インターバルの異なるジャンプトレーニングがラットの骨に及ぼす影響

Effects of different interval jump training on bone mass and bone strength of lower limbs were investigated in female Fischer 344 rats. Rats aged 5 weeks were assigned at random to two jump training groups (n=10, each) or control (n=10). Rats of the training group were made to jump 20 times/day at 3- or 30-second intervals, 5 days/wk for 8 weeks. Following the experimental period, the femur and tibia of the 30-second interval group had significantly greater fat-free dry weights and fat-free dry weights per body weight than the 3-second interval group. There was also a significant difference between the two jump groups in one of the bone strength indexes. The present results suggest that the training with long-interval impacts is more effective for bone hypertrophy than that with short-interval impacts

Phase Separation of a Hexacyanoferrate-Bridged Coordination Framework under Electrochemical Na-ion Insertion

Phase separation and transformation induced by electrochemical ion insertion are key processes in achieving efficient energy storage. Exploration of novel insertion electrode materials/reactions is particularly important to unravel the atomic/molecular-level mechanism and improve the electrochemical properties. Here, we report the unconventional phase separation of a cyanide-bridged coordination polymer, Eu­[Fe­(CN)₆]·4H₂O, under electrochemical Na-ion insertion. Detailed structural analyses performed during the electrochemical reaction revealed that, in contrast to conventional electrochemical phase separation induced by the elastic interaction between nearest neighbors, the phase separation of Na_<i>x</i>Eu­[Fe­(CN)₆]·4H₂O is due to a long-range interaction, namely, cooperative rotation ordering of hexacyanoferrates. Kolmogorov-Johnson-Mehl-Avrami analysis showed that the activation energy for the phase boundary migration in Na_<i>x</i>Eu­[Fe­(CN)₆]·4H₂O is lower than that in other conventional electrode materials such as Li_1–<i>x</i>FePO₄

Induction of Mucosal IgA-Mediated Protective Immunity Against Nontypeable Haemophilus influenzae Infection by a Cationic Nanogel-Based P6 Nasal Vaccine.

Nontypeable Haemophilus influenzae (NTHi) strains form a major group of pathogenic bacteria that colonizes the nasopharynx and causes otitis media in young children. At present, there is no licensed vaccine for NTHi. Because NTHi colonizes the upper respiratory tract and forms biofilms that cause subsequent infectious events, a nasal vaccine that induces NTHi-specific secretory IgA capable of preventing biofilm formation in the respiratory tract is desirable. Here, we developed a cationic cholesteryl pullulan-based (cCHP nanogel) nasal vaccine containing the NTHi surface antigen P6 (cCHP-P6) as a universal vaccine antigen, because P6 expression is conserved among 90% of NTHi strains. Nasal immunization of mice with cCHP-P6 effectively induced P6-specific IgA in mucosal fluids, including nasal and middle ear washes. The vaccine-induced P6-specific IgA showed direct binding to the NTHi via the surface P6 proteins, resulting in the inhibition of NTHi biofilm formation. cCHP-P6 nasal vaccine thus protected mice from intranasal NTHi challenge by reducing NTHi colonization of nasal tissues and eventually eliminated the bacteria. In addition, the vaccine-induced IgA bound to different NTHi clinical isolates from patients with otitis media and inhibited NTHi attachment in a three-dimensional in vitro model of the human nasal epithelial surface. Therefore, the cCHP-P6 nanogel nasal vaccine induced effective protection in the airway mucosa, making it a strong vaccine candidate for preventing NTHi-induced infectious diseases, such as otitis media, sinusitis, and pneumonia