A mulher no futebol: o bullying e o cyberbullying no contexto de gênero

Pós-graduação em Desenvolvimento Humano e Tecnologias - IBRC

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.

Motor learning, retention and transfer after virtual-reality-based training in Parkinson's disease - effect of motor and cognitive demands of games: a longitudinal, controlled clinical study

Objectives To evaluate the learning, retention and transfer of performance improvements after Nintendo Wii Fit (TM) training in patients with Parkinson's disease and healthy elderly people. Design Longitudinal, controlled clinical study. Participants Sixteen patients with early-stage Parkinson's disease and 11 healthy elderly people. Interventions Warm-up exercises and Wii Fit training that involved training motor (shifts centre of gravity and step alternation) and cognitive skills. A follow-up evaluative Wii Fit session was held 60 days after the end of training. Participants performed a functional reach test before and after training as a measure of learning transfer. Main outcome measures Learning and retention were determined based on the scores of 10 Wii Fit games over eight sessions. Transfer of learning was assessed after training using the functional reach test. Results Patients with Parkinson's disease showed no deficit in learning or retention on seven of the 10 games, despite showing poorer performance on five games compared with the healthy elderly group. Patients with Parkinson's disease showed marked learning deficits on three other games, independent of poorer initial performance. This deficit appears to be associated with cognitive demands of the games which require decision-making, response inhibition, divided attention and working memory. Finally, patients with Parkinson's disease were able to transfer motor ability trained on the games to a similar untrained task. Conclusions The ability of patients with Parkinson's disease to learn, retain and transfer performance improvements after training on the Nintendo Wii Fit depends largely on the demands, particularly cognitive demands, of the games involved, reiterating the importance of game selection for rehabilitation purposes. (C) 2012 Chartered Society of Physiotherapy. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

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.

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.

BDI agents for Real Time Strategy games

While the use of distributed intelligence has been incrementally spreading in the design of a great number of intelligent systems, the field of Artificial Intelligence in Real Time Strategy games has remained mostly a centralized environment. Despite turn-based games have attained AIs of world-class level, the fast paced nature of RTS games has proven to be a significant obstacle to the quality of its AIs. Chapter 1 introduces RTS games describing their characteristics, mechanics and elements. Chapter 2 introduces Multi-Agent Systems and the use of the Beliefs-Desires-Intentions abstraction, analysing the possibilities given by self-computing properties. In Chapter 3 the current state of AI development in RTS games is analyzed highlighting the struggles of the gaming industry to produce valuable. The focus on improving multiplayer experience has impacted gravely on the quality of the AIs thus leaving them with serious flaws that impair their ability to challenge and entertain players. Chapter 4 explores different aspects of AI development for RTS, evaluating the potential strengths and weaknesses of an agent-based approach and analysing which aspects can benefit the most against centralized AIs. Chapter 5 describes a generic agent-based framework for RTS games where every game entity becomes an agent, each of which having its own knowledge and set of goals. Different aspects of the game, like economy, exploration and warfare are also analysed, and some agent-based solutions are outlined. The possible exploitation of self-computing properties to efficiently organize the agents activity is then inspected. Chapter 6 presents the design and implementation of an AI for an existing Open Source game in beta development stage: 0 a.d., an historical RTS game on ancient warfare which features a modern graphical engine and evolved mechanics. The entities in the conceptual framework are implemented in a new agent-based platform seamlessly nested inside the existing game engine, called ABot, widely described in Chapters 7, 8 and 9. Chapter 10 and 11 include the design and realization of a new agent based language useful for defining behavioural modules for the agents in ABot, paving the way for a wider spectrum of contributors. Chapter 12 concludes the work analysing the outcome of tests meant to evaluate strategies, realism and pure performance, finally drawing conclusions and future works in Chapter 13.

Indoor and Outdoor Natural Radioactivity in the Vulsini Volcanic District (Central Italy): Estimation of Doses and Radiological Risks

Terrestrial radioactivity for most individual is the major contributor to the total dose and is mostly provided by 238U, 232Th and 40K radionuclides. In particular indoor radioactivity is principally due to 222Rn, a radioactive noble gas descendent of 238U, second cause of lung cancer after cigarettes smoking. Vulsini Volcanic District is a well known quaternary volcanic area located between the northern Latium and southern Tuscany (Central Italy). It is characterized by an high natural radiation background resulting from the high concentrations of 238U, 232Th and 40K in the volcanic products. In this context, subduction-related metasomatic enrichment of incompatible elements in the mantle source coupled with magma differentiation within the upper crust has given rise to U, Th and K enriched melts. Almost every ancient village and town located in this part of Italy has been built with volcanic rocks pertaining to the Vulsini Volcanic District. The radiological risk of living in this area has been estimated considering separately: a. the risk associated with buildings made of volcanic products and built on volcanic rock substrates b. the risk associated to soil characteristics. The former has been evaluated both using direct 222Rn indoor measurements and simulations of “standard rooms” built with the tuffs and lavas from the Vulsini Volcanic District investigated in this work. The latter has been carried out by using in situ measurements of 222Rn activity in the soil gases. A radon risk map for the Bolsena village has been developed using soil radon measurements integrating geological information. Data of airborne radioactivity in ambient aerosol at two elevated stations in Emilia Romagna (North Italy) under the influence of Fukushima plume have been collected, effective doses have been calculated and an extensive comparison between doses associated with artificial and natural sources in different area have been described and discussed.

Tecniche di localizzazione indoor per il tracciamento di oggetti: studio per un caso reale

Nuovi sviluppi nella comunicazione wireless e nell'elettronica hanno permesso lo sviluppo di dispositivi poco costosi, poco energivori e multifunzione, piccoli in dimensione e in grado di comunicare a breve distanza. Collegati con tecnologie senza fili e disponibili in gran numero, questi sensori hanno offerto opportunità senza precedenti nel monitorare e controllare case, città, e l'ambiente. In aggiunta, i sensori wireless hanno anche una vasta gamma di applicazioni nella sicurezza, generando nuove capacità di riconoscimento e sorveglianza, unite ad altre finalità tattiche. La capacità di localizzazione di questi congegni poi è altamente studiata e ricercata, per applicazioni che vanno dal monitoraggio di incendi,della qualità dell'acqua e dell'agricoltura di precisione alla gestione di inventari, di sistemi anti intrusione, monitoraggio del traffico e di parametri medici. Da questo esteso panorama di utilizzi, è scaturita l'idea di un impiego di queste reti in un contesto particolare. L'esperienza maturata in ambito fieristico mi ha portato a considerare una problematica da sempre sentita, ma che non ha mai trovato soluzioni soddisfacenti o definitive, che è quella della protezione dei beni dai rapinatori. In questo ultimo periodo, dove si assiste ad un progressivo ma repentino calo degli affari dovuto ad una congiuntura economica mondiale sfavorevole, il problema è più avvertito da chi, in vari settori, vede un sempre più basso margine di compensazione ai furti.

Misure sperimentali su sistemi wireless per la localizzazione indoor

Tesi sperimentale, basata sulla configurazione di un sistema wireless per la localizzazione indoor e l'uso di esso per fare misure.

Validazione sperimentale di un modello ray tracing in ambienti indoor

Il trattato sottolinea quanto sia indispensabile avere un confronto fra le simulazioni numeriche effettuate col metodo Ray Tracing e le campagne di misure sperimentali. Sebbene le simulazioni numeriche comportino un impiego di tempo e risorse oneroso, una volta impostate risultano molto versatili e rapide nell'apportare cambiamenti ai relativi settaggi e ambiente di propagazione.

Valutazione di tecniche di copertura per futuri sistemi wireless indoor

Si è scelto di analizzare in modo approfondito tecniche di copertura radio e di trasmissione basate sull’uso di array di antenne ( facenti parte della famiglia Multiple Input Multiple Output, MIMO) in alcune tipologie tipiche di scenari indoor, come ad esempio ambienti commerciali o uffici in strutture multipiano. Si è studiato l’utilizzo di array di antenne di varie tipologie e a varie frequenze per implementare tecniche di diversità oppure tecniche a divisione di spazio (beam-switching, beamforming) per servire contemporaneamente utenti in diverse celle o in diversi settori senza ricorrere ad altre tecniche di divisione (di frequenza, tempo o codice), che invece verranno utilizzate in conbinazione combinate in sistemi di futura generazione.