What Hippocrates called “Man’s best medicine”: walking is humanity’s path to a better world

What Hippocrates called “Man’s best medicine”: walking is humanity’s path to a better worl

Vitamin A and zinc supplementation among pregnant women to prevent placental malaria: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in Tanzania

BACKGROUND: Malaria causes nearly 200 million clinical cases and approximately half a million deaths each year, primarily in sub-Saharan Africa.1 The risk of malaria increases during pregnancy,2 a period during which its prevention is especially important. Not only do pregnant women experience greater severity of illness compared with nonpregnant women,2 but studies have shown strong associations between prenatal malaria and maternal anemia,2 fetal loss, low birthweight, and infant mortality.2 Improving preventive measures that specifically target malaria in pregnancy is a global health priority.3 METHODS: Study design and participants. This randomized, doubleblind, placebo-controlled trial was implemented at 8 antenatal care clinics in the urban Temeke and Ilala districts of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. The trial was registered RESULTS: A total of 2,500 screened participants were enrolled in the trial. The trial profile is shown in Figure 1. It was not possible to collect placentas from 875 participants for the following reasons: miscarriages (fetal loss before 28 weeks of gestation) (N = 234), delivery outside of Dar es Salaam or at a non-study hospital (N = 577), or withdrawal from the study (N = 34). Of the remaining 1,589 women, 1,404 placental samples were obtained (88%); histology results were available for 1,361 participants. PCR results were available for 1,158 participants, and 1,404 participants had either histology or PCR results available. CONCLUSION: This study is the first to examine the impact of vitamin A and zinc supplementation starting in early pregnancy on placental malaria. We observed that supplementation with 25 mg zinc per day from the first trimester until delivery was associated with a 36% (95% CI = 9–56%) reduced risk of histopathology-positive placental infection, but not PCRpositive infection. Vitamin A supplementation had no impact on placental malaria, but was associated with an increased risk for severe anemia

Porifera Lectins: diversity, physiological roles and biotechnological potential

An overview on the diversity of 39 lectins from the phylum Porifera is presented, including 38 lectins, which were identified from the class of demosponges, and one lectin from the class of hexactinellida. Their purification from crude extracts was mainly performed by using affinity chromatography and gel filtration techniques. Other protocols were also developed in order to collect and study sponge lectins, including screening of sponge genomes and expression in heterologous bacterial systems. The characterization of the lectins was performed by Edman degradation or mass spectrometry. Regarding their physiological roles, sponge lectins showed to be involved in morphogenesis and cell interaction, biomineralization and spiculogenesis, as well as host defense mechanisms and potentially in the association between the sponge and its microorganisms. In addition, these lectins exhibited a broad range of bioactivities, including modulation of inflammatory response, antimicrobial and cytotoxic activities, as well as anticancer and neuromodulatory activity. In view of their potential pharmacological applications, sponge lectins constitute promising molecules of biotechnological interest

Brief bouts of device-measured intermittent lifestyle physical activity and its association with major adverse cardiovascular events and mortality in people who do not exercise: a prospective cohort study

BACKGROUND: Guidelines emphasise the health benefits of bouts of physical activity of any duration. However, the associations of intermittent lifestyle physical activity accumulated through non-exercise with mortality and major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) remain unclear. We aimed to examine the associations of bouts of moderate-to-vigorous intermittent lifestyle physical activity (MV-ILPA) and the proportion of vigorous activity contributing within these bouts with mortality and MACE. METHODS: In this prospective cohort study, we used data from the UK Biobank on adults who do not exercise (ie, those who did not report leisure-time exercise) who had wrist-worn accelerometry data available. Participants were followed up until Nov 30, 2022, with the outcome of interest of all-cause mortality obtained through linkage with NHS Digital of England and Wales, and the NHS Central Register and National Records of Scotland, and MACE obtained from inpatient hospitalisation data provided by the Hospital Episode Statistics for England, the Patient Episode Database for Wales, and the Scottish Morbidity Record for Scotland. MV-ILPA bouts were derived using a two-level Random Forest classifier and grouped as short (<1 min), medium (1 to <3 min; 3 to <5 min), and long (5 to <10 min). We further examined the dose-response relationship of the proportion of vigorous physical activity contributing to the MV-ILPA bout. FINDINGS: Between June 1, 2013, and Dec 23, 2015, 103 684 Biobank participants wore an accelerometer on their wrist. 25 241 adults (mean age 61·8 years [SD 7·6]), of whom 14 178 (56·2%) were women, were included in our analysis of all-cause mortality. During a mean follow-up duration of 7·9 years (SD 0·9), 824 MACE and 1111 deaths occurred. Compared with bouts of less than 1 min, mortality risk was lower for bouts of 1 min to less than 3 min (hazard ratio [HR] 0·66 [0·53-0·81]), 3 min to less than 5 min (HR 0·56 [0·46-0·69]), and 5 to less than 10 min (HR 0·48 [0·39-0·59]). Similarly, compared with bouts of less than 1 min, risk of MACE was lower for bouts of 1 min to less than 3 min (HR 0·71 [0·54-0·93]), 3 min to less than 5 min (0·62 [0·48-0·81]), and 5 min to less than 10 min (0·59 [0·46-0·76]). Short bouts (<1 min) were associated with lower MACE risk only when bouts were comprised of at least 15% vigorous activity. INTERPRETATION: Intermittent non-exercise physical activity was associated with lower mortality and MACE. Our results support the promotion of short intermittent bouts of non-exercise physical activity of moderate-to-vigorous intensity to improve longevity and cardiovascular health among adults who do not habitually exercise in their leisure time. FUNDING: Australian National Health, Medical Research Council, and Wellcome Trust

Labile Soil Carbon Inputs Mediate the Soil Microbial Community Composition and Plant Residue Decomposition Rates

• Root carbon (C) inputs may regulate decomposition rates in soil, and in this study we ask: how do labile C inputs regulate decomposition of plant residues, and soil microbial communities? • In a 14 d laboratory incubation, we added C compounds often found in root exudates in seven different concentrations (0, 0.7, 1.4, 3.6, 7.2, 14.4 and 21.7 mg C g soil) to soils amended with and without 13C-labeled plant residue. We measured CO2 respiration and shifts in relative fungal and bacterial rRNA gene copy numbers using quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). • Increased labile C input enhanced total C respiration, but only addition of C at low concentrations (0.7 mg C g-1) stimulated plant residue decomposition (+2%). Intermediate concentrations (1.4, 3.6 mg C g-1) had no impact on plant residue decomposition, while greater concentrations of C (\u3e 7.2 mg C g-1) reduced decomposition -50%). Concurrently, high exudate concentrations (\u3e 3.6 mg C g-1) increased fungal and bacterial gene copy numbers, whereas low exudate concentrations (\u3c 3.6 mg C g-1) increased metabolic activity rather than gene copy numbers. • These results underscore that labile soil C inputs can regulate decomposition of more recalcitrant soil C by controlling the activity and relative abundance of fungi and bacteria

Brief bouts of device-measured intermittent lifestyle physical activity and its association with major adverse cardiovascular events and mortality in people who do not exercise: a prospective cohort study

Background: Guidelines emphasise the health benefits of bouts of physical activity of any duration. However, the associations of intermittent lifestyle physical activity accumulated through non-exercise with mortality and major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) remain unclear. We aimed to examine the associations of bouts of moderateto-vigorous intermittent lifestyle physical activity (MV-ILPA) and the proportion of vigorous activity contributing within these bouts with mortality and MACE. Methods: In this prospective cohort study, we used data from the UK Biobank on adults who do not exercise (ie, those who did not report leisure-time exercise) who had wrist-worn accelerometry data available. Participants were followed up until Nov 30, 2022, with the outcome of interest of all-cause mortality obtained through linkage with NHS Digital of England and Wales, and the NHS Central Register and National Records of Scotland, and MACE obtained from inpatient hospitalisation data provided by the Hospital Episode Statistics for England, the Patient Episode Database for Wales, and the Scottish Morbidity Record for Scotland. MV-ILPA bouts were derived using a two-level Random Forest classifier and grouped as short (&lt;1 min), medium (1 to &lt;3 min; 3 to &lt;5 min), and long (5 to &lt;10 min). We further examined the dose–response relationship of the proportion of vigorous physical activity contributing to the MV-ILPA bout. Findings: Between June 1, 2013, and Dec 23, 2015, 103 684 Biobank participants wore an accelerometer on their wrist. 25 241 adults (mean age 61·8 years [SD 7·6]), of whom 14 178 (56·2%) were women, were included in our analysis of all-cause mortality. During a mean follow-up duration of 7·9 years (SD 0·9), 824 MACE and 1111 deaths occurred. Compared with bouts of less than 1 min, mortality risk was lower for bouts of 1 min to less than 3 min (hazard ratio [HR] 0·66 [0·53–0·81]), 3 min to less than 5 min (HR 0·56 [0·46–0·69]), and 5 to less than 10 min (HR 0·48 [0·39–0·59]). Similarly, compared with bouts of less than 1 min, risk of MACE was lower for bouts of 1 min to less than 3 min (HR 0·71 [0·54–0·93]), 3 min to less than 5 min (0·62 [0·48–0·81]), and 5 min to less than 10 min (0·59 [0·46–0·76]). Short bouts (&lt;1 min) were associated with lower MACE risk only when bouts were comprised of at least 15% vigorous activity. Interpretation: Intermittent non-exercise physical activity was associated with lower mortality and MACE. Our results support the promotion of short intermittent bouts of non-exercise physical activity of moderate-to-vigorous intensity to improve longevity and cardiovascular health among adults who do not habitually exercise in their leisure time

Untapping the health enhancing potential of vigorous intermittent lifestyle physical activity (VILPA): rationale, scoping review, and a 4-pillar research framework

Recently revised public health guidelines acknowledge the health benefits of regular intermittent bouts of vigorous intensity incidental physical activity done as part of daily living, such as carrying shopping bags, walking uphill, and stair climbing. Despite this recognition and the advantages such lifestyle physical activity has over continuous vigorous intensity structured exercise, a scoping review we conducted revealed that current research in this area is, at best, rudimentary. Key gaps include the absence of an empirically-derived dose specification (e.g., minimum duration of lifestyle physical activity required to achieve absolute or relative vigorous intensity), lack of acceptable measurement standards, limited understanding of acute and chronic (adaptive) effects of intermittent vigorous bouts on health, and paucity of essential information necessary to develop feasible and scalable interventions (e.g., acceptability of this kind of physical activity by the public). To encourage collaboration and research agenda alignment among groups interested in this field, we propose a research framework to further understanding of vigorous intermittent lifestyle physical activity (VILPA). This framework comprises four pillars aimed at the development of: (a) an empirical definition of VILPA, (b) methods to reliably and accurately measure VILPA, (c) approaches to examine the short and long-term dose–response effects of VILPA, and (d) scalable and acceptable behavioural VILPA-promoting interventions