Efeitos de Uma Sessão de Exercício Físico Associado à Microcorrente Abdominal na Seleção do Substrato Energético

Introdução: A acumulação de gordura na região abdominal acarreta um maior risco para a saúde. Objetivo(s): Analisar o efeito de um protocolo de uma sessão de exercício físico aeróbio associada à eletrolipólise no tecido adiposo da região abdominal nos valores do consumo e proporção dos substratos energéticos. É ainda objetivo avaliar as diferenças no consumo e proporção dos substratos energéticos, com o mesmo protocolo, no sexo feminino e no sexo masculino. Métodos: 38 participantes foram distribuídos aleatoriamente por dois grupos, o grupo experimental (9 feminino e 9 masculino) e o grupo placebo (11 feminino e 9 masculino). Ambos os grupos foram avaliados através das medidas antropométricas e foram sujeitos aos dois protocolos do estudo, o de microcorrente com aplicação 2 frequências (25 e 10Hz), 20 minutos cada, e o de exercício aeróbio a 45-55% frequência cardíaca de reserva. Contudo, no grupo placebo a microcorrente foi realizada sem intensidade. Para obtenção dos valores do consumo e proporção dos substratos foi utilizado o K4b2 durante o exercício físico. Resultados: Não se verificaram diferenças significativas nas quantidades de ácidos gordos, glucose e no quociente respiratório entre os grupos (ρ> 0,05). No entanto, parece haver uma tendência para um maior consumo de ácidos gordos após a aplicação da microcorrente durante o exercício físico. Conclusão: Os resultados deste estudo indicam que uma sessão de eletrolipólise associada ao exercício físico aeróbio não parece ser suficiente para influenciar a quantidade do consumo e a proporção dos substratos energéticos numa amostra de indivíduos jovens de ambos os sexos.Background: The accumulation of fat in the abdominal region entails a greater risk to health. Aim(s): Analyse the effect of one protocol in one session of aerobic exercise associated to electrolipolysis in the adipose tissue of the abdominal region in the expenditure and proportion of energy substrates. It’s also an objective to examine the differences in the expenditure and proportion of substrates, with the same protocol, in women and men. Methods: 38 participants had been distributed randomly by two groups, experimental group (9 women and 9 men) and placebo group (11 women and 9 men). Both groups were evaluated through anthropometric measurements and they were subjected to the two protocols of the study, the microcurrent with two frequencies (25 and 10 Hz), 20 minutes each one, and the aerobic exercise at 45-55% of heart rate reserve. Though, in the placebo group the microcurrent was made without intensity. To obtain the values of expenditure and proportion of the energy substrates was used the K4b2 during exercise. Results: There were no significant differences in the quantity of fatty acids, glucose and in respiratory exchange ratio between groups (ρ> 0.05). However, there seems to be a trend towards a higher consumption of AG after the application of microcurrent during exercise. Conclusion: The results of this study indicate that one session of electrolipolysis associated with aerobic exercise seems to be insufficient to influence the consumption and the proportion of energy substrates in young individuals of both sexes

Statistical Stability for Multi-Substitution Tiling Spaces

Given a finite set ${S_1...,S_k}$ of substitution maps acting on a certain finite number (up to translations) of tiles in \rd, we consider the multi-substitution tiling space associated to each sequence $\bar a\in {1,...,k}^{\mathbb{N}}$. The action by translations on such spaces gives rise to uniquely ergodic dynamical systems. In this paper we investigate the rate of convergence for ergodic limits of patches frequencies and prove that these limits vary continuously with $\bar a$.Comment: 16 pages, 2 figure

Measurement properties of step tests for exercise capacity in COPD : a systematic review

© The Author(s) 2020. This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/) which permits non-commercial use, reproduction and distribution of the work without further permission provided the original work is attributed as specified on the SAGE and Open Access page (https://us.sagepub.com/en-us/nam/open-access-at-sage).Objective: To determine the level of evidence of the measurement properties (validity, reliability, and responsiveness) and interpretability of the step tests available for assessing the exercise capacity in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Data sources: The data sources Web of Science, MEDLINE, PubMed, PEDro, CENTRAL of Cochrane Library, and Scopus were searched up to June 26, 2020. Review methods: Studies of any design that reported results for any measurement property of the step tests for assessing the exercise capacity in COPD patients were selected. One reviewer extracted the data, and two reviewers independently rated the level of evidence by using the Consensus-Based Standards for the Selection of Health Measurements Instruments recommendations. Results: Thirty-one studies were included in the data synthesis. Chester Step Test, Modified Incremental Step Test, two-, three-, four-, and six-Minute Step Test, Paced Step Test, and six-Minute Stepper Test were identified. A step test protocol was also found. The level of evidence of their results for the measurement properties was mostly determined as “low” to “very low.” The best level of evidence found was for the six-minute stepper test: “high” on construct validity (r = 0.56–0.71); and “moderate” on criterion validity (r = 0.36–0.69), and responsiveness (r = 0.26–0.34). Conclusion: The general level of evidence of the measurement properties of the step tests is “low” to “very low” for assessing exercise capacity in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, which can limit their application in clinical practice. The six-minute Stepper Test is currently the most appropriate step test available.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Conhecimentos e comportamentos dos agricultores do concelho de Macedo de Cavaleiros sobre os pesticidas

A utilização dos pesticidas agrícolas veio alterar profunda e rapidamente os métodos de trabalho, conduzindo ao aumento das produções. Todavia, tais fatores são, em si mesmos, potencialmente mais perigosos para a segurança e saúde dos agricultores e a sua rápida introdução no meio rural não tem sido suficientemente acompanhada por um conhecimento dos riscos associados à sua utilização. Estas características, determinam a necessidade de se motivarem os principais atores, os aplicadores de pesticidas, para a prevenção dos riscos e, também, para a necessidade de se identificarem para esta prevenção, técnicas adequadas à especificidade das tarefas (ACT, 2014). O nosso principal interesse foi avaliar o conhecimento e o comportamento dos agricultores do concelho de Macedo de Cavaleiros sobre os pesticidas. O estudo envolveu 398 residentes, com idade ≥ 18 anos, de ambos os sexos, com atividade agrícola formal e informal, no concelho de Macedo de Cavaleiros. Trata-se de um estudo observacional descritivo-correlacional, de corte transversal. A abordagem metodológica utilizada é eminentemente quantitativa, através de amostragem do tipo não probabilística, por conveniência. Para a recolha de dados foi desenvolvido e aplicado um formulário estruturado com respostas fechadas e abertas. Verificamos que, de uma forma geral, os agricultores mais jovens são quem se perfila com graus de reconhecimento significativamente superiores em relação às vias de exposição aos pesticidas e relacionam mais as doenças neurológicas ao uso de pesticidas (p<0,05). O agricultores com maior grau de escolaridade reconhecem melhor sintomas como, náuseas, tonturas e cefaleia, (p<0,05), doenças hepáticas, doenças neurológicas, desregulações hormonais associadas ao uso de pesticidas (p<0,001), reconhecem as vias de exposição aos pesticidas, com significancia estatística para o reconhecimento da via dérmica, seguem melhor as instruções dos rótulos aquando da preparação das caldas e com maior precaução, utilizam mais os equipamentos de proteção, apresentam maior preocupação face à eliminação dos pesticidas vazios. Face ao comportamento ambiental têm uma propensão muito menor em despejar as águas da lavagem dos equipamentos e outros recipientes utilizados em esgotos, fossas ou na proximidade de nascentes de água. Os agricultores com formação específica têm uma propensão muito menor em despejar as águas da lavagem dos equipamentos e outros recipientes utilizados em esgotos, fossas ou na proximidade de nascentes de água e não tem tanto o costume de queimar, enterrar ou deitar no caixote do lixo. Não foi encontrado significado estatístico entre a sociodemografia e a formação especifica do agricultor e o reaproveitamento dos recipientes vazios para outros fins. O mesmo acontece para os agricultores cuja atividade profissional principal não é a agricultura e para os que têm formação específica no manejo de pesticidas. Os agricultores estão informados que os pesticidas fazem mal à saúde e ao ambiente. Não obstante, cometem inconformidades nas práticas de utilização como: preparação de caldas, desleixo no uso de equipamento de proteção individual, a falta de leitura de rótulos, a eliminação incorreta dos recipientes de segurança, o mau uso dos pesticidas, aumentando o risco de exposição a estes produtos. Podemos concluir que a idade mais jovem, o maior grau de escolaridade e a frequência de formação específica de aplicação de pesticidas influem positivamente no reconhecimento de doenças associadas e de vias de exposição, assim como na segurança com que são preparados e aplicados os pesticidas, no uso dos equipamentos de proteção utilizados na preparação de pesticidas sólidos e líquidos, no cumprimento das instruções dos rótulos para preparação dos pesticidas, como na utilização das medidas de precaução aquando da preparação e na aplicação de pesticidas e no comportamento ambiental. Assim, é importante que se promova a formação dos agricultores para maior sensibilização, conjuntamente que as instituições tenham em conta estes fatores na tomada de decisão com vista a melhorar o conhecimento e os comportamentos dos agricultores, de forma sustentável, a fim de obtermos menor impacto tanto na saúde humana como ambiental.The use of agricultural pesticides has profoundly and rapidly changed working methods, leading to increased yields. However, such factors are in themselves potentially more dangerous for farmers' safety and health and their rapid introduction into the countryside has not been sufficiently accompanied by an awareness of the risks associated with their use. These characteristics determine the need to motivate the main actors, pesticide applicators, for risk prevention, and also for the need to identify for this prevention, techniques appropriate to the specificity of the tasks (ACT, 2014). Our main interest was to evaluate the knowledge and behavior of farmers in the municipality of Macedo de Cavaleiros about pesticides. The study involved 398 residents, aged ≥ 18 years, of both sexes, with formal and informal agricultural activity, in the municipality of Macedo de Cavaleiros. This is a descriptive-correlational observational cross-sectional study. The methodological approach used is eminently quantitative, through non-probabilistic sampling, for convenience. For data collection a structured form with closed and open answers was developed and applied. We found that, in general, younger farmers are profiled with significantly higher degrees of recognition in relation to pesticide exposure pathways and relate more neurological diseases to pesticide use (p <0.05). Farmers with higher education levels better recognize symptoms such as nausea, dizziness and headache, (p <0.05), liver disease, neurological disease, hormone disruption associated with pesticide use (p <0.001), recognize routes of exposure. Pesticides, which are statistically significant for the recognition of the dermal pathway, follow label instructions better when preparing syrups and with greater caution, use more protective equipment, are more concerned with the disposal of empty pesticides. Due to environmental behavior they have a much lower propensity to discharge the washing waters of equipment and other containers used in sewers, sumps or near water sources. Specially trained farmers are much less likely to dump the washing waters of equipment and other containers used in sewers, sumps, or near water sources, and are less likely to burn, bury, or throw into the dustbin. 16.5% of farmers store pesticides in the garage and 4.1% store containers indoors. No statistical significance was found between sociodemography and farmer specific training and the reuse of empty containers for other purposes. The same is true for farmers whose main professional activity is not agriculture and for those who have specific training in pesticide management. Farmers are aware that pesticides are harmful to health and the environment. Nevertheless, they commit non-compliance with usage practices such as: preparation of grout, carelessness in the use of personal protective equipment, lack of reading labels, incorrect disposal of safety containers, misuse of pesticides, increasing the risk of exposure. to these products. It can be concluded that younger age, higher education level and frequency of specific pesticide application training positively influence the recognition of associated diseases and exposure routes, as well as the safety with which pesticides are prepared and applied, use of protective equipment used in the preparation of solid and liquid pesticides, compliance with pesticide preparation label instructions, use of precautionary measures when preparing and applying pesticides and environmental behavior. It is therefore important to promote farmers 'training to raise awareness, together with institutions taking account of these factors in their decision-making in order to improve farmers' knowledge and behavior in a sustainable manner in order to achieve less impact of both human and environmental health

ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY PROCESSING OF LEAD FREE SODIUM POTASSIUM NIOBATE THICK FILMS BY ELECTROPHORETIC DEPOSITION

When looking for industrial applications environmental compatible solutions are highly desired. When looking at microelectronics miniaturization, functionalization and performance are also highly required. When looking at technologies for deposition of thick films electrophoretic deposition (EPD) is attracting increasing interest for a wide range of technical applications due to its high flexibility, low cost and simplicity of management, facility to fabricate intricate shapes and to be scaled-up for large volume fabrication. Within this context in this work aqueous based electrophoretic deposition (EPD) of lead free sodium potassium niobate (KNN) is demonstrated. The goal of our work is to establish the range of conditions in which aqueous deposition of KNN films is possible. By the use of a relatively environmental friendly additive, such as sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), high quality crack and defect free KNN films are prepared. The deposition mechanism and the electromechanical performance of these films are presented and discussed. KNN thick films on metallic substrates with thickness varying between 10 - 15 µm have dielectric permittivity of 495, dielectric losses of 0.08 at 1 MHz and a piezoelectric coefficient d33 of ~70 pC/N. At TC (≈405 °C), these films exhibit a relative permittivity of 2166 and loss tangent of 0.11 at 1 MHz. A comparison of the physical properties between these films and their bulk ceramics counterparts demonstrates the impact of aqueous based EPD technique for the preparation of lead free ferroelectric thick films. This opens the door to the possible development of high-performance, lead-free piezoelectric thick films by a sustainable low cost process, expanding the applicability of lead free piezoelectrics. Please click Additional Files below to see the full abstract

Adapted chester step test can have maximal response characteristics for the assessment of exercise capacity in young women

Chester step test (CST) estimates the exercise capacity through a submaximal response, which can limit its application in the prescription of exercise. This study aimed to assess whether an adaptation of the CST (with a progressive profile) can have maximal response characteristics in young women and compare it to the incremental shuttle walk test (ISWT). Another aim was to determine its within-day test–retest reliability. A cross-sectional study was conducted with 25 women (20.3 ± 1.5 years) who performed the field tests twice on two different days (48 h apart).info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

McArdle disease: mutational spectrum of Portuguese patients

McArdle disease or Glycogen Storage Disease type V (GSD V; myophosphorylase deficiency; MIM 232600) its an inborn error of glycogen metabolism, caused by a deficiency in muscle specific isoform of glycogen phosphorylase. This metabolic myopathy is characterised by exercise intolerance, myalgia, cramps and episodic myoglobinuria, symptoms that usually appear during the second or third decade of life. The diagnosis was typically made in muscle biopsy by histological analysis (demonstration of subsarcolemmal glycogen deposits and negative histochemical stain for phosphorylase) and/or measurement of muscle phosphorylase activity. Although since 1984, when the gene of muscle isoform of phosphorylase (myophosphorylase) was cloned and assigned to chromosome 11 (11q13), molecular genetics analysis has been more and more used to confirm the clinical diagnosis. Until now, 146 pathogenic mutations have been described (according to HGMDTM) including nonsense, missense and framshift mutations. High genetic heterogeneity is a hallmark of McArdle disease with a very frequent common mutation among Caucasian populations – R49X (present in about 60% of the mutated alleles) – and several rare mutations, without a clear genotype/phenotype correlation. The authors will present molecular data from the characterisation of 53 Portuguese patients, from 42 families, with McArdle disease. Our results reveal the presence of the R49X mutation in 60 of the alleles (57%), in accordance to what has been described to other Caucasian populations, being identified a total of 15 different mutations were identified. These results allowed in many cases the diagnosis without the need of a muscle biopsy, but also provide valuable information for genetic counselling and to increase the knowledge about the molecular pathology of this disorder