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Objective: The progression of chronic kidney disease can directly affect patient's health-related quality of life (HRQoL). Exercise training is a good option to reverse the impacts caused by the disease. To escape from the monotonous routine and stimulate further practice, the therapist should consider making physical activity more playful. Using videogames during exercise training is possible to rehabilitate the patient aiming for fun beyond the organic condition. The present study aimed to evaluate the effects of exercise training combined with Virtual Reality (VR) in functionality and HRQoL of patients on hemodialysis. Materials and Methods: A randomized controlled study in which control group ( n  = 20) maintained only hemodialysis without any physical effort or intervention from the researchers and intervention group ( n  = 20) who performed endurance and strength physical exercises in combination with VR during hemodialysis for 12 weeks. All eligible patients underwent a familiarization of games and were evaluated by an investigator-blind for functional capacity, quality of life, and depressive symptoms. Functional capacity tests included walking speed, timed up and go (TUG), and Duke Activity Status Index (DASI). To evaluate a HRQoL, Kidney Disease and Quality-of-Life Short-Form (KDQOL-SF™, v. 1.3) was used and to investigate depressive symptoms, the Center for Epidemiological Scale-Depression. Paired sample t -tests were conducted to determine differences within each group. Repeated-measures analysis of variance (group vs. time) was used to assess group differences in our major outcomes. The level of significance was 5%. Results: The exercise improved functional capacity (TUG: P  = 0.002, DASI: P  < 0.001) and HRQoL in physical and specific domains: physical functioning ( P  = 0.047), role physical ( P  = 0.021), as well as in physical composite summary ( P  < 0.001) and effects of kidney disease ( P  = 0.013). There was no influence on depressive symptoms ( P  = 0.154). Conclusion: Physical training combined with VR improved functional capacity and some quality-of-life domains of hemodialysis patients.

Objective: The aim of the study is to compare the available reference values and the six-minute walk test equations in healthy children/adolescents. Our systematic review was planned and performed in accordance with the PRISMA guidelines. We included all studies that established reference values for the six-minute walk test in healthy children/adolescents., Methods: To perform this review, a research was performed in PubMed, EMBASE (via SCOPUS) and Cochrane (LILACS), Bibliographic Index Spanish in Health Sciences, Organization Collection Pan-American Health Organization, Publications of the World Health Organization and Scientific Electronic Library Online (SciELO) via Virtual Health Library until June 2015 without language restriction., Results: The initial research identified 276 abstracts. Twelve studies met the inclusion criteria and were fully reviewed and approved by both reviewers. None of the selected studies presented sample size calculation. Most of the studies recruited children and adolescents from school. Six studies reported the use of random samples. Most studies used a corridor of 30 meters. All studies followed the American Thoracic Society guidelines to perform the six-minute walk test. The walked distance ranged 159 meters among the studies. Of the 12 included studies, 7 (58%) reported descriptive data and 6 (50%) established reference equation for the walked distance in the six-minute walk test., Conclusion: The reference value for the six-minute walk test in children and adolescents ranged substantially from studies in different countries. A reference equation was not provided in all studies, but the ones available took into account well established variables in the context of exercise performance, such as height, heart rate, age and weight. Countries that did not established reference values for the six-minute walk test should be encouraged to do because it would help their clinicians and researchers have a more precise interpretation of the test., Competing Interests: No conflict of interest.

Introduction: Cardiac surgery has been the intervention of choice in many cases of cardiovascular diseases. Susceptibility to postoperative complications, cardiac rehabilitation is indicated. Therapeutic resources, such as virtual reality has been helping the rehabilitational process. The aim of the study was to evaluate the use of virtual reality in the functional rehabilitation of patients in the postoperative period., Methods: Patients were randomized into two groups, Virtual Reality (VRG, n = 30) and Control (CG, n = 30). The response to treatment was assessed through the functional independence measure (FIM), by the 6-minute walk test (6MWT) and the Nottingham Health Profile (NHP). Evaluations were performed preoperatively and postoperatively., Results: On the first day after surgery, patients in both groups showed decreased functional performance. However, the VRG showed lower reduction (45.712.3) when compared to CG (35.0612.09, P<0.05) in first postoperative day, and no significant difference in performance on discharge day (P>0.05). In evaluating the NHP field, we observed a significant decrease in pain score at third assessment (P<0.05). These patients also had a higher energy level in the first evaluation (P<0.05). There were no differences with statistical significance for emotional reactions, physical ability, and social interaction. The length of stay was significantly shorter in patients of VRG (9.410.5 days vs. 12.2 1 0.9 days, P<0.05), which also had a higher 6MWD (319.9119.3 meters vs. 263.5115.4 meters, P<0.02)., Conclusion: Adjunctive treatment with virtual reality demonstrated benefits, with better functional performance in patients undergoing cardiac surgery.

Objectives: To investigate the chemical composition and vasorelaxant effect of the essential oil of Lippia alba (EOLA) in rat mesenteric artery., Material and Methods: Chemical composition of EOLA was investigated by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC/MS). Vasorelaxant effect was evaluated in vitro in rat superior mesenteric artery rings., Results: GC/MS analysis revealed the presence of 19 compounds, with geranial (48.58%) and neral (35.42%) being the major constituents. In intact rings precontracted with phenylephrine (Phe: 1 μM), EOLA (100-1000 μg/mL) induced relaxation, where the maximal effect (Emax) was 110.8 ± 10.8%. This effect was not modified after endothelium removal (Emax = 134.8 ± 16.5%), after tetraethylammonium (TEA) (Emax = 117.2 ± 4.96%), or in rings precontracted with KCl (80 mM) (Emax = 112.6 ± 6.70%). In addition, EOLA was able to inhibit the contraction caused by CaCl(2) and produced a small but significant (P<0.05) additional effect (from 70.5 ± 3.4 to 105.3 ± 13.5%, n = 5) on the maximal relaxation of nifedipine (NIF: 10 μM)., Conclusions: The results demonstrated that EOLA induces endothelium-independent vasorelaxation, which appears to be caused, at least in part, by blocking Ca(2+) influx through voltage-operated Ca(2+) channels.