Indicators of physical stress during hindlimb suspension in Wistar rats / Indicadores de stress físico durante a suspensão dos membros inferiores em ratos Wistar

Hindlimb suspension (HS) has been used in animal research as a microgravity simulation model. However, physical stress to the animals during suspension has received little attention. The purpose of this work was to investigate physical stress, oxidative stress, and cross-sectional area (CSA) in rats submitted to hindlimb suspension. Twelve male Wistar rats were allocated into two groups: control (CON, n = 6); hindlimb suspension (HS, n = 6), for ten days. The following signs of physical stress were monitored: bristly hair, spleen hair, edema in the nose, edema or necrosis in the tail, edema in the hind legs, aggressiveness, redness in the dorsal region, body weight loss, and food intake. Samples of the soleus and tibialis anterior were prepared for CSA and carbonylated proteins analysis. The frequency of the signs of stress, except redness in the dorsal region, was significantly higher (P <.05) in the HS group. CSA of soleus (816.6µm2, 95%CI: 866.3-904.0 vs 1158.8mm2, 95%CI: 1171.9-1214.2) and tibialis anterior (1041.5µm2, 95%CI: 1119.1-1185.2 vs 1429.8µm2, 95%CI: 1479.2-1566.4) were lower in the HS group (P <.05). Carbonylated proteins in the soleus (2779.0 ± 1319.8 AU vs 1063.2 ± 289.2 AU) and tibialis anterior (1155.8 AU, 95%CI: 80.0-4064.5 vs 108.4 AU, 95%CI: 35.5-320.7) were higher in the HS group (P <.05). The suspension model evokes oxidative stress and reduced CSA. However, several signs of physical stress can occur. This indicates that hindlimb suspension models may introduce confounding factors that influence muscle atrophy and should be used cautiously.

The level of physical activity for hypertensive and diabetic patients and the damage caused by the physical exercise requirement / O nível de actividade física para doentes hipertensos e diabéticos e os danos causados pela necessidade de exercício físico

Physical exercise has been identified as a major non-pharmacological agent, assuming a protective role in the treatment of chronic non-communicable diseases, especially in hypertension and diabetes mellitus. The levels of physical activity as well as its intensity are of great impact for the full benefits to come of this practice. We know that the level of physical activity is a relevant factor for maintaining good health, however, little attention has been paid to what is established in relation to high-intensity daily exercise adjusted to cardiac damage or adaptation. The objective was to reflect on the prescription of physical activity in the treatment of hypertensive and diabetic patients and how eccentric exercise is related to the cardiomyocyte tissue in the damage process. We observed that the highest level of physical activity was associated with better quality of life, and that active patients have an 80% chance of survival when compared to sedentary ones. Thus, despite the potential benefits from the metabolic point of view, public health efforts should also focus on maintaining and protocols of physical activity levels since our study showed that intense eccentric physical activity had harmful effects at the cardiac level

Exploring perceived barriers to physical activity among older adults living in low-population density regions: gender differences and associations with activity dimensions

Older people in low-population density regions tend to have fewer resources to engage in regular physical activity (PA) compared to their counterparts in urban areas. Moreover, PA assumes different dimensions, and the amount of PA related to each dimension may differ between women and men, predisposing them to different PA practices. Therefore, this cross-sectional study aims to describe the prevalence of barriers to PA, gender differences, and their associations with different PA dimensions. A total of 259 older adults (153 women and 106 men; age, 75.17 8.05 years old) living in the community in the region of Guarda (Portugal) were interviewed face to face to record their sociodemographic characteristics, general health status (comorbidity index and self-reported health), PA behaviour, and barriers to PA.Women were more likely to report “low” income and living alone (p 0.05), while men reported a higher negative health status than women (p < 0.05). Two intrinsic (“Fear of injury” (40.1%) and “Need for rest” (26.3%)) and two extrinsic barriers (“Lack of nearby facilities” (30.5%) and “I don’t have transport” (25.6%)) were the most prevalent. For women, age, self-reported health, comorbidity index, and intrinsic and extrinsic barriers were similarly associated with the different PA dimensions. However, only self-reported health and extrinsic barriers were the variables associated with the different PA dimensions in men. Therefore, strategies to promote active ageing in low-population density regions should be focused on reducing intrinsic and extrinsic barriers based on gender and the PA dimension to be achieved.This study was funded by PORTUGAL2020 and by the Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT, I.P.), under project SAICT-POL/23811/2016 and through the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology, I.P., under project UIDB/04045/2020. The Polytechnic of Guarda partly supported the research reported in this publication.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Acute effects of isotonic eccentric exercise on the neuromuscular function of knee extensors vary according to the motor task: impact on muscle strength profiles, proprioception and balance

[EN] Introduction: Eccentric exercise has often been reported to result in muscle damage, limiting the muscle potential to produce force. However, understanding whether these adverse consequences extend to a broader, functional level is of apparently less concern. In this study, we address this issue by investigating the acute and delayed effects of supramaximal isotonic eccentric exercise on neuromuscular function and motor performance of knee extensors during tasks involving a range of strength profiles, proprioception, and balance. Methods: Fifteen healthy volunteers (23.2 ± 2.9 years old) performed a unilateral isotonic eccentric exercise of the knee extensors of their dominant lower limb (4 × 10 reps at 120% of one Repetition Maximum (1RM)). The maximum voluntary isometric contraction (MVC), rate of force development (RFD), force steadiness of the knee extensors, as well as knee joint position sense and mediolateral (MLI) and anteroposterior stability (API) of the dominant lower limb, were measured pre-, immediately, and 24 h after the eccentric exercise. The EMG amplitude of the vastus medialis (VM) and biceps femoris (BF) were concomitantly evaluated. Results: MVC decreased by 17.9% immediately after exercise (P < 0.001) and remained reduced by 13.6% 24 h following exercise (P < 0.001). Maximum RFD decreased by 20.4% immediately after exercise (P < 0.001) and remained reduced by 15.5% at 24 h (P < 0.001). During the MVC, EMG amplitude of the VM increased immediately after exercise while decreasing during the RFD task. Both values returned to baseline 24 h after exercise. Compared to baseline, force steadiness during submaximal isometric tasks reduced immediately after exercise, and it was accompanied by an increase in the EMG amplitude of the VM. MLI and knee joint position sense were impaired immediately after isotonic eccentric exercise (P < 0.05). While MLI returned to baseline values 24 h later, the absolute error in the knee repositioning task did not. Discussion: Impairments in force production tasks, particularly during fast contractions and in the knee joint position sense, persisted 24 h after maximal isotonic eccentric training, revealing that neuromuscular functional outputs were affected by muscle fatigue and muscle damage. Conversely, force fluctuation and stability during the balance tasks were only affected by muscle fatigue since fully recovered was observed 24 h following isotonic eccentric exercise.SIThe author(s) declare financial support was received for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article. This study was funded by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology, IP, under project UID04045/2020. The Polytechnic of Guarda partly supported the research reported in this publication.ARB and AB are part of the Highly Qualified Human Resources Project, reference number CENTRO-04-3559-FSE-000162. MR-A acknowledges the financial support received from the Spanish Ministry of Universities through the Grants for the Requalification of the Spanish University System under the Postdoctoral Margarita Salas Programme (RSUC.UDC.MS09), funded by the European Union – Next Generation

Acute effects of isotonic eccentric exercise on the neuromuscular function of knee extensors vary according to the motor task: impact on muscle strength profiles, proprioception and balance

IntroductionEccentric exercise has often been reported to result in muscle damage, limiting the muscle potential to produce force. However, understanding whether these adverse consequences extend to a broader, functional level is of apparently less concern. In this study, we address this issue by investigating the acute and delayed effects of supramaximal isotonic eccentric exercise on neuromuscular function and motor performance of knee extensors during tasks involving a range of strength profiles, proprioception, and balance.MethodsFifteen healthy volunteers (23.2 ± 2.9 years old) performed a unilateral isotonic eccentric exercise of the knee extensors of their dominant lower limb (4 × 10 reps at 120% of one Repetition Maximum (1RM)). The maximum voluntary isometric contraction (MVC), rate of force development (RFD), force steadiness of the knee extensors, as well as knee joint position sense and mediolateral (MLI) and anteroposterior stability (API) of the dominant lower limb, were measured pre-, immediately, and 24 h after the eccentric exercise. The EMG amplitude of the vastus medialis (VM) and biceps femoris (BF) were concomitantly evaluated.ResultsMVC decreased by 17.9% immediately after exercise (P &lt; 0.001) and remained reduced by 13.6% 24 h following exercise (P &lt; 0.001). Maximum RFD decreased by 20.4% immediately after exercise (P &lt; 0.001) and remained reduced by 15.5% at 24 h (P &lt; 0.001). During the MVC, EMG amplitude of the VM increased immediately after exercise while decreasing during the RFD task. Both values returned to baseline 24 h after exercise. Compared to baseline, force steadiness during submaximal isometric tasks reduced immediately after exercise, and it was accompanied by an increase in the EMG amplitude of the VM. MLI and knee joint position sense were impaired immediately after isotonic eccentric exercise (P &lt; 0.05). While MLI returned to baseline values 24 h later, the absolute error in the knee repositioning task did not.DiscussionImpairments in force production tasks, particularly during fast contractions and in the knee joint position sense, persisted 24 h after maximal isotonic eccentric training, revealing that neuromuscular functional outputs were affected by muscle fatigue and muscle damage. Conversely, force fluctuation and stability during the balance tasks were only affected by muscle fatigue since fully recovered was observed 24 h following isotonic eccentric exercise

Tutoria como Estratégia de Aprendizagem nos Cursos de Graduação da UFSM

The aim of this paper is to present the analysis carried out on the impact of CCNE's “Central de Tutoria” on the development of UFSM students' learning, especially on the aprovation indexes. Data were collected from May to June 2019, with 752 attendances during this period in 367 students from 47 different courses at 6 teaching centers. It was found that in all the most sought after subjects in the "Central de Tutoria", the number of students approved was higher than those who failed, with a greater emphasis on the General Statistics discipline with an 88% pass rate. Overall, it was observed that the students who sought support are mostly in the first stages of the various courses. This data reinforces the objectives of the creation of the "Central de Tutoria", since it is in the early stages of the courses that the failure rate is high, contributing to dropout. In sum, student demand for this support is expected to increase and, based on the results of the data analysis presented in this work, it is believed that continuing the "Central de Tutoria" will positively contribute to the permanence rates as well as the success of our students.O objetivo do presente trabalho é apresentar uma análise realizada sobre o impacto da Central de Tutoria do CCNE no desenvolvimento da aprendizagem dos estudantes da UFSM, especialmente sobre os índices de aprovação. Os dados foram coletados de maio a junho de 2019, sendo realizados nesse período 752 atendimentos em 367 estudantes pertencentes a 47 cursos distintos de 6 Centros de ensino. Verificou-se que em todas as disciplinas de maior procura na Central de Tutoria o número de alunos aprovados foi maior do que os reprovados, com maior destaque para a disciplina de Estatística com índice de aprovação de 88%. De modo geral, foi observado que os estudantes que buscaram apoio estão, em sua maioria, nas primeiras etapas dos diversos cursos. Esse dado reforça os objetivos da criação da central de tutoria, visto que são nas primeiras semestres dos cursos que o índice de reprovação é alto, contribuindo para a evasão. Em suma, espera-se um aumento na procura dos estudantes por este apoio e, com base nos resultados da análise dos dados apresentada neste trabalho, acredita-se que dar continuidade à Central de Tutoria contribuirá positivamente nos índices de permanência, bem como no êxito dos nossos estudantes

Algoritmos de Machine Learning Aplicados na Ocorrência de Chuvas na Cidade de Santa Maria

Técnicas de Machine Learning são amplamente utilizadas nas mais diversas áreas no que se refere à Inteligência Artificial. Por meio de tais técnicas é possível prever se vai chover ou não baseado em variáveis climáticas, tais como temperatura máxima e mínima por hora, pressão máxima e mínima por hora, velocidade do vento, direção do vento, velocidade da rajada de vento, radiação e precipitação. No presente trabalho foram testados 5 algoritmos de machine learning, em uma base de dados do Instituto Nacional de Meteorologia (INMET) contendo 8694 observações dos dados da estação automática localizada em Santa Maria-RS referentes ao período de 20 de setembro de 2018 a 20 de setembro de 2019. O objetivo é buscar um modelo que melhor realize predições de ocorrência de chuva para a hora seguinte à hora corrente de acordo com as variáveis do estudo. Como resultado, o modelo selecionado foi baseado no algoritmo denominado Árvores de Classificação e Regressão (CART) por possuir um melhor desempenho comparado aos demais algoritmos, além de fácil implementação, compreensão e baixo custo computacional

Impact of Exercise on Vascular Function in Middle-Aged and Older Adults: A Scoping Review

There is a substantial literature gap related to the vascular response to different types of exercise training in middle-aged and older populations. Thus, this scoping review aimed to examine the outcomes of controlled trials testing the long-term effects of exercise interventions on vascular function-related outcomes in middle-aged and older populations. The literature search was conducted following PRISMA guidelines. Data sources: five databases were used (EBSCO, MEDLINE, Web of Science, Science Direct, and Google Scholar). Eligibility criteria: controlled trials, published in the last 10 years, in English, containing well-described exercise interventions, reporting vascular quantitative effects of exercise in middle-aged and older people. A total of 62 publications were included. The studies included distinct types and intensities of exercise and were heterogeneous in volume and frequency. The assessed vascular outcomes also presented considerable variability. Overall, most studies reported positive effects of exercise on vascular function outcomes, regardless of exercise characteristics. Different exercise interventions can be applied to improve vascular function in middle-aged and older adults. Studies on combined and stretching exercises reported encouraging results in improving vascular function. Stretching exercises rise as an effective alternative in promoting vascular function among older adults, while combined exercise delivered promising vascular benefits in both populations