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Long-distance swimming for children is recognized for its educational effect. However, there is a lack of understanding about the effects of long-distance swimming on university students. Therefore, this study conducted a questionnaire-based survey on participants of a long-distance swimming practice at a university to clarify the effects of long-distance swimming on their grit. The period of the survey is July 8-14, 2018. The survey was conducted before and after the program and the grit scores were analyzed using the Grit scale. The results showed that the grit and perseverance scores, which are subscale on the grit, were significantly higher post long-distance swimming. This suggests that university students’ grit is impacted by long-distance swimming and increased non-cognitive abilities is one of the effects of the same.

The nature experience is important for the growth of children. However, the opportunities of children’s nature experience are decreasing today because of a lack of various programs and right outdoor educator. To resolve these issues, providing valuable outdoor educators’ training is important, although there are few studies about outdoor educators in Japan and the influence of outdoor educators’ intervention on participants has not been clarified. In order to consider more effective educators’ learning contents, it is necessary to understand actually how the involvement of the educators influences the growth of the children. Therefore, the purpose of the present study was to explore the influence of educators’ intervention in outdoor activity programs on children’s growth. Our study included interviews for 12 educators of the Buddy Kids Adventure Challenge Program (BKACP). The data obtained through semi-structured interviews was analyzed using Modified Grounded Theory Approach (M-GTA). The analysis resulted in the generation of 69 concepts and 31 categories demonstrated. This analysis revealed the influence of outdoor educators’ intervention on participants. The overall process was confirmed that outdooreducators’ intervention made the participants rely on one’s feeling, which promoted self-growth of participants who had deep experiences. In conclusion, the intervention of skilled outdoor educators who know rules of nature guarantees the children’s independence in a highly flexible program, and furthermore, it is thought that positive emotions (known as flow) on overcoming adversity promote self-growth. It would be attractive for outdoor educators to use flow theory as a learning tool.

The utilization of 1-kestose (GF(2)) and nystose (GF(3)), the main components of fructooligosaccharides (FOS), by Lactobacillus and Bacteroides species was examined. Of seven Lactobacillus and five Bacteroides strains that utilized FOS, L. salivarius, L. rhamnosus, L. casei, and L. gasseri utilized only GF(2), whereas L. acidophilus and all the Bacteroides strains utilized both GF(2) and GF(3). Only the strains able to utilize both GF(2) and GF(3) had β-fructosidase activity in the culture supernatants. The culture supernatants of the Lactobacillus strains had higher β-fructosidase activity for GF(2) than for GF(3), whereas those of the Bacteroides strains had higher activity for GF(3) than for GF(2). Furthermore, β-fructosidase activity of the culture supernatants of the Lactobacillus cells grown in the GF(3) medium was much higher than that of the cells grown in the GF(2) medium, whereas the activity of the culture supernatants of the Bacteroides cells grown in the GF(3) medium was almost the same as that of the cells grown in the GF(2) medium. These results indicate that Lactobacillus species metabolize FOS in a different way from that of Bacteroides species.

[Background] Food allergies cause damage not only to the intestines of patients but to their livers as well, making it all the more important to discover what drugs are effective in preventing that damage. Accordingly, westudied the effectiveness of Chinese traditional medicine and FOS in helping to prevent damage caused by food allergies. [Methods] 1 1 3 C-methacetine was used to study the relationship between liver damage and cases of food allergy presentation. 2 Chinese traditional medicine (Hochu-Ekito = TJ-41) was administered orally to mice twice a day for 2 weeks in a drug study of the food allergy model. 3 The effect of FOS on fecal organic acid production was observed in a study of FOS-treated mice. [Results] 1 As a result of the 1 3 CO 2 excretion pattern, the relationship between liver function and food allergies was confirmed. 2 The serum ALT levels decreased in mice treated with TJ-41. 3 Short-chain fatty acids such as butyrate were significantly higher in the FOS-treated group than in the control group. [Conclusion] Damage not only to the intestines but also the liver of food allergy patients was confirmed. TJ-41 and FOS were found to prevent this allergy-related damage, showing that FOS is very useful for allergic patients.

Potential sports participants are one of the most important targets to be considered in the implementation of strategic marketing plans for promoting sports. The purpose of this study was to make clear a model that analyzes the sports population by analyzing the structure and characteristics of the potential market segment among walking participants, whose population is growing rapidly in Japan. The subjects of this investigation were one thousand people of over twenty years old, who were randomly selected in Tokorozawa-city. This study classified their segments of walking participation into four markets, continuous by active market, uncontinuous by active market, potential market, and non-interest market. This paper analyzed the characteristics of a potential market segment according to attitudes toward health, rate of participation in sports per week, and reasons of participation in sports. The numbers of respondents to the questionnaire were 483. The results are as follows: 1.This study found that over half of the subjects participated in walking. Classified into market groups these walkers showed rates of 39 .5%, 14.6%, 13.7%, and 32.5%, in the categories of continuous by active market, uncontinuous by active market, potential market, and non-interst market, respectively. 2.The differences of attitude toward health among people in the potential market were classified according to rate of participation in sports. As a result, it was found that the segment that did not participate in sports at least once a week tended to have a weak attitude toward health.

Cell nucleus is a body including various components and it has complicated and heterogeneous structure. Though most functions of nuclear domains have been well studied, mechanical properties of the nuclear domains has not been studied. In this study, the experimental system was developed to measure the stiffness of living cell nucleus in order to verify the inhomogeneity of the cell nucleus. The system is composed of two main devices: a sensor which can measure stiffness of micro cell nucleus and a rotatable device which can rotate nucleus horizontally. The devices are assembled on the stage of an inverted phase contrast microscope. Experimental studies have been carried out by using normal human osteoblast. The method has shown capability to detect difference of stiffness on cell nucleus. There is significant difference between nucleolus and other nuclear domains.