Differential control of efferent sympathetic activity revisited.

This article reviews 40 years of research (1970-2010) into the capability of the efferent sympathetic nervous system to display differential responsiveness. Discovered first were antagonistic changes of activity in sympathetic filaments innervating functionally different sections of the cardiovascular system in response to thermal stimulation. During the subsequent four decades of investigation, a multitude of differential sympathetic efferent response patterns were identified, ranging from opposing activity changes at the level of multi-fiber filaments innervating different organs to the level of single fibers controlling functionally different structures in the same organ.

Heat disorder in Yamanashi Prefecture during the summer from 1995 to 2004.

The incidence of heat disorders in July and August during 10 yr (1995-2004) reported for the population of Yamanashi prefecture was analyzed, with special consideration of an aging society, in relation to levels and patterns of phases with high daily maximal temperatures. There was an increasing tendency for years with hot summers in comparison to preceding decades. Two climatic characteristics associated with increased incidence of heat disorders have become apparent: first, sustained phases of atmospheric temperatures exceeding approximately 32 degrees C, second, rapid onset of phases with high maximal temperature after preceding phases of relatively cool weather.

Role of afferent pathways of heat and cold in body temperature regulation.

The detection of surface and internal temperatures is achieved by axons terminating at lamina I of the spinal dorsal horn, otherwise approached only by nociceptive afferents. Recent advances in thermal physiology research have disclosed that temperature-sensitive ion channels belonging to the "transient receptor potential" family exist in the peripheral sensory neurons and in the brain. Thermosensory, nociceptive and polymodal afferents project to different thalamic nuclei, and specific pathways to the insular cortex evoke the conscious experience of thermal sensation.

The difference between Japan and other countries, in particular the United Kingdom, in views regarding the teaching of geriatrics to undergraduate medical students.

Objectives: To examine differences in views on geriatrics education at the undergraduate level between Japan and other industrialized countries, including the United Kingdom.

Design: We conducted a nationwide survey of professorial staff responsible for undergraduate education in all medical schools in Japan, and an international survey of 37 medical schools and geriatric institutes in other industrialized countries, including 16 medical schools in the United Kingdom.

Results: The results indicate that undergraduate education in geriatrics in Japan emphasizes the theoretical aspects of the aging process and the features of diseases in the elderly, and lacks attention to the practical aspects of care.