Strenuous physical activity in young individuals has an important effect on both bone mass and bone turnover but the effect of moderate physical activity in adults remains uncertain. In a large cohort (N = 530) of healthy premenopausal women, bone formation markers (osteocalcin and N-terminal propeptide of type 1 procollagen [P1NP]), but not serum C-telopeptide of type 1 collagen (sCTX), were found to be significantly associated with the level of physical activity, and this association remained significant after adjusting the data (ANCOVA) by age and body mass index. Mean spine and hip bone mineral density (BMD) values were positively associated with physical activity but this was statistically significant (P = 0.050) only for adjusted values of spine BMD. Twenty-four healthy sedentary premenopausal women, subscribing to participate in a community exercise program lasting a month, and 18 age-matched controls were included in the longitudinal study. Serum osteocalcin and P1NP, but not sCTX, rose significantly, by ca. 25%, only in the active group after a month of exercise. The changes in the two bone formation markers remained statistically significant for values adjusted for body weight, which fell significantly in the exercise group. In conclusion, both the cross-sectional and the longitudinal parts of our study demonstrate that even minor changes in physical activity are associated with a clear effect on bone formation markers.

Patients affected by gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) have a poor quality of life caused by several manifestations such as cough, asthma, laryngitis and dental erosion. The clinical conditions are highly disabling for patients and symptoms are difficult to manage. These conditions lead to many discomforts which contribute to an increase of the disease perception. For these reasons, it is important to improve the interventions on psychological aspects that ameliorate the patients' quality of life. The application of IARA model has proven useful to decrease GERD symptoms, distress and medication intake and to increase adherence to care, improving the patient's quality of life.

The antihypertensive and antioxidant effects of α‐terpineol on hypertensive rats were evaluated in this study. Hypertension was induced in male Wistar rats by oral administration of the NG‐nitro‐L‐arginine methyl ester (L‐NAME) 50 mg/kg body weight/day) in drinking water for 1 week. Rats with mean arterial pressure > 140 mmHg were considered hypertensive. In order to evaluate the α‐terpineol effect on haemodynamic parameters, rats were treated once a day with different doses of α‐terpineol (25, 50, or 100 mg/kg/day) or vehicle for one week. After this time, blood samples were collected and activities of antioxidant enzymes were assessed. Furthermore, the vasorelaxant effect of α‐terpineol was also assessed in mesenteric artery rings. Oral administration of α‐terpineol was able to reduce mean arterial pressure in up to 38.15 ± 8.7 mmHg. In mesenteric artery rings, α‐terpineol (10−9–10−2 M) induced vascular endothelium independent vasodilatation. In addition, rats treated with α‐terpineol showed alterations in biochemical parameters indicating an antioxidant effect. Such results suggest that α‐terpineol is able to reduce arterial pressure, possibly due to a decrease of vascular resistance, and restore enzymatic antioxidants in L‐NAME‐induced hypertensive rats. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

RESUMO:O objetivo deste estudo foi interpretar as manifestações e representações culturais de cuidado de usuários portadores de ferida crônica de membro inferior. Trata-se de pesquisa clínico-qualitativa realizada de fevereiro a março de 2010. Utilizou-se a entrevista individual semiestruturada a 8 usuários de serviço ambulatorial; as entrevistas foram analisadas por meio da técnica de análise de conteúdo. Do estudo emergiram as categorias temáticas: Não vejo a hora de sarar para trabalhar! -impacto da ferida na vida cotidiana; O povo vai me ensinando as coisas e eu faço! -práticas de cuidado com a ferida crônica; É o nervoso! -um modelo explicativo. Pode-se considerar que os diversos problemas de saúde que se tornam visíveis na materialidade do corpo físico são, igualmente, permeados por questões simbólicas que se inscrevem no plano da vida cotidiana dos seus portadores, reafirmando o caráter social do processo saúde-doença. PALAVRAS-CHAVE: REPRESENTATIONS AND CARE PRACTICES WITH A CHRONIC WOUND OF THE INFERIOR MEMBER: AN ANTHROPOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVEABSTRACT: The objective of this study was to interpret the cultural manifestations and representations of care of health-service users with chronic wounds to inferior members. The research is clinic-qualitative and was carried out in February and March 2010. Individual semi-structured interviews were carried out with 8 users of the ambulatory service; the interviews were analysed with the technique of content analysis. The following thematic categories emerged from the study: I can't wait to get better to get back to work! -impact of the wound on daily life; Folk tell me stuff and I try it! -practices of care with a chronic wound; It's being irritable! -an explicative model. One may consider that the diverse health problems which become visible in the materiality of the physical body are, equally, permeated with symbolical questions which write themselves across the daily life of their carriers, reaffirming the social character of the health-illness process. KEYWORDS: Wounds and lesions; Cultural anthropology; Nursing; Traditional medicine. REPRESENTACIONES Y PRÁCTICAS DE CUIDADO CON LA HERIDA CRÓNICA DE MIEMBRO INFERIOR: UNA PERSPECTIVA ANTROPOLÓGICARESUMEN: El objetivo de este estudio fue interpretar las manifestaciones y representaciones culturales de cuidado de usuarios portadores de herida crónica de miembro inferior. Se trata de investigación clínico cualitativa realizada de febrero a marzo de 2010. Se utilizó la entrevista individual semiestructurada a 8 usuarios de servicio ambulatorial; las entrevistas fueron analizadas por medio de la técnica de análisis de contenido. Del estudio, surgieron las categorías temáticas: No veo la hora de estar sano para trabajar! -impacto de la herida en la vida cotidiana; La gente me enseña las cosas y yo las hago! -prácticas de cuidado con a herida crónica; Él es nervioso! -un modelo explicativo. Es posible considerar que los diversos problemas de salud que se vuelven visibles en la materialidad del cuerpo físico son, igualm...

This is the first randomized-controlled trial showing the potential beneficial effects of PEF on gait characteristics in older adults. Further phase III randomized trials are warranted to establish their potential benefits (e.g. fall prevention) on fall-related health outcomes in elderly patients.