Maximal expiratory flow-volume (MEFV) curves have been utilized in the diagnosis of chronic obstructive lung diseases, in the survey of air pollution, and in studies of respiratory functions in school children. Indices for the lower lung volumes of MEFV curves have been used in statistical analysis or individual evaluation because of their effort independence, while indices for higher lung volumes of MEFV curves, which were considered to be effort-dependent, have not been used. A few reports using indices for higher and lower lung volumes have been described because the indices for higher lung volumes are as reproducible to the maximal expiration as those for lower lung volumes. Recently, MEFV-type analysis has been studied and this analysis has been useful in assessing the effects of smoking on MEFV curves, or in assessing subjects with nasal allergies or those with prior nasal allergies. From the aspects of hygiene, this review mainly describes MEFV-type analysis and the quantitative analysis of discriminant analysis.

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The concentrations of testosterone (TS) and other related hormones in serum were examined before and after physical exercise with a bicycle ergometer (90 Watts, 20min.) and a cold water stimulation in 32 19-year-old males. While exercising, the serum TS level significantly increased by 20.8% (p<0.05), the luteinizing hormone (LH) level by 3.6% (p<0.05) and noradrenaline (NA) level by 140.0% (p<0.01).
During cold water stimulation, TS decreased by 10.0%, LH increased by 22.1% and NA decreased by 23.8%.
Based on changes in hormone levels within the individual during the loads, there was a significant positive correlation coefficient (r) between TS and LH, and between TS and NA, with r (TS-LH)=0.399 (p<0.05) and r (TS-NA)=0.481 (p<0.05) for physical exercise, while r (TS-LH)=0.403 (p<0.05) and r (TS-NA)=0.431 (p<0.05) for cold water stimulation, respectively.
These results suggest that physical exercise increases TS level in serum by increasing LH and NA levels, but these tendencies were not found with cold water stimulation.

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To investigate the effects of whole-body microwave exposure on plasma adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), thyroxine (T₄) and free triiodothyronine (T₃) levels, rats weighing 267-306g (light group) and 352-387g (heavy group) were exposed to microwaves with a frequency of 2, 450MHz at the power densities of 5 and 10mW/cm² under an ambient temperature of 21°C to 23°C for an hour. Rectal temperatures were increased by 1.0°C at 5mW/cm² and 2.1°C at 10mW/cm² in the light group, and by 0.7°C at 5mW/cm² and 1.5°C at 10mW/cm² in the heavy group after microwave exposure. Plasma levels of ACTH increased significantly at 10mW/cm² in the light group and 5 and 10mW/cm² in the heavy group after microwave exposure. Plasma levels of TSH increased significantly at 10mW/cm² only in the light group. As for plasma levels of free T₃, a significant decrease at 10mW/cm² was observed only in the heavy group. However, plasma levels of T₄ did not change in either group after microwave exposure.

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The genotoxic effect of maternal exposure to diesel engine exhaust was studied by analyses of sister chromatid exchanges (SCEs) and formation of micronuclei with fetal liver cells. Fetal liver cells were obtained from pregnant ICR/JCl mice at the 16th day of gestation. Diesel engine exhaust was generated by running a small engine (YANMAR NSA-40CE, used as an electric generator, displacement: 269cc). The concentrations of pollutants in the inhalation chamber were as follows; CO: 40-100ppm, NO₂: 2-4ppm, and particulates: 2-4mg/m³. Maternal mice were divided into three groups: the long-term exposure group, the short-term exposure group and the non-exposed control. Mice of the long-term group were exposed to the exhaust 4 hours daily from day 0 to the 16th day of gestation. Mice of the short-term group were similarly exposed but only on the 15th and 16th days of gestation.
The number of SCEs of fetal liver cells was significantly increased in both the exposed groups. The long-term exposure group showed a significant increase in the number of SCEs in comparison with that of the short-term exposure group. In the micronucleus test with fetal liver cells, no significant change in the frequency of micronucleated cells was induced by exposure to diesel exhaust.

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Adult Chironomidae (Diptera, particularly Chironomus plumosus and Tokunagayusurika akamusi) emerging from eutrophic lakes or polluted bodies of water in Japan have become intolerable because they pose a severe nuisance and cause economic problems. In the Lake Suwa area, massive flights of adult midges of T. akamusi have occurred frequently, and caused problems in the daily life of local residents or for the tourist business.
The author tried to clarify the biological and hygienic problems involved in these massive flights. In order to control adult midges, the distribution of larvae in the lake, the period and quantity of emergence from water, the time of flight, and the dispersal range of T. akamusi midges were studied. The results obtained are as follows:
1. Larvae of T. akamusi are distributed over the whole lake, especially in the east and southeast part with high densities. Mean biomass was about 100g wet weight/m² in Lake Suwa. On the shore near these areas, dense swarms of adult midges were found.
2. Emergence of T. akamusi from Lake Suwa was observed at the end of September and lasted till the middle of November. The emergence peaked in the middle of October. The time of flight was mainly at 17:30-19:30.
3. The dispersal ranges of adult midges were confirmed with two methods, i. e. the ordinary light trap method and a questionnaire survey of 544 residents. The result obtained with the questionnaire survey was consistent with that of the light trap method and the questionnaire survey made it possible to collect information in a wider area than the usual one.
4. T. akamusi midges reached areas over 3km from the lake, but more than 90 percent of the midges flew within 500m of the lake's shoreline. However, even in the more distant places where there was a source of bright light there were many adult midges.
5. The wind (at 18:30) was the main factor which expanded the dispersal range of adults. We observed that many adults appeared after a strong wind (6-7m/s).
6. Many adult midges were collected by light trap at the top of a building with a height of 45 meters.

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In order to make clear the present “nuisance” caused by chironomid midges around a eutrophic lake, a questionnaire survey of 249 leaders of the Hygiene Self-governing Association of the cities of Suwa and Okaya and the town of Shimosuwa near Lake Suwa was conducted. The results are as follows:
1. More than 90% of the respondents had specific knowledge about the chironomid midge, but 40% of them didn't know about its role as a purifier in the lake.
2. More than 10% of respondents answered that they were “can not able to stand any more” massive flights of chironomid midges, and about half of them lived within 500m of the lake shore. The damages “nuisances” were “ruining laundry or defacing walls (67.1%) and “contamination of food (15.3%)”, suggesting that chironomid midges influenced the daily life of the residents.
3. The selected causes of massive flights of chironomid midges were “pollution in Lake Suwa” and “decreases in the numbers of birds and dragonflies” as well as others. This means that the deterioration of the environmental situation around the lake may cause the “nuisance” of chironomid midges.
4. The respondents were more strongly interested in counterplans for the control of the chironomid midges made by administrative authorities than in plans made by each family.
5. “The distance from the lake shore” was the major factor contributing to the impression of chironomid damage. “The occupation of the respondent” was the second important factor.
To redirect the insect flights away from the residential area, and to decrease the number of adult midges coming from the lake, are thought to be the most important measures for the resolution of this problem.

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In the present paper the author tried to forecast the massive emergence of adult Tokunagayusurika akamusi midges from Lake Suwa. Furthermore, several control measures for chironomids were examined. The results obtained are as follows:
1. The forecast for the emergence of adult midges from the lake. A survey of the chironomid larva population was carried out at three stations in the lake. T. akamusi emerged at about the tenth day after the decrease of the larval number and at this time the temperature of the bottom water was within the range of 11-18°C. The flights of adult midges were closely related to environmental factors such as air temperature, the strength and the direction of the wind and the light conditions.
2. The attraction of adult midges to lamps of various colors and wattages was studied. A comparative study on various colors of lights of the same intensity (100W) showed that white was more attractive to chironomids than yellow, and that both colors were preferred to red, green, or blue. The experiment on light intensity showed that 100W was more effective than 40W and 20W and that no differences in preference were observed between 100W and 60W white lamps. Therefore, the light intensity was thought to be more important than color for the control of adult midges.
3. Cyprinus is the natural enemy of the larva and pupae of T. akamusi. The total numbers of adult T. akamusi emerging from Enclosure A (in which there were 10 times as many Cyprinus as in the natural lake water), Enclosure B (no predator was present), and Station C (the natural lake) were 458, 1108, and 684ind./m², respectively. It was estimated that 38% of larvae or pupae were eaten by the fish in the lake, and by putting Cyprinus into the water, the percentage increased to 58%. It seems that Cyprinus has a significant effect in reducing the number of midges in field trials.
4. The control of T. akamusi may also be achieved by employing general prevention, by physical and biological means, depending upon the nature of the breeding source, and the cooperation of inhabitants and persons concerned is necessary to carry out the control of adult midges.
5. The proposals for the control of the nuisance caused by chironomid midges are as follows:
(1) To make the inhabitants aware of the ecological role of chironomids in the lake, and the importance of protection of the natural ecosystem. Monitoring of the lake should be better organized and should be carried out regularly.
(2) Town planning which is in harmony with the environment should be proposed.
(3) The restoration and conservation of the ecosystem in the littoral zone (increases of aquatic plants, small fish, aquatic insects, etc.).
(4) Lake Suwa and rivers flowing into it should be cleaned up to stop the progress of eutrophication of the lake.

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Three aspects of the recognition of stress in 665 workers were investigated; namely, causes of stress, stress reactions and modifying factors. We examined the relationship among these aspects, in order to determine some different types of recognition. Several characteristics of the different recognition groups were also examined.
1) The workers who recognized that the causes of their stress were mainly “daily hassles” or “minor events which happened occasionally” accounted for 82.5% of all subjects, and the workers who recognized that their stress was caused mainly by “major life events” accounted for the remaining 17.5%.
2) The subjective stress of the workers in the “major life events” group was significantly larger than that of the workers in “daily hassles”.
3) The group with stress due to “daily hassles or minor events” recognized the stress reaction mainly as “irritability”, and their actual stressor was “busyness in work”. In contrast, the recognition of a stress reaction due to a “major life event” group was represented by “depression/anxiety”, and their actual stressors were not only major events such as “promotion or transfer” but also psychological factors such as “low emotional support of family members”.
4) The mean age and rank of the “major life event” group were significantly higher than those of the other group.

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[in Japanese]

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The urinary excretions of norepinephrine (NE) and epinephrine (EP) were measured to investigate the physiological effects of girdles worn by women to look attractive.
1) The urinary excretion of NE was remarkably increased by the wearing of a girdle in all the subjects examined, whether living conditions and stimulations were changed or remained unchanged.
2) The urinary excretion of NE was increased by wearing a girdle, regardless of the type of girdle or its intensity of compression.
3) The urinary excretion of NE tended to increase more by the wearing of a bodysuit having a large area of body compression than by the wearing of a girdle having a narrow area of compression.
4) The urinary excretion of NE showed no specific pattern of change, even when the subjects were accustomed to the use of a girdle.
These findings may indicate that a girdle of even the best-fitting size exerts a kind of stress on the human body.

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A survey on health services provided in accordance with the Health Service Law for the Aged was conducted in 3, 278 cities, wards, towns, and villages throughout Japan in May 1985. Responses were returned from 2, 645 districts and data on beneficiaries of these health services in 2, 625 districts became available. Because the exact number of people constituting the subjects of health services could not be obtained, the service-acceptance rate was calculated by the number of people utilizing the services divided by the those in the population who were at least 40 years old. The service-acceptance rate was affected by both the size of the population of the local community and the methods of implementation of health services. Therefore, the mutual effects of population size and service methods were corrected by logistic regression analysis to find the relationship between methods of implementing health services and the response rate of the public in accepting the services. The service-acceptance rate was divided into two categories: one less than 30% and the other 30% and over. Odds ratios were calculated for an acceptance ratio of 30% and over.
The results were summarized as follows:
1. In the jurisdictions where the local organizations cooperated in notifying citizens about the results of their general health examination, in comparison with the areas where there was no cooperation, the odds ratio was found to be 2.40. A similar comparison was made between the communities with local cooperation for notification of a general health examination and those communities without it. The odds ratio for the former was found to be 1.66. It was concluded that the role of the local organization is significant in promoting citizens' acceptance of health examinations and it is important to create a fertile environment to nurture active regional organizations.
2. In the local communities where multiple health examinations were conducted simultaneously, in comparison with the communities where they were not, the odds ratio of the former was calculated to be 2.16, showing a correlation with high response rates. We concluded that the organizations in charge must conduct further studies to organize plans for examinations that are most suitable for the individual area.
3. The areas where sound arrangements were made to bring physicians from organizations for health examination to participate in the general health examination were compared with the areas without such arrangements. The odds ratio of the former was found to be 1.65, showing a relationship with high service-acceptance rates. It was concluded that mass examination with maximum efficacy will aid in improving health-service acceptance rates, compared with individual examinations.
4. The communities which held special meeting for their citizens to explain the results of the general health examination were compared with those communities which did not. The odds ratio of the former was computed to be 1.59, showing a correlation with the high acceptance ratio. Meeting to explain health data and other follow-up health education were considered important in achieving prevention of diseases of the aged, the primary purpose of health services.
5. The communities where citizens were required to bear the expense of general health examinations were compared with those communities where free services were offered. The odds ratio of the former was found to be 0.53, showing a correlation with low response rates. The availability of free health examinations may be considered significant in motivating citizens to accept the services. On the other hand, such a system may have a negative effect in nurturing individual awareness of one's own health care. Therefore the question should be studied in the context of total health care.

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The purpose of this study was to evaluate the role of ozone, a reactive product of environmental photochemical oxidation, in the development of pulmonary fibrosis. Male Wistar rats were exposed continuously to 0.5ppm ozone for 1, 4, 7 and 14 days, and alveolar macrophages and lavage fluid obtained by bronchoalveolar lavage were examined. The results were as follows:
1) The total protein content in the lavage fluid was significantly increased compared to the control at 1 to 7 days by ozone exposure. Both alveolar macrophage and neutrophil counts increased in response to ozone exposure. However, approximately 90% of the free cells recovered were alveolar macrophages throughout the exposure period.
2) The plasminogen activator (PA) activity released from alveolar macrophages did not change in the group exposed for 1 day. But the activities were significantly high in the groups exposed for 4 to 14 days.
3) The PA activity of the lavage fluid showed a marked increase on the 1st day of ozone exposure, and subsequently decreased rapidly. However, the significantly increased activity was maintained throughout the exposure period.
4) In contrast, the procoagulant (PC) activity was unchanged on the 1st day of ozone exposure but the activity increased significantly on the 4th day, and was maintained at a high level until the 14th day.
5) The elastase inhibitory capacity (EIC) of the lavage fluid was significantly increased compared to the control by ozone exposure, but this difference was not seen throughout the exposure period when the EIC was corrected for the total protein content in the lavage fluid.
These results revealed that both PA and PC activities increased in the alveolar fluid of rats exposed to 0.5ppm ozone. The transition in the respective activities suggested that the fibrinolytic pathway in the alveoli was enhanced early in the exposure to ozone, while the coagulation pathway was enhanced later. This imbalance in coagulation homeostasis may be important in the regulation of fibrotic responses in the lungs of rats exposed to ozone. These findings are in agreement with morphological reports indicating that ozone exposure initially damaged the alveoli and later caused pulmonary fibrosis.

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