Role Of The Different Sexuality Domains On The Sexual Function Of Women With Premature Ovarian Failure.

Women with premature ovarian failure (POF) often manifest complaints involving different aspects of sexual function (SF), regardless of using hormone therapy. SF involves a complex interaction between physical, psychological, and sociocultural aspects. There are doubts about the impact of different complaints on the global context of SF of women with POF. To evaluate the percentage of influence of each of the sexuality domains on the SF in women with POF. Cross-sectional study with 80 women with POF, matched by age to 80 women with normal gonadal function. We evaluated SF through the Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI), a comparison between the POF and control groups using the Mann-Whitney test. Component exploratory factor analysis was used to assess the proportional influence of each domain on the composition of the overall SF for women in the POF group. SF was evaluated using FSFI. Exploratory Factor Analysis for components was used to evaluate the role of each domain on the SF of women with POF. The FSFI score was significantly worse for women with POF, with a decrease in arousal, lubrication, orgasm, satisfaction, and dyspareunia. Exploratory factor analysis of SF showed that the domain with greater influence in the SF was arousal, followed by desire, together accounting for 41% of the FSFI. The domains with less influence were dyspareunia and lubrication, which together accounted for 25% of the FSFI. Women with POF have impaired SF, determined mainly by changes in arousal and desire. Aspects related to lubrication and dyspareunia complaints have lower determination coefficient in SF. These results are important in adapting the approach of sexual disorders in this group of women. Benetti-Pinto CL, Soares PM, Giraldo HPD, and Yela DA. Role of the different sexuality domains on the sexual function of women with premature ovarian failure. J Sex Med 2015;12:685-689.

The Metabolic Syndrome And Sexual Function In Climacteric Women: A Cross-sectional Study.

Studies have associated the metabolic syndrome with poor sexual function; the results, however, are controversial. To evaluate the relationship between the metabolic syndrome and sexual function and to identify the factors associated with poor sexual function. A secondary analysis of a cross-sectional cohort study including 256 women of 40-60 years of age receiving care at the outpatient department of a university teaching hospital. A specific questionnaire was applied to collect sociodemographic and behavioral data, and the Short Personal Experience Questionnaire was used to evaluate sexual function, with a score ≤ 7 being indicative of poor sexual function. Anthropometric measurements, blood pressure, fasting glucose, high-density lipoprotein, total cholesterol, triglycerides, follicle-stimulating hormone and thyroid stimulating hormone levels were determined. The prevalence of the metabolic syndrome, as defined by the International Diabetes Federation, was 62.1%, and the prevalence of poor sexual function was 31.4%. The only factor related to female sexual function that was associated with the metabolic syndrome was sexual dysfunction in the woman's partner. The factors associated with poor sexual function in the bivariate analysis were age >50 years (P=0.003), not having a partner (P<0.001), being postmenopausal (P=0.046), the presence of hot flashes (P=0.02), poor self-perception of health (P=0.04), partner's age ≥ 50 years, and time with partner ≥ 21 years. Reported active (P=0.02) and passive (P=0.01) oral sex was associated with an absence of sexual dysfunction. In the multiple regression analysis, the only factor associated with poor sexual function was being 50 years of age or more. The prevalence of the metabolic syndrome was high and was not associated with poor sexual function in this sample of menopausal women. The only factor associated with poor sexual function was being over 50 years of age.

The C-terminal Region Of The Human P23 Chaperone Modulates Its Structure And Function.

The p23 protein is a chaperone widely involved in protein homeostasis, well known as an Hsp90 co-chaperone since it also controls the Hsp90 chaperone cycle. Human p23 includes a β-sheet domain, responsible for interacting with Hsp90; and a charged C-terminal region whose function is not clear, but seems to be natively unfolded. p23 can undergo caspase-dependent proteolytic cleavage to form p19 (p231-142), which is involved in apoptosis, while p23 has anti-apoptotic activity. To better elucidate the function of the human p23 C-terminal region, we studied comparatively the full-length human p23 and three C-terminal truncation mutants: p23₁₋₁₁₇; p23₁₋₁₃₁ and p23₁₋₁₄₂. Our data indicate that p23 and p19 have distinct characteristics, whereas the other two truncations behave similarly, with some differences to p23 and p19. We found that part of the C-terminal region can fold in an α-helix conformation and slightly contributes to p23 thermal-stability, suggesting that the C-terminal interacts with the β-sheet domain. As a whole, our results suggest that the C-terminal region of p23 is critical for its structure-function relationship. A mechanism where the human p23 C-terminal region behaves as an activation/inhibition module for different p23 activities is proposed.

Metodologia para analise cinematica da corrida

Universidade Estadual de Campinas. Faculdade de Educação Física

Metodologia para a suavização de dados biomecanicos por função não parametrica ponderada local robusta

Universidade Estadual de Campinas. Faculdade de Educação Física

Análise quantitativa da distribuição de jogadores de futebol em campo durante jogos oficiais

Universidade Estadual de Campinas. Faculdade de Educação Física

Análise do desempenho muscular do quadríceps e dos isquiotibiais em função da série temporal e da amplitude de movimento de atletas amadoras de futsal feminino = : Analysis of muscle performance of the quadriceps and hamstrings as a function of the times series and range of motion of amateurfemale futsal athletes

Universidade Estadual de Campinas . Faculdade de Educação Física

Self-perception and malocclusion and their relation to oral appearance and function

The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between malocclusion and self-perception of oral appearance/function, in 12/15-year-old Brazilian adolescents. The cluster sample consisted of 717 teenagers attending 24 urban public (n=611) and 5 rural public (n=107) schools in Maringá/PR. Malocclusion was measured using the Dental Aesthetic Index (DAI), in accordance with WHO recommendations. A parental questionnaire was applied to collect information on esthetic perception level and oral variables related to oral health. Univariate and multiple logistic regression analyses were performed. Multiple logistic regression confirmed that for 12-year-old, missing teeth (OR=2.865) and presence of openbite (open occlusal relationship) (OR=2.865) were risk indicators for speech capability. With regard to 15-year-old, presence of mandibular overjet (horizontal overlap) (OR=4.016) was a risk indicator for speech capability and molar relationship (OR=1.661) was a risk indicator for chewing capability. The impact of malocclusion on adolescents' life was confirmed in this study. Speech and chewing capability were associated with orthodontic deviations, which should be taken into consideration in oral health planning, to identify risk groups and improve community health services.

Richards growth model and viability indicators for populations subject to interventions

In this work we study the problem of modeling identification of a population employing a discrete dynamic model based on the Richards growth model. The population is subjected to interventions due to consumption, such as hunting or farming animals. The model identification allows us to estimate the probability or the average time for a population number to reach a certain level. The parameter inference for these models are obtained with the use of the likelihood profile technique as developed in this paper. The identification method here developed can be applied to evaluate the productivity of animal husbandry or to evaluate the risk of extinction of autochthon populations. It is applied to data of the Brazilian beef cattle herd population, and the the population number to reach a certain goal level is investigated.

Flow cytometry as a tool in the evaluation of blood leukocyte function in Chelonia mydas (Linnaeus, 1758) (Testudines, Cheloniidae)

Chelonia mydas is a sea turtle that feeds and nests on the Brazilian coast and a disease called fibropapillomatosis is a threat to this species. Because of this, it is extremely necessary to determine a methodology that would enable the analysis of blood leukocyte function in these sea turtles. In order to achieve this aim, blood samples were collected from C. mydas with or without fibropapillomas captured on the São Paulo north coast. Blood samples were placed in tubes containing sodium heparin and were transported under refrigeration to the laboratory in sterile RPMI 1640 cell culture medium. Leukocytes were separated by density gradient using Ficoll-PaqueTM Plus, Amershan Biociences®. The following stimuli were applied in the assessment of leukocyte function: Phorbol Miristate-Acetate (PMA) for oxidative burst activity evaluation and Zymosan A (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) Bio Particles®, Alexa Fluor® 594 conjugate for phagocytosis evaluation. Three cell populations were identified: heterophils, monocytes and lymphocytes. Monocytes were the cells responsible for phagocytosis and oxidative burst.

Eccentric Hip Muscle Function in Females With and Without Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome

Context: Patellofemoral pain syndrome (PFPS) is a common knee condition in athletes. Recently, researchers have indicated that factors proximal to the knee, including hip muscle weakness and motor control impairment, contribute to the development of PFPS. However, no investigators have evaluated eccentric hip muscle function in people with PFPS. Objective: To compare the eccentric hip muscle function between females with PFPS and a female control group. Design: Cross-sectional study. Setting: Musculoskeletal laboratory. Patients or Other Participants: Two groups of females were studied: a group with PFPS (n = 10) and a group with no history of lower extremity injury or surgery (n = 10). Intervention(s): Eccentric torque of the hip musculature was evaluated on an isokinetic dynamometer. Main Outcome Measure(s): Eccentric hip abduction, adduction, and external and internal rotation peak torque were measured and expressed as a percentage of body mass (Nm/kg x 100). We also evaluated eccentric hip adduction to abduction and internal to external rotation torque ratios. The peak torque value of 5 maximal eccentric contractions was used for calculation. Two-tailed, independent-samples t tests were used to compare torque results between groups. Results: Participants with PFPS exhibited much lower eccentric hip abduction (t(18) = -2.917, P = .008) and adduction (t(18) = -2.764, P =.009) peak torque values than did their healthy counterparts. No differences in eccentric hip external (t(18) = 0.45, P = .96) or internal (t(18) = -0.742, P =.47) rotation peak torque values were detected between the groups. The eccentric hip adduction to abduction torque ratio was much higher in the PFPS group than in the control group (t(18) = 2.113, P = .04), but we found no difference in the eccentric hip internal to external rotation torque ratios between the 2 groups (t(18) = -0.932, P = .36). Conclusions: Participants with PFPS demonstrated lower eccentric hip abduction and adduction peak torque and higher eccentric adduction to abduction torque ratios when compared with control participants. Thus, clinicians should consider eccentric hip abduction strengthening exercises when developing rehabilitation programs for females with PFPS.

Design methodology for multi-pumped discrete Raman amplifiers: case-study employing photonic crystal fibers

This paper proposes a new design methodology for discrete multi-pumped Raman amplifier. In a multi-objective optimization scenario, in a first step the whole solution-space is inspected by a CW analytical formulation. Then, the most promising solutions are fully investigated by a rigorous numerical treatment and the Raman amplification performance is thus determined by the combination of analytical and numerical approaches. As an application of our methodology we designed an photonic crystal fiber Raman amplifier configuration which provides low ripple, high gain, clear eye opening and a low power penalty. The amplifier configuration also enables to fully compensate the dispersion introduced by a 70-km singlemode fiber in a 10 Gbit/s system. We have successfully obtained a configuration with 8.5 dB average gain over the C-band and 0.71 dB ripple with almost zero eye-penalty using only two pump lasers with relatively low pump power. (C) 2009 Optical Society of America

Stability and ergodicity of piecewise deterministic Markov processes

The main goal of this paper is to establish some equivalence results on stability, recurrence, and ergodicity between a piecewise deterministic Markov process ( PDMP) {X( t)} and an embedded discrete-time Markov chain {Theta(n)} generated by a Markov kernel G that can be explicitly characterized in terms of the three local characteristics of the PDMP, leading to tractable criterion results. First we establish some important results characterizing {Theta(n)} as a sampling of the PDMP {X( t)} and deriving a connection between the probability of the first return time to a set for the discrete-time Markov chains generated by G and the resolvent kernel R of the PDMP. From these results we obtain equivalence results regarding irreducibility, existence of sigma-finite invariant measures, and ( positive) recurrence and ( positive) Harris recurrence between {X( t)} and {Theta(n)}, generalizing the results of [ F. Dufour and O. L. V. Costa, SIAM J. Control Optim., 37 ( 1999), pp. 1483-1502] in several directions. Sufficient conditions in terms of a modified Foster-Lyapunov criterion are also presented to ensure positive Harris recurrence and ergodicity of the PDMP. We illustrate the use of these conditions by showing the ergodicity of a capacity expansion model.

Synchronization of Discrete-Time Chaotic Systems in Bandlimited Channels

Over the last couple of decades, many methods for synchronizing chaotic systems have been proposed with communications applications in view. Yet their performance has proved disappointing in face of the nonideal character of usual channels linking transmitter and receiver, that is, due to both noise and signal propagation distortion. Here we consider a discrete-time master-slave system that synchronizes despite channel bandwidth limitations and an allied communication system. Synchronization is achieved introducing a digital filter that limits the spectral content of the feedback loop responsible for producing the transmitted signal. Copyright (C) 2009 Marcio Eisencraft et al.

The four hexamerin genes in the honey bee: structure, molecular evolution and function deduced from expression patterns in queens, workers and drones

Background: Hexamerins are hemocyanin-derived proteins that have lost the ability to bind copper ions and transport oxygen; instead, they became storage proteins. The current study aimed to broaden our knowledge on the hexamerin genes found in the honey bee genome by exploring their structural characteristics, expression profiles, evolution, and functions in the life cycle of workers, drones and queens. Results: The hexamerin genes of the honey bee (hex 70a, hex 70b, hex 70c and hex 110) diverge considerably in structure, so that the overall amino acid identity shared among their deduced protein subunits varies from 30 to 42%. Bioinformatics search for motifs in the respective upstream control regions (UCRs) revealed six overrepresented motifs including a potential binding site for Ultraspiracle (Usp), a target of juvenile hormone (JH). The expression of these genes was induced by topical application of JH on worker larvae. The four genes are highly transcribed by the larval fat body, although with significant differences in transcript levels, but only hex 110 and hex 70a are re-induced in the adult fat body in a caste-and sex-specific fashion, workers showing the highest expression. Transcripts for hex 110, hex 70a and hex70b were detected in developing ovaries and testes, and hex 110 was highly transcribed in the ovaries of egg-laying queens. A phylogenetic analysis revealed that HEX 110 is located at the most basal position among the holometabola hexamerins, and like HEX 70a and HEX 70c, it shares potential orthology relationship with hexamerins from other hymenopteran species. Conclusions: Striking differences were found in the structure and developmental expression of the four hexamerin genes in the honey bee. The presence of a potential binding site for Usp in the respective 5' UCRs, and the results of experiments on JH level manipulation in vivo support the hypothesis of regulation by JH. Transcript levels and patterns in the fat body and gonads suggest that, in addition to their primary role in supplying amino acids for metamorphosis, hexamerins serve as storage proteins for gonad development, egg production, and to support foraging activity. A phylogenetic analysis including the four deduced hexamerins and related proteins revealed a complex pattern of evolution, with independent radiation in insect orders.