Portable MP3 player as low-cost data logger

Non-audio signals have been recorded in the flash ROM memory of a portable MP3 player, in WAV format file, to examine the possibility of using these cheap and small instruments as general-purpose portable data loggers. A 1200-Hz FM carrier modulated by the non-audio signal has replaced the microphone signal, while using the REC operating mode of the MP3 player, which triggers the voice recording function. The signal recovery was carried out by a PLL-based FM demodulator whose input is the FM signal captured in the coil leads of the MP3 player's earphone. Sinusoidal and electrocardiogram signals have been used in the system evaluation. Although the quality of low frequency signals needs improvement, overall the results indicate the viability of the proposal. Suggestions are made for improvements and extensions of the work.

Registrador de sinais analógicos usando MP3 player portátil com entrada para voz

Neste trabalho se propôs a utilização do MP3 player portátil para gravação de sinal nãoáudio em sua memória, utilizando-se seu recurso para gravação de voz. Para avaliar a proposta, retirou-se o microfone de eletreto do MP3 player e em seu lugar injetou-se um sinal de FM, com portadora de áudio de 1200 Hz modulada pelo sinal de interesse. O sinal é gravado no aparelho em arquivo no formato WAV. Sua recuperação se fez usando um demodulador de FM a PLL cuja entrada é o sinal de FM captado nos terminais da bobina do fone de ouvido do MP3 player. Nos testes, usou-se sinal senoidal e sinal de eletrocardiograma. Embora a qualidade dos sinais de baixa freqüência precise ser melhorada, em geral os resultados apontam para a viabilidade da proposta. Fazem-se sugestões para melhorias e extensões do trabalho.

Consumo máximo de oxigênio e limiar anaeróbio de jogadores de futebol: comparação entre as diferentes posições

O grau de desenvolvimento das capacidades físicas no futebol é fator determinante do nível desportivo do jogador. O objetivo do presente estudo foi comparar valores de limiar anaeróbio e consumo máximo de oxigênio entre jogadores profissionais de futebol de diferentes posições. Para tanto, 25 atletas (idade = 22,08 ± 8,28 anos, peso = 76,12 ± 9,8kg, altura = 179,8 ± 7,1cm e relação corporal = 12,21 ± 3,67% de gordura corporal) foram divididos em cinco grupos, como se segue: goleiros (GO), zagueiros (ZA), laterais (LA), meio-campistas (MC) e atacantes (AT). O VO2max foi determinado em esteira ergométrica através de análise direta e a velocidade de corrida correspondente ao limiar anaeróbio fixo de 4mM (V4mM), em teste de campo (2 x 1.000m a 90 e 95% da velocidade máxima para a distância) através de interpolação linear. A V4mM foi menor (p < 0,05) para o grupo GO em relação aos demais grupos. Além disso, os grupos LA e MC apresentaram valores de V4mM significantemente maiores em relação aos grupos ZA e AT. O grupo GO mostrou VO2max significantemente menor em relação a todos os outros grupos, sendo que estes últimos não apresentaram diferença entre si. Uma vez que os atletas de diferentes posições não realizavam treinamento diferenciado, os autores creditam as diferenças encontradas à especificidade da movimentação durante partidas e coletivos.

TLR4 and CD14 receptors expressed in rat pineal gland trigger NFKB pathway

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

Luxação aguda isolada da articulação tibiofibular proximal

A luxação traumática isolada da articulação tibiofibular proximal é rara. Esta lesão pode não ser reconhecida ou diagnosticada no atendimento inicial. A ausência de suspeita clínica pode causar problemas para o diagnóstico. O diagnóstico necessita de história precisa do mecanismo e sintomas da lesão, avaliação clínica e radiográfica adequada de ambos joelhos. Casos não reconhecidos são fonte de alterações crônicas. O tratamento é feito por redução fechada e imobilização ou, em casos irredutíveis ou instáveis, redução aberta com fixação interna temporária. Um caso raro de luxação tibiofibular proximal isolada em um jogador de basquetebol é relatado para ilustrar essa lesão.

Autogerindo o tratamento da osteoporose no regaste do bem-estar, mediado pela (in)visibilidade de indicadores da doença

The present study aimed to understand patients' experience with osteoporosis treatment. The methodological and theoretical frameworks were, respectively, the Grounded Theory and Symbolic Interactionism. The research subjects were 12 patients monitored in a specialized outpatient unit. The obtained statements were transcribed and analyzed, leading to a synthesis of the described themes. From the analysis process, two phenomena emerged: "self-evaluating health conditions according to the disease signs" and "making a decision about the treatment targeting at well-being". The realignment and the inter-relationship of the components belonging to these phenomena (themes, categories, and subcategories) allowed to identify the core category: "self-managing osteoporosis treatment for well-being recovery mediated by the (in)visibility of the disease signs". Furthermore, it allowed for the design of a theoretical model concerning the process used by the player in his cyclic movement of the experience, between adherence to and relaxation from the osteoporosis treatment.

Use of Facial Protection to Prevent Reinjury During Sports Practice

The objective of the study was to report the prevention of facial reinjury of a volleyball player using a custom-made protective facial shield. A custom-made protective partial facial shield was fabricated using polymethylmethacrylate and was fitted with a soft lining material to provide additional comfort and protection to the injured area. Facial protection provides greater security against possible facial injuries and allows injured areas to recover during sports practice.

Desempenho motor no esporte: das restrições do iniciante ao experiente

A set of constraints on the performance of motor skills is a determinant factor of success in many sport modalities that require from the athlete continuous adaptation to changes in the game context. Taking into account Newell's model of organism (or performer), task and environmental constraints in the acquisition of motor skills (NEWELL, 1986), the focus of this study is the set of changes that take place in motor behavior from the beginner to the high level athlete. In specific, the focus is toward changes in sports settings in which the ball is the center of the game, responsible for the relationship among athletes of the same team as well as between opponents, as in volleyball. The ball, in its trajectory, carries on a set of constraints to the player's behavior. To be able of imposing constraints on the opponent's behavior is so important as to know how to deal with a ball sent to you by the opponent in an unpredictable trajectory.

Expression of annexin A1 mRNA in peripheral blood from oral squamous cell carcinoma patients

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Aspectos nutricionais do futebol de competição

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Representation and analysis of soccer players' actions using principal components

This paper proposes the use of the Principal Components Analysis (PCA) method to represent and to analyse soccer players' actions distribution in the pitch. The seven games of the Brazilian National Team during the 2002 World Cup were analysed. The player's position actions were measured from videotapes in a computer interface. The results were: a) the graphical representation, given by two orthogonal segments in the two directions of maximal variability and centred at the mean of each player's actions position; b) the eccentricity measurement, given by the variability ratio and c) the actions zone area, given by variability product. The results showed that the individual characteristics of acting were well represented by the PCA, allowing comparisons among games and providing insights related to the tactical organisation of the team.

Industrial Robotics Applied to Education

This work describes a ludic proposal for programming learning of industrial robots to be developed by groups of engineering students. Two projects are presented: Tic-tac-toe Opponent Robot and Environmentalist Robot. The first project use competitive search techniques of the Artificial Intelligence, computational vision, electronic and pneumatic concepts for ability decision making for a robotic agent on the tic-tae-toe game. The second project consists of a game that contains a questions and answers database about environmental themes. An algorithm selects the group of questions to be answered by the player, analyses the answers and sends the result to a industrial robot through serial port. According with the player performance, the robot makes congratulation movements and giving a gift to the winner player. Otherwise, the robot makes movements, disapproving the player performance.

Analysis of the distances covered by first division Brazilian soccer players obtained with an automatic tracking method

Methods based on visual estimation still is the most widely used analysis of the distances that is covered by soccer players during matches, and most description available in the literature were obtained using such an approach. Recently, systems based on computer vision techniques have appeared and the very first results are available for comparisons. The aim of the present study was to analyse the distances covered by Brazilian soccer players and compare the results to the European players', both data measured by automatic tracking system. Four regular Brazilian First Division Championship matches between different teams were filmed. Applying a previously developed automatic tracking system (DVideo, Campinas, Brazil), the results of 55 outline players participated in the whole game (n = 55) are presented. The results of mean distances covered, standard deviations (s) and coefficient of variation (cv) after 90 minutes were 10,012 m, s = 1,024 m and cv = 10.2%, respectively. The results of three-way ANOVA according to playing positions, showed that the distances covered by external defender (10642 ± 663 m), central midfielders (10476 ± 702 m) and external midfielders (10598 ± 890 m) were greater than forwards (9612 ± 772 m) and forwards covered greater distances than central defenders (9029 ± 860 m). The greater distances were covered in standing, walking, or jogging, 5537 ± 263 m, followed by moderate-speed running, 1731 ± 399 m; low speed running, 1615 ± 351 m; high-speed running, 691 ± 190 m and sprinting, 437 ± 171 m. Mean distance covered in the first half was 5,173 m (s = 394 m, cv = 7.6%) highly significant greater (p < 0.001) than the mean value 4,808 m (s = 375 m, cv = 7.8%) in the second half. A minute-by-minute analysis revealed that after eight minutes of the second half, player performance has already decreased and this reduction is maintained throughout the second half. ©Journal of Sports Science and Medicine (2007).

A proposed behavioral tool to assess sustained auditory attention

Sustained attention and vigilance are processeses that characterize attention, and are essential for the development of certain abilities Aim: a prospective study to propose a simple, easy and quick behavioral tool to support the assessment of sustained auditory attention. Material and methods: volunteer children aged between 6 and 11 years (139 female and 141 male) were selected. The test was named Sustained Auditory Attention Ability Test, and is based on the Continuous Performance Test. It consist of a binaural and diotic presentation of a list of 100 monosyllabic words in which a target monosyllable is included 20 times. This list was presented six times with no breaks. The test was carried out in a soundproofed room, using a CD player attached to a two-channel audiometer at 50 dBSL during 9 minutes. The test resulted in a total score and a vigilance decrement. Results: There was no statistically significant difference between genders, but a significant difference was found between ages. Conclusion: The proposed test had no discomfort for the participants, and was shown to be extremely promising to assess the sustained auditory attention ability in children. © Revista Brasileira de Otorrinolaringologia. All Rights reserved.

Molecular basis for defining the pineal gland and pinealocytes as targets for tumor necrosis factor

The pineal gland, the gland that translates darkness into an endocrine signal by releasing melatonin at night, is now considered a key player in the mounting of an innate immune response. Tumor necrosis factor (TNF), the first pro-inflammatory cytokine to be released by an inflammatory response, suppresses the translation of the key enzyme of melatonin synthesis (arylalkylamine-N-acetyltransferase, Aanat). Here, we show that TNF receptors of the subtype 1 (TNF-R1) are expressed by astrocytes, microglia, and pinealocytes. We also show that the TNF signaling reduces the level of inhibitory nuclear factor kappa B protein subtype A (NFKBIA), leading to the nuclear translocation of two NFKB dimers, p50/p50, and p50/RelA. The lack of a transactivating domain in the p50/p50 dimer suggests that this dimer is responsible for the repression of Aanat transcription. Meanwhile, p50/RelA promotes the expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and the production of nitric oxide, which inhibits adrenergically induced melatonin production. Together, these data provide a mechanistic basis for considering pinealocytes a target ofTNF and reinforce the idea that the suppression of pineal melatonin is one of the mechanisms involved in mounting an innate immune response. © 2011 Carvalho-Sousa, da Silveira Cruz-Machado, Tamura, Fernandes, Pinato, Muxel, Cecon and Markus.