Homeless population

The aim was to derive and analyze a model for numbers of homeless and non-homeless people in a borough, in particular to see how these figures might be affected by different policies regarding housing various categories of people. Most attention was focused on steady populations although the stability of these and possible timescales of dynamic problems were also discussed. The main outcome of this brief study is the identification of the key role played by the constant k_1 - the constant which fixes the speed at which the homeless are rehoused in permanent council property. Reducing this constant, i.e. making the system "fairer" with less priority to accommodating homeless families, appears to have little effect on the sizes of other categories on the waiting list but there is a marked increase in the number of households in temporary accommodation. The model, indicated by the size of its longest time-scale, should be modified to allow for births etc. It could be varied by allowing people to remove themselves from the register or by allowing the rates at which registered and unregistered people become homeless to differ, but these modifications are unlikely to substantially change the main result. The inclusion of movement from the homeless to the general population would have the effect of limiting the numbers in temporary accommodation. However, it is thought this effect is very small so a great reduction in k_1 would be needed for this flow to become significant

Prevalence and association of single nucleotide polymorphisms with sarcopenia in older women depends on definition

© 2020, The Author(s). The prevalence of sarcopenia depends on the definition used. There are, however, consistent sarcopenic characteristics, including a low muscle mass and muscle strength. Few studies have investigated the relationship between sarcopenia and genotype. A cross-sectional study was conducted with 307 community-dwelling ≥60-year-old women in South Cheshire, UK. Handgrip strength was assessed with a handgrip dynamometer and skeletal muscle mass was estimated using bioelectrical impedance. DNA was extracted from saliva (∼38%) or blood (∼62%) and 24 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were genotyped. Three established sarcopenia definitions - %Skeletal Muscle Mass (%SMM), Skeletal Muscle Mass Index (SMI) and European Working Group on Sarcopenia in Older People (EWGSOP) - were used to assess sarcopenia prevalence. Binary logistic regression with age as covariate was used to identify SNPs associated with sarcopenia. The prevalence of sarcopenia was: %SMM 14.7%, SMI 60.6% and EWGSOP 1.3%. Four SNPs were associated with the %SMM and SMI definitions of sarcopenia; FTO rs9939609, ESR1 rs4870044, NOS3 rs1799983 and TRHR rs7832552. The first three were associated with the %SMM definition, and TRHR rs7832552 with the SMI definition, but none were common to both sarcopenia definitions. The gene variants associated with sarcopenia may help proper counselling and interventions to prevent individuals from developing sarcopenia

The Genetic Background of Metabolic Trait Clusters in Children and Adolescents

Background: It is well known that metabolic risk factors of cardiovascular diseases are correlated, but the background of this clustering in children is more poorly known than in adults. Thus, we studied the contribution of genetic and environmental factors to the clustering of metabolic traits in childhood and adolescence. Data and Methods: Nine metabolic traits were measured in 214 complete twin pairs aged 3-18 years in the Autonomous Region of Madeira, Portugal, in 2007 and 2008. The variation of and covariations between the traits were decomposed into genetic and environmental components by using classical genetic twin modeling. Results: A model, including additive genetic and environmental factors unique for each twin individual, explained the variation of metabolic factors well. Under this model, the heritability estimates varied from 0.47 (systolic blood pressure in children under 12 years of age) to 0.91 (high-density lipoprotein [HDL] cholesterol in adolescents 12 years of age or older). The most systematic correlations were found between adiposity (body mass index and waist circumference) and blood lipids (HDL cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and triglycerides), as well as blood pressure. These correlations were mainly explained by common genetic factors. Conclusions: Our results suggest that obesity, in particular, is behind the clustering of metabolic factors in children and adolescents. Both general and abdominal obesity partly share the same genetic background as blood lipids and blood pressure. Obesity prevention early in childhood is important in reducing the risk of metabolic diseases in adulthood.Peer reviewe

Prediction of adult height in girls: the Beunen-MalinaFreitas method

The purpose of this study was to validate and cross-validate the Beunen-Malina-Freitas method for non-invasive prediction of adult height in girls. A sample of 420 girls aged 10–15 years from the Madeira Growth Study were measured at yearly intervals and then 8 years later. Anthropometric dimensions (lengths, breadths, circumferences, and skinfolds) were measured; skeletal age was assessed using the Tanner-Whitehouse 3 method and menarcheal status (present or absent) was recorded. Adult height was measured and predicted using stepwise, forward, and maximum R2 regression techniques. Multiple correlations, mean differences, standard errors of prediction, and error boundaries were calculated. A sample of the Leuven Longitudinal Twin Study was used to cross-validate the regressions. Age-specific coefficients of determination (R2) between predicted and measured adult height varied between 0.57 and 0.96, while standard errors of prediction varied between 1.1 and 3.9 cm. The cross-validation confirmed the validity of the Beunen-Malina-Freitas method in girls aged 12–15 years, but at lower ages the cross-validation was less consistent. We conclude that the Beunen-Malina-Freitas method is valid for the prediction of adult height in girls aged 12–15 years. It is applicable to European populations or populations of European ancestry.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Genetic predisposition score predicts the increases of knee strength and muscle mass after one-year exercise in healthy elderly

This study aims to identify a genetic predisposition score from a set of candidate gene variants that predicts the response to a one-year exercise intervention. 200 participants (aged 60–83 years) were randomly assigned to a fitness (FIT), whole-body vibration (WBV) and control group. Participants in the exercise (FIT and WBV) groups performed a one-year intervention program. Whole-body skeletal muscle mass (SMM) and isometric knee extension strength (PTIM60) were measured before and after the intervention. A set of 170 muscle-related single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were genotyped. Stepwise regression analysis was applied to select significantly contributing SNPs for baseline and relative change parameters. A data-driven genetic predisposition score (GPS) was calculated by adding up predisposing alleles for each of the phenotypes. GPS was calculated based on 4 to 8 SNPs which were significantly related to the corresponding phenotypes. These SNPs belong to genes that are involved in myoblast differentiation, muscle and bone growth, myofiber contraction, cytokines and DNA methylation. GPS was related to baseline PTIM60and relative changes of SMM and PTIM60in the exercise groups, explaining the variance of the corresponding parameter by 3.2%, 14% and 27%, respectively. Adding one increasing allele in the GPS increased baseline PTIM60by 4.73 Nm, and exercise-induced relative changes of SMM and PTIM60by 1.78% and 3.86% respectively. The identified genetic predisposition scores were positively related to baseline knee extension strength and muscle adaptations to exercise in healthy elderly. These findings provide supportive genetic explanations for high and low responders in exercise-induced muscle adaptations

Gross motor coordination and weight status of Portuguese children aged 6-14 years

Objectives: To construct age- and gender-specific percentiles for gross motor coordination (MC) tests and to explore differences in gross MC in normal-weight, overweight and obese children. Methods: Data are from the "Healthy Growth of Madeira Study", a cross-sectional study carried out in children, aged 6–14 years. All 1,276 participants, 619 boys and 657 girls, were assessed for gross MC (Korperkoordinations Test fur Kinder, KTK), anthropometry (height and body mass), physical activity (Baecke questionnaire) and socioeconomic status (SES). Centile curves for gross MC were obtained for boys and girls separately using generalized additive models for location, scale and shape. Results: A significant main effect for age was found in walking backwards and moving sideways. Boys performed significantly better than girls on moving sideways. At the upper limit of the distributions, interindividual variability was higher in hopping on one leg (girls) and jumping and moving sideways (boys and girls). One-way ANCOVA, controlling for age, physical activity and SES, indicated that normal-weight children scored significantly better than their obese peers in all gross MC tests. Overweight boys and girls also scored significantly better than their obese colleagues in some MC tests. Conclusions: These centile curves can be used as reference data in Portuguese children and youth, aged 6–14 years. Being overweight or obese was a major limitation in MC tests and, therefore, of the children’s health- and performance related physical fitness

Skeletal maturity and socio-economic status in portuguese children and youths: the Madeira growth study

Skeletal maturity is used to evaluate biological maturity status. Information about the association between socio-economic status (SES) and skeletal maturity is limited in Portugal. Aims: The aim of this study is to document the skeletal maturity of youths in Madeira and to evaluate variation in maturity associated with SES. Subjects and methods: The study involved 507 subjects (256 boys and 251 girls) from the Madeira Growth Study, a mixed-longitudinal study of five cohorts (8, 10, 12, 14 and 16 years of age) followed at yearly intervals over 3 years (1996–1998). A total of 1493 observations were made. Skeletal age was estimated from radiographs of the hand and wrist using the Tanner–Whitehouse 2 method (TW2). Social class rankings were based on Graffar’s (1956) method. Five social rankings were subsequently grouped into three SES categories: high, average and low. Results: Median for the radius, ulna and short finger bones (RUS scores) in the total sample of boys and girls increased curvilinearly across age whereas median for the 7 (without pisiform) carpal bones (Carpal scores) increased almost linearly. The 20-bone maturity scores demonstrated distinctive trends by gender: the medians for boys increased almost linearly while the medians for girls increased curvilinearly. SES differences were minimal. Only among children aged 10–11 years were high SES boys and girls advanced in skeletal maturity. Madeira adolescents were advanced in skeletal maturity compared with Belgian reference values. Conclusion: The data suggests population variation in TW2 estimates of skeletal maturation. Skeletal maturity was not related to SES in youths from Madeira

Sarcopenia, obesity, and sarcopenic obesity: Relationship with skeletal muscle phenotypes and single nucleotide polymorphisms

Obesity may aggravate the effects of sarcopenia on skeletal muscle structure and function in the elderly, but no study has attempted to identify the gene variants associated with sarcopenia in obese women. Therefore, the aims of the present study were to: (1) describe neuromuscular function in sarcopenic and non-sarcopenic women with or without obesity; (2) identify gene variants associated with sarcopenia in older obese women. In 307 Caucasian women (71 ± 6 years, 66.3 ± 11.3 kg), skeletal muscle mass was estimated using bioelectric impedance, and function was tested with a 30 s one-leg standing-balance test. Biceps brachii thickness and vastus lateralis cross-sectional area (VLACSA) were measured with B-mode ultrasonography. Handgrip strength, maximum voluntary contraction elbow flexion (MVCEF), and knee extension torque (MVCKE) were measured by dynamometry, and MVCKE/VLACSA was calculated. Genotyping was performed for 24 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), selected based on their previous associations with muscle-related phenotypes. Based on sarcopenia and obesity thresholds, groups were classified as sarcopenic obese, non-sarcopenic obese, sarcopenic non-obese, or non-sarcopenic non-obese. A two-way analysis of covariance was used to assess the main effects of sarcopenia and obesity on muscle-related phenotypes and binary logistic regression was performed for each SNP to investigate associations with sarcopenia in obesity. There were no significant obesity * sarcopenic status interactions for any of the investigated muscle-related phenotypic parameters. Neither sarcopenia nor obesity had a significant effect on biceps brachii thickness, but sarcopenia was associated with lower VLACSA (p = 0.003). Obesity was associated with lower MVCEF (p = 0.032), MVCKE (p = 0.047), and MVCKE/VLACSA (p = 0.012) with no significant effect of sarcopenia. Adjusted for age and height, three SNPs (ACTN3 rs1815739, MTHFR rs1801131, and MTHFR rs1537516) were associated with sarcopenia in obese participants. Sarcopenia was associated with a smaller muscle size, while obesity resulted in a lower muscle quality irrespective of sarcopenia. Three gene variants (ACTN3 rs1815739, MTHFR rs1801131, and MTHFR rs1537516) suspected to affect muscle function, homocysteine metabolism, or DNA methylation, respectively, were associated with sarcopenia in obese elderly women. Understanding the skeletal muscle features affected by sarcopenia and obesity, and identification of genes related to sarcopenia in obese women, may facilitate early detection of individuals at particular risk of sarcopenic obesity

Genetic, Maternal and Placental Factors in the Association between Birth Weight and Physical Fitness: A Longitudinal Twin Study

Background Adult cardiorespiratory fitness and muscle strength are related to all-cause and cardiovascular mortality. Both are possibly related to birth weight, but it is unclear what the importance is of genetic, maternal and placental factors in these associations. Design Peak oxygen uptake and measures of strength, flexibility and balance were obtained yearly during adolescence (10–18 years) in 114 twin pairs in the Leuven Longitudinal Twin Study. Their birth weights had been collected prospectively within the East Flanders Prospective Twin Survey. Results We identified linear associations between birth weight and adolescent vertical jump (b = 1.96 cm per kg birth weight, P = 0.02), arm pull (b = 1.85 kg per kg birth weight P = 0.03) and flamingo balance (b = −1.82 attempts to stand one minute per kg birth weight, P = 0.03). Maximum oxygen uptake appeared to have a U-shaped association with birth weight (the smallest and largest children had the lowest uptake, P = 0.01), but this association was no longer significant after adjustment for parental BMI. Using the individual twin’s deviation from his own twin pair’s average birth weight, we found positive associations between birth weight and adolescent vertical jump (b = 3.49, P = 0.0007) and arm pull (b = 3.44, P = 0.02). Δ scores were calculated within the twin pairs as first born twin minus second born twin. Δ birth weight was associated with Δ vertical jump within MZ twin pairs only (b = 2.63, P = 0.009), which indicates importance of placental factors. Conclusions We found evidence for an association between adolescent physical performance (strength, balance and possibly peak oxygen uptake) and birth weight. The associations with vertical jump and arm pull were likely based on individual, more specifically placental (in the case of vertical jump) factors. Our results should be viewed as hypothesis-generating and need confirmation, but potentially support preventive strategies to optimize birth weight, for example via placental function, to target later fitness and health