Consumption of highly processed foods in relation to overall diet quality among Japanese adults: a nationwide study

Abstract Objective: To (i) examine the consumption of highly processed foods (HPFs) in relation to diet quality among Japanese adults and (ii) compare the results when dishes prepared away home are disaggregated into food ingredients before classification by processing levels and the results when they are not. Design: Cross-sectional analysis using 4-day dietary record data. Foods were categorised by level of processing using the framework developed by the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Specifically, dishes prepared away from home were classified at both the food level (classified after disaggregation into ingredients) and dish level (classified without disaggregation). Diet quality was assessed using the Healthy Eating Index-2015 and Nutrient-Rich Food Index 9.3. Setting: Twenty areas in Japan. Participants: Adults aged 20–69 years (n 388). Results: Energy contribution of HPFs was higher when dishes prepared away from home were classified at dish level than food level (48.3% vs. 32.9%, P<0.0001). Regardless of the classification method, cereals and starchy foods were the top food groups contributing to total energy intake from HPFs. After adjusting for potential confounders, participants in higher tertiles of the energy contribution of HPFs had lower total scores for Healthy Eating Index-2015 and Nutrient-Rich Food Index 9.3 (P for trend ≤0.007 for all), irrespective of the food- or dish-level classification. Conclusions: HPFs account for at least one-third of energy intake of Japanese adults. Regardless of the classification methods for dishes prepared away from home, higher consumption of HPFs was associated with lower diet quality

Coordinated regulation of hepatic and adipose tissue transcriptomes by the oral administration of an amino acid mixture simulating the larval saliva of Vespa species

Genes mapped on Fig. 3. (XLSX 13 kb

Mouse Model of Weak Depression Exhibiting Suppressed cAMP Signaling in the Amygdala, Lower Lipid Catabolism in Liver, and Correlated Gut Microbiota

To establish a mouse model of weak depression, we raised 6-week-old C57BL/6N mice in single (SH) or group housing (GH) conditions for 2 weeks. The SH group showed less social interaction with stranger mice, learning disability in behavioral tests, and lower plasma corticosterone levels. The cecal microbiota of the SH group showed significant segregation from the GH group in the principal coordinate analysis (PCoA). Transcriptome analysis of the amygdala and liver detected multiple differentially expressed genes (DEGs). In the amygdala of SH mice, suppression of the cyclic adenine monophosphate (cAMP) signal was predicted and confirmed by the reduced immunoreactivity of phosphorylated cAMP-responsive element-binding protein. In the liver of SH mice, downregulation of beta-oxidation was predicted. Interestingly, the expression levels of over 100 DEGs showed a significant correlation with the occupancy of two bacterial genera, Lactobacillus (Lactobacillaceae) and Anaerostipes (Lachnospiraceae). These bacteria-correlated DEGs included JunB, the downstream component of cAMP signaling in the amygdala, and carnitine palmitoyltransferase 1A (Cpt1a), a key enzyme of beta-oxidation in the liver. This trans-omical analysis also suggested that nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD) synthesis in the liver may be linked to the occupancy of Lactobacillus through the regulation of nicotinamide phosphoribosyltransferase (NAMPT) and kynureninase (KYNU) genes. Our results suggested that SH condition along with the presence of correlated bacteria species causes weak depression phenotype in young mice and provides a suitable model to study food ingredient that is able to cure weak depression

一般市民が模擬患者として熟達する過程

報告Reports　本研究の目的は、模擬患者（Simulated or Standardized Patient: 以下SP）養成において、SP が熟達する過程ごとの特徴を明らかにすることである。　対象は、2002 年から2012 年までSP 養成者が作成したSP トレーニング時、SP 参加型授業時のSP の発言・行動記録、SP 養成者の感想および介入の記録である。SP 養成過程は、ドレイファス・モデルを参考に、初心者、新人、一人前、中堅、達人のレベルとし、得られたデータを各レベルに分類し、特徴をカテゴリー化した。　その結果、一般市民であったSP が熟達する過程の特徴として、以下のカテゴリーが抽出された。初心者レベルでは＜SP として不確実な自分＞を感じ、新人レベルでは＜SP として不安な自分＞を感じる。さらに一人前レベルでは＜SP として自覚が芽生える自分＞を認識し、中堅レベルでは＜SP として成長を感じる自分＞を実感する。そして、達人レベルに到達すると＜SPを極める自分＞の存在を認識する

The effects of fat mass and obesity-associated gene variants on the body mass index among ethnic groups and in children and adults

Genome-wide association analyses have revealed common gene variations related to obesity. Variants of the fat mass and obesity-associated (FTO) gene among more than 40 genes studied were most closely associated with obesity, but the association varies among ethnicities. Moreover, the effect is significant in people of European descent as well as Asians, but less significant among people of African descent. Although the variants were also associated with type 2 diabetes and glucose homeostasis, the associations were attenuated or abolished after adjusting for adiposity. The present review considers our current understanding of the effects of the FTO variants in different ethnic groups and in adults and children