The relationship between percent change in salivary α-amylase activity and fitness level (VO2peak and anaerobic threshold) following maximal cycling exercise in moderately trained male individuals

PURPOSE: Salivary α-amylase has been proposed as a biomaker for autonomic nervous system activity as well as mucosal immune function given that its realase into saliva is elicited by the stimulation of the salivary glands by sympathetic and parasympathetic activities. Clarifying how a individual’s fitness level will influence on the secretion of salivary α-amylase in response to exercise is a critical biological determinant of vulnerability to psychological and physiological stress. Although previous studies have shown the correlation between salivary α-amylase and exercise intensity, the relationship between autonomic nervous system activity and fitness level such as peak oxygen uptake (VO2peak) and anaerobic threshold still remain to be clarified. The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between percent change in salivary α-amylase activity and VO2peak, ventilatory threshold, and percent VO2peak at ventilatory threshold following maximal cycling exercise in moderately trained male individuals. METHODS: Moderately trained men [n=14; age: 19.9±1.4 year; height: 171.2±3.6 cm; body weight: 67.5±11.9 kg; body mass index: 23.0±3.5 kg/m2 ; body fat: 15.1 ±6.6 %; VO2peak: 58.4±9.5 ml/kg/min (mean±SD)] served as the subjects. After an overnight fast, all subjects performed an incremental cycling exercise until volitional exhaustion to obtain VO2peak on an electromagnetically braked cycle ergometer. Each subject performed a cycling exercise at an initial power output of 0 W for three minutes, which was increased by 25 W every 1 min until exhaustion. Pedaling frequency was 60 rpm. Expired gases and heart rate were continuously measured using a respiratory monitor system and electrocardiograph. At the 10-min period before and after maximal cycling exercise, salivary samples were collected and stored at -80 ℃ for the later detemination of salivary α-amylase activity using an enzymatic assay. Consequently, percent change in salivary α-amylase activity was calculated in order to evaluate a degree of stimulation for the autonomic nervous activity. RESULTS: The percent change in salivary α-amylase activity was significantly correlated with VO2peak and ventilatory threshold, respectively (p\u3c0.05). In contrast, no significant correlations were observed between percent change in salivary α-amylase activity and percent VO2peak at ventilatory threshold. CONCLUSIONS: The main findings of the present study indicate that augmented stimulation for autonomic nervous activity and mucosal immune defense at the basis of elevated secretion of salivary α-amylase following maximal effort of cycling appears to be correlated with higher fitness levels

Performing Shakespeare in Contemporary Japan: The Yamanote Jijosha’s The Tempest

In considering the Yamanote Jijosha’s The Tempest, this paper explores the significance of performing Shakespeare in contemporary Japan. The company’s The Tempest reveals to contemporary Japanese audiences the ambiguity of Shakespeare’s text by experimenting with the postdramatic and a new acting style. While critically pursuing the meaning and possibility of theatre and performing arts today, this version of The Tempest powerfully presents a critical view of the blindness and dumbness of contemporary Japan, as well as the world represented in the play

Brief Announcement: Give Me Some Slack: Efficient Network Measurements

Many networking applications require timely access to recent network measurements, which can be captured using a sliding window model. Maintaining such measurements is a challenging task due to the fast line speed and scarcity of fast memory in routers. In this work, we study the impact of allowing slack in the window size on the asymptotic requirements of sliding window problems. That is, the algorithm can dynamically adjust the window size between W and W(1+tau) where tau is a small positive parameter. We demonstrate this model\u27s attractiveness by showing that it enables efficient algorithms to problems such as Maximum and General-Summing that require Omega(W) bits even for constant factor approximations in the exact sliding window model. Additionally, for problems that admit sub-linear approximation algorithms such as Basic-Summing and Count-Distinct, the slack model enables a further asymptotic improvement. The main focus of our paper [{Ben Basat} et al., 2017] is on the widely studied Basic-Summing problem of computing the sum of the last W integers from {0,1 ...,R} in a stream. While it is known that Omega(W log{R}) bits are needed in the exact window model, we show that approximate windows allow an exponential space reduction for constant tau. Specifically, for tau=Theta(1), we present a space lower bound of Omega(log(RW)) bits. Additionally, we show an Omega(log ({W/epsilon})) lower bound for RW epsilon additive approximations and a Omega(log ({W/epsilon})+log log{R}) bits lower bound for (1+epsilon) multiplicative approximations. Our work is the first to study this problem in the exact and additive approximation settings. For all settings, we provide memory optimal algorithms that operate in worst case constant time. This strictly improves on the work of [Mayur Datar et al., 2002] for (1+epsilon)-multiplicative approximation that requires O(epsilon^{-1} log ({RW})log log ({RW})) space and performs updates in O(log ({RW})) worst case time. Finally, we show asymptotic improvements for the Count-Distinct, General-Summing and Maximum problems

chromatographic separation of some antiemetics on silica gel-surfactant impregnated thin-layer plates

A thin layer chromatographic (TLC) separation of five antiemetic agents on silica gel-surfactant impregnated plates using a mixture of ethanol-water-acetic acid (40:50:10) as developing system was studied. The visualization of the spots was done by exposure of the plates to iodine vapour. Of the two surfactants employed (polysorbate-80 and sodium lauryl sulfate) at various concentrations, sodium lauryl sulfate at 1.25% w/v concentration level exhibited the best separation ability.Keyword: Chromatography, antiemetics, Silica gel-surfactant, Thin-layer plate

Production and Characterisation of Diacylglycerols from Various Edible Oil Deodoriser Distillates By Lipasecatalysed Esterification

Diacylglycerols (DAG) are minor acylglycerols (< 10% w/w) found in edible oils and fats. Recently, 1 ,3-DAG has been found to prevent and manage obesity. Consequently, the novel industrial production process of 1,3-DAG was patented worldwide (US 2001/0004462) by Kao Corporation, Japan. In this work, an alternative process to produce 1 ,3-DAG was discovered. The process comprised of esterifying free fatty acids from edible oil deodoriser distillates with glycerol by using 1 ,3-position specific lipases. Deodoriser distillates from the processing of palm, soybean, canola and com oils were used. The effects of esterification reaction parameters such as the source of 1,3- position specific lipase, reaction time, lipase concentration, reaction temperature, total fatty acid to glycerol molar ratio, water and molecular sieves contents were conducted. Rhizomucor miehei lipase (Lipozyme® RM 1M) was found to be the best performing lipase. The reaction time required for optimum production of DAG is at 6 h for palm oil deodoriser distillate, and 4 to 5 h for soybean, canola and com oil deodoriser distillates. The following reaction parameters resulted in optimum yield of DAG: 10% (w/w) of Lipozyme® RM 1M, reaction temperature of 65 °C, total fatty acid to glycerol molar ratio of 2.5:1, total absence of water in the substrates, and the presence of molecular sieves of 30% (w/w). DAG yield of 60 to 72% and DAG purity of 82 to 85% were obtained. DAG produced from the deodoriser distillates and their various blends were characterised for their fatty acid and DAG compositions, iodine values (IV), thermal profiles, and slip melting points (SMP). The analytical results indicated that DAG produced from palm oil deodoriser distillate had lower degrees of unsaturation and, therefore, had higher melting points compared with that from soybean, canola and com oil deodoriser distillates. DAG produced from soybean oil deodoriser distillate had the highest degree of unsaturation. In the DAG produced from soybean, canola, and com oil deodoriser distillates, P.sitosterol, campesterol and stigmasterol were the dominant phytonutrients, while tocotrienols were the major phytonutrient in the DAG produced from palm oil deodoriser distillate. The phytosterol and vitamin E compositions in the DAG produced from the various blends varied according to the proportion of the distillate used

Nowoczesne środki transportu w poezji tanka i haiku okresów Meiji i Taishō

In this article, the author focuses on the modernization of Japan dur- ing the Meiji and Taishō eras, as it was reflected in the traditional Japa- nese poetic forms of tanka and haiku. Emphasis is put on the thematic shift in poems at the turn of the century, and selected examples of po- ems are presented to demonstrate primarily the application of terms referring to the modern means of transport which were becoming more common in Japan at that time, and thus gradually penetrating even into literature, including the sphere of lyric poetry. The author believes that at the turn of the century, the objects of modern society – being part of the new Japanese state – also became a form of the “new nature” depicted in modern Japanese poetry.Artykuł przedstawia modernizację Japonii w okresach Meiji i Taishō, ukazaną w tradycyjnej japońskiej poezji tanka i haiku. Szczególny nacisk położono na tematyczny zwrot w poezji na przełomie wieków XIX i XX, a wybrane przykłady utworów mają przede wszystkim na celu pokazanie zastosowania terminologii związanej ze współczesny- mi środkami transportu, które stawały się coraz powszechniejsze w Ja- ponii tego okresu, a także jej stopniowe wnikanie nawet do literatu- ry, włączając w to sferę poezji lirycznej. Autorka uważa, że na progu nowego stulecia przedmioty nowoczesnego życia społecznego – bę- dąc częścią nowego państwa japońskiego – stawały się równocześnie formami „nowej natury”, odmalowywanej we współczesnej poezji japońskiej

A thermodynamic characterization of future singularities?

In this Letter we consider three future singularities in different Friedmann-Lema\^{\i}tre-Robertson-Walker scenarios and show that the universe departs more and more from thermodynamic equilibrium as the corresponding singularity is approached. Though not proven in general, this feature may characterize future singularities of homogeneous and isotropic cosmologies.Comment: Key words: mathematical cosmology, singularities, thermodynamics; 11 pages, to be publised in Physics Letters

Muir String Quartet, September 15, 2008

This is the concert program of the Muir String Quartet performance on Monday, September 15, 2008 at 12:00 p.m., at the Boston University Concert Hall, 855 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston, Massachusetts. Works performed were String Quartet No. 14 in G major, K. 387 by Wolfgang Amadé Mozart and String Quartet No. 4 by Lukas Foss. Digitization for Boston University Concert Programs was supported by the Boston University Center for the Humanities Library Endowed Fund