Postpartum versus postnatal period: Do the name and duration matter?

INTRODUCTION: Guidelines and other strategic documents were collated to understand the extent of the global use of terms postpartum and postnatal along with the duration and schedule of maternal care after delivery. METHODS: Postpartum care guidelines and strategies published in English, by international organisations including the World Health Organization, and countries in either the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development or Group of 20 were included in this scoping review. All documents available online with unrestricted access and published before May 31, 2023, were included. The evolution of the World Health Organization's definition of the period after delivery for mothers and the changes in the schedule of routine maternal care following delivery over time were displayed pictorially. A summary table was then developed to present the level of similarities and differences in the latest available documents from the international organisations and countries belonging to either the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development or the Group of 20. RESULTS: Ten documents from the World Health Organization, one from the European Board, and 15 country-level guidelines from six countries met the inclusion criteria. The interchangeable use of 'postpartum' and 'postnatal' is common. While the World Health Organization mentions the definitive length (six weeks) of the postpartum/ postnatal period, it is not stated in documents from other organisations and countries. Additionally, the length and schedule of routine maternal care after delivery vary substantially between organisations/countries, spanning from six weeks to one year with two to six healthcare contacts, respectively. CONCLUSION: Through this review, we make a case for a universal harmonisation of the term postpartum when referring to mothers after delivery; add clarity to the documents on the rationale for and duration of the postpartum period; and extend the routine maternal care schedule after delivery to support women in this vulnerable period.

Covalent Organic Frameworks as Nano-Reservoir for Room Temperature RNA Storage.

The emerging role of Ribonucleic acids (RNAs) as therapeutics is alluring. However, RNAs are extremely labile under ambient conditions and typically need to be stored in cryogenic conditions (-20 °C to -80 °C). Hence, storage, stabilization, and transportation of RNA under ambient conditions have been an arduous task and remain an unsolved problem. In this work, a guanidinium-based ionic covalent organic framework (COF), TTGCl with nanotubular morphology, was synthesized and used as nano-reservoirs for room-temperature storage of RNA. To understand the role of the nanotubular morphology and chemical nature of TTGCl in stabilizing the RNA structure and for comparison purposes, a neutral COF, TMT-TT, is synthesized and studied. Further, density functional theory (DFT) studies confirmed non-covalent interaction between the COFs and the RNA nucleobases, facilitating reversible storage of RNA. RNA loaded in COFs was found to be resistant to enzymatic degradation when treated with RNase. Gel electrophoresis and sequencing confirmed the structural integrity of the recovered RNAs and their further processibility.

Ontogeny and tissue specific expression profiles of recombination activating genes (RAGs) during development in Nile tilapia, Oreochromisniloticus.

Recombination activating genes (RAGs) mediates the process of rearrangement and somatic recombination (V(D)J) to generate different antibody repertoire. Studies on the expression pattern of adaptive immune genes during ontogenic development are crucial for the formulation of fish immunization strategy. In the present study, Nile tilapia was taken to explore the relative expression profile of RAG genes during their developmental stages. The developmental stages of Nile tilapia, i.e., unfertilized egg, 0, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18, 20, 22, 24, 26, 28 and 30 days post-hatch (dph) and kidney, blood, gill, liver and spleen tissues from adult fish were collected and the cDNA synthesis was carried out. Gene specific primers for RAG-1 and RAG-2 of Nile tilapia were designed and their annealing temperature (Tm) was optimized by gradient PCR. Consequently, PCR was performed to confirm the specific amplification of RAG-1 and RAG-2 genes. Quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) gene expression of RAG-1 and RAG-2 were noticed in all the developmental stages; however, a significant increase was observed after 12 dph and peaked at 24 dph, followed by a gradual decrease until 30 dph. Tissue-specific gene expression profiling revealed that the highest expression of RAG-1 and RAG-2 was observed in the kidney, followed by spleen, gill, liver and blood. The findings of the study explored the suitable timing of lymphoid maturation that could be technically used for the adoption of strategies to improve disease resistance of fish larvae for mitigating larval mortality.

Body composition assessment in 6-month-old infants: A comparison of two- and three-compartment models using data from the Baby-bod study.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: An appreciation of infant body composition is helpful to understand the 'quality' of growth in early life. Air displacement plethysmography (ADP) using PEA POD and the deuterium dilution (DD) technique are commonly used body composition approaches in infants. We evaluated the comparability of body composition assessed using both techniques with two-compartment (2C) and three-compartment (3C) models in 6-month-old infants. SUBJECTS/METHODS: Infant fat mass (FM) and percent fat mass (%FM) obtained from a 2C model using PEA POD (2C-PP) and a 2C model using the deuterium dilution technique (2C-DD) were compared to those derived from a 3C model, and to each other, using Bland-Altman analysis and Deming regression. RESULTS: Measurements were available from 68 infants (93% Caucasian, 53% male). The mean biases were not significant between any of the method comparisons. However, significant constant and proportional biases were identified in 2C-DD vs 3C and 2C-PP vs 2C-DD, but not in the 2C-PP vs 3C comparison. Furthermore, we observed significant associations between the mean differences and infants' percent total body water (%TBW). CONCLUSIONS: While no significant between-method mean differences were found in body composition estimates, some comparisons revealed significant constant and proportional biases and notable associations between the mean differences and %TBW were observed. Our results emphasise the importance of method choice, ensuring methodological uniformity in long-term studies, and carefully considering and regulating multiple pre-analytical variables, such as the hydration status of the participants.

An exploration of the determinants of overweight and obesity and the capacity to intervene in North-West Tasmania: A stakeholder consultation.

ISSUE ADDRESSED: The capacity of communities to develop effective obesity prevention initiatives varies and should be a focus for obesity prevention intervention planning and investment. This research aimed at engaging and consulting local community stakeholders to identify determinants, needs, strategic priorities and capacity to act on overweight and obesity prevention in North-West (NW) Tasmania. METHODS: A series of semi-structured interviews and thematic analyses was implemented to explore the knowledge, insights, experiences and attitudes of stakeholders. RESULTS: Mental health and obesity were identified as major concerns and were often reported to share similar determinants. This study has identified health promotion capacity assets (existing partnerships, community capital, local leadership and some pockets of health promotion activity), and a range of capacity deficits (limited investment in health promotion, a small workforce, limited access to pertinent health information). CONCLUSIONS: This study has identified health promotion capacity assets (existing partnerships, community capital, local leadership and some pockets of health promotion activity), and a range of capacity deficits (limited investment in health promotion, a small workforce, limited access to pertinent health information). SO WHAT?: Broad upstream socio-economic, cultural and environmental determinants underpin the conditions by which the local community develops overweight/obesity and/or health and wellbeing outcomes. Including stakeholder consultations as a significant technique within a comprehensive plan of action aimed at achieving a sustainable, long-term strategy for obesity prevention and/or health promotion, should be considered in future programs.

Light rare earth elements stabilize G-quadruplex structure in variants of human telomeric sequences.

Recently, light rare earth elements (LREEs) are gaining importance in modern-day technologies. Thus, the entry of LREEs into biochemical pathways cannot be ignored, which might affect the conformation of biomacromolecules. Herein, for the first time, we discover the G-quadruplex formation in the human telomeric variants in presence of micromolar concentrations of LREEs. Thermal melting show that the LREE-induced unimolecular G-quadruplex structure. Isothermal titration calorimetry, UV-vis, and CD spectroscopy results suggest the binding stoichiometry of lanthanide ions to telomeric variants is 2:1. The data confirms that the LREE ions coordinate between adjacent G-quartets. The excess LREE ions are most likely binding to quadruplex loops. The CD spectra revealed that the LREE-induced quadruplex in human telomere and its variant have antiparallel orientation. The binding equilibria of LREEs have been studied both in the presence and absence of competing metal cations. Addition of LREEs to the Na+ or K+-induced G-quadruplexes led to conformational change, which may be ascribed to the displacement of K+ or Na+ ions by LREE ions and formation of a more compact LREE-induced G-quadruplex structure in human telomeric variant. Moreover, the thymine in the central loop of the human telomeric sequence stabilizes LREE induced G-quadruplex.

Bone marrow stem cells incubated with ellipticine regenerate articular cartilage by attenuating inflammation and cartilage degradation in rabbit model.

BACKGROUND: Ellipticine (Ellip.) was recently reported to have beneficial effects on the differentiation of adipose-derived stem cells into mature chondrocyte-like cells. On the other hand, no practical results have been derived from the transplantation of bone marrow stem cells (BMSCs) in a rabbit osteoarthritis (OA) model. OBJECTIVES: This study examined whether autologous BMSCs incubated with ellipticine (Ellip.+BMSCs) could regenerate articular cartilage in rabbit OA, a model similar to degenerative arthritis in human beings. METHODS: A portion of rabbit articular cartilage was surgically removed, and Ellip.+BMSCs were transplanted into the lesion area. After two and four weeks of treatment, the serum levels of proinflammatory cytokines, i.e., tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α) and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), were analyzed, while macroscopic and micro-computed tomography (CT) evaluations were conducted to determine the intensity of cartilage degeneration. Furthermore, immuno-blotting was performed to evaluate the mitogen-activated protein kinases, PI3K/Akt, and nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) signaling in rabbit OA models. Histological staining was used to confirm the change in the pattern of collagen and proteoglycan in the articular cartilage matrix. RESULTS: The transplantation of Ellip.+BMSCs elicited a chondroprotective effect by reducing the inflammatory factors (TNF-α, PGE2) in a time-dependent manner. Macroscopic observations, micro-CT, and histological staining revealed articular cartilage regeneration with the downregulation of matrix-metallo proteinases (MMPs), preventing articular cartilage degradation. Furthermore, histological observations confirmed a significant boost in the production of chondrocytes, collagen, and proteoglycan compared to the control group. Western blotting data revealed the downregulation of the p38, PI3K-Akt, and NF-κB inflammatory pathways to attenuate inflammation. CONCLUSIONS: The transplantation of Ellip.+BMSCs normalized the OA condition by boosting the recovery of degenerated articular cartilage and inhibiting the catabolic signaling pathway.

Active School Commuting in School Children: A Narrative Review of Current Evidence and Future Research Implications.

Active school commuting (ASC) has been proposed as a practical way to inculcate positive physical activity habits in children. This paper reviews the current evidence regarding ASC among children, highlights advances in research techniques and existing limitations in the field, and outlines future implications for research and promotion. A comprehensive literature search was conducted to identify English language studies on ASC among children aged 6-12 years, followed by a narrative review. ASC has witnessed a global decline, despite evidence of its contribution to physical activity levels. Context-dependent factors such as commuting distance and parental safety concerns are consistently identified as key determinants of ASC. Several promising interventions have been identified. Despite the limitations in intervention scope and quality, notable advancements in research techniques, such as multilevel regression and agent-based modelling, have been identified. Effective promotion of ASC to tackle childhood physical inactivity requires collaborative efforts among schools, parents, and the government, and should be tailored to address multilevel determinants within the local context. Future research should leverage recent advancements in research techniques to develop effective promotion strategies, while considering the context-dependent nature of ASC behaviours and addressing existing limitations, including the lack of standardised definitions and limited geographical and age coverage.

Muscle Transcriptome Sequencing Revealed Thermal Stress-Responsive Regulatory Genes in Farmed Rohu, Labeo rohita (Hamilton, 1822).

Rohu, Labeo rohita, is one of the most important aquaculture species in the Indian subcontinent. Understanding the molecular-level physiological responses to thermal stress or climate change is essential. In the present work, transcriptome sequencing was carried out in the muscle tissue of the rohu in response to heat stress (35 °C) in comparison with the control (28 °C). A total of 125 Gb of sequence data was generated, and the raw-reads were filtered and trimmed, which resulted in 484 million quality reads. Reference-based assembly of reads was performed using L. rohita genome, and a total of 90.17% of reads were successfully mapped. A total of 37,462 contigs were assembled with an N50 value of 1854. The differential expression analysis revealed a total of 107 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) (15 up-, 37 down-, and 55 neutrally regulated) as compared to the control group (Log2FC > 2, P < 0.05). Gene enrichment analysis of DEGs indicates that transcripts were associated with molecular, biological, and cellular activities. The randomly selected differentially expressed transcripts were validated by RT-qPCR and found consistent expression patterns in line with the RNA-seq data. Several transcripts such as SERPINE1(HSP47), HSP70, HSP90alpha, Rano class II histocompatibility A beta, PGC-1 and ERR-induced regulator, proto-oncogene c-Fos, myozenin2, alpha-crystallin B chain-like protein, angiopoietin-like protein 8, and acetyl-CoA carboxylases have been identified in muscle tissue of rohu that are associated with stress/immunity. This study identified the key biomarker SERPINE1 (HSP47), which showed significant upregulation (~ 2- to threefold) in muscle tissue of rohu exposed to high temperature. This study can pave a path for the identification of stress-responsive biomarkers linked with thermal adaptations in the farmed carps.

DNA Methylation Profiling of Ovarian Tissue of Climbing Perch (Anabas testudienus) in Response to Monocrotophos Exposure.

Epigenetic modifications like DNA methylation can alter an organism's phenotype without changing its DNA sequence. Exposure to environmental toxicants has the potential to change the resilience of aquatic species. However, little information is available on the dynamics of DNA methylation in fish gonadal tissues in response to organophosphates. In the present work, reduced-representation bisulfite sequencing was performed to identify DNA methylation patterns in the ovarian tissues of Anabas testudienus exposed to organophosphates, specifically monocrotophos (MCP). Through sequencing, an average of 41,087 methylated cytosine sites were identified and distributed in different parts of genes, i.e., in transcription start sites (TSS), promoters, exons, etc. A total of 1058 and 1329 differentially methylated regions (DMRs) were detected as hyper-methylated and hypo-methylated in ovarian tissues, respectively. Utilizing whole-genome data of the climbing perch, the DMRs, and their associated overlapping genes revealed a total of 22 genes within exons, 45 genes at transcription start sites (TSS), and 218 genes in intergenic regions. Through gene ontology analysis, a total of 16 GO terms particularly involved in ovarian follicular development, response to oxidative stress, oocyte maturation, and multicellular organismal response to stress associated with reproductive biology were identified. After functional enrichment analysis, relevant DMGs such as steroid hormone biosynthesis (Cyp19a, 11-beta-HSD, 17-beta-HSD), hormone receptors (ar, esrrga), steroid metabolism (StAR), progesterone-mediated oocyte maturation (igf1ar, pgr), associated with ovarian development in climbing perch showed significant differential methylation patterns. The differentially methylated genes (DMGs) were subjected to analysis using real-time PCR, which demonstrated altered gene expression levels. This study revealed a molecular-level alteration in genes associated with ovarian development in response to chemical exposure. This work provides evidence for understanding the relationship between DNA methylation and gene regulation in response to chemicals that affect the reproductive fitness of aquatic animals.

Enhancing Food Literacy and Food Security through School Gardening in Rural and Regional Communities.

A qualitative case study approach with in-depth, semi-structured interviews of key school staff, and student feedback was used to assess a school kitchen and garden program in the regional area of North-West Tasmania, Australia. A detailed program description was produced to conduct a realist evaluation with a Context-Mechanism-Outcome configuration, followed by a program theory evaluation through the construction of a retrospective program logic model. Dedicated kitchen and garden spaces, knowledgeable teachers committed to the program, provision of sufficient materials and consumables, and support from the school and community were found to be the basic requirements to establish a program. Additionally, it is essential to integrate both the kitchen and garden teaching components into the school curriculum. The positive outcomes (e.g., engagement, participation, knowledge, skills, behavioral change) of the program were dependent on the underlying factors, including dedicated support of school leadership, teaching staff, and the parent body for effective student engagement in the teaching spaces and for wider engagement from families and the community. The students' feedback provided supporting evidence of increased food literacy with improvements in their understanding, abilities, and attitudes towards gardening, producing healthy food, and preparing food. This may further lead to enhanced food security for students' families and the broader community.

Habitual Diets Are More Expensive than Recommended Healthy Diets.

Understanding food prices and affordability is crucial for promoting healthy dietary habits and informing policy actions. We assessed changes in the cost and affordability of habitual and recommended healthy diets in Northwest Tasmania from 2021 to 2023. The recommended diet was 16-22% less expensive than the habitual diet during the period. Notably, 60% of the total cost of the habitual diet was spent on discretionary items. The cost of the habitual diet increased by 9% in this period, whereas the cost of the recommended diet increased by only 2%. The habitual diet was unaffordable for households with median gross, minimum wage disposable or welfare-dependent incomes. The recommended diet, however, was affordable for some groups but posed a risk of food stress for those with median gross and minimum wage disposable income and remained unaffordable for those who were welfare dependent. Our findings reveal that adhering to a healthy Australian Dietary Guidelines-recommended diet can be more cost-effective than following a habitual unhealthy diet. However, adopting a healthy diet can be challenging for low-income families. Interventions such as financial support, nutrition education, community gardens and food hubs, as well as price regulation and subsidies for farmers, can help address food insecurity in Northwest Tasmania.

Revealing bacterial and fungal communities of the untapped forest and alpine grassland zones of the Western-Himalayan region.

The Western Himalayas offer diverse environments for investigating the diversity and distribution of microbial communities and their response to both the abiotic and biotic factors across the entire altitudinal gradient. Such investigations contribute significantly to our understanding of the complex ecological processes that shape microbial diversity. The proposed study focuses on the investigation of the bacterial and fungal communities in the forest and alpine grasslands of the Western Himalayan region, as well as their relationship with the physicochemical parameters of soil. A total of 185 isolates were obtained using the culture-based technique belonging to Bacillus (37%), Micrococcus (16%), and Staphylococcus (7%). Targeted metagenomics revealed the abundance of bacterial phyla Pseudomonadota (23%) followed by Acidobacteriota (20.2%), Chloroflexota (15%), and Bacillota (11.3%). At the genera level, CandidatusUdaeobacter (6%), Subgroup_2 (5.5%) of phylum Acidobacteriota, and uncultured Ktedonobacterales HSB_OF53-F07 (5.2%) of Choloroflexota phylum were found to be preponderant. Mycobiome predominantly comprised of phyla Ascomycota (54.1%), Basidiomycota (24%), and Mortierellomycota (19.1%) with Archaeorhizomyces (19.1%), Mortierella (19.1%), and Russula (5.4%) being the most abundant genera. Spearman's correlation revealed that the bacterial community was most influenced by total nitrogen in the soil followed by soil organic carbon as compared to other soil physicochemical factors. The study establishes a fundamental relationship between microbial communities and the physicochemical properties of soil. Furthermore, the study provides valuable insights into the complex interplay between biotic and abiotic factors that influence the microbial community composition of this unique region across various elevations.

Understanding the pathway between work and health outcomes for women during the preconception, pregnancy, and postpartum periods through the framing of maternal obesity.

The link between work and health outcomes for preconception, pregnant, and postpartum (PPP) working women is complex. Further, innovation and enhanced understanding are required to address the work-related determinants of maternal obesity. However, workplace health promotion is not typically systems-based nor attuned to the specific needs and context of individual PPP women. We propose that to improve health outcomes for PPP women, we must understand the pathways between paid work and health for the individual woman by taking a systems-thinking approach. In this paper, we (a) outline the rationale for why the oversimplification or "dilution" of individual context may occur; (b) present a systems-informed pathway model (the "Context-Exposure-Response" Model) and overview of potential work-related impacts on health and wellbeing outcomes for PPP women using maternal obesity to provide context examples; (c) further investigate the role of motivational factors from a systems perspective; and (d) briefly examine the implications for policy, practice, and intervention design. It is anticipated that this research may act as a starting point to assist program developers, researchers, and policymakers to adopt a systems-focused perspective while contributing to the health improvement and obesity prevention of PPP women.

Peptide nanostructures-based delivery of DNA nanomaterial therapeutics for regulating gene expression.

Self-assembled branched DNA (bDNA) nanomaterials have exhibited their functionality in various biomedical and diagnostic applications. However, the anionic cellular membrane has restricted the movement of bDNA nanostructures. Recently, amphiphilic peptides have been investigated as cationic delivery agents for nucleic acids. Herein, we demonstrate a strategy for delivering functional bDNA nanomaterials into mammalian cells using self-assembled linear peptides. In this study, antisense oligonucleotides of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) were inserted in the overhangs of bDNAs. Novel linear peptides have been synthesized and the peptide-bound bDNA complex formation was examined using various biophysical experiments. Interestingly, the W4R4-bound bDNAs were found to be exceptionally stable against DNase I compared to other complexes. The delivery of fluorescent-labeled bDNAs into the mammalian cells confirmed the potential of peptide transporters. Furthermore, the functional efficacy of the peptide-bound bDNAs has been examined through RT-PCR and western blot analysis. The observed results revealed that W4R4 peptides exhibited excellent internalization of antisense bDNAs and significantly suppressed (3- to 4-fold) the transcripts and translated product of VEGF compared to the control. In summary, the results highlight the potential use of peptide-based nanocarrier for delivering bDNA nanostructures to regulate the gene expression in cell lines.

Infant body composition at 6 and 24 months: what are the driving factors?

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVE: Available evidence on infant body composition is limited. This study aimed to investigate factors associated with body composition at 6 and 24 months. SUBJECTS/METHODS: Multicenter study with data from a 0 to 6-mo cohort (Australia, India and South Africa) and a 3 to 24-mo cohort (Brazil, Pakistan, South Africa, and Sri Lanka). For the 0-6-mo cohort, body composition was assessed by air-displacement plethysmography (ADP) and for the 3-24-month cohort by the deuterium dilution (DD) technique. Fat mass (FM), fat-free mass (FFM), FM index (FMI), and FFM index (FFMI) were calculated. Independent variables comprised the Gini index of the country, maternal and infant characteristics, and breastfeeding pattern at 3 months. For the 3-24-mo cohort, breastfeeding, and minimum dietary diversity (MDD) at 12 months were also included. Crude and adjusted analyses stratified by sex were conducted by multilevel modelling using mixed models. RESULTS: At 6 months, every 1 kg increase in birth weight was associated with an increase of 0.716 kg in FFM and 0.582 kg/m2 in FFMI in girls, whereas in boys, the increase was of 0.277 kg in FFM. At 24 months, compared to those weaned before 12 months, girls still breastfed at 12 months presented a decrease of 0.225 kg in FM, 0.645 kg in FFM and 0.459 kg/m2 in FFMI, and in boys the decreases were of 0.467 kg in FM, 0.603 kg in FFM and 0.628 kg/m2 in FFMI. CONCLUSION: Birth weight and breastfeeding are independent predictors of body composition in early life, irrespective of sex.

Trends and associations between maternal characteristics and infant birthweight among Indigenous and non-Indigenous people in Tasmania, Australia: a population-based study.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to investigate the trends and associations of maternal characteristics and birthweight among Indigenous and non-Indigenous infants. STUDY DESIGN: This was a retrospective population-based study. METHODS: Fourteen years (2005-2018) of birthweight and perinatal health data of live-born singletons and their mothers obtained from the Tasmanian Data Linkage Unit were used to assess the trends and associations between maternal characteristics and infant birthweight using regression modelling. RESULTS: Compared with non-Indigenous mothers (n = 76,750), Indigenous mothers (n = 3805) had a significantly higher prevalence of risk factors during the 14-year period. Although the prevalence of prepregnancy obesity and gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) markedly increased in both groups, the rate of increase was higher (P < 0.001) for Indigenous than non-Indigenous mothers. Smoking, alcohol consumption and illegal drug use during pregnancy reduced over the years, and there was no significant difference in the rate of reduction between the groups. Large-for-gestational-age (LGA) births increased while small-for-gestational-age (SGA) births decreased in both groups over time. In addition, high birthweight (HBW) births decreased while low birthweight (LBW) births increased. The rates of increase in LGA and LBW births and the rates of decrease in SGA and HBW births were significantly higher in Indigenous mothers compared with non-Indigenous mothers (P < 0.001 for all). The association between Indigenous ethnicity and LBW and SGA births weakened after adjusting for other confounding maternal and perinatal variables. LBW and SGA were positively associated with Indigenous ethnicity, age <18 years, smoking, alcohol consumption and illegal drug use, pre-eclampsia, underweight prepregnancy body mass index and low socio-economic status. Women with higher parity, pre-existing diabetes and prepregnancy overweight or obesity were more likely to give birth to an infant with HBW or LGA. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of risk factors for abnormal birthweight is higher among Tasmanian Indigenous mothers, contributing to a gap in birthweight outcomes between Indigenous and non-Indigenous infants. The dramatic increase in prepregnancy obesity and GDM in both groups highlight the importance of screening and management of GDM during pregnancy. Comprehensive programmes co-designed and co-managed in consultation with Indigenous people are needed to support healthy lifestyle choices among Indigenous women to address the barriers to individuals adopting behaviour change and to help close the health outcomes-related gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous mothers and infants.

Functional characterization of Labeo rohita muscle cell line for in vitro research.

BACKGROUND: Labeo rohita represents the most dominant fish species in Indian aquaculture and the fish cell lines have been used as an excellent in vitro platform for performing various biological research. METHODS AND RESULTS: The LRM cell culture developed from the muscle tissue of L. rohita was used to study the in vitro applications. The developed muscle cells were maintained in a Leibovitz's-15 (L-15) supplemented with 10% FBS (Fetal Bovine Serum) and 10 ng/ml bFGF at 28 oC temperature. The LRM cells showed fibroblastic-like morphology and was authenticated by sequencing mitochondrial gene 16S rRNA. The expression of myogenic regulatory factors (MRFs) was studied in different stages of LRM cells; however, the expression patterns varied at different passages. The MEF2A, Mrf-4, and Myogenin expressions were higher in passage 25, while the expression of MyoD was maximum in passage 15, and the expression of Myf-5 was highest in passage 1. The transfection efficiency of LRM cells revealed 14 % of the GFP expression with a pmaxGFP vector DNA. The LRM cells were susceptible to the extracellular products prepared from Aeromonas hydrophilla and Edwardsiella tarda. The acute cytotoxicity of six heavy metals (Hg, Cd, Zn, Cu, Pb, Ni) was assessed in LRM cells by a dose-dependent manner in comparison to IC50 values obtained from MTT and NR assays. A revival rate of 70-75% was achieved when the LRM cells were cryopreserved at - 196 °C using liquid nitrogen. CONCLUSION: The developed muscle cells serve as an functional in vitro tool for toxicological and biotechnological studies.

Host-Specific Diversity of Culturable Bacteria in the Gut Systems of Fungus-Growing Termites and Their Potential Functions towards Lignocellulose Bioconversion.

Fungus-growing termites are eusocial insects that represent one of the most efficient and unique systems for lignocellulose bioconversion, evolved from a sophisticated symbiosis with lignocellulolytic fungi and gut bacterial communities. Despite a plethora of information generated during the last century, some essential information on gut bacterial profiles and their unique contributions to wood digestion in some fungus-growing termites is still inadequate. Hence, using the culture-dependent approach, the present study aims to assess and compare the diversity of lignocellulose-degrading bacterial symbionts within the gut systems of three fungus-growing termites: Ancistrotermes pakistanicus, Odontotermes longignathus, and Macrotermes sp. A total of 32 bacterial species, belonging to 18 genera and 10 different families, were successfully isolated and identified from three fungus-growing termites using Avicel or xylan as the sole source of carbon. Enterobacteriaceae was the most dominant family represented by 68.1% of the total bacteria, followed by Yersiniaceae (10.6%) and Moraxellaceae (9%). Interestingly, five bacterial genera such as Enterobacter, Citrobacter, Acinetobacter, Trabulsiella, and Kluyvera were common among the tested termites, while the other bacteria demonstrated a termite-specific distribution. Further, the lignocellulolytic potential of selected bacterial strains was tested on agricultural waste to evaluate their capability for lignocellulose bioconversion. The highest substrate degradation was achieved with E. chengduensis MA11 which degraded 45.52% of rice straw. All of the potential strains showed endoglucanase, exoglucanase, and xylanase activities depicting a symbiotic role towards the lignocellulose digestion within the termite gut. The above results indicated that fungus-growing termites harbor a diverse array of bacterial symbionts that differ from species to species, which may play an inevitable role to enhance the degradation efficacy in lignocellulose decomposition. The present study further elaborates our knowledge about the termite-bacteria symbiosis for lignocellulose bioconversion which could be helpful to design a future biorefinery.