To determine whether 10 weeks of whole-body vibration (WBV) training has a significant effect on strength, muscle mass, muscle power, and mobility in older women, 26 subjects were randomly assigned to a WBV training group (n=13; mean age 79 years) and a control (CON) group (n=13; mean age 76 years). Maximal voluntary isometric contraction (MVIC) increased 38.8% in the WBV group, without changes in the CON group. Electromyographic activity of the vastus medialis (VM), the vastus lateralis, and the biceps femoris (BF) did not change in either group. Thigh muscle cross-sectional area increased significantly after training in VM (8.7%) and BF (15.5%). Muscle power at 20%, 40%, and 60% MVIC decreased from pre-test to post-test in the CON group; however, WBV training prevented the decrease in the WBV group. Consequently, mobility, measured by the Timed Up and Go test, increased significantly after training (9.0%) only in the WBV group. Ten weeks of lower limb WBV training in older women produces a significant increase in muscle strength induced by thigh muscle hypertrophy, with no change in muscle power. The adaptations to WBV found in the present study may be of use in counteracting the loss of muscle strength and mobility associated with age-induced sarcopenia.

Background Cold water immersion (CWI) is a technique commonly used in post-exercise recovery. However, the procedures involved in the technique may vary, particularly in terms of water temperature and immersion time, and the most effective approach remains unclear. Objectives The objective of this systematic review was to determine the efficacy of CWI in muscle soreness management compared with passive recovery. We also aimed to identify which water temperature and immersion time provides the best results. Methods The MEDLINE, EMBASE, SPORTDiscus, PEDro [Physiotherapy Evidence Database], and CEN-TRAL (Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials) databases were searched up to January 2015. Only randomized controlled trials that compared CWI to passive recovery were included in this review. Data were pooled in a meta-analysis and described as weighted mean differences (MDs) with 95 % confidence intervals (CIs). Conclusions The available evidence suggests that CWI can be slightly better than passive recovery in the management of muscle soreness. The results also demonstrated the presence of a dose-response relationship, indicating that CWI with a water temperature of between 11 and 15°C and an immersion time of 11-15 min can provide the best results. Key PointsCold water immersion (CWI) can be slightly better than passive recovery in management of muscle soreness.The findings suggest a dose-response relationship, indicating that CWI at a temperature between 11 and 15°C for 11-15 min can provides the best results for both immediate and delayed effects.A potential risk of bias was identified by methodological quality assessment of the studies included, identifying a need for higher-quality studies to affirm that the dose-response relationship of the results can be reliably reproduced.

Primates constitute one of the most diverse mammalian clades, and a notable feature of their diversification is the evolution of brain morphology. However, the evolutionary processes and ecological factors behind these changes are largely unknown. In this work, we investigate brain shape diversification of New World monkeys during their adaptive radiation in relation to different ecological dimensions. Our results reveal that brain diversification in this clade can be explained by invoking a model of adaptive peak shifts to unique and shared optima, defined by a multidimensional ecological niche hypothesis. Particularly, we show that the evolution of convergent brain phenotypes may be related to ecological factors associated with group size (e.g., social complexity). Together, our results highlight the complexity of brain evolution and the ecological significance of brain shape changes during the evolutionary diversification of a primate clade.comparative method | primates | adaptive evolution | geometric morphometrics | Platyrrhini

Given the practicality and low cost of using elastic resistance in training for different populations and its effectiveness in a range of outcomes, a comparison with conventional devices could clarify and quantify the benefits provided by both mode. To compare the effects of resistance training with elastic devices (tubes and Thera-Bands) and conventional devices (weight machines and dumbbells) on the outcome muscular strength. A search was performed in the databases PubMed/MEDLINE, EMBASE, PEDro (Physiotherapy Evidence Database), and CENTRAL (Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials) from the earliest records up to 20 December 2017. Data were pooled into a meta-analysis and described as standardized mean difference with a 95% confidence interval (registration number: CRD42016042152). Eight studies were included. The results of the meta-analysis demonstrated no superiority between the methods analyzed for upper limb (standardized mean difference = −0.011; 95% confidence interval = −0.40, 0.19; p = 0.48) or lower limb muscular strength (standardized mean difference = 0.09; 95% confidence interval = −0.18, 0.35; p = 0.52). Elastic resistance training is able to promote similar strength gains to conventional resistance training, in different population profiles and using diverse protocols.

Many people in the world are affected by hyperlipidemia, which is a known risk factor for atherosclerotic disease. On the other hand, periodontitis, a prevalent oral disease, has been connected to several systemic health changes, including an altered lipid metabolism. Transient and recurrent bacteremias, which may be caused by periodontal infection, induce an intense local and systemic inflammatory response, leading to changes in the whole body. The aim of the present study was to verify the relationship between severe and moderate periodontal disease and blood lipid levels. Sixty individuals seen at the clinics of the University of Taubaté, São Paulo, over 20 years old, were divided into two groups, with and without periodontitis, and paired according to sex and age. Their levels of total cholesterol, tryglicerides and fractions were determined. Variables related to high cholesterol levels, including age, sex and body mass index, were evaluated. The values recommended by the Brazilian Society of Cardiology were considered to classify lipidemia. The results showed that mean levels of cholesterol (192.1 mg/ dl ± 40.9) and triglycerides (153.5 mg/dl ± 105.6) in individuals with periodontitis were higher than, but not statistically different from, those of individuals without periodontitis (186.1 mg/dl ± 35.4 and 117.5 mg/dl ± 68, respectively). Therefore, this study has demonstrated that there is no significant relationship between periodontal disease, regardless of its intensity, and blood lipid levels in the studied population. DESCRIPTORS: Periodontal diseases; Hyperlipidemia; Cholesterol; Lipoproteins; Triglycerides. RESUMO:A doença periodontal crônica, bastante prevalente na população adulta, tem sido relacionada com diversas alterações sistêmicas, entre elas as dislipidemias, que são fatores de risco conhecidos para a aterosclerose. Bacteremias transitórias e recorrentes, que podem ser causadas pela infecção periodontal, levam a uma intensa resposta inflamatória local e sistêmica, promovendo modificações ao longo do corpo. A proposta do presente estudo foi verificar se a presença da doença periodontal, de moderada a severa, está relacionada com a elevação dos lipídios séricos. Participaram do estudo sessenta indivíduos, acima de vinte anos, divididos em grupo teste, com doença periodontal, e grupo controle, sem doença periodontal, pareados quanto ao gênero e à idade, provenientes da Clínica Odontológica da Universidade de Taubaté/SP, nos quais foram determinados os níveis de colesterol total, de frações e de triglicérides. Foram avaliadas também variáveis como idade, gênero e índice de massa corpórea. Para classificação da lipidemia, foram considerados os valores recomendados pela Sociedade Brasileira de Cardiologia. As médias dos valores do colesterol total (192,1 mg/dl ± 40,9) e dos triglicérides (153,5 mg/dl ± 105,6), no grupo teste, foram superiores às do grupo controle, 186,1 mg/dl ± 35,4 e 117,5 mg/dl ± 68, respectivamente, porém sem significância estatística. Concluiu-se, assim, que, na popu...