Planejamento de redes de comunicação sem fio para ambientes indoor considerando aplicações multimídia: abordagem híbrida - simulação e medição

As tecnologias wireless vêm evoluindo de forma rápida nas últimas décadas, pois são uma eficiente alternativa para transmissão de informações, sejam dados, voz, vídeos e demais serviços de rede. O conhecimento do processo de propagação dessas informações em diferentes ambientes é um fator de grande importância para o planejamento e o desenvolvimento de sistemas de comunicações sem fio. Devido ao rápido avanço e popularização dessas redes, os serviços oferecidos tornaram-se mais complexos e com isso, necessitam de requisitos de qualidades para que sejam ofertados ao usuário final de forma satisfatória. Devido a isso, torna-se necessário aos projetistas desses sistemas, uma metodologia que ofereça uma melhor avaliação do ambiente indoor. Essa avaliação é feita através da análise da área de cobertura e do comportamento das métricas de serviços multimídia em qualquer posição do ambiente que está recebendo o serviço. O trabalho desenvolvido nessa dissertação objetiva avaliar uma metodologia para a predição de métricas de qualidade de experiência. Para isso, foram realizadas campanhas de medições de transmissões de vídeo em uma rede sem fio e foram avaliados alguns parâmetros da rede (jitter de pacotes/frames, perda de pacotes/frames) e alguns parâmetros de qualidade de experiência (PSNR, SSIM e VQM). Os resultados apresentaram boa concordância com os modelos da literatura e com as medições.

Aptidão aeróbia e amplitude dos domínios de intensidade de exercício no ciclismo

INTRODUÇÃO: A determinação dos domínios de intensidade de exercício tem importantes implicações na prescrição do treino aeróbio e na elaboração de delineamentos experimentais. OBJETIVO: Analisar os efeitos do nível de aptidão aeróbia sobre a amplitude dos domínios de intensidade de exercício durante o ciclismo. MÉTODOS: Doze ciclistas (CIC), 11 corredores (COR) e oito indivíduos não treinados (NT) foram submetidos aos seguintes protocolos em diferentes dias: 1) teste progressivo para determinação do limiar de lactato (LL), consumo máximo de oxigênio (VO2máx) e sua respectiva intensidade (IVO2máx); 2) três testes de carga constante até a exaustão a 95, 100 e 110% IVO2máx para a determinação da potência crítica (PC); 3) testes até a exaustão para determinar a intensidade superior do domínio severo (Isup). As amplitudes dos domínios (moderado < LL; LL > pesado < PC; PC > severo < Isup) foram expressas como percentual da Isup (VO2). RESULTADOS: A amplitude do domínio moderado foi similar entre CIC (52 ± 8%) e COR (47 ± 4%) e significantemente maior no CIC em relação ao NT (41 ± 7%). O domínio pesado foi significantemente menor no CIC (17 ± 6%) em relação ao COR (27 ± 6%) e NT (27 ± 9%). Em relação ao domínio severo não foram encontradas diferenças significantes entre os CIC (31 ± 7%), COR (26 ± 5%) e NT (31 ± 7%). CONCLUSÃO: O domínio pesado de exercício é mais sensível a mudanças determinadas pelo nível de aptidão aeróbia, existindo a necessidade de que se atenda ao princípio da especificidade do movimento, quando se pretende obter um elevado grau de adaptação fisiológica.

Efeito do exercício prévio no ciclismo de curta duração

INTRODUÇÃO:O exercício prévio tem importantes implicações na preparação de atletas antes de competições.OBJETIVO:Analisar o efeito de um exercício prévio realizado no domínio pesado no pico de torque (PTORQUE) medido após exercício severo.MÉTODOS:Participaram deste estudo 14 homens ativos (idade: 26 ± 4 anos, VO2max: 44 ± 6 mLO2.min-1.kg-1) que realizaram sete testes em dias diferentes: a) teste progressivo de rampa para determinação do VO2max e da potência pico; b) quatro testes de carga constante para determinação da potência crítica, capacidade de trabalho anaeróbio e potência correspondente ao tempo de exaustão de 3 min (PTLim3min) e; c) dois testes de carga constante de 2 min na PTLim3min seguidos por um sprint all out de 10 s, a fim de medir o PTORQUE. Este último protocolo foi realizado com (EP) e sem (CON) a realização de um exercício prévio pesado.RESULTADOS:O PTORQUE foi significantemente maior após o EP (101 ± 30 Nm) em relação à condição CON (95 ± 23 Nm). O tempo da resposta médio (TRM) do VO2 foi significantemente menor após o EP (24 ± 7 s) em relação à condição CON (32 ± 10 s). A amplitude primária do VO2 aumentou significantemente após o EP (2598 ± 421 mLO2.min-1) em relação à condição CON (2184 ± 246 mLO2.min-1). O déficit de O2 foi significantemente menor após o exercício prévio (980 ± 432 mLO2) em relação à condição CON (1273 ± 398 mLO2). Houve correlação significante entre a variação do déficit de O2 com a do PTORQUE (r = 0,53) e da variação do TRM com a do PTORQUE (r = 0,53).CONCLUSÃO:Pode-se concluir que o PTORQUE é maior após exercício aeróbio de curta duração precedido do EP. Deste modo, esta estratégia pode ser interessante como preparação para algumas competições esportivas.

Cinética do VO2 durante o exercício realizado na potência crítica em ciclistas e indivíduos não-treinados no ciclismo

The objective was to analyze the oxygen uptake (VO2) kinetics during exercise performed at critical power (CP) in subjects with different aerobic status in cycling. Six trained cyclists (GT) and seven non-trained subjects (GNT) underwent to the following protocols in cyclergometer: (a) incremental to exhaustion to determine VO2max and its respective workload (IVO(2)max); b) three square-wave tests to exhaustion at 95-110% IVO2max to determine CP, and; (c) one square-wave test to exhaustion at 100% CP. During the exercise at CP the slow component expressed as absolute value (GT: 342.4 +/- 165.8 ml.min(-1) vs. GNT: 571.3 +/- 170.1 ml.min(-1)) and as the relative contribution to the increase of VO2 during exercise (GT: 10.0 +/- 4.6% vs. GNT: 26.6 +/- 7.3%) were lower for trained subjects. The VO2 at the end of the exercise at PC (GT: 89.8 +/- 8.4% VO(2)max vs. GNT: 97.4 +/- 2.8% VO(2)max) was significantly lower in GT (rho = 0.045), and similar to VO(2)max in GNT. Therefore, the aerobic level might influence the VO2 responses to exercise at PC

Estudo da tecnologia de acesso Wi-Fie suas aplicações em ambientes indoor e outdoor

Wireless communications is a feature that has become indispensable for many people in the whole world. Through this feature, communication process can become much more efficient, allowing people to access information much more quickly wherever they are. The constant evolution of communication technologies allows the development of new unthinkable applications and services. This new range of possibilities brings greater mobility and efficiency for final users and also helps service providers and carriers to improve the quality of services offered by them. This study presents the principles of wireless communication and the Wi-Fi technology as well as its most modern applications, covering from the basics of computer networks to the procedures of planning a wireless network, concepts of radio frequency, antennas, patterns, regulatory agencies, network equipment, protocols and network monitoring

Efeito da recuperação ativa na determinação da máxima fase estável de lactato sanguíneo no ciclismo

The objective of this study was to compare the power corresponding to maximal lactate steady state determined through continuous (MLSSC) and intermittent protocol with active recovery (MLSSI). Ten trained male cyclists (25 ± 4 yr, 72.5 ± 10.6 kg, 178.5 ± 4.0 cm), performed the following tests on different days on a cycle ergometer: (1) incremental test in order to determine the anaerobic threshold (AT) and maximal power (Pmax); (2) two to five constant workload tests to determine MLSSC, and; 3) two to three constant workload tests to determine MLSSI, consisting on 8 x 4 minutes bouts interspersed by two minutes of active recovery at 50% Pmax (i.e., 46 min of exercise protocol). MLSS intensity was defined as the highest workload at which blood lactate concentration did not increase by more than 1 mM between minutes 10 and 30 of the constant workload. The workload corresponding to MLSSC (273.2 ± 21.4 W) was significantly lower than that corresponding to MLSSI (300.5 ± 23.9 W). With base on these data, it can be verified that the intermittent exercise mode utilized in this study, allows an increase of 10% approximately, in the exercise intensity corresponding to MLSS.

Influência do exercício prévio pesado na performance aeróbia de curta duração realizada com diferentes estratégias de distribuição da intensidade em indivíduos treinados e não treinados no ciclismo

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

Fit-climbing test: a field test for indoor rock climbing

Bertuzzi, R, Franchini, E, Tricoli, V, Lima-Silva, AE, Pires, FDO, Okuno, NM, and Kiss, MAPDM. Fit-climbing test: A field test for indoor rock climbing. J Strength Cond Res 26(6): 1558-1563, 2012-The aim of this study was to develop an indoor rock-climbing test on an artificial wall (Fit-climbing test). Thirteen climbers (elite group [EG] = 6; recreational group [RG] = 7) performed the following tests: (a) familiarization in the Fitclimbing test, (b) the Fit-climbing test, and (c) a retest to evaluate the Fit-climbing test's reliability. Gas exchange, blood lactate concentration, handgrip strength, and heart rate were measured during the test. Oxygen uptake during the Fit-climbing test was not different between groups (EG = 8.4 +/- 1.1 L; RG = 7.9 +/- 1.5 L, p > 0.05). The EG performance (120 +/- 7 movements) was statistically higher than the RG climbers' performance (78 +/- 13 movements) during the Fit-climbing test. Consequently, the oxygen cost per movement during the Fit-climbing test of the EG was significantly lower than that of the RG (p < 0.05). Handgrip strength was higher in the EG when compared with that in the RG in both pre-Fit- and post-Fit-climbing test (p < 0.05). There were no significant differences in any other variables analyzed during the Fit-climbing test (p > 0.05). Furthermore, the performance in the Fit-climbing test presented high reliability (intraclass correlation coefficient = 0.97). Therefore, the performance during the Fit-climbing test may be an alternative to evaluate rock climbers because of its specificity and relation to oxygen cost per movement during climbing.

Mechanical Alterations in airway smooth muscle after interaction with indoor pollutant – A mathematical model.

The viscoelasticity of mammalian lung is determined by the mechanical properties and structural regulation of the airway smooth muscle (ASM). The exposure to polluted air may deteriorate these properties with harmful consequences to individual health. Formaldehyde (FA) is an important indoor pollutant found among volatile organic compounds. This pollutant permeates through the smooth muscle tissue forming covalent bonds between proteins in the extracellular matrix and intracellular protein structure changing mechanical properties of ASM and inducing asthma symptoms, such as airway hyperresponsiveness, even at low concentrations. In the experimental scenario, the mechanical effect of FA is the stiffening of the tissue, but the mechanism behind this effect is not fully understood. Thus, the aim of this study is to reproduce the mechanical behavior of the ASM, such as contraction and stretching, under FA action or not. For this, it was created a two-dimensional viscoelastic network model based on Voronoi tessellation solved using Runge-Kutta method of fourth order. The equilibrium configuration was reached when the forces in different parts of the network were equal. This model simulates the mechanical behavior of ASM through of a network of dashpots and springs. This dashpot-spring mechanical coupling mimics the composition of the actomyosin machinery of ASM through the contraction of springs to a minimum length. We hypothesized that formation of covalent bonds, due to the FA action, can be represented in the model by a simple change in the elastic constant of the springs, while the action of methacholine (MCh) reduce the equilibrium length of the spring. A sigmoid curve of tension as a function of MCh doses was obtained, showing increased tension when the muscle strip was exposed to FA. Our simulations suggest that FA, at a concentration of 0.1 ppm, can affect the elastic properties of the smooth muscle ¯bers by a factor of 120%. We also analyze the dynamic mechanical properties, observing the viscous and elastic behavior of the network. Finally, the proposed model, although simple, incorporates the phenomenology of both MCh and FA and reproduces experimental results observed with in vitro exposure of smooth muscle to FA. Thus, this new mechanical approach incorporates several well know features of the contractile system of the cells in a tissue level model. The model can also be used in different biological scales.

Mechanical alterations in airway smooth muscle after interaction with indoor pollutant - A mathematical model

The viscoelasticity of mammalian lung is determined by the mechanical properties and structural regulation of the airway smooth muscle (ASM). The exposure to polluted air may deteriorate these properties with harmful consequences to individual health. Formaldehyde (FA) is an important indoor pollutant found among volatile organic compounds. This pollutant permeates through the smooth muscle tissue forming covalent bonds between proteins in the extracellular matrix and intracellular protein structure changing mechanical properties of ASM and inducing asthma symptoms, such as airway hyperresponsiveness, even at low concentrations. In the experimental scenario, the mechanical effect of FA is the stiffening of the tissue, but the mechanism behind this effect is not fully w1derstood. Thus, the aim of this study is to reproduce the mechanical behavior of the ASM, such as contraction and stretching, under FA action or not. For this, it was created a two-dimensional viscoelastic network model based on Voronoi tessellation solved using Runge-Kutta method of fourth order. The equilibrium configuration was reached when the forces in different parts of the network were equal. This model simulates the mechanical behavior of ASM through of a network of dashpots and springs. This dashpot-spring mechanical coupling mimics the composition of the actomyosin machinery of ASM through the contraction of springs to a minimum length. We hypothesized that formation of covalent bonds, due to the FA action, can be represented in the model by a simple change in the elastic constant of the springs, while the action of methacholinc (MCh) reduce the equilibrium length of the spring. A sigmoid curve of tension as a function of MCh doses was obtained, showing increased tension when the muscle strip was exposed to FA. Our simulations suggest that FA, at a concentration of 0.1 ppm, can affect the elastic properties of the smooth muscle fibers by a factor of 120%. We also analyze the dynamic mechanical properties, observing the viscous and elastic behavior of the network. Finally, the proposed model, although simple, ir1corporates the phenomenology of both MCh and FA and reproduces experirnental results observed with ir1 vitro exposure of smooth muscle to .FA. Thus, this new mechanical approach incorporates several well know features of the contractile system of the cells ir1 a tissue level model. The model can also be used in different biological scales.

Isolation of Sporothrix schenckii from the claws of domestic cats (indoor and outdoor) and in captivity in São Paulo (Brazil)

Sporotrichosis is a subcutaneous mycosis and is also a zoonosis (sapro- and anthropozoonosis). The objective of the present study was to determine the occurrence of sporotrichosis in domestic cats and in wild or exotic felines in captivity through the isolation of Sporothrix spp. from claw impressions in a culture medium. The samples included 132 felines, of which 120 (91.0 %) were domestic cats, 11 (8.3 %) were wild felines, and one (0.7 %) was an exotic felid. Twenty-one (17.5 %) were outdoor cats. Of the total, 89 (67.4 %) had contact with other animals of the same species. It was possible to isolate Sporothrix schenckii from the claws of one (0.7 %) of the felids probed; this animal exhibited generalised sporotrichosis and had infected a female veterinarian. The potential pathogenic agents Microsporum canis and Malassezia pachydermatis were isolated in 12.1 and 5.3 % of the animals, respectively. The following anemophilous fungi, which were considered to be contaminants, were also isolated: Penicillium sp. (28 or 21.2 %), Aspergillus sp. (13 or 9.8 %), Rhodotorula sp. (5 or 3.8 %), Candida sp. (5 or 3.8 %), Trichoderma sp. (1 or 0.7 %), and Acremonium sp. (1 or 0.7 %). Due to the low magnitude of occurrence (0.7 %) of Sporothrix in feline claws, the potential of the cats evaluated in this study to be sources of infection in the city of São Paulo is considerably low.

Solid-phase Microextraction and Detection of Organophosphate Triesters in Indoor air

In the work underlying this thesis solid-phase microextraction (SPME) was evaluated as a passive sampling technique for organophosphate triesters in indoor air. These compounds are used on a large scale as flame-retarding and plastizicing additives in a variety of materials and products, and have proven to be common pollutants in indoor air. The main objective of this work was to develop an accurate method for measuring the volatile fraction. Such a method can be used in combination with active sampling to obtain information regarding the vapour/particulate distribution in different indoor environments. SPME was investigated under both equilibrium and non-equilibrium conditions and parameters associated with these different conditions were estimated. In Paper I, time-weighted average (TWA) SPME under dynamic conditions was investigated in order to obtain a fast air sampling method for organophosphate triesters. Among the investigated SPME coatings, the absorptive PDMS polymer had the highest affinity for the organophosphate triesters and was consequently used in all further work. Since the sampling rate is dependent on the agitation conditions, the linear airflow rates had to be carefully considered. Sampling periods as short as 1 hour were shown to be sufficient for measurements in the ng-μg m-3 range when using a PDMS 100-μm fibre and a linear flow rate above 7 cm s-1 over the fibre. SPME under equilibrium conditions is rather time-consuming, even under dynamic conditions, for slowly partitioning compounds such as organophosphate triesters. Nevertheless, this method has some significant advantages. For instance, the limit of detection is much lower compared to 1 h TWA sampling. Furthermore, the sampling time can be ignored as long as equilibrium has been attained. In Paper II, SPME under equilibrium conditions was investigated and evaluated for organophosphate triester vapours. Since temperature and humidity are closely associated with the distribution constant a simple study of the effect of these parameters was performed. The obtained distribution constants were used to determine the air levels in a common indoor environment. SPME and parallel active sampling on filters yielded similar results, indicating that the detected compounds were almost entirely associated with the vapour phase To apply dynamic SPME method in the field a sampler device, which enables controlled linear airflow rates to be applied, was constructed and evaluated (Paper III). This device was developed for application of SPME and active sampling in parallel. A GC/PICI-MS/MS method was developed and used in combination with active sampling of organophosphate triesters in indoor air (Paper IV). The combination of MS/MS and the soft ionization achieved with methanol as reagent gas yielded high selectivity and detection limits comparable to those provided by GC with nitrogen-phosphorus detection (NPD). The method limit of detection, when sampling 1.5 m3 of air, was in the range 0.1-1.4 ng m-3. In Paper V, the developed MS method was used in combination with SPME for indoor air measurements. The levels detected in the investigated indoor environments range from a few ng to μg m-3. Tris(2-chloropropyl) phosphate was detected at a concentration as high as 7 μg m-3 in a newly rebuilt lecture room.

Efectos del entrenamiento de carrera en el rendimiento en ciclismo. Un modelo de entrenamiento del duathlon

[ES] El duathlon es una disciplina deportiva que combina carrera y ciclismo. Se analiza aquí una de las posibles alternativas de entrenamiento, describiendo sus efectos sobre el rendimiento en competición.

A low complexity system based on multiple weighted decision trees for indoor localization

[EN] Indoor position estimation has become an attractive research topic due to growing interest in location-aware services. Nevertheless, satisfying solutions have not been found with the considerations of both accuracy and system complexity. From the perspective of lightweight mobile devices, they are extremely important characteristics, because both the processor power and energy availability are limited. Hence, an indoor localization system with high computational complexity can cause complete battery drain within a few hours. In our research, we use a data mining technique named boosting to develop a localization system based on multiple weighted decision trees to predict the device location, since it has high accuracy and low computational complexity.