Articles

Natural environments, ancestral diets, and microbial ecology: is there a modern “paleo-deficit disorder”? Part I

Famed microbiologist René J. Dubos (1901–1982) was an early pioneer in the developmental origins of health and disease (DOHaD) construct. In the 1960s, he conducted groundbreaking experimental research concern...

Authors: Alan C Logan, Martin A Katzman and Vicent Balanzá-Martínez

Seasonal effects of the UCP3 and the RPTOR gene polymorphisms on obesity traits in Japanese adults

Non-shivering thermogenesis (NST) involves a substantial amount of energy expenditure in humans and, thus, contributes to reducing the risk for obesity. Molecular evolutionary studies have reported that SNPs i...

Authors: Kazuhiro Nakayama, Hiroshi Miyashita and Sadahiko Iwamoto

The effect of cane length and step height on muscle strength and body balance of elderly people in a stairway environment

It has been reported that 75% of stairway accidents occur while descending stairs. Using a cane can help to prevent older people and those with limited mobility from falling. However, studies have shown that t...

Authors: Zi Ying Li and Chinmei Chou

Longevity-associated mitochondrial DNA 5178 C/A polymorphism modulates the effects of coffee consumption on erythrocytic parameters in Japanese men: an exploratory cross-sectional analysis

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

Authors: Akatsuki Kokaze, Mamoru Ishikawa, Naomi Matsunaga, Kanae Karita, Masao Yoshida, Tadahiro Ohtsu, Hirotaka Ochiai, Takako Shirasawa, Hinako Nanri, Nobuyuki Saga, Iichiro Ohtsu, Hiromi Hoshino and Yutaka Takashima

A pilot crossover study: effects of an intervention using an activity monitor with computerized game functions on physical activity and body composition

Wearing an activity monitor as a motivational tool and incorporating a behavior-based reward system or a computerized game element might have a synergistic effect on an increase in daily physical activity, the...

Authors: Masato Nishiwaki, Akinori Kuriyama, Yumi Ikegami, Nana Nakashima and Naoyuki Matsumoto

Effect of abdominal drawing-in maneuver during hip extension on the muscle onset time of gluteus maximus, hamstring, and lumbar erector spinae in subjects with hyperlordotic lumbar angle

The abdominal drawing-in maneuver (ADIM) is used to prevent abnormal movements of the lumbar spine and pelvis during therapeutic exercises. This study compared the effects of ADIM on the muscle onset time of t...

Authors: Taewoo Kim, Youngkeun Woo and Yongwook Kim

Effects of tryptophan-rich breakfast and light exposure during the daytime on melatonin secretion at night

The purpose of the present study is to investigate effects of tryptophan intake and light exposure on melatonin secretion and sleep by modifying tryptophan ingestion at breakfast and light exposure during the ...

Authors: Haruna Fukushige, Yumi Fukuda, Mizuho Tanaka, Kaoru Inami, Kai Wada, Yuki Tsumura, Masayuki Kondo, Tetsuo Harada, Tomoko Wakamura and Takeshi Morita

Mental health problems and influencing factors in Japanese women 4 months after delivery

Postpartum mental health problems are a major public health issue; however, studies on the mental health status of mothers and its influencing factors between 8 weeks and 1 year postpartum are scarce. Furtherm...

Authors: Naoko Yamamoto, Yasuyo Abe, Kazuhiko Arima, Takayuki Nishimura, Emi Akahoshi, Kazuyo Oishi and Kiyoshi Aoyagi

Validity of an algorithm for determining sleep/wake states using a new actigraph

This study aimed to develop an algorithm for determining sleep/wake states by using chronological data on the amount of physical activity (activity intensity) measured with the FS-750 actigraph, a device that ...

Authors: Kyoko Nakazaki, Shingo Kitamura, Yuki Motomura, Akiko Hida, Yuichi Kamei, Naoki Miura and Kazuo Mishima

Effect of maturation on muscle quality of the lower limb muscles in adolescent boys

The purpose of this study was to clarify the effect of maturation on the muscle quality of the lower limb muscles around puberty.

Authors: Yuko Fukunaga, Yohei Takai, Takaya Yoshimoto, Eiji Fujita, Masayoshi Yamamoto and Hiroaki Kanehisa

Measurement of body composition in response to a short period of overfeeding

Obesity and overweight are increasing in prevalence in developed countries as a result of changing dietary habits and a lack of physical activity. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the changes i...

Authors: Hiroyuki Sagayama, Yu Jikumaru, Akiko Hirata, Yosuke Yamada, Eiichi Yoshimura, Mamiko Ichikawa, Yoichi Hatamoto, Naoyuki Ebine, Akira Kiyonaga, Hiroaki Tanaka and Yasuki Higaki

The effect of wearing sanitary napkins of different thicknesses on physiological and psychological responses in Muslim females

Menstruation is associated with significant unpleasantness, and wearing a sanitary napkin (SN) during menses causes discomfort. In addition, many Muslim women use a thick type of SN during menses due to the re...

Authors: Nazirah G Mohamed, Nurdiana Z Abidin, Kim S Law, Mika Abe, Megumi Suzuki, Ahmad M Che Muhamed and Rabindarjeet Singh

Relationship between mitochondrial haplogroup and seasonal changes of physiological responses to cold

Physiological responses to cold exhibit individual variation that can be affected by various factors, such as morphological characteristics, seasonal changes, and lifestyle; however, the genetic factors associ...

Authors: Takayuki Nishimura and Shigeki Watanuki

Age-related change in sit-to-stand power in Japanese women aged 50 years or older

This study examined whether the age-related change in power, calculated from the score of a sit-to-stand (STS) test, corresponds to those in knee extension torque and leg lean tissue mass in Japanese women age...

Authors: Hiroaki Kanehisa and Tetsuo Fukunaga

Dominant side in single-leg stance stability during floor oscillations at various frequencies

We investigated lateral dominance in the postural stability of single-leg stance with anteroposterior floor oscillations at various frequencies.

Authors: Takeo Kiyota and Katsuo Fujiwara

Effect of timing of protein and carbohydrate intake after resistance exercise on nitrogen balance in trained and untrained young men

Resistance exercise alters the post-exercise response of anabolic and catabolic hormones. A previous study indicated that the turnover of muscle protein in trained individuals is reduced due to alterations in ...

Authors: Hiroyasu Mori

Muscle contraction and relaxation-response time in response to on or off status of visual stimulus

It is unclear whether response time is affected by a stimulus cue, such as a light turned on or off, or if there are differences in response to these cues during a muscle contraction task compared with a muscl...

Authors: Kengo Yotani, Hiroki Nakamoto, Sachi Ikudome and Atsumu Yuki

Nutritional psychiatry research: an emerging discipline and its intersection with global urbanization, environmental challenges and the evolutionary mismatch

In 21st-century public health, rapid urbanization and mental health disorders are a growing global concern. The relationship between diet, brain function and the risk of mental disorders has been the subject o...

Authors: Alan C Logan and Felice N Jacka

Time window for cognitive activity involved in emotional processing

From previous studies it is becoming evident that the processing of unpleasant stimuli occurs early (0 to 300 ms); however, it is not clear how cognitive processing related to pleasant/unpleasant emotions occu...

Authors: Midori Motoi, Yuka Egashira, Takayuki Nishimura, Damee Choi, Riko Matsumoto and Shigeki Watanuki

Intake of green tea inhibited increase of salivary chromogranin A after mental task stress loads

Green tea has become renowned for its health benefits. In this study, we investigated the anti-stress effect of two kinds of green tea against a mental stress task load.

Authors: Ai Yoto, Sato Murao, Yoriyuki Nakamura and Hidehiko Yokogoshi

Telomeres are elongated in rats exposed to moderate altitude

Leukocyte telomere length has been shown to be associated with life span. Hypoxia-associated changes of telomere length have been detected in cell cultures, but no in vivo studies have reported the changes of tel...

Authors: Yaping Wang, Wen-di Zhou, Yingzhong Yang, Lan Ma, Yanxia Zhao, Zhenzhong Bai and Ri-Li Ge

Effect of empathy trait on attention to various facial expressions: evidence from N170 and late positive potential (LPP)

The present study sought to clarify the relationship between empathy trait and attention responses to happy, angry, surprised, afraid, and sad facial expressions. As indices of attention, we recorded event-rel...

Authors: Damee Choi, Takayuki Nishimura, Midori Motoi, Yuka Egashira, Riko Matsumoto and Shigeki Watanuki

Effect of time pressure on attentional shift and anticipatory postural control during unilateral shoulder abduction reactions in an oddball-like paradigm

The effect of time pressure on attentional shift and anticipatory postural control was investigated during unilateral shoulder abduction reactions in an oddball-like paradigm.

Authors: Koji Anan, Katsuo Fujiwara, Chie Yaguchi and Naoe Kiyota

Relationship between weight of rescuer and quality of chest compression during cardiopulmonary resuscitation

According to the guidelines for cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), the rotation time for chest compression should be about 2 min. The quality of chest compressions is related to the physical fitness of the r...

Authors: Tomoyuki Hasegawa, Rie Daikoku, Shin Saito and Yayoi Saito

Leptin and leptin receptor gene polymorphisms and their association with plasma leptin levels and obesity in a multi-ethnic Malaysian suburban population

This study was to investigate the prevalence of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in leptin gene LEP (A19G and G2548A) and leptin receptor gene LEPR (K109R and Q223R) and their association with fasting plasm...

Authors: Sook-Ha Fan and Yee-How Say

A human-specific allelic group of the MHC DRB1 gene in primates

Diversity among human leukocyte antigen (HLA) molecules has been maintained by host-pathogen coevolution over a long period of time. Reflecting this diversity, the HLA loci are the most polymorphic in the human g...

Authors: Yoshiki Yasukochi and Yoko Satta

Sex differences in acetylcholine-induced sweating responses due to physical training

The present study examined sex differences in the sweat gland response to acetylcholine (ACh) in physically trained and untrained male and female subjects.

Authors: Yoshimitsu Inoue, Tomoko Ichinose-Kuwahara, Chie Funaki, Hiroyuki Ueda, Yutaka Tochihara and Narihiko Kondo

Biological age and tempos of aging in women over 60 in connection with their morphofunctional characteristics

The study of aging processes and the changes in morphological, physiological, and functional characteristics that are associated with aging is of great interest not only for researchers, but also for the gener...

Authors: Marina Negasheva, Natalia Lapshina, Rostislav Okushko and Elena Godina

Acute responses of regional vascular conductance to oral ingestion of fructose in healthy young humans

Recently, it was reported in healthy young subjects that fructose containing drinks increased blood pressure acutely, without any apparent change in total vascular conductance (TVC). However, because it is wel...

Authors: Masako Y Endo, Chizuko Fujihara, Chinami Yamazaki, Hideaki Kashima, Kouhei Eguchi, Akira Miura, Yoshiyuki Fukuoka and Yoshiyuki Fukuba

Relationship between the percentage of body fat and surrogate indices of fatness in male and female Polish active and sedentary students

Limited data have indicated that body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), waist to hip ratio (WHR) and waist to height ratio (WHtR) of athletes and young adults provide misleading results concerning bo...

Authors: Grażyna Lutoslawska, Marzena Malara, Paweł Tomaszewski, Krzysztof Mazurek, Anna Czajkowska, Anna Kęska and Joanna Tkaczyk

Association between the melanopsin gene polymorphism OPN4*Ile394Thr and sleep/wake timing in Japanese university students

In our previous studies, we found that the Ile394Thr SNP in the melanopsin gene (OPN4) was functionally associated with the pupillary light reflex. This indicates the possibility that OPN4*Ile394Thr is associated...

Authors: Sang-il Lee, Akiko Hida, Shingo Kitamura, Kazuo Mishima and Shigekazu Higuchi

Physiological and psychological responses of young males during spring-time walks in urban parks

It is widely believed that contact with the natural environment can improve physical and mental health. Urban green spaces may provide city residents with these benefits; however, there is a lack of empirical ...

Authors: Chorong Song, Harumi Ikei, Miho Igarashi, Masayuki Miwa, Michiko Takagaki and Yoshifumi Miyazaki

Associations between renal impairment and anemia in older, rural Japanese men: the Nagasaki Island study

Renal impairment is known to be associated with atherosclerosis, which in turn is reported to be positively associated with hemoglobin levels. In addition, renal impairment is known to be associated with a for...

Authors: Yuji Shimizu, Shimpei Sato, Jun Koyamatsu, Hirotomo Yamanashi, Mako Nagayoshi, Koichiro Kadota, Mami Tamai, Kazuhiko Arima, Hironori Yamasaki, Yosuke Kusano, Noboru Takamura and Takahiro Maeda

The physiological and psychological relaxing effects of viewing rose flowers in office workers

In recent years, the physiological relaxing effect brought by nature is becoming clear; however, many workers find it difficult to be exposed to nature in their working environment. Exposure to fresh flowers r...

Authors: Harumi Ikei, Misako Komatsu, Chorong Song, Eri Himoro and Yoshifumi Miyazaki

Reviewer acknowledgment 2013

The editors of Journal of Physiological Anthropology would like to thank all our reviewers who have contributed to the journal in Volume 32 (2013).

Authors: Akira Yasukouchi

A comparison of hydration effect on body fluid and temperature regulation between Malaysian and Japanese males exercising at mild dehydration in humid heat

This study investigated the effect of hydration differences on body fluid and temperature regulation between tropical and temperate indigenes exercising in the heat.

Authors: Hitoshi Wakabayashi, Titis Wijayanto, Joo-Young Lee, Nobuko Hashiguchi, Mohamed Saat and Yutaka Tochihara

Effect of empathy trait on attention to faces: an event-related potential (ERP) study

Empathy is deeply linked with the ability to adapt to human social environments. The present study investigated the relationship between the empathy trait and attention elicited by discriminating facial expres...

Authors: Damee Choi and Shigeki Watanuki

Fermented foods, microbiota, and mental health: ancient practice meets nutritional psychiatry

The purposeful application of fermentation in food and beverage preparation, as a means to provide palatability, nutritional value, preservative, and medicinal properties, is an ancient practice. Fermented foo...

Authors: Eva M Selhub, Alan C Logan and Alison C Bested

Difference in effects of cigarette smoking or alcohol consumption on serum non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels is related to mitochondrial DNA 5178 C/A polymorphism in middle-aged Japanese men: a cross-sectional study

Mitochondrial DNA 5178 cytosine/adenosine (Mt5178 C/A) polymorphism is associated with longevity in the Japanese. The purpose of this study is to investigate whether Mt5178 C/A polymorphism modifies the effect...

Authors: Akatsuki Kokaze, Mamoru Ishikawa, Naomi Matsunaga, Kanae Karita, Masao Yoshida, Tadahiro Ohtsu, Hirotaka Ochiai, Takako Shirasawa, Hinako Nanri, Hiromi Hoshino and Yutaka Takashima

Sexual dimorphism in digital dermatoglyphic traits among Sinhalese people in Sri Lanka

The purpose of this study was to evaluate gender-wise diversity of digital dermatoglyphic traits in a sample of Sinhalese people in Sri Lanka.

Authors: Buddhika TB Wijerathne, Geetha K Rathnayake, Shamila C Adikari, Subashini Amarasinghe, Prasanna L Abhayarathna and Ajith S Jayasena

Visual information without thermal energy may induce thermoregulatory-like cardiovascular responses

Human core body temperature is kept quasi-constant regardless of varying thermal environments. It is well known that physiological thermoregulatory systems are under the control of central and peripheral senso...

Authors: Jun'ya Takakura, Takayuki Nishimura and Shigeki Watanuki

Recent topics on the scope of physiological anthropology

Authors: Akira Yasukouchi

Adaptation changes in dynamic postural control and contingent negative variation during repeated transient forward translation in the elderly

Adaptation changes in postural control and contingent negative variation (CNV) for the elderly were investigated during repeated forward floor translation.

Authors: Maki Maekawa, Katsuo Fujiwara, Naoe Kiyota and Chie Yaguchi

Ocular blood flow decreases during passive heat stress in resting humans

Heat stress induces various physiological changes and so could influence ocular circulation. This study examined the effect of heat stress on ocular blood flow.

Authors: Tsukasa Ikemura, Akane Miyaji, Hideaki Kashima, Yuji Yamaguchi and Naoyuki Hayashi

Asynchronous dentofacial development and dental crowding: a cross-sectional study in a contemporary sample of children in France

The causes of dental crowding are not fully understood, but it may result from an evolutionary trend towards reduced facial volume, without a proportional reduction in tooth sizes. Most previous studies conduc...

Authors: Wei Yan-Vergnes, Jean-Noel Vergnes, Jean Dumoncel, Pascal Baron, Christine Marchal-Sixou and José Braga

Effect of maintaining neck flexion on anti-saccade reaction time: an investigation using transcranial magnetic stimulation to the frontal oculomotor field

Reaction time for anti-saccade, in which the gaze is directed to the position opposite to an illuminated target, shortens during maintenance of neck flexion. The present study applied transcranial magnetic sti...

Authors: Kenji Kunita and Katsuo Fujiwara

Higher ventilatory responses during and after passive walking-like leg movement in older individuals

Authors: Hisayoshi Ogata, Ikuyo Fujimaru, Keiko Yamada and Takaharu Kondo

Relationship between adult height and body weight and risk of carotid atherosclerosis assessed in terms of carotid intima-media thickness: The Nagasaki Islands study

Previous studies have reported an inverse association between height and risk of cardiovascular disease. However, evidence is limited for the association between risk of atherosclerosis and height. Further, al...

Authors: Yuji Shimizu, Mio Nakazato, Takaharu Sekita, Koichiro Kadota, Kazuhiko Arima, Hironori Yamasaki, Hisashi Goto, Satoshi Shirahama, Noboru Takamura, Kiyoshi Aoyagi and Takahiro Maeda

Physiological and psychological effects of walking on young males in urban parks in winter

Interaction with nature has a relaxing effect on humans. Increasing attention has been focused on the therapeutic effects of urban green space; however, there is a lack of evidence-based field research. This s...

Authors: Chorong Song, Dawou Joung, Harumi Ikei, Miho Igarashi, Mariko Aga, Bum-Jin Park, Masayuki Miwa, Michiko Takagaki and Yoshifumi Miyazaki

Association between melanopsin gene polymorphism (I394T) and pupillary light reflex is dependent on light wavelength

Our aim was to determine the association between melanopsin gene polymorphism and pupillary light reflex under diverse photic conditions, including different intensities and wavelengths.

Authors: Sang-il Lee, Akiko Hida, Sei-ichi Tsujimura, Takeshi Morita, Kazuo Mishima and Shigekazu Higuchi