Observations on the digital vascular hunting reaction to cold air exposure and measurements of physical characteristics were made among male university students: 88 non-athletic; 18 tall, lean non-athletic; 26 volleyball players. Experiments were carried out at about 3 p, m. in winter. The subjects sat at rest on a chair for 30 min in a room at 22°C and inserted their left hands up to the wrist with the palm downwards into a chamber at -10°C for 30 min. The skin temperature on the center of the dorsal surface of the distal phalanx of the left middle finger was recorded continuously starting at 5 min before the cold exposure. The physical status of volleyball players was characterized by large stature, a low body fat and long fingers, while that of tall and lean non-athletic subjects was characterized by light body weight, a low body fat, and long and slender fingers. In each group, the higher the temperature before cold exposure, the higher were the skin temperature at the first temperature rise during cold exposure and the mean skin temperature during cold exposure. The mean value of the finger skin temperature during cold exposure for volleyball players at a given value of skin temperature before cold exposure tended to be lower than those for non-athletes. The mean value of the finger skin temperature during cold exposure for volleyball players was lower than that for non-athletes. Among the non-athletes, tall and lean subjects showed a lower mean skin temperature during cold exposure. The skin temperature during cold exposure tended to be lower when the length of the finger was longer and the ratio of finger girth to length was smaller. The lower mean skin temperature during cold exposure for volleyball players might result from injuries and shocks to the finger received during volleyball training.

In an attempt to study the effect of a moderate work load on the concentration of serum erythropoietin and hemoglobin in young women, 8 female university students with a high hemoglobin content (group H), 7 female university students with a low hemoglobin content (group L) and 7 female university students with a tendency to be anemic (group A) were subjected to moderate work for 7 successive days in summer.
Each subject pedalled at a constant work load of 1.25kp at a cycling rate of 50rpm for 60min every day. Blood samples were drawn from the cubital vein under basal conditions on the day before training, the fourth day of training and the day after the training period. The results obtained were as follows; Group H showed a significantly higher erythropoietin concentration before training than groups L and A. The concentration of erythropoietin in group H decreased slightly during the training period, whereas those in groups L and A increased, although the differences were not statistically significant.
The concentration of serum iron in group H was significantly higher than that in group L before training. The former decreased significantly during the training period, whereas the latter was maintained at a lower level. The differences in blood constituents found among the three groups before training lessened after one week's moderate exercise.
The increase in Hb concentration in the subjects in groups L and A after training might have been induced by the augmented secretion of erythropoietin due to training for 7 successive days.

In an attempt to study the effect of physical training in a hot environment on physiological responses to heat and heat tolerance of men, six male university students were exposed to a combination of muscular exercise and environmental heat for 20 successive days in summer. Muscular exercise was performed on a bicycle ergometer at constant work of about 8 R.M.R.t at the cycling rate of 50 r.p.m. for 2 hrs in the room with a temperature of 30°C and 70%, R.H. Sweat test was performed on the day before the beginning of physical training, on 7th, 14th and 211th days of physical training. Sweating was produced by immersing both legs to just below the knees into stirring water of 42°C for 90 min after staying for 30 min in a climatic chamber of 30CC with 70%, R.H. Sweat volume observed in sweat test increased progressively throughout the period of physical training. Na concentration in sweat at a given sweat rate continued to decrease during the period of physical training and heterogeneity of the local sweat rate and Na concentration in local sweat was reduced by physical training in a hot environment. Rise in rectal temperature induced by a given heat stress decreased significantly during the first week, thereafter showed a trend bo be smaller. The mean value of heat tolerance index I, the magnitude of disturbance induced in the body concerning thermal regulation and water-electrolyte metabolism, decreased considerably during the first week of physical training, thereafter decreased slightly. Thus it might be said that improvement of heat tolerance was induced mostly during the early period (about 1 week) of successive exposure to a combination hard work and environmental heat. This improvement of heat tolerance accompanied by marked reduction of physical strain in terms of temperature regulation might be induced at the cost of increase in disturbance of water-electrolyte metabolism.

Anthropometric measurements were obtained on 126 male nonathletic first year university students (N-1), 178 male nonathletic third year university students (N-3) and 114 male athletic third year university students (A) . The mean values of height and body weight for group A were significantly larger than those for groups N-1 and N-3. Group A showed significant larger mean values of girth of chest, abdomen, thigh and upper arm than groups N-1 and N-3. Physical status of group N-1 was a little shorter and slender than that of group N-3. Group A showed significantly greater mean values of Rohrer's index and Brugsch's index than groups N-1 and N-3. The mean values of skinfold thickness and body fat (%) caluculated by using prediction formula from mean skinfold thickness for group A were significantly smaller than those for group N-3 and were essentially the same as those for group N-1. Bigger physique and smaller body fat content of athletes could be explained as due to a result of physical training and might be considered as the cause of superior physical fitness of athletes.
The following prediction equations for standard body weight (W) from height (H) using mean values of body weight and height (W and H) and their standard deviations (cW and aH) are proposed for the evaluation of overweight and underweight.
W=3W/HH-2W
and W=σW/σHH-σW/σHH+W
Plotting of body weight and body fat content in standard measure against height in standard measure was used to compare physical characteristics of athletes with those of nonathletes.

The purpose of this investigation was to determine the effects of daily walking on aerobic work capacity, vital age and other fitness components in middle-aged and elderly walkers. The subjects were thirty-six walkers (average 65.0±8.0 yr, 51-80 yr), whose training period averaged 13.5±9.0 yr. The walkers were significantly greater in maximal oxygen uptake (VO₂max), and oxygen uptake at the lactate threshold (VO₂LT), and were 6.5 yr younger in vital age (VA) than sedentary middle-aged and elderly. These findings suggest that middle-aged and elderly walkers have more favorable profile of aerobic work capacity and of health status when compared to sedentary persons.

1)We visited the Duke–NUS Graduate Medical School Singapore to learn the administration and management of, and the theory behind, team–based learning (TBL), a candidate educational method to replace the problem–based learning tutorial.
2)TBL motivates students to prepare for and engage in discussion. The grading of performance in TBL, certain characteristics of assignments, and the use of peer evaluation all promote individual and group accountability for learning.
3)To obtain the maximum overall benefit from TBL and to exploit group dynamics for effective learning, well–designed assignments are the key.

1) The faculty development at each medical school from 2003 through 2005 was analysed.
2) The major themes in faculty development were problem based learning, tutorial, computer based testing, and clinical training.
3) Faculty development is considered an effective way to enhance the contributions of faculty members to medical education.

Anthropometrical measurement were obtained on 178 male nonathletic university students and 168 male athletic university students (Swimming, Handball, Soccer, Rugby, Running, Thrower, Judo and Gymnastics) aged 18-22 years.
The results obtained were as follows
The mean values of height and body weight for nonathletes were 170.2cm and 59.7kg respectively. The mean values of height and body weight for athletes except gymnastics and long distance runner were larger than those for nonathletes. Athletes showed larger mean values of girth of chest than nonathletes (86.1cm) . The mean values of girth of upper arm and girth of thigh for nonathletes were 26.9cm and 50.6cm respectively. The mean values of girth of upper arm for athletes except basketball, long distance runner and jumper were considerably larger than that for nonathletes. Athletes except long distance runner, jumper and gymnastics showed larger mean values of thigh than nonathletes. The mean values of skinfold thickness for athletes except heavy weight class of judo were thinner than that for nonathletes and the percentage of body fat calculated by using the prediction formura from mean skinfold thickness, body surface area and body weight for athletes was smaller than that for nonathletes
Plotting of body weight and body fat content in standard measure against height in standard measure with family of iso-deviation line was used to compare the body composition and body shape of athletes with those of nonathletes. In this plotting, physical characteristics could be expressed as the difference (R) between the points representing the mean value of athletes on the origin, (the mean values of nonathletes) and ratio of deviation (r) from standard line representing correlation of body weight or body fat content to height for nonathletes. Plotting R against r with family of lines of the same height was proposed to differentiate physical characteristics of athletes participating in different kinds of sports and to evaluate the effect of training on physical characteristics. Plotting of girth of upper arm and girth of thigh in standard measure against girth of chest was used for the evaluation of difference in body shape of athletes.

Physiological responses to heat and heat tolerance were examined in summer and winter on 13 male athletic university students and male nonathletec university students. After staying for 30 min. in a climatic chamber maintained at 30°C with 70% relative humidity, sweating reaction was examined far 90 min, by immersing both legs up to the knees in a stirring water bath of 42°C.
Both groups showed significantly greater sweat volume, significantly lower Na concentration in sweat and considerably lower rise in rectal temperature and less increase in heart rate in summer than in winter. In both seasons, athletes showed smaller volume of sweat, lower Na concentration in sweat, lower rise in rectal temperature and less increase in heart rate than nonathletes.
It is concluded that heat tolerance of athletes was superior to that of nonathletes when assessed by our heat tolerance indices and this superior heat tolerance of athletes could be explained due to a result of physical training. Heat tolerance index, representing the magnitude of physiological strain in the body induced by heat load, was modified by using relative increase in heart rate in place of salt loss. It can be said that the modified heat tolerance index is useful as a substitute of the original heat tolerance index in field studies.

Although maximal oxygen uptake (VO₂max) or oxygen uptake corresponding to lactate threshold (VO₂@LT) is considered the single best determinant of one's cardio-respiratory endurance or aerobic capacity, the direct measurement of these attributes requires elaborate equipment, trained personnel, special knowledge, and/or a maximal effort on the part of the subject who is tested. In addition, the measurement is time consuming. The current investigation was designed to examine the validity of aerobic capacity estimated from submaximal cycling exercise and field performance tests in the elderly. The subjects tested were 18 sedentary men and women aged 63 to 75 years (69.7±3.4) . Indirect VO₂max tests were selected from those proposed by Astrand and Ryhming, Siconolfi et al., and Margaria et al. (step test), and YMCA. The VO₂max values estimated by these methods, with the exception of the Siconolfi method, were found to have large errors when compared to the errors obtained in previous studies for younger subjects. There were no significant correlations between step test scores and VO₂max and VO₂@LT in the elderly. Correlations of 12-min distance walk with VO₂max (r=.711) and VO₂@LT (r=.714) were significant. Our findings suggest that 12min distance walk be a better aerobic capacity test than other indirect VO₂max tests including Astrand and Ryhming test.