A meta-analysis of the effects of physical exercise on peripheral levels of a brain-derived neurotrophic factor in the elderly.

Context: The BDNF levels in the elderly are important in several health-related aspects. However, despite the increasing literature on the effects of exercise on BDNF levels, little is known about this issue in the elderly.

Objective: To perform a meta-analysis on the effects of physical exercise of different intensities, duration, and frequency on peripheral BDNF levels in sedentary elderly without cognitive impairment.

A semi-defined medium without serum for small ruminant mycoplasmas.

The composition of the medium used to cultivate Mycoplasma species is very important. Serum is one of the most important additives as it contains lipids (cholesterol) and serum proteins, which are essential for the growth of the organisms. This work reports the development of a semi-defined medium, called MWS (Medium Without Serum) produced without animal serum and bovine serum albumin.

The power of words: examining the linguistic landscape of pediatric nursing.

The purposes of this article are to increase pediatric nurses' awareness of language use and to suggest strategies that foster therapeutic communication for the benefit of children and parents. The use of jargon, labels, metaphors, and parental expressions of stress are examined from the context of therapeutic communication in nursing practice. Evidence of language use is substantiated by theory, submissions to a Web site that features narratives from youngsters coping with disease and disability, and interactions with children in hospitals.

When Jack fell down ... Jill came tumbling after. Siblings in the web of illness and disability.

This article examines the reactions of children to the complex illness and disability of their brothers and sisters. It proposes strategies of nursing support to increase the likelihood that these children will cope with the resultant family stress in a positive manner. In order to better understand their feelings, siblings of hospitalized children were interviewed and comments from other siblings who responded on a Web site, "Band-Aides and Blackboards: When Chronic Illness .