Effects of twelve weeks of dance Exergames on the quality-of-life variables of elderly Brazilian women enrolled in a community program.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Exercise-based interventions can be a safe alternative to improve and maintain physical and mental health during the aging process. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effects of a 12-week training program with Dance Exergames on the mood and functional fitness profile of elderly women. METHODS: The sample (n = 22) was divided into Exergames (EG, n = 9, 70.6 ± 1.6 years) and Control Groups (CG, n = 13, 73.6 ± 2.2 years). Evaluations were carried out before and after the interventions. Each participant played, in pairs, the electronic game Dance Central 3, with the XBOX 360 Kinect console (Slim, Microsoft, USA). The EG trained for 12 weeks (24 sessions), with two weekly sessions of 50 min and the CG performed manual activities workshops. RESULTS: In functional fitness, both exercise training with exergame (EG) and the intervention model for the CG did not produce significant effects regarding interaction (group*time). Mood state presented significant effect of time intervention regarding tension (p = <0.001), depression (p = 0.001), anger (p = 0.030), fatigue (p = 0.001), and mental confusion (p = 0.004). CONCLUSION: Twelve weeks of training with a dance exergame (for, EG) and manual activities (for, CG) is enough to promote improvements in the mood state of healthy elderly women. This is an interesting result, as it shows that social interaction is as important a component as improving functional capacity.

Análise comparativa entre dinamometria e equações antropométricas preditoras da força de preensão manual em idosos / Comparative analysis between dynamometry and different anthropometric equations predicting of handgrip strength of elderly

A Força de Preensão Manual (FPM) é uma medida bastante utilizada na prática clínica como um indicador de saúde, por representar a força muscular global. O objetivo deste estudo foi analisar os coeficientes de concordância entre dinamometria e diferentes equações antropométricas preditoras da força de preensão manual em idosos. Trata-se de um estudo transversal baseado nos dados da pesquisa epidemiológica de base populacional e domiciliar. Participaram do estudo 283 (85,8%) idosos, residentes na zona urbana do município de Lafaiete Coutinho, com idade > 60 anos. A força de preensão manual foi mensurada por meio da dinamometria e estimada por diferentes equações antropométricas: Tveter et al., Novaes et al., e Fortes et al. As medidas antropométricas utilizadas no estudo foram: peso e estatura. O coeficiente de Lin e os gráficos de Bland Altman foram usados para observar concordância da FPM entre as equações. A média de idade dos idosos foi de 73,8±8,9 anos, peso corporal 60,11 ± 12,54 Kg, estatura média foi 154,83 ± 9,1 cm e IMC 25,05 ± 4,7 kg/m2 . Para os coeficientes houve moderada concordância nas equações antropométricas de Fortes 0,62 (0,55 ­ 0,68), Novaes 0,60 (0,53 ­ 0,66) e Tveter 0,60 (0,53 ­ 0,65) comparada a dinamometria, respectivamente. As equações antropométricas utilizadas para estimar a força de preensão manual apresentaram moderada concordância com o método padrão ouro (dinamometria)....(AU)

The handgrip strength (HGS) is a measure widely used in clinical practice as a health indicator, to represent the overall muscle strength. The aim this study was to analyze the concordance coefficients between dynamometry and different anthropometric equations predictor handgrip strength of elderly. This is a cross-sectional study that analyzed data from epidemiological research of a home and population-based epidemiological survey. Participated in the study 283 (85,8%) elderly people, living in the urban área of the municipality of Lafaiete Coutinho, aged > 60 years. Handgrip strength was measured using dynamometry and different anthropometric equations: Tveter et al., Novaes et al., and Fortes et al. Anthropometric measurements used in the study were: weight and height. The Lin coefficient and the Bland Altman graphics were used to observe the HGS concordance between the different equations. The mean age of the elderly was 73.8 ± 8.9 years, mean body weight was 60.11 ± 12.54 kg, mean height was 154.83 ± 9.1 cm and BMI 25.05 ± 4.7 kg/m2 . For the coefficients there was moderate concordance in the anthropometric equations of Fortes 0,62 (0,55 ­ 0,68), Novaes 0,60 (0,53 ­ 0,66) e Tveter 0,60 (0,53 ­ 0,65) compared to dynamometry, respectively. The anthropometric equations used to estimate the handgrip strength showed moderate concordance with the gold standard test (dynamometry)....(AU)

Cross-sectional relationships between sedentary behavior and frailty in older adults.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to analyze the association between frailty and sedentary behavior and to examine the discriminative ability of sedentary behavior in screening frailty in older adults. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study based on data from an epidemiologic population-based household survey involving 316 community-dwelling older adults (≥60 years) of both sexes (173 women and 143 men). The frailty was measured from an adapted version of the criteria proposed by Fried et al. in 2001, which is based on the presence of three or more of the following components: shrinking, weakness, poor endurance/exhaustion, slowness and low activity. Sedentary behavior was determined by the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (long version). RESULTS: The prevalence of frailty was 23.8%, and the average time in sedentary behavior was 6.1±3.2 h/day. Sedentary behavior was independently and positively associated with frailty (PR=1.10; 95% CI: 1.02-1.19; P=0.013). The ROC curve showed that the sedentary behavior could discriminate frail older adults (AUC=0.66; 95% CI: 0.61-0.72), and the best cutoff point was 7 h/day (sensitivity =54% and specificity =75%). CONCLUSIONS: Frailty is strongly associated with sedentary behavior. Sedentary behavior can be a potential marker in screening of frailty in community-dwelling older adults. Our findings suggest that reducing the time with sedentary behavior and increasing the time with physical activity may prevent frailty syndrome.

Nutritional status and handgrip strength in elderly living at low human development index community / Estado nutricional e força de preensão manual em idosos residentes em comunidade com baixo índice de desenvolvimento humano

Design of the study: Epidemiological cross-sectional population-based household study. Objective: To investigate the relationship between anthropometric indicators of nutritional status and muscular strength in community-dwelling elderly with low human development index. Methodology: Elderly (N = 316) residents of a city in Brazil’s Northeast Region were submitted to an interview and a physical evaluation. The dependent variable assessed was handgrip strength. The independent variables were body mass index and arm muscle area. The control variables were age, smoking, physical activity, hospitalization and hyperglycemia. Simple and multiple linear regression models were used for statistical analyses. Results: Following control by adjustment variables, there was significant positive correlation of handgrip strength with body mass index (βadjusted = 0.439; p = 0.010; r2adjusted = 0.062) and arm muscle area (βadjusted= 0.046; p = 0.003; r2 adjusted = 0.087) for male individuals, but not for female individuals. Conclusions: Anthropometric indicators of nutritional status have been positively related to handgrip strength in elderly men, but not in women.

Modelo do estudo: Estudo epidemiológico transversal, populacional de base domiciliar. Objetivo: Verificar a relação entre indicadores antropométricos de estado nutricional e força muscular em idosos residentes em comunidade com baixo índice de desenvolvimento humano. Metodologia: Idosos (N =316) de uma cidade do Nordeste do Brasil foram submetidos a entrevista e avaliação física. A variável dependente analisada foi a força de preensão manual. As variáveis independentes foram o índice de massa corporal e a área muscular do braço. As variáveis de controle foram a idade, tabagismo, atividade física, hospitalização e hiperglicemia. Foram usados modelos de regressão linear simples e múltipla para as análises estatísticas. Resultados: Após controle pelas variáveis de ajuste, houve correlação positiva significante da força de preensão manual com o índice de massa corporal (βajustado = 0,439;p = 0,010; r2 ajustado = 0,062) e a área muscular do braço (βajustado = 0,046; p = 0,003; r2ajustado = 0,087) para os exo masculino, mas não para o sexo feminino. Conclusões: Indicadores antropométricos de estado nutricional foram relacionados a força de preensão manual em homens idosos, mas não em mulheres.

A new and fast technique to generate offspring after germ cells transplantation in adult fish: the Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) model.

BACKGROUND: Germ cell transplantation results in fertile recipients and is the only available approach to functionally investigate the spermatogonial stem cell biology in mammals and probably in other vertebrates. In the current study, we describe a novel non-surgical methodology for efficient spermatogonial transplantation into the testes of adult tilapia (O. niloticus), in which endogenous spermatogenesis had been depleted with the cytostatic drug busulfan. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Using two different tilapia strains, the production of fertile spermatozoa with donor characteristics was demonstrated in adult recipient, which also sired progeny with the donor genotype. Also, after cryopreservation tilapia spermatogonial cells were able to differentiate to spermatozoa in the testes of recipient fishes. These findings indicate that injecting germ cells directly into adult testis facilitates and enable fast generation of donor spermatogenesis and offspring compared to previously described methods. CONCLUSION: Therefore, a new suitable methodology for biotechnological investigations in aquaculture was established, with a high potential to improve the production of commercially valuable fish, generate transgenic animals and preserve endangered fish species.