Sweet taste threshold for sucrose inversely correlates with depression symptoms in female college students in the luteal phase.

Influences of depression symptoms on the sweet taste threshold were investigated in healthy college students (30 males and 40 females). Depression symptoms were scored by SDS (Self-Rating Depression Scale), and anxiety levels by STAI (State- and Trait-Anxiety Inventory). Recognition thresholds for sucrose were determined.

The mid-domain effect in ectomycorrhizal fungi: range overlap along an elevation gradient on Mount Fuji, Japan.

Mid-domain effect (MDE) models predict that the random placement of species' ranges within a bounded geographical area leads to increased range overlap and species richness in the center of the bounded area. These models are frequently applied to study species-richness patterns of macroorganisms, but the MDE in relation to microorganisms is poorly understood. In this study, we examined the characteristics of the MDE in richness patterns of ectomycorrhizal (EM) fungi, an ecologically important group of soil symbionts.

Blood flow restricted exercise and vascular function.

It is established that regular aerobic training improves vascular function, for example, endothelium-dependent vasodilatation and arterial stiffness or compliance and thereby constitutes a preventative measure against cardiovascular disease. In contrast, high-intensity resistance training impairs vascular function, while the influence of moderate-intensity resistance training on vascular function is still controversial. However, aerobic training is insufficient to inhibit loss in muscular strength with advancing age; thus, resistance training is recommended to prevent sarcopenia.

Effects of anticipatory anxiety and visual input on postural sway in an aversive situation.

We have previously reported that state anxiety scores were positively correlated with postural sway while standing upright and gazing at a visual target (Ohno et al., 2004 [16]). The present study examines the effect of anticipatory anxiety and visual input on postural control in healthy individuals.

Seasonal and sexual variation in the diet and gastrointestinal features of the sika deer in western Japan: implications for the feeding strategy.

Sexual and seasonal variation in diet quality and the gastrointestine have important implications for forage acquisition and the feeding strategy. We assessed the botanical and chemical compositions of the diet and the gastrointestinal macrostructure of the sika deer (Cervus nippon) in western Japan. The sexual dimorphism-body size hypothesis predicts that smaller females will have a better diet than larger males to meet a higher nutritional demand due to a higher metabolic rate.

Characteristics of the control of standing posture during pregnancy.

During pregnancy, the physical and mental states greatly change. We investigated the influences of pregnancy and anxiety on postural control in pregnant women (P) standing upright in the late trimester. An analysis of posturograms revealed that the area of body sway and length of antero-posterior body sway were greater in P than those in non-pregnant controls (NP).

Sexual variations in food quality and gastrointestinal features of sika deer (Cervus nippon) in Japan during winter: implications for feeding strategy.

We assessed sexual variation in food quality and gut macrostructure in adult male and pregnant female sika deer, Cervus nippon (Temminck, 1838), in Japan during winter. These variations might have important implications relative to sexual differences in habitat use, forage acquisition, and digestive strategy. According to the sexual dimorphism-body size hypothesis the larger males would feed on poorer forage and have heavier stomach contents and heavier intestine contents and longer intestines than smaller females.

Pentavalent vanadium at concentration of the underground water level enhances the sweet taste sense to glucose in college students.

Underground water in volcanic areas contains vanadium when the basalt layer exists among igneous rocks. The concentration of vanadium in drinking water sometimes exceeds 0.8 microM in these areas, however, the physiological effects of vanadium, especially non-toxic effects, at concentrations lower than 1 microM are unknown.

Transiently enhanced LPS-induced fever following hyperthermic stress in rabbits.

Hyperthermia has been shown to induce an enhanced febrile response to the bacterial-derived endotoxin lipopolysaccharide (LPS). The aim of the present study was to test the hypothesis that the enhanced LPS-induced fever seen in heat stressed (HS) animals is caused by leakage of intestinal bacterial LPS into the circulation. Male rabbits were rendered transiently hyperthermic (a maximum rectal temperature of 43 degrees C) and divided into three groups.

The effect of anxiety on postural control in humans depends on visual information processing.

To examine the possibility that anxiety affects the control of postural balance, state anxiety, and body sway during orthostatic standing were measured twice in college students with an interval of 1 month. Correlations between the changes in state anxiety and the parameters of body sway were examined by Pearson's correlation analysis. The changes in the enveloped area of body sway and in the maximum length of the antero-posterior body sway showed a positive correlation with the changes in state anxiety (r = 0.

Influence of the hypothalamus on the midbrain tonic inhibitory mechanism on metabolic heat production in rats.

Influence of the hypothalamus on increased body temperature was examined in male rats. Body temperature was increased by removing the midbrain tonic inhibitory mechanism (TIM) on heat production from brown adipose tissue (BAT) by microinjections of a local anesthetic, procaine, into the midbrain. Procaine microinjections in unanesthetized rats increased rectal temperature that was followed by a strong tail skin temperature rise.

Effects of lumbar skin warming on gastric motility and blood pressure in humans.

We examined the possibility that lumbar skin warming can increase gastrointestinal motility by investigating the electrogastrogram (EGG), blood pressure, and heart rate with psychometric ratings in healthy humans. Scores of mood state profiles showed that lumbar skin warming (42 degrees C, 20 min) decreased tension-anxiety, depression, anger-hostility, fatigue, and confusion of the participants. A multiple bandpass filter analysis of EGGs showed that a postural transition from orthostatic to supine for measurement caused an increase in dominant frequency of 25-29% towards the frequencies of the normal interdigestive migrating motor complex (IMC).

Preliminary investigation on the cytotoxicity of tellurite to cultured HeLa cells.

Cytotoxicity of tellurite to cultured HeLa cells was examined by cell viability, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) assay, and tellurite uptake. The experimental results show that the toxicity of tellurite depends on its concentrations and exposure time. HeLa cells exposed to tellurite for 2 h at 9.

Trait anxiety affects the pupillary light reflex in college students.

This study was designed to examine whether anxious personality, i.e. trait anxiety, influences the autonomic nervous functions in humans without manipulation of experimental stressors.

Effect of long-term treatment with vanadate in drinking water on KK mice with genetic non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus.

The glucose-lowering effect of vanadate, ammonium metavanadate (AMV), on diabetic KK mice was examined. Five-week-old male KK mice were administrated with a solution of AMV via drinking water at concentrations of vanadium (V) with 0.1, 1.

Role of inferior olive and thoracic IML neurons in nonshivering thermogenesis in rats.

Removal of the midbrain tonic inhibitory mechanism on nonshivering thermogenesis (NST) results in increased temperatures of the interscapular brown adipose tissue (IBAT) and rectum (T(IBAT) and T(rec), respectively) via an enhanced central sympathetic output. Because it is unlikely that neurons (primary) of the midbrain inhibitory mechanism tonically inhibit the IBAT monosynaptically, there must be secondary or tertiary neurons posterior to the midbrain. Such neurons, therefore, may increase their activity during enhanced NST after removal of the midbrain tonic inhibition.

Pleasant odors attenuate the blood pressure increase during rhythmic handgrip in humans.

We have investigated the effects of inhaling odors of preference on physiological responses to physical exercise in college students. Rhythmic handgrip, maintaining a mercurial pressure by repetitive compression, increased blood pressure. In the participants exercised with inhaling odors of their choice, such as rose, jasmine and lavender, the increase in diastolic blood pressure during exercise was reduced by 24%.

Disinhibition of lower midbrain neurons enhances non-shivering thermogenesis in anesthetized rats.

Unlabelled: The hypothesis that the lower midbrain, specifically in and around the retrorubral field (RRF) and/or rubrospinal tract (rs), contains a tonic inhibitory mechanism on non-shivering thermogenesis (NST) was examined in urethane-anesthetized rats. It has been proposed that removal of the tonic inhibitory mechanism in the lower midbrain causes body temperature increase through disinhibition-induced activation of the central sympathetic nervous system. The present experiments were carried out to examine whether and where the proposed midbrain region contains cell bodies that tonically inhibit the NST, and if so, whether they receive any influence from the hypothalamus.

Hyperthermia in brain hemorrhage.

Hemorrhage in the midbrain and/or pons in patients is often associated with increased metabolism, resulting in hyperthermia. We have recently reported that hyperthermia develops in anesthetized rats following prepontine knife-cuts or procaine microinjections into the midbrain or upper pontine region. It was concluded that the hyperthermia in the animals was caused by the removal of a tonic inhibitor mechanism of heat production that exists in the lower midbrain.

Procaine microinjection into the lower midbrain increases brown fat and body temperatures in anesthetized rats.

A tonic inhibitory mechanism on heat production was studied by microinjecting procaine into various regions of the brain while recording temperature changes of the interscapular brown adipose tissue (IBAT) and rectum in urethane-anesthetized rats at room temperature of 23-25 degrees C. Procaine microinjected bilaterally (10%, 1.0 mu l/site, 1.