Basic Menu Research Articles

Eating with the eyes? Tracking food choice in restaurant’s menu

Digitalization is considered the industrial revolution of the 21st century, helping companies to become more efficient and value-driven. This trend also reaches the restaurant sector, being present in all its spaces and activities, from the kitchen to customer service. The present study aimed to determine if the eye-tracker is a suitable tool to predict diners’ choices in the context of a restaurant. Three menu presentations were designed for the study: a basic menu with the name of the dishes and the prices; a menu that included the same information of the basic one, and a descriptive information of each dish; and a menu with an infographic of nutrition-related composition. A total of 180 consumers participated in the study (n ≈ 60 per menu), who evaluated one of the menus presented on a tablet with an integrated eye-tracker. Then, consumers completed a questionnaire indicating their dish choice and their opinion about the menu. Results showed that, when basic or descriptive information was displayed, the eye-tracking could be used to predict consumer’s decisions in the restaurant. A higher fixation duration resulted in a higher probability of choice when consumers looked at the basic menu and at the one with descriptive information, but the inclusion of an infographic with nutritional data diminished the prediction ability of the eye-tracker.

Wine-menu design: an investigation using brain-computer interface technology

ABSTRACT Hospitality researchers and restaurateurs have long viewed the wine menu as an important vehicle for selling wine and in turn increasing restaurant revenue. Therefore, this empirical study examines how wine-menu design, or menu psychology, influences cognitive functioning in wine consumers. Using brain–computer interface technology, we tested 90 participants’ cognitive responses to three menu designs (30 per treatment group). The first design resembled a typical wine menu by including only varietal name, vintage, and price (fictitious wine names were used to avoid bias); the second menu included that basic information as well as descriptive information about the wines; the third menu included the descriptive information as well as pairing recommendations. Participants were given a prix fixe dinner menu and were asked to select a wine to pair with the food. Participants using the menus that included either descriptions alone or descriptions with pairing information exhibited significantly higher levels of concentration of longer duration than did those choosing from the basic wine menu that lacked additional information. These results provide evidence that wine-menu design may positively influence consumer behavior and that restaurateurs should use wine menus that provide richer content than traditional wine lists.

The Improvement Of Menu Based On Pare As A Diet Menu Specially In Diabetes Mellitus Patients In Hospitals

Background: Diabetes Mellitus (DM) is a disease whose prevalence has increased every year. The increase in prevalence is thought to be due to lifestyle changes and urbanization that affect the pattern and selection of food menus. One of the easiest management is to consume drugs, but the use of repentance for a long time will cause side effects and quite expensive costs.Pare is one type of vegetable that can be used as an alternative to the main food menu for diabetic mellitus, but because the taste is bitter, Pare is rarely used as a daily menu. Even at the Hospital a Pare-based menu is rarely applied to patients, especially those with Diabetes.
 Object: This study aims to examine the development of Pare-based menus so that it can be used as an alternative menu for inpatients in hospitals, especially for people with Diabetes Mellitus.
 Methods:There are two methods used in this study, experimental research methods and statistical descriptions.
 Result: The results of the stir-fried bitter melon from the experiment were bitter melon vegetables whose color was fresh green, the distinctive aroma of bitter melon still smelled, the texture was soft and the bitter taste was somewhat reduced. Panelist's hedonic test, who stated that they rather like 6 (18.8%), and like 21 (65.6%) and really like 4 (12.5%).
 Conclsion: Based on the results of the study, it can be concluded that bitter melon can be a basic menu item for type 2 diabetes mellitus patients hospitalized at the hospital.

Eating out: which restaurant to choose?

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to answer the following research questions: which are the main drivers in the choice of a restaurant for Italian consumers? Are local, organic and GMO-free foods important attributes in the choice of a restaurant?Design/methodology/approachIn order to answer the research questions, a discrete choice experiment was applied. In particular, the authors opted for the application of a latent class model to identify any differences in the behavioural structures of the various consumers. This approach is, in fact, based on the assumption that the choices of the subjects depend on observable and unobservable heterogeneity that vary with factors not directly detectable.FindingsPeople show different preferences when they choose a restaurant. Regarding the choice experiment, the analysis of the importance of the attributes for the final choice highlights how price and service quality are always considered as the most important ones. The presence of menu with local foods, organic foods and OGM-free products is never decisive for the final choice but it is a very appreciated attribute for almost 30 per cent of consumers. This group of consumers (named local oriented) show a willingness to pay (WTP) of 11 euro for local foods, eight euro for organic products and 3.5 euro for OGM-free ingredients. For the locavores, the likelihood of choosing a restaurant offering local products is three times higher than that of a restaurant not possessing this type of certification, all other conditions being equal.Research limitations/implicationsRestaurant owners can differentiate their offerings also considering the local foods and organic products. On the other hand, the restaurants can become powerful marketing channels for local producers. The consumption of organic foods can be increased given the wide WTP displayed. This could positively impact in the promotion of healthier and sustainable diet.Practical implicationsThe conditions therefore exist for developing a restaurant offer consisting of a basic menu with local foods, capable of integrating in a virtuous manner with the organic farm productions, which keep an eye on sustainable development and the wholesomeness of foods. If this virtuous process takes root in the restaurant sector, it could certainly represent an important opportunity for the agricultural producers as well, especially in the tourist areas. In order for this opportunity to materially be implemented in a development process, it is, however, necessary to develop certifications and brands capable of constituting credible guarantees for the consumer, as well as strengthening the information and communication campaigns among the younger consumers.Social implicationsThe development of a segment of restaurants that support local foods and organic products would have positive impacts both from the social and territorial point of view.Originality/valueThis is the first paper that considers and evaluate the impact of local foods, organic foods and GMO-free foods in the choice of a restaurant. Findings demonstrate how the probability of choosing restaurants that offer local products, compared to the other conditions, is always higher than those focussing on organic or GMO-free products. The choice probability of the restaurant with local products is three times greater than that of a restaurant without local products, all other variables being equal.

The effect of a test ordering software intervention on the prescription of unnecessary laboratory tests - a randomized controlled trial

BackgroundThe way software for electronic health records and laboratory tests ordering systems are designed may influence physicians’ prescription. A randomised controlled trial was performed to measure the impact of a diagnostic and laboratory tests ordering system software modification.MethodsParticipants were family physicians working and prescribing diagnostic and laboratory tests.The intervention group had a modified software with a basic shortcut menu changes, where some tests were withdrawn or added, and with the implementation of an evidence-based decision support based on United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommendations. This intervention group was compared with usual software (control group).The outcomes were the number of tests prescribed from those: withdrawn from the basic menu; added to the basic menu; marked with green dots (USPSTF’s grade A and B); and marked with red dots (USPSTF’s grade D).ResultsComparing the monthly average number of tests prescribed before and after the software modification, from those tests that were withdrawn from the basic menu, the control group prescribed 33.8 tests per 100 consultations before and 30.8 after (p = 0075); the intervention group prescribed 31.3 before and 13.9 after (p < 0001). Comparing the tests prescribed between both groups during the intervention, from those tests that were withdrawn from the basic menu, the intervention group prescribed a monthly average of 14.0 vs. 29.3 tests per 100 consultations in the control group (p < 0.001). From those tests that are USPSTF’s grade A and B, intervention group prescribed 66.8 vs. 74.1 tests per 100 consultations in the control group (p = 0.070). From those tests categorised as USPSTF grade D, the intervention group prescribed an average of 9.8 vs. 11.8 tests per 100 consultations in the control group (p = 0.003).ConclusionsRemoving unnecessary tests from a quick shortcut menu of the diagnosis and laboratory tests ordering system had a significant impact and reduced unnecessary prescription of tests.The fact that it was not possible to perform the randomization at the family physicians’ level, but only of the computer servers is a limitation of our study. Future research should assess the impact of different tests ordering systems during longer periods.Trial registrationISRCTN45427977, May 1st 2014 (retrospectively registered).

Actual remote control: a universal remote control using hand motions on a virtual menu

Consumer electronic devices are becoming more complex and diverse. In order to provide users with an easy and convenient way of controlling various consumer electronics, it is necessary to use a universal way to control various devices. This requires using a user-friendly and intuitive interface. We introduce a wristwatch-type of remote that offers a unified way to control various devices. Total of seven gestures that are based on hand motions are defined. These seven gestures are suitable to the wearable wristwatch-type device. For a variety of systems, these gestures can be used in the same way. Gestures are not designed and analyzed in a discrete manner; instead, they are designed in continuous hand motions and analyzed in gesture commands. Also, a method of modeling a virtual menu from the menu on a consumer electronic device is introduced. With the virtual menu, the user is able to control various devices by using gestures. The virtual menu has to reflect hand motion characteristics and represents functions of electronic appliances. The virtual menu is implemented in XML to represent the basic menu construction and its properties. In order to use virtual menu, we introduce how a user's hand motions can be used in a fast and effective way. Finally we compare our wearable remote control to the conventional remote control through user tests in terms of user convenience and efficiency.

Azolla as a component of the space diet during habitation on Mars

We evaluate a candidate diet and specify its space agricultural requirements for habitation on Mars. Rice, soybean, sweet potato and a green-yellow vegetable have been selected as the basic vegetarian menu. The addition of silkworm pupa, loach, and Azolla to that basic menu was found to meet human nutritional requirements. Co-culture of rice, Azolla, and loach is proposed for developing bio-regenerative life support capability with high efficiency of the usage of habitation and agriculture area. Agriculture designed under the severe constraints of limited materials resources in space would make a positive contribution toward solving the food shortages and environmental problems facing humans on Earth, and may provide an effective sustainable solution for our civilization.

Understanding users with Diabetic Retinopathy: factors that affect performance in a menu selection task

This paper examines factors that affect performance on a basic menu selection task by users who are visually healthy and users with Diabetic Retinopathy (DR) in order to inform better interface design. Linear and logistic regression models were used to examine various contextual factors that influenced task efficiency (time) and accuracy (errors). Interface characteristics such as multimodal feedback, Windows® accessibility settings, and menu item location were investigated along with various visual function and participant characteristics. Results indicated that Windows® accessibility settings and other factors, including age, computer experience, visual acuity, contrast sensitivity, and menu item location, were significant predictors of task performance.

Strategic design for users with diabetic retinopathy

This paper examines factors that affect performance of a basic menu selection task by users who are visually healthy and users with Diabetic Retinopathy (DR) in order to inform better interface design. Interface characteristics such as multimodal feedback, Windows® accessibility settings, and menu item location were investigated. Analyses of Variance (ANOVA) were employed to examine the effects of interface features on task performance. Linear regression was used to further examine and model various contextual factors that influenced task performance. Results indicated that Windows® accessibility settings significantly improved performance of participants with more progressed DR. Additionally, other factors, including age, computer experience, visual acuity, and menu location were significant predictors of the time required for subjects to complete the task.

Laboratory practice at the periphery in developing countries.

An effective national health service structure requires a comprehensive programme for primary health care in peripheral and rural areas. This is especially important in under-resourced countries where facilities are sparse, the population is widely dispersed and transport is limited. Haematology has a key role in diagnosis and patient management by selecting tests for their clinical relevance and utility for the specific circumstances, and ensuring their technical reliability when used in health clinics and point-of-care testing. WHO has proposed a basic menu of tests in three categories: (a) tests such as haemoglobin screen which can be performed by nurses, midwives, health-aides or community doctors, (b) tests such as haemoglobinometry, microhaematocrit and microscopic examination of stained preparations which can be performed by a technician or laboratory assistant in a health centre, (c) tests requiring greater technical expertise of a laboratory technician or trained doctor. The peripheral health clinics and district laboratories must be familiar with the guidelines on standardized methods for collecting and storing specimens and transporting them to a regional laboratory or a reference centre. A training syllabus should be provided at the health centres and district laboratories, and this should include on-site instruction from supervisors and access to training manuals and distance-learning material. A co-ordinated programme of quality assurance and standardization of test methods should be established by a reference centre or national health authority with a network which encompasses all laboratories and health clinics undertaking any tests. Each regional laboratory should foster lower level laboratories or clinics within its neighbourhood. Of particular concern is the reliable diagnosis and management of anaemia. WHO reports indicate that 40% of the world population suffer from anaemia, especially affecting pregnant women, and a high proportion of infants and children in developing countries. The Haemoglobin Colour Scale (HCS) was recently developed for WHO as a simple, cheap and portable device which reads haemoglobin within 1 g/dl of the true value. It has been validated in a number of studies and is now manufactured commercially in accordance with WHO specifications under control of a WHO Collaborating Centre. It has an important potential role in the resource-limited environment where anaemia screening presently usually depends on unreliable clinical examination.

Agrarian labour and food production in a peripheral region [Agricultural dynamics in the Anwerp Campine in the "long" nineteenth century

Abstract: This contribution examines the interaction between food supply, consumptive demand and agrarian labour in a peripheral rural area, the 19th century Antwerp Campine. First the pattern of human consumption is traced, determining an « average » basic menu. Then, in a second part, the responses of the Kempen agricultural system to the changing consumer demands are studied. The focus is on labour input, both in crop growing and in stock-breeding. Finally, the data on labour input are combined with agricultural yield and productivity figures. In the end, were the dynamics in 19th century Kempen agriculture not primarily internal rather than external? Measuring agrarian labour and food production in a regional context permits the historian to observe the flexibility of rural income and survival strategies, especially in a period in which these strategies are subjected to growing pressure.

SISCOPE: A Multiuser Information System for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy

SISCOPE is an integrated data management system for use in gastrointestinal endoscopy units which operates in the multiuser mode on UNIX minicomputers or MS-DOS personal computers and can be used for patient bookings, endoscopic data entry and retrieval, and automatic report generation in upper gastrointestinal endoscopy, proctologic examinations, colonoscopy and peritoneoscopy. The description of endoscopic findings is remarkably detailed and data entry very rapid due to an advanced design of input screens that incorporates several recent concepts, including windows, menu bars and pull-down menus; typing is eliminated as data is entered with a mouse by pointing at options within menus. Endoscopic findings can be described under eight headings: morphology, topography, qualifiers, modifiers, signs of bleeding, endoscopic diagnosis, pathological diagnosis and etiology. Terminology is based strictly 3on the OMED system. SISCOPE also allows recording of details on endoscopic procedures, indications for the examination, preparation, premedication, complications and late entry of pathology reports. After entering all data, a report in natural language is produced automatically, the entire process taking one minute on average. Data retrieval programs give on-line access to previous examinations of a given patient and automatically generate activity reports. A formal language allows direct queries to the database and transfer of data for statistical analysis or other data processing. The system is simple to learn and use because operation is intuitive and all endoscopic techniques share the same basic menu structure and screen design.

Beyond DOS: A BASIC Menu for Hard Disks

If you are one of the many people who have purchased an IBM PC or compatible with a hard disk (or added a hard disk to your M300 Workstation), you may find yourself with a bit of a problem. The advantages of hard disks have been well documented (see “Hard Disks for the M300 Workstation,” OCLC Micro, vol. 2, no. 1, pp. 15–17). Besides room for large data files, they provide a place to install software program files, eliminating the need for extensive use of diskettes. Unfortunately, once you have this large group of files (which you should have divided into directories), you are faced with the problem of controlling the hard disk. You could spend $100 or more for a commercial hard disk manager, but a combination of DOS batch files and a BASIC menu program can solve the problem less expensively.

Implementation of a movement paradigm using the Commodore 64 microcomputer

Implementation of an alternating movement paradigm for monkeys was achieved using an inexpensive but versatile microcomputer, the Commodore 64. During task performance, the computer monitors one of three user selectable input signals (e.g. joint position) and continuously displays this signal as a moving cursor on a video monitor along with a user positioned target box. Other user defined parameters include in-target holding time and reinforcement ratio. The system also provides two sound cues to signal entry of the cursor into the target box and successful completion of a trial. Extensive use is made of the computer's intrinsic hardware features for implementation of movement paradigm functions. Use of external components is limited to digitizing and interface hardware. A two part software package consisting of a BASIC and a machine language program performs all task and hardware related functions. Acquisition and display of analog input signals, display of target positions, and delivery of auditory cues and applesauce rewards are all controlled by the machine language program. All user defined parameters are specified from the BASIC menu program. The specific programs described in this paper should be applicable to the control of tasks requiring alternation of a behavioral parameter between two target zones.