Various studies have reported on VO₂max differences in men, with or without respect to distance run performances, and demonstrated that VO₂max was the most important factor in endurance work capacity. This study was undertaken to reveal whether VO₂max would still be the best determinant of endurance work capacity (or distance run performances), comparing it with AT parameters using the technique of correlational analyses. Twenty-seven distance runners, 16-26 years of age including an Olympic runner, underwent a multistage-incremental treadmill test for the assessment of submaximal and maximal work capacity. ATs were subjectively evaluated and determined as the point of breakaway of gas exchange criterion parameters according to Davis et al.'s method, and also referring to Wasserman et al.'s method.
The mean VO₂max was 4.518 l/mmn (70.1 ml/kg⋅BW/min, 78.1 ml/kg . LBM/min), whilst the mean AT appeared to be 3.444 l/mmn (52.8 ml/kg/min, 75.60% of VO₂max) . These results are in good agreement with previous results reported by others. Interestingly, all distance performances (i.e., 1-mile, 2-mile, and 3-mile) correlated highest with AT (ml/kg/min), secondly with exhaustion time, and thirdly with either VO₂max or another AT parameter. AT (ml/kg/min) alone accounted for approximately 510, 73%, and 80% of the variance in the 1-mile, 2-mile, and 3-mile performances, respectively.
Since absolute VO₂max is known to be a function of body size (e.g., body weight), an attempt was made to evaluate the relationships between the metabolic parameters and the distance performances through partial correlations holding the influence of body weight or LBM statistically constant. As a result, the correlation of VO₂max (1/mm) with the 3-mile performance increased considerably to r_p=-0.781 ; however, the degree of the relationship was not greater than the zero-order correlation (r=-0.896) obtained between AT (ml/kg/min) and the performance. Furthermore, when entered into a forward selection multiple regression with the 3-mile performance as the dependent variable, AT (l/min) accounted for only an additional 0.8% of the variance. VO₂max (l/min), true % 02, % body fat body weight, VO₂max (ml/kg/min), and vital capacity also accounted for only an additional 0.1%, 0.4%, 0.5%, 0.8%, 1.8%, and 1.8% of the variance, respectively. These data indicate that, considering the sample studied and limitations within this study, AT (ml/kg/min) could be the most significant determinant of the 3-mile run performance and, though to a lesser extent, the 2-mil eand 1-mile run performances.

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.

Recently, bioelectrical impedance analysis systems (BIA) have become available for determination of human body composition. The validity of BIA has been found to be sufficiently in the American population. However, more work is needed to assess the validity and applicability of BIA to the Japanese population. The purposes of this study were (1) to test the validity of body composition measured by BIA in comparison with the underwater weighing criterion method, and (2) to develop a convenient equation that would reliably predict body composition using BIA and anthropometric measurements in Japanese females. The subjects were 226 Japanese women and girls aged 11 to 55 years (23.9±8.3) . Body impedance was measured using a tetrapolar electrode method, with a localized 800-μA and 50-kHz current injection (Selco SIF-881) . The percentage of body fat (%fat) estimated by BIA was significantly correlated with densitometrically determined %fat (r=0.793, Lukaski et al, method ; and r=0.800, Segal et al, method) . The magnitude of these correlations was substantially higher when compared with r=0.615 found between the skinfold thickness method and the criterion method. Absolute %fat values estimated by BIA were, however, significantly lower than those determined by the criterion method, thereby indicating the need for a more accurate method of assessing Japanese body composition. For this, we propose the use of D=1.1303-0.0726 (Wt×R/Ht²), where D=body density in g/ml, Wt=body weight in kg, R= (R²+Xc²) ^0.5 in ohms, and Ht=body height in cm. Lean body mass (LBM) and %fat predicted from this equation were correlated significantly (r=0.924 and r=0.799, respectively) with values determined by densitometry. The standard error of estimates of LBM and %fat resulted in figures of 1.9 kg and 3.7%, respectively. Thus we suggest that BIA is valid, convenient, and inexpensive, and that the prediction equation proposed in this study is useful for assessment of body composition in Japanese adult females.

The prevalence of allergic diseases such as asthma, allergic rhinitis and atopic dermatitis has increased all over the world during the last two decades. Dietary change is supposed to be associated with this increase. If it is the case, an appropriate intake of foods or drinks with anti-allergic functions is expected to stop the increase. Flavonoids, ubiquitously present in vegetables, fruits or teas possess anti-allergic activities. Flavonoids inhibit histamine release, synthesis of IL-4 and IL-13 and CD40 ligand expression by basophils and mast cells. Analyses of structure-activity relationships of representative flavones showed that luteolin, apigenin and fisetin were the strongest inhibitors of IL-4 production with an IC₅₀ value of 2–5 μM and determined a fundamental structure for the inhibitory activity. Quercetin and kaempferol showed a substantial activity with an IC₅₀ value of 15–18 μM. The inhibitory activity of flavonoids on IL-4 and CD40 ligand expression were thought to be mediated through their inhibitory action on activation of nuclear factor of activated T cells and AP-1. Administration of flavonoids into atopic dermatitis-prone mice prevented the onset of dermatitis and serum IgE elevation and ameliorated the severity of dermatitis even after the onset. In addition a preliminary trial of flavonoids for adult patients with atopic dermatitis showed a significant effect. Recent epidemiological studies reported that a low incidence of asthma was significantly observed by population with a high intake of flavonoids. Thus, these evidences will be helpful for the development of low molecular compounds for allergic diseases and it is expected that an appropriate daily intake of flavonoids may be an effective complementary and alternative medicine and a preventative strategy for allergic diseases.

Plasma concentrations of tumor necrosis factor α (TNFα), interleukin-1β (IL-1β) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) were measured successively during and after open heart surgery (13 cases). Plasma concentrations of TNFα did not increase during surgery but increased gradually after the 1st operative day reached the maximum level at the 7th operative day (128±15pg/ml, which was a 3-fold increase compared with the previous value). Plasma concentrations of IL-1β remained at the previous level during surgery and increased only once at 6 hours after operation. Conversely, plasma concentrations of IL-6 increased dramatically during cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) reaching a peak at the end of CPB (260±200pg/ml, which was a 15-fold increase over the previous value) and recovered to previous values rapidly thereafter. Plasma IL-6 concentrations changed rapidly during surgery, while plasma concentrations of TNFα and IL-1β did not increase sharply. This may indicate that IL-6 may play a role as a mediator of acute inflammatory reaction.

X type questions have been used for the national medical licensing examination since 1997. At Tsukuba University, X type questions have been used since 1996. We compared X typeand K type questions on the basis of the percentage of correct answers and discrimination power. The average percentage of correct answers was 68.2% for K type questions and 53.1% for X type questions. However, the average discrimination power was +0.227 for K type questions and +0.257 for X type questions. These results indicate that X type questions are more difficult and are suitable for achievement tests. The estimated knowledge quantity was 2.04 for K type questions and 2.32 for X type questions. This suggests that the person writing the questions decreased the essential difficulty of X type questions.

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.

The effects of single bathing of the artificial mineral spring (Basukurin: Tsumura Juntendo Inc. Japan), equivalent mixture of sodium sulfate and sodium bicarbonate, were studied in 13 normal and 22 hypertensive subjects comparing with natural simple hot spring (Kirisima spa).
Blood pressure (BP: automatic sphygmomanometer), heart rate (HR), cardiac output (CO: earpiece type dye-dilution densisometer), total peripheral resistance (TPR: mean BP/cardiac index), forehead deep body temperature (DBT: Core Temp CTM 204) plasma renin activity (PRA: RIA by Habar's method), plasma norepinephrine (NE) and blood gas partial pressure (pO₂ and pCO₂) and pH were measured before and after bathing. Mineral concentration of simple hot spring and Basukurin bath (120g powder/360l simple hot spring) were 0.019% and 0.052%, respectively. The temperature and duration of bathing were both 41°C for 10min.
In normotensives, only systolic BP and TPR were significantly decreased 30min after the simple and Basukurin bathing by the same degree. HR was significantly increased throughout 30min after both bathing. CO was increased only after 10min of Basuku rin bathing. In hypertensives, systolic and diastolic BP and TPR were significantly decreased throughout 30min after simple and Basukurin bathing. The decrement in BP and TPR, however were significantly greater in Basukurin bathing. HR and CO were significantly increased after both bathing. Forehead DBT was significantly elevated after both bathing and gradually decreased throughout 30min of observation. In Basukurin bathing, although the increment in DBT was greater than simple hot spring bathing, the decrease was slower than simple hot spring bathing suggsting the protection from heat radiation by Basukurin bathing. PRA and plasma NE concentration examined in hypertensive subjects after 30min of bathing were significantly elevated only in Basukurin bathing. Although arterial gas concentration and pH were not changed after bathing, venous blood pO₂ and pH were significantly increased and pCO₂ was significantly decreased after 10min of Basukurin bathing.
These data indicates that single Basukurin bathing has more potent hypotensive effect due to vasodilation than simple hot spring. Enhanced vasodilation by Basukurin bathing is probably derived from the protection of heat radiation from the skin by the formtion of thin mineral film on the skin. Increased venous blood pO₂ and pH and decreased pCO₂ represents also the improvement of peripheral circulation assisted by vasodilation and elevated CO.

Phthalides and ligustilide in Senkyu extract and limonene and fravonoids in Chimpi extract have been reported to have strong vasodilation effects.
In the present study the circulatory effects of Senkyu and Chimpi extract (crude drug extract) were studied as bath agent in 40.0°C bath water (Senkyu ext. 224mg and Chimpi ext. 272mg/2001). Thirteen healthy men (36.2±5.8 years old) took a bath at 40.0°C for 10 min with and without (only with flavor and dye) crude drug extract and the circulatory effects were followed for 30 min after bathing.
Heart rate and cardiac output were increased equally by 10 min bathing either with or without crude drug extract. Although systolic blood pressure was slightly increased during bathing, diastolic blood pressure and total peripheral resistance were significantly decreased during and after bathing with and without crude drug extract. Forehead skin blood flow and sublingual temperature were significantly increased during bathing, and remained at higher level for 10-30 min after bathing with crude drug extract. Venous blood pO₂ and pH were significantly increased and pCO₂ was decreased equally with and without crude drug extract. Plasma NE was significantly increased by bathing with crude drug extract.
Bath agent with Senkyu and Chimpi extract are considered favorable as bath agent to keep high skin blood flow and sublingual temperature probably due to its vasodilating effects.

  A 4–year trial of an undergraduate medical care education program for smoking cessation with the participation of simulated patients is described. Simulated medical care with the participation of simulated patients is thought to motivate medical students to learn clinical skills for smoking cessation. However, simulated medical care for smoking cessation is difficult to plan when both the medical students and the simulated patients are nonsmokers.