A visão estrategico-tatica de tecnicos campeões da Liga Nacional de Futsal

Universidade Estadual de Campinas . Faculdade de Educação Física

Analise cinematica das trajetorias de jogadores de handebol obtidas por rastreamento automatico

Universidade Estadual de Campinas . Faculdade de Educação Física

Os donos das pistas : uma efigie sociologica do esporte federativo brasileiro

Universidade Estadual de Campinas . Faculdade de Educação Física

Prognostic evaluation of early rheumatoid arthritis

The progression of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is quite variable, ranging from very mild or subclinical forms (approx. 10%) to rapidly progressing and debilitating forms (10-15%). The majority of patients present with an intermediate stage with episodes of exacerbation separated by periods of relative inactivity, which evolves to progressive functional losses. To optimise the therapeutic management of early RA it is necessary to perform periodic evaluations of the clinical and laboratory test responses to the treatment instituted, as well as the parameters indicating disease prognosis. Composite measures are frequently used to evaluate the disease activity score (DAS), including the response criteria of the American College of Rheumatology (ACR), the response criteria and the DAS according to the European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR) and the composite indices of disease activity (CIDsA): DAS, the index of disease activity based on 28 joints (DAS 28), the simplified disease activity index (SDAI) and the clinical disease activity index (CDAI). The evaluation of prognosis includes investigation of the absence or occurrence of disease and joint damage remission. Due to the multifaceted nature of RA, no single clinical or laboratory parameter is able to describe satisfactorily the level of inflammatory activity or the disease prognosis at any given time.

Tram at South Brisbane station, Brisbane Australia

Three men inspecting tram at South Brisbane station, Brisbane Australia, during No War Toys outing. WILPF (Womens International League for Peace and Freedom) banner can be seen on the front of the tram. The Women's International League for Peace and Freedom was founded in 1915. It works towards disarmament, political solutions to international conflicts, equal participation of women in activities, economic justice and the elimination of racism and discrimination. To achieve these goals, the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom organises meetings, conferences and campaigns.

Tram leaving South Brisbane Station

Tram leaving South Brisbane Station, Brisbane, Australia during "No war toys" outing.

Vic Slater during the Youth Campaign against Conscription, Brisbane, Australia

Vic Slater and police during the Youth Campaign against Conscription, Brisbane, Australia in 1965. Victor Charles Slater (now retired) was born in Queensland in March 1944 the only child of Jim and Joyce Slater, card carrying members of the Communist Party of Australia. Vic's mother, Joyce, joined up in Great Britain. Vic too joined the party in 1962 after a stint as president of the Eureka Youth League. He stayed with the more broad left CPA when it split from the hardline Stalinists after the Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia in 1968. Vic joined the Waterside Workers' Federation before his 21st birthday in January 1965, one of 300 casual workers recruited to the Port of Brisbane that year. On the wharves he soon earned the nickname 'the Professor' arriving on the job each day bespectacled and carrying a briefcase heavy with reading matter on world politics and economics - a walking encyclopaedia of information. [information kindly provided by Peter Gray]

Concussion in contact sports: Reliable change indices of impairment and recovery

This paper reports a follow-up study to an article on the sensitivity of three tests of speed of information processing to impairment after concussion (Hinton-Bayre, Geffen, BL McFarland, 1997). Group analyses showed that practice effects can obscure the effects of concussion on information processing, thereby making the assessment of functional impairment and recovery after injury unreliable. A Reliable Change Index (RCI) was used to assess individual variations following concussion. It was found that 16 of the 20 concussed professional rugby league players were impaired 1-3 days following injury. It was also demonstrated that 7 players still displayed cognitive deficits at 1-2 weeks, before returning to preseason levels at 3-5 weeks. The RCI permits comparisons between different tests, players, and repeated assessments, thereby providing a quantitative basis for decisions regarding return to play.

Assessing cost-effectiveness - Mental health: introduction to the study and methods

Objective: The Assessing Cost-Effectiveness - Mental Health (ACE-MH) study aims to assess from a health sector perspective, whether there are options for change that could improve the effectiveness and efficiency of Australia's current mental health services by directing available resources toward 'best practice' cost-effective services. Method: The use of standardized evaluation methods addresses the reservations expressed by many economists about the simplistic use of League Tables based on economic studies confounded by differences in methods, context and setting. The cost-effectiveness ratio for each intervention is calculated using economic and epidemiological data. This includes systematic reviews and randomised controlled trials for efficacy, the Australian Surveys of Mental Health and Wellbeing for current practice and a combination of trials and longitudinal studies for adherence. The cost-effectiveness ratios are presented as cost (A$) per disability-adjusted life year (DALY) saved with a 95% uncertainty interval based on Monte Carlo simulation modelling. An assessment of interventions on 'second filter' criteria ('equity', 'strength of evidence', 'feasibility' and 'acceptability to stakeholders') allows broader concepts of 'benefit' to be taken into account, as well as factors that might influence policy judgements in addition to cost-effectiveness ratios. Conclusions: The main limitation of the study is in the translation of the effect size from trials into a change in the DALY disability weight, which required the use of newly developed methods. While comparisons within disorders are valid, comparisons across disorders should be made with caution. A series of articles is planned to present the results.

EULAR/PRINTO/PRES criteria for Henoch-Schonlein purpura, childhood polyarteritis nodosa, childhood Wegener granulomatosis and childhood Takayasu arteritis: Ankara 2008. Part II: Final classification criteria

Objectives To validate the previously proposed classification criteria for Henoch-Schonlein purpura (HSP), childhood polyarteritis nodosa (c-PAN), c-Wegener granulomatosis (c-WG) and c-Takayasu arteritis (c-TA). Methods Step 1: retrospective/prospective webdata collection for children with HSP, c-PAN, c-WG and c-TA with age at diagnosis <= 18 years. Step 2: blinded classification by consensus panel of a representative sample of 280 cases. Step 3: statistical (sensitivity, specificity, area under the curve and.-agreement) and nominal group technique consensus evaluations. Results 827 patients with HSP, 150 with c-PAN, 60 with c-WG, 87 with c-TA and 52 with c-other were compared with each other. A patient was classified as HSP in the presence of purpura or petechiae (mandatory) with lower limb predominance plus one of four criteria: (1) abdominal pain; (2) histopathology (IgA); (3) arthritis or arthralgia; (4) renal involvement. Classification of c-PAN required a systemic inflammatory disease with evidence of necrotising vasculitis OR angiographic abnormalities of medium-/small-sized arteries (mandatory criterion) plus one of five criteria: (1) skin involvement; (2) myalgia/muscle tenderness; (3) hypertension; (4) peripheral neuropathy; (5) renal involvement. Classification of c-WG required three of six criteria: (1) histopathological evidence of granulomatous inflammation; (2) upper airway involvement; (3) laryngo-tracheo-bronchial involvement; (4) pulmonary involvement (x-ray/CT); (5) antineutrophilic cytoplasmic antibody positivity; (6) renal involvement. Classification of c-TA required typical angiographic abnormalities of the aorta or its main branches and pulmonary arteries (mandatory criterion) plus one of five criteria: (1) pulse deficit or claudication; (2) blood pressure discrepancy in any limb; (3) bruits; (4) hypertension; (5) elevated acute phase reactant. Conclusion European League Against Rheumatism/Paediatric Rheumatology International Trials Organisation/Paediatric Rheumatology European Society propose validated classification criteria for HSP, c-PAN, c-WG and c-TA with high sensitivity/specificity.

Prevalence of Epilepsy in Children From a Brazilian Area of High Deprivation

This study assessed the prevalence rate of epilepsy and its causes in children and adolescents in one area of high deprivation in Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, in Southeast Brazil. Between July 2005 and June 2006, 4947 families from a population of 22,013 inhabitants (including 10,405 children and adolescents between the ages of 0 and 16 years) living in the shantytown of Paraisopolis, were interviewed. In the first phase, a validated questionnaire was administered, to identify the occurrence of seizures. In the second phase, clinical history, neurologic examination, electroencephalography, and structural neuroimaging were performed. The diagnosis of epilepsy, including etiology, seizure types, and epileptic syndrome classification, was according to criteria of the International League Against Epilepsy. The screening phase identified 353 presumptive cases. In the second phase, 101 of these cases (33.8%) received the diagnosis of epilepsy. Crude prevalence of epilepsy was 9.7/1000 and prevalence of active epilepsy was 8.7/1000. Partial seizures were the most frequent seizure type (62/101). Symptomatic focal epilepsy was the most common form, and hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy the most common etiology, reflecting the socioeconomic conditions of this specific population. Adequate public policies regarding perinatal assistance could help reduce the prevalence of epilepsy. (C) 2010 by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Juvenile-onset Takayasu arteritis: peculiar vascular involvement and more refractory disease

Objectives: To compare prognosis parameters and arterial site involvement in Takayasu arteritis (TA) patients with disease onset at age <= 18 and >= 21 years. Methods: Sixty-two TA patients [American College of Rheumatology (ACR) and European League Against Rheumatism/Paediatric Rheumatology European Society (EULAR/PreS) criteria] were enrolled consecutively and divided into two groups according to disease onset, and matched for disease duration: juvenile TA patients aged <= 18 years (n = 17) and adult TA patients aged >= 21 years (n = 45). The protocol evaluated the following prognostic factors: aortic insufficiency, ischaemic retinopathy, severe systemic hypertension, and arterial aneurysms. In addition, death and remission [defined as stable disease > 6 months (no complaints without immunosuppressive and prednisone use) and normal erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR)] were also analysed. Stenosis and aneurisms were investigated by magnetic angioresonance or arteriography and angiographic classification was defined according to Hata criteria. Results: Mean disease duration was similar in the juvenile and adult TA groups (13.50 +/- 10.73 vs. 13.80 +/- 7.17 years, p = 0.092) and a trend to a lower predominance of female gender in the juvenile TA group was observed (64.71% vs. 88.89%, p = 0.056). The prognosis was distinct in the two groups, with juvenile patients having a lower frequency of disease remission (23.53% vs. 55.56%, p = 0.04) and a significantly higher frequency of aneurism (41.0% vs. 11.1%, p = 0.013). Almost half of the juvenile TA patients had left renal stenosis, a frequency significantly higher than in the adult TA group (41.18% vs. 11.10%, p = 0.013), whereas the stenosis frequency was comparable in all other vascular sites evaluated. No differences were observed between the two groups regarding the frequency of aortic insufficiency, ischaemic retinopathy, severe systemic arterial hypertension, vascular procedures, and mortality. Angiographic classification revealed a similar distribution of arterial involvement in both groups (p > 0.05). Conclusions: Juvenile TA patients have distinct characteristics, with a peculiar renal vascular involvement, the presence of aneurism, and a more refractory disease compared with adult TA patients.

Testing market efficiency: Evidence from the NFL sports betting market

This article examines the efficiency of the National Football League (NFL) betting market. The standard ordinary least squares (OLS) regression methodology is replaced by a probit model. This circumvents potential econometric problems, and allows us to implement more sophisticated betting strategies where bets are placed only when there is a relatively high probability of success. In-sample tests indicate that probit-based betting strategies generate statistically significant profits. Whereas the profitability of a number of these betting strategies is confirmed by out-of-sample testing, there is some inconsistency among the remaining out-of-sample predictions. Our results also suggest that widely documented inefficiencies in this market tend to dissipate over time.

Body mass index and risk of head and neck cancer in a pooled analysis of case-control studies in the International Head and Neck Cancer Epidemiology (INHANCE) Consortium

Methods We pooled data from 17 case-control studies including 12 716 cases and the 17 438 controls. Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated for associations between body mass index (BMI) at different ages and HNC risk, adjusted for age, sex, centre, race, education, tobacco smoking and alcohol consumption. Results Adjusted ORs (95% CIs) were elevated for people with BMI at reference (date of diagnosis for cases and date of selection for controls) < 18.5 kg/m(2) (2.13, 1.75-2.58) and reduced for BMI > 25.0-30.0 kg/m(2) (0.52, 0.44-0.60) and BMI >= 30 kg/m(2) (0.43, 0.33-0.57), compared with BMI > 18.5-25.0 kg/m(2). These associations did not differ by age, sex, tumour site or control source. Although the increased risk among people with BMI < 18.5 kg/m(2) was not modified by tobacco smoking or alcohol drinking, the inverse association for people with BMI > 25 kg/m(2) was present only in smokers and drinkers. Conclusions In our large pooled analysis, leanness was associated with increased HNC risk regardless of smoking and drinking status, although reverse causality cannot be excluded. The reduced risk among overweight or obese people may indicate body size is a modifier of the risk associated with smoking and drinking. Further clarification may be provided by analyses of prospective cohort and mechanistic studies.

Interaction between Tobacco and Alcohol Use and the Risk of Head and Neck Cancer: Pooled Analysis in the International Head and Neck Cancer Epidemiology Consortium

Background: The magnitude of risk conferred by the interaction between tobacco and alcohol use on the risk of head and neck cancers is not clear because studies have used various methods to quantify the excess head and neck cancer burden. Methods: We analyzed individual-level pooled data from 17 European and American case-control studies (11,221 cases and 16,168 controls) participating in the International Head and Neck Cancer Epidemiology consortium. We estimated the multiplicative interaction parameter (psi) and population attributable risks (PAR). Results: A greater than multiplicative joint effect between ever tobacco and alcohol use was observed for head and neck cancer risk (psi = 2.15; 95% confidence interval, 1.53-3.04). The PAR for tobacco or alcohol was 72% (95% confidence interval, 61-79%) for head and neck cancer, of which 4% was due to alcohol alone, 33% was due to tobacco alone, and 35% was due to tobacco and alcohol combined. The total PAR differed by subsite (64% for oral cavity cancer, 72% for pharyngeal cancer, 89% for laryngeal cancer), by sex (74% for men, 57% for women), by age (33% for cases < 45 years, 73% for cases > 60 years), and by region (84% in Europe, 51% in North America, 83% in Latin America). Conclusions: Our results confirm that the joint effect between tobacco and alcohol use is greater than multiplicative on head and neck cancer risk. However, a substantial proportion of head and neck cancers cannot be attributed to tobacco or alcohol use, particularly for oral cavity cancer and for head and neck cancer among women and among young-onset cases. (Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2009;18(2):541-50)