Articles

Association between high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol and hypertension in relation to circulating CD34-positive cell levels

Although high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL) level is inversely correlated with cardiovascular events, HDL is also reported to be positively associated with hypertension, which is a known endothelial im...

Authors: Yuji Shimizu, Shimpei Sato, Jun Koyamatsu, Hirotomo Yamanashi, Mako Nagayoshi, Koichiro Kadota, Shin-Ya Kawashiri and Takahiro Maeda

The association of insertions/deletions (INDELs) and variable number tandem repeats (VNTRs) with obesity and its related traits and complications

Despite the fact that insertions/deletions (INDELs) are the second most common type of genetic variations and variable number tandem repeats (VNTRs) represent a large portion of the human genome, they have rec...

Authors: Yee-How Say

Vigorous physical activity predicts higher heart rate variability among younger adults

Baseline heart rate variability (HRV) is linked to prospective cardiovascular health. We tested intensity and duration of weekly physical activity as predictors of heart rate variability in young adults.

Authors: Richard May, Victoria McBerty, Adam Zaky and Melino Gianotti

Differences in reported linguistic thermal sensation between Bangla and Japanese speakers

Thermal sensation is a fundamental variable used to determine thermal comfort and is most frequently evaluated through the use of subjective reports in the field of environmental physiology. However, there has...

Authors: Aklima Khatun, Md. Abdul Hasib, Hisaho Nagano and Akihiro Taimura

Effect of quantity and intensity of pulsed light on human non-visual physiological responses

Exposure to pulsed light results in non-visual physiological responses in humans. The present study aims to investigate whether such non-visual effects are influenced to a greater extent by the intensity of li...

Authors: Qianying Dai, Yuria Uchiyama, Soomin Lee, Yoshihiro Shimomura and Tetsuo Katsuura

Symbolic time series analysis of electroencephalographic (EEG) epileptic seizure and brain dynamics with eye-open and eye-closed subjects during resting states

Epilepsy is a neuronal disorder for which the electrical discharge in the brain is synchronized, abnormal and excessive. To detect the epileptic seizures and to analyse brain activities during different mental...

Authors: Lal Hussain, Wajid Aziz, Jalal S. Alowibdi, Nazneen Habib, Muhammad Rafique, Sharjil Saeed and Syed Zaki Hassan Kazmi

Can tryptophan supplement intake at breakfast enhance melatonin secretion at night?

Tryptophan (TRP) is an essential amino acid, and it has been suggested that TRP intake at breakfast combined with daytime bright light exposure can increase nocturnal melatonin secretion. However, the mechanis...

Authors: Shunsuke Nagashima, Makoto Yamashita, Chiaki Tojo, Masayuki Kondo, Takeshi Morita and Tomoko Wakamura

Anthropometric and metabolic indices in assessment of type and severity of dyslipidemia

It has been shown that obesity is associated with increased rates of dyslipidemia. The present work revisits the association between plasma lipid levels and classical indicators of obesity including body mass ...

Authors: Muhammad Zaid, Fatima Ameer, Rimsha Munir, Rida Rashid, Nimrah Farooq, Shahida Hasnain and Nousheen Zaidi

Assessment of axillary temperature for the evaluation of normal body temperature of healthy young adults at rest in a thermoneutral environment

The aims of this study were to (1) evaluate whether recently introduced methods of measuring axillary temperature are reliable, (2) examine if individuals know their baseline body temperature based on an actua...

Authors: Shuri Marui, Ayaka Misawa, Yuki Tanaka and Kei Nagashima

Effect of waxy barley, Kirarimochi, consumption on bowel movements of late-stage elderly residents at Roken nursing home

It is very important for the late-stage elderly to have the least stressful bowel movements for maintaining a good quality of life. It is generally accepted that consuming adequate dietary fiber is a promising...

Authors: Keiko Taniguchi, Kozo Komae, Asuka Takahashi, Toji Yoshioka and Yoshiaki Sone

An adaptive variant of TRIB2, rs1057001, is associated with higher expression levels of thermogenic genes in human subcutaneous and visceral adipose tissues

An obesity-related single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) of the Tribbles pseudokinase 2 gene (TRIB2) was shown to have underwent adaptive evolution in the last glacial period, suggesting a selective advantage of t...

Authors: Kazuhiro Nakayama and Sadahiko Iwamoto

Comparison between clinical significance of height-adjusted and weight-adjusted appendicular skeletal muscle mass

This study aimed to compare relationships between height- or weight-adjusted appendicular skeletal muscle mass (ASM/Ht² or ASM/Wt) and risk factors for cardiometabolic diseases or osteoporosis in Japanese men and...

Authors: Taishi Furushima, Motohiko Miyachi, Motoyuki Iemitsu, Haruka Murakami, Hiroshi Kawano, Yuko Gando, Ryoko Kawakami and Kiyoshi Sanada

Cardiorespiratory and metabolic responses to body mass-based squat exercise in young men

The purpose of this study was to quantify cardiorespiratory and metabolic responses to body mass-based squat exercise, with specific emphasis on the relationships with the exercise duration.

Authors: Miki Haramura, Yohei Takai, Takaya Yoshimoto, Masayoshi Yamamoto and Hiroaki Kanehisa

Enhancement of autonomic and psychomotor arousal by exposures to blue wavelength light: importance of both absolute and relative contents of melanopic component

Blue light containing rich melanopsin-stimulating (melanopic) component has been reported to enhance arousal level, but it is unclear whether the determinant of the effects is the absolute or relative content ...

Authors: Emi Yuda, Hiroki Ogasawara, Yutaka Yoshida and Junichiro Hayano

Associations between the oxytocin receptor gene (OXTR) rs53576 polymorphism and emotional processing of social and nonsocial cues: an event-related potential (ERP) study

Oxytocin receptor (OXTR) gene polymorphisms are related to individual differences in emotional processing of social cues. However, whether OXTR polymorphisms affect emotional processing of nonsocial cues remains ...

Authors: Damee Choi, Natsumi Minote and Shigeki Watanuki

Increase in brain activation due to sub-tasks during driving: fMRI study using new MR-compatible driving simulator

Several studies have used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to show that neural activity is associated with driving. fMRI studies have also elucidated the brain responses associated with driving whi...

Authors: Mi-Hyun Choi, Hyung-Sik Kim, Hee-Jeong Yoon, Jung-Chul Lee, Ji-Hye Baek, Jin-Seung Choi, Gye-Rae Tack, Byung-Chan Min, Dae-Woon Lim and Soon-Cheol Chung

Does waterfall aerosol influence mucosal immunity and chronic stress? A randomized controlled clinical trial

The specific microclimate of alpine waterfalls with high levels of ionized water aerosols has been suggested to trigger beneficial immunological and psychological effects. In the present three-armed randomized...

Authors: Carina Grafetstätter, Martin Gaisberger, Johanna Prossegger, Markus Ritter, Predrag Kolarž, Christina Pichler, Josef Thalhamer and Arnulf Hartl

Ice ingestion with a long rest interval increases the endurance exercise capacity and reduces the core temperature in the heat

The timing in which ice before exercise should be ingested plays an important role in optimizing its success. However, the effects of differences in the timing of ice ingestion before exercise on cycling capac...

Authors: Takashi Naito, Yuka Iribe and Tetsuro Ogaki

Cognitive performance during passive heat exposure in Japanese males and tropical Asian males from Southeast Asian living in Japan

Heat acclimatization studies have reported that tropical natives have better physiological function to tolerate heat exposure compared to those from temperate natives, in which may result in a better ability t...

Authors: Titis Wijayanto, Sayo Toramoto, Yasuhiko Maeda, Su-Young Son, Sonomi Umezaki and Yutaka Tochihara

Lifestyle and geographic insights into the distinct gut microbiota in elderly women from two different geographic locations

A large number of microorganisms reside within the gastrointestinal tract, especially in the colon, and play important roles in human health and disease. The composition of the human gut microbiota is determin...

Authors: Ji-Hee Shin, Minju Sim, Joo-Young Lee and Dong-Mi Shin

Association of lower extremity range of motion and muscle strength with physical performance of community-dwelling older women

Reduced lower extremity range of motion (ROM) and muscle strength are related to functional disability in older adults who cannot perform one or more activities of daily living (ADL) independently. The purpose...

Authors: Hungu Jung and Masahiro Yamasaki

Height correlates with dyslipidemia in non-overweight middle-aged Japanese men

Our previous study showed that height is inversely associated with the risk of stroke in middle-aged Japanese men, particularly in those with a low body mass index (BMI). Since height is regarded as a surrogat...

Authors: Yuji Shimizu, Hiroyuki Yoshimine, Mako Nagayoshi, Koichiro Kadota, Kensuke Takahashi, Kiyohiro Izumino, Kenichiro Inoue and Takahiro Maeda

Regional variation in Ascaris lumbricoides and Trichuris trichiura infections by age cohort and sex: effects of market integration among the indigenous Shuar of Amazonian Ecuador

Soil-transmitted helminth (STH) infection peaks during childhood and varies by sex. The impact of market integration (MI) (increasing production for and consumption from a market-based economy) on these infect...

Authors: Theresa E. Gildner, Tara J. Cepon-Robins, Melissa A. Liebert, Samuel S. Urlacher, Felicia C. Madimenos, J. Josh Snodgrass and Lawrence S. Sugiyama

Positive emotion inducement modulates cardiovascular responses caused by mental work

Positive emotion is considered as an important factor related to health-relevant biological processes, including cardiovascular responses. To explore the possibility of using positive emotion as a tool to mana...

Authors: Xinxin Liu, Kazuma Ishimatsu, Midori Sotoyama and Kazuyuki Iwakiri

Changes in autonomic nervous system activity, body weight, and percentage fat mass in the first year postpartum and factors regulating the return to pre-pregnancy weight

Many women become obese during pregnancy and the postpartum period. Weight gain and obesity in the general population are often attributed to abnormalities of autonomic nervous system (ANS) activity. The aim o...

Authors: Mie Izumi, Emiko Manabe, Sayo Uematsu, Ayako Watanabe and Toshio Moritani

Effect of self-reported walking difficulty on bone mass and bone resorption marker in Japanese people aged 40 years and over

This study aimed to examine the association of walking difficulty with bone mass or bone turnover among community-dwelling Japanese people aged 40 years and older.

Authors: Yasuyo Abe, Takayuki Nishimura, Kazuhiko Arima, Mitsuo Kanagae, Satoshi Mizukami, Yoshihito Tomita, Takuhiro Okabe, Hisashi Goto, Itsuko Horiguchi and Kiyoshi Aoyagi

Suppression of vagal cardiac modulation by blue light in healthy subjects

In the contemporary life environments, our body is increasingly exposed to various sources of colored light, which may affect our physiological functions as non-image-forming effects. We examined the impacts o...

Authors: Emi Yuda, Hiroki Ogasawara, Yutaka Yoshida and Junichiro Hayano

Whole-body patterns of the range of joint motion in young adults: masculine type and feminine type

Understanding the whole-body patterns of joint flexibility and their related biological and physical factors contributes not only to clinical assessments but also to the fields of human factors and ergonomics....

Authors: Keiichi Moromizato, Ryosuke Kimura, Hitoshi Fukase, Kyoko Yamaguchi and Hajime Ishida

The physiological basis and measurement of heart rate variability in humans

Cardiovascular variabilities were recognized over 250 years ago, but only in the past 20 years has their apparent utility come to be appreciated. Technological advancement has allowed precise measurement and q...

Authors: Adina E. Draghici and J. Andrew Taylor

A comparative study on the regulatory region of the PERIOD1 gene among diurnal/nocturnal primates

The circadian clock is set up around a 24-h period in humans who are awake in the daytime and sleep in the nighttime, accompanied with physiological and metabolic rhythms. Most haplorhine primates, including h...

Authors: Takafumi Katsumura, Yukiko Fukuyo, Shoji Kawamura and Hiroki Oota

Sleep patterns among shift-working flight controllers of the International Space Station: an observational study on the JAXA Flight Control Team

Flight controllers of the International Space Station (ISS) are engaged in shift work to provide 24-h coverage to support ISS systems. The purpose of this study was to investigate the prevalence and associated...

Authors: Koh Mizuno, Akiko Matsumoto, Tatsuya Aiba, Takashi Abe, Hiroshi Ohshima, Masaya Takahashi and Yuichi Inoue

Effect of simultaneous exposure to extremely short pulses of blue and green light on human pupillary constriction

Authors: Soomin Lee, Shougo Ishibashi, Yoshihiro Shimomura and Tetsuo Katsuura

Does degree of alteration in effort sense caused by eccentric exercise significantly affect initial exercise hyperpnea in humans?

Previous research has shown an exaggeration in exercise hyperpnea 2 days after eccentric exercise (ECC). Enhancement in central command has been suggested as one candidate to account for this effect given that...

Authors: Norio Hotta, Kaoru Yamamoto, Hisayoshi Ogata, Patrick Maher, Naoya Okumura and Koji Ishida

Measurement of superficial and deep abdominal muscle thickness: an ultrasonography study

Real-time ultrasound imaging is a valid method in the field of rehabilitation. The ultrasound imaging allows direct visualization for real-time study of the muscles as they contract over the time. Measuring of...

Authors: Nahid Tahan, Khosro Khademi-Kalantari, Mohammad Ali Mohseni-Bandpei, Saeed Mikaili, Alireza Akbarzadeh Baghban and Shapour Jaberzadeh

Greater body mass index is related to greater self-identified cold tolerance and greater insensible body mass loss

Insensible body mass loss (IBL) from the human body continuously occurs, which is an important component in body heat exchange. The purpose of this study was to examine the relevance of IBL to anthropometric c...

Authors: Dahee Jung, Dami Kim, Joonhee Park and Joo Young Lee

Postural control and contingent negative variation during transient floor translation while standing with the ankle fixed

Adaptation changes in postural muscle activity and anticipatory attention were investigated with the ankle joint fixed to change postural control strategies during transient floor translation.

Authors: Vitalii Lytnev, Katsuo Fujiwara, Naoe Kiyota, Mariko Irei, Hiroshi Toyama and Chie Yaguchi

Annual variation in daily light exposure and circadian change of melatonin and cortisol concentrations at a northern latitude with large seasonal differences in photoperiod length

Seasonal variations in physiology and behavior have frequently been reported. Light is the major zeitgeber for synchronizing internal circadian rhythms with the external solar day. Non-image forming effects of...

Authors: Mathias Adamsson, Thorbjörn Laike and Takeshi Morita

Neural substrates involved in anger induced by audio-visual film clips among patients with alcohol dependency

Very little is known about the neural circuitry underlying anger processing among alcoholics. The purpose of this study was to examine the altered brain activity of alcoholic individuals during transient anger...

Authors: Mi-Sook Park, Bae Hwan Lee and Jin-Hun Sohn

The effect of the kindergarten barefoot policy on preschool children’s toes

This study compared the effects of barefoot policy, a policy instructing preschool children to go without shoes, on untouched-toes, which do not touch the ground while standing normally, of preschool children ...

Authors: Shigeki Matsuda, Kosho Kasuga, Tadayuki Hanai, Tomohiro Demura and Keisuke Komura

Anatomical cross-sectional area of the quadriceps femoris and sit-to-stand test score in middle-aged and elderly population: development of a predictive equation

Although the sit-to-stand (STS) test score has been shown to relate to the strength and size of the quadriceps femoris (QF) for elderly population, it is unknown whether this relationship is influenced by a po...

Authors: Akira Saito, Ryoichi Ema, Takayuki Inami, Sumiaki Maeo, Shun Otsuka, Mitsuru Higuchi, Shigenobu Shibata and Yasuo Kawakami

Relationship between performances of 10-time-repeated sit-to-stand and maximal walking tests in non-disabled older women

Sit-to-stand (STS) test is extensively used to assess the functionality of the lower body in elderly people. This study aimed to examine how the score of STS can be associated with that of maximal walking (MW)...

Authors: Naoko Yanagawa, Teruichi Shimomitsu, Masashi Kawanishi, Tetsuo Fukunaga and Hiroaki Kanehisa

Microbiome and mental health in the modern environment

A revolution in the understanding of the pathophysiology of mental illness combined with new knowledge about host/microbiome interactions and psychoneuroimmunology has opened an entirely new field of study, th...

Authors: Emily Deans

Mitochondrial DNA 5178 C/A polymorphism modulates the effects of coffee consumption on elevated levels of serum liver enzymes in male Japanese health check-up examinees: an exploratory cross-sectional study

Longevity-associated mitochondrial DNA 5178 cytosine/adenine (Mt5178 C/A) polymorphism modulates the effects of coffee consumption on the risk of hypertension, dyslipidemia, and abnormal glucose tolerance. The...

Authors: Akatsuki Kokaze, Masao Yoshida, Mamoru Ishikawa, Naomi Matsunaga, Kanae Karita, Hirotaka Ochiai, Takako Shirasawa, Hinako Nanri, Kiyomi Mitsui, Hiromi Hoshimo and Yutaka Takashima

Effect and immediate after-effect of lightly gripping the cane on postural sway

This study investigated the effect and after-effect of lightly touching a real cane on postural sway and ankle muscle activity.

Authors: Kazushige Oshita and Sumio Yano

Cold-induced vasodilation comparison between Bangladeshi and Japanese natives

The human thermoregulation system responds to changes in environmental temperature, so humans can self-adapt to a wide range of climates. People from tropical and temperate areas have different cold tolerance....

Authors: Aklima Khatun, Sakura Ashikaga, Hisaho Nagano, Md Abdul Hasib and Akihiro Taimura

Relationship between mitochondrial haplogroup and physiological responses to hypobaric hypoxia

We aimed to investigate the relationship between mtDNA polymorphism and physiological responses to hypobaric hypoxia. The study included 28 healthy male students, consisting of 18 students in haplogroup D and ...

Authors: Midori Motoi, Takayuki Nishimura, Yuka Egashira, Fumi Kishida and Shigeki Watanuki

Erratum to: ‘Characteristics of body composition and cardiometabolic risk of Japanese male heavyweight Judo athletes’

Authors: Hiroko Murata, Satomi Oshima, Suguru Torii, Motoko Taguchi and Mitsuru Higuchi

Characteristics of body composition and cardiometabolic risk of Japanese male heavyweight Judo athletes

The purpose of this study was to clarify the characteristics of body composition and cardiometabolic risk of Japanese male heavyweight Judo athletes compared with heavyweight athletes of other sports.

Authors: Hiroko Murata, Satomi Oshima, Suguru Torii, Motoko Taguchi and Mitsuru Higuchi

Light-sensitive brain pathways and aging

Notwithstanding its effects on the classical visual system allowing image formation, light acts upon several non-image-forming (NIF) functions including body temperature, hormonal secretions, sleep-wake cycle,...

Authors: V. Daneault, M. Dumont, É. Massé, G. Vandewalle and J. Carrier

Neural substrates of sexual arousal in heterosexual males: event-related fMRI investigation

Sexual behavior is an important role for the survival of species. The advancement of brain imaging methods has enabled the understanding of the brain mechanism related to sexual arousal. The previous studies o...

Authors: Ji-Woo Seok, Jin-Hun Sohn and Chaejoon Cheong