The influence of the allometric scale on the relationship between running economy and biomechanical variables in distance runners

Studies have demonstrated the need for the use of parameters that diminish the effect of body mass, for intra and inter group comparison, in individuals with different masses in order to provide a different analysis on the behaviour of the relation between running economy (RE) and biomechanical variables (BVs). The allometric scale is represented by a regression equation that indicates the behaviour of a physiological variable in relation to the variable mass (RE=a.xb), where x is body mass in (kg) and the dimensionless coefficient a is characteristic of the species analysed, and the dimensionless exponent b determines the percentage of mass to be associated with the physiological variable. The influence of the allometric scale (b=-1; -0.75; -0.73; -0.67) on the relationship between RE and BVs - stride length (SL), relative stride length (RSL), stride rate (SR), stride time (ST), support time (SUPT) and balance time (BALT) - at 12 km.h-1, was analysed in nine elite runners. Factorial analysis and Pearson's Correlation Coefficient test (r) with P<0.05 were used. A decrease in the explanation power of the RE was observed, with the use of the allometric exponent, due to the BVs, as well as a reduction of the correlation coefficients between SL versus RE, ST versus RE and SR versus RE. The BALT presented a higher correlation where b=-0.75. The RSL and SUPT presented non-significant correlations. The variables SL, ST, SR and BALT were the most effective predictors of the RE, Where: b=-1, the allometric scale was most efficient to predict the running performance

Determination of βS haplotypes in patients with sickle-cell anemia in the state of Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil

βS haplotypes were studied in 47 non-related patients with sickle-cell anemia from the state of Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil. Molecular analysis was conducted by PCR/RFLP using restriction endonucleases XmnI, HindIII, HincII and HinfI to analyze six polymorphic sites from the beta cluster. Twenty-seven patients (57.5%) were identified with genotype CAR/CAR, 9 (19.1%) CAR/BEN, 6 (12.8%) CAR/CAM, 1 (2.1%) BEN/BEN, 2 (4.3%) CAR/Atp, 1 (2.1%) BEN/Atp and 1 (2.1%) with genotype Atp/Atp. The greater frequency of Cameroon haplotypes compared to other Brazilian states suggests the existence of a peculiarity of African origin in the state of Rio Grande do Norte

Employment and sociodemographic characteristics: a study of increasing precarity in the health districts of Belo Horizonte, Brazil

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The fundamental importance of human resources for the development of health care systems is recognized the world over. Health districts, which constitute the middle level of the municipal health care system in the city of Belo Horizonte, Brazil, deal with demands from all parts of the system. This research seeks to provide the essential features required in order to understand the phenomenon of increase in precarity of employment in these health districts.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>The legal and human resource management documents used by the Municipal Health Secretariat of the City of Belo Horizonte were adopted as the corpus for this research. In order to analyse the changes in employment (2002–2006), the data were collected from ArteRH, a computerized database dealing specifically with data related to human resources, which began operating in 2001. The workers were classified into permanent and non-permanent groups, and their contractual rights were described. Employment dynamics and changes were examined, concentrating on the incorporation of workers and on their social and employment rights during the period under study. The comparative data for the two groups obtained were presented in frequency distribution tables according to type of employment, sex, age group, level of education and wages from 2002 to 2006.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>There was a clear difference between the permanent worker and non-permanent worker groups as regards existing guaranteed employment rights and social security. The increase in the number of non-permanent workers in the workforce, the growing proportion of older workers among the permanently employed and the real wage reductions during the period from 2002 to 2006 are indicative of the process of growing precarity of employment in the group studied.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>It is a plausible supposition that the demand for health reforms, along with the legal limits imposed on financial expenditure, gave rise to the new types of contract and the present employment situation in the health districts in Belo Horizonte.</p