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• PETCO 2 peak and VO 2peak were lower in chagas cardiomyopathy patients with adverse events. • PETCO 2 peak and VO 2peak are independent predictors of worse prognosis. • PETCO 2 peak and VO 2peak lower than 32 mmHg and 20 mL.kg.min identify worse prognosis. Functional impairment can be detected from the onset of heart disease in patients with Chagas cardiomyopathy (ChC) and the prognostic value of the end-tidal carbon dioxide at peak exercise (PETCO 2 peak) should be investigated. To verify the prognostic value of PETCO 2 peak in patients with ChC. Seventy-six patients with ChC (49.2 ± 9.8 years, NYHA I-III) were evaluated by echocardiography and Cardiopulmonary Exercise Testing. Patients were followed up to four years and the end-point was defined as cardiovascular death, stroke, or cardiac transplantation. At the end of the follow-up period (29.0 ± 16.0 months), 16 patients (21%) had experienced adverse events. The area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve to identify the risk of adverse events by PETCO 2 peak in patients with ChC was 0.83 (95% CI: 0.69 to 0.97), and the value of 32 mmHg was the optimal cut point (70% of sensitivity and 85% of specificity). In the Kaplan-Meier diagram, there was a significant difference (p <0.001) between patients with reduced (≤ 32 mmHg) and preserved PETCO 2 peak (>32 mmHg). In the final Cox multivariate model, only reduced PETCO 2 peak (HR 4.435; 95% CI: 1.228 to 16.016, p = 0.023) and VO 2peak (HR 0.869; 95% CI: 0.778 to 0.971, p = 0.013) remained as independent predictors of poor outcome in ChC patients. Reduced PETCO 2 peak and VO2 peak demonstrated valuable prognostic value in patients with ChC. The cutoff points for both functional variables can be used during risk stratification and may help in the development of therapeutic strategies in ChC patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To determine the cardiorespiratory and metabolic demand of the Six-Minute Pegboard and Ring Test (6PBRT) in healthy young adults and its association with maximal arm cycle ergometer test (arm CET). Volunteers were randomized to performed the 6PBRT test or arm CET. The second test was performed after 48 h. Oxygen consumption (VO 2), heart rate (HR), dyspnea and upper limb fatigue were assessed during the tests. Demographic data, body composition, level of physical activity, arm strength and endurance were also evaluated. During 6PBRT, VO 2 values increased from 5.8 to 11.1 mL kg−1.min−1 (p < 0.001). VO 2peak, HR Mean and HR max at 6PBRT were 47.2% and close to 65% respectively of those achieved during the arm CET. There was a positive correlation between the score on 6PBRT and VO 2mean and VO 2peak achieved at arm CET (r = 0.268; p = 0.003 and r = 0.247; p = 0.046 respectively). No correlation was found between the HR mean , HR peak, level of physical activity or strength with 6PBRT (p > 0.05). Handgrip endurance had a positive correlation with score on 6PBRT (r = 0.237; p = 0.054). Body Mass Index, body fat and fat mass were negatively correlated with the score on 6PBRT (r = 0.301; p = 0.014, 0.329; p = 0.007 and r = 0.427; p = 0.001). The 6PBRT test showed a moderate cardiorespiratory and metabolic demand in healthy individuals in comparison of arm CET. BMI, body fat and fat mass correlated with the score on 6PBRT. • The 6PBRT is a simple, fast, low-cost method that imitates some daily activities. • The 6PBRT evaluates the functional capacity of upper limbs. • It can be used in the functional assessment of individuals with cardiorespiratory symptoms and/or who have limitations of upper limbs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Quality of life is worse in severe chronic venous insufficiency compared to mild stage. • Physical aspects are the most compromised component in chronic venous insufficiency. • Physical interventions should be targeted at patients from the early stages of the disease. Chronic venous insufficiency (CVI) has a broad spectrum of clinical expression, ranging from mild to severe cases, which negatively impacts the health-related quality of life (HRQoL). However, the comparison in HRQoL between mild and severe CVI has not yet been systematically discussed, which could assist in the adoption of preventive strategies A systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted (protocol register https://osf.io/mr4aj/) following a search of the MEDLINE, CINAHL, Web of Science, LILACS, and Scopus databases, using the terms related to CVI and HRQoL. Observational studies that assessed the HRQoL in individuals with CVI in different degrees of severity were included, without date restriction We retrieved 4750 titles and abstracts and 9 were included in this review. The HRQoL was worse in patients with severe CVI compared to mild patients at Short-form of Health Survey (SF-36) (mean difference 11.02, 95% CI from 8.62 to 13.43; p<0.001), Chronic Venous Insufficiency Quality Of Life Questionnaire (CIVIQ-14) (mean difference 13.07; 95% CI from 11.33 to 14.82; p<0.001) and Aberdeen Varicose Veins Questionnaire (mean difference 7.7; 95% CI: -12.82 to -2.58; p=0.003), especially in the physical domains. There was no difference in the HRQoL between severe and mild patients at CIVIQ-20 (p=0.09) The HRQoL was worse in the physical domains in patients with severe CVI when compared to mild patients. However, the heterogeneity of the results was high and the data should be interpreted with caution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To investigate the cardiorespiratory responses to the 6-min pegboard and ring test (6PBRT) and to assess its reproducibility in healthy adolescents. It was a cross-sectional study with 52 healthy adolescents (11–18 years old of both genders). The 6PBRT was performed twice on two different days by the same examiner. Intra-rater reliability, percentage of the minimal difference chance (MDC%) and agreement of the number of moving rings were analyzed. Also, cardiopulmonary parameters were collected before and after tests. Intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) for the number of rings moved was 0.87 (95%CI 0.69–0.93). The mean number of moved rings during the second test was higher. The MDC% with a 95 % confidence interval was greater than acceptable values. Bland-Altman analysis did not show agreement between measurements (bias = 30.1); with upper and lower limits of agreement of −67.8 to 127.9, respectively. There was a significant increase in dyspnea, fatigue and HR values at the end of the tests (p < 0.0001). In both tests, participants reached HR equivalent to 48 % of the maximum predicted. Together, the results suggest that the 6PBRT is not a reliable measure for a population of healthy adolescents, which indicates the necessity to perform more than one test. The 6PBRT is suggested to be a submaximal test for this population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To investigate the validity of the 30-seconds sit-to-stand test (STS-30) and its reliability in hemodialysis patients. Patients receiving hemodialysis treatment three times a week for at least six months were evaluated using STS-30, Incremental Shuttle Walking Test, and health-related quality of life by KDQOL-SF questionnaire. The data obtained from the Incremental Shuttle Walking Test were divided into tertiles, and the STS-30 results were compared among tertiles. The accuracy of the STS-30 to identify low exercise capacity was evaluated. A second STS-30 was performed after 6 to 8-weeks for the reliability analyses using Intraclass Correlation Coefficient (ICC). Minimal detectable change scores were calculated. Sixty-three individuals (66.7% men) aged 48.3 years (95%CI 44.6–51.9) were evaluated. There were significant correlations between STS-30, exercise capacity (r = 0.72), and physical domains of health-related quality of life (0.30 ≤ r ≤ 0.51). Tertile 1 of the Incremental Shuttle Walking Test was different from tertiles 2 and 3 for STS-30 [difference of 3.4 repetitions (95%CI 1.5–5.4) and 4.7 repetitions (95%CI 2.8–6.7), respectively]. The value of 12 repetitions was the cut-off points for stratification of individuals with low exercise capacity. The STS-30 had a high test-retest reliability (ICC = 0.93) and the minimal detectable change was 2.1 repetitions. The STS-30 is a reliable test, associated with exercise capacity and physical domains of health-related quality of life. Thus, is a valid method for functional evaluation in hemodialysis patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of an exercise program based on the Pilates Matwork method on sedentary volunteers who self-reported changes in their sleep quality and quality of life. This was a prospective clinical study, in which the variables (level of sleepiness and quality of life) were compared before and after applying a protocol of 12 weeks of an exercise program (2 sessions per week). The level of sleepiness showed significant improvement between before and after the intervention (p: 0.04). Quality of life improved based on all of the emotional components and the physical components (p < 0.05) with the exception of the physical domain (p: 0.09). The results of this study indicate that the sedentary population who participated in this 12 week Pilates program experienced improvements in sleep quality and quality of life. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Obesity, characterized by excessive expansion of white adipose tissue (WAT), is associated with numerous metabolic complications. Conversely, brown adipose tissue (BAT) and beige fat are thermogenic tissues that protect mice against obesity and related metabolic disorders. We recently reported that deletion of miR-22 enhances energy expenditure and attenuates WAT expansion in response to a high-fat diet (HFD). However, the molecular mechanisms involved in these effects mediated by miR-22 loss are unclear. Here, we show that miR-22 expression is induced during white, beige, and brown adipocyte differentiation in vitro. Deletion of miR-22 reduced white adipocyte differentiation in vitro. Loss of miR-22 prevented HFD-induced expression of adipogenic/lipogenic markers and adipocyte hypertrophy in murine WAT. In addition, deletion of miR-22 protected mice against HFD-induced mitochondrial dysfunction in WAT and BAT. Loss of miR-22 induced WAT browning. Gain- and loss-of-function studies revealed that miR-22 did not affect brown adipogenesis in vitro. Interestingly, miR-22 KO mice fed a HFD displayed increased expression of genes involved in thermogenesis and adrenergic signaling in BAT when compared to WT mice fed the same diet. Collectively, our findings suggest that loss of miR-22 attenuates fat accumulation in response to a HFD by reducing white adipocyte differentiation and increasing BAT activity, reinforcing miR-22 as a potential therapeutic target for obesity-related disorders. • Deletion of miR-22 reduces white adipocyte differentiation in vitro. • Loss of miR-22 protects against obesity-induced mitochondrial dysfunction. • Deletion of miR-22 KO activates thermogenic program and adrenergic signaling in BAT of obese mice. • Deletion of miR-22 increases BAT activity in obese mice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Toluene treatment by the Fenton's process was optimized in a bubbling reactor. • Absorption + oxidation promotes further toluene absorption. • The liquid treatment stage increased the effluent mineralization and biodegradability. • A process scale-up was implemented in a bubbling column reactor. • Several sequential gas-liquid treatment stages were succefully implemented. A lab scale bubble reactor (BR) configuration was employed to evaluate the degradation of gaseous toluene by Fenton's oxidation under semi-batch mode operation (i.e., with continuous gas bubbling in the liquid phase where organics oxidation is carried out). A parametric study was performed for evaluating the effect of Fenton's process operating parameters, such as temperature and concentration of Fe2+ and H 2 O 2 , in the removal of toluene from the gas stream. The maximum amount of toluene transferred (0.041 mol per liter of solution) was reached when the optimal conditions ([Fe2+ = 2.5 mM, [H 2 O 2 = 20 mM, and T = 25 ºC, at pH 3.0) were used after 120 min of reaction, yielding the highest average toluene absorption rate (5.78 × 10−6 mol/L.s). The treatment of the gas stream increased, however, the organic load in the aqueous phase, so a subsequent treatment stage of the liquid was performed. Additionally, a scale-up of the sequential gas-liquid treatment for a bubble column reactor (BCR) was carried out for several cycles, up to almost 20 h. This strategy, making use of the Fenton's process for treating the toluene gas stream, with intermediate liquid oxidation, allowed to reach more gas treatment stages, while providing a final effluent that is non-toxic (0.0 % of inhibition of Vibrio Fischeri) and biodegradable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]