This study revealed that forest environments are advantageous with respect to acute emotions, especially among those experiencing chronic stress. Accordingly, shinrin-yoku may be employed as a stress reduction method, and forest environments can be viewed as therapeutic landscapes. Therefore, customary shinrin-yoku may help to decrease the risk of psychosocial stress-related diseases, and evaluation of the long-term effects of shinrin-yoku is warranted.

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BackgroundWe have reported that WNT10A plays a critical role in the growth of fibroblasts/myofibroblasts and microvascular endothelial cells, i.e.; wound healing/scarring. To ascertain the in vivo regulatory, central functions of WNT10A, we examined the net effects of WNT10A depletion using WNT10A-deficient mice (WNT10A–/–).Methods and resultsWe generated WNT10A–/–mice, displaying a range of unique phenotypes of morpho/organogenetic failure, such as growth retardation, alopecia, kyphosis and infertility, and then focused on the functions of WNT10A in wound healing. We subjected C57BL/6J wild-type (WT) or WNT10A–/–mice to skin ulcer formation. The WNT10A–/–mice had significantly larger injured areas and delayed wound healing, which were associated with (a) a smaller number of fibroblasts/myofibroblasts and microvessels; and (b) more reduced expression and synthesis of collagen, compared with WT mice with intact WNT10A expression, especially in those with activated myofibroblasts.ConclusionsThese observations indicate that WNT10A signaling can play a pivotal in vivo role in wound healing by regulating the expression and synthesis of collagen, as one of fibrogenic factors, at least in part, and critical in vivo roles of WNT10A-mediated effective wound healing are extremely closely associated with collagen expression.

Gender and Hierarchical Differences in Lead-Contaminated Japanese Bone from the Edo Period: Tamiji NAKASHIMA, et aL Department of Anatomy and Anthropology, University of Occupational and Environmental Health, Japan-Objectives: We analyzed lead concentrations in bones from both genders of the Japanese samurai class and compared findings with those of the farmer and fisherman classes in the Edo period (1603-1867) to clarify gender and hierarchical (or occupational) differences in lead exposure during the Japanese feudal age. Methods: Tests were performed by atomic absorption. Results: Female samurai bones (30.5,ug Pb/g dry bone) showed higher lead concentrations than male samurai bones (15.6jg Pb/g dry bone), but these differences were not significant. This tendency was also seen in the farmer and fisherman classes (male: 1.0jg Pb/g dry bone; female: 1.7,ug Pb/g dry bone). Strong hierarchical differences between samurai and farmer/fisherman classes were seen in both genders in this study (p< 0.001). One of the female samples from the Samurai class, who was a daughter of the 6th feudal lord in Kokura (Japan), had 945.5 jig Pb/g dry bone. Conclusion: The samurai class were the aristocrats of society. We assume that facial cosmetics (white lead) comprised one of the main routes of lead exposure among the samurai class, because cosmetics were a luxury in that period. (J Occup Health 1998; 40: 55-60)