A cross-investigation between thiamin deficiency and the physical condition of elderly people who require nursing care.

In recent years the occurrence of thiamin deficiency diseases has increased particularly among elderly people and there has been some speculation about whether or not any particular factors exist. In this study, we focused on elderly people requiring constant care in nursing homes and we conducted an accurate condition survey of total thiamin concentration in whole blood as a means of nutritional assessment. The total number of participants was 14 males and 60 females who were residing in a nursing home; they were aged between 65 and 105 y old. All of the subjects agreed to take part in our research. We conducted the following tests: anthropometric measurements, blood examination including total thiamin levels, and also physical functions such as in the level of nursing care required and tests of other physical conditions. The average±standard deviation of thiamin concentration was 22.4±8.9 ng/mL and the number of people with a deficient condition (less than 20 ng/mL) was 42, which was 56.8% of the total. From these results, the existence of thiamin deficiency is validated in more than half of the elderly people who require nursing care. On the other hand, the method of meal intake for all participants who have a thiamin deficiency was oral intake and for those who were non-deficient in thiamin, the percentage of tube feeding or nutritional supplementation intravenously was 37.5%, which was a significantly high value.

Comparison of the health condition between the 8020 achievers and the 8020 non-achievers.

AIM: To review of the difference in the health condition between 8020 achievers and 8020 non-achievers covering 25 papers which were published mainly in Japan. BACKGROUND: A campaign targeting the elderly to retain at least 20 teeth by the time they reach the age of 80 years (8020) has been in place since 1991 in Japan. RESULTS: The percentage of 8020 achievers increased from 10.9% in 1993, 15.3% in 1999 and 24.1% in 2005. The 8020 achievers had a tendency towards a strict upbringing and were not fond of sweets in their childhood. Physical indices such as height, weight, BMI score, bone mineral density, balance ability, grip strength, and exercise function in the 8020 achievers were better than the 8020 non-achievers. A close inverse relationship between the number of teeth and heart rate was recognised. The food intake survey showed that 8020 achievers ate many kinds of food. However, these foods were those with less kilocalories and lower levels of carbohydrate. The 8020 achievers had good activity in daily life (ADL) level, were satisfied with life, and had a higher cumulative survival rate. Oral health conditions including periodontal condition, masticatory ability, occlusal force, occlusal and maxillofacial forms in the 8020 achievers were better than the 8020 non-achievers.

Oral condition and health status of elderly 8020 achievers in Aichi Prefecture.

The purpose of this study was to investigate differences in oral condition and health status between persons with 20 or more teeth at the age of 80 (8020 elderly) and persons of the same age with less than 20 teeth (non-8020 elderly). This study was conducted by a team belonging to the Aichi Dental Association. Number of remaining teeth, Community Periodontal Index of Treatment Needs (CPITN), salivary blood test, masticatory ability, bone mineral density (BMD), grip strength, balance test (length of time one can stand on one leg with eyes open), height, weight and body mass index (BMI) were all examined. The percentages of CPITN code 0, 1 and 2 were 68% in the 8020 male elderly and 72% in the 8020 female elderly. The positive percentage in the salivary blood test in the 8020 elderly was lower than that in the non-8020 elderly. Masticatory ability was 1.55 g in the 8020 male elderly, and 1.53 g in the 8020 female elderly. Relative masticatory ability in the 8020 female elderly was 20% higher than that in the non-8020 female elderly. BMD in the 8020 female elderly was significantly higher than that in the non-8020 female elderly. Grip strength in the 8020 elderly was also significantly higher than that in the non-8020 elderly. The duration of balance test in the 8020 male elderly was 2.2 times longer than that in the non-8020 male elderly. The 8020 elderly showed good oral condition and health status was found to be better in the 8020 elderly than in the non-8020 elderly.

Relationship between oral Candida species and risk factors with reference to drugs with xerostomic side effects among institutionalised elderly in Aichi Pref., Japan.

OBJECTIVE: To clarify the relationship between Candida carriage and drugs which have reported xerostomic side effects in the elderly. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. Setting Two long-term care facilities in Aichi Pref., Japan. PARTICIPANTS: Eight men and 63 women with a mean age of 86 years (range 62 to 95 years) with at least some of their natural teeth. METHOD: Oral examination by dentists, microbiological test by microbiologists, questionnaire interviews, and data obtained from medical files. The Candida species (CFU) was adopted as an objective variable with risk indicators being age, number of teeth, saliva flow rate, denture wearing, xerostomic drugs, activities of daily living (ADL), frequency of brushing and type of meals. RESULTS: Bivariate analysis confirmed that participants with a higher number of Candida species (CFU) fell into the following categories: denture wearing (p < 0.05), older age (p < 0.05), xerostomic drugs (p < 0.10), more teeth, poor ADL, soft/liquid meals, and brushing once a day. This was in contrast to the categories of no denture wearing, younger age, no xerostomic drugs, fewer teeth, good ADL, normal meals, and brushing two or more times a day, in that order of significant probability on an ascending scale. A multiple logistics regression model confirmed that the variables of older age (80 years and over) and more teeth (six or more) had statistically significant (p < 0.05) effects on the number of Candida species present (CFU). Xerostomic drugs and the other variables had no significant effect. CONCLUSION: Older age and more teeth had a significant effect on the number of oral Candida species in the elderly. The results of this study did not support a role of those drugs as a risk indicator for oral Candida carriage. Larger trials are needed to assess the effect of drugs on the presence of oral Candida.

Control of tomato bacterial wilt without disinfection using a new functional polymer that captures microbial cells alive on the surface and is highly biodegradable.

This report describes a green chemical method for controlling soil-borne plant diseases without disinfection using an equimolar copolymer of N-benzyl-4-vinylpyridinium chloride with styrene (PBVP-co-ST) that captures microbial cells alive on the surface and is highly biodegradable. Tomato bacterial wilt caused by Ralstonia solanacearum was controlled by the addition of sawdust coated with PBVP-co-ST prior to transplantation. This effected 87% reduction in appearance and 89% reduction in the index of symptom under appropriate conditions. The coated sawdust did not exhibit bactericidal activity. The half-life of PBVP-co-ST was 5.6 d when treated with activated sludge in soil. The disease control was explained in terms of reduction of infectious contact between the roots of tomato and the cells of R. solanacearum due to coagulation-like interaction between microbial cells and the coated sawdust, in addition to capture of microbial cells by the coated sawdust.

[The significance of tuberculin skin test in the investigation of mass outbreak of tuberculosis in schools].

A high school teacher was diagnosed as pulmonary tuberculosis. He was 27 years old and taught bookkeeping to the 1st year grade students in classes 3 and 6, the 2nd year grade students in classes 4 and 5. He was also the assistant teacher in charge of class 1 of the 3rd year grade students and the adviser of the badminton club in the school. He first noticed a slight cough in November 1999, and visited his physician. On December 24, he visited again for a moderate cough, fever and chill and was administered medicine and drip infusion for a cold. In the middle of January 2000, he visited another physician for a severe cough. He was referred to hospital N and was admitted due to an abnormal shadow on chest X-ray films. The result of sputum smear examination was positive for AFB, Gaffky 8. Subsequent contacts examination was conducted for 153 students and 63 teachers of the school. A tuberculin skin test survey of 153 students was also carried out, in February 2000. The diameter of erythema revealed a monomodal distribution pattern in students, however, one student was diagnosed as pulmonary tuberculosis by the chest X-ray examination, and 27 (18%) showed erythema 40 mm and larger. They were indicated chemoprophylaxis as they were most likely newly infected in this epidemic. After 2 months, a second contact examination was conducted for the students (excluding those who underwent chemoprophylaxis or had tuberculosis) and all teachers. Based on chest X-ray examination, two new students and one teacher were diagnosed as pulmonary tuberculosis, and another one student was diagnosed as tuberculous pleurisy. Comparing the erythema size distribution in the first and second tuberculin tests, the distribution of the latter markedly shifted to right, namely became much larger than the former. It was assumed that students in whom the difference in erythema diameter was larger than 17 mm between the first and second examinations had been newly infected in this epidemic. Chemoprophylaxis was indicated for 45 students and 3 teachers. After 6 months, a third contact examination was conducted for the students and teachers (excluding those who underwent chemoprophylaxis or had tuberculosis). After a year, one teacher was diagnosed as pulmonary tuberculosis by the fourth contact examination (chest X-ray). Restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analysis was carried out with 2 strains of M. tuberculosis isolated from these patients (the index case and the second teacher patient), and the RFLP pattern of 2 patients was same.