Sedentary time in older men and women: an international consensus statement and research priorities

Sedentary time is a modifiable determinant of poor health, and in older adults, reducing sedentary time may be an important first step in adopting and maintaining a more active lifestyle. The primary purpose of this consensus statement is to provide an integrated perspective on current knowledge and expert opinion pertaining to sedentary behaviour in older adults on the topics of measurement, associations with health outcomes, and interventions. A secondary yet equally important purpose is to suggest priorities for future research and knowledge translation based on gaps identified. A five-step Delphi consensus process was used. Experts in the area of sedentary behaviour and older adults (n=15) participated in three surveys, an in-person consensus meeting, and a validation process. The surveys specifically probed measurement, health outcomes, interventions, and research priorities. The meeting was informed by a literature review and conference symposium, and it was used to create statements on each of the areas addressed in this document. Knowledge users (n=3) also participated in the consensus meeting. Statements were then sent to the experts for validation. It was agreed that self-report tools need to be developed for understanding the context in which sedentary time is accumulated. For health outcomes, it was agreed that the focus of sedentary time research in older adults needs to include geriatric-relevant health outcomes, that there is insufficient evidence to quantify the dose-response relationship, that there is a lack of evidence on sedentary time from older adults in assisted facilities, and that evidence on the association between sedentary time and sleep is lacking. For interventions, research is needed to assess the impact that reducing sedentary time, or breaking up prolonged bouts of sedentary time has on geriatric-relevant health outcomes. Research priorities listed for each of these areas should be considered by researchers and funding agencies

Walking with a rollator and the level of physical intensity in adults 75 years of age or older.

Eggermont LH, van Heuvelen MJ, van Keeken BL, Hollander AP, Scherder EJ. Walking with a rollator and the level of physical intensity in adults 75 years of age or older. Objective: To determine whether walking with a rollator by persons 75 years of age or older is of sufficient intensity to improve aerobic fitness. Design: A cross-sectional cohort study. Setting: University movement laboratory. Participants: Fifteen subjects 75 years of age or older (mean age, 83.7y) who could only walk by using a rollator. Interventions: Not applicable. Main Outcome Measures: During 6 minutes of self-paced treadmill walking using a rollator at a mean walking speed of 0.6m/s, oxygen uptake (V̇

MethylExtract: High-Quality methylation maps and SNV calling from whole genome bisulfite sequencing data

[v2; ref status: indexed, http://f1000r.es/301]Whole genome methylation profiling at a single cytosine resolution is now feasible due to the advent of high-throughput sequencing techniques together with bisulfite treatment of the DNA. To obtain the methylation value of each individual cytosine, the bisulfite-treated sequence reads are first aligned to a reference genome, and then the profiling of the methylation levels is done from the alignments. A huge effort has been made to quickly and correctly align the reads and many different algorithms and programs to do this have been created. However, the second step is just as crucial and non-trivial, but much less attention has been paid to the final inference of the methylation states. Important error sources do exist, such as sequencing errors, bisulfite failure, clonal reads, and single nucleotide variants. We developed MethylExtract, a user friendly tool to: i) generate high quality, whole genome methylation maps and ii) detect sequence variation within the same sample preparation. The program is implemented into a single script and takes into account all major error sources. MethylExtract detects variation (SNVs – Single Nucleotide Variants) in a similar way to VarScan, a very sensitive method extensively used in SNV and genotype calling based on non-bisulfite-treated reads. The usefulness of MethylExtract is shown by means of extensive benchmarking based on artificial bisulfite-treated reads and a comparison to a recently published method, called Bis-SNP. MethylExtract is able to detect SNVs within High-Throughput Sequencing experiments of bisulfite treated DNA at the same time as it generates high quality methylation maps. This simultaneous detection of DNA methylation and sequence variation is crucial for many downstream analyses, for example when deciphering the impact of SNVs on differential methylation. An exclusive feature of MethylExtract, in comparison with existing software, is the possibility to assess the bisulfite failure in a statistical way. The source code, tutorial and artificial bisulfite datasets are available at http://bioinfo2.ugr.es/MethylExtract/ and http://sourceforge.net/projects/methylextract/, and also permanently accessible from 10.5281/zenodo.7144.This work was supported by the Spanish Government [BIO2008-01353 to JLO and BIO2010-20219 to MH], and Basque country 'AE' grant (GB)

A geographical population analysis of dental trauma in school-children aged 12 and 15 in the city of Curitiba-Brazil

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The study presents a geographical analysis of dental trauma in a population of 12 and 15 year-old school-children, in the city of Curitiba, Brazil (n = 1581), using a database obtained in the period 2005-2006. The main focus is to analyze dental trauma using a geographic information system as a tool for integrating social, environmental and epidemiological data.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Geostatistical analysis of the database and thematic maps were generated showing the distribution of dental trauma cases according to Curitiba's Health Districts and other variables of interest. Dental trauma spatial variation was assessed using a generalized additive model in order to identify and control the individual risk-factors and thus determine whether spatial variation is constant or not throughout the Health Districts and the place of residence of individuals. In addition, an analysis was made of the coverage of dental trauma cases taking the spatial distribution of Curitiba's primary healthcare centres.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The overall prevalence of dental trauma was 37.1%, with 53.1% in males and 46.7% in females. The spatial analysis confirms the hypothesis that there is significant variation in the occurrence of dental trauma, considering the place of residence in the population studied (Monte Carlo test, p = 0,006). Furthermore, 28.7% of cases had no coverage by the primary healthcare centres.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The effect of the place of residence was highly significant in relation to the response variable. The delimitation of areas, as a basis for case density, enables the qualification of geographical territories where actions can be planned based on priority criteria. Promotion, control and rehabilitation actions, applied in regions of higher prevalence of dental trauma, can be more effective and efficient, thus providing healthcare refinement.</p

Molecular Ecology and Natural History of Simian Foamy Virus Infection in Wild-Living Chimpanzees

Identifying microbial pathogens with zoonotic potential in wild-living primates can be important to human health, as evidenced by human immunodeficiency viruses types 1 and 2 (HIV-1 and HIV-2) and Ebola virus. Simian foamy viruses (SFVs) are ancient retroviruses that infect Old and New World monkeys and apes. Although not known to cause disease, these viruses are of public health interest because they have the potential to infect humans and thus provide a more general indication of zoonotic exposure risks. Surprisingly, no information exists concerning the prevalence, geographic distribution, and genetic diversity of SFVs in wild-living monkeys and apes. Here, we report the first comprehensive survey of SFVcpz infection in free-ranging chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) using newly developed, fecal-based assays. Chimpanzee fecal samples (n = 724) were collected at 25 field sites throughout equatorial Africa and tested for SFVcpz-specific antibodies (n = 706) or viral nucleic acids (n = 392). SFVcpz infection was documented at all field sites, with prevalence rates ranging from 44% to 100%. In two habituated communities, adult chimpanzees had significantly higher SFVcpz infection rates than infants and juveniles, indicating predominantly horizontal rather than vertical transmission routes. Some chimpanzees were co-infected with simian immunodeficiency virus (SIVcpz); however, there was no evidence that SFVcpz and SIVcpz were epidemiologically linked. SFVcpz nucleic acids were recovered from 177 fecal samples, all of which contained SFVcpz RNA and not DNA. Phylogenetic analysis of partial gag (616 bp), pol-RT (717 bp), and pol-IN (425 bp) sequences identified a diverse group of viruses, which could be subdivided into four distinct SFVcpz lineages according to their chimpanzee subspecies of origin. Within these lineages, there was evidence of frequent superinfection and viral recombination. One chimpanzee was infected by a foamy virus from a Cercopithecus monkey species, indicating cross-species transmission of SFVs in the wild. These data indicate that SFVcpz (i) is widely distributed among all chimpanzee subspecies; (ii) is shed in fecal samples as viral RNA; (iii) is transmitted predominantly by horizontal routes; (iv) is prone to superinfection and recombination; (v) has co-evolved with its natural host; and (vi) represents a sensitive marker of population structure that may be useful for chimpanzee taxonomy and conservation strategies

Un examen actualizado de la percepción de las barreras para la implementación de la farmacogenómica y la utilidad de los pares fármaco/gen en América Latina y el Caribe

La farmacogenómica (PGx) se considera un campo emergente en los países en desarrollo. La investigación sobre PGx en la región de América Latina y el Caribe (ALC) sigue siendo escasa, con información limitada en algunas poblaciones. Por lo tanto, las extrapolaciones son complicadas, especialmente en poblaciones mixtas. En este trabajo, revisamos y analizamos el conocimiento farmacogenómico entre la comunidad científica y clínica de ALC y examinamos las barreras para la aplicación clínica. Realizamos una búsqueda de publicaciones y ensayos clínicos en este campo en todo el mundo y evaluamos la contribución de ALC. A continuación, realizamos una encuesta regional estructurada que evaluó una lista de 14 barreras potenciales para la aplicación clínica de biomarcadores en función de su importancia. Además, se analizó una lista emparejada de 54 genes/fármacos para determinar una asociación entre los biomarcadores y la respuesta a la medicina genómica. Esta encuesta se comparó con una encuesta anterior realizada en 2014 para evaluar el progreso en la región. Los resultados de la búsqueda indicaron que los países de América Latina y el Caribe han contribuido con el 3,44% del total de publicaciones y el 2,45% de los ensayos clínicos relacionados con PGx en todo el mundo hasta el momento. Un total de 106 profesionales de 17 países respondieron a la encuesta. Se identificaron seis grandes grupos de obstáculos. A pesar de los continuos esfuerzos de la región en la última década, la principal barrera para la implementación de PGx en ALC sigue siendo la misma, la "necesidad de directrices, procesos y protocolos para la aplicación clínica de la farmacogenética/farmacogenómica". Las cuestiones de coste-eficacia se consideran factores críticos en la región. Los puntos relacionados con la reticencia de los clínicos son actualmente menos relevantes. Según los resultados de la encuesta, los pares gen/fármaco mejor clasificados (96%-99%) y percibidos como importantes fueron CYP2D6/tamoxifeno, CYP3A5/tacrolimus, CYP2D6/opioides, DPYD/fluoropirimidinas, TMPT/tiopurinas, CYP2D6/antidepresivos tricíclicos, CYP2C19/antidepresivos tricíclicos, NUDT15/tiopurinas, CYP2B6/efavirenz y CYP2C19/clopidogrel. En conclusión, aunque la contribución global de los países de ALC sigue siendo baja en el campo del PGx, se ha observado una mejora relevante en la región. La percepción de la utilidad de las pruebas PGx en la comunidad biomédica ha cambiado drásticamente, aumentando la concienciación entre los médicos, lo que sugiere un futuro prometedor en las aplicaciones clínicas de PGx en ALC.Pharmacogenomics (PGx) is considered an emergent field in developing countries. Research on PGx in the Latin American and the Caribbean (LAC) region remains scarce, with limited information in some populations. Thus, extrapolations are complicated, especially in mixed populations. In this paper, we reviewed and analyzed pharmacogenomic knowledge among the LAC scientific and clinical community and examined barriers to clinical application. We performed a search for publications and clinical trials in the field worldwide and evaluated the contribution of LAC. Next, we conducted a regional structured survey that evaluated a list of 14 potential barriers to the clinical implementation of biomarkers based on their importance. In addition, a paired list of 54 genes/drugs was analyzed to determine an association between biomarkers and response to genomic medicine. This survey was compared to a previous survey performed in 2014 to assess progress in the region. The search results indicated that Latin American and Caribbean countries have contributed 3.44% of the total publications and 2.45% of the PGx-related clinical trials worldwide thus far. A total of 106 professionals from 17 countries answered the survey. Six major groups of barriers were identified. Despite the region’s continuous efforts in the last decade, the primary barrier to PGx implementation in LAC remains the same, the “need for guidelines, processes, and protocols for the clinical application of pharmacogenetics/pharmacogenomics”. Cost-effectiveness issues are considered critical factors in the region. Items related to the reluctance of clinicians are currently less relevant. Based on the survey results, the highest ranked (96%–99%) gene/drug pairs perceived as important were CYP2D6/tamoxifen, CYP3A5/tacrolimus, CYP2D6/opioids, DPYD/fluoropyrimidines, TMPT/thiopurines, CYP2D6/tricyclic antidepressants, CYP2C19/tricyclic antidepressants, NUDT15/thiopurines, CYP2B6/efavirenz, and CYP2C19/clopidogrel. In conclusion, although the global contribution of LAC countries remains low in the PGx field, a relevant improvement has been observed in the region. The perception of the usefulness of PGx tests in biomedical community has drastically changed, raising awareness among physicians, which suggests a promising future in the clinical applications of PGx in LAC

La chimica dei nanocomposti e la loro applicazione al restauro dei manoscritti

Cellulose-based artifacts are susceptible to fast degradation due to the presence of detrimental components and to the action of environmental pollutants. As a result, the acidity of pristine material increases, promoting the acid-catalysed depolymerisation of cellulose that alters the mechanical properties of paper. In this paper, the use of innovative dispersions of alkaline earth metal hydroxide nanoparticles will be discussed as a method of counteracting the degradation of paper. The application of the most recent formulations of nanoparticles dispersions for the deacidification of artworks will be highlighted. Finally, the usage of innovative gel formulations for the cleaning of cellulose-based artworks will be discussed

Efetividade do treinamento de resistência à fadiga dos músculos dos membros inferiores dentro e fora d'água no equilíbrio estático e dinâmico de idosos Effectiveness of aquatic and non-aquatic lower limb muscle endurance training in the static and dynamic balance of elderly people

CONTEXTUALIZAÇÃO: O envelhecimento compromete a habilidade do sistema nervoso central (SNC) de realizar a manutenção do equilíbrio corporal bem como diminui a capacidade das reações adaptativas. Para prevenir as quedas, é necessário aprimorar as condições de recepção de informações sensoriais. OBJETIVOS: Comparar o impacto de um programa estruturado de exercícios de resistência muscular dos membros inferiores dentro e fora d'água no equilíbrio estático e dinâmico em idosos. MÉTODOS: Trata-se de um estudo clínico, prospectivo, aleatório, em que as variáveis utilizadas foram avaliadas antes e após o programa de treinamento. Foram avaliados 36 idosos por meio de quatro testes: Escala de Equilíbrio de Berg, Dynamic Gait Index, velocidade da marcha, Marcha Tandem. Posteriormente, houve a alocação dos voluntários em três grupos: grupo de exercício na piscina terapêutica, grupo de exercício no solo e grupo controle. Os grupos de exercícios foram submetidos a um programa de resistência muscular dos membros inferiores aplicado durante seis semanas, duas sessões semanais com 40 minutos de duração. Os voluntários foram reavaliados após seis semanas. Os dados foram analisados estatisticamente pelo teste ANOVA univariada para comparação entre os três grupos antes e após a intervenção. RESULTADOS: O programa de resistência muscular dos membros inferiores promoveu aumento significativo do equilíbrio dos idosos (p<0,05) nos testes avaliados após o programa de treinamento. CONCLUSÃO: O programa de resistência muscular proporcionou uma melhora significativa no equilíbrio estático e dinâmico de idosos comunitários. Foi possível inferir também que essa melhora ocorreu independentemente do meio em que o programa foi realizado, ou seja, se dentro ou fora d'água.<br>BACKGROUND: Aging compromises the ability of the central nervous system to maintain body balance and reduces the capacity for adaptive reactions. To prevent falls, the reception conditions for sensory information need to be improved. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the impact of a structured aquatic and a non-aquatic exercise program for lower-limb muscle endurance on the static and dynamic balance of elderly people. METHODS: This was a prospective randomized clinical study in which the variables were assessed before and after the training program. Thirty-six elderly people were evaluated using four tests: the Berg Balance Scale, Dynamic Gait Index, gait speed and tandem gait. The participants were randomized into three groups: aquatic exercise group, non-aquatic exercise group and control group. The exercise groups underwent a program for lower-limb muscle endurance that consisted of 40-minute sessions twice a week for six weeks. The participants were reevaluated after six weeks. The data were analyzed statistically using the univariate ANOVA test for comparisons between the groups before and after the intervention. RESULTS: The program for lower-limb muscle endurance significantly increased balance (p<0.05) in the evaluation tests after the training program. CONCLUSION: The muscle endurance program provided a significant improvement in static and dynamic balance among community-dwelling elderly people. It was also possible to infer that this improvement occurred regardless of the environment, i.e. aquatic or non-aquatic