Chewing Rate Research Articles

The Association of Walking Ability with Oral Function and Masticatory Behaviors in Community-Dwelling Older People: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Background/Objectives: An association between oral function and physical fitness, including walking capacity, has been reported. However, the association between masticatory behaviors and walking ability-both of which represent patterns of movement in daily life-has not been clarified. This study aimed to investigate the association between masticatory behaviors, oral function, and walking capacity in older people. Methods: One hundred community-dwelling older people (31 men, 69 women, mean age 75.7 ± 6.3 years) were selected to participate in this study. Age, sex, masticatory behaviors, oral functions (tongue pressure, tongue-lips motor function, occlusal force, and masticatory performance), and walking capacity were assessed. Masticatory behaviors were assessed during the consumption of one rice ball (100 g) using a wearable chewing counter, and the number of chews, chewing rate, the number of chews per bite, and meal time were recorded. Walking capacity was assessed using the timed up and go test (TUG). Spearman's rank correlation coefficients were calculated to assess the strength and direction of the association. Results: Moderate negative correlations were observed between TUG time and tongue pressure and between TUG time and tongue-lips motor function (/ta/ and /ka/) (rs = -0.33, -0.21, -0.28, respectively). In addition, moderate negative correlations between TUG time and chewing rate (rs = -0.22) and between TUG time and meal time (rs = 0.33) were observed, suggesting that lower walking capacity was associated with slower chewing rate and longer meal times. Conclusions: In community-dwelling older people, declines in mastication speed and dexterity and tongue strength are associated with lower walking capacity.

Tobacco use and khat chewing among adolescents in Yemen: a large-scale school-based cross-sectional study

ObjectiveThe present study sought to assess the prevalence and determinants of tobacco use (cigarette smoking and shisha use) and khat chewing among Yemeni adolescents, and to evaluate their knowledge and attitudes toward these habits.MethodsThis school-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 13 to 19-year-old students attending middle/high schools (both private and public) across five main cities in Yemen. Data were collected using self-administered questionnaires comprising questions/items related to sociodemographic data, cigarette smoking, shisha use, khat chewing, and knowledge on and attitudes toward these habits. Bivariate and multivariate analyses were used to explore the most determinant factors.ResultsA total of 7505 students were recruited from 42 schools across five major cities in Yemen. The prevalence rates of khat chewing, cigarette smoking, and shisha use were 42.4%, 6.8%, and 19.3%, respectively. Compared to females, male subjects reported significantly higher prevalence of khat chewing (51.4% vs. 23.5%, p < 0.001), shisha use (20.3% vs. 17.2%, p < 0.01), and cigarette smoking (8.8% vs. 2.6%, p < 0.001). Male gender, older age, poor knowledge, khat chewing, parents’ low education level, and parents’ and peers’ smoking habits were significant determinants of adolescents’ cigarette smoking status. Private education, male gender, older age, poor knowledge, parents’ low education level, and parents’ and peers’ khat chewing habits were significant determinants of adolescents’ khat chewing status. The participant’s knowledge of and attitudes toward tobacco use and khat chewing were inadequate.ConclusionThe prevalence of khat chewing, shisha use, and to lesser extent cigarette smoking among Yemeni adolescents is high that needs immediate intervention. The results highlight the urgent need to implement prevention strategies to tackle these habits among the youth in Yemen.

Orange (Citrus sinensis) essential oil inclusion in high-energy diets for feedlot lambs: productivity, eating behavior, carcass characteristics, rumen morphometry, and fatty acid profile of the meat

This study evaluated the effect of different orange essential oil (OEO) inclusion rates on live weight gain, eating behavior, carcass characteristics, morphology of the ruminal epithelium, and fatty acid profile in the meat of feedlot lambs. Forty uncastrated Dorper × Santa Inês ram lambs with an initial average body weight of 21.8 ± 4.7 kg and average age of 86 ± 15 days were allocated to one of five dietary treatments in a randomized complete block design. Dietary treatments consisted of a 90:10 concentrate-to-forage ratio total mixed ration supplemented as follows: 1. non-additive supplementation (Control), and 2. additive supplementation with 100, 500, and 1000 mg OEO/kg diet DM (OEO100, OEO500, and OEO1000) or with 25 mg sodium monensin/kg diet DM (MON). The feeding lasted 84 d. Supplementation with OEO increased linearly dry matter intake (DMI), growth rate and feed efficiency (FE). Because of the linear increases in growth rate and the efficiency of energy utilization of the diet, lambs receiving OEO exhibited a greater (increasing linear effect) hot carcass weight (HCW), Longissimus muscle area (LMA), subcutaneous fat thickness (SFT), and body wall thickness (BWT) than lambs fed with Control. Lambs fed MON had lower DMI, growth rate and FE than Control and OEO. Compared to Control and OEO supplemented, lambs that received MON showed lower HCW, LMA, SFT, and BWT. Lambs fed with MON had lower oocyst counts than lambs fed with all other treatments. Lambs fed with MON spent more time eating and ruminating, with higher chewing rates than lambs fed all other diets. Rumen morphometry was unaffected by dietary treatment. The OEO supplementation increased the sum of monounsaturated fatty acids, improved the human health promotion index (HP index), and reduced the thrombogenicity index in the meat relative to lambs fed the MON treatment. Under the conditions in which the experiment was conducted, the inclusion of up to 1000 g/kg diet DM in high-energy finishing diets promotes DMI and improved growth performance and FE. Improvements in the carcass (HCW, LMA, and BTF) with OEO supplementation were mainly due to improvements in growth rate rather than effects on gain composition. Based on growth performance and carcass characteristics, OEO was a superior feed additive to sodium monensin. The OEO supplementation has a discreet effect on the fatty acid profile of the meat, but it is sufficient to improve the HP index. These findings highlight its potential as an effective additive for enhancing lamb productivity.

Immediate and residual effects of functional chewing gum on sustained attention and mood

ABSTRACT Objectives: Chewing gum has been shown to improve aspects of cognition and mood with sustained attention being particularly receptive to the effects of chewing. Chewing gum may also be a useful vehicle for administering functional ingredients. The herbal extract Rhodiola rosea and certain B-vitamins have previously been shown to improve aspects of cognition and subjective state, but their combined effects have not been studied to date. Methods: The current randomised, placebo-controlled, double-blind, balanced crossover study compared the effects of a functional gum containing Rhodiola rosea and B-vitamins to flavour-matched regular chewing gum and a flavour-matched placebo. Thirty-six healthy young participants completed measures of attention and mood at baseline, during chewing, and 1-h after chewing. Results: Chewing both functional and regular gum was shown to reduce errors on a digit vigilance task compared to placebo irrespective of whether measured during or after chewing. There were no benefits to adding functional ingredients to the gum. Discussion: Future chewing research should consider different formats of placebo. Sex differences in response to chewing and the impact of rate and intensity of chewing should also be explored. Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT05544500.

EFFECTS OF CHEWING TIME OF HIGH PROTEIN MEAL ON SATIETY AND GLP-1 HORMONE

Background: Chewing or mastication process affects satiety as well as satiety regulating hormone Glucagon-like Peptide-1 (GLP-1). Proteins have the highest satiating effects among the macronutrients. This study explored the association of chewing with satiety and GLP-1 in participants consuming high-protein meal. Methods: Fifteen healthy volunteers, aged 25-35 years were enrolled through random sampling. Effects of chewing on postprandial satiety and plasma GLP-1 was examined through quasi-experimental study conducted in Khyber Medical University, Peshawar, from Jan to Mar 2023. Three visits were designed with one week wash-out period. Satiety and GLP-1 were compared among normal, fast, and slow chewing conditions, while providing high protein meal. Subjective satiety was assessed via visual analogue scale (VAS) and labelled magnitude scale (LMS), while serum GLP-1 levels were analysed through ELISA at baseline, 30, 120 and 240 min in each visit. Results: The participants had a mean chewing time of 793.66±311 second at normal rate. Mean chewing time was decreased to 496.60±135.82 second during fast chewing, while significantly increased to 1459.66±400.83 second during slow chewing. A comparison of satiety at different chewing rates revealed that slow chewing significantly reduced hunger and enhanced fullness (p&lt;0.05), relative to normal and fast chewing, at 240 minutes (p&lt;0.05). However, no significant difference was observed in plasma GLP-1 levels at any time intervals (p&gt;0.05). Conclusion: Satiety is significantly influenced by chewing and number of chews per bite of a high protein meal, whereas postprandial plasma GLP-1 levels show no significant differences across different chewing rates. Pak J Physiol 2024;20(2):31-35

Controlled and Real-Life Investigation of Optical Tracking Sensors in Smart Glasses for Monitoring Eating Behavior Using Deep Learning: Cross-Sectional Study.

The increasing prevalence of obesity necessitates innovative approaches to better understand this health crisis, particularly given its strong connection to chronic diseases such as diabetes, cancer, and cardiovascular conditions. Monitoring dietary behavior is crucial for designing effective interventions that help decrease obesity prevalence and promote healthy lifestyles. However, traditional dietary tracking methods are limited by participant burden and recall bias. Exploring microlevel eating activities, such as meal duration and chewing frequency, in addition to eating episodes, is crucial due to their substantial relation to obesity and disease risk. The primary objective of the study was to develop an accurate and noninvasive system for automatically monitoring eating and chewing activities using sensor-equipped smart glasses. The system distinguishes chewing from other facial activities, such as speaking and teeth clenching. The secondary objective was to evaluate the system's performance on unseen test users using a combination of laboratory-controlled and real-life user studies. Unlike state-of-the-art studies that focus on detecting full eating episodes, our approach provides a more granular analysis by specifically detecting chewing segments within each eating episode. The study uses OCO optical sensors embedded in smart glasses to monitor facial muscle activations related to eating and chewing activities. The sensors measure relative movements on the skin's surface in 2 dimensions (X and Y). Data from these sensors are analyzed using deep learning (DL) to distinguish chewing from other facial activities. To address the temporal dependence between chewing events in real life, we integrate a hidden Markov model as an additional component that analyzes the output from the DL model. Statistical tests of mean sensor activations revealed statistically significant differences across all 6 comparison pairs (P<.001) involving 2 sensors (cheeks and temple) and 3 facial activities (eating, clenching, and speaking). These results demonstrate the sensitivity of the sensor data. Furthermore, the convolutional long short-term memory model, which is a combination of convolutional and long short-term memory neural networks, emerged as the best-performing DL model for chewing detection. In controlled laboratory settings, the model achieved an F1-score of 0.91, demonstrating robust performance. In real-life scenarios, the system demonstrated high precision (0.95) and recall (0.82) for detecting eating segments. The chewing rates and the number of chews evaluated in the real-life study showed consistency with expected real-life eating behaviors. The study represents a substantial advancement in dietary monitoring and health technology. By providing a reliable and noninvasive method for tracking eating behavior, it has the potential to revolutionize how dietary data are collected and used. This could lead to more effective health interventions and a better understanding of the factors influencing eating habits and their health implications.

Factors Related to Masticatory Rhythm in Patients with Oral Tumors.

Background: Older adults who have undergone surgery for oral tumors are at increased risk of impaired masticatory rhythm. This study investigated the correlations between masticatory rhythm, objective masticatory performance, and subjective masticatory performance as well as factors related to masticatory rhythm. Methods: The participants were 44 adults (24 men, 20 women; age range 42~90 years old) who had undergone maxillectomy, mandibulectomy, or glossectomy and were rehabilitated with a maxillofacial prosthesis. The number of functional contact teeth pairs was confirmed by intraoral examination. Chewing rate, cycle duration, coefficient of variation (CV) for cycle duration (reflecting the stability of masticatory rhythm), and mixing ability were measured simultaneously using a mastication movement rhythm tracking device during gum chewing. Maximum occlusal force was measured using the dental prescale system. Patients' perception of chewing ability was rated using a questionnaire. Results: The Spearman's rank correlation test revealed that mixing ability, patient-rated masticatory scores, cycle duration, CV for cycle duration, and maximum occlusal force showed significant correlations with chewing rate. Multiple linear regression analysis identified mixing ability and the CV for cycle duration as significant predictors of masticatory rhythm. Conclusions: Factors associated with a faster chewing rate were higher mixing ability and masticatory scores, greater maximum occlusal force, shorter cycle duration, and smaller CV for cycle duration. Stable masticatory rhythm and mixing ability are significant predictors of chewing rate. Poor masticatory performance and unstable masticatory rhythm can result in slower chewing and thus a higher risk of inadequate dietary intake.

Influence of Chewing Rate and Food Composition on in Vivo Aroma Release and Perception of Composite Foods.

This study investigated the effects of chewing rate and food composition on in vivo aroma release and perception of composite foods. Bread or sponge cake paired with varying sugar content and viscosity strawberry jams, spiked with citral and limonene, were examined. In-nose release was characterized using Proton-Transfer-Reaction-Time-of-Flight-Mass-Spectrometry (PTR-ToF-MS). Simultaneously, Time-Intensity (TI) profiling assessed citrus aroma perception (n = 8, triplicate) while fast and slow chewing protocols were applied (fast: 1.33 chews/s; slow 0.66 chews/s; each for 25 s). Chewing rate did not significantly impact the area under the curve and maximum intensity of in vivo citral and limonene release and citrus aroma perception. Faster chewing rates significantly decreased the time to reach maximum intensity of aroma release (p < 0.05) and citrus aroma perception (p < 0.001). Faster chewing rates probably accelerated structural breakdown, inducing an earlier aroma release and perception without affecting aroma intensity. Adding carriers to jams significantly (p < 0.05) increased aroma release, while perceived citrus aroma intensity significantly (p < 0.05) decreased regardless of chewing rate. In conclusion, chewing rate affects the temporality of in vivo aroma release and perception without affecting its intensity, and carrier addition increases in vivo aroma release while diminishing aroma perception.

The effects of feeding frequency on jaw loading in two lemur species.

Studies on oral processing are often snapshots of behaviors that examine feeding through individual bouts. In this study, we expand on our previous work comparing bite/chew variables per feeding bout to summed daily biting, chewing, and food intake to interpret loading that could have potential morphological effects. We observed sympatric Lemur catta and Propithecus verreauxi over two field seasons in the dry forest of Bezà Mahafaly Special Reserve in southwestern Madagascar. Bite and chew rates determined from videos filmed during observations were multiplied with time spent feeding on specific foods during focal follows to calculate daily values for each feeding bout. Food mechanical properties (FMPs) were tested on dietary items with a portable tester. We contrasted daily bite/chew numbers and intake with FMPs, species, season, and food shape. Daily bite and chew numbers increased with maximum, but not average, food toughness. Daily intake decreased with average and maximum toughness. Season had a strong effect on daily bites and chews, but not on intake. Food shape influenced intake and total bite and chew numbers. The lemur species did not differ in our models. Maximum food toughness impacted feeding behaviors and intake, which is consistent with higher loads having a greater effect on morphology. In contrast to feeding per bout, cumulative biting and chewing did not differ between species; taking feeding frequency into consideration affects interpretation of jaw loading. Finally, biting, as much as chewing, may generate strains that impact morphology.

Influence of the radius of Monson’s sphere and excursive occlusal contacts on masticatory function of dentate subjects

ObjectiveTo determine the influence of the radius of Monson’s sphere, the number of posterior laterotrusive, mediotrusive, and protrusive contacts, and the chewing rate on food comminution. DesignSixty healthy dentate subjects, aged 21.22 ± 2.30 years, were selected. The three-dimensional coordinates of the cusp tips of the lower canine, premolar, and molar teeth were identified from the subjects’ digital models. Monson’s sphere was designed using the simplex method for function minimisation by adjusting the coordinates on its surface. The contacts were verified using 12 µm metal strips in jaw excursions at 0.5, 1.0, 2.0, and 3.0 mm. The masticatory performance and efficiency, swallowing threshold, and chewing rate were assessed through particle size fractionation. Data were analysed with multiple linear regression (α = 0.05). ResultsThe sphere’s radius, laterotrusive and protrusive contacts at 0.5 mm, and chewing rate were found to be negative predictor variables for masticatory performance until 20 chewing cycles (R2 = 0.429). For 40 cycles, the radius and total contacts (0.5 mm) were also explanatory factors (R2 = 0.223). Only the radius (R2 = 0.176) and the chewing rate (R2 = 0.082) were found to be significant for 60 cycles and swallowing threshold, respectively. Masticatory efficiency was influenced by masticatory performance until 40 and 60 cycles, as well as the radius and total contacts at 2.0 and 3.0 mm (R2 = 0.958). ConclusionA larger radius of Monson’s sphere and a greater number of posterior excursive contacts were found to be related to better masticatory function.

Influência de suplementos de baixo e médio consumo na fase de crescimento de novilhos mantidos em pastagem tropical e terminados em confinamento

ABSTRACT: The objective was to evaluate the animal production and ingestive behavior of the steers fed different supplements during the growth phase in Aruana grass, and the influence of this supplementation on production performance in feedlot phase. The treatments consisted of three supplements during the growing phase: mineral salt (0.12 g/kg of body weight - BW), low intake energy-protein supplement (1.26 g/kg of BW), and medium intake (3.76 g/kg of BW). Forage canopy characteristics, animal production, and animal behavior on pasture were evaluated in a completely randomized design with three replicates (paddocks). The titanium dioxide marker was used to determine the intake and apparent digestibility during the pasture phase. The production performance in feedlot was evaluated in a completely randomized design with eight replicates (animals). Twenty-four Aberdeen Angus steers (15 ± 1.5 months old; 364.8 ± 21.7 kg BW) were used. At the end of the growth phase the animals were confined and fed a single diet. Dry matter, crude protein, and neutral detergent fiber (NDF) contents of forage and intake were not influenced by the treatments. The average daily gain was higher for the medium intake supplement in pasture phase. The apparent digestibility of NDF (P = and chewing rate were higher for the medium intake supplement. The average daily gain and fat thickness of carcasses were higher for the medium intake supplement in the feedlot phase. The supplements of medium intake increase animal productivity during the growing phase on pastures and cattle’s finishing performance in intensive production systems.

Evaluation of treatment results of oral cavity tumors with the University of Washington Quality of Life Questionnaire

Objectives: This study aimed to assess the quality of life in patients with oral cavity tumors who underwent either surgical resection or surgical resection followed by radiotherapy (RT) using the University of Washington Quality of Life Questionnaire (UW-QOL). Patients and Methods: The retrospective study included a total of 40 patients (31 males, 9 females; mean age: 64.1±8.3 years; range, 40 to 85 years) who were diagnosed with primary oral cavity tumors and treated between January 2015 and June 2021. Group 1 (n=20) consisted of patients who underwent surgical resection, while Group 2 (n=20) included patients who underwent surgical resection followed by RT. Each participant completed the UW-QOL questionnaire, and the scores were compared between the two groups. Results: There were no significant differences in pain (p=0.149), recreation (p=0.495), and shoulder (p=0.102) parameters. However, the RT group showed significantly lower scores in appearance (p=0.003), activity (p=0.010), swallowing (p=0.001), chewing (p=0.003), speech (p=0.001), taste (p=0.006), saliva (p=0.001), mood (p=0.002), and anxiety (p=0.007) parameters. There were no significant differences in the rates of the most disturbing parameters, such as pain (p=0.548), activity, recreation, shoulder (p=0.292), mood (p=0.311), and anxiety (p=0.072), in the last seven days (p&gt;0.05). However, those who received RT had significantly higher rates of appearance (p=0.04), swallowing (p=0.001), chewing (p=0.001), speech (p=0.002), taste (p=0.035), and saliva (p=0.008) issues in the last seven days. Conclusion: The data we obtained may be helpful during pretreatment patient counseling. Consequently, patients can be informed about the morbidities they may encounter after treatment, and preliminary information can be given to the patients in line with this information.

Early destruction of cockroach respiratory system and heart by emerald jewel wasp larvae

In the 1880s, Henri Fabre was captivated by the "special art of eating", whereby a parasitoid wasp larva fed selectively on host internal organs, avoiding the heart (dorsal vessel) and tracheal system (respiratory system) to preserve life. In Fabre's words: "The ruling feature in this scientific method of eating, which proceeds from parts less to the parts more necessary to preserve a remnant of life, is none the less obvious"1. Subsequent investigators have reported the same for many parasitoid wasps2,3, including for the emerald jewel wasp (Ampulex compressa)4. Here it is reported that larval jewel wasps destroy the dorsal vessel and tracheae (respiratory system) in the thorax of their cockroach host (Periplaneta americana) at their earliest opportunity. Moreover, the broken tracheae release air into the host, which the larval jewel wasp inspires. An increase in larval chewing rate, cotemporaneous with the sudden release of air from the host's broken tracheae, suggests the larva taps into the host respiratory system to support its metabolism while rapidly consuming the host. VIDEO ABSTRACT.

Physical effectiveness of corn silage fractions stratified with the Penn State Particle Separator for lactating dairy cows

This study evaluated the physical effectiveness of whole-plant corn silage (CS) particles stratified with the Penn State Particle Separator, composed of 19- and 8-mm-diameter sieves and a pan, for lactating dairy cows. Eight Holstein cows (27.6 ± 2.8 kg/d of milk, 611 ± 74 kg body weight; 152 ± 83 d in milk) were assigned to two 4 × 4 Latin squares (22-d periods, 16-d adaptation), where one square was formed with rumen-cannulated cows. Three CS particle fractions were manually isolated using the 8- and 19-mm diameter sieves and re-ensiled in 200-L drums. The 4 experimental diets were (% dry matter): (1) CON (control): 17% forage neutral detergent fiber (NDF) from CS (basal roughage), 31.5% starch, and 31.9% NDF; (2) PSPan: 17% forage NDF from CS + 9% NDF from CS particles <8 mm, 25.9% starch, and 37.9% NDF; (3) PS8: 17% forage NDF from CS + 9% NDF from CS particles 8 to 19 mm, 25.5% starch, and 38.3% NDF; and (4) PS19: 17% forage NDF from CS + 9% NDF from CS particles >19 mm, 24.9% starch, and 38.8% NDF. Cows fed PS8 had greater dry matter intake and energy-corrected milk yield (22.4 and 26.9 kg/d, respectively) than cows fed CON (20.8 and 24.7 kg/d) and PS19 (21.2 and 24.8 kg/d), but no difference was detected between PSPan (21.6 and 25.8 kg/d) and other treatments. Milk fat concentration was greater for PS8 than CON, with intermediate values for PSPan and PS19. Milk fat yield was greater for cows fed PS8 than CON and PS19, and cows fed PSPan secreted more fat than CON cows but were not different from cows fed the other 2 diets. Cows fed CON had a lower meal frequency than cows fed PSPan, shorter meal and rumination times than PS8, and greater meal size and lower rates of rumination and chewing than the other 3 diets. Total chewing per unit of NDF was higher for PS8 than PSPan, although neither treatment differed from CON or PS19. Cows fed PS19 had higher refusal of feed particles >19 mm than cows fed CON and PSPan. The refusal of dietary NDF and undigested NDF in favor of starch were all greater for PS19 than on the other treatments. Cows fed PS19 had a greater proportion of the swallowed bolus and rumen digesta with particles >19 mm than the other 3 diets. Cows fed CON had the lowest ruminal pH and greatest lactate concentration relative to the other 3 diets. Plasma lipopolysaccharide was higher for cows fed CON and PSPan than for cows fed PS8 and PS19, and serum d-lactate tended to be lower on PSPan than for CON and PS8. In summary, the inclusion of CS fractions in a low-forage fiber diet (CON) reduced signs of ruminal acidosis. Compared with CS NDF <8 and >19 mm, CS NDF with 8- to 19-mm length promoted better rumen health and performance of dairy cows. These results highlight the importance of adjusting CS harvest and formulating dairy diets based on the proportion of particles retained between the 8- and 19-mm sieves.

Effectiveness of health promotion intervention on the knowledge and selected practices related with oral cancer among a group of vulnerable youth in Sri Lanka

BackgroundThere has been a noticeable trend of younger people being diagnosed with oral cancer, particularly among those from low socio-economic backgrounds. Poor knowledge on risk factors toward oral cancer and the growing fashion of using tobacco also identified among younger generation. Present study aimed to assess the effectiveness of a health promotion intervention to improve the knowledge and encourage positive practices associated with oral cancer among a group of vulnerable youth in Sri Lanka.MethodsThe study was a community based quasi experimental study, conducted in urban slums in the district of Colombo, Sri Lanka. Sample size for one group was 120 youth participants aged between 15 and 24 years. Health promotion intervention was implemented to the intervention group and follow up period was 6 months. The control group did not receive the intervention. Awareness of oral cancer and oral potentially malignant disorders, tobacco chewing practice (betel quid chewing and commercially prepared tobacco and areca nut packet (CPTAP) chewing) and self-mouth examination practice were assessed at the beginning and after 6 months in both groups using an interviewer administered questionnaire. Changes in the knowledge, self-mouth examination practice, quit rate and fresh up take rate were computed to determine the effectiveness.ResultsThere was no loss to follow up. No significant difference was observed between the groups in pre intervention assessment regarding the knowledge, tobacco chewing and self-mouth examination practices. Knowledge score was significantly differed between the groups P = 0.000 in the post intervention assessment as well as among females P = 0.001. Quit rate of the tobacco chewing practice, betel chewing practice and CPTAP chewing practice among intervention group was 33%, 70%, and 13% respectively while control group did not have any quitters, P = 0.001. Fresh up take rate of tobacco chewing in the intervention group was 6.7% compared to the 37.5% in the control group, P = 0.001. Practicing self-mouth examination was significantly higher in intervention group in post intervention assessment, P = 0.000.ConclusionMulticomponent health promotion intervention (Advocacy, Interactive discussions, IEC materials and Community mobilization) was significantly effective in enhancing the knowledge, increasing self-mouth examination practice, and reducing tobacco chewing practice among a vulnerable group of youth in Sri Lanka.

125 Quantification of chewing frequency in horses consuming bermudagrass hay compared with other popular equine forages

Bermudagrass is the most common fine-stemmed hay forage in the southeastern United State due to its adaptation to this region. The low cost and easy access contribute to bermudagrass hay being commonly fed, consequently it is detected in the digestive tracts of most horses submitted to regional veterinary clinics for impaction colic surgery. A potential association between fine stemmed forages and increased risk of impaction colic may be differences in chewing patterns compared with other hay types. Chewing encourages saliva production which assists in particle size reduction and works as a lubricant, assisting in transit through the gastrointestinal tract. Using 2 studies, the objective of this research was to compare the chewing rate of bermudagrass to other common equine forages. A preliminary 5-week study utilizing 5 privately owned horses routinely fed bermudagrass hay at one feeding and timothy hay at another was conducted to evaluate potential effects of hay type on chewing frequency. Horses were fitted with a RumiWatch® halter (ITIN + HOCH, Switzerland) to quantify chewing patterns and fed their normal amount of hay each feeding. Chewing patterns were continuously monitored until the next meal, and data was reported on a per minute basis. Hay was weighed before feeding, and refused hay was weighed back so the total chews/kg consumed could be calculated. Data were statisticallyanalyzed (Minitab v.21, State College, PA) as a mixed ANOVA with treatment as a fixed effect. Results indicate that horses chewed bermudagrass at a lower frequency compared with timothy (4643 vs. 7461 chews/kg, P = 0.003). At the conclusion of this study, a larger study utilizing 8 horses fed twice daily at 1.5% body weight in forage was conducted to test chewing frequency when eating bermudagrass, alfalfa, ryegrass, and orchardgrass hays. Horses received treatments in a 4 × 4 Latin square design having an acclimation period one week before a 3-d data collection using the RumiWatch® halter. Data were calculated as chews/kg and statistically compared using the same protocol used in the preliminary study. Results indicate that horses chew bermudagrass hay (3649 chews/kg) less as compared orchardgrass (4811 chews/kg), alfalfa (4571 chews/kg), and ryegrass (4763 chews/kg)(P < 0.001). Results further indicate no difference between the minutes chewed for bermudagrass (65.1 min/kg) to alfalfa (73.4 min/kg). However, there are differences between bermudagrass to orchardgrass (76.6 min/kg) and ryegrass (78.7 min/kg P < 0.05) which potentially causes reduction in saliva production and increased risk of impaction colic.

Replacing ground Rhodes grass hay with soyhulls in the pelleted diet: effects on ingestive behavior, nutrient digestibility, blood metabolites, growth performance, and economic viability of intensive fattening Lohi lambs.

This study aimed to evaluate the effects of replacing soyhulls (SH) for ground Rhodes grass hay (RGH) in a pelleted diet on ingestive behavior, digestibility, blood metabolites, growth performance, and economic viability of fattening Lohi lambs. A total of thirty male lambs (age: 5months; body weight 20.4 ± 0.24kg) were allotted to one of the three diets (n = 10 lambs/diet) under a completely randomized design. The diets were with 25% RGH inclusion (control), replacing 15% RGH with 15% SH as a fiber source (SH-15), and containing only 25% SH inclusion on a dry basis (SH-25). Ingestive behavior parameters like time spent (min/day), bouts frequency (number/day), and bout length (min/bout) for feeding, drinking, rumination, chewing, standing, and lying were not influenced (P > 0.05) by replacing RGH with SH. The dry matter (DM) and neutral detergent fiber (NDF) chewing rate, rumination rate, and feeding efficiency were also not changed (P > 0.05) by dietary treatments, whereas total dry matter and NDF intakes, and their rumination efficiencies were lower (P < 0.05) for the SH-25 than for the rest of the treatments. The digestibility of NDF and acid detergent fiber (ADF) was higher (P < 0.05) for the SH-25 than for the rest of the treatments. The concentrations of blood metabolites like glucose, blood nitrogen, and cholesterol were not changed (P > 0.05) among the treatment groups. Similarly, performance parameters like dry matter intake, initial and final body weight, average daily gain, and feed conversion ratio were similar (P > 0.05) across the treatments. However, the incidence of loose fecal consistency was higher (P < 0.05) for SH-25 than for the control. The values of economic efficiency were better for SH-25-fed lambs than those fed the rest of the treatments. Based on the results, substituting SH for RGH in a pelleted diet improved the digestibility of fiber fractions, and economics without affecting the growth performance, and blood metabolites of fattening lambs. However, lower rumination efficiency and loos fecal consistency are evidencing less effectiveness of SH fiber.

Patterns of Movement Performance and Consistency From Childhood to Old Age.

It is widely accepted that the general process of aging can be reflected by changes in motor function. Typically, optimal performance of a given motor task is observed for healthy young adults with declines being observed for individuals at either end of the lifespan. This study was designed to examine differences in the average and variability (i.e.,intraindividual variability) of chewing, simple reaction time, postural control, and walking responses. For this study, 15 healthy children, 15 young adults, and 15 older adults participated. Our results indicated the movement performance for the reaction time and postural sway followed a U shape with young adults having faster reaction times and decreased postural sway compared to the children and older adults. However, this pattern was not preserved across all motor tasks with no age differences emerging for (normalized) gait speed, while chewing rates followed a U-shaped curve with older adults and children chewing at faster rates. Taken together, these findings would indicate that the descriptive changes in motor function with aging are heavily influenced by the nature of the task being performed and are unlikely to follow a singular pattern.

Incidence trends of oral cavity, oropharyngeal, hypopharyngeal and laryngeal cancers among males in Taiwan, 1980–2019: a population-based cancer registry study

In a country with a high prevalence of cigarette smoking, betel chewing, and alcohol drinking, cancers of the oral cavity, nasopharynx, and larynx were the fourth, twelfth and seventeenth leading causes of cancer death, respectively, for men in 2020. We analyzed patients with head and neck cancer from 1980 to 2019 from the Taiwan Cancer Registration Database and discussed the annual average percent change, average percent change, age period, and birth cohort. Obvious period effects and birth effects are seen in oral, oropharyngeal, and hypopharyngeal cancer; however, the most significant period effect was seen between 1990 and 2009, which mainly reflects the consumption of betel nuts per capita. In addition, the period effect lessens after 2010 in oral cancer and hypopharyngeal cancers, while oropharyngeal cancers remain an obvious period effect, which results from the rising prevalence of HPV. Due to the high prevalence rate of betel quid chewing and cigarette smoking in the 1990s, the government executed several acts. As a result, the age-adjusted incidence rates of oral, oropharyngeal, and hypopharyngeal cancers have flattened since 2010, which can be explained by the declining cigarette smoking rate. The strict policy indeed shows an obvious effect on the head and neck cancer incidence rates, and we expect to see a further decline in the future.

Essential oil from Arnica montana on feedlot performance, ingestive behavior, carcass characteristics, rumen morphometrics characteristics and meat fatty acids profile of lambs

This study aimed to evaluate the effects of Essential oil (EO) from Arnica montana as a feed additive on feedlot performance, ingestive behavior, carcass characteristics, rumen morphometrics characteristics and meat fatty acids profile of lambs. Forty Dorper × Santa Inês male lambs with 30.3 ± 5.76 kg (mean ± standard deviation) of initial body weight and 92 ± 9 days (mean ± standard deviation) of age were used. The experimental design was in a randomized complete block (5 treatments and 8 blocks). Lambs were fed a basal diet (160 ± 13 g/kg DM of CP; mean ± standard deviation) containing 90 % concentrate and 10 % forage (Coastcross hay). The experimental diets were: A0 - negative control (basal diet without additive); A450 - addition of 450 mg/kg DM of EO from Arnica montana; A900 - addition of 900 mg/kg DM of EO from Arnica montana; A1350 - addition of 1350 mg/kg DM of EO from Arnica montana; M25 - positive control (basal diet containing 25 mg/kg DM of sodium monensin). Increasing EO from Arnica montana content conferred a quadratic effect on dry matter intake (DMI) (P = 0.02), with higher DM in A450. The DMI was higher (P < 0.01) in diets with EO from Arnica montana compared to M25. The average daily gain (ADG), body weight at slaughter (BWS), hot and cold carcass weight (HCW and CCW) increased linearly with increasing EO from Arnica montana (P < 0.05). The lambs had higher ADG, BWS, HCW and CCW with EO from Arnica montana than M25 (P < 0.05). The oocyst/g feces decreased linearly (P < 0.0001) with increasing EO from Arnica montana in the diet. However, the M25 was more efficient in reducing the oocyst than the other treatments (P < 0.05). The number of meals and time spent feeding increased linearly (P < 0.05) with the increase of EO from Arnica montana. There was a quadratic effect (P < 0.05) on feeding rate (min/g DM), with the lowest rate in A450. Time spent ruminating (min/day) was affected quadratically (P = 0.01) by increasing EO from Arnica montana, this activity was higher in A900. Compared to M25, time spent ruminating and total chewing time were longer (P < 0.05) and the feeding rate and chewing rate (min/g of NDF) were lower (P < 0.05) in diets with EO from Arnica montana. The higher inclusion of EO from Arnica montana decreased linearly the C17:0; C18:0; C18:1 trans-11, C22:6 n3 and the sum of saturated fatty acids (ΣSFA), and linearly increased the C18: 2 cis-9, cis-12; C18:3 cis-9, cis-12, cis-15, the sum of polyunsaturated (ΣPUFA) and the sum of n6 (P < 0.05). Diets with EO from Arnica montana decreased the C16:0, C17:0, C18:0 and increased the C18:2 cis-9, cis-12, ΣSFA, Σn6 and the n6/n3 ratio (P < 0.05) compared to M25. Sodium monensin at a dose of 25 mg/kg DM can be replaced by EO from Arnica montana in high-concentrate diets to promote lamb performance, carcass characteristics and fatty acid profile in the meat. The use of 1350 mg/kg DM of EO from Arnica montana was the best dose in high-concentrate diets in feedlot lambs, due to positive effect on performance, carcass characteristics, and the fatty acid profile of the meat.