Taste hyposensitivity in Japanese schoolchildren

BACKGROUND: There is some research on taste disorder/hyposensitivity in special groups such as the elderly or patients presenting with specific taste problems, however few studies have been conducted among young populations. The objectives of this study were to estimate the prevalence of taste hyposensitivity and to investigate the relationship between taste hyposensitivity and oral health status in Japanese schoolchildren. METHODS: Subjects were 237 primary and 112 junior high school students in Saitama Prefecture, Japan. In total, 349 (boys: 181, girls: 168) students aged 6–15 years participated in the study. Oral examinations and whole-mouth taste tests using four tastes (sweet, salt, sour and bitter) solutions were conducted on the subjects. A subject who could not recognize the taste of the solution was defined as demonstrating hyposensitivity. RESULTS: Hyposensitivity was observed in 6.3% of all subjects for sweet-taste, 14.3% for salt-taste, 20.9% for sour-taste and 6.0% for bitter-taste. The prevalence of sweet, sour and bitter-taste hyposensitivity decreased as the subjects’ grade advanced. In contrast, the prevalence of salt-taste hyposensitivity increased in 7(th)-9(th) grade subjects. Furthermore, the prevalence of bitter-taste hyposensitivity was significantly higher in males than females among 1(st)-3(rd) graders. Taste hyposensitivity had little association with oral health status, such as decayed teeth, filled teeth, dental plaque, gingival status and tongue coating. CONCLUSIONS: In this study, taste hyposensitivity was observed in 6.0%-20.9% of the students. There was little association between taste hyposensitivity and oral health status. The current study implies that the factors affecting the taste hyposensitivity in children may different from those in the elderly. Therefore it is necessary to further investigate the causes of taste hyposensitivity among younger generation

Risk factors and diagnostic biomarkers for nonalcoholic fatty liver disease-associated hepatocellular carcinoma: Current evidence and future perspectives

High rates of excessive calorie intake diets and sedentary lifestyles have led to a global increase in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). As a result, this condition has recently become one of the leading causes of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Furthermore, the incidence of NAFLD-associated HCC (NAFLD-HCC) is expected to increase in the near future. Advanced liver fibrosis is the most common risk factor for NAFLD-HCC. However, up to 50% of NAFLD-HCC cases develop without underlying liver cirrhosis. Epidemiological studies have revealed many other risk factors for this condition; including diabetes, other metabolic traits, obesity, old age, male sex, Hispanic ethnicity, mild alcohol intake, and elevated liver enzymes. Specific gene variants, such as single-nucleotide polymorphisms of patatin-like phospholipase domain 3, transmembrane 6 superfamily member 2, and membrane-bound O-acyl-transferase domain-containing 7, are also associated with an increased risk of HCC in patients with NAFLD. This clinical and genetic information should be interpreted together for accurate risk prediction. Alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) is the only biomarker currently recommended for HCC screening. However, it is not sufficiently sensitive in addressing this diagnostic challenge. The GALAD score can be calculated based on sex, age, lectin-bound AFP, AFP, and des-carboxyprothrombin and is reported to show better diagnostic performance for HCC. In addition, emerging studies on genetic and epigenetic biomarkers have also yielded promising diagnostic potential. However, further research is needed to establish an effective surveillance program for the early diagnosis of NAFLD-HCC

Social anxiety disorder in genuine halitosis patients

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>There is a possibility that genuine halitosis patients' anxiety do not recover after oral malodor treatment due to their social anxiety disorder. The objective of this study was to investigate the influence of social anxiety disorder on the level of anxiety in genuine halitosis patients before and after treatment for oral malodor.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>The subjects were 262 genuine halitosis patients who visited the Fresh Breath Clinic from March, 2008 to October, 2009. The subjects who had score 2 or higher by the organoleptic test were diagnosed as genuine halitosis patients. Gas chromatography (GC) was conducted before and after oral malodor treatment for the oral malodor measurement. Based on their risk of social anxiety disorder, subjects were divided into low- and high-risk groups using the Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale (LSAS). The questions related to oral malodor and the clinical oral examination were both conducted before oral malodor treatment. The level of anxiety before and after oral malodor treatment was evaluated using the Visual Analogue Scale of Anxiety (VAAS).</p> <p>Results</p> <p>More than 20% of subjects had a score of 60 or more on the LSAS (high LSAS group). The mean age and the percentage of females were significantly higher in the high LSAS group compared to the low LSAS group. The high LSAS group was more likely to have problems associated with oral malodor and to adopt measures against oral malodor compared to the low LSAS group. The mean concentrations of H₂S and CH₃SH by GC significantly decreased after the oral malodor treatment in both LSAS groups. VAAS scores also significantly decreased after treatment in both LSAS groups. The logistic regression analysis indicated that the high LSAS group had a 2.28 times higher risk of having a post-VAAS score of 50 or more compared to the low LSAS group.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>This study revealed that genuine halitosis patients with a strong trait of social anxiety disorder have difficulty overcoming their anxiety about oral malodor. Oral malodor treatment of genuine halitosis patients requires not only regular oral malodor treatment but also attention to social anxiety disorder.</p

アイヌ語の衰退と復興に関する一考察

アイヌ語は、アイヌ民族の独自言語である。かつて樺太、千島、北海道の三方言があったと言われるが、現在母語話者が残っているのは北海道方言のみとなっており、その母語話者も人数としては極めて少ない。こうした状況は言語学的には危機言語、つまり消滅の危機に瀕した言語として考えられている。アイヌ語の母語話者が減少した背景には、歴史的な要因が大きく関わっている。幕末から明治期の対アイヌ政策がもとらした帰結といえる。アイヌ語の衰退は、アイヌ民族の日本語への転換、日本化が進行してたことを意味する。言語を媒体とした相互の意志・思想・感情の世代間の継承行動の喪失が生じ、民族共同体に統一性が失われ、これまでの日常性が崩壊し、伝統的共同体の解体へと至ることになる。民族的アイデンティティが揺らぎ民族の存在が危ぶまれる状況になっていった。しかし、今日アイヌ民族は民族の権利回復をめざす活動を行っている。その中でアイヌ語の復興活動の持つ意味は大きいものになっている。本稿では、アイヌ語の衰退を歴史的な事実からたどり、アイヌ民族への教化により彼らの習慣、生活様式が変質を強いられていく過程を概観し、その際学校教育がアイヌ語の衰退に大きく関与していたことを明らかにする。次にアイヌ語のように危機言語と位置づけられる言語が衰退に導かれるプロセスを追い、その意味を考察する。そして、民族集団の持つ言語の権利を踏まえ、言語保護のための国際的潮流を参照する。そして最後に、アイヌ語の復興活動の一つとして地域的に繰り広げられているアイヌ語教室について、平取二風谷アイヌ語を例にその活動を概観し、行われている活動の中からアイヌ語復興にとって必要な事柄、復興の意義を考えることにする

通信制高校における中高年学習者の学びについての考察 : 都立A高校における事例を中心に

本稿は通信制高校における中高年学習者の学びについて考察する。中高年学習者は年を経て高校に入学・編入学し、様々なハンディーがあるにもかかわらず、学びに対する姿勢が真摯で、学習意欲が高く、学校活動への参加も積極的で、他の生徒などにもたらす影響が大きい。現在の通信制高校を考える上で重要な位置にある。では、彼らにとって通信制高校で学ぶ意義とはいかなるものなのであろうか。本稿では都立A高校通信制で学ぶ中高年学習者へのアンケートを踏まえ、中高年学習者の学習態度、学習意識、学校生活のあり方を明らかにし、学びの意義を考える。そして、生涯学習の観点から通信制高校での中高年学習者の学びのあり方をとらえなおしてみる。そこからは、中高年学習者が積極的に学習・学校活動を行う中で、学校に自らの居場所を作りだし、人間的な成長と人生の統合を追求する主体的な学びの姿勢が看取される