Recently, dysbiosis in the human gut microbiome and shifts in the relative abundances of several bacterial species have been recognized as important factors in colorectal cancer (CRC). However, these studies have been carried out mainly in developed countries where CRC has a high incidence, and it is unclear whether the host-microbiome relationships deduced from these studies can be generalized to the global population. To test if the documented associations between the microbiome and CRC are conserved in a distinct context, we performed metagenomic and metabolomic association studies on fecal samples from 30 CRC patients and 30 healthy controls from two different locations in India, followed by a comparison of CRC data available from other populations. We confirmed the association of Bacteroides and other bacterial taxa with CRC that have been previously reported in other studies. However, the association of CRC with Flavonifractor plautii in Indian patients emerged as a novel finding. The plausible role of F. plautii appears to be linked with the degradation of beneficial anticarcinogenic flavonoids, which was also found to be significantly correlated with the enzymes and modules involved in flavonoid degradation within Indian CRC samples. Thus, we hypothesize that the degradation of beneficial flavonoids might be playing a role in cancer progression within this Indian cohort. We also identified 20 potential microbial taxonomic markers and 33 potential microbial gene markers that discriminate the Indian CRC from healthy microbiomes with high accuracy based on machine learning approaches. IMPORTANCE This study provides novel insights on the CRC-associated microbiome of a unique cohort in India, reveals the potential role of a new bacterium in CRC, and identifies cohort-specific biomarkers, which can potentially be used in noninvasive diagnosis of CRC. The study gains additional significance, as India is among the countries with a very low incidence of CRC, and the diet and lifestyle in India have been associated with a distinct gut microbiome in healthy Indians compared to other global populations. Thus, in this study, we hypothesize a unique relationship between CRC and the gut microbiome in an Indian population.

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Background:Numerous exercises are used to strengthen muscles around the shoulder joint including the push-up and the push-up plus. An important consideration is the addition of surface instability in the form of swiss ball for rehabilitation and strength. The justification for the use of the swiss ball is based on its potential for increasing muscular demand required to maintain postural stability and for improving joint proprioception. Evidence for this is lacking in literature.Purpose of the Study:To compare the myoelectric amplitude of shoulder muscles during push-ups on labile and stable surface.Study Design:Same subject experimental study.Materials and Methods:Thirty healthy male subjects in the age group 20-30 years with a mean height of 173.65 cm (± SD 2.56) and a mean weight of 69.9 kg (±SD 0.2) were taken. Surface electromyogram was recorded from triceps, pectoralis major, serratus anterior and upper trapezius while performing push-up and push-up plus exercises, both on labile and stable surface.Results:Significant increase in muscle activity was observed in pectoralis major and triceps muscle (only during eccentric phase of elbow pushups), while serratus anterior and upper trapezius showed no change in activation level on swiss ball.Conclusion:The addition of a swiss ball is capable of influencing shoulder muscle activity during push-up variations, although the effect is task and muscle dependent.

This study was undertaken to test the hypothesis that basal sympathetic activity and sympathetic reactivity to stress are increased in patients with essential hypertension. One hundred and fifteen randomly selected patients with essential hypertension and an equal number of age-and sex-matched normal controls were included in this study. Various parameters, viz., heart rate, respiratory rate, blood pressure, peripheral skin temperature, electromyographic activity of the frontalis muscle, skin conductance (measured by electrodermography), and blood pressure, were measured in the resting state in both groups. These parameters were then measured during the performance of various stressful activities, such as mental arithmetical calculations, thinking of unpleasant thoughts, staring at a fixed point, catching of a dropped object, and reading aloud for 1 min each, and again over a 1-min quiet period following each stressful activity. Changes in various parameters in the two groups were analyzed and compared. Baseline heart rate, respiratory rate, electromyographic activity and peripheral skin temperature were higher-while skin conductance was lower-in the hypertensive group than in the control group. The increases in systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, heart rate, respiratory rate, electromyographic activity, and peripheral skin temperature in response to stress were greater in hypertensive patients than in controls, while skin conductance showed a higher elevation in controls than in hypertensive patients. In conclusion, sympathetic nervous system activity is increased in patients with essential hypertension. The reduced skin conductance and high peripheral skin temperature in these patients may be due to a possible dermal neurovascular dysfunction.