A review of time-motion analysis and combat development in mixed martial arts matches at regional level tournaments

Mixed martial arts (MMA) have become a fast-growing worldwide expansion of martial arts competition, requiring high level of skill, physical conditioning, and strategy, and involving a synthesis of combat while standing or on the ground. This study quantified the effort-pause ratio (EP), and classified effort segments of stand-up or groundwork development to identify the number of actions performed per round in MMA matches. 52 MMA athletes participated in the study (M age = 24 yr., SD = 5; average experience in MMA = 5 yr., SD = 3). A one-way analysis of variance with repeated measurements was conducted to compare the type of action across the rounds. A chi-squared test was applied across the percentages to compare proportions of different events. Only one significant difference (p < .05) was observed among rounds: time in groundwork of low intensity was longer in the second compared to the third round. When the interval between rounds was not considered, the EP ratio (between high-intensity effort to low-intensity effort plus pauses) WE S 1:2 to 1:4. This ratio is between ratios typical for judo, wrestling, karate, and taekwondo and reflects the combination of ground and standup techniques. Most of the matches ended in the third round, involving high-intensity actions, predominantly executed during groundwork combat.

Evaluating an Agile Method for Planning and Controlling Innovative Projects

This article presents an extensive investigation carried out in two technology-based companies of the So Carlos technological pole in Brazil. Based on this multiple case study and literature review, a method, entitled hereafter IVPM2, applying agile project management (APM) principles was developed. After the method implementation, a qualitative evaluation was carried out by a document analysis and questionnaire application. This article shows that the application of this method at the companies under investigation evidenced the benefits of using simple, iterative, visual, and agile techniques to plan and control innovative product projects combined with traditional project management best practices, such as standardization.

Contributions of HRM throughout the stages of environmental management: methodological triangulation applied to companies in Brazil

The purpose of this research is to analyze the contribution of human resources management throughout the evolutionary stages of environmental management in Brazilian companies. A theoretical framework concerning environmental management and its evolution and the `greening` of the functional and competitive dimensions of human resource management were developed. A methodological triangulation was developed in two complimentary phases. In the first phase, data were collected from 94 Brazilian companies with ISO 14001 certification. The data collected were analyzed and processed using statistical techniques. The conclusions of the first phase supported the second phase of this empirical research. The second phase consisted of a study of multiple cases in four Brazilian companies. The results show evidence of the first known empirical study of contributions of human resource dimensions throughout the stages of environmental management in Brazilian manufacturing companies.

Numerical prediction of gas concentrations and fluctuations above a triangular hill within a turbulent boundary layer

The objective of the present work is to propose a numerical and statistical approach, using computational fluid dynamics, for the study of the atmospheric pollutant dispersion. Modifications in the standard k-epsilon turbulence model and additional equations for the calculation of the variance of concentration are introduced to enhance the prediction of the flow field and scalar quantities. The flow field, the mean concentration and the variance of a flow over a two-dimensional triangular hill, with a finite-size point pollutant source, are calculated by a finite volume code and compared with published experimental results. A modified low Reynolds k-epsilon turbulence model was employed in this work, using the constant of the k-epsilon model C(mu)=0.03 to take into account the inactive atmospheric turbulence. The numerical results for the velocity profiles and the position of the reattachment point are in good agreement with the experimental results. The results for the mean and the variance of the concentration are also in good agreement with experimental results from the literature. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Integrated analysis of cooling water systems: Modeling and experimental validation

Cooling towers are widely used in many industrial and utility plants as a cooling medium, whose thermal performance is of vital importance. Despite the wide interest in cooling tower design, rating and its importance in energy conservation, there are few investigations concerning the integrated analysis of cooling systems. This work presents an approach for the systemic performance analysis of a cooling water system. The approach combines experimental design with mathematical modeling. An experimental investigation was carried out to characterize the mass transfer in the packing of the cooling tower as a function of the liquid and gas flow rates, whose results were within the range of the measurement accuracy. Then, an integrated model was developed that relies on the mass and heat transfer of the cooling tower, as well as on the hydraulic and thermal interactions with a heat exchanger network. The integrated model for the cooling water system was simulated and the temperature results agree with the experimental data of the real operation of the pilot plant. A case study illustrates the interaction in the system and the need for a systemic analysis of cooling water system. The proposed mathematical and experimental analysis should be useful for performance analysis of real-world cooling water systems. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Reproductive Activity and Survivorship of Liriomyza sativae (Diptera: Agromyzidae) at Different Temperatures and Relative Humidity Levels

We studied a population of Liriomyza sativae Blanchard (Diptera: Agromyzidae) identified by morphological and molecular techniques from the semiarid region of the Brazilian northeast. The influence of temperature and relative humidity on the survival and reproductive parameters of L. sativae in cowpeas (Vigna unguiculata L. Walp.) (Fabales: Fabaceae) was evaluated. We used temperatures of 18, 20, 22, 25, 28, 30, and 32 +/- 1 degrees C (50 +/- 10% RH) and relative humidity values of 30,50,70, and 90 +/- 10% (25 +/- 1 degrees C) under a 14 L:10 D photoperiod. Adult longevity decreased as temperature and relative humidity increased and was greater, in general, for females. The preoviposition and oviposition periods also decreased as temperature increased, whereas relative humidity only caused reductions in the oviposition period at higher levels. Fecundity was similar in the range from 18 to 30 degrees C but decreased at 32 degrees C with respect to relative humidity; the best performances of L. sativae occurred at lower levels. The pattern of oviposition rate changed with temperature and relative humidity. Regardless of temperature and relative humidity, L, sativae laid between 75 and 92% of its eggs on the adaxial surface of the cowpea leaves. This information will be highly useful to design a leafminer production system aimed at the multiplication of natural enemies, as well as for pest management in the field.

Genetic Diversity and a PCR-Based Method for Xanthomonas axonopodis Detection in Passion Fruit

Xanthomonas axonopodis pv. passiflorae causes bacterial spot in passion fruit. It attacks the purple and yellow passion fruit as well as the sweet passion fruit. The diversity of 87 isolates of pv. passiflorae collected from across 22 fruit orchards in Brazil was evaluated using molecular profiles and statistical procedures, including an unweighted pair-group method with arithmetical averages-based dendrogram, analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA), and an assigning test that provides information on genetic structure at the population level. Isolates from another eight pathovars were included in the molecular analyses and all were shown to have a distinct repetitive sequence-based polymerase chain reaction profile. Amplified fragment length polymorphism technique revealed considerable diversity among isolates of pv. passiflorae, and AMOVA showed that most of the variance (49.4%) was due to differences between localities. Cluster analysis revealed that most genotypic clusters were homogeneous and that variance was associated primarily with geographic origin. The disease adversely affects fruit production and may kill infected plants. A method for rapid diagnosis of the pathogen, even before the disease symptoms become evident, has value for producers. Here, a set of primers (Xapas) was designed by exploiting a single-nucleotide polymorphism between the sequences of the intergenic 16S-23S rRNA spacer region of the pathovars. Xapas was shown to effectively detect all pv. passiflorae isolates and is recommended for disease diagnosis in passion fruit orchards.

Body composition and quality of life (QoL) of the elderly offered by the ""University Third Age`` (UTA) in Brazil

The investigation of the factors that interfere in the well-being of the elderly and their QoL can provide theoretical and methodological subsidies in structuring actions and policies in the health area, in order to fulfill the needs of that population. In this descriptive transversal study, body composition and QoL of elderly women at the UTA program in Piracicaba (Sao Paulo, Brazil) were verified. The participants were 81 women from UTA, and the general levels of physical activity were evaluated, as well as body weight (BW), height, and bodymass index (BMI). The waist circumference (WC) was measured at the level of the umbilical scar and the body composition by impedance (BIA 310e). QoL was verified by means of WHOQOL-Bref and statistical analysis developed with the SAS program. The decrease of weight, height, BMI, and fat-free mass (FFM) was observed among the several age groups, although with no significant difference. The average levels of the general QoL scores and physical, psychological and environmental domains decreased in higher age groups, but social domains showed the opposite result. This fact can be a particular characteristic of the UTA group, and factors the influence such behavior are yet to be studied. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Quantitative Determination of Gemifloxacin Mesylate in Tablets by Capillary Zone Electrophoresis and High Performance Liquid Chromatography

The aim of this study was to develop and validate selective and sensitive methods for quantitative determination of an antibacterial agent, gemifloxacin, in tablets by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and capillary zone electrophoresis (CZE). The HPLC method was carried out on a LiChrospher (R) 100 RP-8e, 5 mu m (125 x 4 mm) column with a mobile phase composed of tetrahydrofuran-water (25:75, v/v) with 0.5 % of triethylamine and pH adjusted to 3.0 with orthophosphoric acid. The CZE method was performed using 50 mM sodium tetraborate buffer (pH 8.6). Samples were injected hydrodynamicaly (0.5 psi, 5 s) and the electrophoretic system was operated under normal polarity, at +20 kV and capillary temperature of 18 degrees C. A fused-silica capillary 40.2 cm (30 cm effective length) x 75 mu m i.d. was used. Both, HPLC and CZE could be interesting and efficient techniques to be applied for quality control in pharmaceutical industries.

Increased apoptosis of T lymphocytes and macrophages in the central and peripheral nervous systems of Lewis rats with experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis treated with dexamethasone

Using light and electron microscopic histological and immunocytochemical techniques, we investigated the effects of the glucocorticoid dexamethasone on T cell and macrophage apoptosis in the central nervous system (CNS) and peripheral nervous system (PNS) of Lewis rats with acute experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) induced with myelin basic protein (MBP). A single subcutaneous injection of dexamethasone markedly augmented T cell and macrophage apoptosis in the CNS and PNS and microglial apoptosis in the CNS within 6 hours (h). Pre-embedding immunolabeling revealed that dexamethasone increased the number of apoptotic CD5+ cells (T cells or activated B cells), αβ T cells, and CD11b+ cells (macrophages/microglia) in the meninges, perivascular spaces, and CNS parenchyma. The induction of increased apoptosis was dose-dependent. Daily dexamethasone treatment suppressed the neurological signs of EAE. However, the daily injection of a dose of dexamethasone (0.25 mg/kg). which, after a single dose, did not induce increased apoptosis in the CNS or PNS, was as effective in inhibiting the neurological signs of EAE as the high dose (4 mg/kg), which induced a marked increase in apoptosis. This indicates that the beneficial clinical effect of glucocorticoid therapy in EAE does not depend on the induction of increased apoptosis. The daily administration of dexamethasone for 5 days induced a relapse that commenced 5 days after cessation of treatment, with the severity of the relapse tending to increase with dexamethasone dosage.

Spatial, temporal, and human dimensions of air pollution in Brisbane

Arriving in Brisbane some six years ago, I could not help being impressed by what may be prosaically described as its atmospheric amenity resources. Perhaps this in part was due to my recent experiences in major urban centres in North America, but since that time, that sparkling quality and the blue skies seem to have progressively diminished. Unfortunately, there is also objective evidence available to suggest that this apparent deterioration is not merely the result of habituation of the senses. Air pollution data for the city show trends of increasing concentrations of those very substances that have destroyed the attractiveness of major population centres elsewhere, with climates initially as salubrious. Indeed, present figures indicate that photochemical smog in unacceptably high concentrations is rapidly becoming endemic also over Brisbane. These regrettable developments should come as no surprise. The society at large has not been inclined to respond purposefully to warnings of impending environmental problems, despite the experiences and publicity from overseas and even from other cities within Australia. Nor, up to the present, have certain politicians and government officials displayed stances beyond those necessary for the maintenance of a decorum of concern. At this stage, there still exists the possibility for meaningful government action without the embarrassment of losing political favour with the electorate. To the contrary, there is every chance that such action may be turned to advantage with increased public enlightenment. It would be more than a pity to miss perhaps the final remaining opportunity: Queensland is one of the few remaining places in the world with sufficient resources to permit both rational development and high environmental quality. The choice appears to be one of making a relatively minor investment now for a large financial and social gain the near future, or, permitting Brisbane to degenerate gradually into just another stagnated Los Angeles or Sydney. The present monograph attempts to introduce the problem by reviewing the available research on air quality in the Brisbane area. It also tries to elucidate some seemingly obvious, but so far unapplied management approaches. By necessity, such a broad treatment needs to make inroads into extensive ranges of subject areas, including political and legal practices to public perceptions, scientific measurement and statistical analysis to dynamics of air flow. Clearly, it does not pretend to be definitive in any of these fields, but it does try to emphasize those adjustable facets of the human use system of natural resources, too often neglected in favour of air pollution control technology. The crossing of disciplinary boundaries, however, needs no apology: air quality problems are ubiquitous, touching upon space, time and human interaction.

Review of diagnostic screening instruments for alcohol and other drug use and other psychiatric disorders

In recent years there has been a growing recognition that many people with drug or alcohol problems are also experiencing a range of other psychiatric and psychological problems. The presence of concurrent psychiatric or psychological problems is likely to impact on the success of treatment services. These problems vary greatly, from undetected major psychiatric illnesses that meet internationally accepted diagnostic criteria such as those outlined in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM-IV) of the American Psychiatric Association (1994), to less defined feelings of low mood and anxiety that do not meet diagnostic criteria but nevertheless impact on an individual’s sense of wellbeing and affect their quality of life.

Histologic and immunohistochemical responses after aortic valve allografts in the rat

Background. Human aortic valve allografts elicit a cellular and humoral immune response. It is not clear whether this is important in promoting valve damage. We investigated the changes in morphology, cell populations, and major histocompatibility complex antigen distribution in the rat aortic valve allograft. Methods. Fresh heart valves from Lewis rats were transplanted into the abdominal aorta of DA rats. Valves from allografted, isografted, and presensitized recipient rats were examined serially with standard morphologic and immunohistochemical techniques. Results. In comparison with isografts, the allografts were infiltrated and thickened by increased numbers of CD4(+) and CD8(+) lymphocytes, macrophages, and fibroblasts. Thickening of the valve wall and leaflet and the density of the cellular infiltrate was particularly evident after presensitization. Endothelial cells were frequently absent in presensitized allografts whereas isografts had intact endothelium. Cellular major histocompatibility complex class I and II antigens in the allograft were substantially increased. A long-term allograft showed dense fibrosis and disruption of the media with scattered persisting donor cells. Conclusions. The changes in these aortic valve allograft experiments are consistent with an allograft immune response and confirm that the response can damage aortic valve allograft tissue. (C) 1998 by The Society of Thoracic Surgeons.

Seeing is believing: Recent trends in the measurement of Ca2+ in subcellular domains and intracellular organelles

The role of Ca2+ in the regulation of the cell cycle has been investigated mostly in studies assessing global cytosolic free Ca2+. Recent studies, however, have used unique techniques to assess Ca2+ in subcellular organelles, such as mitochondria, and in discrete regions of the cytoplasm. These studies have used advanced fluorescence digital imaging techniques and Ca2+-sensitive fluorescence probes, and/or targeting of Ca2+-sensitive proteins to intracellular organelles. The present review describes the results of some of these studies and the techniques used. The novel techniques used to measure Ca2+ in microdomains and intracellular organelles are likely to be of great use in future investigations assessing Ca2+ homeostasis during the cell cycle.

Experimental study of phase equilibria in the systems Fe-Zn-O and Fe-Zn-Si-O at metallic iron saturation

The reported experimental work on the systems Fe-Zn-O and Fe-Zn-Si-O in equilibrium with metallic iron is part of a wider research program that combines experimental and thermodynamic computer modeling techniques to characterize zinc/lead industrial slags and sinters in the system PbO-ZnO-SiO2-CaO-FeO-Fe2O3. Extensive experimental,investigations using high-temperature equilibration and quenching techniques followed by electron probe X-ray microanalysis (EPMA) were carried out. Special experimental; procedures were developed to enable accurate measurements in these ZnO-containing systems to be performed in equilibrium with metallic iron; The systems Fe-Zn-O and FeZn-Si-O were experimentally investigated in equilibrium with metallic iron in the temperature ranges 900 degreesC to 1200 degreesC (1173 to 1473 K) and from 1000 degreesC to 1350 degreesC (1273 to 1623 K), respectively. The liquidus surface in the system Fe-Zn-Si-O in equilibrium with metallic iron was characterized in the composition ranges 0 to 33 wt pet ZnO and 0 to 40 wt pet SiO2. The wustite (Fe,Zn)O, zincite (Zn,Fe)O, willemite (Zn,Fe)(2)SiO4, arid fayalite: (Fe,Zn)(2)SiO4 solid solutions in equilibrium with metallic iron were measured.