Fiabilidade e validade do instrumento Physiosensing na avaliação do equilíbrio em pessoas com deficiência intelectual

Enquadramento: O ‘Physiosensing’ (‘PhyS’) é um dispositivo médico destinado ao treino do controlo postural nas posições de sentado e de pé, bem como no levantar e sentar, possibilitando também a avaliação do desempenho a este nível. Este trabalho teve como objetivo avaliar a fiabilidade e a validade da plataforma ‘Physiosensing’ na avaliação do equilíbrio em pessoas com deficiência intelectual (PCDI). Métodos: Para o grupo experimental (GE) foram recrutados 47 indivíduos com deficiência intelectual e para o grupo de controlo (GC) 39 indivíduos sem deficiência intelectual, provenientes da região do BaixoMondego. A avaliação da fiabilidade incluiu as análises da concordância entre observadores, reprodutibilidade temporal e consistência interna. A análise fatorial exploratória analisou os pressupostos de subdomínios propostos pelos autores. A validade discriminante foi analisada através da comparação de resultados entre o GE e o GC, e a validade concorrente pela análise dos valores de associação entre os resultados do ‘PhyS’ com a Escala de Equilíbrio de Berg (EEB). Resultados: O subconjunto de exercícios relacionados com a transferência de peso lateralmente (TPL) apresentou os resultados mais elevados a nível da concordância entre observadores (0,40 ≤ CCI > 0,75) e na reprodutibilidade intemporal (CCI ≥ 0,75). O instrumento apresenta uma consistência interna fraca (α = 0,63) quando considerados todos os exercícios, tendo-se obtido o melhor resultado para o subconjunto de exercícios TPL (α = 0,81). A análise fatorial exploratória devolveu quatro fatores, explicando 76,4% da variância, agrupando no primeiro fator o subconjunto de exercícios TPL. Foram encontradas diferenças estatisticamente significativas entre os resultados dos participantes com e sem deficiência intelectual, em dez dos onze exercícios que compõem a configuração da plataforma. Seis exercícios, que incluem os exercícios TPL, apresentam valores de associação estatisticamente significativos com a EEB. Conclusão: Alguns exercícios da plataforma ‘PhyS’ não se mostram adequados para medir o equilíbrio em PCDI, não podendo ser incluídos numa medida global. No entanto, os exercícios TPL poderão constituir um indicador global do equilíbrio em pessoas com PCDI. Recomenda-se a definição de procedimentos de medição de forma a melhorar os índices de fiabilidade, o aprofundamento da configuração de exercícios para a avaliação do equilíbrio e o estudo do potencial da plataforma em programas de intervenção para o treino das funções do equilíbrio.

Understanding and modelling hydrological and soil erosion processes in burnt forest catchments

Forest fires implications in overland flow and soil erosion have been researched for several years. Therefore, is widely known that fires enhance hydrological and geomorphological activity worldwide as also in Mediterranean areas. Soil burn severity has been widely used to describe the impacts of fire on soils, and has being recognized as a decisive factor controlling post-fire erosion rates. However, there is no unique definition of the term and the relationship between soil burn severity and post-fire hydrological and erosion response has not yet been fully established. Few studies have assessed post-fire erosion over multiple years, and the authors are aware of none which assess runoff. Small amount of studies concerning pre-fire management practices were also found. In the case of soil erosion models, the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE) and the revised Morgan–Morgan–Finney (MMF) are well-known models, but not much information is available as regards their suitability in predicting post-fire soil erosion in forest soils. The lack of information is even more pronounced as regards post-fire rehabilitation treatments. The aim of the thesis was to perform an extensive research under the post fire hydrologic and erosive response subject. By understanding the effect of burn severity in ecosystems and its implications regarding post fire hydrological and erosive responses worldwide. Test the effect of different pre-fire land management practices (unplowed, downslope plowed and contour plowed) and time-since-fire, in the post fire hydrological and erosive response, between the two most common land uses in Portugal (pine and eucalypt). Assess the performance of two widely-known erosion models (RUSLE and Revised MMF), to predict soil erosion rates during first year following two wildfires of distinctive burn severity. Furthermore, to apply these two models considering different post-fire rehabilitation treatments in an area severely affected by fire. Improve model estimations of post-fire runoff and erosion rates in two different land uses (pine and eucalypt) using the revised MMF. To assess these improvements by comparing estimations and measurements of runoff and erosion, in two recently burned sites, as also with their post fire rehabilitation treatments. Model modifications involved: (1) focusing on intra-annual changes in parameters to incorporate seasonal differences in runoff and erosion; and (2) inclusion of soil water repellency in runoff predictions. Additionally, validate these improvements with the application of the model to other pine and eucalypt sites in Central Portugal. The review and meta-analysis showed that fire occurrence had a significant effect on the hydrological and erosive response. However, this effect was only significantly higher with increasing soil burn severity for inter-rill erosion, and not for runoff. This study furthermore highlighted the incoherencies between existing burn severity classifications, and proposed an unambiguous classification. In the case of the erosion plots with natural rainfall, land use factor affected annual runoff while land management affected both annual runoff and erosion amounts significantly. Time-since-fire had an important effect in erosion amounts among unplowed sites, while for eucalypt sites time affected both annual runoff and erosion amounts. At all studied sites runoff coefficients increase over the four years of monitoring. In the other hand, sediment concentration in the runoff, recorded a decrease during the same period. Reasons for divergence from the classic post-fire recovery model were also explored. Short fire recurrence intervals and forest management practices are viewed as the main reasons for the observed severe and continuing soil degradation. The revised MMF model presented reasonable accuracy in the predictions while the RUSLE clearly overestimated the observed erosion rates. After improvements: the revised model was able to predict first-year post-fire plot-scale runoff and erosion rates for both forest types, these predictions were improved both by the seasonal changes in the model parameters; and by considering the effect of soil water repellency on the runoff, individual seasonal predictions were considered accurate, and the inclusion of the soil water repellency in the model also improved the model at this base. The revised MMF model proved capable of providing a simple set of criteria for management decisions about runoff and erosion mitigation measures in burned areas. The erosion predictions at the validation sites attested both to the robustness of the model and of the calibration parameters, suggesting a potential wider application.