Isolation and analysis of odorous components in swine manure.

“Systematic procedures are described for the isolation and extraction of odorous components in swine faeces, urine and rotten mixtures of swine faeces and urine. (more…)

“In many species, older males are often preferred mates because they carry “good” genes that account for their viability. In some animals, including mice, which rely heavily on chemical communication, there is some indication that an animal’s age can be determined by its scent. In order to identify the attractants in aged male mouse urine, chemical and behavioral studies were performed. (more…)

Fully automatic system for monitoring blood pressure from a toilet-seat using the volume-oscillometric method.

“Daily monitoring of health condition at home is very important subject not only as an effective scheme for early diagnosis and treatment of cardiovascular and other diseases, but also for prevention and control of such diseases. From this point of view, we have been developing a fully automated “non-conscious” monitoring system for home health care. (more…)

“Minimally Invasive Surgery (MIS) has become one of the most important research areas in the field of medical engineering. Robotic colonoscopy is a typical medical procedure that complies with the requirements of MIS. In this paper, a new novel miniature robot for intestinal inspection based on the earthworm is described; its diameter and length are 7.5 mm and 120 mm respectively. (more…)

The effect of feeding on defecation behaviour in pigs.

“The effect of eating on defecation behaviour was investigated in four 20-30 kg pigs. Rectal distention stimulation was performed pre- and postprandially at 10 cm from the anus with a 5 cm latex balloon. Volume was increased in steps of 10 ml up to 200 ml of air or until balloon defecation. (more…)

Intestinal hydrogen and methane of men fed space diet.

“Intestinal bacteria form two gases, hydrogen (H2) and methane (CH4), that could constitute a fire hazard in a closed chamber. So H2 and CH4 pass from the anus but these gases are also transported by the blood to the lungs and removed to the atmosphere. Several factors affect gas formation: 1) amount and kind of fermentable substrate; 2) abundance, types, and location of microflora; and 3) psychic and somatic conditions that affect the gut. (more…)

 When Pooping Babies Become More Appealing: The Effects of Nonconscious Goal Pursuit on Experienced Emotions.

“In this report, we argue that the intensity of the emotions people experience is partly determined by the goals they nonconsciously pursue, and that this effect is functional in nature: Emotions are modulated in ways that may increase the probability of goal achievement. To test this hypothesis, we primed female participants with a motherhood goal and then measured their level of disgust in response to mildly disgusting pictures. (more…)

Children’s experiences of school toilets present a risk to their physical and psychological health.

“OBJECTIVE: To ascertain why children and parents frequently describe problems with school toilets. SETTING: Two contrasting cities in Northern England (Newcastle upon Tyne 394 pupils) and Southern Sweden (Goteborg/Mölndal 157 pupils). (more…)

“Each year, millions of people travel aboard airplanes and cruise ships. A significant portion of the newer larger airplanes (the Boeing 767 and the Aerobus) and cruise ships now have vacuum toilet systems. There have been no reports in the medical literature on the frequency of injuries associated with the use of these toilets, but serious injury, including soft tissue trauma and organ evisceration, may be associated with the use of such devices.) The investigators report a case of significant perineal injury accompanied by hypotension associated with the use of a vacuum toilet on an airplane. (more…)

The Fecal Odor of Sick Hedgehogs (Erinaceus europaeus) Mediates Olfactory Attraction of the Tick Ixodes hexagonus.

“Parasite loads of animals vary among individuals, but the underlying mechanisms have not been fully identified. Here, we investigated whether health status of hedgehogs (Erinaceus europaeus) is correlated with tick burden, and whether chemical cues linked to the health status of the host mediate attraction of the tick Ixodes hexagonus. An ecological survey conducted over 10 years, involving 226 wild hedgehogs, revealed a strong association between health status and tick burden of hedgehogs, with healthy animals being less likely to carry ticks than unhealthy ones. Behavioral choice tests demonstrated that ticks display a preference for the fecal odor from sick hedgehogs compared with healthy ones. Chemical analysis of fecal odors using gas chromatography – mass spectrometry showed differences in the odor profile between sick and healthy hedgehogs. (more…)