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The Symbiosis of Circadian Rhythms and Oxidative Stress: Exploring Consequences and Opportunities

2025-02-04T12:19:38Z

Title: The Symbiosis of Circadian Rhythms and Oxidative Stress: Exploring Consequences and Opportunities Authors: Halder, Satyajit; Maiti, Rajkumar; Ghosh, Debidas; Jana, Kuladip Abstract: Oxygen and the synchronization of circadian rhythms are pivotal in orchestrating a myriad of physiological functions crucial for sustaining homeostasis. These include the modulation of blood pressure, the cyclical nature of sleep and alertness, and the intricate cellular communication networks essential for health and disease management. At the heart of circadian regulation lies a sophisticated intracellular chronometer, which primes organisms to predict and adapt to environmental fluctuations, aligning their physiological responses and behaviors to the optimal times of day. Under conditions of heightened stress, the capacity of human bodies or individual cells to maintain internal equilibrium, including the balance of redox states and the precision of circadian cycles, may become compromised. Such disruptions at the cellular and systemic levels can precipitate deleterious outcomes, paving the way for the onset of cardiovascular diseases, neurodegenerative conditions, and cancers. Recent strides in scientific research have deepened our grasp of the mechanisms underpinning circadian rhythms and the critical role played by various components of oxidative stress. The exploration of the molecular intersections between oxidative stress and circadian rhythm dysregulation has emerged as a key area of focus, illuminating the underpinnings of their interplay. Although there is a wealth of knowledge on the dynamics and significance of oxidative stress and circadian rhythms when considered separately, the nexus of their interaction remains relatively underexplored. This review endeavors to highlight the complex symbiotic interplay between these two systems in the maintenance of physiological integrity and their consequential roles in the pathogenesis of diseases. By targeting both the circadian and oxidative stress frameworks simultaneously, there emerges a promising avenue for enhancing disease management strategies, particularly for conditions that have their roots intertwined in both systems. Embracing this dual-focused approach marks a significant stride towards improving our capacity to alleviate diseases attributed to the misalignment of circadian rhythms and oxidative imbalances, heralding a new era in the prevention and treatment of such disorders. Description: PP:1-16

The Impact of the Circadian Rhythms on Micronutrient Absorption

2025-02-04T12:18:42Z

Title: The Impact of the Circadian Rhythms on Micronutrient Absorption Authors: Chatterjee, Arnab; Sahu, Smita; Kumari, Divya; Banerjee, Amit Kumar; Kumar, Shashi Bhushan; Panpatil, Virendra Abstract: The term malnutrition consists of both under and over-nutrition. However, micronutrient deficiencies are common in both situations. Micronutrient deficiencies or ‘Hidden hunger’ are the underlying cause of the chronic intergenerational cycle of malnutrition. Various strategies and policies have been rolled out throughout the globe to mitigate the challenges. However, population studies have revealed that the impact of existing policies is not enough to eradicate the problem. The amalgamation of chronobiological approaches in planning nutrition intervention strategies may be beneficial to address the insurmountable problem. This review emphasizes the association of recent advancements in chronobiology in the mitigation of micronutrient-related challenges. Attempts have also been taken to understand the possible links among gut microbiota, micronutrient absorption, and circadian rhythm based on available research results. If this complex relation is properly understood then it may help in planning population-based intervention strategies for lower-middle-income group of countries, like India. Description: PP: 17-35

Assessment of the Composite Index of Anthropometric Failure (CIAF) among the Rural Preschool Children of Medinipur, West Bengal

2025-02-04T12:17:21Z

Title: Assessment of the Composite Index of Anthropometric Failure (CIAF) among the Rural Preschool Children of Medinipur, West Bengal Authors: Khanra, Bimal; Pratihar, Swarup; Chanak, Mahua; Bose, Kaushik Abstract: According to the WHO Global Report (2020), 45 percent of deaths among preschool children are linked to undernutrition. In the Indian context, the National Family Health Survey (NFHS), 2022 reports that 19 percent, 36 percent, and 32 percent of children are wasted, stunted, and underweight, respectively. This report was published 47 years after the establishment of the Integrated Child Development Service (ICDS). Therefore, it can be concluded that the objectives of the ICDS have not been satisfactorily fulfilled. Aims & Objective: The present study was designed to assess overall undernutrition among rural preschool children in Medinipur, West Bengal, India, using the Composite Index of Anthropometric Failure (CIAF). Materials & Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 303 preschool children were examined, comprising 146 boys and 157 girls, aged 2-5 years, residing in the rural villages of Medinipur Sadar block. Two anthropometric variables, height (cm) and weight (kg), were collected through standard anthropometric procedures. Undernutrition indicators, including height-for-age, weight-for-age, and height-for-weight Z-scores, were calculated using WHO's 2006 cutoff values. If any value was found to be < -2 standard deviations (SD), it was considered undernutrition, and the condition was termed wasting, stunting, or underweight, respectively. Subsequently, all these failures were evaluated using CIAF (Svedberg and Nandy, 2005). Results: The overall prevalence of wasting, stunting, underweight, and CIAF are 20.5 percent, 65.0 percent, 57.1 percent, and 76.9 percent, respectively. Girls exhibit a higher prevalence of stunting, underweight, and CIAF compared to boys, and these differences are statistically significant (p < 0.05 and p < 0.001). There is a significant difference in height-for-age (HAZ) by sex. Out of the 303 respondents, 233 (76.9 percent) fall under the CIAF category, with 54.0 percent of girls classified as malnourished (B-Y). Conclusion: This study reveals that 3-year-old girls are the most vulnerable to all anthropometric failures, while boys across all age groups are less prone to failures compared to girls. The total anthropometric failure rate remains at 76.9 percent, representing a very serious condition. Urgent intervention is needed to evaluate the health infrastructure provided by various health services, such as ICDS, and to conduct awareness programs that educate parents about caring for their child's healthy future. Description: PP: 36-48

Evaluation of Abdominal Obesity, Body Fat Percentage and its Correlation with Occurrences of School Bag Carriage Related Pain among Rural Children of West Bengal, India

2025-02-04T12:14:33Z

Title: Evaluation of Abdominal Obesity, Body Fat Percentage and its Correlation with Occurrences of School Bag Carriage Related Pain among Rural Children of West Bengal, India Authors: Basu, Bibaswan; Dutta, Koumi; Mukherjee, Ruchira; Barman, Romana; Sen, Devashish Abstract: School going children are exposed to carry heavy schoolbags which have adverse consequences on their rapidly developing spine. There is large number of children carry schoolbag greater than 10% of body weight (BW) and are susceptible to musculoskeletal pain. Nutritional status and perception of pain is different among rural and urban children. This study aimed to evaluate abdominal obesity and its association along with body fat percentage with occurrences of pain. Methods: Nutritional anthropometric parameters of 160 randomly selected rural (n=80) and urban children (control group, n=80) of 8-15 years of West Bengal, India were measured. Waist to height ratio (WHtR) was considered to determine abdominal obesity. Body fat percentage of rural boys and girls (n=24 and n= 23 respectively) was directly measured by bioelectrical impedance. Perception of pain was evaluated by 10 point subjective scale. Point biserial r between the parameters was calculated. Results: Result showed that mean weight carriage (% of BW) was higher than the recommended limit among rural and urban boys and girls (12.6, 12.9, 11.6, 12.0 respectively). Percentage of urban children exposed to pain was much higher than rural children. Rural children were vulnerable to abdominal obesity (40 % and 45% boys and girls respectively exceeded the cut off value). No correlation was observed between WHtR and pain. But significant negative correlation was observed between fat % and neck pain and among girls (r=-0.35), significant positive correlation was observed between fat % and neck and back pain (r=0.42 and 0.41 respectively) (p<0.05 for both boys and girls). Conclusion: This study revealed the necessity of nutritional status and thus habitat specific load limit optimization to reduce schoolbag carriage related stress. Description: PP:49-60