Electromyographic analysis of the rectus abdominis muscle in pelvic retroversion and the decrease of the lower limbs

We often face Patients searching for rehabilitation for lower back disorders during the physiotherapeutic routine, and it is known that the abdominal muscle, specially the rectus abdominis muscle, aid the stabilization of the pelvis. Therefore, this paper analyzes the electrical activity of the rectus abdominis muscle in the pelvic retroversion in dorsal decubitus and in orthostatic position and in the lowering of the lower limbs. 30 healthy students, male and female, 17-40 yr, divided into two groups - Group 1: 15 volunteers (pelvic balance); Group 2 (pelvic unbalance) took part in this study. The electrical activity of the right and left supra-umbilical and infra-umbilical portions of the rectus abdominis muscle was detected. The mean RMS values from three attempts ftom the electromyographic traces were usedfor the analysis of the electrical activity. The RMS value was submitted to the normalization process. The data were submitted to statistic treatment by the Friedman test, and the analyses of the means and standard deviation towards a level of significance of 95%. The results demonstrated that the portions of the rectus abdominis muscle presented low electrical activity for the groups studiedfor pelvic retroversion either in dorsal decubitus or and orthostatic position. However, the decreasing movement of the lower limbs towards the portions of the rectus abdominis muscle presented more significant electrical activity whereas the lower portions presented higher activity than the higher ones for Group 2.

Preliminary Overview of the Economies of Latin America and the Caribbean 2010

Includes bibliography

Influence of vegetable oil in the viscosity of biodiesel-a review

Viscosity is a measure fluid resistance to flowing, affecting the fuel spray in the combustion chamber and, by this way, thus the formation of carbon deposits. The analysis of the influence of vegetable oil viscosity in biodiesel seems appropriate, because biodiesel viscosity is a function of vegetable oil. The increase of the fuel viscosity, promoted by biodiesel, has a major impact on the dynamics of jet fuel, increasing its speed and distance of penetration, obtaining therefore an increase in the amount of turbulent movement of the jet and thus an increase in the rate of preparation of the mixture, air-fuel, when adding biodiesel to diesel oil. The negative effect of this higher fuel viscosity is the increase of the wear of the train of gears, cam shaft, and valve push rod of all the injection pumps due to the higher pressure of injection. The viscosity of biodiesel is influenced by the size of its molecule and by the increase of molecule insaturations, is directly related with its origin vegetable oil or fat. This study is a review of the influence of vegetable oils in viscosity of biodiesel. Copyright © 2008 SAE International.

Maritime sector and ports in the Caribbean: the case of CARICOM countries

Includes bibliography

State Dependent Riccati Equation (SDRE) control method applied in cancellation of a parametric resonance in a magnetically levitated body

Here, a simplified dynamical model of a magnetically levitated body is considered. The origin of an inertial Cartesian reference frame is set at the pivot point of the pendulum on the levitated body in its static equilibrium state (ie, the gap between the magnet on the base and the magnet on the body, in this state). The governing equations of motion has been derived and the characteristic feature of the strategy is the exploitation of the nonlinear effect of the inertial force associated, with the motion of a pendulum-type vibration absorber driven, by an appropriate control torque [4]. In the present paper, we analyzed the nonlinear dynamics of problem, discussed the energy transfer between the main system and the pendulum in time, and developed State Dependent Riccati Equation (SDRE) control design to reducing the unstable oscillatory movement of the magnetically levitated body to a stable fixed point. The simulations results showed the effectiveness of the (SDRE) control design. Copyright © 2011 by ASME.

Population genetic evidence that basidiospores play an important role in the disease cycle of rice-infecting populations of Rhizoctonia solani AG-1 IA in Iran

The fungus Rhizoctonia solani AG-1 IA causes sheath blight, one of the most important rice diseases worldwide. The first objective of this study was to analyse the genetic structure of R. solani AG-1 IA populations from three locations in the Iranian Caspian Sea rice agroecosystem. Three population samples of R. solani AG-1 IA isolates were obtained in 2006 from infected rice fields separated by 126-263km. Each field was sampled twice during the season: at the early booting stage and 45days later at the early mature grain stage. The genetic structure of these three populations was analysed using nine microsatellite loci. While the population genetic structure from Tonekabon and Amol indicated high gene flow, they were both differentiated from Rasht. The high gene flow between Tonekabon and Amol was probably due mainly to human-mediated movement of infested seeds. The second objective was to determine the importance of recombination. All three populations exhibited a mixed reproductive mode, including both sexual and asexual reproduction. No inbreeding was detected, suggesting that the pathogen is random mating. The third objective was to determine if genetic structure within a field changes over the course of a growing season. A decrease in the proportion of admixed genotypes from the early to the late season was detected. There was also a significant (P=0·002) increase in the proportion of loci under Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. These two lines of evidence support the hypothesis that basidiospores can be a source of secondary inoculum. © 2012 BSPP.

Behavioral and Antinociceptive Effects of Alfentanil, Butorphanol, and Flunixin in Horses

To determine the behavioral and antinociceptive effects of narcotic and non-narcotic analgesics administered by intravenous injection in horses, 10 thoroughbred mares weighing between 450 and 550 kg and ranging in age from 8 to 13 years old were analyzed. The effects of alfentanil, butorphanol, flunixin, and saline solution on the general activity of the horses were investigated by measuring spontaneous locomotor activity (SLA) and head height (HH) in two behavior stalls. The antinociceptive effects of alfentanil (0.02 mg kg-1), butorphanol (0.1 mg kg-1), flunixin meglumine (0.5 mg kg-1), and saline were determined by measuring skin twitch reflex latency (STRL) after thermal cutaneous nociceptive stimulation. A paired Student t-test was used to compare SLA and HH between the groups of horses receiving different doses of the same drug at various time points. The Tukey test was used to compare the antinociceptive effect of the treatments. Differences were considered significant when P value was <.05. Horses treated with opioid analgesics demonstrated excitation, as shown by a significant increase in SLA at all doses tested and by neighing and demonstrating attentive attitudes with movement of the ears, stereotypical walking, and ataxia in most of the animals. HH was elevated only in animals treated with alfentanil. Antinociception was observed at 5 and 30 minutes after administration of alfentanil and butorphanol, respectively. Increased SLA was observed at 30 and 90 minutes after administration of alfentanil and butorphanol, respectively. We observed no effect on antinociception in horses given flunixin. In conclusion, this study suggests that alfentanil has a faster onset and a shorter duration than butorphanol; however, both drugs are able to stimulate the central nervous system. © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Framework for implementation of the outcomes of the World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) in the small island developing states of the Caribbean subregion

Includes bibliography

The development of services in the Caribbean

Includes bibliography

Third ordinary meeting of the conference of South American ministers of transport, communications and public works

The third ordinary meeting of the Conference of South American Ministers of Transport, Communications and Public Works was held from 6 to 8 November 1996 in Montevideo, Uruguay. Representatives of Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay and Venezuela took part. Representatives of the following organizations were present as observers: the Latin American and Caribbean Federation of National Associations of Cargo Agents, the Latin American Railways Association, the Latin American Association for Automated Highway Transport, the Inter-American Development Bank, the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), the International Road Federation/German Agency for Technical Cooperation (IRF/GTZ); and other representatives from both the private and public sectors.

A política externa da primeira República e os Estados Unidos: a atuação de Joaquim Nabuco em Washington (1905-1910)

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Sistema gerador de apoio a um dicionário temático visual-gestual baseado em realidade virtual

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Towards a demand model for maritime passenger transportation in the Caribbean: a regional study of passenger ferry services

In this paper, the main factors that influence the demand for maritime passenger transportation in the Caribbean were studied. While maritime studies in the Caribbean have focused on infrastructural and operational systems for intensifying trade and movement of goods, there is little information on the movement of persons within the region and its potential to encourage further integration and sustainable development. Data to inform studies and policies in this area are particularly difficult to source. For this study, an unbalanced data set for the 2000-2014 period in 15 destinations with a focus on departing ferry passengers was compiled. Further a demand equation for maritime passenger transportation in the Caribbean using panel data methods was estimated. The results showed that this demand is related to the real fare of the service, international economic activity and the number of passengers arriving in the country by air.

Problemas ambientais e relações de trabalho no Porto de Belém: perspectivas para um projeto de educação ambiental

Esta pesquisa mostra o olhar que trabalhadores e passageiros da Companhia das Docas do Pará – Porto de Belém têm do cotidiano do porto em relação aos problemas ambientais. Nossa motivação para o desenvolvimento deste estudo pautou-se na identificação de qual a situação ambiental na área portuária das Docas de Belém e se as ações de Educação Ambiental desenvolvidas em seu interior contribuem para a construção de melhorias socioambientais? Para a realização da pesquisa utilizamos como forma de análise a abordagem qualitativa, na qual buscamos priorizar não apenas a quantidade de dados referentes ao objeto de estudo, mas principalmente compreender o fenômeno em foco. No estudo desenvolvemos as seguintes etapas: a) levantamos dados sobre o entorno, destacando a ocupação urbana na área de influência do Porto; b) elaboramos um diagnóstico ambiental, por intermédio da visão de trabalhadores e usuários do Porto de Belém, visando suas expectativas quanto ao ambiente; c) Buscamos compreender o desenvolvimento de ações relacionadas à preservação ambiental, necessárias ao processo de educação para a sustentabilidade, desenvolvidas no Porto de Belém. Neste sentido, inicialmente realizamos uma ampla revisão da literatura sobre a temática, conjuntamente com a pesquisa documental, onde analisamos textos escritos por pesquisadores na área de meio ambiente, e da educação Ambiental, como: Loureiro (2004, 2009), Lima (2007), Silva (2009), Teisserenc (2010), Tapia (2005), Campanhola (2000), Gadotti (2008), Becker (2008), Antunes (2002). Assim como documentos oficiais relacionados ao meio ambiente e a outras iniciativas voltadas a Ações de Preservação e de Portos como: Constituição da Republica Federativa (1988); Decreto Lei 9.795 que dispõe sobre a educação ambiental, institui a Política Nacional de Educação Ambiental; Decreto Lei 8.630 que dispõe sobre o regime jurídico da exploração dos portos organizados e das instalações portuárias; Lei nº 8.630, de 25/02/1993 (antiga Lei dos Portos). A partir da construção do texto ampliamos nosso conhecimento, o que nos deu suporte teórico para iniciarmos a pesquisa empírica. Nesta etapa fizemos um levantamento da área edificada em parte da orla de Belém para identificar o percentual de ocupação urbana na faixa exclusiva selecionada, às proximidades do lócus da pesquisa, o levantamento realizado visou identificar alguma provável influência externa na área de movimentação de navios, o que foi descartado, pois o percentual de ocupação urbana (45,0830 %) encontrado foi considerado dentro dos padrões aceitáveis. Na segunda etapa do estudo foi feita a coleta de dados junto às pessoas que vivenciam o cotidiano da área portuária como: trabalhadores e usuários, objetivando obter informações sobre sua visão e opinião sobre o foco da pesquisa, utilizamos primeiramente a entrevista semiestruturada, objetivando esclarecer sobre as reais condições atuais do meio ambiente de trabalho, vivido cotidianamente por seus atores, nas questões profissionais, sociais e ambientais na área do Porto de Belém e, para que tivéssemos um diagnóstico do momento em que se encontra a ambientalização do Porto, realizamos entrevistas com sujeitos que trabalham diariamente naquele ambiente portuário. Culminando o estudo, utilizamos questionários, os quais foram aplicados a 80 (oitenta) sujeitos trabalhadores e 149 (cento e quarenta e nove) aos usuários/passageiros. O resultado da pesquisa revelou como principais problemas apontados, tanto pelos usuários como pelos trabalhadores os impactos ambientais causados pelas atividades portuárias como a emissão de resíduos sólidos, líquidos, derrame de produtos perigosos e os riscos de contaminação do rio. Assim como lixo em excesso e sua coleta indevida, que tem ocasionado frequentes entupimentos dos esgotos. Assim como a inexistência de continuidade do trabalho de limpeza e manutenção com a prática necessária da dragagem retirada de entulhos do rio e do canal das docas. Constatamos também, que existe a intenção pela gestão da CDP em realizar o trabalho de utilização correta de sistemas de carga e descarga, armazenagem, pesagem, acomodação e movimentação de cargas no porto, bem como realizar de forma correta controle de matérias que chegam e que saem, e que é perceptível a eficiente vigilância da movimentação na área de embarque e desembarque de passageiros, o fazem com que o Porto de Belém permaneça dentro dos padrões estabelecidos na Constituição, o processo de gestão portuária ocorre regularmente obedecendo a um sistema de atividades previamente determinadas e que se encontram de acordo com a Lei dos Portos. O grande ganho que se observa no estudo e esclarecimento das questões investigadas é a apresentação do conceito que os atores envolvidos têm da realidade ambiental existente.

Sperm characteristics as additional evidence of close relationship between Lebiasina and Piabucina (Characiformes: Lebiasinidae: Lebiasininae)

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