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With the increasing worldwide rate of chronic diseases, such as cancer, the development of novel techniques to improve the efficacy of therapeutic agents is highly demanded. Nanoparticles are especially well suited to encapsulate drugs and other therapeutic agents, bringing additional advantages, such as less frequent dosage requirements, reduced side effects due to specific targeting, and therefore increased patient compliance. However, with the increasing use of nanoparticles and their recent launch on the pharmaceutical market, it is important to achieve high-quality control of these advanced systems. In this review, we discuss the properties of different nanoparticles, the pharmacokinetics, the biosafety issues of concern, and conclude with novel nanotherapeutics and nanotheragnostics for cancer drug delivery.

Background: Childhood obesity is understood as a health problem of concern due to the changes it can cause in the development process. Being the physical activity and the built environment important influencers in this process. The authors aimed to analyze studies of the last ten years, checking the relationship between the level of physical activity, the built environment and obesity. Methods: This is a systematic review and meta-analysis, conducted through PubMed, B-on and Web of Science, using the terms (obesity child* AND physi* activit*) AND (obesity child* OR overweight you*) AND (built environment). To evaluate the quality of the studies, the PRISMA tool and the STROBE index were used. Five studies were selected and their data were analyzed by the Comprehensive Meta-Analysis V.3. Results: It can be stated that there is an inverse relationship between the evaluated aspects (obesity, built environment and physical activity), presenting a negative correlation of 0.026 with p = 0.0001. The results of the Z test = -4.050, where the ease and availability of physical activity places are related to childhood obesity levels. Conclusions: Childhood obesity may be inversely related to the built environment, due to the ease and availability of places for physical activity.

Scientific evidence has shown that physical exercise is an effective way of improving several cardiovascular disease markers. However, few studies have tested its effectiveness when performed in aquatic environments. The purpose of this study was to test the impact of different aquatic exercise programs on the intima-media thickness of carotid arteries (IMT) and hemodynamic and biochemical markers of cardiovascular diseases in community-dwelling older persons. A total of 102 participants were randomly allocated into four groups: an aerobic exercise group (AerG) (n = 25, 71.44 ± 4.84 years); an aerobic interval group (IntG) (n = 28, 72.64 ± 5.22 years); a combined group (ComG) (n = 29, 71.90 ± 5.67 years); and a control group (CG) (n = 20, 73.60 ± 5.25 years). The AerG, IntG, and ComG participants took part in three different aquatic exercise programs for 28 weeks. The CG participants maintained their usual routines. All participants were evaluated for IMT, blood pressure, lipid profile, and MCP-1 and MIP-1α chemokines, pre- and post-intervention. Significant differences were found in the AerG for diastolic diameter (DD), in the IntG for peak systolic velocity (PSV), and in the ComG for DD and end-diastolic velocity (EDV). Regarding blood pressure, significant differences were found in AerG for systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP); in IntG for DBP; and in ComG for SBP, DBP, and heart rate (HR). Significant differences were found in the AerG and IntG for glucose (GLU). Lower plasma levels of monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) and macrophage inflammatory protein (MIP-1α) were found in the AerG and in the ComG for MCP-1 after the intervention. Aquatic physical exercise appears to improve cardiovascular health, regardless of the type of the program adopted. Aerobic programs (combined and continuous aerobic exercises) seemed to have a more beneficial effect in reducing important cardiovascular risk markers.

Background Both physical inactivity and sedentary behavior are considered modifiable risk factors for chronic diseases and all-cause mortality. Adult office-workers spend most of their working day in sedentary behaviors, so they are particularly at high risk of developed chronic diseases (e.g., cardiovascular diseases, metabolic disorders like diabetes mellitus, …). It seems important to promote behavioral changes that could prevent or delay metabolic disease development. Evidence supports the use of exercise programs, however, to date there are several knowledge gaps and inconsistencies in the literature regarding the effects of Combined Training (i.e., aerobic plus resistance training) in sedentary healthy adults. This paper outlines an RCT designed to evaluate the effects of a 16-week combined training program on biochemical and immune markers of metabolic disease, lung function, salivary stress hormones and subjective quality of life (primary outcomes), as well as on body composition and physical fitness (secondary outcomes) in sedentary middle-aged office-workers. Furthermore, we aimed to assess the associations between the changes promoted by the exercise program and the different variables studied. Methods and design This is a single-blinded two-arm RCT with parallel groups. A minimum of healthy 40 office-workers aged 40–64 years will be recruited to engage in a 16-week intervention study. After baseline assessments, participants will be randomized to one of the two groups: (1) combined training group or (2) control group. Baseline assessments will be repeated after 8 weeks of intervention (mid-testing) and upon completion of the intervention (post-testing). Discussion This RCT involves a multi-disciplinary approach and seems to be a relevant contribution to understanding the potential role of combined training in improving the metabolic profile, lung function, stress, and quality of life in adults. The results can provide important insights for clinical recommendations and for the optimization of strategies to prevent metabolic disorders in adults with sedentary jobs. Trial registration This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov (registration number: NCT04868240; date of registration April 30, 2021).

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Numerous epidemiological studies have shown the existence of a relationship between exercise and reduced risk of different types of cancer. In vitro studies have identified a direct effect of exercise-conditioned human serum on cancer cell lines of the lung, breast, prostate, and colon. The aim of this systematic review with meta-analysis (SRM) was to estimate the magnitude of the effect that exercise-conditioned human serum produced on the viability of cancer cell cultures. The design followed the PRISMA guidelines and the TREND statement to assess the quality of information (QoI) in each study. Nine in vitro studies were included in the SRM, involving a total of nine cancer cell lines and serum from 244 individuals from different countries, including namely healthy sedentary individuals, at risk of prostate cancer individuals and cancer patients, with ages ranging from 18 to 73 years. The impact of exerciseconditioned human serum on the viability of cancer cell cultures was analysed by a variety of assays, using pre-exercise human serum for comparison purposes. Globally, cultures of cancer cell lines exposed to human serum conditioned by exercise of various intensities exhibited a reduced viability, when compared with control cultures, with an overall effect size of -1.126 (95% CI; -1.300 to -0.952; p0.001). When the analysis only included human serum conditioned by high intensity exercise, the effect became more pronounced (ES -1.350; -1.522 to -1.179 (95% CI); p0.001). These results are in line with the hypothesis that changes in human serum induced by exercise might play a role in the beneficial effects of physical activity in cancer prevention and management and that these effects depend on exercise intensity.

Increasing life expectancy and the growing number of elderly people have also increased the number of comorbidities common in this population in the same proportion, where the risk of falling is highlighted and has been increasing in a worrying and negative way. However, the practice of physical exercise can improve the prevention and reduction of falls. In this context, this chapter addresses the theme with the objective of identifying how, which, and when physical exercise can contribute in relation to the risk of falling in the elderly. Through analysis of articles and recent reviews, the chapter addresses the influence of strength, power, aerobic, and multicomponent exercises in their various components and possible influences on the risk of falling. There is also a proposal for a specific program for the risk of falling in the elderly, with adjustments in volume and intensity according to the needs of the target audience, based and improved by worldwide guidelines.

Aquatic physical exercise programs have become progressively more popular among elderly people. Some of the major physical exercise program disadvantages on land are minimized due to the specific properties of the aquatic environment. The purpose of the present randomized controlled study is to verify the effects of different aquatic physical exercise programs on body composition, functional fitness and cognitive function in non-institutionalized elderly people. For this study, 102 elderly individuals were randomly allocated into four different groups: AerG (n = 25, 71.44 ± 4.84 years), IntG (n = 28, 72.64 ± 5.22 years), ComG (n = 29, 71.90 ± 5.67 years) and CG (n = 20, 73.60 ± 5.25 years). Individuals from the groups AerG, IntG and ComG participated in three different aquatic physical exercise programs for a period of 28 weeks. The CG participants kept to their usual routines. All participants were evaluated for body composition, functional fitness and cognitive function at two time moments, i.e., pre- (M1) and post-intervention (M2). Significant differences for body composition were found between M1 and M2 for FM (p &lt, 0.001), LBM (p &lt, 0.001) and WCir (p &lt, 0.01) in the AerG, for BMI (p &lt, 0.05), FM (p &lt, 0.05), LBM (p &lt, 0.001) and LCir-R (p &lt, 0.05) in the IntG, and for WGT (p &lt, 0.01), FM (p &lt, 0.01), LCir-R (p &lt, 0.05) and LCir-L (p &lt, 0.01) in the ComG groups. For functional fitness, differences were found between M1 and M2 for 2m-ST (p &lt, 0.000), 30s-CS (p &lt, 0.000), 30s-AC (p &lt, 0.05), HG-T-R (p &lt, 0.000) and HG-T-L (p &lt, 0.000) in the AerG, for 2m-ST (p &lt, 0.05), BS-R (p &lt, 0.05), 30s-CS (p &lt, 0.000), 30s-AC(p &lt, 0.01), HG-T-R (p &lt, 0.000) in the IntG, and for 30s-CS (p &lt, 0.000), HG-T-R (p &lt, 0.000) in the ComG groups. The present study evidenced the beneficial effects of physical exercise in an aquatic environment on body composition, functional fitness and cognitive function in non-institutionalized elderly adults. The ComG water-based exercise program showed more beneficial effects in the improvement of body composition and cognitive function variables, while the IntG and AerG programs were more effective in the improvement of functional fitness.

This chapter presents an exploratory review on the evaluation, assessment, and monitoring in health and fall risk by common and the most used assessment tools. The main discussion of this chapter of evaluation in health and fall risk is divided into six categories—global health assessment, specific physical (and fitness) assessment, cognitive and psychological assessment, pharmacological assessment, fall risk specific assessment, and some complementary assessment—which show information and how to access. Whereas health evaluative experiences and practices are essential to drive a better and specific intervention, revealing its importance and necessity was also highlighted.

Cardiometabolic diseases are one of the primary causes of mortality and morbidity worldwide and sedentary lifestyles are contributing factors to these pathologies. Physical exercise has been recognized as an important tool in the prevention and treatment of these diseases. However, there are still some doubts about the efficacy of certain type of physical exercise programs for older participants. The main goal of this study is to assess the impact of different aquatic-based physical exercise programs on risk markers of cardiometabolic diseases in older people. The study group will consist of non-institutionalized individuals, within the age group of 65 or older. The sample will be randomly divided into four groups, three experimental groups (EG) and one control group (CG). Participants from the EGs will be exposed to three physical aquatic-based exercise programs for a period of 28 weeks (continuous aerobic, interval aerobic and combined). The evaluated parameters include anthropometry, physical functions, mental health, cognitive function, carotid arteries intima-media thickness, heart rate variability and biochemical markers. The results will allow an interpretation of the impact of different aquatic-based physical exercise programs on cardiometabolic diseases markers and can also be used as a tool for professionals to prescribe adequate and more efficient physical exercise programs.

Background: Sedentary behavior has been considered an independent risk factor to health. The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to examine associations between objectively measured sedentary time and physical fitness components in healthy adults. Methods: Four electronic databases (Web of Science, Scopus, Pubmed and Sport Discus) were searched (up to 20 September 2020) to retrieve studies on healthy adults which used observational, cohort and cross-sectional designs. Studies were included if sedentary time was measured objectively and examined associations with the health- or skill-related attributes of physical fitness (e.g., muscular strength, cardiorespiratory fitness, balance). After applying additional search criteria, 21 papers (11,101 participants) were selected from an initial pool of 5192 identified papers. Results: Significant negative associations were found between total sedentary time with cardiorespiratory fitness (r = −0.164, 95%CI: −0.240, −0.086, p < 0.001), muscular strength (r = −0.147, 95%CI: −0.266, −0.024, p = 0.020) and balance (r = −0.133, 95%CI: −0.255, −0.006, p = 0.040). Conclusions: The evidence found suggests that sedentary time can be associated with poor physical fitness in adults (i.e., muscular strength, cardiorespiratory fitness and balance), so strategies should be created to encourage behavioral changes.

Background: Ageing is a life-long process characterized by a progressive loss of physical fitness compromising strength, flexibility, and agility. The purpose of this study was to use accelerometry to examine the relationship between sedentary time, light physical activity (LPA), and moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) with the elderly&rsquo, s physical fitness. Additionally, we aimed to examine the association between the aforementioned variables on older adults who fulfilled global recommendations on physical activity for health and on those who did not fulfil these recommendations. Methods: Eighty-three elderly (mean &plusmn, SD: 72.14 &plusmn, 5.61 years old) of both genders volunteered to participate in this cross-sectional study, being divided into an active group (n = 53, 71.02 &plusmn, 5.27 years old) and an inactive group (n = 30, 74.13 &plusmn, 5.72 years old) according to the established guidelines. Sedentary and physical activity times were assessed using an ActiGraph&reg, GT1M accelerometer, whereas physical fitness was evaluated with the Senior Fitness Test. Results: MVPA time was correlated with lower body mass index (BMI) ((rs = &minus, 0.218, p = 0.048, &minus, 0.3 &lt, r &le, 0.1 (small)) and shorter time to complete the agility test ((rs = &minus, 0.367, p = 0.001, 0.5 &lt, 0.3 (low)). Moreover, MVPA time was positively correlated with aerobic endurance ((rs = 0.397, p = 0.000, 0.3 (low)) and strength ((rs = 0.243, p = 0.027, 0.1 (small)). In the inactive group, MVPA time was positively correlated with upper limb flexibility ((rs = 0.400, p = 0.028, 0.3 (low)), moreover, sedentary time was negatively correlated with upper limb flexibility ((r = &minus, 0.443, p = 0.014, 0.3 (low)), and LPA time was negatively correlated with BMI ((r = &minus, 0.423, p = 0.020, 0.3 (low)). In the active group, MVPA time was correlated with lower BMI ((rs = &minus, 0.320, 0.3 (low)), and shorter time to complete agility test ((rs = &minus, 0.296, p = 0.031, 0.1 (small)). Conclusions: Our results reinforce the importance of promoting MVPA practice among the elderly, thereby allowing physical fitness maintenance or improvement.

In Brazil, the spread of an endemic clone of SPM-1-producing Pseudomonas aeruginosa has been reported. Recently, a higher genomic variety has been observed among the SPM-1-producing P. aeruginosa isolates. The principal aim of this study was to analyze through multilocus sequence typing (MLST) analysis whether the recently isolated SPM-1-producing P. aeruginosa descend or not from a common ancestor. A total of 50 SPM-1-producing P. aeruginosa exhibiting 11 distinct ribotyping genotypes collected from 11 different Brazilian cities were studied. Three IMP-1-producing P. aeruginosa and two non-metallo-beta-lactamase-producing P. aeruginosa isolates were included in the study as controls. For assignment of allelic numbers and subsequent determination of sequence type (ST), the obtained sequences were compared to existing sequences in the MLST database (www.pubmlst.org/paeruginosa). The eBURSTv3 software was used in this study for establishing the evolutionary relationship and phylogenetic analysis. A total of 5 different STs were identified among 55 P. aeruginosa isolates. All of the SPM-1-producing P. aeruginosa presented an identical allelic profile (ST277), except for one strain. The three IMP-1-producing P. aeruginosa strains were classified as belonging to the ST593, whereas the non-metallo-beta-lactamase-producing P. aeruginosa showed two new distinct STs, ST594 and ST595. Our study shows that SPM-1-producing P. aeruginosa isolates as well as the IMP producers evaluated in this study descend from a common ancestor.