Editorial: Towards a psychophysiological approach in physical activity, exercise, and sports

This Research Topic aims to look at specific themes related to physiological stress and mental well-being. Additionally, we aim to provide evidence to coaches and sports scientists highlighting the relationship between training and competition demands, related to performance. We also want to analyze the effects of strength and conditioning training, and coaching effects (acute and chronic) on psychological and physiological. Finally, it is our intention to provide scientific literature with evidence for a relationship between movement, behavior and cognition with physiological performance: the psychophysiological approach.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

A Discussion on Supersymmetric Cosmic Strings with Gauge-Field Mixing

In this paper, following a stream of investigation on supersymmetric gauge theories with cosmic string solutions, we contemplate the possibility of building up a D-and-F term cosmic string by means of a gauge-field mixing in connection with a U(1) x U(1)'-symmetry. The spontaneous break of both gauge symmetry and supersymmetry are thoroughly analysed and the fermion zero-modes are worked out. The role of the gauge-field mixing parameter is elucidated in connection with the string configuration that comes out. As an application of the model presented here, we propose the possibility that the supersimetric cosmic string yield production of fermionic charge carriers that may eject, at their late stages, particles that subsequently decay to produce cosmic rays of ultra-high energy. In our work, it turns out that massive supersymmetric fermionic partners may be produced for a susy breaking scale in the range 10^{11} to 10^{13} GeV, which is compatible with the phenomenology of a gravitino mass at the TeV scale. We also determine the range of the gauge-field mixing parameter, \alpha, in connection with the mass scales of the present model.Comment: 7 pages, no figures, ReVTex format, to appear in New Journal of Physic

Persistence of cognitive impairment and its negative impact on psychosocial functioning in lithium-treated, euthymic bipolar patients: a 6-year follow-up study.

BACKGROUND: Previous cross-sectional studies report that cognitive impairment is associated with poor psychosocial functioning in euthymic bipolar patients. There is a lack of long-term studies to determine the course of cognitive impairment and its impact on functional outcome. Method A total of 54 subjects were assessed at baseline and 6 years later; 28 had DSM-IV TR bipolar I or II disorder (recruited, at baseline, from a Lithium Clinic Program) and 26 were healthy matched controls. They were all assessed with a cognitive battery tapping into the main cognitive domains (executive function, attention, processing speed, verbal memory and visual memory) twice over a 6-year follow-up period. All patients were euthymic (Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression score lower than 8 and Young mania rating scale score lower than 6) for at least 3 months before both evaluations. At the end of follow-up, psychosocial functioning was also evaluated by means of the Functioning Assessment Short Test. RESULTS: Repeated-measures multivariate analysis of covariance showed that there were main effects of group in the executive domain, in the inhibition domain, in the processing speed domain, and in the verbal memory domain (p<0.04). Among the clinical factors, only longer illness duration was significantly related to slow processing (p=0.01), whereas strong relationships were observed between impoverished cognition along time and poorer psychosocial functioning (p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Executive functioning, inhibition, processing speed and verbal memory were impaired in euthymic bipolar out-patients. Although cognitive deficits remained stable on average throughout the follow-up, they had enduring negative effects on psychosocial adaptation of patients

Tecnologia social: uma estratégia para o desenvolvimento

Esta publicação apresenta reflexões de diversos representantes de instituições governamentais, do terceiro setor, da sociedade civil e de universidades sobre o tema da Tecnologia Social

Probiotics in Aquaculture Review: Current Status and Application in Tambaqui Cultivation (Colossoma macropomum)

The development of aquaculture guarantees the supply of animal protein of great nutritional value, contributing to food security. Currently one of the main problems faced is the occurrence of diseases, responsible for a worldwide economic loss, equivalent to US $ 9 billion per year. Aiming to increase resistance to diseases, increasing growth rates and food efficiency in intensive crops, some strategies have been developed, one of them is the use of probiotic bacteria. These, when in contact with the digestive tract of the host generates a series of benefits, among them, the modulation of the immune system, developing defense mechanisms and increasing resistance to stress. However, there are few documented reports on the efficiency of probiotics in native species, such as tambaqui (Colossoma macropomum). This species shows some resistance to stress, through physiological mechanisms of adaptation, such as lip expansion when subjected to hypoxia situations, which added to the positive effects of using probiotics would represent an increase in its resistance. The purpose of this work is to review the literature on the use of probiotics in aquaculture in order to provide a comprehensive synthesis of the current knowledge about its use in aquaculture, with emphasis on the intensive cultivation of tambaqui

Use of recycled concrete aggregates in sustainable structural concrete applications

The increasing difficulty in securing natural coarse and fine aggregates for the production of concrete coupled with the environmental issues and social costs of unlimited extraction of natural aggregates makes the usage of recycled aggregate concrete (RCA) in the construction industry of prime importance. However the full use of the material can be justified only through structural applications. Engineers are reluctant to use RCA in structural applications due to lack of design information. A brief review of the recent literature on Recycled Aggregate Concrete (RCA) used as a structural material is reported in this paper. It is found that the most of the research studies conducted up to now are mostly based on material properties rather than investigation of the RCA and its performance as a structural material. Major issues and problems associated with RCA concrete compared to normal concrete are identified in the paper