Sex workers' narratives about clients with disabilities: can training improve sexual health in Portugal? = Narrativas de trabalhadores(as) do sexo sobre clientes com diversidade funcional: poderá a formação melhorar a saúde sexual em Portugal?

People with disabilities face barriers that limit their sexual lives. In Portugal, some individuals with physical impairments have shown interest in resorting to sexual assistance provided by trained professionals, according to the client’s preferences and needs. However, in Portugal, sex workers lacking any formal training represent the only way to access commercial sex services. Thus, this study analyzes the experiences of sex workers that provide services for disabled clients. The interviews of thirteen sex workers were analyzed using the thematic analysis method proposed by Braun and Clarke. The key findings show that men seek out sexual and emotional satisfaction from sex work. Additionally, specificities inherent to the lack of training and the relationships established tend to embarrass professionals. Finally, we conclude that training coupled with sexual education and popular awareness about gender differences in the pursuit of sex is fundamental to improve the sexual health of those who choose sex services as a way of sexual expression.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Tracking features in image sequences with Kalman filtering, global optimization, mahalanobis distance and a management model

This work addresses the problem of tracking feature points along image sequences. In order to analyze the undergoing movement, an approach based on the Kalman filtering technique has been used, which basically carries out the estimation and correction of the features' movement in every image frame. So as to integrate the measurements obtained from each image into the Kalman filter, a data optimization process has been adopted to achieve the best global correspondence set. The proposed criterion minimizes the cost of global matching, which is based on the Mahalanobis distance. A management model is employed to manage the features being tracked. This model adequately deals with problems related to the occlusion of the tracked features, the appearance of new features, as well as optimizing the computational resources used. Experimental results obtained through the use of the proposed tracking framework are presented

Estimação Temporal da Deformação entre Objectos utilizando uma Metodologia Física

Neste artigo, é apresentada uma metodologia para estimar a deformação faseada entre dois objectos atendendo às suas propriedades físicas. A referida metodologia, pode ser utilizada por exemplo, em aplicações de Visão Computacional ou de Computação Gráfica, e consiste em modelar fisicamente os objectos em causa, por intermédio do Método dos Elementos Finitos, seguidamente estabelecer a correspondência entre alguns dos seus dados, por intermédio de Emparelhamento Modal, e finalmente, determinar o campo de deslocamentos, ou seja as formas intermédias, através da resolução temporal da Equação Dinâmica de Equilíbrio de Lagrange. Como em muitas das possíveis aplicações da metodologia a apresentar, é necessário quantificar a deformação existente, assim como estimar apenas a componente não rígida da deformação global envolvida, serão também apresentadas as soluções adoptadas para satisfazer tais propósitos.In this paper, is presented a methodology to estimate the deformation involved between two objects attending to its physical properties. The methodology referred can be used, for example, in Computational Vision or Computer Graphics applications, and consists in physically modeling the objects, by means of the Finite Elements Method, establishing correspondences between some of its data points, by using Modal Matching, and finally, determining the displacement field, that is the intermediate shapes, through the resolution of the Lagrange's Dynamic Equilibrium Equation. As in many of the possible applications of the methodology to present, it is necessary to quantify the existing deformation, as well as to estimate only the non rigid component of the involved global deformation, the solutions adopted to satisfy such intentions will be also presented

The immediate effects of Therasuit® on the gait pattern of a child with unilateral spastic cerebral palsy

Aims: This study analyzes the immediate effects of using TheraSuit® (TS) on the gait of a child with left spastic hemiplegia level II (GMFCS). Methods: Spatiotemporal gait parameters and kinematic variables in the sagittal plane were compared between baseline and TS conditions. Results: Positive effects were noted on temporal parameters in the TS condition, such as a reduced gait cadence. The analysis of angular displacements in joint angles showed that at initial contact there was a reduction in the: (i) Plantarflexion on the paretic side; (ii) Dorsiflexion on the non-paretic side; and (iii) Knee flexion angles in both limbs. Furthermore, an increase in hip and knee extension angles during stance, and a decrease in knee and hip flexion on the non-paretic limb during swing were also detected. Conclusions: Further investigations with larger samples are necessary to confirm these effects of wearing TS on gait kinematics, aiming toward providing a more functional and safer gait pattern in children with spastic hemiplegia.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

The immediate effects of a dynamic orthosis on gait patterns in children with unilateral spastic cerebral palsy: a kinematic analysis

This study analyzes the immediate effects of wearing a Therasuit on sagittal plane lower limb angular displacements during gait in children with unilateral spastic cerebral palsy (US-CP). Seven participants (median age = 7.00 years; ranging from 5.83 to 9.00 years) with US-CP, levels I and II of the Gross Motor Function Classification System, were assessed with kinematic gait analysis in three different conditions: (A) Baseline; (B) Therasuit without elastics and (C) Therasuit with elastics. Significant improvements were observed at the hip joint of both lower limbs during most of the gait cycle in participants wearing a Therasuit, including a decrease in the flexion pattern at the initial contact and swing phase in both lower limbs, and an increase in the extension pattern in the paretic lower limb during the stance phase. At the knee joint in the paretic lower limb, significant differences were found between the baseline and Therasuit with elastics conditions on the knee angle at initial contact, and between baseline and both Therasuit conditions on the flexion angle at swing phase. However, the inter-individual variability in kinematic patterns at the knee joint was high. At the ankle joint, decreased plantar flexion at initial contact and increased dorsiflexion during stance and swing phases were observed at the Therasuit with elastics condition, helping to correct the equinus-foot in the paretic lower limb during the whole gait cycle. The Z-values showed large effect sizes particularly for most of the angular hip variables in both lower limbs and for the angular ankle variables in the paretic lower limb. The Therasuit seems to have some positive immediate effects on gait kinematics in children with spastic unilateral cerebral palsy by providing a more functional and safer gait pattern. Future investigations with larger samples are recommended to further support these findings.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Mitochondrial dynamics and quality control in Huntington's disease

Huntington's disease (HD) is an inherited neurodegenerative disorder caused by polyglutamine expansion mutations in the huntingtin protein. Despite its ubiquitous distribution, expression of mutant huntingtin (mHtt) is particularly detrimental to medium spiny neurons within the striatum. Mitochondrial dysfunction has been associated with HD pathogenesis. Here we review the current evidence for mHtt-induced abnormalities in mitochondrial dynamics and quality control, with a particular focus on brain and neuronal data pertaining to striatal vulnerability. We address mHtt effects on mitochondrial biogenesis, protein import, complex assembly, fission and fusion, mitochondrial transport, and on the degradation of damaged mitochondria via autophagy (mitophagy). For an integrated perspective on potentially converging pathogenic mechanisms, we also address impaired autophagosomal transport and abnormal mHtt proteostasis in HD

New records and notes on little known shrimps (Crustacea, Decapoda) from Azorean waters.

Five species of shrimps (Crustacea, Decapoda) are recorded for the first time from the Azores: Funchalia villosa (Bouvier, 1905), Parapasiphae sucatifrons S.I. Smith, 1884 Heterocarpus ensifer A. Milne-Edwards, 1881, Heterocarpus laevigatus Bate, 1888 and Plesionika williamsi Forest, 1964. The variability of Plesionika gigliolii (Senna, 1903) and its relationship with P. sindoi (Rathbun, 1906) are discussed

Tracking features with Kalman filtering, Mahalanobis distance and a management model

Feature tracking is a complex problem whose automatic detection and execution evolved considerably in the recent past, especially due its wide range of applications, for instance in surveillance, object deformation analysis, traffic monitoring. Many of such applications require simultaneous tracking of multiple features, and also involve problems related to their appearance and disappearance of the image scene.A key component of a successful tracking system is its ability to search efficiently for the feature [1]. For the tracking system to perform properly, the most likely measured potential target location should be used to update the targets state estimator. This is generally known as the data association problem. The probability of the given measurement being correct can be a distance function between the predicted state of the target and the measured state. This becomes especially important for targets that may come close to each other or even overlap, such as people.An approach uses assignment algorithms, which were recently shown to be effective in data association for target tracking in the presence of noise. In this case, data association is formulated as a constrained optimization problem, where the cost function to be minimized is, usually, a combined likelihood function evaluated using the results from the state estimator. The state is usually constrained by position and/or velocity and the assignment by physical constraints, for example, only one measurement for a track and vice-versa [2].On the other hand, to track the captured movement the Kalman filter is a widespread technique for feature tracking, but it has recently been substituted by particle filters [3]. The Kalman filter rests on the assumption that the disturbances and initial state vector are normally distributed, and it is shown that the obtained mean of the conditional distribution of a state is an optimal estimator in the sense that it minimizes the mean square error. If the normality assumption is dropped there is no guarantee that the Kalman filter will give the conditional mean of the state vector. So, other filters have been proposed, but they reveal some problems too as well as high computational cost [3]

Salt effects on the solubility of aromatic and dicarboxylic amino acids in water

The salt effect on the solubility of the amino acids l-aspartic acid, l-glutamic acid, l-tryptophan, and l-tyrosine, seldomly found in the literature, was studied at 298.2 K, in aqueous solutions of KCl and (NH4)2SO4, for salt concentrations up to 2.0 mol·kg−1. In this concentration range, both salts are salting-in agents for glutamic acid and aspartic acid, with a stronger effect induced by (NH4)2SO4. Regarding the two aromatic amino acids, a slight increase in the solubility was obtained at low salt concentrations, followed by a stronger salting-out effect, more pronounced by (NH4)2SO4 than by KCl. The relative solubility data obtained in this work were compared to literature data for other amino acids in the same electrolyte solutions to establish a relative solubility ranking connected to their structure. Finally, the solubility data were modeled using the electrolyte Perturbed-Chain Statistical Association Theory (ePC-SAFT). The modeling requires parameters for the amino acids and ions as well as melting properties of the amino acids. All these parameters and properties were obtained from previous works. To quantitatively describe the solubility of amino acids upon salt addition, binary interaction parameters (kij) between any amino acid and anions were determined, while between any amino acid and the cations were fixed to kij = 0.08. The kij parameters between amino acid and the inorganic anions show very similar values for amino acids of the same chemical class (e.g. kij between anion and amino acid with apolar side chains), which may be used to systematically reduce the number of adjustable parameters in future work.publishe

Modelação numérica do escorregamento de armaduras em elementos de betão armado / Numerical modelling of bond-slip effects in reinforced concrete elements

Reinforced concrete (RC) framed structures subjected to seismic loading often show localized deformations at the extremities of the members associated with the slippage of reinforcing bars along their anchorage length. Despite this phenomenon being responsible for up to 40% of the total lateral deformation of RC members, the numerical simulation of this behaviour still presents several limitations. This paper introduces a modelling strategy wherein, for the first time, an explicit bond-slip model is developed to be used in connection with a fibre-based beam-column element through a zero-length link element. The proposed element adopts an advanced bond stress-slip constitutive relation capable of representing the effects of cyclic degradation or rebar yielding, among others. The numerical model is validated through a comparison with experimental results, evidencing a remarkable efficiency, accuracy and numerical stability