SHORT COMMUNICATION: Status of Physical Fitness Index (PFI %) and Anthropometric Parameters in Residential School Children Compared to Nonresidential School Children

Background: Physical fitness is the prime criterion for survival, to achieve any goal and to lead a healthy life. Effect of exercise to have a good physical fitness is well known since ancient Vedas. Physical fitness can be recorded by cardiopulmonary efficiency test like Physical Fitness Index (PFI %) which is a powerful indicator of cardiopulmonary efficiency. Regular exercise increases PFI by increasing oxygen consumption. Residential school children are exposed to regular exercise and nutritious food under the guidance. Aims and Objectives: Our study is aimed to compare the physical fitness index status and anthropometric parameters in Residential Sainik (n=100) school children compared to Non-Residential (n=100) school children (aged between 12-16 years) of Bijapur. Material and Methods: PFI was measured by Harvard Step Test [1]. TheAnthropometrical parameters like Height (cms), Weight (Kg), Body Surface Area (BSA) in sq.mts), Body Mass Index (BMI in Kg/m2), Mid Arm Circumference (cms), Chest Circumference (cms) and Abdominal Circumference (cms) were recorded. Results: Mean score of PFI(%), Height(cms), Weight(Kg), BSA(sq.mts), BMI(Kg/m2), Mid Arm Circumference(cms), Chest Circumference (cms) and Abdominal Circumference (cms) were significantly higher (p=0.000) in Residential school children compared to Non Residential school children. In conclusion regular exercise and nutritious diet under the guidance increases the physical fitness and growth in growing children

Thyroid hormone influences muscle mechanics in carp (Cyprinus carpio) independently from SERCA activity

Thyroid hormone is a key regulator of metabolism, and in zebrafish hypothyroidism decreases sustained and burst swimming performance. These effects are accompanied by decreases in both metabolic scope and the activity of sarco-endoplasmic reticulum ATPase (SERCA) in zebrafish. Our aim was to determine whether thyroid hormone affects skeletal muscle contractile function directly and whether these effects are mediated by influencing SERCA activity. We show that hypothyroidism reduces sustained locomotor performance but not sprint performance in carp (Cyprinus carpio). We accept our hypothesis that hypothyroidism reduces force production in isolated skeletal muscle, when compared to T2, but we reject the hypothesis that this effect is mediated by influencing SERCA activity. Blocking SERCA activity with thapsigargin reduced muscle fatigue resistance, but hypothyroidism had no effect on fatigue. Hence, thyroid hormone plays a role in determining isolated skeletal muscle mechanics, but its effects are more likely to be mediated by other mechanisms than affecting SERCA activity

A comprehensive pharmacognostical study of Charakokta Shonitasthapana Varga Dravyas

Shonitasthapana Varga Dravyas of Charaka consists of Audhbida (Madhuka, Lodhra, Mocharasa, Priyangu, Kunkuma), Jangama (Madhu), Parthiva (Gairika, Mritkapala) and Ahara Dravya (Laja, Sharkara). Potent pharmacological action of the drug depends on proper identification authentication and purity of the drug. Majority of the drugs of Shonitasthapana Varga are subjected to extensive adulteration commercially. Detailed pharmacognostic analysis of the group of drugs is indispensable before its utility in therapeutics. Samples of Shonitasthapana Varga Dravyas were collected, procured or purchased from authentic sources and analyzed for their organoleptic, macroscopic, microscopic and physicochemical characteristics. The results of Madhu, Madhuka, Lodhra, Mocharasa, Priyangu, Gairika, Kunkuma and Sharkara were within the limits of Indian Pharmacopieal standards; Laja as per the Indian Council for Medical research guidelines. The Pharmacognostic analysis of Shonitasthapana Varga Dravyas helps in standardization and safe use of the drugs clinically on human subjects for its maximum therapeutic effects

Analysis of Association between Caesarean Delivery and Gestational Diabetes Mellitus Using Machine Learning

The study aims to analyze the association between gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) and other risk factors of cesarean delivery using machine learning (ML). The dataset used for the analysis is from the pregnancy risk assessment survey (PRAMS), considered in two scenarios, i.e., all the data is taken, and all the data of the women who developed GDM. Further, the data is developed in two groups Data-I and Data-II by considering multiparous and primiparous women details, respectively. The correlation analysis and major classification algorithms are applied to the data. It is founded that the top risk factors for the first time cesarean delivery are the age, height, weight, race of the women, presence of hypertension and gestational diabetes mellitus. The major risk factor for repeated cesarean delivery is the previous cesarean delivery. The presence of GDM is also one of the risk factors for cesarean delivery

The incentivisation of inclusionary housing by South African municipalities: A property law perspective

Although it is still in its formative stages, the idea of inclusionary housing in South Africa's constitu tional con text is inescapable. The typical characteristic of inclusionary housing is that a developer is required or encouraged to dedicate a specified portion of her housing development project to the provision of affordable housing. This raises concerns about the possible violation of developers' property rights because it affects their investment backed expectations regarding future earnings. Since municipalities are the chief agents of the implementation of inclusionary housing, it is important to investigate how they can respond effectively to the property related concerns of developers. This article conducts an overview discussion of the concept of property in South African law, with a special focus on how property regulation can be anchored on the "givings" concept. It then explores the legal mechanisms through which municipalities can pay financial incentives to housing developers to ensure the growth of a housing stock that is geared for affordability as well as social and economic integration. We undertake a critique of the current statutes governing local government financial management and illustrate their inadequacy. It is concluded that inclusionary housing can only succeed in South Africa if legal policy recognises the need for financial payments to developers that go beyond mere compensation for excessive regulation of property rights

Longer sleep is associated with lower BMI and favorable metabolic profiles in UK adults: Findings from the National Diet and Nutrition Survey

Ever more evidence associates short sleep with increased risk of metabolic diseases such as obesity, which may be related to a predisposition to non-homeostatic eating. Few studies have concurrently determined associations between sleep duration and objective measures of metabolic health as well as sleep duration and diet, however. We therefore analyzed associations between sleep duration, diet and metabolic health markers in UK adults, assessing associations between sleep duration and 1) adiposity, 2) selected metabolic health markers and 3) diet, using National Diet and Nutrition Survey data. Adults (n = 1,615, age 19–65 years, 57.1% female) completed questions about sleep duration and 3 to 4 days of food diaries. Blood pressure and waist circumference were recorded. Fasting blood lipids, glucose, glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c), thyroid hormones, and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (CRP) were measured in a subset of participants. We used regression analyses to explore associations between sleep duration and outcomes. After adjustment for age, ethnicity, sex, smoking, and socioeconomic status, sleep duration was negatively associated with body mass index (-0.46 kg/m2 per hour, 95% CI -0.69 to -0.24 kg/m2, p < 0.001) and waist circumference (-0.9 cm per hour, 95% CI -1.5 to -0.3cm, p = 0.004), and positively associated with high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (0.03 mmol/L per hour, 95% CI 0.00 to 0.05, p = 0.03). Sleep duration tended to be positively associated with free thyroxine levels and negatively associated with HbA1c and CRP (p = 0.09 to 0.10). Contrary to our hypothesis, sleep duration was not associated with any dietary measures (p ≥ 0.14). Together, our findings show that short-sleeping UK adults are more likely to have obesity, a disease with many comorbidities

Energy Transition in Urban Water Infrastructures towards Sustainable Cities

[EN] The world's water infrastructures suffer from inefficiencies, such as high energy consumption and water losses due to inadequate management practices and feeble pressure regulation, leading to frequent water and energy losses. This strains vital water and energy resources, especially in the face of the worsening challenges of climate change and population growth. A novel method is presented that integrates micro-hydropower plants, with pumps as turbines (PATs), in the water network in the city of Funchal. Sensitivity analyses evaluated the microgrid's response to variations in the cost of energy components, showing favorable outcomes with positive net present value (NPV). PV solar and micro-wind turbines installed exclusively at the selected PRV sites within the Funchal hydro grid generate a combined 153 and 55 MWh/year, respectively, supplementing the 406 MWh/year generated by PATs. It should be noted that PATs consistently have the lowest cost of electricity (LCOE), confirming their economic viability and efficiency across different scenarios, even after accounting for reductions in alternative energy sources and grid infrastructure costs.This research was supported by Foundation for Science and Technology of Portugal, grant number UIDB/04625/2020; HY4RES-Hybrid solutions for Renewable Energy Systems: achieving net-zero Atlantic area energy consumers & communities, Interreg project EAPA_0001/2022; and Spanish State Research Plan Scientific and Technical and Innovation 2017-2020 PID2020-114781RAI00.Ramos, HM.; Pérez-Sánchez, M.; Mullur Gurupr, PS.; Carraveta, A.; Kuriqui, A.; Coronado-Hernández, OE.; Fernandes, JF.... (2024). Energy Transition in Urban Water Infrastructures towards Sustainable Cities. Water. 16(3). https://doi.org/10.3390/w1603050416

Antisense oligonucleotide and thyroid hormone conjugates for obesity treatment

Using the principle of antibody-drug conjugates that deliver highly potent cytotoxic agents to cancer cells for cancer therapy, we here report the synthesis of antisense-oligonucleotides (ASO) and thyroid hormone T3 conjugates for obesity treatment. ASOs primarily target fat and liver with poor penetrance to other organs. Pharmacological T3 treatment increases energy expenditure and causes weight loss, but is contraindicated for obesity treatment due to systemic effects on multiple organs. We hypothesize that ASO-T3 conjugates may knock down target genes and enrich T3 action in fat and liver. Two established ASOs are tested. Nicotinamide N-methyltransferase (NNMT)-ASO prevents diet- induced obesity in mice. Apolipoprotein B (ApoB)-ASO is an FDA approved drug for treating familial hypercholesterolemia. NNMT-ASO and ApoB-ASO are chemically conjugated with T3 using a non- cleavable sulfo-SMCC linker. Both NNMT-ASO-T3 (NAT3) and ApoB-ASO-T3 (AAT3) enhance thyroid hormone receptor activity. Treating obese mice with NAT3 or AAT3 decreases adiposity and increases lean mass. ASO-T3 enhances white fat browning, decreases genes for fatty acid synthesis in liver, and shows limited effects on T3 target genes in heart and muscle. Furthermore, AAT3 augments LDL cholesterol-lowering effects of ApoB-ASO. Therefore, ASO and hormone/drug conjugation may provide a novel strategy for obesity and hyperlipidemia treatment

Hormonally mediated effects of artificial light at night on behavior and fitness: linking endocrine mechanisms with function.

Alternation between day and night is a predictable environmental fluctuation that organisms use to time their activities. Since the invention of artificial lighting, this predictability has been disrupted and continues to change in a unidirectional fashion with increasing urbanization. As hormones mediate individual responses to changing environments, endocrine systems might be one of the first systems affected, as well as being the first line of defense to ameliorate any negative health impacts. In this Review, we first highlight how light can influence endocrine function in vertebrates. We then focus on four endocrine axes that might be affected by artificial light at night (ALAN): pineal, reproductive, adrenal and thyroid. Throughout, we highlight key findings, rather than performing an exhaustive review, in order to emphasize knowledge gaps that are hindering progress on proposing impactful and concrete plans to ameliorate the negative effects of ALAN. We discuss these findings with respect to impacts on human and animal health, with a focus on the consequences of anthropogenic modification of the night-time environment for non-human organisms. Lastly, we stress the need for the integration of field and lab experiments as well as the need for long-term integrative eco-physiological studies in the rapidly expanding field of light pollution

Bioactive Molecules Released in Food by Lactic Acid Bacteria: Encrypted Peptides and Biogenic Amines

Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) can produce a huge amount of bioactive compounds. Since their elective habitat is food, especially dairy but also vegetal food, it is frequent to find bioactive molecules in fermented products. Sometimes these compounds can have adverse effects on human health such as biogenic amines (tyramine and histamine), causing allergies, hypertensive crises, and headache. However, some LAB products also display benefits for the consumers. In the present review article, the main nitrogen compounds produced by LAB are considered. Besides biogenic amines derived from the amino acids tyrosine, histidine, phenylalanine, lysine, ornithine, and glutamate by decarboxylation, interesting peptides can be decrypted by the proteolytic activity of LAB. LAB proteolytic system is very efficient in releasing encrypted molecules from several proteins present in different food matrices. Alpha and beta-caseins, albumin and globulin from milk and dairy products, rubisco from spinach, beta-conglycinin from soy and gluten from cereals constitute a good source of important bioactive compounds. These encrypted peptides are able to control nutrition (mineral absorption and oxidative stress protection), metabolism (blood glucose and cholesterol lowering) cardiovascular function (antithrombotic and hypotensive action), infection (microbial inhibition and immunomodulation) and gut-brain axis (opioids and anti-opioids controlling mood and food intake). Very recent results underline the role of food-encrypted peptides in protein folding (chaperone-like molecules) as well as in cell cycle and apoptosis control, suggesting new and positive aspects of fermented food, still unexplored. In this context, the detailed (transcriptomic, proteomic, and metabolomic) characterization of LAB of food interest (as starters, biocontrol agents, nutraceuticals, and probiotics) can supply a solid evidence-based science to support beneficial effects and it is a promising approach as well to obtain functional food. The detailed knowledge of the modulation of human physiology, exploiting the health-promoting properties of fermented food, is an open field of investigation that will constitute the next challenge