Relationship between functional fitness, medication costs and mood in elderly people

Objective: to verify if functional fitness (FF) is associated with the annual cost of medication consumption and mood states (MSt) in elderly people. Methods: a cross-sectional study with 229 elderly people aged 65 years or more at Santa Casa de Misericórdia de Coimbra, Portugal. Seniors with physical and psychological limitations were excluded, as well as those using medication that limits performance on the tests. The Senior Fitness Test was used to evaluate FF, and the Profile of Mood States - Short Form to evaluate the MSt. The statistical analysis was based on Mancova, with adjustment for age, for comparison between men and women, and adjustment for sex, for comparison between cardiorespiratory fitness quintiles. The association between the variables under study was made with partial correlation, controlling for the effects of age, sex and body mass index. Results: an inverse correlation between cardiorespiratory fitness and the annual cost of medication consumption was found (p < 0.01). FF is also inversely associated with MSt (p < 0.05). Comparisons between cardiorespiratory fitness quintiles showed higher medication consumption costs in seniors with lower aerobic endurance, as well as higher deterioration in MSt (p < 0.01). Conclusion: elderly people with better FF and, specifically, better cardiorespiratory fitness present lower medication consumption costs and a more positive MSt

Mandibular growth and dentoalveolar development in the treatment of Class II, division 1, malocclusion using Balters Bionator according to the skeletal maturation

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of the study was to evaluate the influence of the skeletal maturation in the mandibular and dentoalveolar growth and development during the Class II, division 1, malocclusion correction with Balters bionator. METHODS: Three groups of children with Class II, division 1, malocclusion were evaluated. Two of them were treated for one year with the bionator of Balters appliance in different skeletal ages (Group 1: 6 children, 7 to 8 years old and Group 2: 10 children, 9 to 10 years old) and the other one was followed without treatment (Control Group: 7 children, 8 to 9 years old). Lateral 45 degree cephalometric radiographs were used for the evaluation of the mandibular growth and dentoalveolar development. Tantalum metallic implants were used as fixed and stable references for radiograph superimposition and data acquisition. Student's t test was used in the statistical analysis of the displacement of the points in the condyle, ramus, mandibular base and dental points. Analysis of variance one-fixed criteria was used to evaluate group differences (95% of level of significance). RESULTS: The intragroup evaluation showed that all groups present significant skeletal growth for all points analyzed (1.2 to 3.7 mm), but in an intergroup comparison, the increment of the mandibular growth in the condyle, ramus and mandibular base were not statically different. For the dentoalveolar modifications, the less mature children showed greater labial inclination of the lower incisors (1.86 mm) and the most mature children showed greater first permanent molar extrusion (4.8 mm).OBJETIVO: avaliar a influência da maturação óssea no processo de crescimento e de desenvolvimento mandibular e dentoalveolar durante a correção da Classe II, divisão 1, com o Bionator de Balters. MÉTODOS: foram avaliados três grupos de crianças com Classe II, divisão 1. Dois grupos foram tratados por um ano com o aparelho Bionator de Balters, em diferentes idades esqueléticas (Grupo 1: 6 crianças, com 7 a 8 anos de idade; e Grupo 2: 10 crianças, com 9 a 10 anos); e um grupo sem tratamento (Grupo controle: 7 crianças, com 8 a 9 anos). Telerradiografias laterais em norma de 45º foram utilizadas para a avaliação do crescimento mandibular e para o desenvolvimento dentoalveolar. Implantes metálicos de tântalo foram usados como referência fixa e estável para sobreposições radiográficas e aquisição de dados. Na análise estatística do deslocamento de pontos localizados na região de côndilo, corpo e base mandibular e de pontos dentários, foi empregado o teste t de Student; para avaliar as diferenças entre os grupos, usou-se a análise de variância a um critério de classificação (nível de significância de 95%). RESULTADOS: os grupos, quando avaliados individualmente, apresentaram crescimento de todos os pontos esqueléticos de forma significativa (1,2 a 3,7mm); porém, quando comparados entre si, a quantidade de crescimento na região do côndilo, ramo e base da mandíbula não foi estatisticamente diferente. Quanto às alterações dentárias, ocorreu maior inclinação dos incisivos inferiores para vestibular (1,86mm) nos pacientes menos maduros, e maior extrusão dos primeiros molares permanentes (4,8mm) nos pacientes mais maduros.Barretos UniversityUNESP School of Dentistry of Araraquara Children's Clinic DepartmentUSP FOBRibeirão Preto UniversityUNESP School of Dentistry of Araraquara Children's Clinic Departmen

Quality of life of caregivers for patients of cerebrovascular accidents: association of (socio-demographic) characteristics and burden

OBJECTIVE Investigating the association between quality of life with socio-demographic characteristics and the burden of caregivers for individuals with cerebrovascular accident sequelae. METHOD A descriptive, cross-sectional study with a sample composed of 136 caregivers. For data collection, a semi-structured questionnaire, the Barthel, Burden Interview and Short-Form-36 scales were used. Correlation analysis, t-Student test and F-test were used for the analysis in order to compare averages. RESULTS Significant averages in quality of life were demonstrated in association with female caregivers and those over 60 years in the field 'functional capacity,' and in the domains of 'mental health' and 'vitality' for those with higher income. Regarding burden association, the highlighted areas were 'functional capacity,' 'physical aspects,' 'emotional aspects' and 'pain.' CONCLUSION The creation of public policies and social support to effectively reduce the burden on caregivers is a necessity

Rapid responses of root traits and productivity to phosphorus and cation additions in a tropical lowland forest in Amazonia

This is the author accepted manuscript. The final version is available from Wiley via the DOI in this recordSoil nutrient availability can strongly affect root traits. In tropical forests, phosphorus (P) is often considered the main limiting nutrient for plants. However, support for the P paradigm is limited, and N and cations might also control tropical forests functioning. We used a large-scale experiment to determine how the factorial addition of nitrogen (N), P and cations affected root productivity and traits related to nutrient acquisition strategies (morphological traits, phosphatase activity, arbuscular mycorrhizal colonisation and nutrient contents) in a primary rainforest growing on low-fertility soils in Central Amazonia after one year of fertilisation. Multiple root traits and productivity were affected. Phosphorus additions increased annual root productivity and root diameter, but decreased root phosphatase activity. Cation additions increased root productivity at certain times of year, also increasing root diameter and mycorrhizal colonisation. P and cation additions increased their element concentrations in root tissues. No responses were detected with N addition. Here we show that rock-derived nutrients determine root functioning in low-fertility Amazonian soils, demonstrating not only the hypothesised importance of P, but also highlighting the role of cations. The changes in fine root traits and productivity indicate that even slow-growing tropical rainforests can respond rapidly to changes in resource availability.Brazilian National Council for Scientific and 551 Technological Development (CNPq)Natural Environment Research Council (NERC)Australian Research Council (ARC)European Research Council (ERC

TOI-4860 b, a short-period giant planet transiting an M3.5 dwarf

We report the discovery and characterisation of a giant transiting planet orbiting a nearby M3.5V dwarf (d = 80.4pc, G = 15.1 mag, K=11.2mag, R∗ = 0.358 ± 0.015 R, M∗ = 0.340 ± 0.009 M). Using the photometric time series from TESS sectors 10, 36, 46, and 63 and near-infrared spectrophotometry from ExTrA, we measured a planetary radius of 0.77 ± 0.03 RJ and an orbital period of 1.52 days. With high-resolution spectroscopy taken by the CFHT/SPIRou and ESO/ESPRESSO spectrographs, we refined the host star parameters ([Fe/H] = 0.27 ± 0.12) and measured the mass of the planet (0.273 ± 0.006 MJ). Based on these measurements, TOI-4860 b joins the small set of massive planets (>80 ME) found around mid to late M dwarfs (<0.4 R), providing both an interesting challenge to planet formation theory and a favourable target for further atmospheric studies with transmission spectroscopy. We identified an additional signal in the radial velocity data that we attribute to an eccentric planet candidate (e = 0.66 ± 0.09) with an orbital period of 427 ± 7 days and a minimum mass of 1.66 ± 0.26 MJ, but additional data would be needed to confirm this

The association between the functional incapacity of the older adult and the family caregiver's burden

OBJECTIVE: to identify the association between the older adult's functional capacity and the caregiver's burden. METHOD: a cross-sectional, quantitative study, undertaken in a municipality in the north of the Brazilian state of Paraná, with 178 older adults with functional incapacity, and their caregivers. The Functional Independence Measure was used for evaluating the older adults' functional capacity, and the Zarit Burden Interview was used for evaluating the caregiver burden, with the results being analyzed quantitatively. The majority of the older adults were females, widowed, with a mean age of 79.9 years old, and needing assistance for up to 50% of the daily living tasks. The majority of the caregivers were females, daughters, married, and had a mean age of 56.7 years old. RESULT: the majority of the caregivers reported moderate burden; the men presented higher probabilities of lower burden than the women; and the more independent the older adult was, the higher the probabilities of the caregiver having low burden. CONCLUSION: encouraging actions directed at the promotion of active and healthy ageing centered on the maintenance of functional capacity and the older adult's autonomy, and implanting strategies for the organizing of care in the home which include the caregiver's health, can contribute to minimizing the effects of burden and improve quality of life