The purpose of this study was to compare the oxygen uptake(VO_2), heart rate(HR), and blood pressure responses between cycling and walking at sub maxim al intensities in older adults. Twenty-one subjects walked onthe treadmill and exercised on the stationary cycling ergometer at three intensities(walking at 50 m/min, 70 m/min and 90 m/min; cycling at 45 W, 60 W, and 75 W) for 5 minutes. When analysis of covariance was used to statistically control for differences in HR at a given V0_2, there were significant differences in V0_2 for each exercise mode. No significant differences, however, were observed in these physiological parameters between the two exercises at the same intensity (lactate threshold level) in older adults. The data indicate that the physiological responses to walking and cycling at light to moderate intensities are similar in older adults.

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This study was designed to determine if the effects of change in exercise rhythm on physiological responses could be reduced by the control of breathing during exercise. Seven healthy volunteers, four women and three men, took part in this study as subjects. The responses of breath ing rhythms to increased exercise rhythms and the intensity were examined under two breathing conditions, normal breathing (NB) and controlled frequency breathing (CFB) whose breathing frequency was 20f/min and entrained exercise rhythms. In both conditions, work intensity was 1 kp and base line pedaling rate was controlled with 40 rpm. As a change of exercise rhythms, the pedaling rate was changed to 1 min every 4 min in order of 60, 80 and 100 rpm in 19 min exercise. At the change in exercise rhythms in CFB condition, VE and VCO_2 increased with elevation of work intensity enough to exhaust produced C0_2. The slope of the regression line with PETC0_2/VC0_2 expressed as ventilatory efficiency was significantly efficient in CFB compared with NB condition. Heart rate (HR) responses were shown similar with the change of exercise rhythm in both conditions, however in NB condition, the correlation between change in breathing frequency and change in HR was significant. These results suggest that the control of breathing improved ventilatory efficiency at the change in exercise rhythms and work intensities.

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This study was designed to clarify the relationships between the severity and the coping behaviors of asthmatics. Two hundred and ten in- and out- patients with bronchial astluma in an Osaka hospital completed the questionnaire. The subjects included 109 men and 101 women with a mean age of 51.8±11.8 years. Of these patients, 64 had intermittent asthma, 89 had mild level asthma, 39 had middle level asthma, and 18 had serious level asthma. Six factors: l)positive adjustment, 2)direct action, 3)independence, 4)reappraisal of the problem, 5)optimizing, and 6)escape, were extracted from the 22 items of the scale of behaviors for asthmatics by factor analysis. These were found to well reflect the coping behaviors' classification described by Lazarus & Folkman (1984) or Okaya (1988). The patients with middle and serious levels of asthma significantly have more difficulty using 'optimistic' behavior than other groups. Compared to the other groups, the patients of serious level used 'positive adjustment' more than other groups, and used 'direct action' less than other groups, but these differences were not significant.

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The purpose of this study is to investigate the relation between the perceived texture, observed by looking at the fabrics, and their physical characteristics such as the geometrical structure of the fabric and their optical properties in reflected light. 1. Three factors of psychophysics were extracted from the sensory evaluation observed by looking at the fabrics. The first factor was texture sensitivity, the second factor was evaluation and the third factor was activity. 2. The perceived texture was much more influenced by the geometry of the fabric surface than by the surface color. 3. Texture sensitivity arising from the light stimuli of vision was measured by Scheffe's Paired Comparison Method using six pairs of adjectives. The most influence characteristic of the fabric structure on the perceived texture was revealed on the yarn thickness, the yarn count of cotton.

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For high-intensity leg cycle exercise, the tolerable duration (t) is well characterized as a hyperbolic function of power output (P):(P-θ_F)・t=W', where θ_F is the power asymptote (called "fatigue threshold") and W' is the curvature constant. It is not known whether this hyperbola is also seen during arm cranking exercise. Therefore, we investigated the relationship between P and t during arm cranking exercise in six healthy male subjects. It was confirmed by the linearity of P to the inverse of t, i.e., P=W'・(1/t)+θ_F whether P-t relationship is actually hyperbolic. As a result, the linear regression analysis of P-(1/t) relationship showed high correlation coefficients (r=0.988±0.021). In conclusion, during arm cranking exercise, the relationship between P and t can be represented as a hyperbolic function as well as in the case of leg cycling exercise (the P-(1/t) linearity: r=0.988±0.012 in the same 6 subjects).

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The research group called PADEE(Physio-Anthropologieal Dwelling Environment Evaluation)have put a continuing effort to establish the methodology on how to evaluate living environment since it was organized in 1995. As part of research activities of PADEE, the current members decided to write a preview on the related study with a brief introduction of the important papers. Although the present report may not cover every study on the related areas, we hope it could be of great help for young scientists who would initiate his/her study in relation to evaluation of living environment.

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