Search

Physical activity (PA) may influence the academic performance of university students. Scientific studies have identified that university students practice little physical activity and exhibit sedentary habits that affect the acquisition of healthy behaviors and influence their academic performance. Main objective: To determine the relationship between the level of physical activity and academic performance in students of a university institution. Methodology: 486 students from a university institution with campuses in four Colombian cities participated. The research approach was quantitative, cross-sectional and descriptive. The International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ), a sociodemographic characterization questionnaire and grade point average as an indicator of academic performance were used. Results: Women perform more physical activity of mild intensity while men perform more physical activity of moderate intensity; students belonging to low socioeconomic strata have a mild level of physical activity, while students belonging to the middle or high strata tend to have mostly a moderate level of physical activity. It was found that having a moderate or vigorous level of physical activity increases twice the possibility of a student obtaining a GPA higher than 3.7 (on a scale of 0 - 5). Conclusion: There is a positive relationship between the level of physical activity and academic performance, reflecting the need to sensitize students to the importance of physical activity., La actividad física (AF) puede influir en el rendimiento académico de estudiantes universitarios. Estudios científicos han identificado que los estudiantes universitarios practican poca actividad física y presentan hábitos sedentarios que afectan la adquisición de comportamientos saludables e influyen en sus logros académicos. Objetivo principal: Determinar la relación entre el nivel de actividad física y el rendimiento académico en estudiantes de una institución universitaria. Metodología: Participaron 486 estudiantes de una institución universitaria, con sedes en cuatro ciudades de Colombia, Enfoque de investigación cuantitativo, de corte transversal y de tipo descriptivo. Se utilizó el cuestionario internacional de actividad física (IPAQ), un cuestionario de caracterización sociodemográfico y el promedio de calificaciones como indicador del rendimiento académico. Resultado: Las mujeres realizan más actividad física de intensidad leve mientras que los hombres realizan más actividad física de intensidad moderada; los estudiantes pertenecientes a estratos socioeconómicos bajos tienen un nivel de actividad física leve, mientras que estudiantes pertenecientes a los estratos medios o altos suelen tener en su mayoría un nivel de actividad física moderada. Se encontró que tener un nivel de actividad física moderada o vigorosa aumenta dos veces la posibilidad de que un estudiante obtenga un promedio académico superior a 3.7 (en una escala de 0 - 5).Conclusión: Existe una relación positiva entre el nivel de actividad física y el rendimiento académico, reflejando la necesidad de sensibilizar a los estudiantes sobre la importancia de realizar actividad física.

Experimental studies and clinical trials of nanoparticles for treating diseases are increasing continuously. However, the reach to the market does not correlate with these efforts due to the enormous cost, several years of development, and off-target effects like cardiotoxicity. Multicellular organisms such as the Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) can bridge the gap between in vitro and vertebrate testing as they can provide extensive information on systemic toxicity and specific harmful effects through facile experimentation following 3R EU directives on animal use. Since the nematodes’ pharynx shares similarities with the human heart, we assessed the general and pharyngeal effects of drugs and polypyrrole nanoparticles (Ppy NPs) using C. elegans. The evaluation of FDA-approved drugs, such as Propranolol and Racepinephrine reproduced the arrhythmic behavior reported in humans and supported the use of this small animal model. Consequently, Ppy NPs were evaluated due to their research interest in cardiac arrhythmia treatments. The NPs’ biocompatibility was confirmed by assessing survival, growth and development, reproduction, and transgenerational toxicity in C. elegans. Interestingly, the NPs increased the pharyngeal pumping rate of C. elegans in two slow-pumping mutant strains, JD21 and DA464. Moreover, the NPs increased the pumping rate over time, which sustained up to a day post-excretion. By measuring pharyngeal calcium levels, we found that the impact of Ppy NPs on the pumping rate could be mediated through calcium signaling. Thus, evaluating arrhythmic effects in C. elegans offers a simple system to test drugs and nanoparticles, as elucidated through Ppy NPs.

Experimental studies and clinical trials of nanoparticles for treating diseases are increasing continuously. However, the reach to the market does not correlate with these efforts due to the enormous cost, several years of development, and off-target effects like cardiotoxicity. Multicellular organisms such as the Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) can bridge the gap between in vitro and vertebrate testing as they can provide extensive information on systemic toxicity and specific harmful effects through facile experimentation following 3R EU directives on animal use. Since the nematodes’ pharynx shares similarities with the human heart, we assessed the general and pharyngeal effects of drugs and polypyrrole nanoparticles (Ppy NPs) using C. elegans. The evaluation of FDA-approved drugs, such as Propranolol and Racepinephrine reproduced the arrhythmic behavior reported in humans and supported the use of this small animal model. Consequently, Ppy NPs were evaluated due to their research interest in cardiac arrhythmia treatments. The NPs’ biocompatibility was confirmed by assessing survival, growth and development, reproduction, and transgenerational toxicity in C. elegans. Interestingly, the NPs increased the pharyngeal pumping rate of C. elegans in two slow-pumping mutant strains, JD21 and DA464. Moreover, the NPs increased the pumping rate over time, which sustained up to a day post-excretion. By measuring pharyngeal calcium levels, we found that the impact of Ppy NPs on the pumping rate could be mediated through calcium signaling. Thus, evaluating arrhythmic effects in C. elegans offers a simple system to test drugs and nanoparticles, as elucidated through Ppy NPs.

The requirement for Cas nucleases to recognize a specific PAM is a major restriction for genome editing. SpCas9 variants SpG and SpRY, recognizing NGN and NRN PAMs, respectively, have contributed to increase the number of editable genomic sites in cell cultures and plants. However, their use has not been demonstrated in animals. Here we study the nuclease activity of SpG and SpRY by targeting 40 sites in zebrafish and C. elegans. Delivered as mRNA-gRNA or ribonucleoprotein (RNP) complexes, SpG and SpRY were able to induce mutations in vivo, albeit at a lower rate than SpCas9 in equivalent formulations. This lower activity was overcome by optimizing mRNA-gRNA or RNP concentration, leading to mutagenesis at regions inaccessible to SpCas9. We also found that the CRISPRscan algorithm could help to predict SpG and SpRY targets with high activity in vivo. Finally, we applied SpG and SpRY to generate knock-ins by homology-directed repair. Altogether, our results expand the CRISPR-Cas targeting genomic landscape in animals.