Feeding preference of Coptotermes formosanus (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae) for gamma-irradiated wood impregnated with benzoylphenylurea compounds under laboratory conditions.

The feeding preference of Coptotermes formosanus Shiraki (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae) for 200-kGy gamma-irradiated Cryptomeria japonica D. Don (Japanese cedar) sapwood impregnated with benzoylphenylurea compounds such as hexaflumuron and noviflumuron was examined by three laboratory tests. Although termites were not deterred from feeding on gamma-irradiated wood samples that had been impregnated with hexaflumuron or noviflumuron, termite mortality was significantly higher compared with solvent controls in the no-choice test. All live termites were transferred to paper disks immediately after the no-choice test to investigate changes in mortality with time, and this test also confirmed the effects of hexaflumuron and noviflumuron on worker termites, which showed a significant feeding preference for gamma-irradiated wood. Only the 1480 ppm noviflumuron-impregnated gamma-irradiated wood specimens showed significant differences in mortality in the two-choice test. These results suggest that gamma-irradiated C. japonica wood, which is locally abundant in Japan, may have potential as a bait substrate for benzoylphenylurea compounds.

[Effect of oral function on nutritional improvement in nursing home residents].

The objective of this study is to examine how occlusal status and swallowing function influence the nutritional improvement achieved by appropriate feeding assistance in the institutionalized elderly. We studied 38 residents (mean age 82.04 +/- 7.35 years) in a nursing home. Their nutritional status was evaluated by biochemical analysis, and the following results were obtained: 1) Compared to the levels before intervention, there was a significant increase (p<0.05) after 6 months in serum albumin (3.65 +/- 0.32 g/dl before and 3.77 +/- 0.33 g/dl after assistance), HDL cholesterol (49.39 +/- 13.39 mg/dl before and 53.44 +/- 11.27 mg/dl after assistance), and hemoglobin (11.39 +/- 1.76 g/dl before and 11.75 +/- 1.75 g/dl after assistance) respectively. 2) Among the edentulous elderly, the change in serum albumin was more significant in the subgroup of elderly wearing dentures (3.64 +/- 0.35 g/dl before and 3.92 +/- 0.40 g/dl after assistance). 3) The serum albumin was significantly lower (p<0.05) in the group of people with swallowing disorders before intervention than the group of people with normal swallowing function (those with swallowing disorder 3.48 +/- 0.31; those with normal swallowing function 3.75 +/- 0.29 g/dl), but it did not change significantly after intervention. These results suggested that occlusal support with dentures greatly influences the nutritional intake and appropriate feeding assistance could achieve nutritional improvements for elderly with reduced swallowing function.