Excess weight loss while minimising fat-free mass (FFM) loss is important for health. Travel is a particular period at risk for weight gain and for which the effects of a short-term intensive weight loss programme have not been studied. Therefore, we studied the effect of a novel, 1-week supervised health travel programme combining high volume, low-to-moderate intensity exercise and energy intake restriction on weight, body composition and health outcomes in adults. Weight was also monitored for 12 weeks after the programme. In all, thirty-six subjects (nineteen men, seventeen women) consisting of sixteen excess-weight (BMI: 27·1 (sd 1·7) kg/m2) and twenty healthy-weight (BMI: 22·3 (sd 1·8) kg/m2) individuals participated. Subjects performed 1 h of slow-paced intermittent jogging three times per d and other leisure activities, whereas consuming only provided foods without water restriction. Body mass significantly decreased from pre- to post-intervention in excess-weight and healthy-weight individuals (-3·5 (sd 1·5) and -3·5 (sd 1·3) %, respectively; P<0·001 for both), and losses were maintained at 12 weeks post-intervention in both groups (-6·3 (sd 3·8) and -1·7 (sd 4·0) %, respectively; P<0·01 for both). Fat mass also significantly decreased in both groups (excess weight: -9·2 (sd 4·6) %: healthy weight: -13·4 (sd 9·0) %; P<0·01 for both), whereas FFM was maintained. Similar improvements were observed for blood biochemistry and pressure in both groups. This short-term weight loss intervention yielded favourable outcomes in both excess- and healthy-weight adults, particularly a 3·5 % weight loss with no significant change to FFM. In addition, participants maintained weight loss for at least 12 weeks. Of multiple programme choices, the Health Tourism weight loss programme's results indicate that it is a viable option.

The ERK MAP kinase plays a central role in the signaling cascades of cell growth. Here, we show that stochastic ERK activity pulses regulate cell proliferation rates in a cell density-dependent manner. A biosensor based on the principle of fluorescence resonance energy (FRET) revealed stochastic ERK activity pulses fired spontaneously or propagated from adjacent cells. Frequency, but not amplitude, of ERK activity pulses exhibited a bell-shaped response to the cell density and cell proliferation rates. Consistently, synthetic ERK activity pulses generated by a lightswitchable CRaf protein accelerated cell proliferation. Taken together, these findings reveal a role of the stochastic ERK activity pulses in cell proliferation. 1SCA-06 細胞内シグナル伝達経路の情報コーディング Information coding of cellular signaling networksShinya Kuroda, Shinsuke Uda (Biophys. Biochem., University of Tokyo) Cellular signaling network can be regarded as a communication channel in the framework of Shannon's information theory. We can measure the distribution of phosphorylation of ERK and CREB and expression of IEGs products at a cell population level. We found that information transmission was generally more robust than averaged signal intensity despite pharmacological perturbations, and information transmission through unperturbed signaling pathways compensatorily increased in many signaling pathways. We propose that cells use information entropy as information, so that messages can be robustly transmitted despite noise and variation in molecular activities between individual cells. Information coding will be discussed as a general property of cellular signaling. In bacteria, SecA, the translocation ATPase and SecYEG, the polypeptideconducting channel, play central roles in protein translocation across the cytoplasmic membrane. Membrane proteins SecDF, conserved throughout the bacterial kingdom, form a complex with SecYEG and are required for efficient protein export. Thus, it is important to elucidate mechanisms of the SecDF enhancement of translocation. We discuss structure and function of SecDF on the basis of the crystal structure of the T. thermophilus ortholog and structure-instructed biochemical analyses of the E. coli system including site-directed in vivo photo-crosslinking. Based on the results, we propose that SecDF functions as a cation-driven molecular motor to pull a translocating polypeptide from the SecYEG. The flagellar rod is a competent drive shaft that transmits torque through the hook to the filament to propel the bacterial locomotion. The distal part of the rod is a helical assembly of FlgG, which shows an obvious sequence similarity with the hook protein. However, the mechanical property of the rod and the hook is quite distinct; the hook is a flexible universal joint, and the rod is a rigid drive shaft. To elucidate the structural basis of the mechanical property of the rod, we crystallized a core fragment of FlgG (FlgG47-227) and solved the structure at 2.0 Å. On the basis of the high resolution X-ray structure and the density ...

This study examined whether physical and cognitive function was independently associated with risk of Musculoskeletal Ambulation Disorder Symptom Complex (MADS) in community-dwelling older people. We examined 640 older people (315 men, 325 women; 65-89 years). We assessed physical performance by one-leg standing with eyes open, timed up and go (TUG), muscle strength, muscle power, and gait speed. Cognition was assessed using Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), Clinical Dementia Rating (CDR), and Trail-Making Tests (TMT) A and B. We divided participants by physical function into "MADS" (one-leg standing < 15s or TUG ≥ 11s) and "non-MADS", and identified cognitive impairment if MMSE was < 27 and CDR ≥ 0.5. We also grouped by sex and age (younger-old: 65-74 years and older-old: 75-89 years), and controlled for age, Body Mass Index, education and steps. Physical and cognitive function was significantly worse in the MADS groups. The younger-old men had poorer muscle strength, muscle power and TMT-A. The younger-old women had poorer muscle power, gait speed, MMSE and TMT-B. Olderold men had poorer muscle strength, and older-old women poorer gait speed (P < 0.05). The MADS groups also had significantly higher adjusted odds ratio (OR) for cognitive impairment (younger-old men: OR: 4.62; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.08-19.8; younger-old women: OR: 6.09; 95% CI: 1.03-35.9; P < 0.05). This study suggested that poorer physical and cognitive function was significantly associated with the risk of MADS, and these associations may be differ with sex and age.