Sistema de compras assistido por PDA com componente de gestão

A informação é, hoje em dia, um dos motores da actividade humana. As grandes superfícies comerciais baseiam o seu funcionamento, estratégia e modelo de negócio, na informação. O modo como essa informação é recolhida depende do sistema em utilização, seja pelas caixas tradicionais de supermercado seja pelos sistemas de compra online. Este projecto consiste no desenvolvimento de um sistema de compras, assistido por PDA (Personal Digital Assistant), que gere informação conducente ao estudo do comportamento de clientes de superfícies comercias. O sistema possui duas aplicações: uma usada pelo cliente e outra pelo gestor da superfície comercial. A aplicação do cliente permite efectuar compras na superfície comercial através do uso de PDA. Para além de tornar o processo de compra mais confortável e eficiente, permite a recolha de informação, que será gerida e processada pela aplicação criada para o gestor

The acute effect of maximal exercise on central and peripheral arterial stiffness indices and hemodynamics in children and adults

Xavier Melo is supported by a research grant from the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT), Ministry of Education and Science of Portugal (grant: SFRH/ BD/ 70515/ 2010). Nuno M. Pimenta is cofinanced by national funds through the Programa Operacional do Alentejo 2007-2013 (ALENT-07-0262- FEDER-001883)This study compared the effects of a bout of maximal running exercise on arterial stiffness in children and adults. Right carotid blood pressure and artery stiffness indices measured by pulse wave velocity (PWV), compliance and distensibility coefficients, stiffness index α and β (echo-tracking), contralateral carotid blood pressure, and upper and lower limb and central/aortic PWV (applanation tonometry) were taken at rest and 10 min after a bout of maximal treadmill running in 34 children (7.38 ± 0.38 years) and 45 young adults (25.22 ± 0.91 years) having similar aerobic potential. Two-by-two repeated measures analysis of variance and analysis of covariance were used to detect differences with exercise between groups. Carotid pulse pressure (PP; η(2) = 0.394) increased more in adults after exercise (p < 0.05). Compliance (η(2) = 0.385) decreased in particular in adults and in those with high changes in distending pressure, similarly to stiffness index α and β. Carotid PWV increased more in adults and was related to local changes in PP but not mean arterial pressure (MAP). Stiffness in the lower limbs decreased (η(2) = 0.115) but apparently only in those with small MAP changes (η(2) = 0.111). No significant exercise or group interaction effects were found when variables were adjusted to height. An acute bout of maximal exercise can alter arterial stiffness and hemodynamics in the carotid artery and within the active muscle beds. Arterial stiffness and hemodynamic response to metabolic demands during exercise in children simply reflect their smaller body size and may not indicate a particular physiological difference compared with adults.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Waist circumference in Liver Disease

Background Central fat accumulation is important in Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD) etiology. It is unknown weather any commonly used waist circumference (WC) measurement protocol (mp), as whole and central fat accumulation marker, is preferable for patients with NAFLD. The present study sought to find a preferable WC mp to be used in patients with NAFLD, based on three-fold criterion. Material and methods Body fat (BF) was assessed through Dual Energy X-ray Absorptiometry (DXA) in 28 patients with NAFLD (19 males, 51 + 13 yrs, and 9 females, 47 + 13 yrs). WC was measured using four different WC mp (WC1-narrowest torso, WC2- just above iliac crest, WC3- mid-distance between iliac crest and last rib and WC4- at the umbilicus). Results All WC measurements were highly correlated particularly with central BF depots, including trunk BF (r=0.78; r=0.82; r=0.82; r=0.84; respectively for WC1, WC2, WC3 and WC4) abdominal BF (r=0.78; r=0.78; r=0.80; r=0.72; respectively for WC1, WC2, WC3 and WC4) and central abdominal BF (r=0.76; r=0.77; r=0.78; r=0.68; respectively for WC1, WC2, WC3 and WC4), controlling for age, sex and body mass index. There were no differences between the correlation coefficients obtained between all studied WC measurements and each whole and central analyzed BF variable. Conclusion All studied WC mp seem suitable for use in patients with NAFLD, particularly as central BF clinical assessment tool, though not interchangeably. Hence biological and precision criteria alone did not sanction the superiority of any WC mp. Practical criteria may endorse WC measured at the iliac crest.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Waist-to-Hip Ratio is Related to Body Fat Content and Distribution Regardless of the Waist Circumference Measurement Protocol, in Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease Patients

Central accumulation and distribution of body fat (BF) is an important cardiometabolic risk factor. Waist-to-hip ratio (WHR), commonly elevated in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) patients, has been endorsed as a risk related marker of central BF content and distribution, but no standardized waist circumference measurement protocol (WCmp) has been proposed. We aimed to investigate whether using different WCmp affects the strength of association between WHR and BF content and distribution in NAFLD patients. BF was assessed with Dual Energy X-ray Absorptiometry (DXA) in 28 NAFLD patients (19 males, 51 ± 13 yrs, and 9 females, 47 ± 13 yrs). Waist circumference (WC) was measured using four different WCmp (WC1: minimal waist; WC2: iliac crest; WC3: mid-distance between iliac crest and lowest rib; WC4: at the umbilicus) and WHR was calculated accordingly (WHR1, WHR2, WHR3 and WHR4, respectively). High WHR was found in up to 84.6% of subjects, depending on the WHR considered. With the exception of WHR1, all WHR correlated well with abdominal BF (r=0.47 for WHR1; r=0.59 for WHR2 and WHR3; r=0.58 for WHR4) and BF distribution (r=0.45 for WHR1; r=0.56 for WHR2 and WHR3; r=0.51 for WHR4), controlling for age, sex and body mass index (BMI). WHR2 and WHR3 diagnosed exactly the same prevalence of high WHR (76.9%). The present study confirms the strong relation between WHR and central BF, regardless of WCmp used, in NAFLD patients. WHR2 and WHR3 seemed preferable for use in clinical practice, interchangeably, for the diagnosis of high WHR in NAFLD patients.co-financed by national funds through the Programa Operacional do Alentejo (ALENT-07-0262-FEDER-001883)info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

TBW Assessment by Deuterium Dilution in Spanish Adolescents

Congreso para especialistas en Nutrición, Actividad Física y Composición CorporalINTRODUCTION: Total body water (TBW) assessment is a cornerstone in order to validate equations to estimate body composition components as fat mass and fat free mass. Deuterium dilution technique (D2DT) is considered the gold standard method to assess TBW, however in Spain there are not any reference data using D2DT. The knowledge of specific references for Spanish population must be a goal for the biological studies of Spanish people. OBJECTIVE: It was our aim to assess TBW using the D2DT in a sample of Spanish adolescents. METHODS: 224 specimens of urine from 150 adolescents (113 girls and 111 boys) were taken to analyze. A dose of 0.1 grams of 2D2O per Kg of body weight was administrated; afterwards it was followed by 4-hours stabilization period. The isotope (deuterium oxide (D2O)) dilution method was used to measure TBW with an isotope-ratio mass-spectrometer. Averages by sex and Tanner stages were calculated for %TBW and TBW. General lineal model were used to analyze differences and interactions between groups. RESULTS: %TBW was significantly different between boys and girls (58.98_5.59% vs 55.5_4.28%, P0.05). CONCLUSIONS: This study has been the first in Spain, which have measured TBW in vivo using D2DT. These data can be useful to validate new methods and equations from bioimpedance analysis to estimate TBW.Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech. Coca-Col

A New Approach to Express Regional Adiposity and Its Association with Blood Lipids, Inflammation and Insulin Resistance Markers

Regional adiposity is classically related with inflammation, insulin resistance (IR) and an altered blood lipid profile. Traditionally, central adiposity expressed as a ratio (%FM) = fat mass/total mass of the region is the variable most used in research. However, this ratio does not account for total bodily fat mass (TFM). So, a great accumulation in a region, where lean mass is more important than fat, could be more associated with risk factors than other with less absolute fat (kg) but higher percentage (in instance abdomen). PURPOSE: To analyse the associations between the ratio (RW) = regional fat mass (kg) / TFM (kg) and blood lilid profile, IR and inflammation. METHODS: Sixty-two pre-menopausal and healthy women were recruited for this study (age, 39.6 ±7.2 years; BMI, 29.2 ±4.2 kg.m-2; total %TFM, 42.0 ±5.9%). Weight and height were measured to the nearest 0.1 kg and 0.1 cm respectively, and body composition was estimated with dual energy x-ray aborptiometry. RWF were calculated for trunk (RWT), lower limbs (RWLL) and upper limbs (RWUL). Insulin, glycaemia and insulin sensitivity (HOMA) were the IR markers. C-reactive protein (CRP) and Tumour Necrosis Factor (TNF-α) were the inflammation variables. Total cholesterol (TC), low-density lipoprotein (LDL), high-density lipoprotein (HDL) and triglycerides (TG) were also measured. Partial correlations adjusted to TFM between RW and blood markers were carried out. RESULTS: Significant correlations were found between RWUL and HOMA (r=0.276, P<0.05), TG (r=0.292, P<0.05) and insulin (r=0.271, P<0.05). RWT was also correlated with blood lipids: TG (r=0.278, P<0.05) and LDL (r=-0.318, P<0.05). Finally, RWLL was the ratio with more number of associations: HOMA (r=-0.274, P<0.05), TG (r=-0.342, P<0.01), LDL (r=0.317, P<0.05) and insulin (r=-0.253, P<0.05). Abdominal and trunk %FM were only correlated with HOMA (r=0.380, P<0.01) and LDL (r=0.264, P<0.05) respectively. CONCLUSION: In our sample, regional fat mass contribution (RW) for whole body FM showed more associations with blood markers than classical ratios (regional %FM). These findings highlighted RW ratios were well correlated with inflammatory and IR risk factors, which in turn could be useful to express positive or negative results in future studies. This issue requires further investigation.Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tec

Petrophysical characterization of the late-Variscan Santa Eulália Plutonic Complex (Ossa Morena Zone)

Petrophysical characterization of the late-Variscan Santa Eulália Plutonic Complex (Ossa Morena Zone) Sant’Ovaia, H.1, Nogueira, P.1,2, Carrilho Lopes, J.2,3, Fonseca, A.2, Sardinha, R.2, Lopes, L.2, Martins, H.1, Noronha, F.1 1: Universidade do Porto, Portugal; 2: Universidade de Évora, Portugal; 3: Universidade de Lisboa, Portugal The Santa Eulália Plutonic Complex (SEPC) is a calc-alkaline granitic body that occupies an area of 400 km2 and is located in the northern part of the Ossa Morena Zone of the Variscan Iberian sector, near the limit of the Central Iberian Zone. SEPC is considered as late-Variscan because it cross-cuts the regional variscan structures. The host rocks of the complex are composed by metamorphic formations from Proterozoic to Lower Paleozoic. The SEPC has two main facies which present different compositions and textures. From the rim to the core, there is a medium- to coarse-grained pinkish granite (G0) involving large masses of mafic to intermediate rocks and a central gray monzonitic granite (G1). The central facies can be divided into a porphyritic facies (G1A) and a central medium-grained facies (G1B). Petrography, mineralogy and whole-rock chemistry reveal clear differences between pinkish facies closer to I-type granites, and central gray facies similar to S-type granites. A preliminary study of the Anisotropy of Magnetic Susceptibility (AMS) was conducted to acquire a petrophysical characterization of these granitoids. This study was based on 50 sampling sites where 8 specimens per station were available. The measurements were made in Porto using a KLY-4S Kappabridge susceptometer (AGICO). A sequence of 3 susceptibility measurements along different orientations of each specimen allowed us to compute the orientation and magnitude of the three main axes k1 / k2 / k3 of the AMS ellipsoid. For each site, the AGICO software enabled us to calculate the mean susceptibility Km and the intensities and orientations of the three axes K1 / K2 / K3, which are its tensorial means. K1, the long axis of the mean ellipsoid, is the magnetic lineation of the site and K3, the short axis, is the normal to the magnetic foliation. P%, the magnetic anisotropy, corresponds to (K1/K3-1)*100 and T, expressed by (2 ln (K2/K3)/ln(K1/K3))-1 is the shape parameter of the AMS ellipsoid. The Km values range between 55.09 and 7343.67 x 10-6 SI. Two major groups can be established: facies G0, with Km > 10-3 SI which supports the presence of magnetite, and the central facies (G1A, G1B) with Km< 10-4 SI. In the central facies the paramagnetic behaviour is due to ferromagnesian minerals, such as biotite, and ilmenite. P% ranges between 2.2 and 18.2% being in mean >5% in facies G0 and <4% in the central facies (G1A, G1B). The high P% in G0 facies may be caused by the fact that the magnetite, which has a high susceptibility, is the bearer of the magnetic signal. Therefore a weak alignment of magnetite grains leads to a higher anisotropy of the rock. Nevertheless, microscope observations show signs of a post-magmatic deformation in G0. T ranges between -0.015 and 0.600 with the strongest oblate AMS ellipsoids in central facies and the slightly oblate in G0. The magnetic foliations are subvertical E-W-striking in G0 and G1A granites and NESW- striking with moderated SE dips in G1B. Magnetic lineations are subvertical in G0 and plunge moderated to the SW in G1A and to the South in G1B. These preliminary data support that the facies G0 and the central facies (G1A, G1B) have a distinct magnetic behaviour which may suggest different redox conditions in magma genesis. The magnetic fabric patterns may reflect different emplacement mechanisms

Correlates of objectively assessed physical activity and sedentary time in children: a cross-sectional study (The European Youth Heart Study).

BACKGROUND: Identifying leisure time activities performed before and after school that influence time in physical activity (PA) and/or time spent sedentary can provide useful information when designing interventions aimed to promote an active lifestyle in young people. The purpose of this study was to examine associations between mode of transportation to school, outdoor play after school, participation in exercise in clubs, and TV viewing with objectively assessed PA and sedentary behaviour in children. METHODS: A total of 1327 nine- and 15-year-old children from three European countries (Norway, Estonia, Portugal) participated as part of the European Youth Heart Study. PA was measured during two weekdays and two weekend days using the MTI accelerometer, and average percent of time in moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA) and time spent sedentary were derived. Potential correlates were assessed by self-report. Independent associations between self-reported correlates with percent time in MVPA and percent time sedentary were analysed by general linear models, adjusted by age, gender, country, measurement period, monitored days and parental socio-economic status. RESULTS: In 9-year-olds, playing outdoors after school was associated with higher percent time in MVPA (P < 0.01), while participation in sport clubs was associated with higher percent time in MVPA (P < 0.01) in 15-year-olds. No associations with percent time sedentary were observed in either age group. CONCLUSION: Frequency of outdoor play after school is a significant correlate for daily time in MVPA in 9-year-olds, while this correlate is attenuated in favour of participation in sport and exercise in clubs in 15-year-olds. Targeting walking to school or reduced TV viewing time in order to increase time in daily MVPA in children is unlikely to be sufficient. Correlates related to time spent sedentary need further examination.RIGHTS : This article is licensed under the BioMed Central licence at http://www.biomedcentral.com/about/license which is similar to the 'Creative Commons Attribution Licence'. In brief you may : copy, distribute, and display the work; make derivative works; or make commercial use of the work - under the following conditions: the original author must be given credit; for any reuse or distribution, it must be made clear to others what the license terms of this work are

Validity of air-displacement plethysmography in the assessment of body composition changes in a 16-month weight loss program

OBJECTIVE: To compare the accuracy of air displacement plethysmography (ADP) and dual energy x-ray absorptionmetry (DXA) in tracking changes in body composition after a 16 month weight loss intervention in overweight and obese females. METHODS: 93 healthy female subjects (38.9 ± 5.7 yr, 159.8 ± 5.6 cm, 76.7 ± 9.9 kg, 30.0 ± 3.4 kg/m(2)) completed a 16 month weight loss intervention. Eligible subjects attended 15 treatment sessions occurring over the course of 4 months with educational content including topics relating to physical activity and exercise, diet and eating behavior, and behavior modification. In the remaining 12 months, subjects underwent a lifestyle program designed to increase physical activity and improve eating habits. Before and after the intervention, subjects had their percent body fat (%fat), fat mass (FM), and fat-free mass (FFM)) assessed by DXA and ADP. RESULTS: Significant differences (p ≤ 0.001) were found between DXA and ADP at baseline %fat (46.0 % fat vs. 42.0 % fat), FM (35.3 kg vs. 32.5 kg) and FFM (40.8 kg vs. 44.2 kg) as well as at post intervention for %fat (42.1% fat vs. 38.3 % fat), FM (30.9 kg vs. 28.4 kg) and FFM (41.7 kg vs. 44.7 kg). At each time point, ADP %fat and total FM was significantly lower (p ≤ 0.001) than DXA while FFM was significantly higher (p ≤ 0.001). However, both techniques tracked %fat changes similarly considering that there were no differences between the two means. Furthermore, a Bland-Altman analysis was performed and no significant bias was observed, thus demonstrating the ability of ADP to measure body fat across a wide range of fatness. CONCLUSION: At baseline and post weight loss, a significant difference was found between ADP and DXA. However, the results indicate both methods are highly related and track changes in %fat similarly after a weight loss program in overweight and obese females. Additionally, the mean changes in %fat were similar between the two techniques, suggesting that ADP can be translated to its use in clinical practice and research studies as DXA currently is used

A Marinha Portuguesa nas operações de paz

Em termos gerais, as operações de paz visam a resolução de problemas que afetam a comunidade internacional e a estabilidade regional, podendo ser enquadradas no âmbito do Capítulo VI da Carta das Nações Unidas – “Solução pacífica de controvérsias” ou, mais comummente, do Capítulo VII – “Ação em caso de ameaça à paz, rutura da paz e ato de agressão”. Com efeito, normalmente, as operações aprovadas no âmbito do capítulo VI não podem usar a força, senão em legítima defesa, enquanto as operações autorizadas ao abrigo do capítulo VII podem usá-la em circunstâncias mais alargadas.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio