Effects of mild calorie restriction and high-intensity interval walking in middle-aged and older overweight Japanese

We investigated whether a combination of mild calorie restriction (MCR) and high-intensity interval walking (HIW) improved physical fitness more than HIW alone in middle-aged and older overweight Japanese (40-69 years old, BMI >= 23.6 kg/m(2)). Forty-seven women and 16 men were divided into MCR + HIW and HIW groups. All subjects performed HIW: >= 5 sets of 3-min low-intensity walking (40% peak aerobic capacity for walking, VO2peak) and 3-min high-intensity walking (>= 70% VO2peak) per day, >= 4 days per week, for 16 weeks while energy expenditure was monitored with a tri-axial accelerometer. The MCR + HIW group consumed meal replacement formula (240 kcal): a mixture of low-carbohydrates and -fat and high-protein, for either lunch or dinner everyday and therefore, had similar to 87% of the energy intake of the HIW group during the intervention period. Although the HIW group showed improvements in BMI, blood pressure, and several blood chemicals, the MCR + HIW group had greater improvement. Moreover, the medical expenditure for the 6 months including the intervention period was 59% lower in the MCR + HIW group than in the HIW group. Our strategy of a short-term combination of MCR and HIW may thus prevent lifestyle-associated diseases and improve health in middle-aged and older overweight Japanese.ArticleEXPERIMENTAL GERONTOLOGY. 44(10):666-675 (2009)journal articl

Distribution pattern and habitat use of the protandrous shrimp Pandalus latirostris in relation to environmental characteristics in Akkeshi waters on the pacific coast of eastern Hokkaido, Japan

A sampling of the protandric shrimp, Pandalus latirostris, was conducted at fixed sites from July 2015 to March 2020 in Akkeshi Bay and the connecting Lake Akkeshi on the Pacific coast of eastern Hokkaido. Based on the occurrence pattern of P. latirostris, most individuals begin mating as males at Age-1, followed by a sex change to females, spawn eggs as females at Age-2, and hatch their eggs in the spring of Age-3. Pre-hatching ovigerous females were mainly found in eelgrass beds near and in Lake Akkeshi, where the water temperature was relatively high. The females probably migrate there to hatch their eggs, making sure of the high survival and growth of the hatched larvae. Juveniles and small males were also abundant in near and in Lake Akkeshi, indicating that many larvae remained in the eelgrass beds where they hatched. These eelgrass beds play an important role in the maintenance of the shrimp population as a major egg-hatching site and nursery habitat in Akkeshi waters. With ontogenetic development, the occurrence rate of P. latirostris gradually increased on the offshore side of Akkeshi Bay, with its body size being larger. As P. latirostris grow, they will probably disperse to the offshore side of Akkeshi Bay. However, the density of P. latirostris in the eelgrass bed in the bay near the lake was extremely high, with its strong preference at all ontogenetic stages. This eelgrass bed would help maintain the shrimp population as a “key habitat” for the shrimp. The site-specific environmental characteristics of vegetation beds influence the distribution and abundance of individuals within a population of P. latirostris through their growth and the associated change in habitat preference. In this study, the importance of maintaining the diverse habitats of P. latirostris will be discussed as part of the shrimp stock management measures

Evaluation of seafloor environmental characteristics of harvesting ground of a kelp Saccharina longissima using GIS in the Pacific coastal area of eastern Hokkaido, Japan

The characteristics of the seafloor environment of the harvesting grounds of the kelp, Saccharina longissima, were evaluated by spatial analysis using a geographic information system (GIS) in the Pacific coastal area of eastern Hokkaido. The kelp harvesting grounds were formed in water depths ranging from 1.2 m to 9.6 m, slopes ranging from 0° to 16.3°, bottom substrate (coarseness score) ranging from 1.82 to 3.00, bottom current velocities ranging from 0.7 cm/s to 116.4 cm/s, and a maximum slope of 37.6°. These values include the viable environmental conditions for the kelp. The kelp growth parameters estimated from kelp measurement data before the harvesting season were positively related to the bottom current velocity. This suggests that the bottom current velocity has a significant effect on kelp growth. The 58 harvesting grounds were classified into two categories based on their growth: those with high kelp growth and those with low kelp growth. Based on a decision tree model, the differences between the two harvesting ground categories were explained by the bottom current velocity, maximum slope, and bottom substrate. In addition, their specific environmental conditions were also quantified. The quantified environmental conditions were also used to create a potential map for the kelp growth in the harvesting grounds. This study provides an understanding of the environmental characteristics of the kelp harvesting grounds, as well as a procedure for mapping the kelp growth potential, thus contributing to the sustainable use of the kelp resources through kelp harvesting ground management and maintenance.This study was supported by the management expense grants of FRA, Japan and by the commissioned project for the survey on the fisheries infrastructure development of the Fisheries Agency “ Development of Methods for Selecting Sites Suitable for the Kelp Harvesting Grounds Based on the Elucidation of Marine Environmental Conditions Favorable to the Kelp Growth (2017–2019)”