Prevalence and predictors of unsupervised walking and physical activity in a community population of women with fibromyalgia

Physical exercise is recognized as a component of the evidence-based guidelines for treatment of fibromyalgia. Walking is a low–moderate intensity exercise easily adaptable to a fibromyalgia patient’s situation. The present study aims to estimate the prevalence of unsupervised walking for exercise in women with fibromyalgia, to describe their level of physical activity and to identify their predictors among socio-demographic, symptom perception and medical advice to walk. A cross-sectional survey with 920 women (all members of fibromyalgia associations) completed the International Physical Activity Questionnaire-Short Form and self-reported scales to assess symptom perception, walking, medical advice to walk and physical comorbidity. The prevalence of reported walking regularly as physical exercise was 30.8 % and it was predicted by medical advice (odds ratio, OR 1.876), age (OR 1.021) and fatigue intensity (OR 0.912). The prevalence of physical activity was 16 % for high-intensity activity, 40 % for moderate activity and 44 % for low activity. Predictors of low versus moderate and high physical activity were pain intensity (OR 1.171) and fatigue impact perception (OR 1.076). Evidence shows a low percentage of women with fibromyalgia walking regularly for physical exercise. Most reported low or moderate physical activity. The results indicate the importance of doctors’ advice in promoting walking. Symptom perception and socio-demographic characteristics were weak predictors. Further work is required to examine other determinants of these low levels.     

Allele frequencies for 15 autosomal STRs in a population sample from the Federal District (Brazil)—a territory that arose from nothing

The Federal District (Brazil) was created in 1960 in the Central-West Region of Brazil in a previously unpopulated area. In 2010, this artificially founded district was populated by 2,562,963 inhabitants. In this study, the genetic variations of the 15 Next Generation Multiplex (NGM^TM) short tandem repeat loci were analyzed. The results indicate that the NGM^TM is a highly informative genetic system in this population, which is more similar to the southeastern, northeastern, and overall Brazil populations. This conclusion agrees with the population composition reported in the 2010 National Survey Inquiries, in which most of the immigrants were from the northeast and the southeast.     

A Patient with Trisomy 13 Mosaicism with an Unusual Skin Pigmentary Pattern and Prolonged Survival

Trisomy 13, or Patau syndrome, is a chromosomal disorder that can occur in complete, partial, or mosaic forms. Mosaicism is observed in 6% of individuals with trisomy 13 and, in contrast to the complete form, has wide phenotypic variability, longer survival, and in some patients an unusual skin pigmentary pattern similar to phylloid hypomelanosis. We describe here a 12‐year‐old girl with trisomy 13 mosaicism (mos 47,XX,+13[9]/46,XX[16]) who had three major malformations, an unusual skin pigmentary pattern, and prolonged survival.     

Neuropeptide Downregulation in Sepsis

Neuropeptides are an extremely conserved arm of neurobiology. Despite their effects as neurohormones and neurotransmitters, a multitude of other effects have been described, putting in evidence their importance as regulators of immune responses, such as chemotaxis, oxidative burst, pro-inflammatory signaling, and many others. The effects of neuropeptides in the pathophysiology of sepsis, however, remain poorly investigated. A prospective cohort study to investigate the effects of neuropeptides in sepsis was carried out. Here, we describe that neuropeptides are downregulated during septic shock. We propose that it may be a protective mechanism of the host to avoid further inflammatory injury.