The great urban shift: Climate change is predicted to drive mass species turnover in cities.

Human experiences with nature are important for our culture, economy, and health. Anthropogenically-driven climate change is causing widespread shifts in biodiversity and resident urban wildlife are no exception. We modelled over 2,000 animal species to predict how climate change will impact terrestrial wildlife within 60 Canadian and American cities. We found evidence of an impending great urban shift where thousands of species will disappear across the selected cities, being replaced by new species, or not replaced at all. Effects were largely species-specific, with the most negatively impacted taxa being amphibians, canines, and loons. These predicted shifts were consistent across scenarios of greenhouse gas emissions, but our results show that the severity of change will be defined by our action or inaction to mitigate climate change. An impending massive shift in urban wildlife will impact the cultural experiences of human residents, the delivery of ecosystem services, and our relationship with nature.

Exploring Parents' Perceptions and How Physiotherapy Supports Transition from Rehabilitation to School for Youth with an ABI.

AIMS: To explore parents' perceptions of their youth's transition from rehabilitation to school following an Acquired Brain Injury (ABI) and how physiotherapy influenced the youth's participation and physical function during the transition. METHODS: The study utilized phenomenological qualitative methodology using semi-structured interviews with 11 parents of youth 10 to 18 years of age recruited from one pediatric rehabilitation hospital in Ontario. Each interview was audiotaped, transcribed verbatim, and thematically analyzed. RESULTS: Parents valued physiotherapy and highlighted potential areas of improved service delivery to promote participation in an active lifestyle during this transition. In addition to being parents, they had to assume new roles and responsibilities in order to motivate their youth to continue with therapy and physical activity and had to facilitate their participation in school, recreational and social activities. CONCLUSION: For youth following an ABI, the transition back to school is complex and strategies should be supportive and responsive. Implications for physiotherapists include improved collaboration with community partners to motivate youth and promote physical activity; engage youth with their peers early in the rehabilitation process; and ongoing support for parents.

The effect of gym training on multiple outcomes in Parkinson's disease: a pilot randomised waiting-list controlled trial.

There is accumulating evidence for the benefits of exercise in Parkinson's disease (PD), but less is known about group exercise interventions. We evaluated the effect of gym-training programme on people with PD. Thirty-two adults with mild to moderate PD, not currently exercising formally, were randomised to an immediate 20-week biweekly gym training programme at a local leisure complex, or a 10-week programme starting 10 weeks later. Assessments at baseline (T1), 10 weeks (T2) and 20 weeks (T3) included reaction time, motor performance (UPDRS), quality of life and illness perceptions. Experiences of the programme were assessed via questionnaire and a focus group. Overall UPDRS motor function score did not change over time. However, gym training was associated with significant improvements in reaction times and some timed tests in the immediate training group (T1-T2). The delayed group showed similar improvements following gym training (T2-T3). Participants reported enjoyment, obtaining social benefits, and increased confidence. However, the questionnaire measures did not show improvements in subjective health ratings or illness perceptions. Although benefits were not apparent in the questionnaire measures or overall UPDRS scores, our findings suggest that a 10-week gym training programme in a community setting can provide some benefits for people with PD.

Telemedicine: an innovative way of managing patients with leg ulcers.

The optimal management of patients with leg ulcers requires a multidisciplinary approach, with contributions from both community and hospital specialists to identify, investigate and treat the underlying causes, provide patient education, assess healing and dress the wounds, monitor outcome and prevent recurrence. However, current practice is impaired by the limited communication between community and hospital specialists. There are inconsistencies in methods of transferring and updating patient records between the hospital and the community, and this can lead to confusion over the diagnosis and appropriate management. Telemedicine, the electronic exchange of medical information at a distance, would appear to offer a way to establish an efficient and effective communication link between hospital and community specialists involved in the care of patients with leg ulcers. The authors of this article believe that modern information technology and the existing NHSnet information infrastructure could be employed to create such a link via electronic patient records.