Multivariate analysis of walker-assisted ambulation

In an aging society it is extremely important to develop devices which can support and aid the elderly in their daily life. Walkers play an important role, due to the large number of potential users, its simplicity and their ambulatory potential. However, there are no clinical evidences that prove the efficacy of such devices, mainly rollators that present forearm supports. In this context, the authors aim to propose a protocol for an innovative gait analysis that addresses some benefits and limitations of these devices on the rehabilitation process, by addressing a multivariate analysis of spatiotemporal and kinematic gait parameters assessed during normal and assisted ambulation with a walker with forearm supports. For the 3Dreconstruction of the body segments it was used a movement analysis system. Results showed that the effects of assisted gait can be explained through support, energy consumption, posture and balance characteristics. These results are very satisfactory since aspects regarding these characteristics enhance the rehabilitation potential of the use of walkers with forearm supports. These results will be used to advance towards an active robotic walker that will provide for safety and natural manoeuvrability and offer a certain degree of intelligence in assistance and decision-making

Vine protection on family farms: decision making and pesticide use

Family farming is defined as the one which is managed by the family and uses mostly family labor. In the north of Portugal, family farm products are primarily intended for consumption by the household, and secondarily for local sale. Grape production is in many farms the main source of income, and is the one in which the farmer is willing to apply more pesticides to guarantee the quantity and quality required for processing. However, vineyard family farmers do not always register their practices and are rarely subject to any controls. Therefore, the way in which decision-making and compliance with the rules are carried out in these farms are not known. To understand the decision-making processes regarding phytosanitary treatments of these farmers, as well as their perception and caution with the use of pesticides, a checklist-type questionnaire was applied to a sample of 109 family farmers in the NUTIII region in Portugal. Issues related to: i) sociodemographic characteristics, and ii) agricultural practices related to the vineyard protection, were analyzed. The univariate data analysis was associated with the application of a principal component analysis (PCA). The obtained results reveal that the use of pesticides in family farm vineyards is a widespread practice and that the decision making and choice of the pesticide is, in most situations, carried out without the necessary caution, technical monitoring or registration. Respondents with a higher level of education say that they are more careful about the use of pesticides and individual protection. The younger and more educated age groups are more compliant when it comes to regulatory obligations such as the registrations

Políticas de desenvolvimento nacional e impactos regionais: um estudo sobre São José dos Campos e Taubaté

The national economic development policy of the first half of the 20th century promoted the third phase of industrialization in Brazil relying on the State's role in supporting infrastructure for municipalities with industrial inclination, highlighting the Vale do Paraíba region in the national economic scenario. This study aims to identify incentives for the boom of industrialization occurred along the axis of the President Dutra Highway in the period characterized as National Developmentalism and analyze how this change influenced the development of some municipalities whose urban structures and socio-spatial dynamics were modified to the point of occurring, from 1950, an inversion in the hierarchical polarization of the regional urban network. The study, with a descriptive and reflective historical character, was supported by specific bibliographical research on the region of the Vale do Paraíba along the period of Fordist industrial implantation, with emphasis on the municipalities of São José dos Campos and Taubaté. The central analysis aims to understand the urban spatial configuration between the 1950s and 1970s years when the municipality of São José dos Campos assume the regional hegemony, previously led by Taubaté.La política nacional desarrollista, de la primera mitad del siglo XX, al confiar el papel del Estado en el apoyo de la infraestructura para los municipios con inclinación industrial, promovió la llamada tercera fase de industrialización en Brasil, mostrando la región Vale do Paraíba en el escenario económico nacional. Este estudio tiene como objetivo identificar los incentivos para el despegue de la industrialización que se produjo a lo largo del eje de la carretera Presidente Dutra en el período caracterizado como desarrollismo nacional y analizar cómo estas acciones influyeron en el desarrollo de los municipios cuyas estructuras urbanas y dinámicas socioespaciales cambiaron, hasta el punto de que a partir de 1950, se produjo una inversión en la polarización jerárquica de la red urbana regional. El estudio, con un carácter histórico descriptivo y reflexivo, fue apoyado por la investigación bibliográfica, especialmente en la región del Vale do Paraíba, en São Paulo, durante el período de implantación industrial fordista, con énfasis en los municipios de São José dos Campos y Taubaté. El análisis central apunta a comprender la configuración espacial urbana durante las décadas de 1950 y 1970, cuando el municipio de São José dos Campos comenzó a liderar la hegemonía regional, anteriormente dirigida por Taubaté.A política nacional de desenvolvimento da primeira metade do século XX, contou com a atuação do Estado no subsídio de infraestrutura para municípios de inclinação industrial e promoveu a chamada terceira fase de industrialização no Brasil evidenciando a região do Vale do Paraíba no cenário econômico nacional. Este estudo visa identificar os incentivos para o intenso surto de industrialização que ocorreu no eixo da Rodovia Presidente Dutra no período caracterizado como Nacional Desenvolvimentismo e analisar de que forma tais ações influenciaram o desenvolvimento de municípios cujas estruturas urbanas e dinâmicas sócio espaciais se modificaram, a ponto de ocorrer, a partir de 1950, uma inversão na polarização hierárquica da rede urbana regional. O estudo, de caráter histórico descritivo e reflexivo foi amparado em pesquisa bibliográfica, em especial sobre a região do Vale do Paraíba Paulista no período da implantação industrial fordista, com destaque aos municípios de São José dos Campos e Taubaté. A análise central visa entender a configuração urbana espacial durante as décadas de 1950 e 1970, quando o município de São José dos Campos passa a protagonizar a hegemonia regional, antes liderada por Taubaté

Carta da Vegetação Natural Potencial de Caldas da Rainha

A POTENTIAL NATURAL VEGETATION MAP OF CALDAS DA RAINHA . This article presents and discusses a Potential Natural Vegetation (PNV) Map of the Caldas da Rainha Municipality. After outlining the concept, an assessment is made of the conditioning factors that affect the PNV (soil, geology, lithology, bioclimate). A model allowing for the estimation of the PNV is then put forward based on a correspondence drawn between the PNV and the relevant biotopic variables. The resulting PNV map was validated through comparison with the vegetal communities effectively present in the field. The PNV Map of Caldas da Rainha shows that almost the entire area of this Municipality corresponds to potential cork-oak, Portuguese-oak, elm and willow forests. Cork-oak forests are associated with podzolic soils, made up of sand and sandstone; Portuguese-oak forests (Quercus faginea subsp. broteroi) occur in the presence of limestones, clays, and dolomites; whereas willow and elm forests are associated with the floodplains of the hydrographical unit called the Ribeiras do Oeste. Finally, it is worth noting that the most relevant features in terms of protection and conservation (due both to their rarity and to the presence of endemic species) are to be found in complex communities: halophytic (Óbidos lagoon), psammophilous, rupicolous and peat bogs

BIRC8 (baculoviral IAP repeat containing 8)

BIRC8, also known as ILP-2, is a homologous protein of BIRC4, however, its function has seldom been addressed. Despite the similarity with other Inhibitory Apoptosis Proteins (IAPs), there is evidence that BIRC8 acts in a peculiar manner, by impeding apoptosis induced by BAX without directly inhibiting the activity of caspases. BIRC8 expression has been detected in testis and lymphoblastic normal cells and, furthermore, it has been reported in different cancers, including breast carcinoma, hematological neoplasms, hepatocellular carcinoma, nasopharyngeal carcinoma, and neuroblastoma. However, the specific implications of such protein for treatment and prognosis must be further evaluated. In this review, current data on RNA, DNA, protein and the association of BIRC8 in cancer are presented

Termalismo - As lógicas do consumo na entropia da ordem cultural, o exemplo das Caldas da Rainha

Tendo o termalismo como pano de fundo, analisou-se o contexto da cidade de Caldas da Rainha, visando entender a viabilidade do património termal centenário, enquanto atrativo turístico num futuro próximo. Focou-se a atenção na lógica das mudanças culturais, motivadas por paradigmas associados ao consumo do espaço, fazendo análise de conteúdo de imagens e palavras utilizadas na sua referência, tanto institucional quanto individualmente. Apesar de o tratamento com águas termais, na cidade de Caldas da Rainha, ter entrado em situação de marasmo, verificou-se que o património termal e toda a imagética a ele associada ainda se constitui como referência de identidade, devendo ser salvaguardado a sua integridade e genuinidade para benefício das futuras gerações de utilizadores. A ordem da degradação do património termal de Caldas da Rainha pode ser revertida, utilizando sinergia de cientistas, entidades públicas e privadas e ser uma mais-valia, não somente para o município e a população local, mas também para toda a região do oeste e para o país

A proteção da vinha nas explorações agrícolas familiares: tomada de decisão e uso de pesticidas

A agricultura familiar é definida como a que é gerida pela família e usa maioritariamente mão de obra familiar, de acordo com a FAO. No norte de Portugal, a produção assim obtida destina-se prioritariamente a ser consumida pela família e, secundariamente, para venda local. A produção de uvas, ao constituir em muitas explorações a principal fonte de receita, é aquela em que o agricultor está disponível para aplicar mais pesticidas de forma a garantir a quantidade e qualidade das uvas exigidas para o processo de transformação. Contudo, os viticultores familiares nem sempre procedem a registos das suas práticas e raramente são sujeitos a controlos. A forma como é feita a tomada de decisão e o cumprimento das normas não são conhecidos. No sentido de conhecer o comportamento dos viticultores familiares na tomada de decisão relativamente aos tratamentos fitossanitários, perceção e cuidados com o uso dos pesticidas, aplicou-se um questionário tipo checklist dirigido numa amostra de 109 agricultores enquadrados no conceito de agricultores familiares, em explorações com vinha em diferentes zonas da NUTIII, no norte e centro de Portugal. Foram analisadas questões relacionadas com: i) características sociodemográficas, e ii) práticas agrícolas relacionadas com a proteção da vinha. À análise dos dados univariável, associou-se a aplicação da análise de componentes principais (ACP). Os resultados obtidos revelam que a utilização de pesticidas na vinha em agricultura familiar é uma prática generalizada e que a tomada de decisão e escolha do pesticida é, em grande parte das situações, efetuada sem os necessários cuidados, acompanhamento técnico ou registo. Os inquiridos com maior nível de escolaridade expressam ter mais cuidados relativamente à utilização de pesticidas e à proteção individual. As classes etárias mais jovens e mais escolarizadas, são mais cumpridores no que diz respeitos às obrigações regulamentares como a elaboração de registos.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

A simple prescription for simulating and characterizing gravitational arcs

Simple models of gravitational arcs are crucial to simulate large samples of these objects with full control of the input parameters. These models also provide crude and automated estimates of the shape and structure of the arcs, which are necessary when trying to detect and characterize these objects on massive wide area imaging surveys. We here present and explore the ArcEllipse, a simple prescription to create objects with shape similar to gravitational arcs. We also present PaintArcs, which is a code that couples this geometrical form with a brightness distribution and adds the resulting object to images. Finally, we introduce ArcFitting, which is a tool that fits ArcEllipses to images of real gravitational arcs. We validate this fitting technique using simulated arcs and apply it to CFHTLS and HST images of tangential arcs around clusters of galaxies. Our simple ArcEllipse model for the arc, associated to a S\'ersic profile for the source, recovers the total signal in real images typically within 10%-30%. The ArcEllipse+S\'ersic models also automatically recover visual estimates of length-to-width ratios of real arcs. Residual maps between data and model images reveal the incidence of arc substructure. They may thus be used as a diagnostic for arcs formed by the merging of multiple images. The incidence of these substructures is the main factor preventing ArcEllipse models from accurately describing real lensed systems.Comment: 12 pages, 11 figures, accepted for publication in A&

PLANT COMMUNITIES OF NAMIBE SALTMARSHES (SOUTHWEST OF ANGOLA)

This work constitutes the first phytosociological analysis of saltmarshes on the Angolan coast. Sixty-five relevés were carried out resulting in the description of six new plant associations. These saltmarshes are characterized by a lower floristic richness when compared to the Holarctic saltmarshes. Eighteen taxa were identified, some of them succulent. Saltmarshes occur from the mouth of the Cunene River to the Cuanza River, although in this last part they are already very impoverished. In the Cuanza river, saltmar shes occupy only a narrow strip in the inner sector of the mangroves in contact with conti nental ecosystems and are often made up of just one taxon, Sarcocornia natalensis subsp. affinis. Mangroves reach their southern limit in the city of Lobito, although they are almost extinct there. The occurrence and distribution of saltmarshes are affected by the Cold Ben guela Current, that influences the west coast of Africa between Cabo da Boa Esperança and Benguela. The height of the saltmarsh’s platforms colonized by halophyte, sub-halophyte or halotolerant plants determines the flooding period and thus the plant community’s floristic composition. Soil granulometry also plays an important role in the spatial organization of plant communities. One of the main originalities of Angolan saltmarshes is the predomi nance of fine sandy or sandy-loam soil texture as a consequence of the proximity of the Namibe desert. The PCA segregated the different plant communities described.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Improvement in lung function and functional capacity in morbidly obese women subjected to bariatric surgery

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether weight loss in women with morbid obesity subjected to bariatric surgery alters lung function, respiratory muscle strength, functional capacity and the level of habitual physical activity and to investigate the relationship between these variables and changes in both body composition and anthropometrics. METHODS: Twenty-four women with morbid obesity were evaluated with regard to lung function, respiratory muscle strength, functional capacity, body composition, anthropometrics and the level of habitual physical activity two weeks prior to and six months after bariatric surgery. RESULTS: Regarding lung function, mean increases of 160 mL in slow vital capacity, 550 mL in expiratory reserve volume, 290 mL in forced vital capacity and 250 mL in forced expiratory volume in the first second as well as a mean reduction of 490 mL in inspiratory capacity were found. Respiratory muscle strength increased by a mean of 10 cmH2O of maximum inspiratory pressure, and a 72-meter longer distance on the Incremental Shuttle Walk Test demonstrated that functional capacity also improved. Significant changes also occurred in anthropometric variables and body composition but not in the level of physical activity detected using the Baecke questionnaire, indicating that the participants remained sedentary. Moreover, correlations were found between the percentages of lean and fat mass and both inspiratory and expiratory reserve volumes. CONCLUSION: The present data suggest that changes in body composition and anthropometric variables exerted a direct influence on functional capacity and lung function in the women analyzed but exerted no influence on sedentarism, even after accentuated weight loss following bariatric surgery