We examined the effect of cognitive control level in mental arithmetic tasks on the activity of frontal theta based on the Skill-Rule-Knowledge model (SRK model). The SRK model is composed of three types of cognitive control levels: Skill-based, Rule-based, and Knowledge-based, and the proficiency in behavior decreases in the order of Skill-based, Rule-based, and Knowledge-based. Three mental arithmetic tasks (Skill task, Rule task, Knowledge task) based on the SRK model were performed on 18 healthy men, and EEG during the mental arithmetic task was measured. As a result of the analysis, behavioral performance showed data in line with the characteristics of the cognitive control level of the SRK model. Furthermore, EEG data showed that the activity in frontal theta band increased in the order of Skill-based, Rule-based, Knowledge-based, however, there was no statistically significant difference between Skill-based and Rule-based. This result suggests that the cognitive control in Rule-based is similar to the cognitive control in Skill-based when the participants are proficient in the behavior.

  The stimulation of skin cold receptors over the working muscle induces high-threshold motor unit recruitment during low-intensity contraction. Moreover, skin cooling at a lower temperature over the agonist muscles increases electromyography activity and the rate of force development (RFD). The current study aimed to examine the effect of short-term low-intensity strength training with skin cooling over the agonist muscles on leg extension force, RFD, and physical fitness among 11 elderly women. The participants were divided into the skin cooling group and the control group, and they carried out strength training, which comprised 50 repeated knee flexion exercises using an elastic band for 7 weeks. Post-training handgrip power and walking speed significantly improved compared with the baseline levels in both groups. However, the knee flexion force did not increase. The RFD at 0-100 and 0-200 ms significantly increased in the skin cooling group compared with the control group. A weak correlation was observed between the changes in RFD and walking speed. These results suggest that even low-intensity resistance training could be an effective as introductory training for the elderly. Moreover, the addition of skin cooling during training could reinforce instantaneous muscle activity.

  We quantified lumbar lordosis and thoracic kyphosis in standing posture by three-dimensional measurement and investigated their gender differences and changes with pelvic forward tilt. Subjects were healthy young adults (25 men and 25 women). The subjects maintained a quiet standing and a standing with maximum pelvic forward tilt for 10 seconds each, with eyes closed. Three-dimensional spatial coordinates of 6 body parts were identified: the 7th cervical vertebra (C7), maximum backward point of thoracic kyphosis, maximum forward point of lumbar lordosis, 1st sacral vertebra (S1), right anterior superior iliac spine, and right posterior superior iliac spine. The lumbar lordosis and thoracic kyphosis were identified using a conformateur. The curvature degree was evaluated by the relative distance from the lumbar lordosis point or thoracic kyphosis point to the straight line between C7 and S1. In quiet standing, the lumbar lordosis was significantly greater in women and the thoracic kyphosis in men. With the pelvis tilt forward, the lordosis increased, and the kyphosis decreased, significantly in both men and women. No gender differences were found in these changes. In women, there was a moderate correlation between the lumbar lordosis and thoracic kyphosis in both quiet and pelvic tilt standing (quiet r = 0.600; pelvic tilt r = 0.572; ps < 0.01), suggesting that their curvatures would change with related to each other. In men, no correlation was found between them, suggesting the independence of each curvature.

[Introduction] The prevalence of upper respiratory infection has been reported to increase due to excessive exercise. Although the effects of short-term exercise load on immune function have been studied, a few reports have evaluated the effects of prolonged exercise load. Therefore, we focused on a rugby club training camp, in order to examine the effects of prolonged high-intensity exercise load on cell-mediated immunity.

[Methods] The subjects were 10 male university students who were members of rugby football clubs. Blood samples were collected from the subjects before and after a 25-day training camp. The count of T helper 1 (Th1) and T helper 2 (Th2), Th1/Th2 ratio, noradrenaline were measured.

[Results] Th1 (pre: 20.5 ± 1.0%, post: 16.8 ± 0.8%, p < 0.01) and Th1/Th2 ratio (pre: 11.4 ± 0.9%, post: 8.8 ± 0.4%, p < 0.01) showed a significantly low value after the camp in comparison with before the camp. Th2 (pre: 1.9 ± 0.1%，post: 1.9 ± 0.1%, n.s.) and Noradrenaline (pre: 393.5 ± 36.5 pg/mL, post: 482.4 ± 38.3 pg/mL, p = 0.057) showed no significant difference.

[Conclusions] In this study involving male university students, Th1 and the Th1/Th2 ratio decreased after the 25-day exercise load, suggesting a suppression in cell-mediated immunity.

Background: Smoking and alcohol consumption are common risk factors associated with lifestyle diseases, such as cancer, and various health-related problems. Previous studies have suggested that the level of an individual’s health literacy (HL) can affect their health-related behaviors. However, little research has been conducted to assess the relationship between HL and alcohol consumption or smoking among Japanese people. Therefore, the present study aimed to conduct a literature review to assess this relationship.

Methods: We performed a literature review using databases such as PubMed, CiNii, Ichushi-Web (Japana centra revuo medicina), and Medical Online to search for English and Japanese articles. The main search terms used were “health literacy,” “scales,” “alcohol consumption,” and “smoking.” We examined whether the level of HL was associated with alcohol consumption and smoking in Japanese people in the studies identified.

Results: We identified eight articles in total. Seven of these studies examined the association between HL and alcohol consumption, two of which were significant (one of univariate analysis and one of multivariate analysis). All eight studies examined the association between HL and smoking, two of which were significant (two of multivariate analyses).

Conclusion: Some studies identified a significant association between HL and alcohol consumption and smoking; however, whether this holds true in the Japanese population was not clear. Further investigation of this association requires intervention and longitudinal studies to establish the relationship between HL and alcohol consumption and smoking among Japanese people.