A psychomotor rehabilitation intervention to improve health and well-being indicators of institutionalized older adults.

INTRODUCTION Institutionalization tends to exacerbate the usual fragility and disability associated with the ageing process (Heppenstall, Wilkinson, Hanger, Keeling, & Pearson, 2011). In turn, poor health and well-being compromise older adults’ quality of life. OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to analyze the impact of a psychomotor rehabilitation program on health and well-being indicators of institutionalized older adults. METHODOLOGY A total of 42 nursing home residents (84 ± 6.2 years) participated in the study: 21 were allocated to the experimental group (EG: engaged the rehabilitation program twice a week for 75 min), and 21 were allocated to the control group (CG: maintained daily institution activities). The Mini Mental State Examination was used to screen severe cognitive impairment as an exclusion criteria. Mood states, pain, disability and self-rated health were assessed through the Profile of Mood States, the P4 Pain Scale, the Barthel Index, and the EuroQol visual analogue scale, respectively. After finishing the study, the CG attended the rehabilitation program.RESULTS Comparisons showed that: in terms of mood states, both groups showed improvements in tension, whereas only the EG demonstrated improvements in depression, anger, vigor, fatigue, and confusion (treatment effect: -0.23 to -2.60); the EG experienced a decrease in pain (treatment effect: 0.21 to 0.50), while the CG showed an increase; finally, in terms of the disability level and the self-rated health the EG experienced no changes, whereas these indicators worsened in the CG (p <0.05). CONCLUSION The psychomotor program was able to revert the expected loss of health and well-being characteristic of older people, particularly the institutionalized ones. Specifically, the program was effective in improving the mood states and in decreasing pain of the nursing home residents, as well as in maintaining their disability level and health status. These findings suggest that the general adherence of nursing home residents to psychomotor rehabilitation programs may improve the quality of life of our oldest adults

A Strategy for GC/MS Quantification of Polar Compounds via their Silylated Surrogates: Silylation and Quantification of Biological Amino Acids

Substitution of polar functionalized compounds with silylated (e.g., trimethylsilylated) surrogates prior to GC/ MS analysis is a widely used analytical strategy. Calibration is a most demanding step of this strategy. In fact, a calibration function is usually acquired by converting known amounts of the pure analyte to its silylated surrogate using the same conditions employed for processing unknown samples. The cumbersome need of acquiring a new calibration function prevents, to a large extend, the possibility of modifying silylation and instrumental settings on a sample by sample basis as would be appropriate in a number of cases. The modified standard additions calibration method, suggested in this paper, overcomes this difficulty by integrating in a single analytical procedure calibration and sample analysis. Furthermore, the suggested procedure compensates for matrix effects which may be a serious source of inaccuracy and is a tool that can be used during method development in order to find the most suitable silylation conditions for a given analyte. The implementation and benefits of the modified standard additions calibration method are explored in this paper on the basis of a symbolic but enlightening experiment dealing with the very representative GC/MS quantification of biological amino acids via their trimethylsilylated derivatives

Riboflavin (Vitamin B2) Assay by Adsorptive Cathodic Stripping Voltammetry (Adcsv) at the Hanging Mercury Drop Electrode (HMDE)

In this study the interactions of Riboflavin (Vitamin B2) with a mercury surface are investigated. Firstly, by using Cyclic Voltammetry, it is demonstrated that Riboflavin can be efficiently accumulated, by adsorption from buffered solutions containing an excess of NaClO4, onto the mercury drop of a HMDE. Secondly, it is shown that the adsorbed Riboflavin can be reduced through an electrochemical reaction whose stoichiometry is extricated by confronting simulated with experimental CV voltammograms acquired in a range of pH between about four and nine. Finally, the cathodic current, sustained by the surface reduction of Riboflavin, is exploited for assaying Riboflavin via Differential Pulse Adsorption Cathodic Stripping Voltammetry (DP AdCSV) within the frame of the standard additions calibration procedure. By applying the suggested DP AdCSV procedure with standard voltammetric equipment, typical DP settings and pre-electrolysis time of about 10 s, a linear response is maintained if Riboflavin concentration in the electrolysed solution does not exceed about 2 mg/l. On the other side, a limit of detection (expressed as the concentration of Riboflavin in the electrolysed solution) of 7 μg/l has been achieved with a pre-electrolysis time of 68 s

pH and Acid-Base Equilibrium Calculations via a Matrix Representation of Solutions of Acids and/or Bases

In this article we implement the idea of representing an aqueous solution of acids and/or bases with a matrix from which the pH and equilibrium concentrations of all species in any described solution can be extracted. Given that this matrix can be readily generated using an ad hoc MS Excel sheet, whatever pH calculation is reduced to the problem of selecting a row from the matrix by using as a guide the proton balance equation in the solution. A special scheme is presented allowing the needed proton balance relation to be derived from the specified solution data in all cases. This preserves the fundamental unity of the topic without sacrificing chemical understanding and simplicity. By consequence, the presented calculation technique is eminently suitable to be used in introductory courses as a complement, an extension or a substitute whenever the usual way of dealing with the topic (which, in general, consists in developing a menu of special cases, formulas and/or algebraic procedures) is judged insufficient. A MS Excel file named , attached to the present paper as supporting material, allows the matrix representation of any given solution to be developed in a very short time

In situ microcosm remediation of polyaromatic hydrocarbons: influence and effectiveness of Nano-Zero Valent Iron and activated carbon

: Nano-zero-valent iron (nZVI) and activated carbon (AC) addition are ongoing techniques for the remediation of hydrophobic organic compound-contaminated sediment and water, but with still unexplored eco(toxico)logical implications, especially when applied in situ. In this study, we investigated AC and nZVI as remediation methods for marine contaminated sediment and water, including chemical and toxicity (Artemia franciscana survival and genotoxicity) surveys. The removal efficiency of AC and nZVI (about 99%) was similar in both sediment and seawater, while the survival of nauplii and adults was mainly impacted by nZVI than AC. At the molecular level, the nZVI-addition induced down-regulation in the expression of two stress and one developmental genes, whereas AC was able to up-regulated only one gene involved in stress response. Results suggested that the use of AC is safer than nZVI that requires further investigation and potential optimization to reduce secondary undesired effects

Toxicity of rare earth elements: An overview on human health impact

Rare earth elements (REEs) are metals including the 15 lanthanides together with Yttrium and Scandium. China is the leading country in their exploitation and production (~90%). REEs are necessary for the production of several technological devices. This extended use of REEs has raised concerns about human health safety. In this review, we investigated the hazard of REEs to human health and the main gaps into the knowledge like as the need to develop further focused research activity. We categorized the research papers collected into eight main sections: environmental exposure, association of REEs with health problems, exposure to REEs due to lifestyle, REE exposure through the food chain, Gd contrast agents causing health problems, occupational REE exposure, and cytotoxicity studies of REEs. This review provided information about the exposome of REEs (the exposure of REEs to the human body), the existing research data, and the gaps that require attention and must be further investigated. More than one third of the literature about REE toxicity to human health concerns their cytotoxicity to human cell lines, while hair, blood serum and blood are the most studied matrices. The main results evidenced that REEs can enter human body via several routes, are associated with numerous diseases, can cause ROS production, DNA damage and cell death, and are more toxic to cancer cells than normal cells

Rare earth elements in human and animal health: State of art and research priorities

"Background: A number of applications have been developed using rare earth elements (REE), implying several human exposures and raising unsolved questions as to REE-associated health effects. Methods: A MedLine survey was retrieved from early reports (1980s) up to June 2015, focused on human and animal exposures to REE. Literature from animal models was selected focusing on REE-associated health effects. Results: Some REE occupational exposures, in jobs such as glass polishers, photoengravers and movie projectionists showed a few case reports on health effects affecting the respiratory system. No case-control or cohort studies of occupational REE exposures were retrieved. Environmental exposures have been biomonitored in populations residing in REE mining areas, showing REE accumulation. The case for a iatrogenic REE exposure was raised by the use of gadolinium-based contrast agents for nuclear magnetic resonance. Animal toxicity studies have shown REE toxicity, affecting a number of endpoints in liver, lungs and blood. On the other hand, the use of REE as feed additives in livestock is referred as a safe and promising device in zootechnical activities, possibly suggesting a hormetic effect both known for REE and for other xenobiotics. Thus, investigations on long-term exposures and observations are warranted. Conclusion: The state of art provides a limited definition of the health effects in occupationally or environmentally REE-exposed human populations. Research priorities should be addressed to case-control or cohort studies of REE-exposed humans and to life-long animal experiments. (C) 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The Isolation and Identification of Bacteria on Feathers of Migratory Bird Species

Worldwide, bacteria are the most ubiquitous microorganisms, and it has been extensively demonstrated that migratory wild birds can increase bacterial global scale dispersion through long-distance migration and dispersal. The microbial community hosted by wild birds can be highly diverse, including pathogenic strains that can contribute to infections and disease spread. This study focused on feather and plumage bacteria within bird microbial communities. Samples were collected during ornithological activities in a bird ringing station. Bacterial identification was carried out via DNA barcoding of the partial 16S rRNA gene. Thirty-seven isolates of bacteria were identified on the chest feathers of 60 migratory birds belonging to three trans-Saharan species: Muscicapa striata, Hippolais icterina, and Sylvia borin. Our results demonstrate the possibility of bacterial transfer, including pathogens, through bird migration between very distant countries. The data from the analysis of plumage bacteria can aid in the explanation of phenomena such as migratory birds’ fitness or the development of secondary sexual traits. Moreover, these results have deep hygienic–sanitary implications, since many bird species have synanthropic behaviors during their migration that increase the probability of disease sprea