The impact of a specific aqua-training for adult haemophilic patients--results of the WATERCISE study (WAT-QoL).

Sport is increasingly recommended for haemophilic patients due to physical and psychological benefits. 'WATERCISE' is a specific aqua-training programme for haemophiliacs in which endurance, strength, coordination and mobility are trained. In the WAT-QoL study benefits and risks of regular WATERCISE training sessions were investigated in terms of health-related quality of life (HRQoL), physical functioning (PF), orthopaedic joint status (OJS), bleeding frequency and factor consumption. Patients in the WATERCISE group attended an aqua-training programme once a week for 1 h over 12 months, patients in the control group did not. Patients were matched for clinical and demographic data. Information on clinical data, orthopaedic status, PF (HEP-Test-Q) and HRQoL were collected in both groups at baseline and at follow-up (6 and 12 months). Twenty-eight adult severely affected haemophilic patients (WATERCISE group: 10 haemophilia A (HA), 3 haemophilia B (HB) patients; control group: 12 HA and 3 HB patients) were enrolled (aged 40.68 ± 12.7 years). Baseline data (body mass indices, OJS, sportive activities, HRQoL and PF) were well distributed between groups. After 12 months the WATERCISE group reported a significantly better PF (M(W) = 65.22, SD = 11.3; M(C) = 52.5, SD = 15.0), especially for endurance (P < 0.004). Although always differently reported by the patients within the WATERCISE group, HRQoL did not prove to be significantly different between groups. WATERCISE seems to have a positive effect on the PF of patients suffering from haemophilia. These study findings need to be further investigated in a larger study group.

The influence of environmental characteristics on the distribution of ciliates (Protozoa, Ciliophora) in an urban stream of southeast Brazil.

The aim of this research was to study the ciliated protozoa community at three sampling stations that receive different levels of domestic sewage along the São Pedro Stream in the municipality of Juiz de Fora, Minas Gerais, Brazil, in order to determine the influence of organic pollution on this community and to assess the feasibility of using ciliates as water quality indicators. Four physical-chemical parameters of the water samples were evaluated: dissolved oxygen concentration, electrical conductivity, pH and temperature. The sediment was obtained manually, using dredges with capacity of 300 mL, at each collection point. Point 1 was located in a rural region that receives a low sewage load, while Points 2 and 3 were located in populated regions receiving high sewage loads. We found 22 ciliate species, of which 18 are included in the saprobic system and are considered bioindicators. These showed beta-mesosaprobic environments at Point 1 and alfa-mesosaprobic to polisaprobic environments at Points 2 and 3. The low levels of dissolved oxygen and the high electrical conductivity values at Points 2 and 3, together with the strong similarity between the ciliate taxocenoses of these points and the weak similarity between Point 1 and the other two, confirm the high sewage loads received at the latter two points. The combination of the biological indicators and physical-chemical analyses therefore proved itself to be an efficient method of evaluating water quality, and has excellent potential to support decisions on the conservation of headwaters and recuperation of degraded environments in lotic systems.

The influence of environmental characteristics on the distribution of ciliates (Protozoa, Ciliophora) in an urban stream of southeast Brazil / Influência das características ambientais sobre distribuição dos ciliados (Protozoa, Ciliophora) em um córrego urbano no sudeste brasileiro

The aim of this research was to study the ciliated protozoa community at three sampling stations that receive different levels of domestic sewage along the São Pedro Stream in the municipality of Juiz de Fora, Minas Gerais, Brazil, in order to determine the influence of organic pollution on this community and to assess the feasibility of using ciliates as water quality indicators. Four physical-chemical parameters of the water samples were evaluated: dissolved oxygen concentration, electrical conductivity, pH and temperature. The sediment was obtained manually, using dredges with capacity of 300 mL, at each collection point. Point 1 was located in a rural region that receives a low sewage load, while Points 2 and 3 were located in populated regions receiving high sewage loads. We found 22 ciliate species, of which 18 are included in the saprobic system and are considered bioindicators. These showed beta-mesosaprobic environments at Point 1 and alfa-mesosaprobic to polisaprobic environments at Points 2 and 3. The low levels of dissolved oxygen and the high electrical conductivity values at Points 2 and 3, together with the strong similarity between the ciliate taxocenoses of these points and the weak similarity between Point 1 and the other two, confirm the high sewage loads received at the latter two points. The combination of the biological indicators and physical-chemical analyses therefore proved itself to be an efficient method of evaluating water quality, and has excellent potential to support decisions on the conservation of headwaters and recuperation of degraded environments in lotic systems.

O objetivo deste trabalho foi estudar a comunidade de protozoários ciliados em três estações amostrais, que recebem diferentes níveis de lançamento de esgoto doméstico, ao longo do córrego São Pedro, Juiz de Fora, MG, a fim de se determinar a influência da poluição orgânica sobre a composição e distribuição desta comunidade e avaliar a viabilidade da utilização dos ciliados como indicadores da qualidade da água. Foram mensurados quatro parâmetros físico-químicos da água amostrada: teor de oxigênio dissolvido, condutividade elétrica, pH e temperatura. Amostras do sedimento foram obtidas manualmente com o auxílio de dragas, com capacidade de 300 mL, em cada ponto de coleta. O ponto 1, localizado em uma região rural, recebe baixa carga de esgoto, enquanto os pontos 2 e 3, localizados em regiões com ampla ocupação humana, recebem altas cargas de esgoto. Foram registradas 22 espécies de ciliados, sendo que 18 estão incluídas no sistema sapróbio e são consideradas bioindicadoras de ambientes beta-mesossapróbio no ponto 1 e de alfa a polissapróbio nos pontos 2 e 3. Os baixos valores de oxigênio dissolvido e os altos valores de condutividade elétrica registrados nas estações 2 e 3, juntamente com a similaridade entre a taxocenose de ciliados destas estações e a baixa similaridade entre a estação 1 e as demais, confirmaram as altas cargas de esgoto recebidas nestas estações. A união do método biológico com a análise físico-química mostrou-se, portanto, um eficiente método na avaliação da qualidade da água, e apresenta grande potencial de utilização em tomadas de decisões relativas à conservação de nascentes e recuperação de ambientes degradados em sistemas lóticos.