White Wine Reviews: Mr. Sommelier, What Exactly Makes This A Dry Wine?

From a Wall Street Journal online article by Lettie Teague

Dry White Wines Wall Street Journal Illustration by Heather Landis 2019There is no official definition of what constitutes a dry wine in the U.S. The amount of sugar left in the wine after fermentation or added afterward is, however, sometimes noted on a wine’s label, in grams per liter. According to Mr. Ramey, a wine generally considered dry would have less than 1 gram per liter RS (residual sugar), or 0.1%. Beyond that, a wine with 1% RS (10 grams per liter) is off-dry, and a wine at 3% RS (30 grams per liter) or above is sweet.

WHAT’S A DRY WINE? If this seems like a question with a straightforward answer, then you probably don’t work in a wine store or restaurant. Retailers and sommeliers tell me they are regularly asked to recommend dry wines by customers who don’t seem to know what they really want. These customers offer examples of the “dry” wines they favor—which often turn out to be technically sweet.

To read more click on the following link:  https://www.wsj.com/articles/are-you-sure-that-wine-you-ordered-is-actually-dry-11566492508

Seniors Health Care: AMA Launches New Medicare Insurer “Zing Health” To Focus On Patient-Physician Relationship

From a Fast Company online article:

Zing Health news releaseZing’s plan will give seniors access to a network of clinics in Cook County, Illinois, starting in January. The company hopes to expand to three states by 2022. It’s a managed care plan, which means the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) will pay a single monthly fee per member in exchange for a more holistic approach to nurturing patient health. Zing is working with a network of community health centers, including Oak Street Health, which recently raised $65 million for its senior-focused facilities. Continue reading Seniors Health Care: AMA Launches New Medicare Insurer “Zing Health” To Focus On Patient-Physician Relationship

Future Of Homebuilding: Crowdfunding Site “Small Change” Helped Raise Equity To Build Modular Home In Pittsburgh

From a SmallChange.com project listing:

Small Change Micro Funding SiteSmall Change raised $82,000 in equity to help construct Plattform at 930 Mellon, a Passive, highly energy efficient and modular house which replenishes a long vacant lot in the Highland Park neighborhood of Pittsburgh. 

With the help of a successful crowdfunding raise on Small Change, Plattform at 930 Mellon will be the first of three houses to be built on three vacant lot in Pittsburgh’s Highland Park neighborhood.. Designed to Passivhaus standards by Laura Nettleton of Thoughtful Balance, the modular house will be prefabricated and 85% complete before ever reaching the site.

To read more click on the following link: https://learn.smallchange.com/plattform-at-930-mellon/

Health Studies: Scientists At Rutgers Discover How Brown Fat Protects Against Obesity & Diabetes

From a Rutgers Today online article:

The study found that brown fat could also help the body filter and remove branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) from the blood. BCAAs (leucine, isoleucine and valine) are found in foods like eggs, meat, fish, chicken and milk, but also in supplements used by some athletes and people who want to build muscle mass.

Rutgers Brown Fat Study

In normal concentrations in the blood, these amino acids are essential for good health. In excessive amounts, they’re linked to diabetes and obesity. The researchers found that people with little or no brown fat have reduced ability to clear BCAAs from their blood, and that may lead to the development of obesity and diabetes.

Rutgers and other scientists have discovered how brown fat, also known as brown adipose tissue, may help protect against obesity and diabetes. Their study in the journal Nature adds to our knowledge about the role of brown fat in human health and could lead to new medications for treating obesity and type 2 diabetes.

To read more click on the following link: https://news.rutgers.edu/scientists-discover-why-brown-fat-good-people%E2%80%99s-health/20190819#.XV6imuhKhPZ

MIT AgeLab: Consumer Product Companies Need To Make Older Adults A “Core Constituency”

From an MIT Technology Review article by Joseph F. Coughlin:

MIT Technology Review Old Age Is Over October 2019Technologists, particularly those who make consumer products, will have a strong influence over how we’ll live tomorrow. By treating older adults not as an ancillary market but as a core constituency, the tech sector can do much of the work required to redefine old age. But tech workplaces also skew infamously young. Asking young designers to merely step into the shoes of older consumers (and we at the MIT AgeLab have literally developed a physiological aging simulation suit for that purpose) is a good start, but it is not enough to give them true insight into the desires of older consumers. Luckily there’s a simpler route: hire older workers.

Of all the wrenching changes humanity knows it will face in the next few decades—climate change, the rise of AI, the gene-editing revolution—none is nearly as predictable in its effects as global aging. Life expectancy in industrialized economies has gained more than 30 years since 1900, and for the first time in human history there are now more people over 65 than under 5—all thanks to a combination of increasing longevity, diminished fertility, and an aging Baby Boom cohort. We’ve watched these trends develop for generations; demographers can chart them decades in advance.

To read more click on the following link: https://www.technologyreview.com/s/614155/old-age-is-made-upand-this-concept-is-hurting-everyone/

Future Of Food: Atomo! Molecular Coffee Seeks To Engineer A Better Brew

From the Atomocoffee.com website:

Atomo Coffee websiteWe looked at green beans, roasted beans and extracted (brewed) coffee samples and through advanced analytical procedures studied the volatile and non-volatile compounds present. By evaluating the individual compounds in coffee we were able to map the most significant ones contributing to the characteristic aroma and flavor of coffee.

While researching coffee, the Atomo team came to understand there was an even bigger problem underlying their campaign for a better cup of coffee. The environmental toll from coffee farming due to rising temperatures caused by climate change was destroying the rain forest. Since the Kickstarter, Atomo has invested in technology and formulation, and has partnered with world-class food technologists and coffee scientists to build a consistently great cup of coffee that’s ALSO better for the environment.

Website: https://atomocoffee.com/

Future Of Housing: London Architect Builds Affordable Shipping Container Project

From a Dwell.com online article:

FBM Architects Vale of Aylesbury Housing Trust Container Low Cost Homes Front“The scheme provides much-needed single-person accommodations for social rent using converted shipping containers to create contemporary, environmentally-friendly homes in a desirable area near to local amenities and within walking distance of the town center,” explain the architects. The firm developed the design in consultation with local residents and stakeholders, and they previously completed a pop-up container cafe for Kingston University and volumetric student residential projects in Coventry.

London-based Fraser Brown MacKenna Architects (FBM Architects) recently secured planning permission to build eco-friendly social housing from recycled secondhand shipping containers in Aylesbury, a Buckinghamshire town located an hour northwest of London.

FBM Architects Vale of Aylesbury Housing Trust Container Low Cost Homes Cut Away View

The project is the latest effort by the Vale of Aylesbury Housing Trust to provide “quality affordable homes” to people in need. So far the nonprofit has developed over 7,000 affordable homes, and it hopes the green-roofed cargotecture homes will serve as an inspiring and replicable model for future development.

To read more click on the following link: https://www.dwell.com/article/gatehouse-road-shipping-container-homes-fraser-brown-mackenna-architects-a7afdd43?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=daily%20dose&utm_content=featurehed_6&utm_medium=email&utm_source=postup&utm_campaign=&list=1

Future Of Food Delivery: Dominos Pizza To Go With Fleet Of Electric Bikes

From a Fast Company online article:

Dominos Pizza Electric Bike deliveryThe national pizza chain recently announced a partnership with Rad Power Bikes, a Seattle-based electric cycle startup, in which Rad will provide Domino’s franchise owners with e-bikes to replace vehicle deliveries. Through the exclusive partnership, Domino’s franchise owners will have the option to purchase a custom-outfitted e-bike for up to $1,400. Switching from vehicle deliveries is not mandatory, but according to Brian Rinckenberger, commercial sales director for Rad Power Bikes, it’s likely to be an appealing option for Domino’s franchises as e-bikes could help speed up delivery times and create opportunities to have more people making deliveries at once.

That is what played out when Domino’s tested out making deliveries by e-bike in Houston, Miami, and New York City earlier this year. According to Rinckenberger, stores saw improvements in overall delivery time and service, as e-bikes are able to skirt around congested vehicle traffic lanes and can be parked much more easily.

To read more click on following link: https://www.fastcompany.com/90390713/the-dominos-delivery-of-the-future-will-arrive-by-electric-bike?utm_campaign=eem524%3A524%3As00%3A20190821_fc&utm_medium=Compass&utm_source=newsletter

Diet Studies: 2-Year Calorie Restriction Diets Lower LDL/Total Cholesterol, C-Reactive Protein & Blood Pressure

From The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology:

Calorie Restriction The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology Sept 20192 years of moderate calorie restriction significantly reduced multiple cardiometabolic risk factors in young, non-obese adults. These findings suggest the potential for a substantial advantage for cardiovascular health of practicing moderate calorie restriction in young and middle-aged healthy individuals, and they offer promise for pronounced long-term population health benefits.

Calorie restriction caused a persistent and significant reduction from baseline to 2 years of all measured conventional cardiometabolic risk factors, including change scores for LDL-cholesterol (p<0·0001), total cholesterol to HDL-cholesterol ratio (p<0·0001), and systolic (p<0·0011) and diastolic (p<0·0001) blood pressure. In addition, calorie restriction resulted in a significant improvement at 2 years in C-reactive protein (p=0·012), insulin sensitivity index (p<0·0001), and metabolic syndrome score (p<0·0001) relative to control. A sensitivity analysis revealed the responses to be robust after controlling for relative weight loss changes.

To read more click on following link: https://www.thelancet.com/journals/landia/article/PIIS2213-8587(19)30151-2/fulltext?dgcid=raven_jbs_etoc_email