Relationship Between Eccentric Hip Torque and Lower-Limb Kinematics: Gender Differences

The purposes of this study were to compare lower-limb kinematics between genders, and determine the relationships among eccentric hip abductor and lateral rotator torques and lower-limb kinematics. The movements of the pelvis, femur, and knee were calculated for 16 women and 16 men during the single-leg squat. Eccentric hip abductor and lateral rotator torques were measured using an isokinetic dynamometer. The results showed that women had greater contralateral pelvic depression, femur adduction, and knee abduction than men. The eccentric hip abductor and lateral rotator torques were correlated with coronal plane femur and knee movements in the overall sample. When the genders were analyzed separately, it was observed that women with greater eccentric hip abductor torque exhibited less femur adduction and femur medial rotation, and greater knee adduction excursion. No significant relationship was observed between the isokinetic and kinematic variables in the male group. The differences between the genders help to explain the greater rate of knee disorders observed in women. Moreover, the eccentric hip abduction action seemed to be more important in women to control the lower-limb movements.Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Cientifico e Tecnologico (CNPq)Fundacao de Amparo a Pesquisa do Estado de Sao Paulo (FAPESP)Coordenacao de Aperfeicoamento de Pessoal de Nivel Superior (CAPES

Comparação do equilíbrio corporal de mulheres a partir da meia-idade obesas e não-obesas

This is a comparative study on the effect of obesity on static and dynamic balance in middle-aged and elderly women. The sample was composed by 80 women over 50 years old, distributed according to the body mass index into a non-obese group (n=45) and an obese group (n=35), with similar mean age. Participants were assessed as to body fat by bioimpedance and submitted to the one leg stance (OLS) and maximum walking speed (MWS) tests. Data were statistically analysed. At the OLS on both feet the non-obese group remained longer in position - 25.6 seconds (s) on the right limb and 24,9 s on the left one - than the obese group (19.0 s on the right, 17.5 s on the left limb, pEste é um estudo comparativo do efeito da obesidade no equilíbrio estático e dinâmico de mulheres a partir da meia-idade. A amostra foi composta por mulheres acima de 50 anos (n=80), distribuídas segundo o índice de massa corporal em grupo não-obeso (n=45) e obeso (n=35), com médias de idade equivalentes. Foram avaliadas quanto à gordura corporal por bioimpedância e quanto ao equilíbrio pelos testes de apoio unipodal (TAU) e de velocidade máxima de andar (VMA). Os dados foram tratados estatisticamente. No TAU em ambos os membros inferiores o grupo não-obeso permaneceu por mais tempo na posição - 25,6 segundos (s) no membro direito e 24,9 s no esquerdo - do que o grupo obeso (19,0 s no direito e 17,5 s no esquerdo,

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Mediante o estudo do viés e erro médio quadrático, foi com- parado o desempenho dos estimadores F-N-P* de Kaplan e Meier (1958) e de Kitchin (1980) e do estimador bayesiano** de Salinas e Pereira (1992), das curvas de sobrevivência sob dados censurados. Além disso, foi pesquisado e comparado outro estimador F-N-P para esse mesmo fim, que foi chamado estimador modificado de Kitchin (pela mudança realizada na taxa de risco acumulada do estima dor de Kitchin nos subintervalos formados pelos tempos consecutivos das ocorrências dos eventos de interesse). As estimativas são calculadas e comparadas primeiramente em um exemplo de dados clínicos reais de transplantes renais humanos e depois em amostras geradas por simulação a partir de modelos teóricos, assumindo distribuições exponencial e de Weibull. As simulações indicaram que o estimador de Kaplan e Meier é melhor que os demais, isto é, tem menor erro quadrático médio em todas as circunstâncias abordadas. Neste mesmo sentido o estimador modificado apresentou-se melhor que o de Kitchin. Com uma priori não informativa, o estimador de Salinas e Pereira teve melhor desempenho que o modificado de Kitchin. A análise simultânea do desempenho e simplicidade operacional aponta para os estimadores de Kaplan e Meier e Modificado de Kichin, nessa ordem. * A sigla refere-se à inferência estatistica segundo a metodologia desenvolvida por Fisher, Neyman e Pearson, também conhecida como \"inferência clássica\"(15,37). ** O termo refere-se à inferência estatística desenvolvida segundo a linha filosófica sugerida por um trabalho de Bayes (1763) (15).The performances of F-N-P* estimators of the survival curve for censored data of Kaplan & Meier (1958), Kitchin (1980) and the bayesian estimator** of Salinas & Pereira (1992) are compared using bias and mean squared error. A F-N-P estimator, refered to as modified Kitchin, is proposed here and compared with the others. It is based on the change of Kitchin cumulative risks ratios for the sub-intervals given by the consecutive times of occurrence of the events of interest. The estimates are computed and compared for two cases: first for a real data set related to human renal transplants. And second, for simulated data sets developed from theoretical models for exponential and Weibull distributions. Simulated results indicated that the Kaplan & Meier estimator is better than the others, that is, it presented least mean squared error in all situations discussed in this work. The results also indicated that the modified estimator is better than the Kitchin estimator. Using a non-informative \"a priori\" distribution, the Salinas & Pereira estimator presented better performance than the modified Kitchin estimator. The simultaneous analysis of the performance and the operational simplicity point out the Kaplan & Meier and modified Kitchin estimators, in this order. * F-N-P refers to the methodology developed by Fisher, Neyman and Pearson, also known as \"classical inference\" (15,37). ** Bayesian inference refers to the inference whose development were based on the work of Bayes (1763) (15)

A DISTRIBUTION FOR THE SERVICE MODEL

ABSTRACT In this paper, we propose a distribution that describes a specific system. The system has a heavy traffic, a fast service and the service rate depends on state of the system. This distribution we call the Maximum-Conway-Maxwell-Poisson-exponential distribution, denoted by MAXCOMPE distribution. The MAXCOMPE distribution is obtained by compound distributions in which we use the zero truncated Conway-Maxwell-Poisson distribution and the exponential distribution. This distribution has adjustment mechanism in order to re-establish the equilibrium of the system when the traffic flow increases and that is described by variations of the pressure parameter. Because of this, the MAXCOMPE distribution contains sub-models, such as, the Maximum-geometric-exponential distribution, the Maximum-Poisson-exponential distribution and the Maximum-Bernoulli-exponential distribution. The properties of the proposed distribution are discussed, including formal proof of its density function and explicit algebraic formulas for their reliability function and moments. The parameter estimation is based on the usual maximum likelihood method. Simulated and real data are shown to illustrate the applicability of the model

Low-level laser therapy (670 nm) on viability of random skin flap in rats

This study investigated the effects of 670 nm laser, at different fluences, on the viability of skin flap in rats. One hundred male animals were used. the animals were divided into control group; group treated with 3 J/cm(2); group treated with 6 J/cm(2); group treated with 12 J/cm(2) and group treated with 24 J/cm(2). the skin flap was made on the backs of all animals studied, with a plastic sheet interposed between the flap and the donor site. Laser irradiation was done immediately after the surgery and on days 1, 2, 3 and 4 after surgery. the percentage of necrosis of the flap was calculated at the 7th postoperative day. Additionally, a sample of each flap was collected to enable us to count the blood vessels. Treated animals showed a statistically significant smaller area of necrosis than did the control group. the necrosis in the treated groups was 41.82% (group 2), 36.51% (group 3), 29.45% (group 4) and 20.37% (group 5). We also demonstrated that laser irradiation at 670 nm, at all doses used, had a stimulatory effect on angiogenesis. Our study showed that the 670 nm laser was efficient to increase the viability of the skin flap, at all fluences used, with a tendency of reaching better results at higher doses.Universidade Federal de São Paulo, Dept Physiotherapy, BR-15011000 Santos, SP, BrazilUniv Fed Sao Carlos, Dept Physiotherapy, BR-13560 Sao Carlos, SP, BrazilUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, Dept Hlth Sci, BR-15011000 Santos, SP, BrazilUniv Fed Sao Carlos, Dept Stat, BR-13560 Sao Carlos, SP, BrazilEstadual Univ State São Paulo UNESP, Dept Physiol & Pathol, Araraquara, SP, BrazilUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, Dept Physiotherapy, BR-15011000 Santos, SP, BrazilUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, Dept Hlth Sci, BR-15011000 Santos, SP, BrazilWeb of Scienc