Baika Women's University

The application of flour is determined by the composition of its starch and storage proteins. Previously isolated diploid <i>waxy</i> wheat is known to be amylose-free and possesses the same amylopectin structure as the wild-type. To reveal its characteristics, starch, protein, lipid, fiber, gluten, and allergen contents and rheological properties were analyzed and compared to its parental wild-type diploid wheat and commercially available hexaploid wheats. The results showed that the starch content of diploid <i>waxy</i> wheat was similar, but its protein, lipid, and fiber contents were higher than that of the wild-type. In addition, diploid <i>waxy</i> wheat produced high levels of gluten unlike its wild-type while its allergen level was similar to its wild-type. The storage modulus of diploid <i>waxy</i> wheat was significantly lower than that of other wheat lines at high temperatures. These results suggest that diploid <i>waxy</i> wheat holds different characteristics from hexaploid wheats for food processing.

Background/Objectives: An association between oral function and physical fitness, including walking capacity, has been reported. However, the association between masticatory behaviors and walking ability—both of which represent patterns of movement in daily life—has not been clarified. This study aimed to investigate the association between masticatory behaviors, oral function, and walking capacity in older people. Methods: One hundred community-dwelling older people (31 men, 69 women, mean age 75.7 ± 6.3 years) were selected to participate in this study. Age, sex, masticatory behaviors, oral functions (tongue pressure, tongue–lips motor function, occlusal force, and masticatory performance), and walking capacity were assessed. Masticatory behaviors were assessed during the consumption of one rice ball (100 g) using a wearable chewing counter, and the number of chews, chewing rate, the number of chews per bite, and meal time were recorded. Walking capacity was assessed using the timed up and go test (TUG). Spearman’s rank correlation coefficients were calculated to assess the strength and direction of the association. Results: Moderate negative correlations were observed between TUG time and tongue pressure and between TUG time and tongue–lips motor function (/ta/ and /ka/) (rs = −0.33, −0.21, −0.28, respectively). In addition, moderate negative correlations between TUG time and chewing rate (rs = −0.22) and between TUG time and meal time (rs = 0.33) were observed, suggesting that lower walking capacity was associated with slower chewing rate and longer meal times. Conclusions: In community-dwelling older people, declines in mastication speed and dexterity and tongue strength are associated with lower walking capacity.

和風だしを1.0％濃度添加して味と香りを調製し，ゲル化剤を0.5～3.0％添加した6種のゼリーを試料として，物性計測と官能評価を実施した．テクスチャー試験により物性値のかたさ[Pa]，凝集性[-]，付着性[J/m3]を得た.官能評価は42名の官能評価者によって実施し，おいしさ，ゼリーのかたさ，だしの香りの強さ，だしの味の強さ，弾力，飲み込みやすさおよび食感の好みの官能評価スコアを取得した．官能評価結果に主成分分析を適用した結果，ゼリーの食感強度に関する項目が官能評価者の第1評価軸であり，それに次いでゼリーの味や香りの強度に関する項目が第2評価軸であることがわかった．物性値と官能評価スコアの間にニューラルネットワークモデリングを適用した結果，物性値と官能評価スコア間の相互作用を良好な決定係数を示すモデルによって確認することに成功した．このことにより，おいしさなどの評価項目が香気や呈味成分からだけではなく物性値からも影響を受けていることが明示された．

Advances in genetic research on microbiome have led to several trials on the effectiveness of synbiotics or probiotics in patients with depression; however, none have evaluated the efficacy of prebiotics. 4G-beta-D-Galactosylsucrose (Lactosucrose, LS) is selectively assimilated by Bifidobacterium as a prebiotic and improves microbiome diversity. However, as it is not clear if LS consumption can improve symptoms of depression, we investigated whether LS intake can improve depressive symptoms, quality of life (QOL), and self-efficacy by conducting a single cite, double-blinded, randomized controlled trial in 20 outpatients with depressive episodes (F32, ICD-10) for 24 weeks. Participants (age range, 36–72 years) were randomized to the LS (n = 9) or placebo groups (n = 11). Primary outcome was improvement in total Montgomery Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) score, and the secondary outcomes were MADRS subscores, global self-efficacy scale (GSES) score, World Health Organization QOL (WHO/QOL-26) score, and 16S rRNA analysis of the fecal microbiome. LS consumption did not significantly improve total MADRS scores (−2 (−16 to 16) vs 0 (−6 to 10), p = 0.552), but GSES tended to improve in the LS group (2.00 ± 4.24 vs −1.36 ± 4.15, p = 0.091) with a large effect size (Cohen's d = 0.802). Sequencing of 16S rRNA revealed individual-level differences in microbiome diversity changes due to the intervention. Thus, we show that LS intake can improve self-efficacy, but not depressive symptoms, even in a small sample. Additional studies that also regulate diet and ensure adherence may help determine a correlation between depression and the gut microbiome.

The present study investigated associations between occupation, job stress, and salivary cortisol levels after psychological tasks. We examined 766 (273 men and 493 women) healthy employed Japanese participants aged 21 to 68years (mean age = 46.4years, standard deviation = 8.5) with three types of occupation: manager, teacher, and general worker. The Brief Job Stress Questionnaire was used to evaluate participants' job stress levels, including job demand, job control, support from supervisors, and support from coworkers. Salivary cortisol levels were measured at pre-session, post-stressful tasks, and post-relaxation. All samples were assayed using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay test. Natural log transformation was applied before statistical analyses. A multiple regression analysis and a repeated measures analysis of covariance were conducted to test associations between occupation and salivary cortisol levels, adjusting for confounding factors. Statistical analyses were conducted separately for men and women. Among both men and women, general workers had higher cortisol levels than managers throughout the experimental session (men 0.6μg/dL and 0.4μg/dL, respectively; women 0.5μg/dL and 0.4μg/dL, respectively). Job control was positively associated with cortisol levels measured in all sessions, after adjusting for confounding factors (standardized beta 0.15, 0.21, and 0.18 for pre-session, post-stressful-tasks, and post-relaxation, respectively, all p < 0.05). Men with low support from coworkers had higher cortisol levels than those with high support through the sessions (0.6μg/dL and 0.4μg/dL, respectively). Socioeconomic disparity according to occupational status was related to cortisol levels in Japanese workers. Support from coworkers may be effective for reducing cortisol secretion in men.

本研究の目的は，唾液中テストステロン濃度と高齢者の記憶との関連に見られる性差について検証することである。本研究は2010年に実施したSONIC研究の70歳代の高齢者のうち，唾液サンプルを得ている参加者197名から，記憶検査としてMoCA （Fujiwara, et al., 2010） とADAS （本間ら，1992） を受けた対象者を選定した。さらに，糖尿病と脳卒中の既往歴がなく，HbA1C8.5％未満を選定基準とし，男性69名，女性53名（平均年齢＝70.1±0.9）を分析対象とした。MoCA合計得点と，記憶，語想起，遅延再生などの下位尺度，ADASは再生と再認得点を用いた。記憶検査の得点と対数変換後のテストステロン値の関連について，性別に年齢とBMIを調整し，偏相関係数を算出した。結果，女性において，MoCA合計得点とテストステロン濃度との間に有意な負の関連が示された（r＝－0.28）。下位尺度においても，女性では語想起得点（r＝－0.32）と遅延再生得点（r＝－0.29）で負の関連が示された（全てp＜0.05）。先行研究と同様に（Bojar, et al., 2017; Thilers, et al., 2006），閉経後の高齢女性にとって，テストステロンと記憶能力の低下の関連が示唆された。今後は対象者数を増やし，縦断的な検証が求められる。

Evidence to infer the causal association between tobacco use and health consequences have been investigated recently for oral diseases. The aim of present review is to clarify underlying mechanisms regarding effects of tobacco use on oral microorganisms comprehensively. Electronic searches of relevant articles were conducted with a standardized search strategy in the last 10 years. Overall, 1099 papers were extracted. The studies that addressed the relationship between tobacco and oral microorganisms were included. After reading the titles and abstracts, 121 papers were deemed appropriate for the present review. These studies addressed periodontal pathogens, and other microorganisms included HPV, Candida species, Streptococcus mutans, and peri-implant microorganisms. Dysbiosis of periodontal microbiome in smokers has been demonstrated by observational and intervention studies. Smoking cessation is shown to be beneficial in terms of compositional changes of subgingival and peri-implant microbiomes. Studies utilizing cigarette smoke extract and indicators of virulence have suggested a benefit regarding the functional changes of subgingival microbiomes for quitters. The effects of nicotine exposure on growth and metabolism of S. mutans were observed in a dose dependent manner. The potential role of tobacco use on HPV infection requires clarification with large sample studies. Potential effects of exposure to tobacco smoking were reported on accumulation of pathogenic bacteria on oral apparatus for orthodontic treatment, denture, and titanium for oral implant. In conclusion, further studies are warranted to examine impact of tobacco intervention for healthier mouth ecosystem on the full achievement of the interventions in dental settings. Funding This study was supported by Pfizer Global Medical Grant #35621681.