Analysis of head motions during food intake in Japanese adults using a new motion capture system.

OBJECTIVE: A new motion capture system was developed to verify the hypothesis that "during food intake, head motion changes according to the properties of the food." DESIGN: Twenty healthy males and 20 healthy females with right-handed and normal occlusion participated in this study. The motion capture system used consisted of a Microsoft Xbox One Kinect Sensor® and a newly-developed program. Meatballs (solid), yogurt (paste), and water (fluid) were used as food samples. Head motion distance, head turning angle, and head forward angle were measured during food intake. Unpaired t-tests were used to analyze each head motion and compare the sexes. A one-way repeated measures analysis of variance was used to analyze each head motion for different food samples. RESULTS: Head motion distance was significantly smaller in females for the meatball and yogurt, but not for water. There were no significant differences between the sexes for head turning angle or head forward angle. Head motion distance and head forward angle were significantly larger for water than for meatballs and yogurt. The head turning angle was significantly smaller for the meatball than for yogurt and water. CONCLUSIONS: The results indicated that females tend to consume food without moving their heads when eating solid and paste foods. As the fluidity of the food increased, the head moved in a turning motion to avoid spilling the food, and the heads tilted forward. The motion capture system used in this study was also effective in analyzing head motion during eating.

Acid-sensing receptor GPR4 plays a crucial role in lymphatic cancer metastasis.

Cancer tissues exhibit an acidic microenvironment owing to the accumulation of protons and lactic acid produced by cancer and inflammatory cells. To examine the role of an acidic microenvironment in lymphatic cancer metastasis, gene expression profiling was conducted using human dermal lymphatic endothelial cells (HDLECs) treated with a low pH medium. Microarray and gene set enrichment analysis revealed that acid treatment induced the expression of inflammation-related genes in HDLECs, including genes encoding chemokines and adhesion molecules. Acid treatment-induced chemokines C-X3-C motif chemokine ligand 1 (CX3CL1) and C-X-C motif chemokine ligand 6 (CXCL6) autocrinally promoted the growth and tube formation of HDLECs. The expression of vascular cell adhesion molecule 1 (VCAM-1) increased in HDLECs after acid treatment in a time-dependent manner, which, in turn, enhanced their adhesion to melanoma cells. Among various acid-sensing receptors, HDLECs basally expressed G protein-coupled receptor 4 (GPR4), which was augmented under the acidic microenvironment. The induction of chemokines or VCAM-1 under acidic conditions was attenuated by GPR4 knockdown in HDLECs. In addition, lymph node metastases in a mouse melanoma model were suppressed by administering an anti-VCAM-1 antibody or a GPR4 antagonist. These results suggest that an acidic microenvironment modifies the function of lymphatic endothelial cells via GPR4, thereby promoting lymphatic cancer metastasis. Acid-sensing receptors and their downstream molecules might serve as preventive or therapeutic targets in cancer.

Lip and facial training improves lip-closing strength and facial morphology.

OBJECTIVE: Childhood is an important period for lip-closing strength (LCS) development, and failure to acquire LCS during childhood leads to various adverse health effects, such as mouth breathing. The purpose of this study was to examine the effectiveness of device-free lip and facial training in preschool children. DESIGN: The participants were divided into training and control groups. Both groups comprised 123 children aged 3-4 years, and only the training group received lip and facial training (i.e., opening and closing the lips and protruding the tongue) for 1 year. A two-way repeated measures analysis of variance was applied to compare the interaction effects of LCS and facial linear distance and angle by year (initial year vs. 1 year later) and group (training vs. control group). In addition, paired t-tests were used to test the changes in LCS and facial linear distance and angle after 1 year in both groups. Furthermore, the same analysis was performed in children with weak LCS in both groups (incompetent lip seal [ILS]). RESULTS: The LCS of children in the training group significantly increased after training compared with that in the control group, whether the analysis included all children or children with ILS alone. Lip and facial training for children with ILS reduced both the upper and lower lip protrusion; children with ILS without training had increased lip protrusion after 1 year. CONCLUSIONS: Lip and facial training for children with ILS effectively improved LCS and lip morphology, thereby preventing increased lip protrusion.

[Development for the Simultaneous Analytical Method of Furan and Alkyl Furans in Processed Foods].

A simultaneous analytical method was developed for the determination of alkyl furans (Furan, 2-methylfuran, 3-methylfuran and 2,5-dimethylfuran) in processed foods by headspace-GC-MS. Single-laboratory validation data of furan, 2-methylfuran, 3-methylfuran and 2,5-dimethylfuran showed good precision and accuracy. The mean recoveries ranged from 92 to 116%, the intermediate precision (RSDi) ranged from 0.9 to 12.9%. The level of LOQ ranged from 0.5 to 1.2 µg/kg (coffee), from 3.5 to 4.1 µg/kg (soy sauce), from 0.4 to 1.3 µg/kg (other foods: clear apple juice, infant formula and baby food), respectively. This method has the sensitivity to detect low levels of furan and alkyl furans contaminated in various foods and is thus applicable to surveillance for risk management in food safety.

Comparison of mouth rinsing performance between adults and children using a contactless vital sensing camera.

BACKGROUND: Evaluating mouth rinsing skills is useful for assessing oral function, however current evaluation methods are subjective. OBJECTIVES: This study compared mouth rinsing between adults and children using a contactless camera to capture lip motion. METHODS: The subjects comprised 16 adults and 13 children with no oral dysfunction. A compact vital sensing camera adapted from a Microsoft Xbox One Kinect Sensor® (Kinect) was placed 100 cm from the floor and 120 cm from the subject; 5, 10 and 15 ml of water were used as samples. Participants were instructed to hold the sample in the oral cavity, close the lips and move the sample alternatively left and right for 15 s. Maximum/minimum displacement from the reference plane and rinsing cycle for each sample were analysed by one-way analysis of variance. RESULTS: In adults, there was no significant difference in the maximum/minimum displacement between the left and right sides of the angulus oris due to differences in sample amount. In children, the right maximum significantly differed between the 5- and 15-ml and 10- and 15-ml samples, while the left maximum significantly differed between the 5- and 10-ml and 5- and 15-ml samples. The right minimum significantly differed between the 5- and 10-ml samples, as did the duration of mouth rinsing between the 5- and 15-ml samples. CONCLUSIONS: In children, lip movement and mouth rinsing duration tended to decrease with increasing sample volume. Evaluating lip movement using a contactless vital sensing camera is useful for assessing children's development of oral function.

Relationship between lip motion detected with a compact 3D camera and swallowing dynamics during bolus flow swallowing in Japanese elderly men.

Clinical application of a swallowing function evaluation system that is minimally invasive and enables an objective evaluation is necessary. We constructed a system that can synchronise and analyse lip motion with a three-dimensional (3D) camera and swallowing dynamics with videofluoroscopy (VF) and clarified the relationship between lip movement and swallowing dynamics. A compact 3D camera was adapted to Microsoft XBox One Kinect Sensor® . We examined Kinect's accuracy and repeatability and analysed the highest measurement accuracy and repeatability of the distance between anguli oris muscles. The constructed system simultaneously measured, synchronised and analysed lip motion by Kinect and swallowing dynamics by VF. Fourteen elderly men without dysphagia were included. Barium turbid solution (5, 10, 15 and 20 mL) was used for swallowing. Measurement parameters were the 3D distance between angulus oris displacement (TDDD), swallowing quantity (SQ), oral transit time (OTT), stage transit duration (STD), pharyngeal transit time (PTT) and total swallowing duration (TSD). Statistical analyses were performed. The measurement accuracy and reproducibility were optimum within a 10° horizontal imaging angle at a 120-cm measurement distance. SQ, TDDD, OTT, STD, PTT and TSD showed significant differences, and correlation was found between TDDD and OTT. SQ affected TDDD, OTT, STD, PTT and TSD; OTT could be predicted from TDDD. Improvement in the system and analysis method was considered to enable prediction of swallowing dynamics from body surface movement of the head and neck, including realisation of measurement conditions with higher precision and reproducibility, and from lip motion.

Diversity-oriented asymmetric catalysis (DOAC): stereochemically divergent synthesis of thiochromanes using an imidazoline-aminophenol-nickel-catalyzed Michael/Henry reaction.

The (S,S)-diphenylethylenediamine-derived imidazoline-aminophenol-Ni complex catalyzed tandem asymmetric Michael/Henry reaction of 2-mercaptobenzaldehydes with ß-nitrostyrenes to give the corresponding (2S,3R,4R)-2-aryl-3-nitrothiochroman-4-ols in up to 99% diastereoselectivity with 95% ee was demonstrated in diversity-oriented asymmetric catalysis. Reduction of the nitro group of the chiral thiochromanes gave a new series of (2S,3R,4R)-3-amino-2-arylthiochroman-4-ols with retention of the strereoselectivity.

Catalytic asymmetric synthesis of mixed 3,3'-bisindoles and their evaluation as Wnt signaling inhibitors.

TOP class: The first efficient catalytic asymmetric coupling reaction of indoles with isatin-derived nitroalkenes was accomplished by using a complex consisting of a chiral imidazoline aminophenol ligand (1; see scheme) and Cu(OTf)(2). Biological activity of the newly formed chiral 3,3'-bisindoles was also confirmed in a Wnt signaling inhibitory assay.