Product Name Research Articles

Consumers' Expectations of Liking, Emotional, Conceptual and Sustainability Characteristics of Dairy, Plant‐Based and Sustainable Yoghurts

ABSTRACTAn online survey of consumers' liking, emotional, conceptual and sustainability expectations in response to traditional, plant‐based (PB), and sustainable yoghurt product names was conducted with 1206 New Zealanders. Results showed that consumers' sensory expectations are associated with hedonic and non‐sensory expectations. Consumers' sensory, emotional, conceptual and sustainability ideations and the impact of these variables on expected liking parallel the findings from recent tests of tasted yoghurts. Per cognitive theories of predictive processing, the results support the hypothesis that judgments of sensory expectations may provide important insights into likely product perceptions. The results also support the notion that surveys of consumer product expectations can be a tool to obtain consumer insights about new products, including PB and sustainable alternatives. Since sensory expectations were associated with non‐sensory expectations, modifying the sensory attributes of PB or other innovative yoghurt products may enhance consumers' conceptualizations of these products and improve their market acceptance.

Assessing the Compliance of Complementary Food Labeling Practices in Niger with International Guidelines

Optimal infant and young child feeding practices are among the specific interventions implemented during the first 1,000 days to prevent malnutrition. They include exclusive breastfeeding for the first 6 months after birth and continued breastfeeding for up to 2 years or more, and appropriate complementary feeding practices between 6 and 36 months. However, inappropriate labeling practices for complementary foods intended for children under 2 years of age could impact on parents' or guardians' choices. The aim of this study was to assess the conformity of labelling practices for complementary foods marketed in Niger. A survey was carried out at various sales outlets to identify all types of complementary foods sold in Niamey. The European nutrient profile model developed by WHO in 2019 was used to assess the compliance of the complementary foods surveyed with the model's requirements in terms of labeling practices. A total of 20 outlets selling complementary foods, corresponding to 85 complementary foods, were selected after elimination of repetitions. In terms of nutritional composition, 12.9% of imported supplements met this requirement. No local supplements complied, compared with 25% of supplements imported from Nigeria. Compliance is 100% for the requirement for legibility of the label and clarity of the product name, and 89.4% for the presentation of a clear list of ingredients on the label. The label is the interface between customers and products. It must be presentable and provide all the product information needed to guide the customer's choice. Our results will guide the government in creating national guideline for infant foods.

Nomadic Culture’s Place Names Named After the Cult of Domestic Livestock

The given research considers toponyms of the Republic of Kazakhstan related to the names of domestic livestock, their species, and products as nomadic culture’s place names named after the cult of domestic livestock. The total sum of 341 toponyms named after the cult of domestic livestock from all 14 regions of the Republic of Kazakhstan were taken as the data of the study. They were assembled from different geographical maps of the regions of the Republic of Kazakhstan, and they were divided into five main groups that were named after the five main species of domestic livestock. They are: 1. Nomadic culture’s place names named after the cult of horses; 2. Nomadic culture’s place names named after the cult of oxen; 3. Nomadic culture’s place names named after the cult of camels; 4. Nomadic culture’s place names named after the cult of sheep; 5. Nomadic culture’s place names named after the cult of goats. The complex analysis of research data revealed the percentage of each of the five groups mentioned above; it also identified the 15 most common toponyms named after the nomadic cult of domestic livestock and assisted in classifying the mechanisms of naming nomadic culture’s toponyms named after the cult of domestic livestock. As a result, this research proposes a pioneering classification of mechanisms for naming nomadic culture’s place names, which can manifest some peculiarities of nomadic culture. It also revealed that 56 percent of the 341 toponyms, which were used as data for the study, are associated with the cult of horses. Words associated with the cult of horses in Kazakh culture are widely used in toponyms and serve various functions. These include providing information about incidents that occurred at specific locations, as well as describing the features of geographical objects using characteristics associated with horses and their breeds. The second group of place names in nomadic cultures, named after the cult of domestic livestock, is dedicated to the cult of camels. These constitute approximately 16 percent of all nomadic place names related to the cult of domestic livestock. Camels have played a role in the lives of Central Asian nomads similar to that of horses. Similarly, place names in nomadic cultures associated with the cult of camels serve functions akin to those related to the cult of horses. The Kazakh people even name their children using names that contain elements associated with the cult of camels. The third significant group of place names within the nomadic culture, which is attributed to the worship of domestic livestock, pertains to the cult of sheep. This category constitutes ten percent of all place names related to the nomadic culture's veneration of domestic animals, marginally surpassing the last two groups of such toponyms by only one percent. In Central Asia, nomadic peoples primarily raise sheep for their meat and wool. The Kazakh people have numerous traditions linked to the sheep cult. Even the bones of sheep have been and still are used as toys during national Kazakh games such as “asyk oinau.” The etymological aspects and word structure of toponyms of a given group were studied, and the results of the research contain new details about the etymology of some nomadic culture’s place names that were considered as the data of the study. The whole research process was conducted in three main phases: the phase of reviewing literature and collecting geographical names; the phase of studying etymology and word structure of research data and identifying the 15 most frequent nomadic culture’s toponyms; and the phase of identifying and classifying the main mechanisms of naming nomadic culture’s place names named after the cult of domestic livestock. Received: 14 July 2024 / Accepted: 20 October 2024 / Published: 05 November 2024

Enhancing Accessibility in Online Shopping: A Dataset and Summarization Method for Visually Impaired Individuals

A visually impaired individual (VI) encounters numerous challenges in their daily activities, particularly in tasks reliant on visual systems such as navigation, educational pursuits, and shopping. Online shopping poses a heightened difficulty due to its reliance on visual representations of products in digital formats. The impact of visual impairment on product selection based on reviews remains inadequately investigated. This study endeavors to address two primary objectives. Firstly, we propose the creation of a dataset comprising product review videos (referred to as PVS10) tailored for visually impaired individuals. Secondly, we present a foundational summarization methodology designed to facilitate access to pertinent and informative content within extensive video collections for visually impaired individuals. Our dataset, gathered from YouTube, encompasses 10 distinct products, each associated with the top 10 review videos, totaling 100 videos of varying lengths. Utilizing the search term "review videos of PRODUCT NAME", we assembled the dataset to facilitate automated summarization processes aimed at maximizing salient information, minimizing redundant content, and preserving the overarching sentiment conveyed in the reviews. This research focuses on the challenges faced by visually impaired people in online shopping, particularly when selecting products based on customer reviews. Our study demonstrates that people with visual impairments may actively explore product reviews and only acquire the information they require.

Clinical study on the utility of allergy tests to detect IgE-mediated anaphylaxis after diclofenac etalhyaluronate administration.

This study was conducted to investigate factors involved in anaphylaxis related to diclofenac etalhyaluronate (DEH) [product name: Joyclu® (JCL)] (containing DEH and macrogol 400), which is used to treat patients with osteoarthritis. Patients with osteoarthritis were divided into two groups that had (experienced patients) or had not experienced anaphylactic symptoms after JCL administration (non-experienced patients). Five tests performed to assess factors related to anaphylaxis consisted of a skin prick test (SPT) as the primary endpoint and the other tests including basophil activation test, allergen-specific IgE (sIgE) tests using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay or immunochromatographic kits, and genetic study were secondary endpoints. The SPT showed 4 (wheal)/7 (erythema) of 15 experienced patients and 0/3 of 19 non-experienced patients were positive for any of the test reagents containing DEH. The basophil activation test showed two experienced patients were positive for test reagents containing DEH. DEH- and diclofenac-sIgE were detected in 3 and 1 of 12 experienced patients, respectively. No clear results were shown in the other tests. DEH may be the main factor involved in the development of anaphylaxis. The SPT was more sensitive than the basophil activation and allergen-sIgE tests for identifying factors associated with anaphylaxis.

Implementation of E-Commerce for Andika Jeans with PHP, MySQL, and SDLC for Web-based Applications

The website has information about the product's name, price, and specifications, which aims to make it easier for customers to choose the product they want to buy. This website is exclusively for men's jeans. This men's jeans E-Commerce Website contains information about products for men's needs. Andika Jeans previously used conventional methods, where customers had to come to the store to see the product. With these problems, the Andika Jeans website was created. The method used in this writing is SWLDC, which has several stages: analysis, design, implementation, and trial. The conclusion that can be drawn from this website is that it aims to get information about the available products so that visitors can easily choose products that meet their needs. This website has been hosted so that customers can access it and can also place and confirm orders. This website has been tested in several browsers and devices, and the results of this website function very well; this website can be accessed via http://widi-system.co/andikajeans/.

Development of Indonesian Original Medicines Study of Standardized Herbal Medicine Products "Antangin JRG" as Traditional Medicine

This study aims to examine the potential for the development of indigenous Indonesian medicines based on traditional medicinal plants. Herbal medicine has been used for generations in Indonesia and has great potential to be developed into more standardized and modern products. This study covers various aspects ranging from product name, content, class, composition, efficacy claims, empirical data, standardization of raw materials, preclinical tests, toxicity tests, to clinical trials. The results of the study show that with proper processing and standardization, Indonesian traditional medicine can compete with modern pharmaceutical products.

Traditional Eye Cosmetics and Cultural Powders as a Source of Lead Exposure.

We aimed to describe the characteristics of traditional eye cosmetics and cultural powders, including the types, lead concentrations, origin, and regional variation in product names, and assess the differences in blood lead levels (BLLs) between product users and non-users. We analyzed 220 samples of traditional eye cosmetics and cultural powders collected in New York City between 2013 and 2022 during lead poisoning investigations and store surveys. We compared the BLLs of children who used these products with those of non-users. Lead levels in traditional eye cosmetics surma and kohl were much higher than levels in kajal and other cultural powders. Although the terminologies surma, kohl, and kajal are often used interchangeably, findings suggest regional variations in the product names. The majority of the surma in this study were from Pakistan, kohl was from Morocco, and kajal was from India. The results also show that these products can contribute to elevated BLLs in children. Our study reveals that traditional eye cosmetics and cultural powders are used among children as young as newborns, and exposure to these products can significantly add to their lead body burden. The study findings also reveal that lead concentrations in these products can vary by product type and product names can vary by region. Public health officials must be cognizant of these unique variations and use culturally appropriate terminologies for these types of products because such distinctions can be critical when conducting risk assessments, risk communication, and risk reduction activities.

The cost of doing business: Drug costs in federally sponsored cancer clinical trials.

10 Background: Federally sponsored cancer clinical trials (FS-CCTs) address a broad set of clinical cancer research questions that are avoided by industry sponsors, including combining treatment modalities, examining whether approved drugs may work in other cancers, or examining de-escalation therapy. FS-CCTs routinely extend the lives of patients with cancer and inform treatment guidelines. However, FS-CCTs must often be conducted in partnership with industry sponsors since the cost of drugs is high and cannot be paid for by the government. This limits the independence of FS-CCTs. We aimed to examine the drug costs for trials with federal sponsorship. Methods: We included all US-based cancer treatment trials registered in ClinicalTrials.gov that examined pharmaceuticals and/or biological products and started from 2018-2022. Trials with any NIH or other federal sponsorship (as the sole, lead, or other sponsor) were included. Drug names and number of enrollments per arm and drug were extracted from ClinicalTrials.gov and study protocols. The Wholesale Acquisition Cost (WAC) was obtained from IBM Micromedex RED BOOK (2023) by matching the product name, dose strength and administration route. The product acquisition cost (“cost”) per trial was computed by summing the WAC for each drug and multiplying by the number of enrollments. Results: Overall, N=1020 trials were examined (phase I = 343, phase II = 611, phase III = 66). The mean (median) drug costs were $53.9 million (m) ($7.4m) overall, including $73.8m ($19.8m), $47.2m ($8.7m), and $44.7m ($5.8m) for trials solely sponsored, led by, or with secondary/tertiary participation by federal sponsors, respectively. Trial-level drug costs were $19.2m ($3.6m), $51.9m ($9.4m), and $244.9m ($38.8m) for phase I, II, and III trials, respectively. Drug costs were much greater for trials involving immune and/or targeted therapies ($60.1m [$11.4m]) than those with conventional chemotherapies ($30.8m [$1.5m]). In the subset of n=128 phase 2 or 3 comparative trials, drug costs were $97.7m ($21.8m) for experimental arms and $24.1m ($1.4m) for control arms. Conclusions: The costs for drugs in FS-CCTs were very high, especially for the experimental arms, highlighting the necessity for federally sponsored researchers to collaborate with industry partners to conduct trials. Drug costs for immune and/or targeted therapies were higher yet, suggesting that the cost burden to conduct trials for federal sponsors may continue to increase. These findings also suggest that systemwide costs for cancer drugs in clinical practice will continue to increase substantially. These results have implications for how FS-CCTs are designed and conducted, since the necessity of collaboration between federal and industry sponsors likely limits the independence of federal research. Future public policy efforts should focus on mechanisms for independent investigation of new pharmacologic agents.

녹차 가공 과자류의 제품명 연구

This study was to analyze the product name of the green tea processed confectionery and identify the characteristics reflected in those names, thereby providing insights necessary for developing such product names. For this purpose, this study collected data on 427 confectionery items with product names containing ‘green tea’ by searching the processed food database on the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety website from June 1 to June 16, 2024. The main research findings from the collected data analysis are as follows. First, the structural characteristics of confectionery product names included the prevalence of combinations of Sino-Korean words and loanwords, the use of neologisms or native words, and the need for improvement in foreign language expressions. Second, the semantic characteristics of the product names revealed the rise of foreign-style baked goods, the application of diversified confectionery ingredients, and the emergence of high-protein and vegan confectionery. In conclusion, green tea processed confectionery products should be named carefully compared to other products, as their names play a crucial role in conveying a healthy image and influencing consumer choice.

Review article: Comparison of cosmetic regulatory policies in various countries toward consumer protection

Cosmetics are various products that enhance physical appearance and care for the skin, hair, and body. Cosmetic regulation refers to the rules and regulations imposed by a country's government or health regulatory agencies to regulate the production, marketing, and use of cosmetic products. The purpose of writing this journal is to compare the regulation of cosmetic products in Indonesia with the regulation of cosmetic products abroad, and it is hoped that people will be more aware and understand the regulation of cosmetic products that have been established. The literature method is used to conduct a review article, and the criteria chosen are based on the originality and relevance of the reading. The result of this writing is that the requirements regarding labeling in various countries are similar, such as composition, country of manufacture, product name, instructions for use, full name and address of the owner of the notification number (manufacturer), manufacturing batch number, expiration date, and special precautions that must be considered when using. Consumers must consider different regulations for cosmetic products in each country. These must be considered when making or selling cosmetic products: import and export regulations, limited ingredients, and safety testing of cosmetic products. Keywords: Cosmetics, Export, Import, Labelling, Regulation

A Multicenter, Randomized, Double-Blind, Parallel-Grouped, Positive-Controlled, Non-Inferiority Clinical Study to Evaluate the Efficacy and Safety of Injectable Calcium Hydroxylapatite Microsphere Hydrogel Fillers in the Correction of Nasolabial Fold in Chinese Subjects.

Soft tissue fillers are used to improve the appearance of nasolabial folds (NLFs). This study aimed to compare the efficacy and safety of a new calcium hydroxylapatite microsphere hydrogel filler (Aphranel) versus Restylane for correcting NLFs. In this multicenter, randomized, double-blind, parallel-grouped, positive-controlled, non-inferiority trial, 210 subjects were randomized to bilateral NLF treatment with Aphranel and Restylane on either side of the NLF. NLF was assessed before and right after injection and at the first week, first month, third, sixth, and 12 months. The primary efficacy endpoint was the WSRS improvement rate for the NLF, defined as ≥ 1 point improvement at Week 24. The secondary efficacy endpoints include the WSRS score assessed by investigators and the independent review committee (IRC) and the Global Aesthetic Improvement Scale (GAIS) evaluated by the subjects, investigators, and IRC over time. Randomization was performed using a computer-generated randomization list. To ensure the double-blind nature of the study, neither the physicians administering the injections nor the patients receiving them were aware of the specific product being used. All syringes were identical in appearance, with labels coded instead of indicating the product name. The preparation of the injection products was handled by nurses who were not involved in the treatment process, thereby maintaining the blinding of both the physicians and the patients to the treatment assignment. A total of 188 subjects (168 women and 20 men) completed the 12-month follow-up. The investigator-evaluated improvement rates using WSRS at 24 weeks were 84.04% for Aphranel and 78.72% for Restylane. The IRC-evaluated improvement rates using WSRS at 24 weeks were 72.34% for Aphranel and 70.21% for Restylane. Aphranel was shown to be statistically non-inferior to Restylane (P>0.05). Both the investigator and IRC-assessed WSRS scores over time showed that the mean scores for Aphranel were non-inferior to the mean scores for Restylane (all P>0.05). There was no difference between the Aphranel and Restylane groups according to the subjects, investigators, and IRC-assessed GAIS score at any time point (all P>0.05). Both devices' most frequently reported adverse events were injection site swelling and procedural pain. This study confirms that Aphranel is an effective and safe treatment for correcting NLFs in Chinese subjects. This journal requires that authors assign a level of evidence to each article. For a full description of these Evidence-Based Medicine ratings, please refer to the Table of Contents or the online Instructions to Authors www.springer.com/00266 .

Methylated tirilazad may mitigate oligofructose-induced laminitis in horses.

Laminitis is a serious health condition that can cause severe pain and lameness in horses. Due to lack of understanding of laminitis, treatments often fail to achieve the desired results. In recent years, we have begun to recognize that laminitis may involve a complex interaction between local and systemic inflammation. Dysbiosis of the gut microbiota has been linked in the development of systemic inflammation, and our previous findings suggest that the development of laminitis is closely linked to the production of harmful metabolites of the gut microbiota. In addition, it was found that localized lesions in the hoof, especially lamellar injuries, are the most direct cause of laminitis. Matrix metalloproteinases have been found to be strongly associated with the development of laminitis. Recent discovery has found that methylated tirilazad has a role in repairing laminar tissue in vitro. However, its efficacy in horses never has been studied. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the efficacy of methylated tirilazad (product name: PTP-102) in the prevention/treatment of oligofructose-induced laminitis. The results showed that oligofructose successfully induced laminitis in horses, resulting in detreated clinical signs. Blood indices (including inflammation-related indices and other related indices) were significantly increased. Observations of dissection and staining showed significant bleeding, swelling, and damage to hoof tissue. Analysis of the gut microbiota showed a significant decrease in abundance and diversity, and a significant increase in the relative abundance of specific bacteria. Following methylated tirilazad intervention, there were a significant improvement in clinical signs, blood markers and lamellar tissue damage. Additionally, methylated tirilazad positively influenced the gut microbiota structure by reducing the relative abundance of genera closely associated with the development of equine laminitis. This suggests that some of the therapeutic mechanism of methylated tirilazad may be linked to its effects on the gut microbiota. Notably, methylated tirilazad had better effect in the treatment group than the prophylactic group, indicating the post-diagnosis utility of methylated tirilazad for laminitis management.

Mislabeled and ambiguous market names in invertebrate and finfish seafood conceal species of conservation concern in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.

The mislabeling of seafood, wherein a food product's marketed name does not match its contents, has the potential to mask species of conservation concern. Less discussed is the role of legally ambiguous market names, wherein a single name could be used to sell multiple species. Here we report the first study in Canada to examine mislabeling and ambiguous market names in both invertebrate (e.g., bivalve, cephalopod, shrimp) and finfish products. A total of 109 invertebrate and 347 finfish products were sampled in Calgary between 2014 and 2020. Market names were documented from the label or equivalent and determined to be precise (the name could apply to only one species) or ambiguous (multiple species could be sold under that name). A region of the cytochrome c oxidase I gene was sequenced and compared to reference sequences from boldsystems.org. Samples were considered mislabeled if the species identified through DNA barcoding did not correspond to the market name, as determined through the Canadian Food Inspection Agency Fish List. Mislabeling was further differentiated between semantic mislabeling, wherein the market name was not found on the Fish List but the barcode identity was in line with what a consumer could reasonably have expected to have purchased; invalid market names, wherein the market name was so unusual that no legitimate inferences as to the product's identity could be made; and product substitution, wherein the DNA barcode identified the product as a species distinct from that associated with the market name. Invalid market names and product substitutions were used to provide conservative estimates of mislabeling. The global conservation status of the DNA-identified invertebrate or finfish was determined through the International Union for the Conservation of Nature Red List. A logistic regression was used to determine the relationship between precision and accuracy in predicting conservation status of the sampled species. There was no significant difference in mislabeling occurrence between invertebrates (33.9% total mislabeling occurrence, 20.2% product substitution) and finfish (32.3% total mislabeling occurrence, 21.3% product substitution/invalid market names). Product substitutions sometimes involved species of conservation concern, such as foods marketed as freshwater eel (Anguilla rostrata) that were determined through DNA barcoding to be European eel (Anguilla anguilla), or cuttlefish balls putatively identified as the Endangered threadfin porgy (Evynnis cardinalis). Product substitutions and ambiguous market names were significantly associated with the sale of species of conservation concern, but ambiguity was a more important predictor. Although preventing the mislabeling of seafoods can and must remain a priority in Canada, our work suggests that moving towards precise names for all seafood products will better support sustainable fisheries goals.

Do calorie labels change energy purchased in a simulated online food delivery platform? A multi-arm randomised controlled trial

BackgroundAs rates of obesity and overweight continue to increase in the UK, calorie labels have been introduced on menus as a policy option to provide information to consumers on the energy content of foods and to enable informed choices. This study tested whether the addition of calorie labels to items in a simulated food delivery platform may reduce the energy content of items selected.MethodsUK adults (n = 8,780) who used food delivery platforms were asked to use the simulated platform as they would in real life to order a meal for themselves. Participants were randomly allocated to a control condition (no calorie labels) or to one of seven intervention groups: (1) large size calorie labels adjacent to the price (LP), (2) large size label adjacent to the product name (LN), (3) small label adjacent to price (SP), (4) small label adjacent to product name (SN), (5) LP with a calorie label switch-off filter (LP + Off), (6) LP with a switch-on filter (LP + On), or, (7) LP with a summary label of the total basket energy content (LP + Sum). Regression analysis assessed the impact of calorie labels on energy content of foods selected compared to the control condition.ResultsThe mean energy selected in the control condition was 1408 kcal (95%CI: 93, 2719). There was a statistically significant reduction in mean energy selected in five of the seven intervention trial arms (LN labels (-60 kcal, 95%CI: -111, -6), SN (-73, 95%CI: -125, -19), LP + Off (-110, 95%CI: -161, -57), LP + On (-109, 95%CI: -159, -57), LP + Sum (-85 kcal, 95%CI: -137, -30). There was no evidence the other two conditions (LP (-33, 95%CI: -88, 24) and SP (-52, 95%CI: -105, 2)) differed from control. There was no evidence of an effect of any intervention when the analysis was restricted to participants who were overweight or obese.ConclusionAdding calorie labels to food items in a simulated online food delivery platform reduced the energy content of foods selected in five out of seven labelling scenarios. This study provides useful information to inform the implementation of these labels in a food delivery platform context.

Эргонимический миф Гермеса: к исследованиям религиозной жизни юридических лиц

The article is devoted to the latest forms of manifestation of religiosity in the city space. The study focuses on studying the micro-levels of religious life in urban ergonymy. By examining store signs, navigation maps, and goods on the shelves of chain stores using the names of the gods of Ancient Greece, the article sets the task of reconstructing a non-verbalized mythological narrative composed by ergonyms and product names. The religious life of urban space is understood as the practices of piety characteristic of ancient Greek religiosity: invocation and dedication. The specific mechanisms of cultural reproduction in Ancient Greece and Europe of the 21st century are reconstructed. Based on the distinction made, the myth-socializing function of modern education in the process of broadcasting the mythological narrative and reinterpreting the Olympic myth is described. The article refers to data on the religious life of legal entities. Based on an analysis of the frequency of mentioning the names of the Olympic gods in the unified register of legal entities, and a comparison of the names of the gods with the declared forms of economic activity, the Olympic myth of the 21st century — the “Ergonymic Myth of Hermes” — is reconstructed. The article assumes scaling up the research to the study of “chorographies” — materially embodied spaces of the sacred on the streets of modern cities. The study of chorographies is proposed as a new methodology for studying culture and human coexistence.

How does a superior quality sign guarantee the quality of lamb meat? The Label Rouge case

Owing to the social, environmental and health changes in Europe, meat quality is becoming a critical issue for the long-term future of livestock farming. Label Rouge (LR) is a quality label owned by the French government that identifies food products produced inside or outside the European Union. This label guarantees the superior quality of a product compared with a standard product. This superior quality is guaranteed throughout the production process by specifications negotiated between the Institut National de l’Origine et de la Qualité (INAO) and operators in the sector. These specifications comprise two documents: first, common production conditions that apply to all specifications in a sector, and second, a book of specifications (BoSs). These two documents, which form the qualification mechanism, are divided into several parts: product name, product description, traceability, production method, labelling and the main control points. This study aims to understand how the LR defines lamb meat quality in the 11 existing BoSs using the seven dimensions of quality of animal-source foods (nutritional, sensory, commercial, technological, safety, convenience and image). We performed a computerised qualitative transversal analysis of the commitments associated with the production method and description of the product. This analysis was enriched by five semi-structured interviews with INAO members. We show that although LR is committed to all aspects of lamb meat quality, the sensory, image and carcass commercial quality attributes are predominant. However, the image attribute of quality is so ubiquitous that it required refinement to provide a better understanding of the construction of quality in terms of its environmental, ethical and cultural components.

From forest to table: The role of product naming in consumer expectations of biodiversity-derived foods

Despite the high global richness of food plants, only a small portion is effectively used as food by human populations. Although most wild food plants (WFPs) are underutilized as food, they can contribute to food security and biocultural conservation through sustainable management. The goal of this research was to identify the best terminological presentation of a novel food product and to understand the factors that influence the expectations concerning products made with WFPs. This research was conducted using an online questionnaire, with a final national sample of 724 people. The participants answered questions about their socioeconomic profile, food neophobia, previous knowledge, and expectations regarding the taste and appropriateness of native fruit juices. The questions were randomized, so that a person would not receive the same picture or product name more than once. The results show that taste expectancy decreases in relation to products associated with WFP names and forest environments. Food neophobia is the variable that influences expectations the most. To ensure biocultural conservation and cultural valuation, WFP popularization programs should maintain the original (popular) name of the species. However, to help more distant consumers develop familiarity, the flavor, shape, color, or texture of these products can be associated with those of conventional plants.

Enhancing E-Commerce Recommendation Systems with Multiple Item Purchase Data: A Bidirectional Encoder Representations from Transformers-Based Approach

This study proposes how to incorporate concurrent purchase data into e-commerce recommendation systems to improve their predictive accuracy. We identified that concurrent purchases account for about 23% of total orders on Katcher’s, a Korean e-commerce platform. Despite the prevalence of concurrent purchases, existing algorithms often overlook this aspect. We introduce a novel transformer-based recommendation algorithm to process a user’s order history, including concurrent purchases. Each order is represented as a natural language sentence, capturing the order timestamp, product names and their attribute values, their corresponding categories, and whether multiple products were purchased together in a single order (i.e., a concurrent purchase). These sentences form a sequence, which serves as a training dataset for fine-tuning Bidirectional Encoder Representations from Transformers (BERT) with the Next Sentence Prediction objective. We validate our ideas by conducting experiments on Katcher’s platform, demonstrating the proposed method’s improved prediction performance compared to existing recommendation systems, with enhanced accuracy and F1 score. Notably, the normalized discounted cumulative gain (NDCG) showed a significant improvement with a large margin. Furthermore, we demonstrate the beneficial impact of integrating concurrent purchase information on prediction performance.

Impact of Collagenase Injection on Dupuytren Disease Treatment in Japan: A Comprehensive Survey of Trends.

Collagenase Clostridium histolyticum (CCH) injection, an effective enzymatic fasciotomy treatment for Dupuytren disease (DD), was abruptly withdrawn from the healthcare market outside the United States in 2020. The impact on patients, physicians and hospitals of this helpful surgical alternative no longer being available has been little studied. To investigate the impact of the withdrawal of CCH in Japan, we used the National Database Open Data Japan from 2014 to 2020. Published by the government, it contains summary data of the National Database of Health Insurance Claims and Specific Health Checkups of Japan. We extracted the numbers of CCH injections with Xiaflex, the product name in Japan, and surgeries identified by "Dupuytren contracture surgery codes." Each treatment was further parsed into one of 12 predefined regions in which it had taken place and by whether it had been delivered on an inpatient or outpatient basis. From its introduction in 2015, the number of DD patients treated with CCH increased in each successive year, reaching a peak in 2019, while the number of surgeries decreased with time. After the withdrawal in 2020, the number of surgeries increased to 1.5 times the 2019 number notwithstanding the impact of COVID-19, but the total number of patients treated decreased by 43%. In the initial regional analysis, CCH accounted for approximately 40% of all DD treatments in the less populous areas, with the exception of the Tohoku region, and more than 50% in the other regions. By 2019, the share of CCH treatment had increased in all regions. There was no significant correlation between the number of hand surgeons authorized to use CCH and the number of CCH cases within each region. CCH increased treatment options for patients and surgeons. The withdrawal of this valuable pharmaceutical resulted in an increase in the number of surgeries amidst a decrease in the total number of treatments and lost opportunities for patients.