Visual strategies used during the performance of an obstacle course

Journal of Eye Tracking, Visual Cognition and EmotionVision is the sense that provides precise information about one’s position in the environment in relation to objects. The visual system is essential to guide people safely when moving around in the environment. The perception that an individual gets from a particular scene of her/his surroundings is accomplished by eye movements. The current study aims to identify differences in visual strategies between 15 women and 15 men within the age range of 18-24 years, who have been given a task to walk through an obstacle course drawn on the laboratory´s floor. They should start and finish at a predefined location. Twelve pylons were used as obstacles to be avoided during the walking.The participants' eye movements were recorded using the Mobile Eye model 1.35. The Wilcoxon-Mann-Whitney Test was used for the statistical analysis. Significant differences occurred between men and women, in the duration of fixations: the men spend more time observing the finishing area than women (z=-1.929, p=.054); and in the number of fixations: before starting the task, the men fixate more often the middle phase of the obstacle course (z=-2.085, p=.037). Once they commence, the women fixate more the points outside the obstacle course than the men (z=-2.093, p=.036)

RELATIVE JOINT MOMENT CONTRIBUTION TO THE POWER GENERATED IN A MARTIAL ARTS KICK – INFLUENCE OF SKILL LEVEL

The purpose of this study was to analyse whether athletes of different skill level present different relative joint moment contributions to the power generated in a martial arts kick. This investigation was carried out using the induced power analysis, a method based on the dynamic coupling inherent to ultiarticulated systems. The comparison was done among three male karatekas, considered to be experienced, intermediate and novice. The results show that the hip extension moment was the major contributor in the production of mechanical energy in the kicking foot at impact. Similarly the hip internal rotation and ankle dorsiflexion moments worked to build up the foot’s energy for most of movement. The experienced athlete seems to benefit more from these by potentiating the moments produced in these joints

Test-retest reliability of three-dimensional gait analysis in chronic low back pain individuals: a preliminary study

Trabalho apresentado no 1st Clinical Movement Analysis World Conference, 29 setembro a 4 outubro 2014, Roma, Itáli

Test-retest reliability and minimal detectable change of three-dimensional gait analysis in chronic low back pain patients and healthy individuals

Trabalho apresentado no IFOMPT 2016 - World Congress of Manual and Musculoskeletal Physiotherapy, 4-8 julho de 2016, Glasgow, Escóciainfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Altered three-dimensional trunk and hip kinetics and loss of variability during gait in chronic low back pain individuals

Trabalho apresentado em 10th Interdisciplinary World Congress on Low Back & Pelvic Girdle Pain, 28-31 de outubro 2019, Antuérpia, BélgicaN/

The 1909 Benavente (Portugal) earthquake : search for the source

The Lower Tagus River Valley has been affected by severe earthquakes comprising distant events, as in 1755, and local earthquakes, as in 1344, 1531, and 1909. The 1909 earthquake was located NE of Lisbon, near Benavente, causing serious damage and many losses. Mw 6.0 has been assessed for this earthquake and a reverse faulting focal mechanism solution has been calculated. Poor epicenter location, possible directivity and site effects, low fault slip rates, and the thick Cenozoic sedimentary cover make difficult correlation with regional structures. The focal mechanism indicates an ENE reverse fault as source, though it does not match any outcropping active structure suggesting that the event could have been produced by a blind thrust beneath the Cenozoic sedimentary fill. Hidden sources, inferred from seismic reflection data, are a possible NE structure linking the Vila Franca de Xira and the Azambuja faults, or the southern extension of the later. Evidence of surface rupturing is inhibited by the thick Holocene alluvial cover and the high fluvial sedimentation rate, though a slightly depressed area was identified in the Tagus alluvial plain W of Benavente which was investigated as possible geomorphic evidence of co-seismic surface deformation. A high-resolution seismic reflection profile was acquired across a 0.5 m high scarp at this site, and two trenches were opened across the scarp for paleoseismic research. Some deformation of dubious tectonic origin was found, requiring further studies

Using a multifactorial approach to determine fall risk profiles in portuguese older adults

The aim of this study was to use a multifactorial approach to characterize episodic and recurrent fallers risk profiles in Portuguese older adults.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Dutch eating behavior questionnaire: Validation and exploitation in adults with obesity

Pretende-se validar o Questionário Holandês do Comportamento Alimentar (QHCA) numa amostra de adultos com obesidade, e analisar as diferenças entre participantes de São Miguel, Açores, e de Portugal continental, e entre homens e mulheres relativamente à ingestão emocional e externa, e restrição alimentar. No total, 187 adultos com obesidade (70 de São Miguel; 117 de Portugal continental), com uma idade média de 42 anos (DP = 14,36) e um IMC médio de 36 kg/m2 (DP = 4,98), completaram o QHCA e a Escala de Ingestão Compulsiva (EIC). Avaliou-se a validade de constructo (factorial, convergente e discriminante), de critério, a fiabilidade e a sensibilidade do QHCA. Nos resultados, obteve-se um bom ajustamento (X2/df=1,83; CFI = 0,922; TLI = 0,916; RMSEA = 0,067 C.I. 90% ]0,060; 0,074[, p = 0,001), com adequados valores de pesos factoriais (à excepção dos items 21 e 29), de sensibilidade e fiabilidade (α ≥ 0,88). A variância média extraída é adequada (VME ≥ .55), excepto na subescala de restrição alimentar (0,42); as subescalas ingestão emocional e externa não possuem validade discriminante. A correlação entre a EIC e as subescalas do QHCA são positivas e significativas (r = ]0,53; 0,61[, p < 0,001), à excepção da subescala da restrição alimentar (r = 0,03; p < 0,668).A disponibilidade de instrumentos validados é importante para a prática clínica e investigação. O QHCA, um instrumento amplamente utilizado na área, apresenta propriedades psicométricas adequadas nesta amostra portuguesaABSTRACT: Aimed the validation of the Dutch Eating Behaviour Questionnaire (DEBQ) in a sample of adults with obesity, and analyse the differences between participants from São Miguel, Açores, and mainland Portugal, and between men and women regarding emotional and external eating, and restrained eating. A total of 187 adults with obesity (70 from São Miguel; 117 from mainland Portugal), with a mean age of 42 years old (SD = 14,36) and a mean BMI of 36 kg/m2 (SD = 4,98) completed the DEBQ and the Binge Eating Scale (BES). The construct validity (factorial, convergent and discriminant), criterion, reliability and sensitivity of the DEBQ were evaluated. The results showed a good fit (X2/df = 1,83; CFI = 0,922; TLI = 0,916; RMSEA = 0,067 C.I. 90% ]0,060; 0,074[, p = 0,001), with appropriate values of factorial weights (except items 21 and 29), sensitivity and reliability (α ≥ 0,88). The average variance extracted is adequate (AVE ≥ 0,55), except for the subscale of restrained eating (0,42); the subscales of emotional and external eating have no discriminant validity. The correlation between BES and the subscales of DEBQ is positive and significant (r = ]0,53; 0,61[, p < 0,001), with an exception of restrained eating (r = 0,03; p < 0,668). The QHCA, an instrument widely used, presents adequate psychometric properties in this Portuguese sample.Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia -FCT e William James Center for Researchinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Antiphospholipid Syndrome Risk Evaluation

The antiphospholipid syndrome is an acquired autoimmune disorder produced by high titers of antiphospholipid antibodies that cause both arterial and veins thrombosis as well as pregnancy-related complications and morbidity, as clinical manifestations. This autoimmune hypercoagulable state, often associated with coronary artery disease and recurrent Acute Myocardium Infraction, has severe consequences for the patients, being one of the main causes of thrombotic disorders and death. Therefore, it is extremely important to be preventive; being aware of how probable is to have that kind of syndrome. Despite the updated of the APS classification published as Sydney criteria, diagnosis of this syndrome remains challenging. Further research on clinically relevant antibodies and standardization of their quantification are required to improve clinical risk assessment in APS. This work will focus on the development of a diagnosis support system to antiphospholipid syndrome, built under a formal framework based on Logic Programming, in terms of its knowledge representation and reasoning procedures, complemented with an approach to computing grounded on Artificial Neural Networks. The proposed model allowed to improve the diagnosis, classifying properly the patients that really presented this pathology (sensitivity about 92%) as well as classifying the absence of APS (specificity ranging from 89% to 94%)

Microcystin-LR activates the ERK1/2 kinases and stimulates the proliferation of the monkey kidney-derived cell line Vero-E6

Microcystin-LR (MCLR) is a peptide produced by freshwater cyanobacteria that induces severe hepatotoxicity in humans and animals. MCLR is also a potent tumour promoter and it has been proposed that this activity is mediated by the inhibition of protein phosphatases PP1/PP2A, possibly through the activation of proto-oncogenes c-jun, c-fos and c-myc. However, the mechanisms underlying MCLR-induced tumour promotion are still largely unknown, particularly in non-liver cells. In previous studies we have demonstrated that micromolar concentrations of MCLR induce cytotoxic effects in the kidney Vero-E6 cell line. The purpose of the present work was to evaluate whether the exposure to subcytotoxic concentrations of MCLR was sufficient to induce the proliferation of Vero-E6 cells. Through BrdU incorporation assay we show that at nanomolar concentrations MCLR stimulates cell cycle progression in Vero-E6 kidney cell line. Moreover, the analysis of mitogen-activated protein kinases p38, JNK and ERK1/2 activity revealed that the proliferative effect of MCLR is associated with the activation of the pro-proliferative ERK1/2 pathway. These results emphasise the importance to confirm in vivo the impact of MCLR on tumour promotion at kidney level