Community-based exercise program, self-reported health-related symptoms, and quality of life in persons with traumatic brain injury 45 + years old.

BACKGROUND: Individuals with moderate to severe traumatic brain injury (msTBI) have reported a lack of motivation, lack of time, and fatigue as perceived barriers to exercise. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effects of an exercise program on self-reported health-related symptoms and quality of life in persons 45-years and older with msTBI. METHODS: Post-hoc analysis of a prospective community-based 12-week exercise program of 20 adults, age 45-80 years, with msTBI. Ten were in aerobic exercise training (AET) program and 10 in a stretching and toning (SAT) program. The AET group was instructed to exercise based on their estimated maximal heart rate (HR) for 150 minutes weekly. The SAT group was to stretch for the same target time without significantly increasing HR or level of exertion. Outcome measures were Traumatic Brain Injury Quality of Life (TBI-QOL) for global, cognitive, emotional, and social health, Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) for depressive symptoms, and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) for sleep quality. RESULTS: AET was associated with improved self-reported cognitive health and sleep compared to SAT. Moderate to large, positive effect sizes were also observed in the AET group in the QOL categories of global, emotional, and social health, and depressive symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: This study offers preliminary evidence that AET may improve health-related QOL, especially for cognition and sleep, in middle-aged and older adults with msTBI.

Comprehensive spatial distribution of tropical fish assemblages from multifrequency acoustics and video fulfils the island mass effect framework.

Tropical marine ecosystems are highly biodiverse and provide resources for small-scale fisheries and tourism. However, precise information on fish spatial distribution is lacking, which limits our ability to reconcile exploitation and conservation. We combined acoustics to video observations to provide a comprehensive description of fish distribution in a typical tropical environment, the Fernando de Noronha Archipelago (FNA) off Northeast Brazil. We identified and classified all acoustic echoes into ten fish assemblage and two triggerfish species. This opened up the possibility to relate the different spatial patterns to a series of environmental factors and the level of protection. We provide the first biomass estimation of the black triggerfish Melichthys niger, a key tropical player. By comparing the effects of euphotic and mesophotic reefs we show that more than the depth, the most important feature is the topography with the shelf-break as the most important hotspot. We also complete the portrait of the island mass effect revealing a clear spatial dissymmetry regarding fish distribution. Indeed, while primary productivity is higher downstream, fish concentrate upstream. The comprehensive fish distribution provided by our approach is directly usable to implement scientific-grounded Marine Spatial Planning.

Broad impacts of fine-scale dynamics on seascape structure from zooplankton to seabirds.

In marine ecosystems, like most natural systems, patchiness is the rule. A characteristic of pelagic ecosystems is that their 'substrate' consists of constantly moving water masses, where ocean surface turbulence creates ephemeral oases. Identifying where and when hotspots occur and how predators manage those vagaries in their preyscape is challenging because wide-ranging observations are lacking. Here we use a unique data set, gathering high-resolution and wide-range acoustic and GPS-tracking data. We show that the upper ocean dynamics at scales less than 10 km play the foremost role in shaping the seascape from zooplankton to seabirds. Short internal waves (100 m-1 km) play a major role, while submesoscale (~1-20 km) and mesoscale (~20-100 km) turbulence have a comparatively modest effect. Predicted changes in surface stratification due to global change are expected to have an impact on the number and intensity of physical structures and thus biological interactions from plankton to top predators.

Grado de conocimiento de la Diabetes Mellitus en la población de barrio "Quijarro" en la provincia Cercado del Departamento de Cochabamba / Degree of Knowledge of Diabetes Mellitus in the Town of District "Quijarro" in the Cercado Province in the Cochabamba Department

La diabetes Mellitus (DM) es una enfermedad crónica, comprende un grupo de trastornos metabólicos frecuentes, además comparten el fenotipo de hiperglucemia. Hay varios tipos de DM con interacción genética y ambiental. Generalmente se encuentra afectada la población con un desequilibrio en el consumo de glucosa, carbohidratos, etc. Se realizó un estudio sobre el conocimiento de Diabetes Mellitus en el Barrio de "Quijarro" en la provincia Cercado de la ciudad de Cochabamba, durante los meses de Agosto a Diciembre del 2010 para evaluar los conocimientos de la población sobre la Diabetes y su prevención. El estudio es prospectivo, transversal y descriptivo. Se recolectó la información a través de Test, con preguntas directas acerca de los cuidados y los conocimientos que se tenía sobre Diabetes Mellitus. El resultado obtenido fue que el 25% de los entrevistados practica una vida saludable, y que solo el 13% tiene los conocimientos suficientes sobre la enfermedad de la diabetes. Por lo tanto, al observar los mínimos porcentajes, la mayoría de los habitantes se encuentran en riesgo de padecer Diabetes debido a la inadecuada información sobre esta.

Diabetes Mellitus (DM) is a chronic disease, it comprises a group of common metabolic disorders, they also share the phenotype of hyperglycemia. There are several types of DM with genetic and environmental interaction. Generally the population is affected with an imbalance in glucose uptake and carbohydrate, etc. Objectives of a study was conducted on knowledge of Diabetes Mellitus was conducted in the "Quijarro" neighborhood in the Cercado province in the city of Cochabamba, during the months of August to December 2010 to assess people's knowledge about diabetes and its prevention. The study is a prospective and descriptive transversal study. We collected information through test, with direct questions about the care and knowledge they possess. The result was that 25% practice a healthy life, and that only 13% have sufficient knowledge about the disease of diabetes. Therefore, by observing the mínimum percentages, the majority of people are at risk for diabetes due to inadequate information about it.