Recently our intensive attention has been drawn to the effects of the air pollution on the respiratory organs. The authers have studied the vital capacity and timed vital capacity of the adults and children living in the Spa (hydrogen sulfide containing acid Spring Kusatsu) and the sulfur mine where the atomospheric air contains a small quantity of H₂S under 2ppm in spa and SO₂ under 1ppm in spa, and following results were obtained;
1. There was no significant difference in height and body weight among the children in the mine, the spa and the control district.
2. In the mine, many children complained of subjective symptoms concerning the respiratory organs.
3. Elevated vital capacity was found in the mine children.
4. There was no significant difference in the timed vital capacity between the control and the spa children.
5. In the control and the spa, the height showed the highest correlation to the vital capacity with men and the body weight to the vital capacity with women.
Concerning the partial correlation except the age factor, there was a higher correlation between the vital capacity and body weight than between the vital capacity and the height both with boys and girls.
6. Our results supported the Hewlett-Jackson's fomula in regression equation which can be used to predict the vital capacity.
7. There was no significant difference in the vital capacity of the residents between the two mines, which have different environmental and occupational conditions each other.
8. Concerning the timed vital capacity, there was no significant difference between these mines, but it was lower in the mine workers than in the office workers of the mine.
9. No significant difference in the timed vital capacity was proved between the smoker and non-smoker in the mine.

The sweet taste receptors present in the taste buds are heterodimers comprised of T1R2 and T1R3. This receptor is also expressed in pancreatic beta-cells. When the expression of receptor subunits is determined in beta-cells by quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction, the mRNA expression level of T1R2 is extremely low compared to that of T1R3. In fact, the expression of T1R2 is undetectable at the protein level. Furthermore, knockdown of T1R2 does not affect the effect of sweet molecules, whereas knockdown of T1R3 markedly attenuates the effect of sweet molecules. Consequently, a homodimer of T1R3 functions as a receptor sensing sweet molecules in beta-cells, which we designate as sweet taste-sensing receptors (STSRs). Various sweet molecules activate STSR in beta-cells and augment insulin secretion. With regard to intracellular signals, sweet molecules act on STSRs and increase cytoplasmic Ca2+ and/or cyclic AMP (cAMP). Specifically, when an STSR is stimulated by one of four different sweet molecules (sucralose, acesulfame potassium, sodium saccharin, or glycyrrhizin), distinct signaling pathways are activated. Patterns of changes in cytoplasmic Ca2+ and/or cAMP induced by these sweet molecules are all different from each other. Hence, sweet molecules activate STSRs by acting as biased agonists.
Bias (Epidemiology)* ; Calcium ; Cyclic AMP ; Cytoplasm ; Insulin ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Potassium ; Reverse Transcription ; RNA, Messenger ; Saccharin ; Sodium ; Taste Buds

Objectives: Many patients with osteoporotic fragile fracture often suffer from dysphagia that results in malnutrition, further deterioration of physical strength, and rehabilitation difficulties. This study aims to investigate the risk factors for dysphagia in hospitalized patients with osteoporotic vertebral and/or hip fractures. Methods: Between January 2020 and December 2021, 569 inpatients were managed for osteoporotic vertebral or hip fractures. Of these, 503 patients were analyzed and 66 were excluded as the required data could not be obtained or dysphagia with causative diseases such as cerebrovascular disease. The patients were divided into 2 groups: patients with dysphagia (P-group) and patients without dysphagia (N-group). We investigated gender, fracture site, age, systemic skeletal muscle mass index (SMI), bone mineral density (BMD), and body mass index (BMI) in early stage of hospitalization and studied their relationship with dysphagia. Results: There were no significant differences in gender and fracture site between the 2 groups. A significant difference was observed in age, SMI, BMD, and BMI (P < 0.01). We performed a logistic regression analysis with the P-group as the objective variable and age, SMI, BMD, and BMI as explanatory variables. We divided objective groups into all patients, patients with vertebral fracture, patients with hip fracture, men, and women. SMI was an independent risk factor in all groups. Conclusions Lower SMI was a risk factor for dysphagia in hospitalized patients with osteoporotic vertebral and hip fractures. We carefully observed swallowing function of patients with decreased SMI to maintain the nutritional status and prevent rehabilitation difficulties.