A before and after comparison of the effects of forest walking on the sleep of a community-based sample of people with sleep complaints

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Sleep disturbance is a major health issue in Japan. This before-after study aimed to evaluate the immediate effects of forest walking in a community-based population with sleep complaints.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Participants were 71 healthy volunteers (43 men and 28 women). Two-hour forest-walking sessions were conducted on 8 different weekend days from September through December 2005. Sleep conditions were compared between the nights before and after walking in a forest by self-administered questionnaire and actigraphy data.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Two hours of forest walking improved sleep characteristics; impacting actual sleep time, immobile minutes, self-rated depth of sleep, and sleep quality. Mean actual sleep time estimated by actigraphy on the night after forest walking was 419.8 ± 128.7 (S.D.) minutes whereas that the night before was 365.9 ± 89.4 minutes (n = 42). Forest walking in the afternoon improved actual sleep time and immobile minutes compared with forest walking in the forenoon. Mean actual sleep times did not increase after forenoon walks (n = 26) (the night before and after forenoon walks, 380.0 ± 99.6 and 385.6 ± 101.7 minutes, respectively), whereas afternoon walks (n = 16) increased mean actual sleep times from 342.9 ± 66.2 to 475.4 ± 150.5 minutes. The trend of mean immobile minutes was similar to the abovementioned trend of mean actual sleep times.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Forest walking improved nocturnal sleep conditions for individuals with sleep complaints, possibly as a result of exercise and emotional improvement. Furthermore, extension of sleep duration was greater after an afternoon walk compared to a forenoon walk. Further study of a forest-walking program in a randomized controlled trial is warranted to clarify its effect on people with insomnia.</p

Control mechanism of biological clocks in relation to mood, behavior and sleep disorders and Their treatments.

科学研究費補助金研究成果報告書研究種目: 基盤研究(B)研究期間: 2002～2003課題番号: 14370289研究代表者: 大川 匡子（滋賀医科大学・医学部・教授

PP-Wave Holography for Dp-Brane Backgrounds

As an extension of the so-called BMN conjecture, we investigate the plane-wave limit for possible holographic connection between bulk string theories in non-conformal backgrounds of D$p$-branes and the corresponding supersymmetric gauge theories for $p<5$. Our work is based on the tunneling picture for dominant null trajectories of strings in the limit of large angular momentum. The tunneling null trajectories start from the near-horizon boundary and return to the boundary, and the resulting backgrounds are time-dependent for general D$p$-branes except for $p=3$. We develop a general method for extracting diagonalized two-point functions for boundary theories as Euclidean (bulk) S-matrix in the time-dependent backgrounds. For the case of D0-brane, two-point functions of supergravity modes are shown to agree with the results derived previously by the perturbative analysis of supergravity. We then discuss the implications of the holography for general cases of D$p$-branes including the stringy excitations. All the cases ($p\ne 3, p<5$) exhibit interesting infra-red behaviors, which are different from free-field theories, suggesting the existence of quite nontrivial fixed-points in dual gauge theories.Comment: 43 pages, corrected typos, version to be published in Nucl. Phys.

Rolling Tachyon Solution in Vacuum String Field Theory

We construct a time-dependent solution in vacuum string field theory and investigate whether the solution can be regarded as a rolling tachyon solution. First, compactifying one space direction on a circle of radius R, we construct a space-dependent solution given as an infinite number of *-products of a string field with center-of-mass momentum dependence of the form e^{-b p^2/4}. Our time-dependent solution is obtained by an inverse Wick rotation of the compactified space direction. We focus on one particular component field of the solution, which takes the form of the partition function of a Coulomb system on a circle with temperature R^2. Analyzing this component field both analytically and numerically using Monte Carlo simulation, we find that the parameter b in the solution must be set equal to zero for the solution to approach a finite value in the large time limit x^0\to\infty. We also explore the possibility that the self-dual radius R=\sqrt{\alpha'} is a phase transition point of our Coulomb system.Comment: 39 pages, 17 figures, v3: references adde

Time Dependent Solution in Cubic String Field Theory

We study time dependent solutions in cubic open string field theory which are expected to describe the configuration of the rolling tachyon. We consider the truncated system consisting of component fields of level zero and two, which are expanded in terms of cosh n x^0 modes. For studying the large time behavior of the solution we need to know the coefficients of all and, in particular, large n modes. We examine numerically the coefficients of the n-th mode, and find that it has the leading n-dependence of the form (-\beta)^n \lambda^{-n^2} multiplied by a peculiar subleading part with peaks at n=2^m=4,8,16,32,64,128,.... This behavior is also reproduced analytically by solving simplified equations of motion of the tachyon system.Comment: 22 pages, 12 figures, LaTeX2e, v3:minor correction

Clinical Implications of Mandible and Neck Measurements in Non-Obese Asian Snorers: Ansan City General Population-Based Study

ObjectivesAnthropometric abnormalities of the mandible and neck may contribute to snoring in non-obese Asians. The study evaluated the clinical implications of mandible and neck measurements in non-obese Asian snorers.MethodsThe external mandible and neck measurements (neck circumference, two lengths of neck, mandibular body angle, and lengths of mandibular ramus and body) were compared between snorers and non-snorers in a sample of 2,778 non-obese Koreans (1,389 males, 1,389 females) aged 40 to 69 years (mean, 48.47±7.72 years).ResultsThe overall prevalence of snoring was 64.7% (899/1,389) and 48.3% (671/1,389) in non-obese male and female subjects, respectively. In non-obese males, snorers had significantly a greater neck circumference (P<0.0001) and shorter mandibular body length (P=0.0126) than non-snorers. In non-obese females, snorers had significantly greater neck circumferences (P=0.0165), compared with non-snorers. However, there were no statistically significant differences in other variables between non-snorers and snorers.ConclusionAnthropometric abnormalities of the mandible and neck, including thick neck circumference in both genders and small mandible size in males, may be relevant contributing factors to snoring in non-obese Asian snorers

Elucidate the meaning of chronobiological genotype for etiological mechanism of mood disorders

科学研究費補助金研究成果報告書研究種目: 基盤研究(C)研究期間: 2001～2003課題番号: 13670999研究代表者: 尾関 祐二（滋賀医科大学・医学部・助手）研究分担者: 大川 匡子（滋賀医科大学・医学部・教授）研究分担者: 村下 淳（滋賀医科大学・保健管理センター・講師）研究協力者: 山田 尚登（滋賀医科大学・医学部・前助教授

Photosensitivity and gene abnormality in circadian rhythm sleep disorders

科学研究費補助金研究成果報告書研究種目: 基盤研究(C)研究期間: 2004～2005課題番号: 16614005研究代表者: 大川 匡子（滋賀医科大学・医学部・教授）研究分担者: 金井 裕彦（滋賀医科大学・医学部・助手）研究分担者: 尾関 祐二（滋賀医科大学・医学部・助手）研究分担者: 小西 瑞穂（滋賀医科大学・医学部・教務職員）研究分担者: 定松 美幸（滋賀医科大学・医学部・講師

Screening of clock gene polymorphisms demonstrates association of a PER3 polymorphism with morningness-eveningness preference and circadian rhythm sleep disorder.

A system of self-sustained biological clocks controls the 24-h rhythms of behavioral and physiological processes such as the sleep-wake cycle. The circadian clock system is regulated by transcriptional and translational negative feedback loops of multiple clock genes. Polymorphisms in circadian clock genes have been associated with morningness-eveningness (diurnal) preference, familial advanced sleep phase type (ASPT), and delayed sleep phase type (DSPT). We genotyped single-nucleotide polymorphisms in circadian clock genes in 182 DSPT individuals, 67 free-running type (FRT) individuals, and 925 controls. The clock gene polymorphisms were tested for associations with diurnal preference and circadian rhythm sleep disorder (CRSD) phenotypes. The PER3 polymorphism (rs228697) was significantly associated with diurnal preference and the FRT phenotype. The minor allele of rs228697 was more prevalent in evening types than in morning types (sex-adjusted odds ratio (OR), 2.483, Bonferroni-corrected P = 0.012) and in FRT individuals compared with the controls (age- and sex-adjusted OR, 2.021, permutated P = 0.017). Our findings support the notion that PER3 polymorphisms could be a potential genetic marker for an individual\u27s circadian and sleep phenotypes

Aging and circadian rhythms

In many animal species including humans, numerous processes exhibit 24-hour (h) rhythms. The circadian clock regulates daily rhythms of behavior and physiology such as the sleep-wake cycle (activity/rest), autonomic nervous function, and neuroendocrine function. The mammalian master clock located in the suprachiasmatic nuclei (SCN) of the hypothalamus incorporates environmental information and orchestrates peripheral clocks in other tissues and organs. Various characteristics of daily rhythms undergo age-dependent changes with respect to amplitude, entrained phase, free-running period (τ), and reentrainability. The mechanisms underlying aging of the circadian clock have not been fully understood. This review discusses current findings on age-related changes in daily rhythms of behavior and physiology