Association Of Handgrip Strength, Body Mass Index, Waist Circumference And Depression Scale Among Adults: A Hospital Based Cross-Sectional Observational Study

In the northeastern region of India, particularly, there has been limited research on the connection between handgrip strength, body mass index (BMI), and depression. The current study aimed to investigate whether obesity in adult women (aged 20 to 80) influenced the relationship between handgrip strength and the risk of depression. This research was conducted at Kolkata's Peerless Hospital from February 2022 to March 2023, involving a cross-sectional observational study with a total of 458 participants, both male and female, aged 18 to 80. Ethical clearance for the study was obtained from the Ethics Committee of Peerless Hospital and B K Roy Research Center, located at 360 Pancha Sayar Rd, Sahid Smirity Colony, Pancha Sayar, Kolkata, West Bengal 700094 (PHH&RCLCREC/ 4020/2023). The study adhered to the ethical guidelines established by the institution's research committee and followed the principles outlined in the 1964 Helsinki Declaration and its subsequent revisions to ensure consistent ethical standards in all procedures involving human participants. Prior to commencing the study, informed written consent was obtained from all participants. Older women with thyroid dysfunction, or hormone replacement therapy, amenorrhea, those taking vitamin D supplements and individuals with physical or mental challenges, and those who were generally uncooperative were excluded from the study. The results of the present study demonstrated a statistically significant association between depression and handgrip strength, as indicated by the Chi-Square test. Handgrip strength also displayed a significant negative correlation with BMI. Waist circumference (WC) showed a significant association with handgrip strength, with an odds ratio (OR) of 2.66. Furthermore, there was a significant negative correlation between WC and handgrip strength. When considering body fat percentage, the OR for handgrip strength was 2.92, and a significant association was observed between handgrip strength and body fat percentage

'Bhavishya Shakti: Empowering the Future': establishing and evaluating a pilot community mobile teaching kitchen as an innovative model, training marginalised women to become nutrition champions and culinary health educators in Kolkata, India.

BACKGROUND: Malnutrition is a global emergency, creating an overlapping burden on individual, public and economic health. The double burden of malnutrition affects approximately 2.3 billion adults worldwide. Following 3 years of capacity building work in Kolkata, with assistance of local volunteers and organisations, we established an empowering nutrition education model in the form of a 'mobile teaching kitchen (MTK)' with the aim of creating culinary health educators from lay slum-dwelling women. AIMS: To evaluate the piloting of a novel MTK nutrition education platform and its effects on the participants, alongside data collection feasibility. METHODS: Over 6 months, marginalised (RG Kar and Chetla slums) women underwent nutrition training using the MTK supported by dietitians, doctors and volunteers. Preintervention and postintervention assessments of knowledge, attitudes and practices (KAP), as well as anthropometric and clinical nutritional status of both the women and their children were recorded. The education was delivered by a 'See One, Do One, Teach One' approach with a final assessment of teaching delivery performed in the final session. RESULTS: Twelve women were trained in total, six from each slum. Statistically significant improvements were noted in sections of KAP, with improvements in nutrition knowledge (+4.8) and practices (+0.8). In addition, statistically significant positive changes were seen in 'understanding of healthy nutrition for their children' (p=0.02), 'sources of protein rich food' (p=0.02) and 'not skipping meals if a child is ill' (p≤0.001). CONCLUSION: The MTK as a public health intervention managed to educate, empower and upskill two groups of lay marginalised women into MTK Champions from the urban slums of Kolkata, India. Improvements in their nutrition KAP demonstrate just some of the effects of this programme. By the provision of healthy meals and nutritional messages, the MTK Champions are key drivers nudging improvements in nutrition and health related awareness with a ripple effect across the communities that they serve. There is potential to upscale and adapt this programme to other settings, or developing into a microenterprise model, that can help future MTK Champions earn a stable income

Three-year review of a capacity building pilot for a sustainable regional network on food, nutrition and health systems education in India.

BACKGROUND: In Kolkata (India), there are high rates of malnourished children (45.9%) under the age of three, impacting growth, organ development, function, and cognition. Mothers have a major role to play during this crucial development stage, with research showing nutrition knowledge, attitudes and practices (KAP) of mothers are important determinants of childhood malnutrition. AIMS: To document 3 years of capacity building towards a sustainable nutrition education network in Kolkata, India, while assessing the ability to perform data collection in the form of needs assessments, impact assessments and capacity reviews. METHODS: Descriptive review and analysis of engagement and impact from 3 years of work by the NNEdPro Global Centre for Nutrition and Health, initiating locally led nutrition education interventions. Mapping to the Indian National Nutrition Strategy was also performed to review adherence to nationwide priorities surrounding nutrition and determine the wider application potential of the network. RESULTS: Two simultaneous projects were taken forward by a team of local healthcare professionals and student champions. Project 1-medical college workshops for medical student nutrition education with added focus on underserved populations, Project 2-preparation for a 'Mobile Teaching Kitchen' (MTK) in marginalised communities to empower local women as nutrition educators.Data collection methods used for analysing markers of impact and sustainability were semi-structured interviews of the community members, and KAP questionnaires to assess response to educational sessions. CONCLUSION: With local support it is possible to create and sustain fieldwork for an extended period with meaningful outputs and impact. This initiative demonstrates that it is possible to use healthcare professionals, students and volunteers with low-intensity training and a low-cost approach to produce action research with considerable impact and results in rapid, reliable and robust manner

First person - Sudeshna Nag

First Person is a series of interviews with the first authors of a selection of papers published in Journal of Cell Science, helping early-career researchers promote themselves alongside their papers. Sudeshna Nag is the first author on `Rab4A organizes endosomal domains for sorting cargo to lysosome-related organelles', published in Journal of Cell Science. Sudeshna is a PhD student in the lab of Professor Subba Rao Gangi Setty at the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, India, investigating the mechanisms of protein sorting and trafficking

Protocol for evaluating mitochondrial morphology changes in response to CCCP-induced stress through open-source image processing software

Summary: Mitochondrial morphology is an indicator of cellular health and function; however, its quantification and categorization into different subclasses is a complicated process. Here, we present a protocol for mitochondrial morphology quantification in the presence and absence of carbonyl cyanide m-chlorophenyl hydrazone stress. We describe steps for the preparation of cells for immunofluorescence microscopy, staining, and morphology quantification. The quantification protocol generates an aspect ratio that helps to categorize mitochondria into two clear subclasses.For complete details on the use and execution of this protocol, please refer to Nag et al.1 : Publisher’s note: Undertaking any experimental protocol requires adherence to local institutional guidelines for laboratory safety and ethics

PGAM5 is an MFN2 phosphatase that plays an essential role in the regulation of mitochondrial dynamics

Summary: Mitochondrial morphology is regulated by the post-translational modifications of the dynamin family GTPase proteins including mitofusin 1 (MFN1), MFN2, and dynamin-related protein 1 (DRP1). Mitochondrial phosphatase phosphoglycerate mutase 5 (PGAM5) is emerging as a regulator of these post-translational modifications; however, its precise role in the regulation of mitochondrial morphology is unknown. We show that PGAM5 interacts with MFN2 and DRP1 in a stress-sensitive manner. PGAM5 regulates MFN2 phosphorylation and consequently protects it from ubiquitination and degradation. Further, phosphorylation and dephosphorylation modification of MFN2 regulates its fusion ability. Phosphorylation enhances fission and degradation, whereas dephosphorylation enhances fusion. PGAM5 dephosphorylates MFN2 to promote mitochondrial network formation. Further, using a Drosophila genetic model, we demonstrate that the MFN2 homolog Marf and dPGAM5 are in the same biological pathway. Our results identify MFN2 dephosphorylation as a regulator of mitochondrial fusion and PGAM5 as an MFN2 phosphatase

Dolastatins and their analogues present a compelling landscape of potential natural and synthetic anticancer drug candidates

Human cancer remains a leading cause of global mortality. Traditional treatment methods, while effective are often associated with substantial side effects, high technical requirements, and considerable expenses. Recently, anticancer peptides, such as dolastatin-type peptides naturally found in marine mollusc Dolabella auricularia, have gained attention due to their enhanced characteristics and specific targeting of cancer cells with minimal toxicity to normal cells. This review aims to provide a comprehensive summary of the anticancer activities of natural dolastatins and synthetic analogues over the past 35 years, focusing on their utilization in advancing cancer treatment strategies. This updated review encompasses a detailed analysis of numerous studies demonstrating the cytotoxic effects of dolastatins and their synthetic analogues on various human tumour cell lines. The analysis includes investigations into their ability to activate apoptosis pathways, inhibit cell cycle progression, and indirectly limit inflammation and angiogenesis in tumours. Both natural dolastatins and synthetic analogues have demonstrated significant anticancer properties through a variety of mechanisms in vitro and in vivo pharmacological studies. Some have even advanced to clinical trials, either alone or in combination with other agents, and have shown promising outcomes. The biological activities of dolastatins and their synthetic analogues offer a promising path in the development of more effective and sustainable anticancer drugs. Their specific action on cancer cells and relative non-toxicity to normal cells highlight their potential as superior cancer therapeutic agents. The current study provides a platform for the most recent preclinical and clinical research on dolastatins and their analogues. Further research into these marine peptides may contribute to the development of sustainable and efficient treatment models for cancer, filling a significant gap in the current cancer therapeutic portfolio

Rab4A organizes endosomal domains for sorting cargo to lysosome-related organelles

Sorting endosomes (SEs) are the regulatory hubs for sorting cargo to multiple organelles, including lysosome-related organelles, such as melanosomes in melanocytes. In parallel, melanosome biogenesis is initiated from SEs with the processing and sequential transport of melanocyte-specific proteins toward maturing melanosomes. However, the mechanism of cargo segregation on SEs is largely unknown. Here, RNAi screening in melanocytes revealed that knockdown of Rab4A results in defective melanosome maturation. Rab4A-depletion increases the number of vacuolar endosomes and disturbs the cargo sorting, which in turn lead to the mislocalization of melanosomal proteins to lysosomes, cell surface and exosomes. Rab4A localizes to the SEs and forms an endosomal complex with the adaptor AP-3, the effector rabenosyn-5 and the motor KIF3, which possibly coordinates cargo segregation on SEs. Consistent with this, inactivation of rabenosyn-5, KIF3A or KIF3B phenocopied the defects observed in Rab4A-knockdown melanocytes. Further, rabenosyn-5 was found to associate with rabaptin-5 or Rabip4/4′ (isoforms encoded by Rufy1) and differentially regulate cargo sorting from SEs. Thus, Rab4A acts a key regulator of cargo segregation on SEs