The Individual Differences in the Perception of Oral Chemesthesis Are Linked to Taste Sensitivity

Chemesthesis is a part of the flavor experience of foods. Chemesthetic perception is studied to understand its effect on food-related behavior and health. Thus, the objective of this research was to study individual differences in chemesthetic perception. Our study involved sensory tests of three chemesthetic modalities (astringency, pungency, and cooling). Participants (N = 196) evaluated the intensity of samples in different concentrations using a line scale under sensory laboratory conditions. Aluminum ammonium sulfate, capsaicin, and menthol were used as the prototypic chemesthetic compounds. The participants were divided into sensitivity groups in different chemesthetic modalities by hierarchical clustering based on their intensity ratings. In addition, an oral chemesthesis sensitivity score was determined to represent the generalized chemesthesis sensitivity. The results showed that people can perceive chemesthesis on different intensity levels. There were significantly positive correlations between (1) sensitivity scores for oral chemesthesis and taste as well as (2) each chemesthesis and taste modalities. Moreover, based on the multinomial logistic regression model, significant interactions between oral chemesthesis and taste sensitivity were discovered. Our findings showed that people can be classified into different oral chemesthesis sensitivity groups. The methods and results of this study can be utilized to investigate associations with food-related behavior and health.

Morphometric and Meristic Characteristics of Walking Snakehead Channa Orientalis in a Wetland Ecosystem (Northwestern Bangladesh) Using Multi-Linear Dimensions

The present study is illustrated complete morphometric and meristic characteristics of fresh water fish, walking snakehead, Channa orientalis (Bloch & Schneider 1801), using nine linear dimensions and covering different fin-rays (i.e., dorsal fin, D; pectoral fin, P1; pelvic fin, P2; anal fin, A and caudal fin,C) from the wetland ecosystem Gajnar Beel in northwestern (NW) Bangladesh. Total 230 specimens of C. orientalis were collected from the Gajnar Beel in the time of January to December 2018 by several local fishing gears (e.g., cast net, gill net and square lift net (mesh size ranges: 1.5 - 2.5 cm, 1.5 - 2.0 cm, & ~2.0 cm, respectively). Different morphometric lengths were measured to 0.01 cm, and whole body weight (BW) was estimated 0.01 g for each individual. Fin rays and scales (including lateral line scale) were computed by a magnifying glass. All LWRs were highly significant (p<0.0001) with the r2 values ≥0.978. Based on r2 value, LWR by BW vs. TL was the best fitted model among nine equations. However, the LLRs were also significant with r2 values ≥0.992. According to r2 value, LLR by TL vs. SL (TL = a + b × SL) shown the best fitted model among eight equations. The fin formula of C. orientalis is: dorsal: D. 29-35; Pectoral, P1. 12-14; Pelvic, P2. 5-6; Anal, A. 20-22; Caudal, C. 12-14. A double lateral line is present which continued with 12-13 scales in the first line and 26-28 scales in other line. The present study will be helpful for the species identification and resource management of C. orientalis in the Gajner Beel NW Bangladesh and other sub-tropical countries. J. Bio-Sci. 29(2): 53-60, 2021 (December)

Systematic Review of Methods Used for Food Pairing with Coffee, Tea, Wine, and Beer

The current article is aimed at systematically reviewing the research methods used for food pairing with coffee, tea, wine, and beer. The primary aim of this review was to elucidate the state-of-the-art methods used for analysing food and beverage pairings with coffee, tea, wine, and beer; secondarily, to identify the basis of the selection criteria; and lastly, the method used to evaluate those pairings. The search was performed in three databases: Web of Science, ScienceDirect, and Scopus. Criteria for inclusion were studies with an experimental design, a descriptive analysis (DA), and/or hedonic consumer analysis of beverage and food pairing. The outcome had to be measured on a hedonic Likert scale, a line scale, a just about right (JAR), or a modified JAR scale or other relevant scale measurement method for the given attribute. A total of 24 studies were included in this review—the majority aimed at finding good food and beverage pairings. Most pairings were based on suggestions from experts on popular/common, similar origin, or quality of beverages and foods. The outcomes were measured in several different scales, precluding a direct comparison. The 24 articles used in this review did not provide a so-called “golden standard” of the pairing method. Only three articles provided a more scientifically based approach to investigate why a food and beverage pairing is perceived as a good match, using aromatic similarity, the primary taste, and the sensation of koku as their experimental factors.

The Second of Two One-Year, Multicenter, Open-Label, Repeat-Dose, Phase II Safety Studies of PrabotulinumtoxinA for the Treatment of Moderate to Severe Glabellar Lines in Adult Patients

Background PrabotulinumtoxinA is a 900-kDa botulinum toxin type A produced by Clostridium botulinum. Objectives The authors sought to investigate the safety of prabotulinumtoxinA for treatment of glabellar lines. Methods This was a multicenter, open-label, repeat-dose, 1-year phase II safety study. Adults with moderate to severe glabellar lines at maximum frown, as independently assessed by both investigator and patient on the validated 4-point photonumeric Glabellar Line Scale (0 = no lines, 1 = mild, 2 = moderate, 3 = severe), were enrolled. On day 0, patients received an initial treatment (IT) of 20 U prabotulinumtoxinA (4 U/0.1 mL final vacuum-dried formulation injected into 5 glabellar sites). On and after day 90, patients received a repeat treatment (RT) if their Glabellar Line Scale score was ≥2 at maximum frown by investigator assessment. Safety outcomes were evaluated throughout the study. Results The 570 study patients received a median total dose of 60 U, that is, 3 treatments. Sixty-one patients (10.7%) experienced adverse events (AEs) assessed as possibly study drug related; 6.5% experienced study drug–related AEs after the IT. With each RT, progressively lower percentages of patients experienced study drug–related AEs. Eight patients (1.4%) experienced study drug–related AEs of special interest: 5 experienced eyelid ptosis (0.9%), 3 eyebrow ptosis (0.5%), 1 blepharospasm (0.2%), and 1 blurred vision (0.2%). Seven patients (1.2%) experienced serious AEs, but none were study drug related. A total of 4060 serum samples were tested for antibotulinum toxin antibodies; no seroconversion was observed. Conclusions The safety of RTs of 20 U of prabotulinumtoxinA for moderate to severe glabellar lines was confirmed in this second phase II study based on a broad range of outcomes.

The First of Two One-Year, Multicenter, Open-Label, Repeat-Dose, Phase II Safety Studies of PrabotulinumtoxinA for the Treatment of Moderate to Severe Glabellar Lines in Adult Patients

Background PrabotulinumtoxinA is a 900-kDa botulinum toxin type A produced by Clostridium botulinum. Objectives The authors sought to investigate the safety of prabotulinumtoxinA for treatment of glabellar lines. Methods This was a multicenter, open-label, repeat-dose, 1-year phase II safety study. Adults with moderate to severe glabellar lines at maximum frown, as assessed by the investigator on the validated 4-point photonumeric Glabellar Line Scale (0 = no lines, 1 = mild, 2 = moderate, 3 = severe), were enrolled. On day 0, patients received an initial treatment of 20 U prabotulinumtoxinA (4 U/0.1 mL freeze-dried formulation injected into 5 target glabellar sites). On and after day 90, patients received a repeat treatment (RT) if their Glabellar Line Scale score was ≥2 at maximum frown by investigator assessment. Safety was evaluated throughout the study. Results The 352 study patients received a median total dose of 60 U, that is, 3 treatments per year. Fifty-one patients (14.5%) experienced adverse events (AEs) assessed as possibly study drug related; 11.1% experienced study drug-related AEs after the initial treatment. With each RT, progressively lower percentages of patients experienced study drug-related AEs. Six patients (1.7%) experienced study drug-related AEs of special interest: 3 eyelid ptosis (0.9%), 2 speech disorder (0.6%), and 1 blepharospasm (0.3%). Seven patients (2.0%) experienced serious AEs; none were study drug related. Of the 2393 samples tested, 2 patients (0.6%) tested positive for antibotulinum toxin antibodies at a single postbaseline visit. Conclusions The safety of RTs of 20 U of prabotulinumtoxinA for moderate to severe glabellar lines was first established in this early phase II study based on a broad range of outcomes. Level of Evidence: 2

Causation of Saddleback Deformities in The Yellowfin Bream Acanthopagrus australis Fishery: Evidence of Physical Injury

The yellowfin bream A. australis supports an important commercial net and angling fishery on the east coast of Australia. Saddleback, a deformity of the dorsal fin and profile, occurs in this species, with the occurrence of fish with saddleback being as high as 10% in some areas. The present study provides new information and analysis of causation of the saddleback deformity in the yellowfin bream fishery. Lateral line scale regeneration due to injury, and soft tissue abnormalities indicative of deep wounding are present in yellowfin bream with saddleback. X-ray images of the entire skeleton of specimens with saddleback were also examined. An unpublished government report on chemical residues in saddleback and normal yellowfin bream is appended and discussed. The absence of both chemical residues, and lack of other skeletal deformities in yellowfin bream with saddleback provide indirect evidence of physical injury as the cause of saddleback in this case. The role of discarding of meshed yellowfin bream, which are smaller than the legal minimum size, as causation of the saddleback deformity is evaluated.

A Landscape Study of Sichuan University (Wangjiang Campus) from the Perspective of Campus Tourism

University campus tourism is an important component and extension of urban tourism. The campus landscapes at universities act as major reflections of the interaction between regional natural and humanistic environments and initiate a strong visual perception or sensory feelings of the campus, which play a positive guiding role in campus tourism resource development. In order to better understand the role of landscapes in campus tourism, the Wangjiang Campus of Sichuan University was selected as the study area. Campus landscapes under the comprehensive influence of natural and humanistic environments were studied based on three different multi-level (scale) perspectives including: (i) point scale, (ii) line scale and (iii) plane scale, as well as different research themes comprising: (i) landscapes of buildings and vegetation, (ii) color landscapes, (iii) landscapes of campus space utilization, and (iv) thermal landscapes. The results show that the Wangjiang Campus landscapes have strong environmental natural landscape components linked with strong humanistic landscapes, which may provide lively, positive and relaxed visual feelings to tourists in the form of affirmative landscape services. The formation and development of the campus landscapes are affected by the geographic environments and campus culture, and it is conducive to the formation of unique campus genius loci. Nowadays, the landscapes of Wangjiang Campus have become a distinctive visiting card of campus tourism. This study would be helpful in better understating of the campus landscapes using new perspectives, as well as could be used as references for the development of university-campus-tourism.