Effect of school based physical activity programme (KISS) on fitness and adiposity in primary schoolchildren: cluster randomised controlled trial.

To assess the effectiveness of a school based physical activity programme during one school year on physical and psychological health in young schoolchildren. Cluster randomised controlled trial. 28 classes from 15 elementary schools in Switzerland randomly selected and assigned in a 4:3 ratio to an intervention (n=16) or control arm (n=12) after stratification for grade (first and fifth grade), from August 2005 to June 2006. 540 children, of whom 502 consented and presented at baseline. Children in the intervention arm (n=297) received a multi-component physical activity programme that included structuring the three existing physical education lessons each week and adding two additional lessons a week, daily short activity breaks, and physical activity homework. Children (n=205) and parents in the control group were not informed of an intervention group. For most outcome measures, the assessors were blinded. Primary outcome measures included body fat (sum of four skinfolds), aerobic fitness (shuttle run test), physical activity (accelerometry), and quality of life (questionnaires). Secondary outcome measures included body mass index and cardiovascular risk score (average z score of waist circumference, mean blood pressure, blood glucose, inverted high density lipoprotein cholesterol, and triglycerides). 498 children completed the baseline and follow-up assessments (mean age 6.9 (SD 0.3) years for first grade, 11.1 (0.5) years for fifth grade). After adjustment for grade, sex, baseline values, and clustering within classes, children in the intervention arm compared with controls showed more negative changes in the z score of the sum of four skinfolds (-0.12, 95 % confidence interval -0.21 to -0.03; P=0.009). Likewise, their z scores for aerobic fitness increased more favourably (0.17, 0.01 to 0.32; P=0.04), as did those for moderate-vigorous physical activity in school (1.19, 0.78 to 1.60; P<0.001), all day moderate-vigorous physical activity (0.44, 0.05 to 0.82; P=0.03), and total physical activity in school (0.92, 0.35 to 1.50; P=0.003). Z scores for overall daily physical activity (0.21, -0.21 to 0.63) and physical quality of life (0.42, -1.23 to 2.06) as well as psychological quality of life (0.59, -0.85 to 2.03) did not change significantly. A school based multi-component physical activity intervention including compulsory elements improved physical activity and fitness and reduced adiposity in children. Trial registration Current Controlled Trials ISRCTN15360785.

NCoR1 is a conserved physiological modulator of muscle mass and oxidative function.

Transcriptional coregulators control the activity of many transcription factors and are thought to have wide-ranging effects on gene expression patterns. We show here that muscle-specific loss of nuclear receptor corepressor 1 (NCoR1) in mice leads to enhanced exercise endurance due to an increase of both muscle mass and of mitochondrial number and activity. The activation of selected transcription factors that control muscle function, such as MEF2, PPARβ/δ, and ERRs, underpins these phenotypic alterations. NCoR1 levels are decreased in conditions that require fat oxidation, resetting transcriptional programs to boost oxidative metabolism. Knockdown of gei-8, the sole C. elegans NCoR homolog, also robustly increased muscle mitochondria and respiration, suggesting conservation of NCoR1 function. Collectively, our data suggest that NCoR1 plays an adaptive role in muscle physiology and that interference with NCoR1 action could be used to improve muscle function.

Weight status and gender-related differences in motor skills and in child care - based physical activity in young children.

Over the last decades, a decline in motor skills and in physical activity and an increase in obesity has been observed in children. However, there is a lack of data in young children. We tested if differences in motor skills and in physical activity according to weight or gender were already present in 2- to 4-year-old children. Fifty-eight child care centers in the French part of Switzerland were randomly selected for the Youp'là bouge study. Motor skills were assessed by an obstacle course including 5 motor skills, derived from the Zurich Neuromotor Assessment test. Physical activity was measured with accelerometers (GT1M, Actigraph, Florida, USA) using age-adapted cut-offs. Weight status was assessed using the International Obesity Task Force criteria (healthy weight vs overweight) for body mass index (BMI). Of the 529 children (49% girls, 3.4 ± 0.6 years, BMI 16.2 ± 1.2 kg/m2), 13% were overweight. There were no significant weight status-related differences in the single skills of the obstacle course, but there was a trend (p = 0.059) for a lower performance of overweight children in the overall motor skills score. No significant weight status-related differences in child care-based physical activity were observed. No gender-related differences were found in the overall motor skills score, but boys performed better than girls in 2 of the 5 motor skills (p ≤ 0.04). Total physical activity as well as time spent in moderate-vigorous and in vigorous activity during child care were 12-25% higher and sedentary activity 5% lower in boys compared to girls (all p < 0.01). At this early age, there were no significant weight status- or gender-related differences in global motor skills. However, in accordance to data in older children, child care-based physical activity was higher in boys compared to girls. These results are important to consider when establishing physical activity recommendations or targeting health promotion interventions in young children.

Common variants near MC4R are associated with fat mass, weight and risk of obesity.

To identify common variants influencing body mass index (BMI), we analyzed genome-wide association data from 16,876 individuals of European descent. After previously reported variants in FTO, the strongest association signal (rs17782313, P = 2.9 x 10(-6)) mapped 188 kb downstream of MC4R (melanocortin-4 receptor), mutations of which are the leading cause of monogenic severe childhood-onset obesity. We confirmed the BMI association in 60,352 adults (per-allele effect = 0.05 Z-score units; P = 2.8 x 10(-15)) and 5,988 children aged 7-11 (0.13 Z-score units; P = 1.5 x 10(-8)). In case-control analyses (n = 10,583), the odds for severe childhood obesity reached 1.30 (P = 8.0 x 10(-11)). Furthermore, we observed overtransmission of the risk allele to obese offspring in 660 families (P (pedigree disequilibrium test average; PDT-avg) = 2.4 x 10(-4)). The SNP location and patterns of phenotypic associations are consistent with effects mediated through altered MC4R function. Our findings establish that common variants near MC4R influence fat mass, weight and obesity risk at the population level and reinforce the need for large-scale data integration to identify variants influencing continuous biomedical traits.

Remaining rod activity mediates visual behavior in adult Rpe65-/- mice.

Purpose: C57/Bl6, Cpfl1-/- (Cone photoreceptors function loss 1; pure rod function), Gnat1alpha-/- (rod alpha-transducin; pure cone function) and Rpe65-/-;Rho-/- double knock-out mice were studied in order to distinguish the respective contributions of the different photoreceptor (PR) systems that enable light perception and mediate a visual reflex in adult Rpe65-/- mice using a simple behavioural procedure. Methods: Visual function was estimated using a rotating automatized optomotor drum covered with vertical black and white stripes at spatial frequencies of 0.025 to 0.5 cycles per degree (cpd) in both photopic and scotopic conditions. To evaluate the contribution as well as the light intensity threshold of each PR system, we tested the mouse strains with different luminances. Results: Stripe rotation elicits head movements in wild-type (WT) animals in photopic and scotopic conditions depending on the spatial frequency, whereas Cpfl1-/- mice show a reduced activity in the photopic condition and Gnat1alpha-/- mice an almost absent response in the scotopic condition. Interestingly, a robust visual response is obtained with Rpe65-/- knockout mice at 0.075 cpd and 0.1 cpd in the photopic condition. The residual rod function in the Rpe65-/- animals was demonstrated by testing Rpe65-/-;Rho-/- mice that present no response in photopic conditions. Conclusions: The optomotor test is a simple method to estimate the visual function, and to evaluate the respective contributions of rod and cone systems. Using this test, we demonstrate that in Rpe65-/- mice, devoid of functional cones and of detectable 11-cis-retinal protein, rods mimic in part the cone function by mediating vision in photopic conditions.

Legendarius per circulum anni, pars.

Légendier disposé dans l'ordre du calendrier liturgique du 20 juillet au 25 novembre et contenant les saints suivants: ss. Margarita, Maria Magdelene, Jacobus major ap., Stephanus, Laurentius, Hippolytus, assumptio b. Mariae, Bartholomaeus, Augustinus, Johannes Baptista, Aegidius, nativitas b. Mariae, Gorgonius, Protus et Hyacinthus, exaltatio s. Crucis, Euphemia, Matthaeus, Mauritius, Cosmas et Damianus, Michael archangelus, Hieronymus, Leodegarius, Dionysius, Lucas, Simon et Judas, Martinus, Caecilia, Clemens, Catharina. F. 1-130. Legendarius. F. 1-3v. "... passio sancte Margarete virginis"; cf. B.H.L. n° 5306. F. 3v-6v. "... vita sancte Marie Magdalene" [ODO Cluniacensis abbas, sermo 2, excerptum] (P.L. 133, 714B-719C); cf. B.H.L. n° 5440. F. 6v-8v. "... passio sancti Jacobi [majoris] apostoli" incomplet des lignes finales par lacune matérielle, à partir de "decollandi erant dixit [Jacobus...]" [Virtutes apostolorum, de s. Jacobo majore] (Mombritius, 2a ed., II, 37-40 lig. 15); cf. B.H.L. n° 4057; C.A.N.T. n° 272. F. 9-12. "Inventio sancti Stephani prothomartyris" [LUCIANUS presbyter, interprete AVITO presbytero Bracarensi ]. "Domino venerabili Nimpsio [sic] episcopo... [Julianus exponctué et corrigé en] Lucianus... Revelationem que mihi ostensa est...-... aperire dignatus est..." recensio mixta suivie d'un court épilogue: "Bovem appellatum... declarata sunt"; cf. C.P.L. n° 575; B.H.L. Suppl. n° 7851n (E. Vanderlinden, Rev. des études byzantines, IV, 1946, 190-216, version A'; ne fait pas partie des mss. recensés pour l'édition). F. 12-16. "... passio sancti [Sixti et sancti] Laurentii". "In illo tempore Decius Caesar et Valerianus prefectus jusserunt...-... participati sunt omnes"; cf. B.H.L. Suppl. n° 7801 avec var. incipit et n° 4754. F. 16-18. "... passio sancti Ypoliti et sociorum ejus". "Egressus itaque Ypolitus post tercium diem...-... vivere male et regnare cum Christo "; cf. B.H.L. n° 3961 avec var. incipit et explicit. F. 18-31. "... [sermo] beati Ieronimi in assumptione sancte Virginis" [PASCHASIUS RADBERTUS, De Adsumptione b. Mariae] (C.C.C.M., LVI C 109-162; édité aussi parmi les apocryphes de saint Jérôme, P.L., XXX, 126-147); cf. C.P.L. n° 633, ep. 9 (18-29). F. 29-31. Addition contemporaine : "In vigilia assumptionis beate Marie legatur: Secundum Lucam (Lc 11, 27). [M]agne devocionis et fidei...-... ubera que suxisti" [BEDA, In Lc, l. IV, excerptum] divisé en trois paragraphes, correspondant sans doute à trois leçons (P.L., XCII, 479 C-480 B; C.C.S.L., CXX, 236-237 lig. 213-244) (29). — "Sermo iste legatur in nativitate beate Marie virginis"; cf. infra f. 56v. "[A]pprobate consuetudinis est apud christianos...-... pacta cessare" [FULBERTUS CARNOTENSIS, sermo 4] incomplet de la fin qui a été laissée en blanc (P.L. CXLI, 320-324 A; J.M. Canal, dans Rech. théol. anc. méd., XXX (1963), 56-61 lig. 168); ne fait pas partie des mss. répertoriés par J.M. Canal, ibid., XXIX (1962), 36-37; division marginale en neuf, puis en trois fois trois leçons; en marge du titre, une note difficilement lisible identifie l'auteur: "sermo Fulberti ep. Carnotensis" (29v-31). F. 32-35. "... vita [sic pro passio] sancti Bartholomei apostoli" [Virtutes apostolorum, de s. Bartholomaeo]; cf. B.H.L. Suppl. n° 1002a; C.A.N.T. n° 259. F. 35-49v. "[Vita s.] Augustini episcopi", sans prologue [POSSIDIUS]. "Ex provincia affricana civitate...-... perfruar"; cf. B.H.L. n° 785; C.P.L. n° 358 (35-49a lig. 7); suivi de la liste des livres de s. Augustin dans l'ordre des Retractations : "Libros vero quod edidit hic breviter enumerare vel annotare non omissi. Et hoc indicium librorum omnium sancti Augustini. Contra paganos achademicos [sic] libri III. De beata vita liber I. De ordine sacro libri II. De soliloquiis...-... et gratia liber. Requievit autem... V. kal. septembris..." (C.C.S.L., LVII (1984), 1-4, var.); texte proche du ms. lat. 5276, ff. 136v-137, répertorié par A. Wilmart, Miscellanea Agostiniana, Roma, 1931, 157 (Testi e studi, 2) (49a lig. 7-49v). F. 49v-52v. "Inventio capitis sancti Johannis Baptiste"; cf. B.H.L. n° 4296 (49v-51). — "De translatione ejusdem [Angeriacum]"; cf. B.H.L. n° 4297 (51-52v). F. 52v-56v. "... vita sancti Egidii"; cf. B.H.L. n° 93. F. 56v-59v. "De nativitate sancte Marie". "Petis a me petitiunculam opere...-... prefationem habuisse"; cf. B.H.L. Suppl. n° 5345 (56v a-b lig. 27) ; suivi de: "Petitis a me...-... scribi potuerunt. Igitur beata et gloriosissima semper virgo Maria..-... docuerunt Dominum..." (éd. parmi les apocryphes de s. Jérôme, P.L., XXX, 2a ed., 307-317); cf. B.H.L. n° 5344-5343; C.P.L., n° 633, ep. 50 (56v b lig. 27-59v). L'attribution à Paschase Radbert des deux lettres regroupées en une seule faite par C. Lambot, dans Rev. bénéd., XLVI (1934), 271-282, est réfutée par R. Beyers, dans Rev. Théol. et Philos., CXXII (1990), 171-188. Voir sa nouv. éd. dans CC Apocrypha, 10. F. 59v-61v. "Passio sancti Gorgonii [et Dorothei]; cf. B.H.L. n° 3617. F. 61v-62. "[Passio ss.] Prothi et Jacincti"; cf. B.H.L. n° 6977. F. 62-63v. "De exaltatione sancte Crucis". "Tempore illo postquam Constantino Augusto contra Maxentium..."; cf. B.H.L. n° 4178, avec var. incipit. F. 64-68v. "[Passio s.] Eufemie virginis". "Quinto persecutionis anno Diocletiani...-... Completum est autem martyrium... Prisco proconsule Europe..."; cf. B.H.L. n° 2709, avec var. explicit. F. 68v-72v. "[Passio] sancti Mathei apostoli" [Virtutes apostolorum, de s. Jacobo majore]; cf. C.A.N.T. n° 270; B.H.L. n° 5690, avec var. explicit de l'épilogue: "Zaroes autem...-... passio eorum ostendit". F. 72v-76. "[Passio s.] [Marcii corrigé en] Mauricii con [sic] sociis suis" [s. EUCHERIUS LUGDUNENSIS] sans le prologue; cf. B.H.L. n° 5738; C.P.L. n° 490. F. 76-79v. "[Passio ss.] Cosme et Damiani"; cf. B.H.L. Suppl. n° 1975. F. 79v-80. "[In festivitate s.] Michaelis archangeli". "Angelorum quippe et hominum naturam...-... medicina Dei." [GREGORIUS MAGNUS, Hom. in Ev., 34, excerptum]; C.P.L. n° 1711 (P.L., LXXVI, 1249 C-1251 A, §§ 6, fin-9 début) divisé en 8 paragraphes; une interpolation a été ajoutée dans la marge inférieure du f. 79v par une main contemporaine qui a également numéroté les paragraphes en IX leçons, le texte ajouté formant la lectio IIa : "[N]ovem esse angelorum ordines ad Dei judicia...-... principantur."; il s'agit d'un court extrait du sermon Legimus in ecclesiasticis historiis édité par J. E. Cross, dans Traditio, 33 (1977), 108-109 lig. 41-47 (Beda, Homilia subditia 71, P.L., XCIV, 453 C); cf. C.P.P.M., I, 4046. F. 80-82v. "[Vita s.] Jeronimi presbiteri". "Hieronimus noster [corrigé en: presbiter] in oppido Stridonis...-... etatis sue anno in Domino requievit cui..." extraits de la Vie apocryphe de Gennadius (P.L., XXII, 175-184, passim, avec var.); cf. C.P.L. n° 623; B.H.L. n° 3869; Lambert, B.H.M., IIIA, 630 (80-81b lig. 26); suivi du miracle du lion extrait de la Vie du Ps. Sebastianus Casinensis: "Contigit autem hujusmodi miraculum in monasterio... Quadam namque die ingens leo... - asserendo narrantur" (P.L., XXII, 210 lig. 11-213 lig. 11); cf. C.P.L. n° 622; B.H.L. n° 3872 avec var. incipit; Lambert, B.H.M., IIIA, 630 (81b lig. 26-82v). F. 82v-88v. "[Vita s.] Leodegarii". "Igitur sanctus Leodegarius ex progenie...-... postmodum cecum. ... adnecteret opera ibidem" [URSINUS LOGOGIACENSIS] sans le prologue et incomplet de la fin (C.C.S.L., CXVII, 589-632 lig. 14, avec var.); cf. C.P.L. n° 1079a; B.H.L. n° 4851; suivi d'un court extrait omis à sa place plus haut dans le texte: "Deinde vero ire ceperunt... Dei opera ibidem" (ed. cit., 631 § 31 lig. 3-7). F. 88v-98. "[Passio] sancti Dyonisii martyris", texte incomplet par suite de la perte de 2 ff. entre les ff. 96 et 97, le texte s'arrête à "...fideliter adhe[-rebat]" et reprend à "[Domitia-]no per tres Cesares..." (P.L., CVI, 23-40 C et 48 A-50); cf. B.H.L. n° 2175. F. 98-100v. "[Laudatio s.] Luce evvangeliste". "Gloriosus igitur evvangelista Jhesu Christi Lucas natione Syrus...-... ubique confluunt qui ..." [PAULUS DIACONUS, hom. 59] incomplet du prologue (P.L., XCV, 1530-1535, avec var.); cf. B.H.L. n° 4974, d'après ce ms. F. 100v-106. "[Passio ss.] Symonis et Jude apostolorum" avec l'épilogue [ABDIAS, Virtutes Simonis et Judae Thaddaei]; cf. B.H.L. n° 7750-7751; C.A.N.T. n° 284. F. 106-107v. "[Laudatio] sancti Martini archiepiscopi" [ALCUINUS, De vita s. Martini, pars I]; cf. B.H.L. n° 5625. — GREGORIUS TURONENSIS, De virtutibus s. Martini; cf. B.H.L. n° 5618; seule l'adresse du prologue, introduite par une initiale filigranée, a été copiée au bas du f. 107v, col. b: "Domnis sanctis et in Christi amore dulcissimis fratribus... Gregorius peccator", le texte lui-même manque, soit en raison de la perte du cahier suivant, soit qu'il n'ait pas été copié. F. 108-115v. "[Passio s.] Cecilie virginis et martyris"; cf. B.H.L. Suppl. n° 1495a. F. 115v-118v. "[Passio s.] Clementis pape". [Prologus] "Postquam igitur beatus Petrus apostolus in Antiochia cathedram... -... passio secuta est"; cf. B.H.L. Suppl. n° 1849, d'après ce ms. (115v-116a, lig. 11); — "Tunc sanctus Clemens romane ecclesie episcopus disciplinam...-... Cersone Licie provincie"; C.P.L. n° 2177; B.H.L. n° 1848 (Mombritius, 2a ed., I, 341-344, var. à l'incipit et à l'explicit); suivi de: "Oremus fratres ut Dominus... participes. Per..." (116a, lig. 11-118v). F.118v-130. "[Passio] sancte Katerine virginis et martyris"; cf. B.H.L. n° 1663, sans le prologue. F. 130-130v. Additions. Table des saints contenus dans le volume, XIVe s. (130). — Prière latine en 10 strophes de deux vers, XVe s.: "Jhesu tue matris prece ab Orci me serva nece...-... ab inferi atris" (130v).