Relationships between feeding behaviors and emotions : an electroencephalogram (EEG) frequency analysis study

Feeding behaviors may be easily affected by emotions, both being based on brain activity; however, the relationships between them have not been explicitly defined. In this study, we investigated how emotional environments modulate subjective feelings, brain activity, and feeding behaviors. Electroencephalogram (EEG) recordings were obtained from healthy participants in conditions of virtual comfortable space (CS) and uncomfortable space (UCS) while eating chocolate, and the times required for eating it were measured. We found that the more participants tended to feel comfortable under the CS, the more it took time to eat in the UCS. However, the EEG emergence patterns in the two virtual spaces varied across the individuals. Upon focusing on the theta and low-beta bands, the strength of the mental condition and eating times were found to be guided by these frequency bands. The results determined that the theta and low-beta bands are likely important and relevant waves for feeding behaviors under emotional circumstances, following alterations in mental conditions

EDA-BASED ESTIMATION OF VISUAL ATTENTION BY OBSERVATION OF EYE BLINK FREQUENCY

This paper describes the relationship between visual attention and eye blink frequency. In an experiment, we prompted the activation of a subject's visual attention and examined the influence of visual attention (as measured using electrodermal activity (EDA), which is meaningfully correlated with visual attention) on the subject's eye blink frequency. Experimental results show that engagement of visual attention decreased eye blink frequency and that when visual attention was not activated, eye blink frequency increased. Knowledge of this relationship provides a technique using EDA to objectively determining a subject's visual attention status

Induction of macrophage migration inhibitory factor precedes the onset of acute tonsillitis.

We investigated the serum macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) levels of palmoplantar pustulosis patients, before and after the tonsillar provocation test. Higher serum MIF levels of palmoplantar pustulosis patients were decreased after the tonsillar provocation test (n=29). To confirm these phenomena, two patients with acute tonsillitis had their changes in body temperature, C-reactive protein (CRP) and serum MIF levels examined during the course of their illness. Surprisingly, increased MIF preceded fever and CRP elevation, and MIF subsequently decreased at the onset of fever and CRP elevation. Since MIF is an initiator of other proinflammatory cytokines, we suggest that the induction of MIF may precede other inflammatory conditions

Variantes genéticas en el locus 9p21 contribuyen al desarrollo de arteriosclerosis a través de la modulación de ANRIL y CDKN2A/B

Registro creado en correspondencia al grado de doctora de Ada Congrains Castillo.Los estudios de asociación de todo el genoma (GWAS) han identificado variantes genéticas que contribuyen al riesgo de enfermedad cardiovascular (ECV) en el locus del cromosoma 9p21. La región asociada a CVD es adyacente a los dos inhibidores de quinasas dependientes de ciclina (CDKN) 2A y 2B y los últimos exones del ARN no codificante, ANRIL. Todavía no está claro cuál de estas transcripciones o cómo están involucradas en la patogénesis de la aterosclerosis.Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have identified genetic variants contributing to the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) at the chromosome 9p21 locus. The CVD-associated region is adjacent to the two cyclin dependent kinase inhibitors (CDKN)2A and 2B and the last exons of the non-coding RNA, ANRIL. It is still not clear which of or how these transcripts are involved in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis.Japón. Programa de Promoción de Estudios Fundamentales en el Instituto Nacional de Innovación Biomédica de Japón (HR: 22-2-5), el Ministerio de Educación, Cultura, Deportes, Ciencia y Tecnología de Japón (KK: 22510211) y la Fundación NOVARTIS para la Investigación Gerontológica (KK).Tesi