Health in Madeira: a comprehensive study of aging, body composition, physical activity and functional fitness

Physical Activity (PA) and functional fitness (FF) are predictors of a healthy and independent lifestyle in older adults. The purpose of this study was: (1) to construct reference values for FF; (2) to describe sex- and age-related changes in FF, balance, gait, PA, body composition, and bone health/strength; and (3) to determine their variation and co-variation with respect to PA. This cross-sectional study included 401 males and 401 females aged 60-79 years old. FF was assessed using the Senior Fitness test and balance by the Fullerton Advance Balance scale (FAB). Gait parameters: gait velocity (GV), stride length (SL), cadence and gait stability ratio (GSR) were measured. Femoral strength index (FSI) and bone mineral density (BMD) of the total body, lumbar spine, hip region and total lean tissue mass (TLTM) and total fat mass (TFM) were determined by dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry-DXA. PA was assessed during face-to-face interviews using the Baecke questionnaire. Demographic and health history information were obtained by structured telephone interview. In both sexes, a significant main effect for age-group was found for FF parameters, balance scores, gait performances, TLTM and hip, LS and total BMD and FSI. Likewise there were significant main effects for age-group for total PA in women and sports related PA in men. Men scored significantly better than women in FF (except in upper- and lower-body flexibility), balance, GV, SL, GSR and had higher BMD and TLTM compared with women. Active subjects scored better in FF, balance, and gait than their average and non-active peers. PA and FF exerted only a minor influence in the differentiation of BMD and FSI among the elderly while constitutive factors like age, height, body mass, TLTM and TFM entered as the most significant contributors. This study gives scientific support to public policies at the community level, targeted to increase PA, FF and TLTM, thereby contributing to improved quality of life in older adults.

Efeito da aplicação foliar de silício em rúcula cultivada em dois tipos de solos

The rocket is a leafy herbaceous annual, features small size, rapid vegetative growth and short life cycle. Silicon is considered a beneficial element, and despite not having his definition of essential mineral nutrition of plants has been widely used in research. The objective was to assess the effect of foliar fertilization with silicon levels in soils in the cultivation of the rocket. The experiment was conducted in a greenhouse in the DRN / Soil Science, UNESP / FCA, Botucatu-SP, from April 15 to May 20, 2008. The experimental design was randomized blocks in factorial 2x5 (two solos and five doses of silicon). At the end of the experiment, evaluated at the point of harvest to plant height (cm), leaf area (LA), total fresh mass (TFM), total dry matter (TDM), leaf area ratio (LAR), specific weight Leaf (PEF), amount of water in the shoot (AWS) and content and accumulation of silicon in the leaves. It was concluded that silicon had no influence on the agronomic characteristics of the rocket and changes were only to soil type.

Association between anthropometric indicators of body fat and metabolic risk markers in post-menopausal women

Objective. to evaluate anthropometric indicators of body fat and their association with metabolic risk markers in postmenopausal women.Methods. A cross-sectional study with 80 Brazilian women (40-70 years) was carried out. Body mass index (BMI = weight/height(2)), waist circumference (WC) and waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) were obtained for anthropometric evaluation. Trunk fat mass (TFM) was measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. The following metabolic variables were evaluated: total cholesterol (TC), HDL, LDL, triglycerides (TG), as well as glycemia and insulin to determine insulin resistance (HOMA-IR).Results. Overweight and obesity were observed in 81% of the women. Values of WC >88 cm were observed in 68.5% of the women. on average, TC, LDL and TG levels were above normal levels in 60, 50 and 42.5% of the women, respectively; and HDL was normal in 82.5%. IR was observed in 37.5% of the women. Positive correlations were found between anthropometric indicators and TFM (P < 0.05). WC was most correlated with TFM (r = 0.92), followed by BMI (r = 0.88) and by WHR (r = 0.48; P < 0.05). All anthropometric indicators and TFM showed significant negative correlations with HDL and significant positive correlations with HOMA-IR (P < 0.05). Only WHR was significantly associated with dysglycemia (R(2) = 12%), hypertriglyceridemia (R(2) = 17%) and decreased HDL (R(2) = 27%). WC was significantly associated with HOMA-IR (R(2) = 34%).Conclusion. WC and WHR are anthropometric measures that showed strong correlation with TFM and with metabolic risk markers in postmenopausal women.

Desempenho de cultivares de alface americana em resposta a diferentes doses de torta de filtro

Com objetivo de estudar o desempenho de três cultivares de alface americana (Júlia, Tainá e Grandes Lagos) em quatro doses de torta de filtro (0; 10; 20 e 40 ton ha-1), sob cultivo protegido (túnel alto), foi conduzido um experimento na Universidade do Estado de Mato Grosso, em área de Latossolo Vermelho (textura argilosa), nos meses de março a maio de 2009. O delineamento experimental foi em blocos casualizados, distribuídos em esquema fatorial 3 x 4 (cultivares x doses) com quatro repetições. Foram avaliadas as seguintes características agronômicas: circunferência da planta (CP), massa fresca total (MFT), massa fresca comercial (MFCo), massa fresca da cabeça (MFCa), diâmetro do caule (DC), número de folhas comerciais (NFC), comprimento do caule (CC) e número de folhas totais (NFT). As cultivares Júlia e Tainá responderam à adubação com torta de filtro até a dose de 40 ton-1. A cultivar Grandes Lagos respondeu à adubação com torta de filtro até a dose de 35 ton ha-1 para MFT e MFCa e até 40 ton-1 para MFCo. A cultivar Grandes Lagos apresentou melhor desempenho em MFT, MFCo, CC e CP, em relação às demais cultivares, e equiparou-se com a cultivar Tainá em MFCa e NFC e com a cultivar Júlia em DC. Todas as cultivares tiveram comportamentos semelhantes quanto a NFT. A adubação orgânica com torta de filtro aumenta a produtividade de cultivares de alface americana.

Lamb mode diversity imaging for non-destructive testing of plate-like structures

Several Lamb wave modes can be coupled to a particular structure, depending on its geometry and transducer used to generate the guided waves. Each Lamb mode interacts in a particular form with different types of defects, like notches, delamination, surface defects, resulting in different information which can be used to improve damage detection and characterization. An image compounding technique that uses the information obtained from different propagation modes of Lamb waves for non-destructive testing of plate-like structures is proposed. A linear array consisting of 16 piezoelectric elements is attached to a 1 mm thickness aluminum plate, coupling the fundamental A0 and S0 modes at the frequencies of 100 kHz and 360 kHz, respectively. For each mode two images are obtained from amplitude and phase information: one image using the Total Focusing Method (TFM) and one phase image obtained from the Sign Coherence Factor (SCF). Each TFM image is multiplied by the SCF image of the respective mode to improve contrast and reduce side and grating lobes effects. The high dispersive characteristic of the A0 mode is compensated for adequate defect detection. The information in the SCF images is used to select one of the TFM mode images, at each pixel, to obtain the compounded image. As a result, dead zone is reduced, resolution and contrast are improved, enhancing damage detection when compared to the use of only one mode. © 2013 Elsevier Ltd.

Caracterização da variabilidade morfoagronômica de maracujazeiro (Passiflora cincinnata Mast.) no semi-árido brasileiro

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Body composition variables as predictors of NAFLD by ultrasound in obese children and adolescents

Background: Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a disorder associated with excessive fat accumulation, mainly in the intra-abdominal region. A simple technique to estimate abdominal fat in this region could be useful to assess the presence of NAFLD, in obese subjects who are more vulnerable to this disease. The aim of this cross-sectional study was to verify the reliability of waist circumference and body composition variables to identify the occurrence of NAFLD in obese children and adolescents.Methods: Sample was composed of 145 subjects, aged 11 to 17 years. Assessments of waist circumference (WC), trunk fat mass (TFM) and fat mass (FM) by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) and ultrasound for diagnosis of NAFLD and intra-abdominal adipose tissue (IAAT) were used. Correlation between variables was made by Spearman's coefficients; ROC curve parameters (sensitivity, specificity, area under curve) were used to assess the reliability of body composition variables to assess the presence of NAFLD. Statistical significance was set at 5%.Results: Significant correlations were observed between NAFLD and WC (p = 0.001), TFM (p = 0.002) and IAAT (p = 0.001). The higher values of area under the ROC curve were for WC (AUC = 0.720), TFM (AUC = 0.661) and IAAT (AUC = 0.741).Conclusions: Our findings indicated that TFM, IAAT and WC present high potential to identify NAFLD in obese children and adolescents.

Effect of concurrent training on gender-specific biochemical variables and adiposity in obese adolescents

Objective The purpose of the present study was to analyze the effects of a 20-week concurrent training (20 WCT) intervention program on gender-specific body composition and metabolic variables in obese adolescents.Subjects and methods Sample was composed of twenty-five obese adolescents, aged between 12 and 15 (13.4 ± 0.96) years. Fat-free mass (FFM), percentage trunk fat mass (TFM%) and percentage fat mass (%FM) were evaluated through dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA). Measurement of intra-abdominal adiposity (IAAT) was performed using ultrasound. Blood pressure was measured and blood samples analyzed for total cholesterol (TC), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-c), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-c), triglycerides (TG) and plasma glucose. All participants performed the concurrent training (combination of weight training and aerobic training) three times per week, one hour per day, for 20 weeks. Descriptive analysis and analysis of variance (ANOVA) for repeated measures were used to compare baseline, 10 week and 20 week moments using the Bonferroni post-hoc test. Statistical significance was set at p < 0.05. Significant decrease in TC, LDL-c and TFM% were verified in both genders after the 10 initial weeks of concurrent training.Results A significant increase in height was found in both the male and female groups (p = 0.001 and p = 0.047, respectively), after 20 weeks of concurrent training. In addition, several modifications were observed in body composition and metabolic variables, with a significant decrease in BMI (p = 0.002 and p = 0.017), BMI z-score (p = 0.033 and p = 0.004), FM% (p = 0.002 and p = 0.002), TFM% (p = 0.009 and p = 0.018), TC (p = 0.042 and p = 0.001) and LDL-c (p = 0.006 and p = 0.001) in the male and female groups, respectively, after 20 weeks of intervention when compared with baseline.Conclusion Our results identified that concurrent training was an effective intervention for treating metabolic variable and body composition disorders, in both genders, by decreasing adiposity with consequent improvement in BMI and BMI z-scores, and enhancement in lipid profile variables.

Numeric reconstruction of cytoskeleton with finite element method and topology optimization method

The importance of mechanical aspects related to cell activity and its environment is becoming more evident due to their influence in stem cell differentiation and in the development of diseases such as atherosclerosis. The mechanical tension homeostasis is related to normal tissue behavior and its lack may be related to the formation of cancer, which shows a higher mechanical tension. Due to the complexity of cellular activity, the application of simplified models may elucidate which factors are really essential and which have a marginal effect. The development of a systematic method to reconstruct the elements involved in the perception of mechanical aspects by the cell may accelerate substantially the validation of these models. This work proposes the development of a routine capable of reconstructing the topology of focal adhesions and the actomyosin portion of the cytoskeleton from the displacement field generated by the cell on a flexible substrate. Another way to think of this problem is to develop an algorithm to reconstruct the forces applied by the cell from the measurements of the substrate displacement, which would be characterized as an inverse problem. For these kind of problems, the Topology Optimization Method (TOM) is suitable to find a solution. TOM is consisted of an iterative application of an optimization method and an analysis method to obtain an optimal distribution of material in a fixed domain. One way to experimentally obtain the substrate displacement is through Traction Force Microscopy (TFM), which also provides the forces applied by the cell. Along with systematically generating the distributions of focal adhesion and actin-myosin for the validation of simplified models, the algorithm also represents a complementary and more phenomenological approach to TFM. As a first approximation, actin fibers and flexible substrate are represented through two-dimensional linear Finite Element Method. Actin contraction is modeled as an initial stress of the FEM elements. Focal adhesions connecting actin and substrate are represented by springs. The algorithm was applied to data obtained from experiments regarding cytoskeletal prestress and micropatterning, comparing the numerical results to the experimental ones

Lamb mode diversity imaging fornon-destructivetesting of plate-likestructures

Several Lamb wave modes can be coupled to a particular structure, depending on its geometry and transducer used to generate the guided waves. Each Lamb mode interacts in a particular form with different types of defects, like notches, delamination, surface defects, resulting in different information which can be used to improve damage detection and characterization. An image compounding technique that uses the information obtained from different propagation modes of Lamb waves for non-destructive testing of plate-like structures is proposed. A linear array consisting of 16 piezoelectric elements is attached to a 1 mm thickness aluminum plate, coupling the fundamental A0 and SO modes at the frequencies of 100 kHz and 360 kHz, respectively. For each mode two images are obtained from amplitude and phase information: one image using the Total Focusing Method (TFM) and one phase image obtained from the Sign Coherence Factor (SCF). Each TFM image is multiplied by the SCF image of the respective mode to improve contrast and reduce side and grating lobes effects. The high dispersive characteristic of the A0 mode is compensated for adequate defect detection. The information in the SCF images is used to select one of the TFM mode images, at each pixel, to obtain the compounded image. As a result, dead zone is reduced, resolution and contrast are improved, enhancing damage detection when compared to the use of only one mode. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. (AU)

Estudio y diseño: renderizado volumétrico con AMILab

Máster Universitario en Sistemas Inteligentes y Aplicaciones Numéricas en Ingeniería (SIANI)

Paralelización del algoritmo Monte Carlo Ray Tracing para Comunicaciones Ópticas Submarinas

Máster Universitario en Sistemas Inteligentes y Aplicaciones Numéricas en Ingeniería (SIANI)

Saneamiento Rural en Sepahua, Ucayali (Selva Sur de Perú). Proyecto de 104 Núcleos Húmedos de Higiene en cuatro Barrios Ribereños de Villa Sepahua

El presente Trabajo Fin de Master (TFM) está inserto dentro del Programa Sepahua-Agua que Energía Sin Fronteras (ESF) desarrolla a petición de la Municipalidad peruana de Sepahua, Ucayali. El TFM es el proyecto de instalación domiciliaria y saneamiento de la primera fase de dicho programa. El Programa Sepahua-Agua surge por la preocupación de los habitantes rurales y de la municipalidad de Sepahua por la calidad del agua que tienen, tanto por el acceso al agua potable como del tratamiento de sus residuos, y que es la causante de los problemas de desnutrición infantil que la población está padeciendo. Ante la falta de capacitación técnica para resolver el problema la municipalidad de Sepahua solicitó ayuda a la ONG española ESF, que ya había trabajado en esta localidad ayudando a la Misión Dominica de El Rosario de Sepahua y que actúa de contraparte en el programa. El programa se divide en dos fases: la primera se centra en aportar una solución de agua y saneamiento para cuatro barrios ribereños de la Villa de Sepahua: San Fernando, Santa Elena, San Felipe y Santa Rosa. La segunda fase buscará la posibilidad de ofrecer a otras comunidades de la ribera del Río Urubamba el proyecto realizado en la primera fase como una solución ejecutable. La primera fase del programa empezó hace año y medio. Tras unos meses de estudio de la situación desde Madrid, se entendió como imprescindible mandar a dos técnicos para que realizaran la toma de datos necesaria para poder seguir adelante. Los dos voluntarios de ESF que fuimos a trabajar en terreno somos también alumnos del Master en Tecnología para el Desarrollo Humano y la Cooperación. Durante la estancia de seis meses se alcanzaron los siguientes resultados: una descripción topográfica de la zona del proyecto, ubicando cada vivienda de los Barrios Ribereños, sus instalaciones de agua y saneamiento actuales, las quebradas o manantes de la zona y los pozos existentes; un análisis del agua y obtención del caudal de las quebradas que se vieron como posibles captaciones; un diagnóstico de la situación actual respecto al agua y saneamiento en los Barrios Ribereños; una identificación social para conocer las peculiaridades sobre su organización social, el manejo del agua que tienen en cada barrio, su cultura del agua, sus prácticas higiénicas y el nivel de salud en el que viven; un taller de diseño con la población para conocer su opinión sobre las futuras instalaciones que se construirán en las viviendas. Con estos datos se ha podido elaborar el diseño de la solución técnica para los cuatro barrios ribereños que consiste en: una captación de agua; su acumulación y reserva en depósitos; la distribución de agua ya tratada y clorada en cada domicilio; un Núcleo Húmedo de Higiene en cada vivienda como instalación domiciliaria; el saneamiento de cada uno de esos Núcleos Húmedos de Higiene. A su vez durante la primera fase también se realizarán los siguientes trabajos: la ejecución de la solución técnica; formación de la población para que adquieran los conocimientos que les ayuden a tener conciencia de la importancia de las buenas prácticas de higiene y cuiden y obtengan el mejor uso posible de su nueva instalación; una estrategia de sostenibilidad como propuesta de administración, operación y mantenimiento teniendo en cuenta a los pobladores de los barrios; una estrategia de implementación del sistema; el monitoreo y la evaluación del proyecto ejecutado por parte de ESF. En resumen, el presente TFM se centra en el proyecto de la primera fase que consiste en: los Núcleos Húmedos de Higiene como instalación domiciliaria; el saneamiento de estos núcleos; los demás aspectos relativos a los Núcleos Húmedos de Higiene como su mantenimiento, control, buen uso por parte de la población… El proyecto de captación, reserva, cloración y distribución del agua, también presentes en la primera fase del programa, son tratados en el TFM de Alba Gómez Calvo, alumna también del Master en Tecnología para el Desarrollo Humano y la Cooperación. Ambos TFM se complementan entre si y conjuntamente forman la primera fase del Programa Sepahua-Agua.

Estudio de la presión exterior crítica de pandeo en blindajes de acero confinados

El trabajo desarrollado y aquí presentado trata de estudiar la carga crítica exterior que produce la abolladura de tuberías de acero confinadas en hormigón, como consecuencia de una presión externa provocada por la entrada de agua entre tubería y anillo exterior de hormigón, por una presión no controlada en la inyección de junta entre tubería y hormigón, o por otra causa. Para ello se abordará un estudio paramétrico en el cual intervendrán el espesor de la tubería, el diámetro de la misma, el límite elástico del acero, el espesor del confinamiento de hormigón, la posibilidad de que no haya un contacto directo entre acero y hormigón por una irregularidad o defecto en la superficie del tubo, así como cualquier otro parámetro que durante el desarrollo del trabajo se determine que influye en el fenómeno estudiado. Con el estudio desarrollado se comprobarán y contrastarán los resultados que se derivan de las expresiones analíticas y experimentales con las que se proyectan las conducciones y que se encuentran en la bibliografía especializada. En el desarrollo del trabajo se comprobará que el fenómeno físico que se pretende modelar es extraordinariamente ‘no lineal’ y que son muchas las fuentes de ‘no linealidad’ que influyen. Se discernirá cuáles de éstas pueden omitirse para facilitar el trabajo. Además, y atendiendo a la carga lectiva del TFM se pretende limitar el trabajo a un estudio 2D del fenómeno, planteando una posible línea de estudio la extensión a 3D y la influencia de rigidizadores longitudinales en este caso.