Reconhecimento de seqüências de atividades funcionais em pacientes com acidente cascular encefálico

During the motor rehabilitation of patients with neurological pathologies, there are many factors that have an influence on the therapeutical process. It is possible that the demonstration using videotapes or photographs of movements that will be learned can assist the codification, classification and reorganization of the elements of the task in familiar diagrams and thus facilitate the process of motor rehabilitation. The aim of this study was to analyze the performance in the test of recognition of sequences of functional activities such as water drinking and hair combing presented partially (by photos) and completely (by video) to the patients with encephalic vascular accident . The sample was generated from 12 patients (62 ± 8 years) and 10 healthy subjects (53 ± 5 years), of both sex, divided in two groups for which 5 functional activities were presented partially and completely, in 4 sequences that varied between reached and not reached objectives and correct and incorrect movements, during 24 trials. The test t'Student was applied to verify differences in the recognition time between the groups, and to compare the performance between the tests carried through at 9:00 am and retests at 9:00 am and 4:00 pm. To compare the frequency between the types of reply, the test Qui-square was used. It was verified that the patients presented a greater recognition time and a lower number of correct answers than the healthy subjects, and had better performances in the recognition of the complete sequence than the partial one. Bigger frequency was observed in the reply that the objective and the movement were being presented correctly, however the healthy subjects had soon indicated the correct reply in the first trials. An improvement tendency was observed in the performance, when the stages of tests and retests had been carried through in the same schedule. According to the results, it is suggested that the patients with stroke can better recognize the correct movements of a functional activity when it is presented completely in video form, what can influence the choice of the therapeutical strategy during the process of motor rehabilitation

Estampa temporal na memória de reconhecimento em estudantes universitários

Several studies have shown that there is a circadian modulation of explicit memory. This modulation can occur independently in each one of the mnemonic processes. The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of time of training on short-term memory (STM) and long-term memory (LTM), using a recognition task. Moreover, a possible circadian modulation in retrieving was investigated when this process matched the acquisition hour (time stamp). The chronotype variable was also considered. Fifty-seven undergraduate students aging between 18 and 25 years (21,72 ± 2,14; 28 ♂) participated in this study. In the training phase (acquisition) the subjects heard a ten word list. Following this, they answered a recognition test to evaluate STM and one week later they answered a recognition test to evaluate LTM. In each chronotype, the subjects were divided in groups according to the training hour, part of them in the morning and the other in the afternoon. One week later some of the subjects in each group underwent LTM testing in the morning and others in the afternoon. When the subjects performances were analyzed together, independently of the chronotypes, a training hour effect was found in the LTM. The subjects trained in the afternoon had better performance. No time of day effect was found in the STM and in retrieving from the LTM. However, the morning types who were trained and tested in the same hour had a better performance in the LTM when compared to morning types trained and tested in different hours. This effect did not occur when the other chronotypes were analyzed. The circadian modulation seems to occur at least in two different ways. First, there is a circadian modulation in the acquisition/consolidation processes, with a better performance occuring in the afternoon. Secondly, there is a modulation in the retrieval mnemonic process, called time stamp phenomenon. This phenomenon, that occurred in the morning types, is showed for the first time in humans

Efeitos do turno fixo sobre a saúde mental em operadores de petróleo :um estudo de caso em dois ativos produção da Petrobrás

Un conjunto de cambios viene siendo implantado en la Petrobrás procurando que sus unidades de negocios resulten más modernas y competitivas para atender las necesidades del mercado. Dentro de esta perspectiva, un nuevo régimen de trabajo, denominado turno fijo , ha sido implantado en dos activos de producción de la provincia de Rio Grande do Norte. Tal situación originó varios reclamos de los petroleros y, consecuentemente, el interés del SINDIPETRO-RN en obtener una evaluación más precisa de las consecuencias de los mismos. Este estudio, realizado a partir de la demanda sindical de esos trabajadores, ha tenido como objetivo central analizar los efectos del turno fijo sobre la salud mental de los operadores de producción, actualmente lotados en los referidos activos. El estudio ha sido realizado con 39 operadores que representan el 82,9% de la población objeto de este estudio. La muestra ha sido homogénea en cuanto al género, grado de instrucción, edad y tiempo de servicio en la compañía, lo que ha posibilitado un mayor control de las variables y un estudio comparativo entre los dos activos. Para el desarrollo del estudio, se han aplicado los siguientes instrumentos de colecta de datos: una escala de medida probada y validada (QSG-12), un cuestionario abierto, entrevistas individuales y una ficha socio-demográfica. Las respuestas del cuestionario abierto han sido categorizadas mediante la aplicación de análisis de contenido. Los resultados de ese tratamiento y las respuestas del QSG-12 han sido registradas en la forma de banco de datos del SPSS for Windows (Statical Package for social sciense for Windows) para luego procederse con el desarrolllo de los análisis estadísticos. Los principales resultados encontrados en el estudio han sido que la mitad de los participantes de la muestra han presentado resultados de deteriorización de la autoeficacia más elevado que 1,44 (un una escala de 0 a 3) y, en tensión emocional y depresión, el resultado es más elevado que 1,67; la mayoría se da cuenta del aumento de carga de trabajo, revela acentuado sufrimiento con el distanciamiento de la familia, y 58,8% presenta enfermedades psicosomáticas crónicas. La percepción de los operadores sobre el turno fijo e el análisis de éste, conforme el modelo vitamínico de Warr, conducen a la conclusión de que el turno fijo es uno de los factores que está influyendo negativamente en la salud mental de esos trabajadores

A relação entre os determinantes sociais em saúde e os investimentos setoriais e a mortalidade infantil em municípios brasileiros com mais de 80 mil habitantes

Investments in health have controversial influence on results of the health of populations, besides being subject rarely explored in literature. Moreover, from the 1970s, the social determinants of health have been consolidated in the disease process as multifactorial factors (social, economic, cultural, etc.) that directly or indirectly influence the occurrence of health problems of populations, as well as mortality rates. This study aimed to evaluate the influence of these investments and the social determinants of health on infant mortality and its neonatal and post-neonatal mortality. This is an ecological study, in which the sample was composed of Brazilians cities with over 80,000 inhabitants, avoiding fluctuations in mortality rates for common small populations, and ensure greater coverage of information systems on mortality and births Brazilians and, therefore, increase data consistency. To isolate the effect of investments in health, we used multiple linear regression. The socioeconomic indicators (p <0.001, p = 0.004, p <0.001), the inequality index (p <0.001, p = 0.001, p = 0.006) and coverage of prenatal visits (p <0.001, p <0.001; p = 0.005) were associated with infant mortality rate total, neonatal and post-neonatal, and the Gross Domestic Product per capita only influenced the overall infant mortality rate and neonatal (p=0.022; 0.045). Investments in health, in this model, lost statistical significance, showing no correlation with mortality rates among children under one year. We conclude that the social determinants of health has an influence on the variation in mortality rates of Brazilian cities, however the same was not observed for indicators of health investment

Aplicação de ontologias para métodos de negociação de um sistema multiagente para o reconhecimento de padrões

The use of intelligent agents in multi-classifier systems appeared in order to making the centralized decision process of a multi-classifier system into a distributed, flexible and incremental one. Based on this, the NeurAge (Neural Agents) system (Abreu et al 2004) was proposed. This system has a superior performance to some combination-centered methods (Abreu, Canuto, and Santana 2005). The negotiation is important to the multiagent system performance, but most of negotiations are defined informaly. A way to formalize the negotiation process is using an ontology. In the context of classification tasks, the ontology provides an approach to formalize the concepts and rules that manage the relations between these concepts. This work aims at using ontologies to make a formal description of the negotiation methods of a multi-agent system for classification tasks, more specifically the NeurAge system. Through ontologies, we intend to make the NeurAge system more formal and open, allowing that new agents can be part of such system during the negotiation. In this sense, the NeurAge System will be studied on the basis of its functioning and reaching, mainly, the negotiation methods used by the same ones. After that, some negotiation ontologies found in literature will be studied, and then those that were chosen for this work will be adapted to the negotiation methods used in the NeurAge.

Ativos intangíveis (modelo RBV) como recurso estratégico e competitivo: um estudo em hotéis de pequeno porte (zona sul, Natal/RN)

The study aims to analyze the perception of managers on intangible assets as strategic and competitive resources in small hotels in Natal/RN, through the theory of the Resource Based View (RBV). This is a qualitative study of exploratory and descriptive, conducted with managers of the means of hosting small the capital of Rio Grande do Norte through semi-structured interviews, which was applied later, the technique content analysis based on the results of the information obtained in the interviews. Thus, research has shown that managers of small hotels visited (A, B, C) are not sufficient and satisfactory knowledge to set as their unique intangible assets of the company and makes use of them, on an occasional basis, without understanding or in essence understand its true value as a resource that can be used strategically for sustainable competitive advantage in the hotel market in Natal/RN. This means that managers do not know how to create new attributes and use them strategically. And they need to expand their partnerships with stakeholders. Given the importance of the subject of the present research, the information achieved by this analysis may contribute to the provision of information to establish a current situation with regard to the attributed to the knowledge and use of resources (intangible assets) importance as a strategic source and competitive for the internal management of the company by managers and thus, enabling a differential and greater economic profit over time in this segment

Panorama dos resíduos sólidos urbanos nos municípios de pequeno porte do Brasil

The panorama of Urban Solid Waste (USW) in Brazil, in general lacks information, given the immensity of the country. However, it is from available data that the public executives should define the USW management. To contribute to the choice of a model for the management of USW in small municipalities, this study reviews the related literature, showing an overview of the final disposal of USW in small municipalities. Several data and researches are discussed, concluding that the available data, despite being provided by the public managers, who often attenuate the problem, should be considered for the proposition of policies to encourage the waste treatment

Evaluation of hospitalized patients in terms of their knowledge related to smoking

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

Soroprevalência da infecção chagásica em moradores de municípios da região de Botucatu, Estado de São Paulo

O objetivo deste estudo foi o de procurar evidências da transmissão vetorial da doença de Chagas, nos domicílios e peridomicílios de indivíduos residentes em municípios da região de Botucatu, que tiveram xenodiagnóstico positivos. Foram estudados 58 indivíduos e foi coletada amostra do sangue para a realização de exames laboratoriais. Os resultados deste estudo mostraram que os indivíduos, de ambos os grupos, tinham baixa escolaridade e exerciam profissões que não exigiam qualificações técnicas. Houve discreto predomínio de indivíduos do sexo feminino. Quando comparadas às condições anteriores, verificou-se que houve discreta melhora nas condições de habitação, por outro lado, houve aumento de moradores em zona rural. Os indivíduos nascidos antes de 1983, apresentaram conhecimento e contato com triatomídeo estaticamente mais elevado quando comparado com os nascidos a partir 1983. A análise e comparação dos resultados das sorologias, referentes aos hemaglutinação passiva indireta, imunofluorescência indireta e ensaio imunoenzimático, mostrou que o ELISA apresentou maior sensibilidade. Os resultados deste estudo mostram que a população nascida a partir de 1983 não conhecia o vetor transmissor da doença de Chagas.

Comitês de Classificadores para o Reconhecimento Multibiométrico em Dados Biométricos Revogáveis

This work discusses the application of techniques of ensembles in multimodal recognition systems development in revocable biometrics. Biometric systems are the future identification techniques and user access control and a proof of this is the constant increases of such systems in current society. However, there is still much advancement to be developed, mainly with regard to the accuracy, security and processing time of such systems. In the search for developing more efficient techniques, the multimodal systems and the use of revocable biometrics are promising, and can model many of the problems involved in traditional biometric recognition. A multimodal system is characterized by combining different techniques of biometric security and overcome many limitations, how: failures in the extraction or processing the dataset. Among the various possibilities to develop a multimodal system, the use of ensembles is a subject quite promising, motivated by performance and flexibility that they are demonstrating over the years, in its many applications. Givin emphasis in relation to safety, one of the biggest problems found is that the biometrics is permanently related with the user and the fact of cannot be changed if compromised. However, this problem has been solved by techniques known as revocable biometrics, which consists of applying a transformation on the biometric data in order to protect the unique characteristics, making its cancellation and replacement. In order to contribute to this important subject, this work compares the performance of individual classifiers methods, as well as the set of classifiers, in the context of the original data and the biometric space transformed by different functions. Another factor to be highlighted is the use of Genetic Algorithms (GA) in different parts of the systems, seeking to further maximize their eficiency. One of the motivations of this development is to evaluate the gain that maximized ensembles systems by different GA can bring to the data in the transformed space. Another relevant factor is to generate revocable systems even more eficient by combining two or more functions of transformations, demonstrating that is possible to extract information of a similar standard through applying different transformation functions. With all this, it is clear the importance of revocable biometrics, ensembles and GA in the development of more eficient biometric systems, something that is increasingly important in the present day

Interpretando direitos e incorporando novas agências: o reconhecimento da Terra Indígena Las Casas, PA, e as perspectivas caiapó sobre esse processo

O artigo trata do processo de retomada e reconhecimento da Terra Indígena Las Casas, PA, de ocupação tradicional dos índios caiapó. O intuito é mostrar que os Caiapó interpretam esse evento, que é também jurídico e administrativo, a partir de suas próprias ló- gicas culturais, a ele incorporando novas agências e visões de mundo

Análise caracterização da dinâmica da Foz do Rio Apodi, região de Areia Branca/RN, com base na cartografia temática multitemporal de produtos de sensores remotos

The study area islocated in the northern cost of Rio Grande do Norte State, preciselyin a west zone of Apodi-Mossoró River, inclunding Tibau City, Grossos City and part of Mossoró City. Geologicaly, this area is composed by rokcs of Potiguar basin, represented by Cretaceous, Tertiary and Quaternary sediments. This area is characterizer by the intense action of cosatal processes (eolic and costal tranports, generalized erosion, alteration in the sediments balance and coast modification), reponsable for it´s morfological instability, also the antropic interference, where the iol industry is located, next Mossoró City, and also the salt exploration industry and the tendency of expantion of shrimp cultivation. This report had as objective the multitemporalgeoenvorimentalmonitoring of the region by recognizingin the field and analizingimages of orbital sensors of diferents years of last four decades. This analisys was achieved by Digital Images Procesing (DIP) thecnics, com subsidized, in a GIS, the preparion of Thematic Maps of natural resources (Geology, Geomorphology and Use & Ocupatios of Earth) and the Envorimental Sensivity to Oil Spilling, main objective os this project. Such technics constitute important tools of envoriment monitoring and maneging, indicating tendencies of antropic of natural growing, making possible the apropiated planning of development of the region, where the steps can be indicated minimized possibles envorimental impacts caused by antropics interferencies on the region, mainly those related to industrial activities, and oil industry above all. Researchs of this nature are very important to the analisys and ordered manegements of use and ocupation of coastal places

Caracterização morfológica e sedimentologica da plataforma, continental brasileira adjacente aos municípios de Fortim, Aracati e Icapuí- CE

The study area is located on the Brazilian Continental Shelf adjacent to Ceará State, inserted in the submerged Potiguar Basin. This area was submitted to extensional efforts during Upper Cretaceous, associated to the begining of the rifting that resulted in African and South American Continent separation. The main goal of this research was to better understand the sedimentary and geomorphological characteristics of the continental shelf adjacent to Fortim, Aracati and Icapuí (Ceará State). The used data base included geophysical (sides scan sonar and bathymetry studies) and sedimentological survey, associated to satellite image processing and interpretation. Inferences about suspended material and longshore drift was possible using satellite images, and differente bedforms were characterized such as: different kinds of dunes (longitudinal, cross and oblique), bioclastic banks, paleochannels, flat and rock bottom. The researched area comprehended about 2509,13 km2, where 6 different sedimentary facies, based on sediment composition and texture, could be recognized, such as: Bioclastic Sand, Siliciclastic Sand, Biosiliciclastic Sand, Bioclastic gravel, Biosiliciclastic sand with granule and gravel, and Silicibioclastic sand with granule and gravel. The integration of bathymetric, satellite image, side scan sonar and sedimentological data allow us a better characterization of this continental shelf area, as to advance in the knowledge of the continental shelf of the state of Ceara, a very important area to the oil industry because of its potential exploration and e exploitation, and to environmental survey as well

Estudo da dinâmica costeira da região da foz do rio Piranhas-Açu para geração de mapas de sensibilidade do litoral ao derramamento de óleo

The study area is located in the northern coast of Rio Grande do Norte State comprising the mouth of Açu-Piranhas river including the cities of Porto do Mangue e Areia Branca. The local geological setting comprises Cretaceous, Tertiary and Quaternary geological units of the Potiguar Basin. One is about a region of high morphologic instability due to action of the rigorous dynamic coastal processes, beyond the intense human activities mainly for the performance of the petroliferous industry, salt farms and tanks of shrimp industry.For the accomplishment of this work Landsat 5 TM and Landsat 7 ETM + from four distinct dates were used as cartographic base, in which one applied techniques of digital processing to elaborate thematic maps of the existing natural resources to support the geologic and geomorphologic characterization and the soil and landuse maps. The strategy applied was the interpretation of multitemporal images from aerial and orbital remote sensors alIied to the terrain truth recognition, integrated through a Geographic Information System. These activities had alIowed the production of Sensitivity Maps of the Coast to Oil Spilling for the area, on the basis of the Coastal Sensibility Index. Taking into account the seasons were created maps to distinct datas: July 2003 represents the winter months that presented a sensibility lower when compared with the month of December 2003. For the summer months greater sensitivity is due to the hydrodynamic data that suggest a lesser capacity of natural cleanness of the oil and its derivatives in spilling case.These outcomes are an important and useful database to support an assessment to a risk situation and to taking decision in the face of an environmental disaster with oil spilling in coastal area, alIowing a complete visualization of the area and identifying all portions in the area with thei environmental units and respective Coastal Sensibility Index.

Geografia, turismo e meio ambiente: uma nova face do litoral dos municípios de Extremoz e Ceará-Mirim

La presente pesquisa contempla reflexiones referentes de la actividad turística en la organización socio-espacial en el litoral de las comarcas de Extremoz y Ceará-Mirim, región de la Grande Natal. Nuestro objetivo principal es el estudio de las transformaciones del espacio y de sus implicaciones socio-ambientales en curso en el proceso de producción del espacio turístico en el litoral de las referidas comarcas desde 1997 hasta 2007, momento de importancia publica-privada que, a partir del PRODETUR, tuvo la base para el incremento de las potencialidades turísticas. En este sentido, varias fueron las técnicas para una mejor compresión de las aspiraciones y de la percepción de los actores envueltos con la actividad turística (comerciantes, turistas, populación y poder publico local) para conocer cuales son sus consideraciones en cuanto a los cambios que proceden de la implantación de la actividad turística en el lugar, cuanto a la mejora de la calidad de vida, de la generación de empleo y de renta, comercialización, conservación, preservación del ambiente, cumplimiento de la legislación, afirmación cultural así como las acciones puestas en ejecución en las comarcas. Para tal necesidad, se buscó analizar los datos estadísticos a partir del uso de los cuestionarios con preguntas estructuradas y semi-abiertas como instrumento de colecta de información que les era correlacionada con la opinión de los actores locales de modo que podamos formar y entender los elementos básicos que son parte de los espacios turísticos en foco. Fueran utilizadas fotografías aéreas de las comarcas de Extremoz y Ceará-Mirim, provistas por el IDEMA, con la intención de percibir acerca de los cambios del espacio y las implicaciones socio-ambientales de la área en estudio. Concluimos en función de los resultados que el modelo de Turismo concebido por lo Brasil, estimulado y financiado por lo Gobierno Federal, está insertado en el contexto de la economía global y, por lo tanto, el Estado del Rio Grande del Norte, en específico los espacios litoraneos de las comarcas de Extremoz y Ceará-Mirim, que poseen características similares a este modelo, con sus particularidades, que si traduzca por la exclusión social, formas de apropiación privada de los espacios público y áreas de protección ambiental como las playas, las dunas y las lagunas, el desacato o no el cumplimiento de la legislación ambiental, aumento de las desigualdad de renta en una región que posee una problemática social grave y sin inversión, implantación de la infraestructura, ausencia de política pública local, donde los intereses económicos son prioridad delante de las aclamaciones populares. Se sugiere un repensar cuanto al modelo actual de desarrollo adoptado, que el planeamiento sea pautado en base a la participación integrada de los varios agentes implicados con la actividad turística, incluyendo en la medida del posible, las aspiraciones de la población local como precusoras de sus reales necesidades, donde esta acción interactiva contestará ciertamente en un esfuerzo significativo en la construcción de un nuevo paradigma, modelo del desarrollo sustentable, siendo posible superar gradualmente el incremento de la pobreza, de la exclusión y de los impactos ambientales, donde la calidad de vida sea factor fundamental