Preference for tap, bottled, and recycled water: Relations to PTC taste sensitivity and personality

Publication date: 1 February 2018
Source:Appetite, Volume 121
Author(s): Daniel Harmon, Mary Gauvain, Z Reisz, Isaac Arthur, S. Drew Story
This study investigated people's preferences for different water sources and factors that predict such preferences using a blind taste test. Water preferences of 143 participants for one name-brand bottled water, one groundwater-sourced tap water, and one indirect potable reuse (IDR) water were assessed. For predictors of water preference, we measured each participant's PTC taste sensitivity and assessed two personality traits (Neuroticism, Openness to Experience). We also explored participants' descriptions of each water source. Results indicate a preference for water treated with Reverse Osmosis (RO) (bottled and IDR water) over groundwater-sourced water, which had higher pH levels and lower concentrations of Ca and HCO3⁻. PTC taste sensitivity did not predict preferences, while Openness to Experience and Neuroticism predicted preference for IDR water. Positive relations between Openness to Experience and preferences for bottled and IDR water were moderated by gender and were stronger among females. Participants described water primarily by its taste and texture. Findings suggest that (1) tap water treated by RO is equally preferable to some bottled water, (2) personality traits may affect water preferences, and (3) prior findings of gender differences in preferences for bottled water may reflect personality characteristics. Efforts to increase acceptance for sustainable water alternatives, such as IDR, may be more successful by assuring consumers about taste and addressing personality traits that encourage or inhibit use.



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The impact of price and nutrition labelling on sugary drink purchases: Results from an experimental marketplace study

Publication date: 1 February 2018
Source:Appetite, Volume 121
Author(s): Rachel B. Acton, David Hammond
ObjectiveTo examine the effect of front-of-package (FOP) nutrition labelling and sugary drink taxation on consumer beverage purchases.MethodsA total of 675 respondents aged 16 years and older participated in an experimental marketplace study using a 4 × 5 within-between group design. Participants were randomised to one of four labelling conditions (no label; star rating; high sugar symbol; health warning) and completed five within-subject purchase tasks. Beverage prices in each task corresponded to 'tax' conditions: 0%, 10%, 20%, 30% and a variable tax proportional to free sugar level. In each task, participants selected from 20 commercially available beverages; upon conclusion, one of five selections was randomly chosen for purchase.ResultsAs price increased, participants were significantly less likely to select a sugary drink, and selected drinks with fewer calories and less free sugar (p < 0.001 for all). The overall effect of labelling was not statistically significant, although there was a trend for the 'high sugar' label to reduce the likelihood of selecting a sugary drink (p = 0.11) and encouraging participants to select drinks with less free sugar (p = 0.11).ConclusionsIncreasing price was associated with reduced sugary drink purchases. Enhanced FOP labelling results highlight the need for further research to investigate their potential impact. The study adds empirical support for taxation to reduce sugary drink consumption.



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Tap versus bottled water consumption: The influence of social norms, affect and image on consumer choice

Publication date: 1 February 2018
Source:Appetite, Volume 121
Author(s): Anita Etale, Marilou Jobin, Michael Siegrist
What drives consumers to choose bottled water instead of tap water where the latter is safe, accessible, costs far less, and in spite of its environmental impacts? This research investigates the influence of hitherto unexplored psychological drivers in an attempt to generate a more holistic understanding of the phenomenon, and strategies for designing more effective consumption reduction campaigns. Using data from an internet survey of Swiss and German respondents (N = 849) we investigated the role of, social norms, affect and image on water consumption. Results suggest that these psychological factors play a role in water consumption choice. Convenience was the only contextual predictor - the inconvenience of transporting bottled water has a negative effect on its consumption, and a positive effect on tap water consumption. Although concern about the effect of bottled water on the environment was not a significant predictor of tap water consumption, we found that for some people, a link exists between environmental concern and consumption choice. Ways through which consumers may be more effectively influenced towards environmentally-friendly consumption are discussed.



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Correction

Etzkorn JR, Sobanko JF, Elenitsas R, et al. Low recurrence rates for in situ and invasive melanomas using Mohs micrographic surgery with melanoma antigen recognized by T cells 1 (MART-1) immunostaining: Tissue processing methodology to optimize pathologic staging and margin assessment. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2015;72(5):840-50.

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Exploring the potential relationship between indoor air quality and the concentration of airborne culturable fungi: a combined experimental and neural network modeling study

Abstract

Indoor airborne culturable fungi exposure has been closely linked to occupants' health. However, conventional measurement of indoor airborne fungal concentration is complicated and usually requires around one week for fungi incubation in laboratory. To provide an ultra-fast solution, here, for the first time, a knowledge-based machine learning model is developed with the inputs of indoor air quality data for estimating the concentration of indoor airborne culturable fungi. To construct a database for statistical analysis and model training, 249 data groups of air quality indicators (concentration of indoor airborne culturable fungi, indoor/outdoor PM_2.5 and PM₁₀ concentrations, indoor temperature, indoor relative humidity, and indoor CO₂ concentration) were measured from 85 residential buildings of Baoding (China) during the period of 2016.11.15–2017.03.15. Our results show that artificial neural network (ANN) with one hidden layer has good prediction performances, compared to a support vector machine (SVM). With the tolerance of ± 30%, the prediction accuracy of the ANN model with ten hidden nodes can at highest reach 83.33% in the testing set. Most importantly, we here provide a quick method for estimating the concentration of indoor airborne fungi that can be applied to real-time evaluation.

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Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and hydroxylated PBDEs in human serum from Shanghai, China: a study on their presence and correlations

Abstract

Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) are becoming a public health concern because of their potential toxicity, from endocrine disruption system to neurodevelopmental impairments. Nonetheless, information on their levels in human blood is scarce. In this study, human serum samples collected in Shanghai, China, were analyzed for the concentrations of PBDEs and their hydroxylated metabolites (OH-PBDEs). Eight PBDE congeners and six OH-PBDE congeners were quantified in serum samples by gas chromatography with mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and high-performance liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS). As a result, total PBDE concentration ranged from 0.280 to 12.330 ng g⁻¹ on a lipid weight basis lw (median: 1.100 ng g⁻¹ lw) and the total OH-PBDE level ranged from 0.045 to 0.363 ng g⁻¹ (lw) (median: 0.187 ng g⁻¹ lw). Among them, BDE-47 and 6-OH-BDE-47 were the predominant PBDEs and OH-PBDEs, respectively. In addition, based on the results of the Bartelett X ² test, BDE-47 significantly (p < 0.05) correlated with BDE-28, BDE-100, BDE-85, and BDE-154, whereas 3′-OH-BDE-7 significantly (p < 0.01) correlated with 3-OH-BDE-47, 2-OH-BDE-68, and 6′-OH-BDE-99. Among all donors, no significant association between age and PBDEs (or OH-PBDEs) was found. Further research on the exposure routes in the environment and metabolic processing of PBDEs in human blood is necessary.

http://ift.tt/2AisMXh

An open-source method to analyze optokinetic reflex responses in larval zebrafish

Publication date: 1 January 2018
Source:Journal of Neuroscience Methods, Volume 293
Author(s): Seth D. Scheetz, Enhua Shao, Yangzhong Zhou, Clinton L. Cario, Qing Bai, Edward A. Burton
BackgroundOptokinetic reflex (OKR) responses provide a convenient means to evaluate oculomotor, integrative and afferent visual function in larval zebrafish models, which are commonly used to elucidate molecular mechanisms underlying development, disease and repair of the vertebrate nervous system.New methodWe developed an open-source MATLAB-based solution for automated quantitative analysis of OKR responses in larval zebrafish. The package includes applications to: (i) generate sinusoidally-transformed animated grating patterns suitable for projection onto a cylindrical screen to elicit the OKR; (ii) determine and record the angular orientations of the eyes in each frame of a video recording showing the OKR response; and (iii) analyze angular orientation data from the tracking program to yield a set of parameters that quantify essential elements of the OKR. The method can be employed without modification using the operating manual provided. In addition, annotated source code is included, allowing users to modify or adapt the software for other applications.ResultsWe validated the algorithms and measured OKR responses in normal larval zebrafish, showing good agreement with published quantitative data, where available.Comparison with existing method(s)We provide the first open-source method to elicit and analyze the OKR in larval zebrafish. The wide range of parameters that are automatically quantified by our algorithms significantly expands the scope of quantitative analysis previously reported.ConclusionsOur method for quantifying OKR responses will be useful for numerous applications in neuroscience using the genetically- and chemically-tractable zebrafish model.

Graphical abstract

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