Physical Activity Interventions For Children And Youth With Visual Impairments.

The authors conducted a systematic literature review on physical activity interventions for children and youth with visual impairment (VI). Five databases were searched to identify studies involving the population of interest and physical activity practices. After evaluating 2,495 records, the authors found 18 original full-text studies published in English they considered eligible. They identified 8 structured exercise-training studies that yielded overall positive effect on physical-fitness and motor-skill outcomes. Five leisure-time-physical-activity and 5 instructional-strategy interventions were also found with promising proposals to engage and instruct children and youth with VI to lead an active lifestyle. However, the current research on physical activity interventions for children and youth with VI is still limited by an absence of high-quality research designs, low sample sizes, use of nonvalidated outcome measures, and lack of generalizability, which need to be addressed in future studies.

The relationship between physical aspects of quality of life and extreme levels of regular physical activity in adults

This study aimed to check for any significant differences in perceived quality of life, specifically aspects of a physical nature, among volunteers who are more physically active and those less physically active in a university community. The sample consisted of 1,966 volunteers in a university community in Brazil. To assess physical activity levels, volunteers responded to the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ), and to analyse the perception of quality of life they responded to WHOQOL-bref, which is classified into three groups according to level of physical activity, taking into account the metabolic equivalent index (MET) over a full week. For comparison, consideration was given to the first and third tertiles, respectively, namely groups of more and less active students. The results indicated that individuals who engaged in more physical activity had a more positive perception of quality of life compared to those who were less active in physical aspects related to the ability to work, energy for day-to-day activities and locomotion.

Validação da Body Appreciation Scale (BAS), Life Satisfaction Index for the Third Age (LSITA) e do Aging Perception Questionnaire (APQ) para a língua portuguesa no Brasil : um estudo em idosos brasileiros

Universidade Estadual de Campinas . Faculdade de Educação Física

Tradução, adaptação cultural e estrutura fatorial do Body Shape Questionnaire, Body Esteem Scale e Body Appreciation Scale para mulheres brasileiras na meia-idade

Universidade Estadual de Campinas . Faculdade de Educação Física

Tradução, adaptação cultural e validação da escala Moorong Self-Efficacy Scale (MSES) para o português no Brasil = : Translation, cultural adaptation and validation of Moorong Self-Efficacy Scale (MSES) into Brazilian Portuguese

Universidade Estadual de Campinas . Faculdade de Educação Física

Direct measurement of intrinsic atomic scale magnetostriction

Using differential x-ray absorption spectroscopy (DiffXAS) we have measured and quantified the intrinsic, atomic-scale magnetostriction of Fe(81)Ga(19). By exploiting the chemical selectivity of DiffXAS, the Fe and Ga local environments have been assessed individually. The enhanced magnetostriction induced by the addition of Ga to Fe was found to originate from the Ga environment, where lambda(gamma,2)(approximate to (3/2)lambda(100)) is 390 +/- 40 ppm. In this environment, < 001 > Ga-Ga pair defects were found to exist, which mediate the magnetostriction by inducing large strains in the surrounding Ga-Fe bonds. For the first time, intrinsic, chemically selective magnetostrictive strain has been measured and quantified at the atomic level, allowing true comparison with theory.

New constraints on the chemical evolution of the solar neighbourhood and Galactic disc(s) Improved astrophysical parameters for the Geneva-Copenhagen Survey

We present a re-analysis of the Geneva-Copenhagen survey, which benefits from the infrared flux method to improve the accuracy of the derived stellar effective temperatures and uses the latter to build a consistent and improved metallicity scale. Metallicities are calibrated on high-resolution spectroscopy and checked against four open clusters and a moving group, showing excellent consistency. The new temperature and metallicity scales provide a better match to theoretical isochrones, which are used for a Bayesian analysis of stellar ages. With respect to previous analyses, our stars are on average 100 K hotter and 0.1 dex more metal rich, which shift the peak of the metallicity distribution function around the solar value. From Stromgren photometry we are able to derive for the first time a proxy for [alpha/Fe] abundances, which enables us to perform a tentative dissection of the chemical thin and thick disc. We find evidence for the latter being composed of an old, mildly but systematically alpha-enhanced population that extends to super solar metallicities, in agreement with spectroscopic studies. Our revision offers the largest existing kinematically unbiased sample of the solar neighbourhood that contains full information on kinematics, metallicities, and ages and thus provides better constraints on the physical processes relevant in the build-up of the Milky Way disc, enabling a better understanding of the Sun in a Galactic context.

Designing real nanotube-based gas sensors

Using a combination of density functional theory and recursive Green's functions techniques, we present a full description of a large scale sensor, accounting for disorder and different coverages. Here, we use this method to demonstrate the functionality of nitrogen-rich carbon nanotubes as ammonia sensors as an example. We show how the molecules one wishes to detect bind to the most relevant defects on the nanotube, describe how these interactions lead to changes in the electronic transport properties of each isolated defect, and demonstrate that there are significative resistance changes even in the presence of disorder, elucidating how a realistic nanosensor works.

Physical controls on carbon dioxide transfer velocity and flux in low-gradient river systems and implications for regional carbon budgets

Outgassing of carbon dioxide (CO(2)) from rivers and streams to the atmosphere is a major loss term in the coupled terrestrial-aquatic carbon cycle of major low-gradient river systems (the term ""river system"" encompasses the rivers and streams of all sizes that compose the drainage network in a river basin). However, the magnitude and controls on this important carbon flux are not well quantified. We measured carbon dioxide flux rates (F(CO2)), gas transfer velocity (k), and partial pressures (p(CO2)) in rivers and streams of the Amazon and Mekong river systems in South America and Southeast Asia, respectively. F(CO2) and k values were significantly higher in small rivers and streams (channels <100 m wide) than in large rivers (channels >100 m wide). Small rivers and streams also had substantially higher variability in k values than large rivers. Observed F(CO2) and k values suggest that previous estimates of basinwide CO(2) evasion from tropical rivers and wetlands have been conservative and are likely to be revised upward substantially in the future. Data from the present study combined with data compiled from the literature collectively suggest that the physical control of gas exchange velocities and fluxes in low-gradient river systems makes a transition from the dominance of wind control at the largest spatial scales (in estuaries and river mainstems) toward increasing importance of water current velocity and depth at progressively smaller channel dimensions upstream. These results highlight the importance of incorporating scale-appropriate k values into basinwide models of whole ecosystem carbon balance.

A reference business process for ecological niche modelling

Ecological niche modelling combines species occurrence points with environmental raster layers in order to obtain models for describing the probabilistic distribution of species. The process to generate an ecological niche model is complex. It requires dealing with a large amount of data, use of different software packages for data conversion, for model generation and for different types of processing and analyses, among other functionalities. A software platform that integrates all requirements under a single and seamless interface would be very helpful for users. Furthermore, since biodiversity modelling is constantly evolving, new requirements are constantly being added in terms of functions, algorithms and data formats. This evolution must be accompanied by any software intended to be used in this area. In this scenario, a Service-Oriented Architecture (SOA) is an appropriate choice for designing such systems. According to SOA best practices and methodologies, the design of a reference business process must be performed prior to the architecture definition. The purpose is to understand the complexities of the process (business process in this context refers to the ecological niche modelling problem) and to design an architecture able to offer a comprehensive solution, called a reference architecture, that can be further detailed when implementing specific systems. This paper presents a reference business process for ecological niche modelling, as part of a major work focused on the definition of a reference architecture based on SOA concepts that will be used to evolve the openModeller software package for species modelling. The basic steps that are performed while developing a model are described, highlighting important aspects, based on the knowledge of modelling experts. In order to illustrate the steps defined for the process, an experiment was developed, modelling the distribution of Ouratea spectabilis (Mart.) Engl. (Ochnaceae) using openModeller. As a consequence of the knowledge gained with this work, many desirable improvements on the modelling software packages have been identified and are presented. Also, a discussion on the potential for large-scale experimentation in ecological niche modelling is provided, highlighting opportunities for research. The results obtained are very important for those involved in the development of modelling tools and systems, for requirement analysis and to provide insight on new features and trends for this category of systems. They can also be very helpful for beginners in modelling research, who can use the process and the experiment example as a guide to this complex activity. (c) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Thermodynamic modelling of an Al(2)O(3)-MnO system using the ionic model

The thermodynamic assessment of an Al(2)O(3)-MnO pseudo-binary system has been carried out with the use of an ionic model. The use of the electro-neutrality principles in addition to the constitutive relations, between site fractions of the species on each sub-lattice, the thermodynamics descriptions of each solid phase has been determined to make possible the solubility description. Based on the thermodynamics descriptions of each phase in addition to thermo-chemical data obtained from the literature, the Gibbs energy functions were optimized for each phase of the Al(2)O(3)-MnO system with the support of PARROT(R) module from ThemoCalc(R) package. A thermodynamic database was obtained, in agreement with the thermo-chemical data extracted from the literature, to describe the Al(2)O(3)-MnO system including the solubility description of solid phases. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Measurement of functional ability following traumatic brain injury using the Clinical Outcomes Variable Scale: A reliability study

This study determined the inter-tester and intra-tester reliability of physiotherapists measuring functional motor ability of traumatic brain injury clients using the Clinical Outcomes Variable Scale (COVS). To test inter-tester reliability, 14 physiotherapists scored the ability of 16 videotaped patients to execute the items that comprise the COVS. Intra-tester reliability was determined by four physiotherapists repeating their assessments after one week, and three months later. The intra-class correlation coefficients (ICC) were very high for both inter-tester reliability (ICC > 0.97 for total COVS scores, ICC > 0.93 for individual COVS items) and intra-tester reliability (ICC > 0.97). This study demonstrates that physiotherapists are reliable in the administration of the COVS.

Bubbly Flow Structure in Hydraulic Jump

In an open channel, a hydraulic jump is the rapid transition from super- to sub-critical flow associated with strong turbulence and air bubble entrainment in the mixing layer. New experiments were performed at relatively large Reynolds numbers using phase-detection probes. Some new signal analysis provided characteristic air-water time and length scales of the vortical structures advecting the air bubbles in the developing shear flow. An analysis of the longitudinal air-water flow structure suggested little bubble clustering in the mixing layer, although an interparticle arrival time analysis showed some preferential bubble clustering for small bubbles with chord times below 3 ms. Correlation analyses yielded longitudinal air-water time scales Txx*V1/d1 of about 0.8 in average. The transverse integral length scale Z/d1 of the eddies advecting entrained bubbles was typically between 0.25 and 0.4, irrespective of the inflow conditions within the range of the investigations. Overall the findings highlighted the complicated nature of the air-water flow

Turbulent Time and Length Scale Measurements in High-Velocity Open Channel Flows

In high-velocity open channel flows, the measurements of air-water flow properties are complicated by the strong interactions between the flow turbulence and the entrained air. In the present study, an advanced signal processing of traditional single- and dual-tip conductivity probe signals is developed to provide further details on the air-water turbulent level, time and length scales. The technique is applied to turbulent open channel flows on a stepped chute conducted in a large-size facility with flow Reynolds numbers ranging from 3.8 E+5 to 7.1 E+5. The air water flow properties presented some basic characteristics that were qualitatively and quantitatively similar to previous skimming flow studies. Some self-similar relationships were observed systematically at both macroscopic and microscopic levels. These included the distributions of void fraction, bubble count rate, interfacial velocity and turbulence level at a macroscopic scale, and the auto- and cross-correlation functions at the microscopic level. New correlation analyses yielded a characterisation of the large eddies advecting the bubbles. Basic results included the integral turbulent length and time scales. The turbulent length scales characterised some measure of the size of large vortical structures advecting air bubbles in the skimming flows, and the data were closely related to the characteristic air-water depth Y90. In the spray region, present results highlighted the existence of an upper spray region for C > 0.95 to 0.97 in which the distributions of droplet chord sizes and integral advection scales presented some marked differences with the rest of the flow.

Turbulence in Small Sub-Tropical Estuary with Semi-Diurnal Tides

In natural estuaries, contaminant transport is driven by the turbulent momentum mixing. The predictions of scalar dispersion can rarely be predicted accurately because of a lack of fundamental understanding of the turbulence structure in estuaries. Herein detailed turbulence field measurements were conducted at high frequency and continuously for up to 50 hours per investigation in a small subtropical estuary with semi-diurnal tides. Acoustic Doppler velocimetry was deemed the most appropriate measurement technique for such small estuarine systems with shallow water depths (less than 0.5 m at low tides), and a thorough post-processing technique was applied. The estuarine flow is always a fluctuating process. The bulk flow parameters fluctuated with periods comparable to tidal cycles and other large-scale processes. But turbulence properties depended upon the instantaneous local flow properties. They were little affected by the flow history, but their structure and temporal variability were influenced by a variety of mechanisms. This resulted in behaviour which deviated from that for equilibrium turbulent boundary layer induced by velocity shear only. A striking feature of the data sets is the large fluctuations in all turbulence characteristics during the tidal cycle. This feature was rarely documented, but an important difference between the data sets used in this study from earlier reported measurements is that the present data were collected continuously at high frequency during relatively long periods. The findings bring new lights in the fluctuating nature of momentum exchange coefficients and integral time and length scales. These turbulent properties should not be assumed constant.