Global Comparisons of Age, Gender and Socioeconomic Status Differences of Physical Fitness Health Risk in South African Primary School Children: Longitudinal Data from the NW-CHILD Study.

Global physical fitness (PF) levels have declined over the past 50 years, contributing to early health risks in children although it is still unclear how age, gender and socioeconomic status (SES) impact PF risk. This study aimed to identify unique health risks related to age, SES and gender that might influence muscular fitness (MF) and cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) levels of primary school children in South Africa. Children ( = 349, boys = 165; girls = 184) of low ( = 201) and high SES ( = 148) underwent three time point measurements at 6, 9 and 12 years spanning seven primary school years.

Three Cluster O mycobacteriophages isolated in Philadelphia, PA.

We report here the discovery and characterization of three novel bacteriophages infecting . These siphoviruses were isolated from soil collected in urban areas around Saint Joseph's University in Philadelphia. Mycobacteriphages Idergollasper, FoulBall, and Schuy are assigned to actinobacteriophage cluster O based on gene content similarity, and have prolate capsids typical for this cluster.

Comparative effectiveness of standard vs. AI-assisted PET/CT reading workflow for pre-treatment lymphoma staging: a multi-institutional reader study evaluation.

Background: Fluorine-18 fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG)-positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) is widely used for staging high-grade lymphoma, with the time to evaluate such studies varying depending on the complexity of the case. Integrating artificial intelligence (AI) within the reporting workflow has the potential to improve quality and efficiency. The aims of the present study were to evaluate the influence of an integrated research prototype segmentation tool implemented within diagnostic PET/CT reading software on the speed and quality of reporting with variable levels of experience, and to assess the effect of the AI-assisted workflow on reader confidence and whether this tool influenced reporting behaviour.

Salivary amylase gene (AMY1) copy number variation has only a minor correlation with body composition in Chinese adults.

Background: According to the WHO, about 39% of the global adult population were overweight or obese in 2016. Obesity has high heritability, with more than 1000 variants so far identified. There have been reports indicating that salivary amylase gene (AMY1) copy number was one of these variants, yet its association with obesity remains controversial.

Sarcopenic Obesity in Africa: A Call for Diagnostic Methods and Appropriate Interventions.

This perspective aims to highlight the lack of current knowledge on sarcopenic obesity in Africa and to call for diagnostic methods and appropriate interventions. Sarcopenic obesity has been defined as obesity that occurs in combination with low muscle mass and function, which is typically evident in older adults. However, there has been no clear consensus on population-specific diagnostic criterion, which includes both gold-standard measures that can be used in a more advanced health care system, and surrogate measures that can be used in low-income settings with limited resources and funding.

Intensity Matters for Musculoskeletal Health: A Cross-Sectional Study on Movement Behaviors of Older Adults from High-Income Scottish and Low-Income South African Communities.

This study aimed to investigate differences in physical activity (PA) patterns and the associations between objectively measured 24-h movement behaviors and musculoskeletal measures (muscle strength, muscle mass, physical performance, and bone mineral density) in a high-income and a low-income community. This cross-sectional study recruited independent living older adults aged 60-85 years from high-income Scottish (n = 150) and low-income South African (n = 138) settings. Participants completed demographic and health questionnaires, and testing included body composition and bone mineral density (dual energy X-ray absorptiometry), physical performance (grip strength, gait speed), and PA (accelerometry).

Food Security, Dietary Intake, and Foodways of Urban Low-Income Older South African Women: An Exploratory Study.

This cross-sectional study explored the differences in sociodemographics, dietary intake, and household foodways (cultural, socioeconomic practices that affect food purchase, consumption, and preferences) of food secure and food insecure older women living in a low-income urban setting in South Africa. Women ( = 122) aged 60-85 years old were recruited, a sociodemographic questionnaire was completed, and food security categories were determined. The categories were dichotomised into food secure (food secure and mild food insecurity) and food insecure (moderate and severe).

Understanding factors associated with sarcopenic obesity in older African women from a low-income setting: a cross-sectional analysis.

Background: High rates of food insecurity, obesity and obesity-related comorbidities in ageing South African (SA) women may amplify the risk of developing sarcopenic obesity. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence and correlates of sarcopenic obesity and its diagnostic components [grip strength, appendicular skeletal muscle mass (ASM) and body mass index (BMI)] in older SA women from a low-income setting.

Methods: This cross-sectional study recruited black SA women between the ages of 60-85 years (n = 122) from a low-income community.

School-based interventions modestly increase physical activity and cardiorespiratory fitness but are least effective for youth who need them most: an individual participant pooled analysis of 20 controlled trials.

Objectives: To determine if subpopulations of students benefit equally from school-based physical activity interventions in terms of cardiorespiratory fitness and physical activity. To examine if physical activity intensity mediates improvements in cardiorespiratory fitness.

Design: Pooled analysis of individual participant data from controlled trials that assessed the impact of school-based physical activity interventions on cardiorespiratory fitness and device-measured physical activity.

A citizen science study of short physical activity breaks at school: improvements in cognition and wellbeing with self-paced activity.

Background: School-based physical activity and running programmes, such as The Daily Mile™, are increasing in popularity globally. The aim of this research was to examine the acute impact of such classroom physical activity breaks on cognition and affective wellbeing.

Methods: A total of 5463 school pupils from 332 schools took part in a citizen science project with a repeated measures design.

Response to Daly-Smith et al.'s commentary on 'The Daily Mile makes primary school children more active, less sedentary and improves their fitness and body composition: a quasi-experimental pilot study'.

We thank Daly-Smith et al. for taking the time to read the results of our pilot research study, describing it as an important and welcome contribution. Nonetheless, the authors argue six points against our conclusion.

The Daily Mile: What factors are associated with its implementation success?

Background: Despite the known benefits of a physically active lifestyle, there are few examples of interventions that have been successfully implemented at a population level over a long period of time. One such example is The Daily Mile, a school based physical activity initiative, where a teacher takes their class out daily during class time for a short bout of ambulatory activity. At one school, this activity appears has been sustained over a long period (6 years), has the whole school participating and is now incorporated into its daily routine.

The Daily Mile makes primary school children more active, less sedentary and improves their fitness and body composition: a quasi-experimental pilot study.

Background: The Daily Mile is a physical activity programme made popular by a school in Stirling, Scotland. It is promoted by the Scottish Government and is growing in popularity nationally and internationally. The aim is that each day, during class time, pupils run or walk outside for 15 min (~1 mile) at a self-selected pace.

Skeletal muscle insulin signaling and whole-body glucose metabolism following acute sleep restriction in healthy males.

Sleep restriction is associated with impaired glucose metabolism and insulin resistance, however, the underlying mechanisms leading to this impairment are unknown. This study aimed to assess whether the decrease in insulin sensitivity observed after sleep restriction is accompanied by changes in skeletal muscle PKB activity. Ten healthy young males participated in this randomized crossover study which included two conditions separated by a 3-week washout period.

Multiple AMPK activators inhibit l-carnitine uptake in C2C12 skeletal muscle myotubes.

Mutations in the gene that encodes the principal l-carnitine transporter, OCTN2, can lead to a reduced intracellular l-carnitine pool and the disease Primary Carnitine Deficiency. l-Carnitine supplementation is used therapeutically to increase intracellular l-carnitine. As AMPK and insulin regulate fat metabolism and substrate uptake, we hypothesized that AMPK-activating compounds and insulin would increase l-carnitine uptake in C2C12 myotubes.

Muscle satellite cells increase during hibernation in ground squirrels.

Unlabelled: Skeletal muscle satellite cells (SCs) are involved in muscle growth and repair. However, clarification of their behavior in hibernating mammals is lacking. The aim of this study was to quantify SCs and total myonuclei in hibernator muscle during different phases of the torpor-arousal cycle.

Influence of exercise on the metabolic profile caused by 28 days of bed rest with energy deficit and amino acid supplementation in healthy men.

Objective: Muscle loss and metabolic changes occur with disuse [i.e. bed rest (BR)].

Skeletal muscle wasting with disuse atrophy is multi-dimensional: the response and interaction of myonuclei, satellite cells and signaling pathways.

Maintenance of skeletal muscle is essential for health and survival. There are marked losses of skeletal muscle mass as well as strength and physiological function under conditions of low mechanical load, such as space flight, as well as ground based models such as bed rest, immobilization, disuse, and various animal models. Disuse atrophy is caused by mechanical unloading of muscle and this leads to reduced muscle mass without fiber attrition.

Satellite cell pool expansion is affected by skeletal muscle characteristics.

Introduction: We investigated changes in satellite cell (SC) pool size after an acute bout of strenuous exercise and evaluated the influence of baseline SC count and fiber type.

Methods: Participants completed a downhill running (DHR) intervention (5 × 8 min, 2-min rest; 80% VO2max ; -10% gradient). Muscle biopsies were taken 7 days before VO₂max and 7-9 days after the DHR intervention.

Interactions of aging, overload, and creatine supplementation in rat plantaris muscle.

Attenuation of age-related sarcopenia by creatine supplementation has been equivocal. In this study, plantaris muscles of young (Y; 5m) and aging (A; 24m) Fisher 344 rats underwent four weeks of either control (C), creatine supplementation (Cr), surgical overload (O), or overload plus creatine (OCr). Creatine alone had no effect on muscle fiber cross-sectional area (CSA) or heat shock protein (HSP70) and increased myonuclear domain (MND) only in young rats.

Myostatin levels in skeletal muscle of hibernating ground squirrels.

Myostatin, a negative regulator of muscle mass, is elevated during disuse and starvation. Mammalian hibernation presents a unique scenario, where animals are hypocaloric and in torpor, but the extent of muscle protein loss is minimized. We hypothesized that myostatin expression, which is usually increased early in disuse and under hypocaloric conditions, could be suppressed in this unique model.

Effects of resistance exercise combined with essential amino acid supplementation and energy deficit on markers of skeletal muscle atrophy and regeneration during bed rest and active recovery.

Spaceflight and bed rest (BR) lead to muscle atrophy. This study assessed the effect of essential amino acid (EAA) supplementation and resistance training with decreased energy intake on molecular changes in skeletal muscle after 28-day BR and 14-day recovery. Thirty-one men (31-55 years) subjected to an 8 ± 6% energy deficit were randomized to receive EAA without resistance training (AA, n = 7), or EAA 3 h after (RT, n = 12) or 5 min before (AART, n = 12) resistance training.

Effects of chronic overload on muscle hypertrophy and mTOR signaling in young adult and aged rats.

We examined the effect of 28 days of overload on mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) and extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) signaling in young adult (Y; 6-month old) and aged (O; 30-month old) Fischer 344 x Brown Norway rats subjected to bilateral synergist ablation (SA) of two thirds of the gastrocnemius muscle or sham surgery (CON). Although plantaris (PLA) muscle hypertrophy was attenuated by aging, mTOR phosphorylation was 44% and 35% greater in Y SA and O SA compared with CON (p = .038).