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At least 667 records · Page 37Linked to original sources
PubMed2005

Acceptability of multiple micronutrient supplements by pregnant and lactating women in Mali.

BACKGROUND: In Mali, an estimated 73% of pregnant women are anaemic largely due to iron deficiency. National policy recommends women to take iron and folic acid supplements daily from first prenatal contact until 3 months postpartum. However, many pregnant women in Mali could benefit from multiple micronutrient supplements. OBJECTIVE: To assess pregnant women's acceptability of and adherence to a daily multiple micronutrient supplementation scheme compared with the current daily iron and folic acid supplementation scheme. DESIGN: Seventy pregnant women were allocated to either the daily multiple micronutrient or daily iron and folic acid supplementation scheme. Women started receiving supplements at the end of the first trimester of pregnancy until delivery and throughout the first 3 months postpartum. RESULTS: No significant differences were observed between comparison groups with respect to women's perceptions about supplement size, colour, taste or flavour. Adherence to the multiple micronutrient supplementation scheme was better (257.5+/-20.9 tablets; average adherence 95.4%) than that to the iron and folic acid supplementation scheme (238.5+/-32.7 tablets; average adherence 92.2%; P=0.008) although both were very good, as were women's perceptions about the benefits of micronutrient supplements to their health and that of their newborns. CONCLUSION: Malian women adhere to prenatal/postpartum micronutrient supplementation - no matter what supplement is chosen - when access to supplements is guaranteed and when they are provided with minimum, consistent and easily understandable information and counselling, indicating that these are key elements to ensure effective programmes. These findings, together with those of the global research agenda on the efficacy of multiple micronutrient supplements for pregnant women, will inform policy development in Mali for the effective control of iron deficiency and iron-deficiency anaemia in pregnant women.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1993

The effects of aging on the human sense of smell and its relationship to food choice.

Olfaction plays a significant role in the perception of foods. For the most part, taste is limited to sweet, sour, bitter, and salty. The sensory experiences during consumption of complex foods and drinks cannot be constructed from these units. Indeed, much of the taste of a meal derives from olfactory stimulation. Hence, factors that influence olfactory perception should affect treatment of food-related odors. This article initially reviews previously published observations on the effects of age on olfaction and food preferences and then presents the results of original analyses of data derived from a substantial database formed as a result of the National Geographic Smell Survey. Included in the Survey form were topics relevant to the present article. They include the following question: Would you eat something that smelled like this? Two of the odors in the Survey were food related and two were fragrance related. Hence, in addition, we assessed responses to the following question: Would you apply something that smelled like this to your body? Answers were affected in part by the age and gender of the respondent and by the perceived pleasantness and intensity of the odor.

Aging↗
PubMed1995

Neuroanatomical and functional specificity of the basolateral amygdaloid nucleus in taste-potentiated odor aversion.

The present study aimed at documenting the neurobiological substrate of taste-potentiated odor aversion (TPOA) in the rat. The role of several temporal lobe structures in discriminative TPOA learning was questioned. The effects of excitotoxic lesions (ibotenate) of the basolateral amygdaloid nucleus, the central amygdaloid nucleus, the caudate putamen nucleus, and aspirative lesion of the entorhinal cortex were studied. The results show that only basolateral amygdaloid nucleus (ABL) damage impaired TPOA. This effect was selective of TPOA, since it spared conditioned taste aversion (CTA) and olfactory perception. In order to find out which process in TPOA requires normal functioning of the ABL, the effects of microinjections of a GABAA agonist (muscimol) into the ABL at various stages of the experiment were examined. The results show that application of muscimol during the acquisition, before or after the presentation of the odor-taste stimulus, impaired TPOA without affecting CTA. Contrastingly, application of muscimol before the test impaired neither TPOA nor CTA. These results suggest that ABL is involved in the acquisition but not in the retrieval of TPOA. The efficacy of muscimol microinjected after the presentation of the odor-taste stimulus further suggests that the deficit is not due to a sensory impairment but rather to the disruption of a memory process, critical for TPOA.

Amygdala↗
PubMed2004

Children's acceptance and tolerance of chlorhexidine and benzydamine oral rinses in the treatment of chemotherapy-induced oropharyngeal mucositis.

Oral care is of great importance in the prevention of chemotherapy-induced oropharyngeal mucositis. Although considerable attention has been given in improving oral care practices, patients' acceptance and tolerance of oral rinses is a continuing problem in oral care. A randomized crossover design was used to determine the relative acceptability and tolerability of chlorhexidine and benzydamine oral rinse agents in children receiving chemotherapy. At the end of the study, each subject was asked to compare these two agents in relation to stinging and taste, as well as his/her perception in reducing mucositis. Thirty-four children aged 6-17 years completed two courses of chemotherapy during which they alternately practiced oral care using chlorhexidine then benzydamine or benzydamine then chlorhexidine. All of the children tolerated the agents well and continued with rinsing throughout the study. Only a few children had to resort to diluting the agents with normal saline or water. Fifty-nine percent of children reported that the stinging associated with benzydamine was more accepted than chlorhexidine. The taste of both these agents was accepted by 50% of children. Approximately 60% of children reported that chlorhexidine was more helpful than benzydamine in reducing mucositis. About 47% and 50% of them preferred chlorhexidine and benzydamine in their subsequent chemotherapy, respectively. In conclusion, chlorhexidine and benzydamine are acceptable and well-tolerated by children over the age 6 years old.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2003

Taste-olfactory convergence, and the representation of the pleasantness of flavour, in the human brain.

The functional architecture of the central taste and olfactory systems in primates provides evidence that the convergence of taste and smell information onto single neurons is realized in the caudal orbitofrontal cortex (and immediately adjacent agranular insula). These higher-order association cortical areas thus support flavour processing. Much less is known, however, about homologous regions in the human cortex, or how taste-odour interactions, and thus flavour perception, are implemented in the human brain. We performed an event-related fMRI study to investigate where in the human brain these interactions between taste and odour stimuli (administered retronasally) may be realized. The brain regions that were activated by both taste and smell included parts of the caudal orbitofrontal cortex, amygdala, insular cortex and adjoining areas, and anterior cingulate cortex. It was shown that a small part of the anterior (putatively agranular) insula responds to unimodal taste and to unimodal olfactory stimuli, and that a part of the anterior frontal operculum is a unimodal taste area (putatively primary taste cortex) not activated by olfactory stimuli. Activations to combined olfactory and taste stimuli where there was little or no activation to either alone (providing positive evidence for interactions between the olfactory and taste inputs) were found in a lateral anterior part of the orbitofrontal cortex. Correlations with consonance ratings for the smell and taste combinations, and for their pleasantness, were found in a medial anterior part of the orbitofrontal cortex. These results provide evidence on the neural substrate for the convergence of taste and olfactory stimuli to produce flavour in humans, and where the pleasantness of flavour is represented in the human brain.

Brain↗
PubMed1978

An alternate-form instrument to assess vividness and controllability of mental imagery in seven modalities.

A review of the literature concerning assessment of the ability to produce mental images demonstrated that in both the clinical and research areas new instruments were needed. The problem was to produce an alternate-form measure that would enable simultaneous measurement of controllability and vividness on the same test items in seven modalities. The results seem to suggest that for the Survey of Mental Imagery alternate forms are strictly comparable, reliable, have a known factor structure, and combine simultaneous measurement of controllability and vividness in at least six sensory modalities.

Auditory Perception↗
PubMed2001

Enhancement of sweetness ratings of aspartame by a vanilla odor presented either by orthonasal or retronasal routes.

When taste stimuli are presented with specific odor stimuli, the perceived intensity of taste is enhanced, a phenomenon called odor-induced taste enhancement. There is a possibility, however, that the odor substances might have stimulated the taste receptors in the oral cavity as well as odor receptors in the nasal cavity because the odor substances were dissolved in the taste solutions in some preceding studies. Schifferstein and Verlegh (1996) found that the odor-induced taste enhancement effect was not found when the subjects wore a nose clip to prevent the olfactory perception. Thus, it was suggested that the odor-induced taste enhancement did not result from the stimulation of receptors in the oral cavity. To confirm and extend their study, we presented the odor stimuli simultaneously with, but not dissolved in, the taste stimuli with a more advanced approach to stimulus presentation. The participants reported enhancement of sweetness ratings for aspartame when the taste stimuli were presented with a vanilla odor. This odor induced taste enhancement was found when the gaseous odor stimuli were presented either by the retronasal route or by the orthonasal route. There was little possibility that the vanilla odor stimulated the taste receptors during the orthonasal stimulation because the odor stimuli were presented directly into the nasal cavity. Thus, we could show that the odor-induced taste enlancement is elicited by olfactory perception. These results also suggested that there is little functional difference between retronasal and orthonasal olfaction.

Administration, Oral↗
PubMed2002

Toward the optical tongue: flow-through sensing of tannin-protein interactions based on FTIR spectroscopy.

The interaction of polyphenols (tannins) with proline-rich proteins (gelatin) has been studied using an automated flow injection system with Fourier transform infrared spectroscopic detection to gain insight into chemical aspects related to astringency. In the perception of astringency, a major taste property in red wines and other beverages such as beer, tea, or fruit juices, an interaction between proline-rich salivary proteins and tannins present in the sample takes place. To study this interaction, agarose beads carrying gelatin (a proline-rich protein) were placed in the IR flow cell in such a way that the beads were probed by the IR beam. Using an automated flow system, we injected samples in a carrier stream and flushed over the proteins in a highly reproducible manner. Simultaneously, any retardation due to tannin-protein interactions taking place inside the flow cell was monitored by infrared spectroscopy. Tannins of different sources (grapes, wooden barrels, formulations used in wine making) were investigated, and their flow-through behavior was characterized. Significant differences in their affinity toward gelatin could be observed. Furthermore, because of small but characteristic differences in the IR spectrum, it is possible to distinguish condensed from hydrolyzable tannins. Nonastringent substances such as alcohols, sugars, and acids did not show retention on gelatin. The selectivity of the flow-through sensor was also demonstrated on the example of red and white wine. In contrast to white wine, where no interaction could be observed, in red wine a major interaction of the red wine tannins was found.

Catechin↗
PubMed2002

Residue uptake and storage responses of Tarocco blood oranges after preharvest thiabendazole spray and postharvest heat treatment.

Tarocco blood oranges (Citrus sinensis Linn. Obsek) were subjected to a single preharvest spray with thiabendazole (TBZ) at a concentration of 1% active ingredient (ai) in water and harvested 2 weeks after fungicide application or heated at 37 degrees C for 48 h under saturated humidity after harvest. The two treatments were also combined before cold quarantine (3 weeks at 2 degrees C), subsequent storage (3 weeks at 8 degrees C), and simulated marketing period (SMP) (1 week at 20 degrees C). Fruit not treated with TBZ and unheated were used as controls. The residue levels of TBZ (active ingredient, whole fruit basis) after spray were approximately 6.3 and 5.4 mg x kg(-1) before fruit storage respectively, a level close to the tolerance limit set by the European Community. TBZ showed a high persistence during quarantine, storage, and SMP. TBZ spray significantly reduced the incidence and severity of chilling injury (CI) and decay during the postquarantine period and SMP. Heat treatment (HT) produced beneficial effects in controlling CI, especially during SMP, when applied in combination with TBZ. However, HT remarkably promoted the development of secondary fungal infections such as Phytophthora rots and adversely affected fruit flavor and taste. The occurrence of off-flavor and off-taste was found to be perceptible after heating.

Citrus↗
PubMed1999

Inhibition of G-protein-coupled receptor function by disruption of transmembrane domain interactions.

G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCR) represent a superfamily of proteins that mediate the function of neurotransmitters and peptide hormones and are involved in viral entry and perception of light, smell, and taste. GPCRs are characterized by the presence of seven transmembrane domains (TMs). We demonstrate here that structural analogs of individual TMs of GPCRs can serve as potent and specific receptor antagonists. Peptides derived from the transmembrane regions of CXCR4 and CCR5 chemokine receptors specifically inhibited receptor signaling and the in vitro replication of human immunodeficiency virus-1 (HIV-1) at concentrations as low as 0.2 microM. Similarly, peptides mimicking the TMs of cholecystokinin receptor A, were found to abolish ligand binding and signaling through the receptor. Negative charges positioned at the extracellular termini of peptide antagonists appeared to be important for correct spontaneous insertion of the compounds into the cell membrane and for their activity. Targeting of the specific interactions between transmembrane domains of GPCRs is suggested as a general sequence-based method to disrupt receptor function for application in drug design and for structure-function studies of the receptors.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1998

Optimization of placebos for double-blind clinical trials. Experience with a phytopharmaceutical.

The maintenance of double-blind conditions in placebo-controlled trials depends on the quality of the placebo preparation. The placebo should match the active substance-containing preparation as closely as possible, but it must not contain any substances that might themselves be pharmacologically active. Active substances characterized by a particular colour, taste, smell or other easily perceptible properties constitute a challenge to researchers. The way of developing a placebo that matches a phytopharmaceutical to a satisfactory extent is described and discussed.

Aged↗
PubMed2004

Relating ionisation of calcium chloride in saliva to bitterness perception.

Saliva plays a role in the perception of bitter, sour and salty tastes that are presumed to be derived from the concentration of free cations or anions ions dissolved in saliva. The role of ionisation of calcium in bitter taste was studied by determining binding in vitro mixture of saliva and protein solutions and in spit. In vitro, the addition of whey to calcium chloride solutions increased the calcium binding, pH and viscosity. The addition of saliva to these mixtures, the increased calcium binding and the induced small changes in viscosity and pH were thought not to contribute significantly to bitterness perception. Nonstimulated saliva, at pH 7.5, contained about 5 mM calcium, of which about one third was ionised. The bitter threshold of fully ionised calcium chloride in water varied between 1 and 15 mM among individuals. In spit, after tasting whey, ionised calcium was found to have increased at low, but decreased at high, calcium concentrations and varied 30% among individuals. Bitterness was related, on average, to the concentration of ionised calcium and not to the total concentration of calcium in spit. A general explicative model based on the composition of bulk saliva is discussed in relation to perception threshold and the likely importance of saliva from von Ebner's gland.

Adult↗
PubMed1977

[Study of the taste sensitivity of dairy product tasters].

The study in terms of age, sex, and tobacco smoking has shown that 45% of the experts engaged in the organoleptic evaluation of dairy products more or less manifest so-called gustatory daltonism with regard to the four basic tastes. Non-smokers are shown to percept lower concentrations of the tested solutions, while in older persons and smokers there is certain deadening of the taste sensitivity. Taste organs manifest strongest sensitivity to bitter substances and a weakest one to saulty products, so people participating in the organoleptic evaluation of food should be periodically examined to check their sensory minimum.

Adult↗
PubMed1977

Intelligence and imagery in personality.

One hundred college undergraduates were administered the Richardson revision of the Gordon Test of Visual Imagery Control, the Betts-Sheehan Questionnaire Upon Mental Imagery, and the Shipley-Hartford Institute of Living Scale. The latter provided a conceptual quotient (CQ) score of intellectual impairment based upon a ratio between vocabulary and abstraction scores. Subjects with CQs above 100 had significantly higher control scores (p less than .02). High control subjects had significantly higher total IQ scores than did low control subjects (p less than .04). Subjects with high and medium range control had higher vocabulary scores than those with low control. This suggests possible assessment of proneness toward introverted and extraverted neuroticism based upon a combination type of imagery score and the ratio between abstract or vocabulary scores. The connection of imagery with dimensions of IQ may be a start toward a more refined measure of this aspect of personality. Problems and implications are discussed.

Auditory Perception↗