Category Archives: Transhuman News

Selected Publications

N. Revencu, L.M. Boon, J.B. Mulliken, O. Enjolras, M.R. Cordisco, P.E. Burrows, P.H. Clapuyt, F. Hammer, J. Dubois, E. Baselga, F.Brancati, B. Dallapiccola, R. Carder, G. Fischer, I. Frieden, J Harper, P. Gritters, J Johnson Patel, C. Labreze, L. Martorell, H. J. Paltiel, A. Pohl, J. Prendiville, I. Quere, D.H. Siegel, E.M. Valente, K.K. Vaux, L. Weibel, J.M. Ceballos Quintal, D. Chitayat and M. Vikkula. Parkes Weber syndrome, vein of Galen aneurysmal malformation, and other fast-flow vascular anomalies and specific neural tumors associated with RASA1 mutations. Human Mutation. 2008 Apr 29.

Dimmock D, Trapane P, Feigenbaum A, Keegan CE, Cederbaum S, Gibson J, Gambello MJ, Vaux K, Ward P, Rice GM, Wolff JA, O'Brien WE, Fang P. Novel human pathological mutations. Gene symbol: ASS1. Disease: Citrullinaemia. Human Genetics. 2009 Aug;126(2):341.

Dimmock DP, Trapane P, Feigenbaum A, Keegan CE, Cederbaum S, Gibson J, Gambello MJ, Vaux K, Ward P, O'Brien WE, Fang P. The role of molecular testing and enzyme analysis in the management of hypomorphic citrullinemia. American Journal of Medical Genetics A. 2010 Apr;152A(4):1061.

Eichenfield LF, Krakowski AC, Piggott C, Del Rosso J, Baldwin H, Friedlander SF, Levy M, Lucky A, Mancini AJ, Orlow SJ, Yan AC, Vaux KK, Webster G, Zaenglein AL, Thiboutot DM. Evidence-based recommendations for the diagnosis and treatment of pediatric acne. Pediatrics. 2013 May;131 Suppl 3:S163-86.

Akizu N, Cantagrel V, Schroth J, Cai N, Vaux K, McCloskey D, Naviaux RK, Van Vleet J, Fenstermaker AG, Silhavy JL, Scheliga JS, Toyama K, Morisaki H, Sonmez FM, Celep F, Oraby A, Zaki MS, Al-Baradie R, Faqeih EA, Saleh MA, Spencer E, Rosti RO, Scott E, Nickerson E, Gabriel S, Morisaki T, Holmes EW, Gleeson JG. AMPD2 regulates GTP synthesis and is mutated in a potentially treatable neurodegenerative brainstem disorder. Cell. 2013 Aug 1;154(3):505-17.

Rosti RO, Sadek AA, Vaux KK, Gleeson JG. The Genetic Landscape of Autism Spectrum Disorders. Developmental Medicine and Child Neurology. 2013 Oct 1. 56(1):12-8

Gaia Novarino, Ali G. Fenstermaker, Maha S. Zaki, Matan Hofree, Jennifer L. Silhavy, Andrew D. Heiberg, Mostafa Abdellateef, Basak Rosti, Eric Scott, Lobna Mansour, Amira Masri, Hulya Kayserili, Jumana Y. Al-Aama, Ghada M.H. Abdel-Salam, Ariana Karminejad, Majdi Kara, Bulent Kara, Bita Bozorgmehri, Tawfeg Ben-Omran, Faezeh Mojahedi, Iman Gamal El Din Mahmoud, Naima Bouslam, Ahmed Bouhouche, Ali Benomar, Sylvain Hanein, Laure Raymond, Sylvie Forlani, Massimo Mascaro, Laila Selim, Nabil Shehata, Nasir Al-Allawi, P.S. Bindu, Matloob Azam, Murat Gunel, Ahmet Caglayan, Kaya Bilguvar, Asli Tolun, Mahmoud Y. Issa, Jana Schroth, Emily G. Spencer, Rasim O. Rosti, Naiara Akizu, Keith K. Vaux, Anide Johansen, Alice A. Koh, Hisham Megahed, Alexandra Durr, Alexis Brice, Giovanni Stevanin, Stacy Gabriel, Trey Ideker, Joseph G. Gleeson. Exome Sequencing Links Corticospinal Motor Neuron Disease to Common Neurodegenerative Disorders. Science. 2014 Jan 31;343(6170):506-11.

Akizu N, Cantagrel V, Zaki MS, Al-Gazali L, Wang X, Rosti RO, Dikoglu E, Gelot AB, Rosti B, Vaux KK, Scott EM, Silhavy JL, Schroth J, Copeland B, Schaffer AE, Gordts PL, Esko JD, Buschman MD, Field SJ, Napolitano G, Abdel-Salam GM, Ozgul RK, Sagroglu MS, Azam M, Ismail S, Aglan M, Selim L, Mahmoud IG, Abdel-Hadi S, Badawy AE, Sadek AA, Mojahedi F, Kayserili H, Masri A, Bastaki L, Temtamy S, Muller U, Desguerre I, Casanova JL, Dursun A, Gunel M, Gabriel SB, de Lonlay P, Gleeson JG. Biallelic mutations in SNX14 cause a syndromic form of cerebellar atrophy and lysosome-autophagosome dysfunction. Nature Genetics. 2015 May;47(5):528-34.

Chambers, CD; Zellner, JA, Feldman, H; Akshoomoff, N; Xu, R; Coles, CD; Kable, JA; Manning, M; Adam, M; Vaux, K; Developing A Valid Prevalence Estimate For Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders In A Large, Diverse Urban US Community. Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research. 2015 June: 260A

Guemez-Gamboa A, Nguyen LN, Yang H, Zaki MS, Kara M, Ben-Omran T, Akizu N, Rosti RO, Rosti B, Scott E, Schroth J, Copeland B, Vaux KK, Cazenave-Gassiot A, Quek DQ, Wong BH, Tan BC, Wenk MR, Gunel M, Gabriel S, Chi NC, Silver DL, Gleeson JG. Inactivating mutations in MFSD2A, required for omega-3 fatty acid transport in brain, cause a lethal microcephaly syndrome. Nature Genetics. 2015 Jul;47(7):809-13.

Roosing S, Hofree M, Kim S, Scott E, Copeland B, Romani M, Silhavy JL, Rosti RO, Schroth J, Mazza T, Miccinilli E, Zaki MS, Swoboda KJ, Milisa-Drautz J, Dobyns WB, Mikati M, Incecik F, Azam M, Borgatti R, Romaniello R, Boustany RM, Clericuzio CL, D'Arrigo S, Strmme P, Boltshauser E, Stanzial F, Mirabelli-Badenier M, Moroni I, Bertini E, Emma F, Steinlin M, Hildebrandt F, Johnson CA, Freilinger M, Vaux KK, Gabriel SB, Aza-Blanc P, Heynen-Genel S, Ideker T, Dynlacht BD, Lee JE, Valente EM, Kim J, Gleeson JG. Functional genome-wide siRNA screen identifies KIAA0586 as mutated in Joubert syndrome. Elife (Howard Hughes Foundation). 2015 May 30;4.

Rosti RO, Dikoglu E, Zaki MS, Abdel-Salam G, Makhseed N, Sese JC, Musaev D, Rosti B, Harbert MJ, Jones MC, Vaux KK, Gleeson JG. Extending the mutation spectrum for Galloway-Mowat syndrome to include homozygous missense mutations in the WDR73 gene. American Journal of Medical Genetics. Part A. 2016; 170A(4):992-8.

Ilse Meerschaut, Justine Petre, Nicole Revencu, Damien Lederer, Milen Vilenov, Thomy de Ravel, Djalila Mekahli, Keith Vaux, Jonathan Sebat, Fadi Hamdan, Jacques Michaud, Pablo Lapunzina, Nataliya Di Donato, Louanne Hudgins, Andrea Hanson- Kahn, Bruno Dallapiccola, Antonio Novelli, Joris Andrieux, Magdalena Budisteanu and Bert Callewaert. FOXP1-related Intellectual Disability Syndrome: a Recognizable Entity. Belgian Journal of Pediatrics, 2016 18:9999.

Brandler WM, Antaki D, Gujral M, Noor M, Rosanio G, Chapman TR, Barrera DJ, Lin GN, Malhotra D, Watts AC, Wong LC, Estabillo JA, Gadomski TE, Hong O, Fuentes Fajardo KV, Bhandari A, Owen R, Baughn M, Yuan J, Solomon T, Moyzis AG, Maile MS, Sanders SJ, Reiner GE, Vaux KK, Strom CM, Zhang K, Muotri AR, Akshoomoff N, Leal SM, Pierce K, Courchesne E, Iakoucheva LM Corsello C, and Sebat J. Frequency and Complexity of De Novo Structural Mutation in Autism. American Journal of Human Genetics. 2016 Apr 7;98(4):667-79.

Brandler WM, Antaki D, Gujral M, Kleiber ML, Whitney J, Maile MS, Hong O, Chapman TR, Tan S, Tandon P, Pang T, Tang SC, Vaux KK, Yang Y, Harrington E, Juul S, Turner DJ, Thiruvahindrapuram B, Kaur G, Wang Z, Kingsmore SF, Gleeson JG, Bisson D, Kakaradov B, Telenti A, Venter JC, Corominas R, Toma C, Cormand B, Rueda I, Guijarro S, Messer KS, Nievergelt CM, Arranz MJ, Courchesne E, Pierce K, Muotri AR, Iakoucheva LM, Hervas A, Scherer SW, Corsello C, Sebat J. Paternally inherited cis-regulatory structural variants are associated with autism. Science. 2018 Apr 20;360(6386):327-331.

Meerschaut I, Rochefort D, Revencu N, Petre J, Corsello C, Rouleau Ga, Hamdan Ff, Michaud Jl, Morton J, Radley J, Ragge N, Garcia-Minaur S, Lapunzina P, Bralo Mp, Mori Ma, Moortgat S, Benoit V, Mary S, Bockaert N, Oostra A, Vanakker O, Velinov M, De Ravel Tj, Mekahli D, Sebat J, Vaux KK, Didonato N, Hanson-Kahn Ak, Hudgins L, Dallapiccola B, Novelli A, Tarani L, Andrieux J, Parker Mj, Neas K, Ceulemans B, Schoonjans As, Prchalova D, Havlovicova M, Hancarova M, Budisteanu M, Dheedene A, Menten B, Dion Pa, Lederer D, Callewaert B. Foxp1-Related Intellectual Disability Syndrome: A Recognisable Entity. Journal Of Medical Genetics 2017;54:613-623.

May PA, Chambers CD, Kalberg WO, Zellner J, Feldman H, Buckley D, Kopald D, Hasken JM, Xu R, Honerkamp-Smith G, Taras H, Manning MA, Robinson LK, Adam MP, Abdul-Rahman O, Vaux K, Jewett T, Elliott AJ, Kable JA, Akshoomoff N, Falk D, Arroyo JA, Hereld D, Riley EP, Charness ME, Coles CD, Warren KR, Jones KL, Hoyme HE. Prevalence of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders in 4 US Communities. Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA). 2018 Feb 6;319(5):474-482.

Ghosh SG, Becker K, Huang H, Dixon-Salazar T, Chai G, Salpietro V, Al-Gazali L, Waisfisz Q, Wang H, Vaux KK, Stanley V, Manole A, Akpulat U, Weiss MM, Efthymiou S, Hanna MG, Minetti C, Striano P, Pisciotta L, De Grandis E, Altmuller J, Nurnberg P, Thiele H, Yis U, Okur TD, Polat AI, Amiri N, Doosti M, Karimani EG, Toosi MB, Haddad G, Karakaya M, Wirth B, van Hagen JM, Wolf NI, Maroofian R, Houlden H, Cirak S, Gleeson JG. Biallelic Mutations in ADPRHL2, Encoding ADP-Ribosylhydrolase 3, Lead to a Degenerative Pediatric Stress-Induced Epileptic Ataxia Syndrome. American Journal of Human Genetics. 2018 Sep 6;103(3):431-439. Epub 2018 Aug 9. Erratum in: Am J Hum Genet. 2018 Nov 1;103(5):826.

Ghosh SG, Becker K, Huang H, Dixon-Salazar T, Chai G, Salpietro V, Al-Gazali L, Waisfisz Q, Wang H, Vaux KK, Stanley V, Manole A, Akpulat U, Weiss MM, Efthymiou S, Hanna MG, Minetti C, Striano P, Pisciotta L, De Grandis E, Altmuller J, Nurnberg P, Thiele H, Yis U, Okur TD, Polat AI, Amiri N, Doosti M, Karimani EG, Toosi MB, Haddad G, Karakaya M, Wirth B, van Hagen JM, Wolf NI, Maroofian R, Houlden H, Cirak S, Gleeson JG. Biallelic Mutations in ADPRHL2, Encoding ADP-Ribosylhydrolase 3, Lead to a Degenerative Pediatric Stress-Induced Epileptic Ataxia Syndrome. American Journal of Human Genetics. 2018 Nov 1;103(5):826.

Chambers CD, Johnson DL, Xu R, Luo Y, Lopez-Jimenez J, Adam MP, Braddock SR, Robinson LK, Vaux K, Lyons Jones K; OTIS Collaborative Research Group. Birth outcomes in women who have taken adalimumab in pregnancy: A prospective cohort study. PLoS One. 2019;14(10):e0223603. 2019 Oct 18.

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Doctors Page - Health Nucleus

Sleep apnea, commonly known as obstructive sleep apnea, is when the deep sleep pattern of an individual is disturbed due to limited airflow to the body through air passage. In this case, the upper respiratory system gets blocked or narrowed down as throat muscles relax during the sleep. The brain repeatedly sends signals to the human body to wake up and continue the breathing.A person suffering from sleep apnea is unable to get deep sleep as the frequency of the disturbance can go up to 30 times in a night.One of the big symptoms of sleep apnea is snoring and feeling tired even after a full night's sleep. So what exactly happens in this condition? The soft tissue of the mouth and throat give support to the soft palate, the triangular piece of tissue hanging from the soft palate called uvula, the tonsils, and the side walls of the throat and the tongue. Sometimes these throat muscles relax, restricting the airway and limiting the flow of oxygen to the body.

Also Read: Why is obstructive sleep apnea concerning? Does it increase your risk of chronic illnesses?

As soon as the brain gets the signal that oxygen level has lowered in the blood, it signals the body to wake up for breathing.

There are three kinds of sleep apnea: obstructive sleep apnea which is the most common one, the central sleep apnea which has less occurrence and the complex sleep apnea in which the patient gets both the first type of sleep apnea at a time.

Experts have linked the occurrence of sleep apnea with the longevity of a human being. Sleep apnea triggers chronic illnesses like diabetes and hypertension and studies have shown that it decreases the longevity of the person by several years.

Also Read: Workouts to avoid if you have hypertension and what to do

"The people are very tired in the morning, can have high BP, severe acidity and in very advanced cases they can have seizures or they can fall asleep while doing normal activities like driving. So it is a very high risk disease, many times if people get admitted with obstructive sleep apnea, it complicates with pneumonia and other medical conditions as well, Dr. Aviral Roy Consultant- Intensivist, Medica Superspecialty Hospital told ETimes.

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Sleep apnea: Know what is the underlying cause, comorbidities that can exacerbate it - Times of India

The five Blue Zones, which represent the regions of the world where people tend to live the longest and have the highest quality of life, include Sardinia, Italy; Okinawa, Japan; Ikaria, Greece; Nicoya, Costa Rica; and Loma Linda, California.

The reasons that these areas are considered longevity hotspots have been heavily researched by Dan Buettner, the founder of Blue Zones and a National Geographic researcher and New York Times bestselling author. He has found that many lifestyle routines practiced by the people living in these regionsnaturally boost their longevity, such as maintaining a positive outlook and valuing self-worth, moving consistently throughout the day, following a largely plant-based diet high in antioxidants and nutrients, and having a strong sense of community.

Maintaining a positive outlook and a connectedness to your community is strongly associated with decreased stress levels, says Kelly Jones, MS, RD, CSSD, LDN. "However, diet also plays a huge role in promoting a more pleasant mood and greater heart and brain health, disease prevention, and thus improved longevity."

The rich culinary traditions, it's important to note, vary largely among the five Blue Zones (due to natural differences in culture, history, and landscape), but the nutrients consumed in these regions have many similarities. On average, plant foods make up around 80 percent of the diets of those living in these regions, and the remainder is made up of fish, eggs, and sometimes dairy, says Jones.Roughly 65 percent of meals in the Blue Zones are carbohydrate-based, says Jones, with an emphasis on whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and beans.

Meat is, on average, consumed in two-ounce portions about five times per month, fish fewer than three ounces up to three times per week, and at least 1/2 cup per day of beans, which are packed with more nutrients than most other foods on earth, says Lauren Harris-Pincus, MS, RDN, and author of The Everything Easy Pre-Diabetes Cookbook. Dairy and eggs are consumed in moderate amounts, and added sugars are limitedwith a maximum intake of 28 grams or seven teaspoons per dayand beverages include mostly water with some coffee, tea, and wine, says Harris-Pincus. (Indeed, most of the Blue Zones regions consume red wine in moderation, though those in Loma Linda, CA dont consume any alcohol.)

The Blue Zones diet also incorporates plenty of breadand yes, it is considered a healthy staple. It's unfortunate that carbohydrates have become so demonized in our society, says Jones. Remember: Many plant foods contain carbohydrates, which is the primary source of energy for most human beings on earth. There is absolutely nothing wrong with eating bread.

Unfortunately, the majority of bread sold in the United States is highly refined, meaning stripped of the beneficial fiber that helps boost digestion and heart health. In the U.S., bread tends to be less fresh and more processed than in other countries," says Jones. "And in general, Americans have less variety in their diets when it comes to starches, meaning fewer whole grains and more refined white flour."

Those living in the Blue Zones, on the other hand, tend to bake their bread from scratchand with fewer ingredients and more whole grains. Research consistently shows that diets rich in whole grains are associated with healthier aging and longevity, says Jones. Even in Blue Zones regions (such as Ikaria) where bread made with refined flour is among the most popular varieties, citizens pair their slices with fresh fruit, veggies, beans, nuts, avocado, lentils, seeds, and healthy fats like olive oil.

Whats more, baking homemade bread is also an activity that reduces stress and elevates happiness levels. In the Blue Zones regions, the act of making bread from scratch alone brings about more of an appreciation of food and may even be associated with slowing down at meals to enjoy the product of their labor, says Jones. And when done with friends or family, it provides the invaluable feelings of connectedness and gratitude.

Interested in what types of bread are most commonly consumed in the Blue Zones? Read on for the best types of bread for longevity, according to Jones and Harris-Pincus.

Ingredients in sourdough bread made from scratch are simple: water, flour, and sourdough starter is all thats required. Sourdough is a common bread in Ikaria and Sardinia, where its often made from a homemade sourdough starter, whole wheat and semolina flours, and a bit of salt and pepper.

"Thanks to the process of fermentation required for making starter, sourdough bread tends to have more prebiotic properties and also may enhance nutrient absorption compared to other forms of bread, especially those made without whole grains, says Jones. Prebiotic and probiotic foods can boost gut health, immunity, and longevity.

Eating sourdough bread made from high-quality starter can actually lower the glycemic load of your entire meal because it's considered a fermented food, adds Harris-Pincus. A lower glycemic index food won't spike your blood sugar as much as a high-glycemic index one, which is a nice perk for diabetics and those working to maintain more stable blood sugars.

In addition to sourdough, many people living in the Blue Zones tend to eat whole grain bread. According to the Blue Zones food guidelines, breads in Ikaria and Sardinia are made from a variety of whole grains such as wheat, rye, and barley, all of which offer a wide spectrum of nutrients, such as tryptophan, an amino acid. It's also common for residents of the Blue Zones to grind their own grains to make bread, and their whole wheat bread looks a lot different than anything we would buy on a supermarket shelf," says Harris-Pincus. "This is because it typically contains only a few ingredients and is typically 100 percent whole grain."

Simply using whole wheat or other whole grains in the bread can offer more fiber, plant protein, nutrients, and antioxidants, all of which improve heart health and longevity. Whole wheat bread can be made with just yeast, whole wheat flour, and water. Wheat is very nutritious, as it provides energizing starch, gut supportive fiber, iron, a variety of B-vitamins, magnesium, potassium, and the antioxidant and mineral selenium, says Jones.

Pita bread is another bread staple thats considered a staple in the Blue Zones region of Ikariaand it tastes great with vegetables and/or plant proteins, like lentils, bean dip, or hummus spread on top. Pita bread will contain the same ingredients as wheat bread but the key with any bread is to include it in meals and snacks that offer adequate protein, fiber, and fat to help balance blood sugar response and provide your body with key vitamins and minerals, says Jones. Thats where those toppers come in, all of which have protein, fiber, and antioxidants (especially when paired with fresh vegetables). For some heart-healthy fat, a drizzle of olive oil can easily do the trick.

Cornmeal, or ground dried corn, has been used for thousands of years and is the base for many staple foods like tortillas, grits, and polenta," says Harris-Pincus. "Plus it's an excellent source of protein, vitamin A, fiber, and essential minerals."

According to Harris-Pincus, cornbread in Loma Linda is made with a few common ingredients, but integrates more whole grains and fiber. Its made with cornmeal and unbleached or spelt flour, flaxseed meal, and with the rest of cornbreads standard ingredients, such vegetable oil, soy milk, salt, baking powder, and an unrefined sweetener, like maple syrup. The flaxseed and spelt provide healthy fats (including omega-3 fatty acids) and fiber, both of which promote greater gut health, brain health, and heart health. Serve cornbread with beans or vegetarian chili for the ultimate longevity-boosting warming winter meal.

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The 4 Types of Bread the Longest-Living People on the Planet Eat Every Day - Well+Good

What is the future of sustainable living? As more and more consumers become self-aware of their habits, they also become aware of how their spending habits can influence the planet. As such, they are focused on spending money on brands that share their ethical value, and businesses have started to take notice. So, what is the future of sustainable business? Well, a two-day event set to happen towards the end of this month in London is hoping to answer this question.

The sustainability revolution will be the third major social and economic turning point in human history HRH Prince Charles

Sustainability Live: Shaping the Future of Sustainable Businesses is a two-day event that is set to take place in Londons Tobacco Dock on February 23rd 24th, 2022. During the event, top decision-makers from the worlds largest corporations such as IBM, PwC, Tiger Brands, Unilever, Rolls-Royce, and more will join together to discuss their own commitments to sustainability as well as learn about others and create meaningful partnerships.

The conference will have a strong focus on creating actionable change and real-world partnerships. Throughout the two days, several stages of talks by global industry leaders will shine a light on sustainability, and these talks will be centered around a fully catered networking area.

If youre looking to make a difference, but are also interested in supporting brands that want to make a change, then this is a conference that you cannot afford to miss. For more information on the conference, please click here.

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Sustainability Live: Shaping the Future of Sustainable Businesses - Longevity LIVE - Longevity LIVE

Is sitting on the floor and getting up an easy job for you? Or do you avoid it because it is a strain?  |  Photo Credit: iStock Images

The human body is a lever system with muscles and joints of bones aiding ease of movement. For our well-being, mobility is key. Erin Bunch writes in WellAndGood.comthat sitting on the floor may not be that comfortable, especially when compared with the relative luxury of a chair, but the simple practice is great for your longevity, according to a study of the world's longest-living populations.

There is a Danish twin study that concluded that the average persons lifespan is 20 per cent determined by genetics and 80 per cent determined by environment and lifestyle. That means we are in control of our future and not at the mercy of our genes as we may have originally thought.

That is exactly what Blue Zones founder Dan Buettner says about people living in Okinawa, Japan, who keep furniture to a minimum in their homes, so they naturally do most of their sitting on the floor. These small changes to their environment have made positive changes to their health and it is for the entire world to see. People that live in the blue zones of the world move every 20 minutes because their environments are set up that way. Their environments literally move them.

"The longest-lived women in the history of the world lived in Okinawa, and I know from personal experience that they sat on the floor," he says. "I spent two days with a 103-year-old woman and saw her get up and down from the floor 30 or 40 times, so that's like 30 or 40 squats done daily."

According to StockBridgeOsteopathicPractice.com, the Okinawa residents sit and get up from the floor hundreds of times per day. This exercises their legs, back, and core in a natural way as they get up and down all day long. Sitting on the floor also improves posture and increases overall strength, flexibility, and mobility. The reportcites that studies correlate the ability to sit and rise from the floor without support with a longer life expectancy. Sitting on the floor also develops musculoskeletal fitness.

Dana Santas, a celebrated Breathing, Mobility & MindBody coach to professional sports teams who runs the Instagram handle @mobilitymaker posts, "This floor-sit-to-stand exercise is only possible with a combination of mobility, stability & strengthand how you breathe has a significant impact on your ability to access & integrate all three.

Santas writes that by exhaling to initiate the drive up, you enable better engagement of your pelvic floor integrated with your core (especially TVA) while optimally positioning your ribcage and pelvis to support the necessary hip and spine movement.

Not used to squatting on the floor?Santas offers some practical suggestions that will get you into the groove slowly. You can modify this exercise in a few ways:

What are the key elements that are necessary for this movement? Mobility coach Dana Santas advises that you need to understand and incorporate the following:

Your ability to stand up from a seated, cross-legged position without using any of your limbs (known as the sitting-rising test) is a good marker of your longevity. A study published in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology suggests that those least able to complete this movement were five or six times more likely to die than those who were best able to complete the task, claims the report in WellAndGood.com.

It is well known that aerobic fitness is strongly related to survival, but our study also shows that maintaining high levels of body flexibility, muscle strength, power-to-body weight ratio and coordination are not only good for performing daily activities but have a favourable influence on life expectancy, the study's lead researcher, Claudio Gil Arajo, said in a press release.

Why muscular-skeletal fitness matters:Having overall good muscular-skeletal fitness and mobility can help prevent you from falling down when you're older, which is one of the top causes of unintentional injury-related death for those over 65. Also, if you are able to sit down and stand back up from the floor with relative ease, its a wonderful sign of overall structural, skeletal health and muscular balance and alignment, body alignment specialist Lauren Roxburgh tells Erin Bunch writes in WellAndGood.com.

"The key to longevity, staying flexible, fluid, and maintaining a healthy body is to create continual postural shifts throughout the day (as you're able)," she says. "So sitting on the floor and periodically doing long, deep squats are a great way to boost circulation, blood flow, and energy, increase flexibility and range of motion, create space and build some deeper awareness of your body while helping you feel grounded."

It is quite likely that any of us who are able to repeatedly stand up from a seated position on the floor will live up to be 100.

Disclaimer: Tips and suggestions mentioned in the article are for general information purposes only and should not be construed as professional medical advice. Always consult your doctor or a professional healthcare provider if you have any specific questions about any medical matter.

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Can you sit on the floor with ease and stand up without support? You will live to be 100! - Times Now

By JENERALI ULIMWENGU

Last week I found myself joining India (and a great part of the world) in mourning a monument, in the person of the legendary singer Lata Mangeshkar, who had passed at the young age of 92.

I use the adjective young because the legacy this girl leaves behind her is forever juvenile and evergreen, so much so that she qualifies to be used in that famous expression Death be not so proud, by John Donne.

For, indeed, when you consider the work of this most illustrious diva, how can you not agree that even those that poor death believes to be able to overthrow do not in reality die.

What one achieves in those few days allowed by life offers enough span in which one expresses oneself as one wills to do and to expire only when one is assured of having done ones duty to humanity.

I came into contact with the Nightingale of India in high school, via the kind intervention of an Indian fellow student (I think his name was Akberali if I remember well) who taught me one of her famous sons, Mera Saya and soon I could sing it more or less well, and learnt what it meant: Wherever you go, my shadow will always follow you. I came to encounter that song many places I visited, until it soon became clear to me that it was a song that mobilised a lot of sentimental energy.

Of course, visiting India was such an occasion, but the song was in so many other places, including ones where I had not expected such a huge Indian artistic influence, such as when I visited Morocco for the first time in the 1970s, and found out, to my utter surprise, that Indian music was very much in vogue there.

Much has been said about Lata in the wake of her departure, but one thing remains incontrovertible. It is not only the longevity of her life that made her fame, for individuals abound who live as long as Methusellah but in the end leave only memories of disgust and bother, while some live only brief candle in the wind existences but upon death leave the world disconsolate.

The obvious example here is the Hollywood goddess, Marylin Monroe who got that title from Elton John, and others can be cited.

Longevity came in handy for Lata, yes, but she was helped by the fact her work as an artiste accompanied her nation in joy and sorrow, serenading a new and confident India at the dawn of a difficult and thorny independence, through the tribulations of the early years of the Cold War (a disastrous war with a no-less-assertive China), the imperious rule of a number of prime ministers including Indira Gandhi.

It could be said to have been decided by fate rather than her own volition, but every time her country were in dire need she was there to pride solace to sinking spirits and healing for bruised souls. No wonder, then, that most commentaries dwelt on the 1962 Indian disaster when it is aid that when she sang, Jawaharllal Pandit Nehru, the father of Indian independence, could not contain his tears.

Such women they tend to be all female can be found throughout history, as recent examples will show us. A quick search will tell us of the French icon, Edith Piaf, the Egyptian Oum Kulthoum, the American Joan Baez, the Cuban Celia Cruz, the South African Miriam Makeba, the Lebanese Fayrouz and others.

A nation is made up of so many elements, some of them even inimical to each other. In the case of India, a nation that was colonised by the British at the time that it was, saw itself sliced into two right at independence, and has ever since rekindled its aggressive antipathy to this day, so much so that the worst is feared every time flareup is reported in that zone.

Of course, it has never been all conflict, strife and war. Even the most fearsome warriors find a time to pause and engage in tournaments and festivals to allow themselves a breather. It is during those moments of respite that we experience the expressions of the beautiful representations of the human spirit, including sentiments of non-platonic love and the pursuit of sensual pleasures.

The combination of this and the patriotic fervour expressed when countries, nations and societies are faced with existential threats is what makes people like Mangeshkar immortal. They become the embodiment of a people when that peoples very existence is denied like Makeba under Apartheid; or Joan Baez under Richard Nixon, or Kulthoum under Israeli occupation; or Celia Cruz under the American embargo on Cuba; or Fayrouz amidst Israels pulverization of Beirut; or Joan Baez during Americas carpet-bombing of Vietnam.

To all these women of courage laced with beautiful voices, I raise my goblet to you: Meera saya, saathu hooga!

Jenerali Ulimwengu is now on YouTube via jeneralionline tv. E-mail: [emailprotected]

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Go well Nightingale of India, your melodies will live forever - The East African