said.

Parks, who regularly conducts weight loss studies at the MU School of Medicine, said the quick and large amount of weight loss that results from the keto diet, is explainable in part by three factors:

Losing water weight: Glycogen, the backup carbohydrate in the liver, is stored with water. During ketosis, glycogen becomes depleted and thus water is not being stored.

Less sugar means less stored fat: Sugar is a carb, and the carb intake on the ketogenic diet is very low. When fat is consumed with sugar, the body uses the sugar as fuel and stores the fat. When fat is consumed without sugar, the body burns the fat instead.

Cutting carbs means cutting calories: When a diet is restricted by something as common as carbohydrates, fewer food options are available to the person. With fewer food choices, people eat less.

For Breland, the lifestyle change came at no additional expense and was an easy transition, even with meals to prepare for two kids and a husband. “When I cook for my family, I just modify it for me,” she said. “If my family has tacos, I have a taco bowl.

“When I switched to the this lifestyle, I reached out and tried to find a physician who practiced or was an advocate for the diet, and was never able to connect with one,” Breland said. “As long as I am practicing a well-formulated ketogenic diet, my physician supports it.”

SAN DIEGO—In conjunction with its Kidney Week 2018 conference now in progress, the American Society of Nephrology (ASN) announced the release of its “Technology Roadmap for Innovative Approaches to Renal Replacement Therapy.”

A team led by Joseph V. Bonventre, MD, PhD, Chief of the Renal Unit and Director of the Bioengineering Division at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, developed the roadmap as part ASN's Kidney Health Initiative (KHI). The objective is to improve to encourage industry, academic institutions, and other organizations to invest in and develop novel patient-driven alternatives to dialysis as renal replacement therapy (RRT), according to an ASN press release.

Among other components, the roadmap encourages multidisciplinary collaboration and multiple potential solution pathways with milestones and time projections.

“Creating innovative advanced therapies for those in renal failure is critically important. We owe it to our patients,” Dr Bonventre said in the release, adding that a key part of the roadmap is regulatory agency involvement.

Much of the roadmap is devoted to strategies for improved patient quality of life. The 34-page roadmap document identifies specific areas that need attention, including minimizing impact and intrusion of therapy on family and social life, improved ability to work and travel, increased mobility and physical activity, increased treatment choices, more liberal diet and fluid regulation, reduced medication burden, decreased disease- and treatment-related complications, decreased disease maintenance and interventions, and decreased financial impact. To address these issues, the roadmap identified the following areas for research and development: enhanced dialysis, portable or wearable devices, biohybrid and implantable technology, and kidney tissue regeneration.

Established in September 2012 under a Memorandum of Understanding between ASN and the FDA, the KHI Initiative includes more than 90 organizations. KHI members include biotechnology and pharmaceutical firms, device manufacturers, dialysis providers, foundations, patient and health professional organizations, research institutions, plus US and international government agencies, according to the release.

Reference

Technology Roadmap for Innovative Approaches to Renal Replacement Therapy. American Society of Nephrology. August 2018. 

¿Qué indicadores nos dicen si algo está de moda o no?

Para saber si algo, por ejemplo unas gafas, están de moda o no, nos fijaremos en varios indicadores clave.

El primer indicador es la “novedad” y como novedad nos referimos a aquellos elementos o atributos que podrían hacer únicas a un tipo de gafas frente a las demás aportando ciertas ventajas a los consumidores.

Por ejemplo, las gafas de sol Slastik tienen un sistema de sujeción único a través de una varilla ajustable que permite adaptar las gafas a cualquier tamaño de cabeza para una mayor comodidad a la hora de practicar algún deporte.

El segundo indicador es la tendencia que nos revelará el crecimiento en intención de compra de gafas por alguna razón en concreto. Por ejemplo, las gafas “clic” se han puesto de moda por incluir una conexión frontal con imán para evitar perderlas cuando trabajamos o leemos fuera de casa. Un ejemplo de estas gafas son las gafas de lectura con imán.

Finalmente, otra de las pistas que nos dirá si una gafa está de moda, es si la empiezan a llevar los famosos. Por ejemplo, el juez Castro, Mario Conde, Samuel L. Jackson o el propio Al Pacino empezaron a llevar las gafas “clic” y poco a poco han ido poniendo de moda este tipo de gafas.

Lo que está claro es que tanto la innovación como la tendencia son los factores más relevantes para saber si unas gafas están de moda (ver este enlace para saber más sobre que es la moda).

¿Irás a la moda tú también con tus nuevas gafas de sol y de lectura?

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He had never used a vape pen before and was using it in his grandmother’s car on January 27. After it exploded, he crawled from the car in what is believed to be an attempt to get help before collapsing on the pavement. A passerby called an ambulance and he was taken to hospital, where he died two days later.

His grandmother, Alice Brown, told the Fort Worth Star-Telegram that her grandson, who was an electrician, was about to celebrate his birthday in two weeks. 

She said doctors told her that he suffered a stroke inside the car and had bleeding in his brain. The Tarrant County medical examiner's office ruled William Brown's cause of death as penetrating trauma from an exploding vaporizer pen. 

“It just hurts so bad. Now he’ll never see that birthday. It’s a waste of the things he could have accomplished,” she said. “It just all seems so unreal. He was running around doing his thing at 24 and now he’s gone.”

Alice retrieved the vape pen from the car, which had been covered in her grandson’s blood. She said she hoped that the pieces of the destroyed vape pen would provide the information needed to stop someone else from suffering the same fate.

It is reportedly the second fatality in the U.S. from an exploding e-cigarette. Florida man Tallmadge D’Elia died at his home when his device exploded and projected fragments into his skull last May. He was said to have suffered burns over 80% of his body.

A study by George Mason University, published in the journal Tobacco Control, found that "From 2015 to 2017, there were an estimated 2035 e-cigarette explosion and burn injuries presenting to US hospital emergency departments." The New York Legal Examiner reported that the true number is likely to be higher because not all injured people would go to hospital.

Mark Gardiner, from Britain’s Chartered Trading Standards Institute, said there can be a risk if users experiment with different batteries and e-liquids and when people build their own systems, they can generate a lot of heat and then explode.

"That said, even an unmodified product can go wrong, as can any product containing a lithium-ion battery. And if a battery fails and explodes then obviously it's an extra hazard if it's in your mouth," he told the BBC.

© EVA HAMBACH/AFP/Getty Images File photo: A man exhaling vapor from an electronic cigarette in Washington, D.C. on October 2, 2018. A man in Fort Worth, Texas has died after his vape pen exploded in his face.

The World Health Organization has recently announced that a high-fiber diet of good carbohydrates can potentially reduce the risk of heart disease and decrease the possibility of related diseases like diabetes, strokes and colorectal cancer.

“Here we have got very strong evidence that a high-fiber diet, which for the majority of people is at least high-ish in carbohydrates, has an enormous protective effect – a wide range of diseases including diabetes, cardiovascular disease and cancer benefit from a high-carbohydrate diet,” Professor Jim Mann of the University of Otago in New Zealand told The Guardian this week.

In the WHO report, published in The Lancet medical journal, so-called “good” carbohydrates such as oats and whole-grain bread, cereal and pasta help protect against the onset of heart disease and early death.

The kicker: the study goes against the grain of trendy low-carbohydrate diets, which may irk food manufacturers pushing such diet products, reported The Guardian.

Professor Jim Mann of the University of Otago in New Zealand told The Guardian that research from the latest study “does contribute to the debate considerably.”

The study revealed that individuals throughout the world eat less than 20 grams per day, but it recommends that a person should eat at least between 25 and 29 grams of fiber per day, with 30 grams even better.

Those who eat the most fiber result in a 15-to-30 percent reduction in deaths from all causes, including heart disease.

Specifically, the study showed that such a high-fiber diet reduces coronary heart disease, stroke, Type 2 diabetes and colorectal cancer by 16-to-24 percent.

The results? The high-fiber diet means 13 fewer deaths and six fewer cases of coronary heart disease for every 1,000 people who eat high-fiber foods, compared with those who do not.

Mann also gave another tip in maintaining weight under the new, if not controversial, report:

“Fiber-rich whole foods that require chewing and retain much of their structure in the gut increase satiety and help weight control and can favorably influence lipid and glucose levels,” said Mann.

The WHO defines an unhealthy diet as one of the major risk factors for a range of chronic diseases, including cardiovascular diseases, cancer, diabetes and other conditions linked to obesity. Specific recommendations for a healthy diet include: eating more fruit, vegetables, legumes, nuts and grains; cutting down on salt, sugar and fats. It is also advisable to choose unsaturated fats, instead of saturated fats and towards the elimination of trans-fatty acids.

Furthermore, WHO provides a broader solution world-wide, posting on its website that “Improving dietary habits is a societal, not just an individual problem. Therefore it demands a population-based, multisectoral, multi-disciplinary, and culturally relevant approach.”