Bifidobacterium breve M-16V regulates the autonomic nervous system via the intestinal environment: A double-blind, placebo-controlled study.

We conducted a randomized controlled trial to investigate the potential of Bifidobacterium breve M-16 V to improve mood in humans. In this evaluation, we incorporated the use of near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS), which has been used to evaluate mood states in studies with small sample sizes. Participants were given B.

Relationship Between Left-Right Dominancy of Prefrontal Cortex Activity and Heart Rate During Rest and Task Periods: An fNIRS Study.

BackgroundFunctional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) studies demonstrated that regulation of stress response of the autonomic nervous system is mediated by the left-right asymmetry of prefrontal cortex (PFC) activity. However, it is not yet clear whether PFC regulation of stress response is functioning only when the subject was under stress or even at rest without stress. In addition, the temporal responsivity of PFC regulation of stress response is not known.

Effect of Exercise Therapy on Stress Response Evaluated by IoMT Monitoring System.

The Internet of Medical Things (IoMT) system plays a role in various areas of social activity, including healthcare. Telemetry of cardiovascular function, such as blood pressure and pulse, in daily life is useful in the treatment of cardiovascular disease and stress management. However, until now, brain function monitoring technology has not been installed in the IoMT system.

Alleviating Surgeons' Stress through Listening to Natural Sounds in a Half-Encapsulated Rest Space after an Operation: A Pilot, Longitudinal Field Study.

Background: Natural sounds are reportedly restorative, but most research has used one-off experiments conducted in artificial conditions. Research based on field experiments is still in its infancy. This study aimed to generate hypotheses on the restorative effects of listening to natural sounds on surgeons, representing professionals working in stressful conditions.

Competencies That Japanese Collegiate Sports Coaches Require for Dual-Career Support for Student Athletes.

The purpose of this study was to clarify coaches' competencies (COM) regarding dual-career (DC) support for student athletes in Japan. The questionnaire survey was conducted at 31 universities with an online survey URL that was distributed to 300 collegiate athletic coaches. In total, there were 152 respondents (female, 19; male, 133; mean age, 43.

Estimation of Human Cerebral Atrophy Based on Systemic Metabolic Status Using Machine Learning.

Background: Based on the assumption that systemic metabolic disorders affect cognitive function, we have developed a deep neural network (DNN) model that can estimate cognitive function based on basic blood test data that do not contain dementia-specific biomarkers. In this study, we used the same DNN model to assess whether basic blood data can be used to estimate cerebral atrophy.

Methods: We used data from 1,310 subjects (58.

Multiplexed lighting system using time-division multiplexing.

Improvements in lighting and other indoor environmental conditions have gained considerable attention in different areas, including health and economics. Controlling the lighting environment is essential because, among the indoor factors, visual stimulation affects numerous human characteristics. Further, visual stimulation, including peripheral vision, affects people differently.

Effect of Faint Road Traffic Noise Mixed in Birdsong on the Perceived Restorativeness and Listeners' Physiological Response: An Exploratory Study.

Many studies have reported that natural sounds (e.g., birdsong) are more restorative than urban noise.

Discontinuous surface measurement by wavelength-tuning interferometry with the excess fraction method correcting scanning nonlinearity.

Wavelength-tuning interferometry can measure surface shapes with discontinuous steps using a unit of synthetic wavelength that is usually larger than the step height. However, measurement resolution decreases for large step heights since the synthetic wavelength becomes much larger than the source wavelength. The excess fraction method with a piezoelectric transducer phase shifting is applied to two-dimensional surface shape measurements.

The fabrication of aligned pairs of gold nanorods in SiO2 films by ion irradiation.

Pairs of gold nanodisks 40 or 70 nm in diameter were fabricated in silica by electron-beam lithography. On irradiation by 110 MeV Br(10+) ions, the nanodisks elongated to form nanorods; elongation occurred in the direction of propagation of the ions. The aspect ratios of the Au nanorods increased with increasing ion-flux density or fluence and with decreasing diameter of the nanodisks.

Robot-assisted femoral fracture reduction: preliminary study in patients and healthy volunteers.

We developed a robot-assisted fracture reduction system (FRAC-Robo) to assist anatomical reduction and to maintain reduction during internal fixation while recording the procedure in a log. We conducted two experiments before using FRAC-Robo clinically. In the first experiment using the FRAC-Robo system, we measured the maximum force and torque required to pull and rotate the limbs of healthy conscious volunteers until they felt pain or abnormality.

Analysis of the surgery task for the force feedback amplification in the minimally invasive surgical system.

This paper presents a new method of amplifying the small reaction force in the minimally invasive surgical system according to the surgeon's intended action. For this purpose, the analysis of the laparoscopic cholecystectomy procedure is first studied. The procedure is broken down and analyzed for the necessary forceps actions based on the degrees of freedom of the surgical tool and the task to be performed.

Light-addressable planar electrode with hydrogenated amorphous silicon and low-conductive passivation layer for stimulation of cultured neurons.

Conventional multielectrode arrays (MEAs) cannot always access desired neurons due to low electrode density and small number of electrode. To overcome this problem, we propose a light-addressable planar electrode on a glass substrate. The electrode has a 3-layer structure, namely a transparent SnO2 layer, an hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) layer, and a passivation layer.

Microsurgical robotic system for the deep surgical field: development of a prototype and feasibility studies in animal and cadaveric models.

Object: To enhance the surgeon's dexterity and maneuverability in the deep surgical field, the authors developed a master-slave microsurgical robotic system. This concept and the results of preliminary experiments are reported in this paper.

Methods: The system has a master control unit, which conveys motion commands in six degrees of freedom (X, Y, and Z directions; rotation; tip flexion; and grasping) to two arms.