Aerobic Physical Exercise Increases the Health-Related Quality of Life in Older Adults

Abstract Problem Description: Globally, the older adult population is expected to substantially increase in number throughout the next few decades. The aging process causes the body and mind to undergo many detrimental changes. Typically, older adults succumb to a more sedentary lifestyle due to factors such as decreased musculature and skeletal changes, chronic pain, socioeconomic and psychological stressors, and memory changes. Inevitably, health-related quality of life and overall independence dwindles in this population negating their perception of happiness and life satisfaction. There is significant research on preventing and/or managing cognitive disabilities in the older adult; however, Western medicine approaches, such as prescription medications are unsuccessful in reducing cognitive decline. Research suggests that engaging in routine physical exercise is an alternative, cost-effective method to reduce the effects of aging, cognitively and physically. Interventions: An aerobic walking program was instituted in an Assisted Living Facility, where most of the older adults had begun to lead sedentary lifestyles. Older adults (\u3e60 years) with mild cognitive impairments and decreased quality of life factors were invited to join the walking program. The residents were asked to walk a minimum of three times per week for 30 minutes over a five-month period. A walking log and the National Institutes of Health endorsed Cognitive and Positive Affect/Well-Being short form surveys were completed by the residents at specific time intervals throughout the project assessing whether improvement in cognitive abilities and quality of life factors occurred with increased physical activity. Results: Initially, 28 residents volunteered to participate in the walking program. Illness and personal reasons caused six residents to drop out, resulting in 22 active participants. A paired t-test, using a confidence interval of 95%, was used on the Cognitive short form survey results at project start and end. The mean values of all eight variables significantly increased over the course of the project (p Interpretation: In this project, aerobic walking significantly improved cognitive domains, such as concentration, reading comprehension, thinking speed, managing time, planning activities, and learning new instructions and/or tasks. Although this project was of short duration, the results substantiated that maintaining active lifestyles is necessary for older adults to preserve independence, combat cognitive deterioration, while sustaining happiness and life satisfaction in both physical and cognitive realms. Conclusions: Older adults, who keep physically and mentally fit as they age, enjoy longer, healthier, happier lives. Health care systems will benefit from decreased health care costs. Providers will benefit by not enduring patient-load strain. Families/caregivers will experience less financial and emotional burden caring for ill, older adults in the future. Engaging in routine, physical exercise throughout aging is a simple, cost-effective measure in preserving numerous cognitive and quality of life factors. Keywords: older adults, mild cognitive impairment, aerobic exercise, quality of lif

Observations on the Paleoecology and Formation of the “Upper Shell” Unit, Lee Creek Mine

The Upper Shell unit at the Lee Creek Mine (Pliocene age, maximum thickness 3 m) is remarkable for its concentration of well-preserved mollusk shells in a sparse quartz sand matrix, and it is dominated by several species of bivalves, with many shells articulated. The unit can be subdivided into three bivalve assemblage zones characterized by associations of dominant species. Zone 1 is dominated by Mercenaria mercenaria, an infaunal, shallow- to medium-burrowing, siphonate clam. Zone 2 is characterized by an epifaunal bivalve assemblage that includes Glycymeris americana, Argopecten eboreus, Anomia simplex, and Ostrea meridionalis. Thin but highly concentrated accumulations of Argopecten and Anomia form distinct layers within zone 2. Zone 3 is marked by a return of Mercenaria mercenaria accompanied by specimens of Geukensia sp. and an increase in oyster shells. The characteristics of the zones of the Upper Shell unit strongly suggest that these shell beds were formed by a series of localized catastrophic events that produced mass mortality of the molluscan assemblages, rather than by processes of gradual shell accumulation. The disappearance of Mercenaria mercenaria from the sequence may have been due largely to the inability of juveniles of this species to penetrate a shell pavement formed immediately after a mass mortality event. Return of Mercenaria mercenaria in zone 3 marks a change in bottom environmental conditions in the area. The overlying Shell Hash unit contains the bivalve Corbicula densata, representative of lower salinity conditions. This unit consists primarily of shell material reworked from the underlying Upper Shell unit and probably represents an accumulation formed in an estuarine tidal channel

Effect of Provider Education on Urinary Incontinence Knowledge and Assessment

Nearly 50% of women in the United States will experience urinary incontinence at some point during their lives. Urinary incontinence impacts multiple aspects of a woman’s life, yet remains underdiagnosed by primary care providers. The Women’s Preventative Service Initiative released a recommendation in 2018 to screen all women annually for urinary incontinence. The recommendation was in response to the lack of women who seek care for urinary incontinence. The purpose of this project was to implement education and reminders for primary care providers, in order to improve urinary incontinence knowledge and assessment of women 18 years of age or older. The project was carried out in a primary care clinic with primary care providers serving as the participants. A quasi-experimental one-group pretest-posttest design was utilized. Data from a five question pre- and posttest were compared. An independent samples t-test, using a 95% confidence interval, was used to compare the pre- and posttest. Statistical significance (p-value Results indicate primary care providers who are educated about urinary incontinence in women demonstrate improved knowledge and assessment of the prevalent problem. Early intervention can soften the economic burden, improve quality of life, and improve treatment outcomes. Implementation of a urinary incontinence education program coupled with reminders can improve primary care knowledge and clinical decisions regarding urinary incontinence in women

Unnatural selection in Galapagos : the role of disease in Darwin’s Finches (Geospizinae)

Micro-evolutionary studies, such as those of Darwin’s finches (Geospizinae), have been used as indicators of rates of evolution under natural selection. Today however, such studies may be compromised by unnatural selection. Recently introduced infectious and parasitic agents in Galapagos may hamper our ability to monitor natural evolutionary change in endemic birds, by modifying such change. The opportunity to study natural selection in its iconic site may thus be lost, due to these and other forms of human environmental alteration, which may be replacing non-anthropogenic factors as the principal driver of evolution. To ensure that natural selection continues to shape the biota of Galapagos, anthropogenic impacts including introduced diseases must be managed effectively

Gizzard contents of the Smooth-billed Ani Crotophaga ani in Santa Cruz, Galapagos Islands, Ecuador

The Smooth-billed Ani Crotophaga ani was introduced to the Galapagos archipelago in the 1960s, since when its population has grown significantly. We studied the dietary items in the gizzards of 56 anis sampled on the island of Santa Cruz. We confirmed that the diet of C. ani consists primarily of invertebrates and plant material, including native species and non-native invasives. The second most abundant seed in the anis’ diet was that of the highly invasive plant, Rubus niveus. Our findings suggest that C. ani poses a threat to the Galapagos ecosystem by dispersing seeds of non-native plants and by competing with other insectivorous species on the islands. Furthermore, the discovery of a Darwin’s Finch nestling in the gizzard of one C. ani establishes direct predation by this species on native birds

Therapeutic Neonatal Hepatic Gene Therapy in Mucopolysaccharidosis VII Dogs

Dogs with mucopolysaccharidosis VII (MPS VII) were injected intravenously at 2–3 days of age with a retroviral vector (RV) expressing canine β-glucuronidase (cGUSB). Five animals received RV alone, and two dogs received hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) before RV in an attempt to increase transduction efficiency. Transduced hepatocytes expanded clonally during normal liver growth and secreted enzyme with mannose 6-phosphate. Serum GUSB activity was stable for up to 14 months at normal levels for the RV-treated dogs, and for 17 months at 67-fold normal for the HGF/RV-treated dog. GUSB activity in other organs was 1.5–60% of normal at 6 months for two RV-treated dogs, which was likely because of uptake of enzyme from blood by the mannose 6-phosphate receptor. The body weights of untreated MPS VII dogs are 50% of normal at 6 months. MPS VII dogs cannot walk or stand after 6 months, and progressively develop eye and heart disease. RV- and HGF/RV-treated MPS VII dogs achieved 87% and 84% of normal body weight, respectively. Treated animals could run at all times of evaluation for 6–17 months because of improvements in bone and joint abnormalities, and had little or no corneal clouding and no mitral valve thickening. Despite higher GUSB expression, the clinical improvements in the HGF/RV-treated dog were similar to those in the RV-treated animals. This is the first successful application of gene therapy in preventing the clinical manifestations of a lysosomal storage disease in a large animal

High-coverage genomes to elucidate the evolution of penguins

Background: Penguins (Sphenisciformes) are a remarkable order of flightless wing-propelled diving seabirds distributed widely across the southern hemisphere. They share a volant common ancestor with Procellariiformes close to the Cretaceous-Paleogene boundary (66 million years ago) and subsequently lost the ability to fly but enhanced their diving capabilities. With ∼20 species among 6 genera, penguins range from the tropical Galápagos Islands to the oceanic temperate forests of New Zealand, the rocky coastlines of the sub-Antarctic islands, and the sea ice around Antarctica. To inhabit such diverse and extreme environments, penguins evolved many physiological and morphological adaptations. However, they are also highly sensitive to climate change. Therefore, penguins provide an exciting target system for understanding the evolutionary processes of speciation, adaptation, and demography. Genomic data are an emerging resource for addressing questions about such processes. Results: Here we present a novel dataset of 19 high-coverage genomes that, together with 2 previously published genomes, encompass all extant penguin species. We also present a well-supported phylogeny to clarify the relationships among penguins. In contrast to recent studies, our results demonstrate that the genus Aptenodytes is basal and sister to all other extant penguin genera, providing intriguing new insights into the adaptation of penguins to Antarctica. As such, our dataset provides a novel resource for understanding the evolutionary history of penguins as a clade, as well as the fine-scale relationships of individual penguin lineages. Against this background, we introduce a major consortium of international scientists dedicated to studying these genomes. Moreover, we highlight emerging issues regarding ensuring legal and respectful indigenous consultation, particularly for genomic data originating from New Zealand Taonga species. Conclusions: We believe that our dataset and project will be important for understanding evolution, increasing cultural heritage and guiding the conservation of this iconic southern hemisphere species assemblage.Fil: Pan, Hailin. Bgi-shenzhen; ChinaFil: Cole, Theresa L. University Of Otago; CanadáFil: Bi, Xupeng. Bgi-shenzhen; ChinaFil: Fang, Miaoquan. Bgi-shenzhen; ChinaFil: Zhou, Chengran. Bgi-shenzhen; ChinaFil: Yang, Zhengtao. Bgi-shenzhen; ChinaFil: Ksepka, Daniel T. Bruce Museum; Estados UnidosFil: Hart, Tom. University of Oxford; Reino UnidoFil: Bouzat, Juan L.. Bowling Green State University; Estados UnidosFil: Boersma, P. Dee. University of Washington; Estados UnidosFil: Bost, Charles-André. Centre Detudes Biologiques de Chizé; FranciaFil: Cherel, Yves. Centre Detudes Biologiques de Chizé; FranciaFil: Dann, Peter. Phillip Island Nature Parks; AustraliaFil: Mattern, Thomas. University of Otago; Nueva ZelandaFil: Ellenberg, Ursula. Global Penguin Society; Estados Unidos. La Trobe University; AustraliaFil: Garcia Borboroglu, Jorge Pablo. University of Washington; Estados Unidos. Global Penguin Society; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Centro Nacional Patagónico. Centro para el Estudio de Sistemas Marinos; ArgentinaFil: Argilla, Lisa S.. Otago Polytechnic; Nueva ZelandaFil: Bertelsen, Mads F.. Copenhagen Zoo; Dinamarca. University of Copenhagen; DinamarcaFil: Fiddaman, Steven R.. University of Oxford; Reino UnidoFil: Howard, Pauline. Hornby Veterinary Centre; Nueva Zelanda. South Island Wildlife Hospital; Nueva ZelandaFil: Labuschagne, Kim. National Zoological Garden; SudáfricaFil: Miller, Gary. University of Western Australia; Australia. University of Tasmania; AustraliaFil: Parker, Patricia. University of Missouri St. Louis; Estados UnidosFil: Phillips, Richard A.. Natural Environment Research Council; Reino UnidoFil: Quillfeldt, Petra. Justus-Liebig-Universit ̈ at Giessen; AlemaniaFil: Ryan, Peter G.. University of Cape Town; SudáfricaFil: Taylor, Helen. Vet Services Hawkes Bay Ltd; Nueva Zelanda. Wairoa Farm Vets; Nueva ZelandaFil: Zhang, De-Xing. Chinese Academy of Sciences; República de ChinaFil: Zhang, Guojie. BGI-Shenzhen; China. Chinese Academy of Sciences; República de China. University of Copenhagen; DinamarcaFil: McKinlay, Bruce. Department of Conservation; Nueva Zeland