Head repositioning accuracy in patients with neck pain and asymptomatic subjects: concurrent validity, influence of motion speed, motion direction and target distance

Background: Cervicocephalic kinesthetic deficiencies have been demonstrated in patients with chronic neck pain (NP). On the other hand, authors emphasized the use of different motion speeds for assessing functional impairment of the cervical spine. Purpose: The objectives of this study were (1) to investigate the head repositioning accuracy in NP patients and control subjects and (2) to assess the influence of target distance, motion speed, motion direction and pain. Materials and methods: Seventy-one subjects (36 healthy subjects and 35 NP patients; age 30–55 years) performed the head repositioning test (HRT) at two different speeds for horizontal and vertical movements and at two different distances. For each condition, six consecutive trials were sampled. Results: The study showed the validity and reproducibility of the HRT, confirming a dysfunctional threshold of 4.5°. Normative values of head repositioning error up to 3.6° and 7.1° were identified for healthy and NP subjects, respectively. A distance of 180 cm from the target and a natural motion speed increased HRT accuracy. Repositioning after extension movement showed a significantly larger error in both groups. Intensity, duration of pain as well as pain level did not significantly alter head repositioning error. Conclusions: The assessment of proprioceptive performance in healthy and NP subjects allowed the validation of the HRT. The HRT is a simple, not expensive and fast test, easily implementable in daily practice to assess and monitor treatment and evolution of proprioceptive cervical deficits.

Étude de la médiane de permutations sous la distance de Kendall-Tau

La distance de Kendall-τ compte le nombre de paires en désaccord entre deux permuta- tions. La distance d’une permutation à un ensemble est simplement la somme des dis- tances entre cette permutation et les permutations de l’ensemble. À partir d’un ensemble donné de permutations, notre but est de trouver la permutation, appelée médiane, qui minimise cette distance à l’ensemble. Le problème de la médiane de permutations sous la distance de Kendall-τ, trouve son application en bio-informatique, en science politique, en télécommunication et en optimisation. Ce problème d’apparence simple est prouvé difficile à résoudre. Dans ce mémoire, nous présentons plusieurs approches pour résoudre le problème, pour trouver une bonne solution approximative, pour le séparer en classes caractéristiques, pour mieux com- prendre sa compléxité, pour réduire l’espace de recheche et pour accélérer les calculs. Nous présentons aussi, vers la fin du mémoire, une généralisation de ce problème et nous l’étudions avec ces mêmes approches. La majorité du travail de ce mémoire se situe dans les trois articles qui le composent et est complémenté par deux chapitres servant à les lier.

Étude de la médiane de permutations sous la distance de Kendall-Tau

La distance de Kendall-τ compte le nombre de paires en désaccord entre deux permuta- tions. La distance d’une permutation à un ensemble est simplement la somme des dis- tances entre cette permutation et les permutations de l’ensemble. À partir d’un ensemble donné de permutations, notre but est de trouver la permutation, appelée médiane, qui minimise cette distance à l’ensemble. Le problème de la médiane de permutations sous la distance de Kendall-τ, trouve son application en bio-informatique, en science politique, en télécommunication et en optimisation. Ce problème d’apparence simple est prouvé difficile à résoudre. Dans ce mémoire, nous présentons plusieurs approches pour résoudre le problème, pour trouver une bonne solution approximative, pour le séparer en classes caractéristiques, pour mieux com- prendre sa compléxité, pour réduire l’espace de recheche et pour accélérer les calculs. Nous présentons aussi, vers la fin du mémoire, une généralisation de ce problème et nous l’étudions avec ces mêmes approches. La majorité du travail de ce mémoire se situe dans les trois articles qui le composent et est complémenté par deux chapitres servant à les lier.

An Integrated Framework To Improve The Concept Of Resource Specialisation.

Resource specialisation, although a fundamental component of ecological theory, is employed in disparate ways. Most definitions derive from simple counts of resource species. We build on recent advances in ecophylogenetics and null model analysis to propose a concept of specialisation that comprises affinities among resources as well as their co-occurrence with consumers. In the distance-based specialisation index (DSI), specialisation is measured as relatedness (phylogenetic or otherwise) of resources, scaled by the null expectation of random use of locally available resources. Thus, specialists use significantly clustered sets of resources, whereas generalists use over-dispersed resources. Intermediate species are classed as indiscriminate consumers. The effectiveness of this approach was assessed with differentially restricted null models, applied to a data set of 168 herbivorous insect species and their hosts. Incorporation of plant relatedness and relative abundance greatly improved specialisation measures compared to taxon counts or simpler null models, which overestimate the fraction of specialists, a problem compounded by insufficient sampling effort. This framework disambiguates the concept of specialisation with an explicit measure applicable to any mode of affinity among resource classes, and is also linked to ecological and evolutionary processes. This will enable a more rigorous deployment of ecological specialisation in empirical and theoretical studies.

Clustering Of Water Bodies In Unpolluted And Polluted Environments Based On Escherichia Coli Phylogroup Abundance Using A Simple Interaction Database.

Different types of water bodies, including lakes, streams, and coastal marine waters, are often susceptible to fecal contamination from a range of point and nonpoint sources, and have been evaluated using fecal indicator microorganisms. The most commonly used fecal indicator is Escherichia coli, but traditional cultivation methods do not allow discrimination of the source of pollution. The use of triplex PCR offers an approach that is fast and inexpensive, and here enabled the identification of phylogroups. The phylogenetic distribution of E. coli subgroups isolated from water samples revealed higher frequencies of subgroups A1 and B23 in rivers impacted by human pollution sources, while subgroups D1 and D2 were associated with pristine sites, and subgroup B1 with domesticated animal sources, suggesting their use as a first screening for pollution source identification. A simple classification is also proposed based on phylogenetic subgroup distribution using the w-clique metric, enabling differentiation of polluted and unpolluted sites.

A Rapid And Simple Capillary Electrophoresis Method For Indirect Determination Of The Biocide 2,2-dibromo-3-nitrilo-propionamide (dbnpa) In Cooling Waters.

A capillary zone electrophoresis (CE) method was developed for the determination of the biocide 2,2-dibromo-3-nitrilo-propionamide (DBNPA) in water used in cooling systems. The biocide is indirectly determined by CE measurement of the concentration of bromide ions produced by the reaction between the DBNPA and bisulfite. The relationship between the bromide peak areas and the DBNPA concentrations showed a good linearity and a coefficient of determination (R(2)) of 0.9997 in the evaluated concentration range of 0-75 μmol L(-1). The detection and quantification limits for DBNPA were 0.23 and 0.75 μmol L(-1), respectively. The proposed CE method was successfully applied for the analysis of samples of tap water and cooling water spiked with DBNPA. The intra-day and inter-day (intermediary) precisions were lower than 2.8 and 6.2%, respectively. The DBNPA concentrations measured by the CE method were compared to the values obtained by a spectrophotometric method and were found to agree well.

Tree structure and richness in an Atlantic Forest fragment: distance from anthropogenic and natural edges

Approximately 7.2% of the Atlantic rainforest remains in Brazil, with only 16% of this forest remaining in the State of Rio de Janeiro, all of it distributed in fragments. This forest fragmentation can produce biotic and abiotic differences between edges and the fragment interior. In this study, we compared the structure and richness of tree communities in three habitats - an anthropogenic edge (AE), a natural edge (NE) and the fragment interior (FI) - of a fragment of Atlantic forest in the State of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (22°50'S and 42°28'W). One thousand and seventy-six trees with a diameter at breast height > 4.8 cm, belonging to 132 morphospecies and 39 families, were sampled in a total study area of 0.75 ha. NE had the greatest basal area and the trees in this habitat had the greatest diameter:height allometric coefficient, whereas AE had a lower richness and greater variation in the height of the first tree branch. Tree density, diameter, height and the proportion of standing dead trees did not differ among the habitats. There was marked heterogeneity among replicates within each habitat. These results indicate that the forest interior and the fragment edges (natural or anthropogenic) do not differ markedly considering the studied parameters. Other factors, such as the age from the edge, type of matrix and proximity of gaps, may play a more important role in plant community structure than the proximity from edges.

Atividade fisica e saude : estudo do conhecimento de professores de educação fisica do ensino fundamental atraves da educação a distancia

Universidade Estadual de Campinas . Faculdade de Educação Física

Análise quantitativa da distribuição de jogadores de futebol em campo durante jogos oficiais

Universidade Estadual de Campinas. Faculdade de Educação Física

Testes de desempenho aeróbio relacionados a intensidades de corrida em treinamento e competição para fundistas de alto rendimento = : Aerobic performance tests related to training and competition running intensities for high performance distance runners

Universidade Estadual de Campinas . Faculdade de Educação Física

Fracture strength of teeth restored with ceramic inlays and overlays

This study evaluated the fracture strength of teeth restored with bonded ceramic inlays and overlays compared to sound teeth. Thirty sound human maxillary premolars were assigned to 3 groups: 1- sound/unprepared (control); 2- inlays and 3- overlays. The inlay cavity design was Class II MOD preparation with an occlusal width of 1/2 of the intercuspal distance. The overlay cavity design was similar to that of the inlay group, except for buccal and palatal cusp coverage The inlay and overlay groups were restored with feldspathic porcelain bonded with adhesive cement. The specimens were subjected to a compressive load until fracture. Data were analyzed statistically by the Kruskal-Wallis test at 5% significance level. The fracture strength means (KN) were: Sound/unprepared group = 1.17, Inlay group= 1.17, and Overlay group = 1.14. There were no statistically significant differences (p>0.05) among the groups. For inlays and overlays, the predominant fracture mode involved fragments of one cusp (70% of simple fractures). The fracture strength of teeth restored with inlay and overlay ceramics with cusp coverage was similar to that of intact teeth.

Rhinometric evaluation of nasal cavity geometry and its relation to the upper arch transverse distance

The objective of this study was to evaluate children's respiratory patterns in the mixed dentition, by means of acoustic rhinometry, and its relation to the upper arch width development. Fifty patients were examined, 25 females and 25 males with mean age of eight years and seven months. All of them were submitted to acoustic rhinometry and upper and lower arch impressions to obtain plaster models. The upper arch analysis was accomplished by measuring the interdental transverse distance of the upper teeth, deciduous canines (measurement 1), deciduous first molars (measurement 2), deciduous second molars (measurement 3) and the first molars (measurement 4). The results showed that an increased left nasal cavity area in females means an increased interdental distance of the deciduous first molars and deciduous second molars and an increased interdental distance of the deciduous canines, deciduous first and second molars in males. It was concluded that there is a correlation between the nasal cavity area and the upper arch transverse distance in the anterior and mid maxillary regions for both genders.

Modelagem dos processos de remoção sulfato e dióxido de enxofre presente no particulado em diferentes localidades da região metropolitana de São Paulo

This article deals with the scavenging processes modeling of the particulate sulfate and the gas sulfur dioxide, emphasizing the synoptic conditions at different sampling sites in order to verify the domination of the in-cloud or below-cloud scavenging processes in the Metropolitan Area of São Paulo (RMSP). Three sampling sites were chosen: GV (Granja Viana) at RMSP surroundings, IAG-USP and Mackenzie (RMSP center). Basing on synoptic conditions, it was chosen a group of events where the numerical modeling, a simple scavenging model, was used. These synoptic conditions were usually convective cloud storms, which are usual at RMSP. The results show that the in-cloud processes were dominant (80%) for sulfate/sulfur dioxide scavenging processes, with below-cloud process indicating around 20% of the total. Clearly convective events, with total rainfall higher than 20 mm, are better modeled than the stratiform events, with correlation coefficient of 0.92. There is also a clear association with events presenting higher rainfall amount and the ratio between modeled and observed data set with correlation coefficient of 0.63. Additionally, the suburb sampling site, GV, as expected due to the pollution source distance, presents in general smaller amount of rainwater sulfate (modeled and observed) than the center sampling site, Mackenzie, where the characterization event explains partially the rainfall concentration differences.

Influence of separate and mixed experimental designs on reaction times to two simple visual stimuli

Testing contexts have been shown to critically influence experimental results in psychophysical studies. One of these contexts that show important modulation of the behavioral effects of different stimulatory conditions is the separate (blocked) or mixed presentation of these stimulatory conditions. The study presents evidence that the apparent discriminabilities of two target stimuli can change according to which of these two testing contexts is used. A cross inside a ring and a vertical line inside a ring were presented as go stimuli in a go/no-go reaction time task. In one experiment, each of these stimuli was presented to a different group of volunteers and in another experiment they were presented to the same group of volunteers, randomly mixed in the blocks of trials. Similar reaction times were obtained for the two stimuli in the first experiment, and different reaction times (faster for the cross) in the second experiment. The latter result indicates that the two stimuli have different discriminabilities from the no-go stimulus; the cross having greater discriminability. This difference is however masked, presumably by the adoption of specific compensatory attentional sets, in a separate testing context.

Using sentinels to detect intersections of convex and nonconvex polygons

We describe finite sets of points, called sentinels, which allow us to decide if isometric copies of polygons, convex or not, intersect. As an example of the applicability of the concept of sentinel, we explain how they can be used to formulate an algorithm based on the optimization of differentiable models to pack polygons in convex sets. Mathematical subject classification: 90C53, 65K05.