[International Classification Systems for Texture-Modified Foods].

In 2020, the older adult population ( ≥ 65 years old) reached 703 million worldwide and 3.6 million in Taiwan. By 2026, Taiwan will become a super-aged society with at least 20 percent of the population in this category and 180,000 new older adults joining this population annually. The consequences of oropharyngeal physiological degradation include dysphagia, malnutrition, and a negative impact on quality of life. The provision of texture-modified foods and thickened liquids assist users with chewing or swallowing disorders, making foods easier to ingest and improving diet safety. The classification of texture modified foods allows for consistent communication among health professionals, care providers, and industry partners to improve quality of care for users. This article reviews the four texture-modified food classification systems currently in use internationally. 1. International Standardization Committee for Dysphagia: 22 countries implemented this framework, which was developed by a wide range of professions, including nutrition & dietetics, medicine, speech pathology, occupational therapy, nursing, food science & technology. This framework provides internationally standardized terminology and definitions for texture-modified foods and thickened liquids for persons with dysphagia. 2. Japanese Universal Design Foods: This voluntary standard established by the food industry addresses the physical properties related to the texture of food. The four categories in this standard are distinguished based on the hardness and viscosity of food. The category-based terms and the universal design foods logo are displayed on foods to facilitate consumer selection. 3. The smile care food-The Japanese Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries reclassified nursing care food into the following three categories: (i) Food for people without eating problems but with nutrition supplement needs; (ii) Food for people with problems with swallowing functions; and (iii) Food for people with problems with chewing functions. 4. Eatender, Taiwan senior friendly food. This standard designates four texture specifications: Easy to chew, gum mashable, tongue mashable, no chewing needed. This standard is used to grade the texture of packaged foods that use agricultural food ingredients sourced in Taiwan.

Characterization of Canna yellow mottle virus in a New Host, Alpinia purpurata, in Hawaii.

Canna yellow mottle virus (CaYMV) is an important badnavirus infecting Canna spp. worldwide. This is the first report of CaYMV in flowering ginger (Alpinia purpurata) in Hawaii, where it is associated with yellow mottling and necrosis of leaves, vein streaking, and stunted plants. We have sequenced CaYMV in A. purpurata (CaYMV-Ap) using a combination of next-generation sequencing and traditional Sanger sequencing techniques. The complete genome of CaYMV-Ap was 7,120 bp with an organization typical of other Badnavirus species. Our results indicated that CaYMV-Ap was present in the episomal form in infected flowering ginger. We determined that this virus disease is prevalent in Hawaii and could potentially have significant economic impact on the marketing of A. purpurata as cut flowers. There is a potential concern that the host range of CaYMV-Ap may expand to include other important tropical plants.

R432 is a key residue for the multiple functions of Ndt80p in Candida albicans.

Ndt80p is an important transcription modulator to various stress-response genes in Candida albicans, the most common human fungal pathogen in systemic infections. We found that Ndt80p directly regulated its target genes, such as YHB1, via the mid-sporulation element (MSE). Furthermore, the ndt80(R432A) allele, with a reduced capability to bind MSE, failed to complement the defects caused by null mutations of NDT80. Thus, the R432 residue in the Ndt80p DNA-binding domain is involved in all tested functions, including cell separation, drug resistance, nitric oxide inactivation, germ tube formation, hyphal growth, and virulence. Hence, the importance of the R432 residue suggests a novel approach for designing new antifungal drugs by blocking the interaction between Ndt80p and its targets.