Ecological Thresholds in the Savanna Landscape: Developing a Protocol for Monitoring the Change in Composition and Utilisation of Large Trees

BACKGROUND: Acquiring greater understanding of the factors causing changes in vegetation structure -- particularly with the potential to cause regime shifts -- is important in adaptively managed conservation areas. Large trees (> or =5 m in height) play an important ecosystem function, and are associated with a stable ecological state in the African savanna. There is concern that large tree densities are declining in a number of protected areas, including the Kruger National Park, South Africa. In this paper the results of a field study designed to monitor change in a savanna system are presented and discussed. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Developing the first phase of a monitoring protocol to measure the change in tree species composition, density and size distribution, whilst also identifying factors driving change. A central issue is the discrete spatial distribution of large trees in the landscape, making point sampling approaches relatively ineffective. Accordingly, fourteen 10 m wide transects were aligned perpendicular to large rivers (3.0-6.6 km in length) and eight transects were located at fixed-point photographic locations (1.0-1.6 km in length). Using accumulation curves, we established that the majority of tree species were sampled within 3 km. Furthermore, the key ecological drivers (e.g. fire, herbivory, drought and disease) which influence large tree use and impact were also recorded within 3 km. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: The technique presented provides an effective method for monitoring changes in large tree abundance, size distribution and use by the main ecological drivers across the savanna landscape. However, the monitoring of rare tree species would require individual marking approaches due to their low densities and specific habitat requirements. Repeat sampling intervals would vary depending on the factor of concern and proposed management mitigation. Once a monitoring protocol has been identified and evaluated, the next stage is to integrate that protocol into a decision-making system, which highlights potential leading indicators of change. Frequent monitoring would be required to establish the rate and direction of change. This approach may be useful in generating monitoring protocols for other dynamic systems

Impacto do treinamento sensório-motor com plataforma vibratória no equilíbrio e na mobilidade funcional de um indivíduo idoso com sequela de acidente vascular encefálico: relato de caso

A incidência de acidente vascular encefálico (AVE) aumenta com o envelhecimento e pode ter como consequência alterações sensitivas e motoras, as quais limitam a capacidade funcional, em função da redução do equilíbrio e da mobilidade. Diferentes recursos vêm sendo utilizados na prática fisioterapêutica para a recuperação do equilíbrio e da mobilidade, como treinamento sensório-motor e treinamento com plataforma vibratória. O objetivo deste estudo foi investigar o efeito de um protocolo de treinamento sensório-motor com plataforma vibratória no equilíbrio e na mobilidade funcional de um indivíduo idoso com sequela de AVE. Um indivíduo idoso, do gênero feminino, com 72 anos de idade e com sequela de AVE participou deste estudo. A avaliação do equilíbrio foi realizada por meio da Escala de Equilíbrio de Berg (EEB) e a avaliação da mobilidade por meio do teste Timed Up and Go (TUG). As variáveis dependentes para acompanhamento foram: pontuação obtida na EEB e tempo de execução do TUG. Após a avaliação inicial, a idosa realizou um protocolo de treinamento sensório-motor com plataforma vibratória, composto por 10 sessões, de 45 minutos cada. Na avaliação final, os resultados indicaram um aumento da pontuação na EEB (avaliação inicial = 41 pontos e avaliação final = 51 pontos) e uma redução no tempo de execução do TUG (avaliação inicial = 14 segundos e avaliação final = 9 segundos) na idosa com sequela de AVE. Com base nesses resultados, é possível concluir que o treinamento proposto foi efetivo para a melhora do equilíbrio e da mobilidade funcional da idosa com sequela de AVE.La incidencia del accidente cerebrovascular (ACV) aumenta con el envejecimiento, y su consecuencia puede ser las alteraciones sensoriales y motoras, que restringen la capacidad funcional, debido a la reducción del balance y de la movilidad. En la práctica fisioterapéutica para recuperarles a los sujetos el balance y la movilidad, se están utilizando diversos recursos, tales como el entrenamiento sensorial-motor y el entrenamiento con plataforma vibratoria. Este estudio se propone a investigar el efecto de un protocolo de entrenamiento sensorial-motor con plataforma vibratoria en el balance y en la movilidad funcional de una persona mayor con secuela del ACV. Participó del estudio una persona mayor, mujer, con 72 años de edad y con secuela del ACV. Se realizó la evaluación del balance mediante la Escala de Equilibrio de Berg (EEB) y la evaluación de la movilidad a través del test Timed Up and Go (TUG). Las variables dependientes para análisis fueron: la puntuación obtenida en la EEB y el tiempo de ejecución del TUG. Tras la evaluación inicial, la participante realizó un protocolo de entrenamiento sensorial-motor con plataforma vibratoria, compuesto de 10 sesiones, de 45 minutos cada una. En la evaluación final, los resultados de la participante señalaron un aumento de la puntuación en la EEB (evaluación inicial = 41 puntos y evaluación final = 51 puntos) y una reducción en el tiempo de ejecución del TUG (evaluación inicial = 14 segundos y evaluación final = 9 segundos). Según estos resultados, se concluye que el entrenamiento propuesto produjo efecto en la mejora del balance y de la movilidad funcional de la participante con secuela del ACV.The incidence of cerebrovascular accident (CVA) increases with aging and can result in sensory and motor changes, which limit functional capacity due to the reduction in balance and mobility. Different resources are being used by physical therapists in their practice to recover balance and mobility, such as sensorimotor training and training with a vibrating platform. The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of a sensorimotor training protocol with vibrating platform on the balance and functional mobility of an older adult with CVA sequela. An older adult, of the female sex, aged 72 years and with CVA sequela participated in this study. The assessment of balance was performed through the Berg Balance Scale (BBS) and the assessment of mobility through the Timed Up and Go Test (TUG). The dependent variables for monitoring were: score obtained through BBS and execution time of TUG. After the initial assessment, the older adult went through a sensorimotor training protocol with a vibration platform, comprised of 10 sessions of 45 minutes. With the final assessment, the results showed an increase in the scores of BBS (initial assessment = 41 points; final assessment = 51 points) and a reduction in the execution time of TUG (initial assessment = 14 seconds; final assessment = 9 seconds) in the older adult with CVA sequela. Based on these results, we can conclude that the proposed training was effective for the improvement of balance and functional mobility of the older adult with CVA sequela

White Book on Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine (PRM) in Europe. Chapter 8. The PRM specialty in the healthcare system and society

In the context of the White Book of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine (PRM) in Europe, this paper deals with a global overview of the role of PRM in healthcare systems in Europe. Several documents and reports by WHO and the UN call for the worldwide strengthening of rehabilitation as a key health strategy of the 21st century. Therefore, further implementation of PRM in healthcare systems is crucial. Many aspects need to be considered when implementing PRM in a health system. Since PRM should be provided along the whole continuum of care, a specific phase model has been developed. Those phases depend on patients' functional needs as well as on temporal aspects of a health condition: it can be congenital or acquired, and the disorder can have an acute onset or a progressive or degenerative course. The following phases are described in the paper: habilitation, prehabilitation, PRM in acute settings, in post-acute and in long-term settings. Regular triage and reassessment to assign the patient to the appropriate level and setting of rehabilitation care is mandatory. Therefore, rehabilitation services should be stratified and organized in networks, in order to allow for the best possible care adapted to the individual's needs and goals, over the continuum of care. Providing correct PRM services requires good planning of service delivery, capacity building and resource allocation. The needed resources are human (with complex multi-professional teams), technical (diagnostic and therapeutic equipment, equipment for performing complementary diagnostic means, rehabilitation technology and assistive devices), and financial. Decisions on the allocation of the usually limited resources require a reasoned process and clear and fair criteria. Principles of clinical governance must be respected, and appropriate competencies are required. Disease prevention (primary, secondary and tertiary), health maintenance and support in chronic conditions as well as global health promotion are gaining growing importance in PRM. They include encouraging physical activity and promoting healthy behavior aiming at the maintenance of maximum function and avoiding complications in disabling or progressive conditions. This is discussed in the paper together with some ethical reflections on the choices PRM physicians continuously have to make during service delivery