Dietary antioxidants and periodontal disease in community-based older Japanese: a 2-year follow-up study.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the longitudinal relationship between the intake of dietary antioxidants and periodontal disease in community-dwelling older Japanese. DESIGN: A retrospective cohort study, with a follow-up of 2 years (2003-2005). Intakes of dietary antioxidants (vitamin C, vitamin E, α-carotene and ß-carotene) were assessed with a validated FFQ. Participants were classified by tertile of antioxidant intake. Full-mouth periodontal status, measured as the clinical attachment level, was recorded at baseline and follow-up examinations. Periodontal disease progression was considered as loss of attachment of 3 mm or greater over the study period at the interproximal site for each tooth. Finally, the number of teeth with periodontal disease progression per person was calculated and was used as the outcome. Poisson regression analysis was conducted, with dietary antioxidants as the main exposure, to estimate their influence on the number of teeth with periodontal disease progression. SETTING: Niigata City (Japan). SUBJECTS: Dentate individuals aged 75 years in 2003, for whom data were available, were included in the analyses (n 264). RESULTS: A higher intake of dietary antioxidants was inversely associated with the number of teeth with periodontal disease progression, controlling for other variables. The multivariate-adjusted incidence rate ratios in the first, second and third tertiles were 1·00, 0·76 (95 % CI 0·60, 0·97) and 0·72 (95 % CI 0·56, 0·93) for vitamin C; 1·00, 0·79 (95 % CI 0·62, 0·99) and 0·55 (95 % CI 0·42, 0·72), for vitamin E; and 1·00, 1·02 (95 % CI 0·81, 1·29) and 0·73 (95 % CI 0·56, 0·95) for ß-carotene. CONCLUSIONS: The study results suggest that higher intake of antioxidants may mitigate periodontal disease in community-dwelling older Japanese.

Very high particulate pollution over northwest India captured by a high-density in situ sensor network.

Exposure to particulate matter less than 2.5 µm in diameter (PM2.5) is a cause of concern in cities and major emission regions of northern India. An intensive field campaign involving the states of Punjab, Haryana and Delhi national capital region (NCR) was conducted in 2022 using 29 Compact and Useful PM2.5 Instrument with Gas sensors (CUPI-Gs). Continuous observations show that the PM2.5 in the region increased gradually from < 60 µg m-3 in 6-10 October to up to 500 µg m-3 on 5-9 November, which subsequently decreased to about 100 µg m-3 in 20-30 November. Two distinct plumes of PM2.5 over 500 µg m-3 are tracked from crop residue burning in Punjab to Delhi NCR on 2-3 November and 10-11 November with delays of 1 and 3 days, respectively. Experimental campaign demonstrates the advantages of source region observations to link agricultural waste burning and air pollution at local to regional scales.

Simulations and observations of patchy stomatal behavior in leaves of Quercus crispula, a cool-temperate deciduous broad-leaved tree species.

We investigated the occurrence of patchy stomatal behavior in leaves of saplings and a forest canopy tree of Quercus crispula Blume. Through a combination of leaf gas-exchange measurements and numerical simulation, we detected patterns of stomatal closure (either uniform or patchy bimodal) coupled with depression of net assimilation rate (A). There was a clear inhibition of A associated with stomatal closure in leaves of Q. crispula during the day, but the magnitude of inhibition varied among days and growing conditions. Comparisons of observed and simulated A values for both saplings and the canopy tree identified patterns of stomatal behavior that shifted flexibly between uniform and patchy frequency distributions depending on environmental conditions. Bimodal stomatal closure explained severe depression of A in saplings under conditions of relatively high leaf temperature and vapor pressure deficit. Model simulations of A depression through bimodal stomatal closure were corroborated by direct observations of stomatal aperture distribution using Suzuki's Micro-Printing method; these demonstrated that there was a real bimodal frequency distribution of stomatal apertures. Although there was a heterogeneous distribution of stomatal apertures both within and among patches, induction of heterogeneity in intercellular CO2 concentration among patches, and hence severe depression of A, resulted only from bimodal stomatal closure among patches (rather than within patches).

Hardness (difficulty of chewing) of the habitual diet in relation to body mass index and waist circumference in free-living Japanese women aged 18-22 y.

BACKGROUND: Animal studies suggest the beneficial effect of hardness of diet on body weight and adiposity. No human studies have examined hardness of diet in relation to obesity. OBJECTIVE: We examined cross-sectional associations of hardness of the habitual diet with body mass index (BMI; in kg/m(2)) and waist circumference in free-living humans. DESIGN: Subjects were 454 female Japanese dietetic students aged 18-22 y. Dietary hardness was assessed as an estimate of masticatory muscle activity for the habitual diet (ie, the difficulty of chewing the food). The consumption of a total of 107 foods was estimated by means of a self-administered, comprehensive diet history questionnaire, and masticatory muscle activity during the ingestion of these foods was estimated according to published equations. Waist circumference was measured at the level of the umbilicus. RESULTS: Mean BMI was 21.4 (95% CI: 21.1, 21.6), and mean waist circumference was 73.6 (72.9, 74.3) cm. Mean dietary hardness was 178 (175, 181) mV x s/1000 kcal. Dietary hardness was not significantly associated with BMI. However, it was negatively associated with waist circumference (P for trend = 0.005). This association remained after adjustment not only for potential confounding factors (P for trend = 0.028) but also for BMI (P for trend = 0.002). CONCLUSIONS: Whereas no association between dietary hardness and BMI was seen, increasing dietary hardness was associated with lower waist circumference even after adjustment for BMI in free-living young Japanese women. This finding could make innovative contributions to the literature and raise issues for future studies regarding diet and obesity.

Growth inhibitory effect of shelf life extending agents on Bacillus subtilis IAM 1026.

Natural shelf life extending agents and sugar fatty acid esters that might inhibit the growth of B. subtilis IAM 1026 were screened, and the effective agents were as follows: beta-thujaplicin (Hinokitiol) and chitosan, inhibited the growth of IAM 1026 at a concentration of 0.001% ; epsilon-polylysine and M-1695 (a sugar fatty acid ester) at 0.005%; citrus seed extract, thiamin lauryl sulfate, and grapefruit seed extract at 0.01%; CT-1695 and L-1695 (sugar fatty acid esters) at 0.05%; pectin digests and SM-800 (a sugar fatty acid ester) at 0.5%; water pepper seed extract and the sugar fatty acid esters SM-1000 and CE-1695 at 1.0%. The growth inhibitory effects of the agents in custard cream were not necessarily similar to those in liquid culture. The agent that showed the highest inhibitory effect in custard cream was 0.3% beta-thujaplicin, followed by 0.3% epsilon-polylysine.

Hyposalivation and dietary nutrient intake among community-based older Japanese.

AIM: Saliva is important for maintaining oral function and regulating oral health. Reduced saliva flow rate, which is common among older adults, has been reported to be associated with perceived chewing and swallowing difficulties; however, its relationship to actual nutrient intake is unclear. The aim of the present cross-sectional study was to evaluate the relationship between hyposalivation and nutrient intake among older Japanese adults. METHODS: The participants were 352 community-based Japanese aged 80 years. A stimulated salivary flow rate <0.5 mL/min was defined as hyposalivation. Multivariable analysis of differences in nutrient and food intake outcome variables, which were collected through a validated food frequency questionnaire, between groups with/without hyposalivation was carried out using general linear models. Models included adjustment for number of teeth, denture use, sex, income, education, body mass index, smoking status, alcohol use, diabetes, medication, activities of daily living, depression and total calorie intake. RESULTS: The hyposalivation group had significantly lower intake of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid, potassium, vitamin D, vitamin E, vitamin B6 and folate than the group without hyposalivation (P < 0.05) after adjusting for confounders. Vegetable, fish and shellfish consumption was significantly lower in the hyposalivation group (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Dietary intake was poorer in those with hyposalivation than among those without. A decrease in stimulated salivary flow rate could have negative effects on geriatric nutrition.

Oral health status: relationship to nutrient and food intake among 80-year-old Japanese adults.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this cross-sectional study was to investigate the relationship of oral health status defined on the basis of presence of posterior occluding pairs (POPs) and adequacy of removable denture fit as determined by self-report to nutrient and food intake among older Japanese. METHODS: The subjects were 353 Japanese aged 80 years in 2008 and were classified into four groups according to the number of POPs, defined as pairs of occluding natural, restored, or fixed prosthetic postcanine teeth (range: 0-8) and removable denture status. The groups were: (i) good dentition (n = 56; 8 POPs and no removable prosthesis), (ii) well-fitting dentures (n = 158; <8 POPs with self-reported good-fitting dentures), (iii) ill-fitting dentures (n = 70; <8 POPs with self-reported ill-fitting dentures), and (iv) compromised dentition (n = 69; <8 POPs and no removable prosthesis). Multivariable analysis of the differences in nutrient and food intake outcome variables which were collected via validated food frequency questionnaire among the four oral health status groups was conducted using general linear models. Results: Intake of multiple nutrients was significantly (P < 0.05) lower in the group with ill-fitting dentures or compromised dentition than in the good dentition group. Vegetable, fish, and shellfish consumption was significantly lower in the ill-fitting dentures or compromised dentition groups. No significant differences were seen in dietary intake between the well-fitting dentures and good dentition groups. Conclusions: Dietary intake was poorer in those with self-perceived ill-fitting dentures or fewer POPs than among those having all POPs. Regular dental care to maintain intact dentition, as well as dental treatment to replace missing teeth and ensure adequate denture fit and function, may be important to the diet intake and subsequent nutritional status of older Japanese.

Dietary ratio of n-6 to n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids and periodontal disease in community-based older Japanese: a 3-year follow-up study.

The longitudinal relationship between dietary n-6 to n-3 PUFAs ratio and periodontal disease in 235 Japanese subjects for whom data were available for the years 2003-2006 was investigated. PUFAs intake was assessed at baseline with a brief-type self-administered diet history questionnaire. Full-mouth periodontal status, measured as the clinical attachment level (CAL), was recorded at baseline and once a year for 3 years. The number of teeth with a change in the loss of CAL ≥3 mm at any site over a year was calculated as 'periodontal disease events'. Poisson regression analysis was conducted, with dietary n-6 to n-3 PUFAs ratio as the main predictor, to estimate its influence on periodontal disease events. A high dietary n-6 to n-3 PUFAs ratio was significantly associated with greater number of periodontal disease events. The findings suggest the dietary n-6 to n-3 PUFAs ratio is associated with periodontal disease among older Japanese.

Total n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid intake is inversely associated with serum C-reactive protein in young Japanese women.

Little is known about the relation of dietary factors to circulating C-reactive protein (CRP) concentrations in young adults and non-Western populations. We cross-sectionally examined associations between dietary intake and serum CRP concentrations in young Japanese women. The subjects were 443 female Japanese dietetic students aged 18 to 22 years. Dietary intake was assessed with a validated, self-administered, comprehensive, diet history questionnaire. Serum CRP concentrations were measured by highly sensitive nephelometry. The prevalence of elevated CRP (> or = 1 mg/L) was 5.6%. After adjustment for possible confounding factors including body mass index, a significant inverse association was seen between total n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid intake and elevated CRP. The multivariate adjusted odds ratios of elevated CRP for women with intake below and above the median (1.1% of energy) were 1.00 and 0.33 (95% confidence interval, 0.13-0.82; P = .02), respectively. Intake of eicosapentaenoic acid + docosahexaenoic acid and alpha-linolenic acid was not associated with elevated CRP concentrations (P = .62 and P = .27, respectively). Vitamin C intake was independently inversely associated with elevated CRP, although the association was nonsignificant (P = .10). No clear associations were observed for other dietary factors examined including total fat, saturated fatty acids, monounsaturated fatty acids, polyunsaturated fatty acids, total dietary fiber, soluble dietary fiber, insoluble dietary fiber, and magnesium; fruits, vegetables, and fish and shellfish; and dietary glycemic load (P = .27 to P = .99). In conclusion, total n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid intake showed an independent inverse association with elevated serum CRP concentration in a group of young Japanese women.