Análise dos Efeitos Quantitativos e Qualitativos de um Programa de Educação Física sobre a Flexibilidade do Quadril em Indivíduos Com Mais de 60 Anos

Pesquisas recentes têm mostrado que a baixa flexibilidade está associada à perda das funções em várias atividades da vida diária (AVDs) e pode ser uma das causas de dependência motora em indivíduos idosos. Neste sentido, o Programa Autonomia para a Atividade Física da Escola de Educação Física e Esportes da Universidade de São Paulo tem como proposta o ensino de uma prática motora permanente, inserida no cotidiano dos participantes. O programa inclui exercícios de alongamento e a aprendizagem sobre a flexibilidade. Para sabermos se o programa foi adequado para promover alterações nesta capacidade, realizamos este estudo, cujo o objetivo foi examinar seu efeito sobre a flexibilidade através de uma análise quantitativa e qualitativa. Participaram do programa 38 pessoas com mais de 60 anos, sendo 25 mulheres (idade média = 66,1 ± 4,1) e 13 homens (idade média = 68,4 ± 5,7). Este tinha duas sessões por semana de 90 minutos nas quais desenvolvia-se não somente a flexibilidade, mas todas as capacidades físicas, habilidades motoras, ritmo, restruturação corporal e informações teóricas. A análise quantitativa, que foi feita através de medidas obtidas no teste de sentar e alcançar, indicou que esta capacidade diminuiu após 12 meses de programa para ambos os sexos. A ausência de um grupo controle, critérios na seleção da amostra e controle da intensidade do exercício podem ter conduzido este resultado. A análise qualitativa, realizada através de um questionário referente às dificuldades para a realização das AVDs e sensações relacionadas à elas, revelou que os participantes tiveram, ao final do programa, menos dores e melhor qualidade na movimentação cotidiana, o que é indicativo de aumento de bem-estar físico dos sujeitos participantes do programa. Existe a necessidade de futuros estudos aplicando elementos da metodologia da pesquisa para uma melhor análise quantitativa

Controle on-line da taxa média de defeitos por item produzido numa produção finita

Este trabalho propõe uma abordagem para monitoramento da taxa média de defeitos por item produzido numa produção finita ou encomenda de N itens. A cada ciclo de m itens produzidos, inspecionam-se os últimos r itens. Em cada item inspecionado conta-se o número de defeitos e cada item é classificado como aprovado se o número de defeitos satisfizer o critério do limite de controle. Se todos os r itens forem aprovados, a produção continua, caso contrário interrompe-se a produção à procura de causas especiais. Os itens inspecionados são descartados somente quando há parada no processo. Após a produção de N itens, um lote adicional será produzido para completar a quantia encomendada, mas esses não passarão por inspeção. Será utilizada uma cadeia de Markov finita de estados discretos para determinar as probabilidades de mudança de estado. Elas são utilizadas nas expressões de custo para determinar a estratégia ótima de monitoração, que será obtida através da otimização de três parâmetros: intervalo amostral (m), tamanho da amostra retrospectiva (r) e o limite de controle (LC). Os parâmetros serão obtidos através de busca direta, de forma que se minimize a expressão do custo médio por item produzido. Um exemplo numérico ilustra a propostaThis paper proposes an approach for monitoring the average number of non-conformities per items in short-run productions of N items. After every m produced items, the last r items are inspected. For each inspected item, the number of defects is counted; each inspected item is classified as approved if it meets the control limit criterion. If all r inspected items are approved, then the production goes on, otherwise it is stopped for adjustment. The inspected items are all discarded in case of production stoppage. After a production of N items, an additional lot is produced to complete the size ordered, but this additional lot does suffer inspection. A finite discrete state Markov chain is used to determine the transitory probabilities, which will be considered in terms of cost, to determine the optimal strategy for monitoring, obtained by optimizing three parameters: sampling interval (m), retrospective sample size (r), and control limit (cl). These parameters are obtained computationally by direct search to minimize the expression of the average cost per item produced. A numerical example illustrates the proposa

USE OF CONTROL CHARTS FOR MULTI-TEMPORAL ANALYSIS OF GEODETIC AUSCULTATION DATA FROM DAMS

Geodesic auscultation can be used to monitor the movement of dam structures bymeasuring the distance, at different epochs from fixed positions (pillars) to otherpositions (targets). It is important to identify the targets that present atypicalmeasurements to permit managers to take corrective actions. After fitting a modelusing the Least Squares Method (LSM), the residuals normally display randombehavior. Multivariate control charts are then applied to the residuals of the fittedmodel from data taken of geodesic survey campaigns conducted at different epochs.Control charts have been widely applied in other fields of research than productionprocesses such as public health, marketing, services. The results show that it ispossible for monitoring the multi-temporal stability by the multivariate controlcharts. The method provides complementary information than the classicalunivariate statistical analysis

Efeitos do crioprotetor e da temperatura de imersão em nitrogênio líquido sobre o desenvolvimento in vivo e in vitro de mórulas de camundongos

Os efeitos das temperaturas de imersão em nitrogênio líquido e dos métodos de remoção dos crioprotetores foram avaliados em mórulas de camundongos congeladas em etilenoglicol (E), propilenoglicol (P) e glicerol (G). Os embriões foram equilibrados em E (1,5M), P (1,5M) ou G (1,4M) por 10 minutos e envasados em palhetas de 0,25 ml com crioprotetor nas três colunas (E1, P1 G1) ou PBS nas colunas das extremidades (E2, P2). As palhetas foram resfriadas a 0,5ºC/minuto até -25 ou -30ºC e imersas em nitrogênio líquido. A descongelação dos embriões foi feita em água a 22ºC por 20 segundos. O crioprotetor dos embriões congelados em glicerol (Gl) foi removido em 3 etapas, dos congelados em etilenoglicol e propilenoglicol com crioprotetor nas 3 colunas (El e Pl) removido diretamente em PBS e dos congelados em etilenoglicol e propilenoglicol com PBS nas colunas das extremidades (E2, P2), após mistura das três colunas dentro da palheta, em PBS. Não houve influência da temperatura de imersão sobre o desenvolvimento embrionário in vitro, observando maior taxa (p < 0,0001) para El (69,2%) que para E2 (60,3%), Gl (51,9%) e a combinação P1 e P2 (46,9%). Para o desenvolvimento in vivo, a taxa de fetos foi menor (p < 0,07) para o grupo E1-25 do que para o Controle; Gl-30ºC; El-30ºC e E2-25ºC. Pode-se concluir que in vitro o melhor crioprotetor foi o etilenoglicol com remoção direta em PBS e que in vivo o etilenoglicol e o glicerol foram semelhantes a -30ºC.The effects of plunging temperature in liquid nitrogen and cryoprotectant dilution methods were evaluated for compacted mouse morulae frozen in 1.5 M ethylene-glycol (E), 1.5M propylene-glycol (P) or 1.4M glycerol (G). Morulae were equilibrated for 10 minutes in cryoprotectant solution and loaded into 0.25 ml straws with cryoprotectant solution in 3 columns (groups E1, P1, G1) or cryoprotectant in the center and PBS in the lateral columns (E2, P2). Straws were cooled at 0.5ºC/min to -25 or -30ºC and plunged into liquid nitrogen. Straws were thawed in water at 22ºC for 20 seconds. Cryoprotectant was diluted in 3 steps for group G1 and in one step for groups E1 and P1 (direct transfer to PBS + 10% FCS) and E2 and P2 (shaken to mix the 3 columns before transferring to PBS+ 10% FCS). Plunging temperature had no significant effect on the proportion of morulae developed to blastocysts in vitro; this proportion was higher (p < 0.0001) in E1 (69.2%) than in E2 (60.3%), G1 (51.9%) and combined for P1 and P2 (46.9%). In second experiment, the proportion of transferred morulae that developed to viable fetuses was lower (p < 0.07) for E1-25 than for E1-30, G1-30, E2-25 or unfrozen (control) embryos (8.7, 20.0, 20.0, 17.4 and 19.8%, respectively). In conclusion, the ethylene glycol diluted directly in PBS (E1) exhibit the highest rate of in vitro embryos development, but based on in vivo embryos development was more efficacious in plunging temperature at -30ºC (E1-30)

The Design of a Zero-Defect Sampling with Rectification Procedure in the Presence of Classification Errors: an Application to Database with Spatial Data

In this paper, a zero-defect acceptance sampling with rectification is used to evaluate the quality of spatial database. In such case, quadrats are the area sampling frames and the optimum sample size to be extracted in a digital file generated from a conversion process; the size of the team of inspectors is determined so as to satisfy economic criteria. For the implementation, a program was developed using the software Matlab and it is available for readers in the Appendix. The proposed procedure is illustrated by the application to digital data on the water distribution network

On the Relation Between Black Hole Mass and Velocity Dispersion in Type 1 and Type 2 AGN

We present results from infrared spectroscopic projects that aim to test the relation between the mass of a black hole M_(BH) and the velocity dispersion of the stars in its host-galaxy bulge. We demonstrate that near-infrared, high-resolution spectroscopy assisted by adaptive optics is key in populating the high-luminosity end of the relation. We show that the velocity dispersions of mid-infrared, high-ionization lines originating from gas in the narrow-line region of the active galactic nucleus follow the same relation. This result provides a way of inferring MBH estimates for the cosmologically significant population of obscured, type 2 AGN that can be applicable to data from spectrographs on next-generation infrared telescopes

Odor blocking of stress hormone responses

Scents have been employed for millennia to allay stress, but whether or how they might do so is largely unknown. Fear and stress induce increases in blood stress hormones controlled by hypothalamic corticotropin releasing hormone neurons (CRHNs). Here, we report that two common odorants block mouse stress hormone responses to three potent stressors: physical restraint, predator odor, and male-male social confrontation. One odorant inhibits restraint and predator odor activation of excitatory neurons upstream of CRHNs in the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNSTa). In addition, both activate inhibitory neurons upstream of CRHNs in the hypothalamic ventromedial nucleus (VMH) and silencing of VMH inhibitory neurons hinders odor blocking of stress. Together, these findings indicate that odor blocking can occur via two mechanisms: (1) Inhibition of excitatory neurons that transmit stress signals to CRHNs and (2) activation of inhibitory neurons that act directly or indirectly to inhibit stressor activation of CRHNs

ON-LINE PROCESS CONTROL OF THE NUMBER OF NON-CONFORMITIES IN THE INSPECTED ITEM

Generally, production systems that use automatic control as automatic welding process, production of ceramic products, making clothes use on-line process control to evaluate the quality of their production processes. The control system consists of a periodic inspection of one item after every m produced items. If the number of non-conformities meets the control limit then it is decided that the process is in-control, otherwise the process is stopped for adjustment. The process starts in-control with a non-conformities rate and, after an assignable cause, this rate increases leading the system to operate out of control. The process remains in these conditions until the change is detected and the process adjusted. After adjustment, the process returns to operate in-control. The aim of this paper is to present an economic approach to monitor the rate of non-conformities in a production by on-line process control. To design such type of process, an average cost per item produced is achieved through the properties of an ergodic Markov chain and the two required parameters: the inspection interval and the upper control limit are obtained by minimizing the average cost per produced item.  A numerical example illustrates the proposed procedure

Estrogen receptor β2 and β5 are associated with poor prognosis in prostate cancer, and promote cancer cell migration and invasion

Estrogens play a pivotal role in the development and progression of prostate cancer (PCa). Their actions are mediated by estrogen receptors (ERs), particularly ERβ in the prostate epithelium. With the discovery of ERβ isoforms, data from previous studies that focused principally on the wild-type ERβ (ERβ1) may not be adequate in explaining the still controversial role of ERβ(s) in prostate carcinogenesis. In this study, using newly generated isoform-specific antibodies, immunohistochemistry (IHC) was performed on a tumor microarray comprised of 144 specimens. IHC results were correlated with pathological and clinical follow-up data to delineate the distinct roles of ERβ1, ERβ2, and ERβ5 in PCa. ERβ2 was commonly found in the cytoplasm and was the most abundant isoform followed by ERβ1 localized predominantly in the nucleus, and ERβ5 was primarily located in the cytoplasm. Logistic regression analyses demonstrated that nuclear ERβ2 (nERβ2) is an independent prognostic marker for prostate specific antigen (PSA) failure and postoperative metastasis (POM). In a Kaplan–Meier analysis, the combined expression of both nERβ2 and cytoplasmic ERβ5 identified a group of patients with the shortest POM-free survival. Cox proportional hazard models revealed that nERβ2 predicted shorter time to POM. In concordance with IHC data, stable, ectopic expression of ERβ2 or ERβ5 enhanced PCa cell invasiveness but only PCa cells expressing ERβ5 exhibited augmented cell migration. This is the first study to uncover a metastasis-promoting role of ERβ2 and ERβ5 in PCa, and show that the two isoforms, singularly and conjointly, have prognostic values for PCa progression. These findings may aid future clinical management of PCa