Correlation of spatiotemporal and EMG measures with lower extremity fugl-meyer assessment score in post-stroke walking

Lower Extremity Fugl-Meyer Assessment (FMA-LE) is recommended as the primary outcome for assessing motor function in post-stroke population. However, the subjectivity, dependency on professional experience, and time-consuming visual inspection by healthcare professionals limit the use of FMA-LE in clinical practice. Contrarily to clinical scales, sensor-based assessments can automatically provide objective measurements of motor function. This work advances literature by evaluating the Spearman correlation between the FMA-LE clinical scores and both spatiotemporal and electromyographic (EMG) measures, acquired during different mobility walking tasks (self-selected speed, maximum speed, maximum cadence, maximum step length, and maximum step height). Data were extracted from ARRA dataset, including 27 post-stroke participants. The results showed that step length (0.44 ≤ r ≤ 0.60), stride time (-0.48 ≤ r ≤ -0.40), and cadence (0.40 ≤ r ≤ 0.46) spatiotemporal measures, and peak power frequency (PKF) EMG measure of gluteus medius (r = 0.42), lateral hamstring (0.40 ≤ r ≤ 0.46), and vastus medialis (0.42 ≤ r ≤ 0.45) muscles revealed significant strong correlations in multiple walking tasks. Overall, spatiotemporal measures presented higher correlations with FMA-LE than EMG measures. These findings are promising for future research to develop artificial intelligence methods to estimate the Lower FMA clinical scores for motor assessment, maximizing its use in clinical practice.This work was funded by the Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia under the scholarship reference 2020.05709.BD, under the Stimulus of Scientific Employment with the grant 2020.03393.CEECIND, under the national support to R&D units grant through the reference project UIDB/04436/2020 and UIDP/04436/2020

Health policies

(...) Os artigos, ora apresentados, evidenciam resultados empíricos de investigação, monitorização, observação ou vigilância - tendo por base o alinhamento com o Plano Nacional de Saúde, os Programas de Saúde Prioritários ou outros Programas e/ou Estratégias Nacionais. Salientam a importância de abordagens, muitas vezes, multissetoriais, e a relevância que estes estudos podem assumir para a definição de políticas, normativos ou recomendações. Ou mesmo a sua monitorização e avaliação. Destacamos, ainda, a atualidade destes artigos e o dinamismo na investigação que é feita – na procura de respostas a uma pergunta, no estudo de situações concretas com impacto na saúde e bem-estar, no alinhamento com estratégias nacionais e internacionais. Este vigor na produção científica é essencial para acompanhar necessidades prementes, adaptar políticas e planos a novas situações, a informar com celeridade e rigor. (...)info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

A TRAJETÓRIA DA PRIMEIRA TURMA DE OFICIAIS ENFERMEIROS DA POLÍCIA MILITAR DO ESTADO DO RIO DE JANEIRO (1994-1997)

RESUMOObjetivo: Descrever o processo de inserção da primeira turma de Oficiais Enfermeiros na Polícia Militar do Estado do Rio de Janeiro. Método: Estudo de natureza histórico social. Resultados: A entrada da primeira turma de oficiais enfermeiros na Polícia Militar do Estado do Rio de Janeiro ocorreu através de concurso de admissão de 2º Tenente enfermeiro com edital publicado em diário oficial em 08 de março de 1994. Conclusão parcial: Concluímos que a trajetória da primeira turma de Oficiais Enfermeiros na Polícia Militar do Estado do Rio de Janeiro foi um Marco histórico para os enfermeiros militares que ocuparam um novo espaço, que até então era ocupado somente por enfermeiros civis. Descritores: Oficiais enfermeiros, Policia militar, Enfermagem.

The influence of differente speeds on backpacker's gait kinectics

This study analyzed the influence of different speeds on ground reaction force’s (GRF), impulses and mean vertical force during gait of people submitted to occasional overload (backpack). A force plate was used to record the GRF data of 60 young adult subjects walking in two different cadences: 69 steps/min (slow gait) and 120 steps/min (fast gait). During the slow gait, the impact and propulsive impulses of vertical GRF, propulsive impulse of anterior-posterior GRF, impulse of medial-lateral GRF and duration of stance phase were larger than during the fast gait; the mean vertical force was the only variable that showed larger values during fast gait. Therefore, slow gait may present a larger possibility of blister development and gait unbalance, while the fast gait, even presenting a small impulse, seems to be more harmful to the musculoskeletal system

THE INFLUENCE OF DIFFERENT SPEEDS ON BACKPACKER´S GAIT KINETICS

This study analyzed the influence of different speeds on ground reaction force’s (GRF), impulses and mean vertical force during gait of people submitted to occasional overload (backpack). A force plate was used to record the GRF data of 60 young adult subjects walking in two different cadences: 69 steps/min (slow gait) and 120 steps/min (fast gait). During the slow gait, the impact and propulsive impulses of vertical GRF, propulsive impulse of anterior-posterior GRF, impulse of medial-lateral GRF and duration of stance phase were larger than during the fast gait; the mean vertical force was the only variable that showed larger values during fast gait. Therefore, slow gait may present a larger possibility of blister development and gait unbalance, while the fast gait, even presenting a small impulse, seems to be more harmful to the musculoskeletal system

Antioxidant enzymes activity of Cistus ladanifer L. from areas non contaminated in trace elements

The aim of this study was to evaluate the antioxidant enzymes activity (catalase, per-oxidase and superoxide dismutase) and the concentrations of As, Cu, Pb and Zn in leaves from two populations of Cistus ladanifer growing on soils non-contaminated with trace elements (Caldeirão and Pomarão), but with different climatic conditions and in two different seasons (spring and summer). In both areas, total and available concentra-tions (DTPA extraction) of trace elements in soils were low. The distribution of elements for young and mature leaves was similar be-tween areas and seasons. The enzyme activi-ties varied with the plant population. Leaves collected in the two seasons, except young leaves from Pomarão collected in summer, showed enzymatic activity in the soluble and ionic fractions. Comparing the seasons and sampling areas, C. ladanifer enzymatic ac-tivities represent a tolerance mechanism to different stress factors (UV radiation, high air temperature in summer, drought, low-medium fertility in soils, trace element con-centrations in soil), giving it a high plasticit

Nosocomial Infection Among Children With Symptomatic Human Immunodeficiency Virus Infection

A prospective cohort study was conducted during a 15-month period to compare nosocomial infections (NIs) among pediatric patients without (n = 989) and with (n = 50) symptomatic human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. Patients with symptomatic HIV infection presented higher overall NI incidence density rates (relative risk, 1.65; P = .0001), and may represent a population at high risk for the acquisition of N

The influence of gait cadence on the ground reaction forces and plantar pressures during load carriage of young adults

Biomechanical gait parameters ground reaction forces (GRFs) and plantar pressures during load carriage of young adults were compared at a low gait cadence and a high gait cadence. Differences between load carriage and normal walking during both gait cadences were also assessed. A force plate and an in-shoe plantar pressure system were used to assess 60 adults while they were walking either normally (unloaded condition) or wearing a backpack (loaded condition) at low (70 steps per minute) and high gait cadences (120 steps per minute). GRF and plantar pressure peaks were scaled to body weight (or body weight plus backpack weight). With medium to high effect sizes we found greater anterior-posterior and vertical GRFs and greater plantar pressure peaks in the rearfoot, forefoot and hallux when the participants walked carrying a backpack at high gait cadences compared to walking at low gait cadences. Differences between loaded and unloaded conditions in both gait cadences were also observed.info:eu-repo/semantics/acceptedVersio

Cultural adaptation and validation of the “Pregnancy Physical Activity Questionnaire” for the Portuguese population

The lack of instruments to assess the level of physical activity in pregnant women, led to the development of the PPAQ (Pregnancy Physical Activity Questionnaire), a self-administered questionnaire, which has already been translated in several countries and has already been used in several studies. Translate and adapt the PPAQ into Portuguese and test its reliability and validity. An analytical observational study was carried out. Linguistic and semantic equivalence was performed through translation and back-translation and content validity was tested by a panel of experts. To test reliability, a test-retest was performed on a sample of 184 pregnant women, with an interval of 7 days and the ICC was used. To test the criterion validity, Pearson’s correlation coefficient (r) was used between the PPAQ and the accelerometer, in a sample of 226 pregnant women. The questionnaire was considered comprehensive. The ICC values of Reliability were: total score (0.77); sedentary activities (0.87); light-intensity activities (0.76); moderate-intensity activities (0.76); vigorous-intensity activities (0.70). For criterion validity was obtained a coefficient correlation of r = -0.030, considered weak and negative, for total activity. This study describes the translation and validation process of the PPAQ questionnaire from English to Portuguese. The final version of the PPAQ was considered as a valid instrument in terms of content to measure physical activity and was referred to as being simple to apply and easy to understand. The PPAQ has content validity, excellent reliability and weak criterion validity, as in the original version.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Relação entre trabalho por turnos e padrões de sono em enfermeiros

The scope of this study was to evaluate the sleep/wake cycle in shift work nurses, as well as their sleep quality and chronotype. The sleep/wake cycle was evaluated by keeping a sleep diary for a total of 60 nurses with a mean age of 31.76 years. The Horne & Östberg Questionnaire (1976) for the chronotype and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) for sleep quality were applied. The results revealed a predominance of indifferent chronotypes (65.0%), followed by moderately evening persons (18.3%), decidedly evening persons (8.3%), moderately morning persons (6.6%) and decidedly morning persons (1.8%). The sleep quality perception was analyzed by the visual analogical scale, showing a mean score of 5.85 points for nighttime sleep and 4.70 points for daytime sleep, which represented a statistically significant difference. The sleep/wake schedule was also statistically different when considering weekdays and weekends. The PSQI showed a mean of 7.0 points, characterizing poor sleep quality. The results showed poor sleep quality in shift work nurses, possibly due to the lack of sport and shift work habits.Este estudo teve como objectivo analisar o ciclo vigília-sono em enfermeiros que trabalham por turnos, bem como a qualidade do sono e cronótipo. O ciclo vigília-sono foi avaliado através do diário de sono, num total de 60 enfermeiros, com idade média de 31.76 anos. Para o cronótipo utilizou-se o Questionário de Horne e Östberg, de 1976, e para medir a qualidade de sono calculou-se o Índice Qualidade de Sono de Pittsburg (PSQI). Os resultados do cronótipo mostraram uma predominância para tipo indiferente (65.0%), seguido do tipo Moderamente Vespertinos (18.3%), Definitivamente Vespertino (8.3%), Moderadamente Matutinos (6.6%) e Definitivamente Matutinos (1.8%). A percepção da qualidade do sono autorreportada pela Escala Analógica Visual (VAS) foi de 5.85 pontos, em média, para o sono nocturno e 4.70 para o sono diurno, diferença estatisticamente significativa. Os participantes demonstraram que o tempo de acordar e adormecer durante a semana e o fim-de-semana foram estatisticamente diferentes. No PSQI obteve-se uma média de 7.0 pontos, caracterizando o sono como de má qualidade. Os dados permitiram classificar o sono dos enfermeiros como de má qualidade. A falta de hábitos desportivos e o esquema de trabalho em turnos poderão ter influenciado na qualidade de sono.Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP) Departamento de enfermagemUniversidade do Porto Faculdade de Psicologia e Ciências Educationais Laboratório de NeuropsicofisiologiaUNIFESP, Depto. de enfermagemSciEL