Experimental and clinical findings from physical exercise as complementary therapy for epilepsy

Complementary therapies for preventing or treating epilepsy have been extensively used. This review focuses on the positive effects of physical exercise programs observed in clinical studies and experimental models of epilepsy and their significance as a complementary therapy for epilepsy. Information about the antiepileptogenic and neuroprotective effects of exercise is highlighted. Considering that exercise can exert beneficial actions such as reduction of seizure susceptibility, reduction of anxiety and depression, and consequently, improvement of quality of life of individuals with epilepsy, exercise can be a potential candidate as non-pharmacological treatment of epilepsy.This article is part of a Special Issue entitled the Future of Translational Epilepsy Research. (c) 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)INNT (Brazil)ClnAPCe (Brazil)Universidade Federal de São Paulo, Escola Paulista Med UNIFESP EPM, Dept Fisiol, São Paulo, BrazilUniv Fed Sao Joao del Rei, Dept Biomed Engn, Lab Neurociencia Expt & Computac, Sao Joao Del Rei, BrazilUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, Escola Paulista Med UNIFESP EPM, Disciplina Neurol Expt, São Paulo, BrazilUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, Escola Paulista Med UNIFESP EPM, Dept Fisiol, São Paulo, BrazilUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, Escola Paulista Med UNIFESP EPM, Disciplina Neurol Expt, São Paulo, BrazilWeb of Scienc

Fatores sociodemográficos e clínicos associados ao tempo de decisão para a procura de atendimento no infarto agudo do miocárdio

OBJETIVO: analizar la interacción del género en la asociación entre el tiempo de decisión para la búsqueda de servicio de salud y las variables sociodemográficas y clínicas. MÉTODO: estudio exploratorio, transversal, con 100 individuos entrevistados en hospitales de Salvador-BA. En el análisis se empleó el test Chi-cuadrado o Exacto de Fisher y el modelo de regresión linear robusto. La significancia estadística adoptada fue de 5%. RESULTADOS: hombres y mujeres presentaron tiempos de decisión elevados. Hubo menor tiempo de decisión para tabaquistas, con dolor constante y de fuerte intensidad. Hubo interacción entre género y tabaquismo y entre género y dolor irradiado para el cuello o mandíbula para el desenlace del tiempo de decisión. CONCLUSIÓN: los tiempos de decisión fueron elevados y sufrieron influencia de variables clínicas y de género. El estudio ofrece subsidios para prácticas de cuidar en enfermería enfocadas en la especificidad de esos factores y de los géneros objetivando obtener éxito en la reducción del tiempo de decisión.OBJETIVO: analisar a interação do sexo na associação entre o tempo de decisão para a procura de serviço de saúde e as variáveis sociodemográficas e clínicas. MÉTODO: estudo exploratório, transversal, com 100 indivíduos entrevistados em hospitais de Salvador, BA. Na análise, empregou-se o teste qui-quadrado ou exato de Fisher e o modelo de regressão linear robusto. A significância estatística adotada foi de 5%. RESULTADOS: Resultados: homens e mulheres apresentaram tempos de decisão elevados. Houve menor tempo de decisão para tabagistas, com dor constante e de forte intensidade. Houve interação entre sexo e tabagismo e entre sexo e dor irradiada para o pescoço ou a mandíbula para o desfecho tempo de decisão. CONCLUSÃO: os tempos de decisão foram elevados e sofreram influência de variáveis clínicas e do sexo. O estudo oferece subsídios para práticas de cuidar em enfermagem, focalizadas na especificidade desses fatores e dos gêneros, visando-se obter êxito na redução do tempo de decisão.OBJECTIVE: this study aimed to analyze the interaction of gender in the association between decision time for seeking healthcare services and the sociodemographic and clinical variables. METHOD: this exploratory, cross-sectional study was performed with 100 individuals interviewed in hospitals in Salvador, Bahia. The chi-square test or Fisher's exact test and the robust linear regression model were used in the analysis. A statistical significance of 5% was adopted. RESULTS: men and women presented long decision times. The decision time was less for smokers and those with constant and/or severe pain. There was an interaction between gender and smoking and between gender and pain radiating to the neck or jaw for the decision time outcome. CONCLUSION: decision times were long and were influenced by clinical and gender variables. The study provides support for nursing care practices focused on the specificity of these factors and of the genders aiming to reduce the decision time

Fish Oil Supplementation Reduces Heart Levels of Interleukin-6 in Rats with Chronic Inflammation due to Epilepsy

Sudden unexpected death in epilepsy (SUDEP) is a major cause of premature death related to epilepsy. The causes of SUDEP remain unknown, but cardiac arrhythmias and asphyxia have been suggested as a major mechanism of this event. Inflammation has been implicated in the pathogenesis of both epilepsy and ventricular arrhythmia, with interleukin-6 (IL-6) being recognized as a crucial orchestrator of inflammatory states. Our group previously reported that levels of IL-6 were increased in the hearts of epileptic rats. In this scenario, anti-inflammatory actions are among the beneficial effects of fish oil dietary supplementation. This investigation revealed that elevated levels of IL-6 in the heart were markedly reduced in epileptic rats that were treated in the long-term with fish oil, suggesting protective anti-inflammatory actions against dangerously high levels of IL-6. Based on these findings, our results suggest beneficial effects of long-term intake of fish oil in reducing the inflammation associated with chronic epilepsy.FAPESPCAPESCNPqFAPESP/CNPq/MCT-Instituto Nacional de Neurociencia TranslacionalFAPEMIGCEPID/FAPESPUniv Fed Sao Paulo, Escola Paulista Med, Disciplina Neurociencia, UNIFESP, Sao Paulo, BrazilUniv Fed Sao Paulo, Escola Paulista Med, Dept Fisiol, UNIFESP, Sao Paulo, BrazilUniv Fed Sao Joao Del Rei UFSJ, Dept Engn Biossistemas, Sao Joao Del Rei, BrazilUniv Presbiteriana Mackenzie, Programa Posgrad Disturbios Desenvolvimento, Ctr Ciencias Biol & Saude, Sao Paulo, BrazilUniv Fed Sao Paulo, Escola Paulista Med, Disciplina Neurociencia, UNIFESP, Sao Paulo, BrazilUniv Fed Sao Paulo, Escola Paulista Med, Dept Fisiol, UNIFESP, Sao Paulo, BrazilFAPESPCAPESCNPqFAPESP/CNPq/MCT-Instituto Nacional de Neurociencia TranslacionalFAPEMIGCEPID/FAPESPWeb of Scienc

The Li-8(p, alpha)He-5 reaction at low energies, and Be-9 spectroscopy around the proton threshold

We present a direct measurement of the low-energy Li-8(p, alpha)He-5 cross section, using a radioactive Li-8 beam impinging on a thick target. With four beam energies, we cover the energy range between E-c.m. = 0.2 and 2.1 MeV. An R-matrix analysis of the data is performed and suggests the existence of two broad overlapping resonances (5/2(+) at E-c.m. = 1.69 MeV and 7/2(+) at E-c.m. = 1.76 MeV). At low energies our data are sensitive to the properties of a subthreshold state (E-x = 16.67 MeV) and of two resonances above threshold. These resonances were observed in previous experiments. The R-matrix fit confirms spin assignments, and provides partial widths. We propose a new Li-8(p, alpha)He-5 reaction rate and briefly discuss its influence in nuclear astrophysics. DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevC.86.064321Fundacao de Amparo a Pesquisa do Estado de Sao Paulo (FAPESP) [2003/10099-2, 2004/07379-6, 2008/09341-7]Fundacao de Amparo a Pesquisa do Estado de Sao Paulo (FAPESP)Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Cientifico e Tecnologico (CNPq)Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Cientifico e Tecnologico (CNPq)Comissao de Aperfeicoamento do Ensino Superior (CAPES)Comissao de Aperfeicoamento do Ensino Superior (CAPES

Pervasive gaps in Amazonian ecological research

Biodiversity loss is one of the main challenges of our time,1,2 and attempts to address it require a clear un derstanding of how ecological communities respond to environmental change across time and space.3,4 While the increasing availability of global databases on ecological communities has advanced our knowledge of biodiversity sensitivity to environmental changes,5–7 vast areas of the tropics remain understudied.8–11 In the American tropics, Amazonia stands out as the world’s most diverse rainforest and the primary source of Neotropical biodiversity,12 but it remains among the least known forests in America and is often underrepre sented in biodiversity databases.13–15 To worsen this situation, human-induced modifications16,17 may elim inate pieces of the Amazon’s biodiversity puzzle before we can use them to understand how ecological com munities are responding. To increase generalization and applicability of biodiversity knowledge,18,19 it is thus crucial to reduce biases in ecological research, particularly in regions projected to face the most pronounced environmental changes. We integrate ecological community metadata of 7,694 sampling sites for multiple or ganism groups in a machine learning model framework to map the research probability across the Brazilian Amazonia, while identifying the region’s vulnerability to environmental change. 15%–18% of the most ne glected areas in ecological research are expected to experience severe climate or land use changes by 2050. This means that unless we take immediate action, we will not be able to establish their current status, much less monitor how it is changing and what is being lostinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Pervasive gaps in Amazonian ecological research

Biodiversity loss is one of the main challenges of our time,1,2 and attempts to address it require a clear understanding of how ecological communities respond to environmental change across time and space.3,4 While the increasing availability of global databases on ecological communities has advanced our knowledge of biodiversity sensitivity to environmental changes,5,6,7 vast areas of the tropics remain understudied.8,9,10,11 In the American tropics, Amazonia stands out as the world's most diverse rainforest and the primary source of Neotropical biodiversity,12 but it remains among the least known forests in America and is often underrepresented in biodiversity databases.13,14,15 To worsen this situation, human-induced modifications16,17 may eliminate pieces of the Amazon's biodiversity puzzle before we can use them to understand how ecological communities are responding. To increase generalization and applicability of biodiversity knowledge,18,19 it is thus crucial to reduce biases in ecological research, particularly in regions projected to face the most pronounced environmental changes. We integrate ecological community metadata of 7,694 sampling sites for multiple organism groups in a machine learning model framework to map the research probability across the Brazilian Amazonia, while identifying the region's vulnerability to environmental change. 15%–18% of the most neglected areas in ecological research are expected to experience severe climate or land use changes by 2050. This means that unless we take immediate action, we will not be able to establish their current status, much less monitor how it is changing and what is being lost

Why Are Outcomes Different for Registry Patients Enrolled Prospectively and Retrospectively? Insights from the Global Anticoagulant Registry in the FIELD-Atrial Fibrillation (GARFIELD-AF).

Background: Retrospective and prospective observational studies are designed to reflect real-world evidence on clinical practice, but can yield conflicting results. The GARFIELD-AF Registry includes both methods of enrolment and allows analysis of differences in patient characteristics and outcomes that may result. Methods and Results: Patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) and ≥1 risk factor for stroke at diagnosis of AF were recruited either retrospectively (n = 5069) or prospectively (n = 5501) from 19 countries and then followed prospectively. The retrospectively enrolled cohort comprised patients with established AF (for a least 6, and up to 24 months before enrolment), who were identified retrospectively (and baseline and partial follow-up data were collected from the emedical records) and then followed prospectively between 0-18 months (such that the total time of follow-up was 24 months; data collection Dec-2009 and Oct-2010). In the prospectively enrolled cohort, patients with newly diagnosed AF (≤6 weeks after diagnosis) were recruited between Mar-2010 and Oct-2011 and were followed for 24 months after enrolment. Differences between the cohorts were observed in clinical characteristics, including type of AF, stroke prevention strategies, and event rates. More patients in the retrospectively identified cohort received vitamin K antagonists (62.1% vs. 53.2%) and fewer received non-vitamin K oral anticoagulants (1.8% vs . 4.2%). All-cause mortality rates per 100 person-years during the prospective follow-up (starting the first study visit up to 1 year) were significantly lower in the retrospective than prospectively identified cohort (3.04 [95% CI 2.51 to 3.67] vs . 4.05 [95% CI 3.53 to 4.63]; p = 0.016). Conclusions: Interpretations of data from registries that aim to evaluate the characteristics and outcomes of patients with AF must take account of differences in registry design and the impact of recall bias and survivorship bias that is incurred with retrospective enrolment. Clinical Trial Registration: - URL: http://www.clinicaltrials.gov . Unique identifier for GARFIELD-AF (NCT01090362)

Rationale, study design, and analysis plan of the Alveolar Recruitment for ARDS Trial (ART): Study protocol for a randomized controlled trial

Background: Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is associated with high in-hospital mortality. Alveolar recruitment followed by ventilation at optimal titrated PEEP may reduce ventilator-induced lung injury and improve oxygenation in patients with ARDS, but the effects on mortality and other clinical outcomes remain unknown. This article reports the rationale, study design, and analysis plan of the Alveolar Recruitment for ARDS Trial (ART). Methods/Design: ART is a pragmatic, multicenter, randomized (concealed), controlled trial, which aims to determine if maximum stepwise alveolar recruitment associated with PEEP titration is able to increase 28-day survival in patients with ARDS compared to conventional treatment (ARDSNet strategy). We will enroll adult patients with ARDS of less than 72 h duration. The intervention group will receive an alveolar recruitment maneuver, with stepwise increases of PEEP achieving 45 cmH(2)O and peak pressure of 60 cmH2O, followed by ventilation with optimal PEEP titrated according to the static compliance of the respiratory system. In the control group, mechanical ventilation will follow a conventional protocol (ARDSNet). In both groups, we will use controlled volume mode with low tidal volumes (4 to 6 mL/kg of predicted body weight) and targeting plateau pressure <= 30 cmH2O. The primary outcome is 28-day survival, and the secondary outcomes are: length of ICU stay; length of hospital stay; pneumothorax requiring chest tube during first 7 days; barotrauma during first 7 days; mechanical ventilation-free days from days 1 to 28; ICU, in-hospital, and 6-month survival. ART is an event-guided trial planned to last until 520 events (deaths within 28 days) are observed. These events allow detection of a hazard ratio of 0.75, with 90% power and two-tailed type I error of 5%. All analysis will follow the intention-to-treat principle. Discussion: If the ART strategy with maximum recruitment and PEEP titration improves 28-day survival, this will represent a notable advance to the care of ARDS patients. Conversely, if the ART strategy is similar or inferior to the current evidence-based strategy (ARDSNet), this should also change current practice as many institutions routinely employ recruitment maneuvers and set PEEP levels according to some titration method.Hospital do Coracao (HCor) as part of the Program 'Hospitais de Excelencia a Servico do SUS (PROADI-SUS)'Brazilian Ministry of Healt