REFEREE PERSONAL MEANING: PERCEPTION of FOOTBALL OFFICIALS

The aim of this study was to evaluate the personal meaning of refereeing for Portuguese football referees. Participants were 47 football referees from the 1st Portuguese Professional Football League evaluated through an open question: "Write down what refereeing means to you". The analysis was made according to Miles & Huberman (1994) procedures. The 5 categories are: relation with the football; costs of the practice; emotion for the arbitration; social interaction and way of life. The results show that be connected to the world of the football, passion and the relationship with other referees are important motivational factors, with that the referees have a high grade of excitement and pleasure in his labor activity. on the other hand the task of refereeing is generating of stress and burnout.

Influence of door handles design in effort perception: accessibility and usability

The application of ergonomics in product design is essential to its accessibility and usability. The development of manual devices should be based on ergonomic principles. Effort perception analysis is an essential approach to understand the physical and subjective aspects of the interface. The objective of the present study was to analyze the effort perception during a simulated task with different door handles by Portuguese subjects of both genders and different ages. This transversal study agreed with ethical aspects. 180 subjects of both genders pertaining to three age groups have participated. Five door handles with different shapes were evaluated. A subjective numeric rating scale of 5 levels was used to evaluate the effort. For statistical analysis it was applied the Friedman non-parametric test. The results have showed no significant differences of effort perception in door handles "A" and "B"; "A" and "D"; and "D" and "C". Door handle "E" presented the lowest values of all. In general, there's an inverse relationship between the results of biomechanical studies and the effort perception of the same task activity. This shows that door handles design influence directly these two variables and can interfere in the accessibility and usability of these kinds of products.

The Impact of Domestic Politics and International Changes on the Brazilian Perception of Regional Integration

This article aims to analyze the impact of domestic politics and international changes that influence Brazilian positions regarding regional integration processes in South America, particularly the Southern Common Market, Mercosur. The dynamics of the international system and their impact on the evolution of the elite's perception of the role the country should play in the world are important variables for understanding these positions. The state's postures in relation to integration were and are based on a real interest, but this interest is also linked with the objective of ensuring better conditions for participation in other international arenas. Starting with the hypothesis that transformations in the international setting have strongly influenced Brazil's positioning, the elements of continuity and change in the country's behavior toward Mercosur are identified, with domestic politics as the main explanation.

Sentimentos e percepções de puérperas com relação à assistência prestada pelo serviço materno-infantil de um hospital universitário

OBJETIVOS: avaliar percepções e sentimentos de puérperas adultas e adolescentes, relacionados ao filho e a assistência materno-infantil, em hospital universitário de nível terciário. MÉTODOS: estudo transversal, envolvendo 180 puérperas, no Alojamento Conjunto (AC) e no Berçário Interno (BI) do Hospital das Clínicas da Faculdade de Medicina de Botucatu , entrevistadas no segundo e terceiro dia pós-parto e distribuídas em três grupos: adultas primíparas, adultas multíparas e adolescentes. Para comparação entre grupos e locais de internação utilizou-se o chi2 ou teste de Fisher. RESULTADOS: ultrasom obstétrico e cardiotocografia tiveram impacto positivo na emoção materna. Houve pouca diferença entre os grupos quanto aos sentimentos antes e após o parto, sendo felicidade, amor, responsabilidade, ansiedade e medo os mais freqüentes. A culpa predominou nas adolescentes do BI. As percepções relacionadas ao filho, a avaliação da assistência e equipe, não diferiram entre adultas e adolescentes. Nas duas enfermarias o relacionamento entre mães e cuidadores foi bom, as mães mostraram-se satisfeitas com a equipe e a assistência, mas o aleitamento materno foi pouco valorizado e poucas mães conheciam o médico. CONCLUSÕES: está ocorrendo um processo de humanização na assistência materno-infantil deste hospital universitário, mas alguns aspectos precisam ser melhorados, especialmente a valorização do aleitamento materno e a individualização no contato médico-paciente.

Quality of life and stimulus perception in patients' rehabilitated with complete denture

The objective of this study was to evaluate and correlate quality of life (QoL), and stimulus perception of complete denture users, before and after the insertion of new prostheses. We selected 60 patients using bimaxillary complete conventional dentures who needed to replace their prostheses. During anamnesis, we collected demographic data and applied the Oral Health Impact Profile for Edentulous Patients (OHIP-EDENT) questionnaire and stimulus perception questionnaire (PERCEPTION). Before installation of new prostheses, the patients responded to OHIP-EDENT questionnaire, and on the day of installation, they responded to PERCEPTION questionnaire. At the patients 3-month follow-up, we re-administered the OHIP-EDENT and PERCEPTION questionnaires. The Wilcoxon and MacNemar tests were used to compare patient responses between the time points analysed. Most of the OHIP-EDENT items showed a highly significant impact of the new prostheses on oral health (P = 0.003). The PERCEPTION questionnaire data indicated that the patients experienced significant improvements (P < 0.05) in terms of their sensations with the new prostheses. Cross-lagged data analysis did not show any causality between the OHIP-EDENT and PERCEPTION questionnaires (ZPF test, P = 0.772). We concluded that the treatment was effective with respect to the patients QoL and their adaptation to the new prostheses.

EVALUATION OF THE PERCEPTION TOWARDS RESEARCH INVOLVING HUMAN BEINGS IN BRASILEAN POST DEGREE STUDENTS

In Brazil, research involving human beings must obey to ethical norms foresaw by the 196/96 National Health Council Resolution of the Ministry of Health. This paper gives account of a knowledge evaluation about some concepts and rules established by the resolution by Dental post degree students. It is concluded that in spite of the spreading and importance of the resolution most students do not know about it. In the same situation are those who work in research.

Prevalence of dog intestinal parasites and risk perception of zoonotic infection by dog owners in São Paulo State, Brazil

Coprological examination was used to estimate the prevalence of gastrointestinal parasites in stray and domiciled dogs from Botucatu, São Paulo State, Brazil. Risk factors for dog infection were assessed in relation to demographic, husbandry and management data. The dog owners completed a questionnaire survey on some aspects of dog parasitism such as parasite species, mechanisms of infection, awareness of zoonotic diseases and history of anthelmintic usage. Parasites were found in the faeces of 138 dogs, with an overall prevalence of 54.3%. Dogs harbouring one parasite were more common (31.4%) than those harbouring two (18.5%), three (3.2%) or four (1.2%). The following parasites and their respective frequencies were detected: Ancylostoma (37.8%), Giardia (16.9%), Toxocara canis (8.7%), Trichuris vulpis (7.1%), Dipylidium caninum (2.4%), Isospora (3.5%), Cryptosporidium (3.1%) and Sarcocystis (2.7%). Stray dogs were found more likely to be poliparasitized (P < 0.01) and presented higher prevalence of Ancylostoma, T. canis and Giardia (P < 0.01) than domiciled ones. Toxocara canis was detected more frequently in dogs with < 6 months of age (P < 0.05) and no effect of sex or breed could be observed (P > 0.05). Except for Ancylostoma, that showed a significantly higher prevalence in dogs living in a multi-dog household (P < 0.01), parasite prevalences were similar in single- and multi-dog household. The answers of dog owners to the questionnaire showed that the majority does not know the species of dog intestinal parasites, the mechanisms of transmission, the risk factors for zoonotic infections, and specific prophylactic measures. The predominance of zoonotic species in dogs in the studied region, associated with the elevated degree of misinformation of the owners, indicates that the risk of zoonotic infection by canine intestinal parasite may be high, even in one of the most developed regions of Brazil.

Plant pigments: the many faces of light perception

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

O idoso e a ressignificação emocional do lazer

A sociedade contemporânea vê-se desafiada a responder qualitativamente às demandas da ciência e da tecnologia, cujas ressonâncias afetam as múltiplas dimensões humanas. Uma delas, o aumento da longevidade, vem requisitando políticas e programas sociais voltados à qualidade de vida, incluindo o âmbito do lazer. Este estudo qualitativo objetivou identificar aspectos emocionais na percepção de idosos, durante vivências no lazer. Os dados foram coletados por meio de questionário misto, aplicado a uma amostra de 20 participantes, de ambos os sexos. Foram analisados descritivamente pela Técnica de Análise de Conteúdo, revelando recorrências de crescimento positivo como a relação interpessoal e o respeito mútuo, a contemplação, a sensação de harmonia com a natureza, o elemento lúdico, entre outros, também responsáveis pelo vínculo afetivo do grupo. Conclui-se que experiências significativas no âmbito do lazer, capazes de contemplar a gama de necessidades e expectativas do homem, contribuem para a ressignificação emocional do lazer nesta fase do desenvolvimento.

Perception-action and adaptation in postural control of children and adolescents with cerebral palsy

The aim of this study was to examine the coupling between visual information and body sway and the adaptation in this coupling of individuals with cerebral palsy (CP). Fifteen children with and 15 without CP. 6-15 years old, were required to stand upright inside of a moving room. All children first performed two trials with no movement of the room and eyes open or closed, then four trials in which the room oscillated at 0.2 or 0.5 Hz (peak velocity of 0.6 cm/s), one trial in which the room oscillated at 0.2 Hz (peak velocity of 3.5 cm/s), and finally two other trials in which the room oscillated again at 0.2 Hz (peak velocity of 0.6 cm/s). Participants with CP coupled body sway to visual information provided by the moving room, comparable to the coupling of participants without CP. However, participants with CP exhibited larger body sway in maintaining upright position and more variable sway when body sway was induced by visual manipulation. They showed adaptive sensory motor coupling, e.g. down-weighting visual influence when a larger stimulus was provided, but not with the same magnitude as typically developing participants. This indicates that participants with CP have less capability of adaptation. (C) 2011 Published by Elsevier Ltd.

The Perception of Smile Attractiveness Variations from Esthetic Norms, Photographic Framing and Order of Presentation

Objectives: To evaluate the attractiveness of a smile according to variations from esthetic norms, photographic framing, and the order of the presentation of photographs.Materials and Methods: A photograph of an individual was selected and digitally manipulated to create the following smiles: an ideal control smile (I), a smile with diastema (D1), a smile with midline deviation (LM3), a smile with deviation from the long axes of the lateral incisors (10D), and a smile with an inverted smile arc (LSRV). The manipulated photographs were developed in framings of the face and of the mouth and evaluated by 20 laypeople. For half the evaluators, the presentation started with facial photographs and, for the other half, the presentation began with the mouth shots. Evaluators were asked to rank the photographs from the least to the most attractive; then, each photograph was awarded a mark (scale of 0.0 to 10.0).Results: In both presentations, the smiles I, LM3, 10D, and LSRV received favorable ratings, whereas the D1 smile got poor ratings. The photographic framings used (face vs mouth) and the order of presentation of the photographs did not influence the rankings.Conclusion: The absence of variations from beauty norms of a smile has a positive impact on its esthetic perception, but variations from the norms do not necessarily result in reduced attractiveness. (Angle Orthod. 2009;79:634-639.)

Suggestion of an inverse relationship between perception of occupational risks and work-related injuries

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Toque: qual o uso atual pelo enfermeiro?

Este trabalho tem como objetivo verificar o uso do toque pelo enfermeiro, na categoria proposta por LE MAY (1986), assim como sua percepção de quando e por que ele o utiliza. Foram entrevistados, para tanto, 37 enfermeiros (20 docentes, 16 assistenciais e 1 aprimorando), em setembro de 1995, na capital e interior do Estado de São Paulo, constatando-se que a maioria da amostra coletada fez menção ao toque de forma expressiva, referindo utilizá-lo principalmente para demonstrar empatia e segurança em momentos que percebe a expressão das emoções do paciente.