Intra and Inter-Device Reliabilities of the Instrumented Timed-Up and Go Test Using Smartphones in Young Adult Population.

The Timed-Up and Go (TUG) test is widely utilized by healthcare professionals for assessing fall risk and mobility due to its practicality. Currently, test results are based solely on execution time, but integrating technological devices into the test can provide additional information to enhance result accuracy. This study aimed to assess the reliability of smartphone-based instrumented TUG (iTUG) parameters. We conducted evaluations of intra- and inter-device reliabilities, hypothesizing that iTUG parameters would be replicable across all experiments. A total of 30 individuals participated in Experiment A to assess intra-device reliability, while Experiment B involved 15 individuals to evaluate inter-device reliability. The smartphone was securely attached to participants' bodies at the lumbar spine level between the L3 and L5 vertebrae. In Experiment A, subjects performed the TUG test three times using the same device, with a 5 min interval between each trial. Experiment B required participants to perform three trials using different devices, with the same time interval between trials. Comparing stopwatch and smartphone measurements in Experiment A, no significant differences in test duration were found between the two devices. A perfect correlation and Bland-Altman analysis indicated good agreement between devices. Intra-device reliability analysis in Experiment A revealed significant reliability in nine out of eleven variables, with four variables showing excellent reliability and five showing moderate to high reliability. In Experiment B, inter-device reliability was observed among different smartphone devices, with nine out of eleven variables demonstrating significant reliability. Notable differences were found in angular velocity peak at the first and second turns between specific devices, emphasizing the importance of considering device variations in inertial measurements. Hence, smartphone inertial sensors present a valid, applicable, and feasible alternative for TUG assessment.

Increasing the power and spectral efficiencies of an OFDM-based VLC system through multi-objective optimization.

The nonlinearity induced by light-emitting diodes in visible light communication (VLC) systems presents a challenge to the parametrization of orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM). The goal of the multi-objective optimization problem presented in this study is to maximize the transmitted power (superimposed LED bias-current and signal amplification) for both conventional and constant envelope (CE) OFDM while also maximizing spectral efficiency. The bit error rate (BER) metric is used to evaluate the optimization using the non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm II. Simulation results show that for a BER of 1×10-3, the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) required decreases with the guard band due to intermodulation distortions. In contrast to SNR values of approximately 13 and 25 dB achieved by traditional OFDM-based systems, the VLC system with CE signals achieves a guard band of 6% of the signal bandwidth with required SNR values of approximately 10.8 and 24 dB for 4-quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM) and 16-QAM modulation orders, respectively.

Performance evaluation of a simplified power-domain NOMA for visible light communications.

The performance of a visible light communication (VLC) system based on power-domain nonorthogonal multiple access (PD-NOMA) is experimentally evaluated in this paper. The simplicity of the adopted nonorthogonal scheme is provided by the fixed power allocation method at the transmitter and the single one-tap equalization executed before the successive interference cancellation at the receiver. The experimental results proved the successful transmission of the PD-NOMA scheme with three users in VLC links of up to 2.5 m, after a proper choice of the optical modulation index. All users achieved error vector magnitude (EVM) performances below forward error correction limits in all evaluated transmission distances. At 2.5 m, the user with the best performance reaches an E V M=2.3%.

Um olhar para as circunstâncias do trabalho docente geradoras de fragilidade / The wiew for circunstances of teacher work that generate fragility

O trabalho é fundamental na vida das pessoas e muitas atividades de trabalho podem provocar estresse. O estresse que os professores vivenciam reflete na saúde física e mental. Neste sentido a presente pesquisa buscou investigar o quanto as condições de trabalho indicam desgaste mental na categoria profissional docente na cidade de Parnaíba-PI. O estudo foi composto por 22 professores do ensino fundamental e médio, todos com idades acima de 18 anos, os participantes têm faixa etária entre 24 e 50 anos, maioria do sexo feminino. O instrumento utilizado foi a Escala de Vulnerabilidade ao Estresse no Trabalho ­ EVENT, a análise dos resultados foi realizada de acordo com as indicações de Sisto, Baptista, Noronha e Santos (2007). As classificações em Estresse dos professores entrevistados pontuaram como Inferior (13), Médio Inferior (3), Médio (1) e Médio Superior (5), demonstrando que os profissionais obtiveram pontuação baixa nos indicadores de vulnerabilidade ao estresse.

Work is fundamental in people's lives and many work activities can cause stress. The stress that teachers experience in the classroom reflects on physical and mental health. In this sense, the present research sought to investigate how the working conditions indicate mental exhaustion in the professional category of teachers in the city of Parnaíba, State of Piauí. The study was composed of 22 primary and secondary school teachers, all of them over 18 years of age. Participants are between 24 and 50 years of age, most of them female. The instrument used was the Occupational Stress Vulnerability Scale (EVENT), the analysis of the results was performed according to the indications of Sisto, Baptista, Noronha and Santos (2007). The overall Stress scores of the interviewed teachers scored as Lower (13), Middle Lower (3), Middle (1) and Upper Middle (5). The results demonstrate that the professionals obtained low scores on indicators of vulnerability to stress.

Tannin composition of barbatimão species.

A comparative study of tannin composition of three species known as barbatimão (Stryphnodendron adstringens, Stryphnodendron polyphyllum and Dimorphandra mollis) was developed by TLC, hydrolysis followed by PC, and colorimetry. Principal component analysis of the data obtained showed strong differentiation between the genus Dimorphandra and Stryphnodendron. Additionally, barks from the two Stryphnodendron sp. also presented considerable differences in the tannin structure.

Comparative analysis of assessment of the craniocervical equilibrium through two methods: cephalometry of Rocabado and cervical range of motion.

UNLABELLED: There are several instruments of evaluation of the craniocervical equilibrium; the most reliable are the radiographies. This study used the cephalometric analysis of Rocabado to measure the sensibility and specificity of the Cervical Range of Motion (CROM), a goniometer designed to assess cervical movements in degrees, and measure the forward head position in centimeters. This instrument frequently used, has been tested as a reliable instrument to evaluate the cervical movements but not the forward head. The sample consisted of 30 volunteers, 18 females, 12 males, mean age of 24.63 years. All participants were evaluated with CROM and radiographies in the resting head position and in erect head position. The values considered by the cephalometry consisted in the angle made between the McGregor plane and the vertical line formed by the base of the odontoid process to its apex; the posterior space between C0-C1 and C1-C2 and the hyoid triangle. RESULTS: 30% of the subjects had forward head posture, according to de cephalometry of Rocabado (decreased space between C0-C1, C1-C2) and 43,3% according to CROM. 16,6% had decreased posterior-inferior angle, and 13% had the hyoid triangle facing up. ROC curve of identifying forward head posture yielded area under the curve of 0,778 (95% confidence interval 0,596-0,960). The sensibility of CROM was: 77%. The specificity 71%. CONCLUSION: This study suggests that CROM has a moderate sensibility and specificity, useful for clinic use, but not for research.

Avaliação da dor lombar correlacionada ao encurtamento dos isquiotibiais em docentes de uma instituição de Ensino Superior / Evaluation of low back pain related to shortened hamstrings in university professors of a higher education institution

OBJETIVO: Verificar se existe correlação da dor lombar com encurtamento de isquiotibiais em docentes de uma instituição de Ensino Superior. MÉTODOS: Estudo descritivo, transversal, quantitativo, com amostra composta por dez docentes do curso de fisioterapia, de ambos os sexos. Realizaram-se coleta de dados antropométricos, goniometria da articulação coxofemoral, e avaliação da dor lombar, postural e da flexibilidade para detectar encurtamento muscular dos isquiotibiais. Foram realizados estatística descritiva e testes qui quadrado, Análise de Variância (ANOVA) e teste de Kruskal-Wallis para análise intervariáveis pelo programa Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) para Windows versão 10.0. RESULTADOS: Dos dez docentes avaliados, 70% eram do sexo feminino. A idade média foi de 35,70±5,39 anos, e a média de índice de massa corporal foi de 24,11±3,15. O sedentarismo esteve presente em 50% dos docentes avaliados e 40% não realizavam alongamentos; 40% relataram ausência de dor lombar; 50%, dor moderada; e 10%, dor forte. Na avaliação da articulação coxofemoral, 30% apresentaram angulação normal em flexão do quadril com joelho em extensão, e 40% apresentaram angulação normal na flexão do quadril com joelho em flexão e em extensão de quadril, sendo que os demais apresentaram valores acima ou abaixo da normalidade. No teste de flexibilidade, 30% eram excelentes, 20% estiveram na média, 10% eram abaixo da média e 40% eram fracos. Dos docentes, 40% apresentaram anteroversão pélvica; 30%, alinhamento normal; e 30%, retroversão pélvica. Observou- se correlação significativa do nível de flexibilidade com a variável sexo (p=0,041) e o índice de massa corporal (p=0,048). CONCLUSÃO: A restrição de amplitude de movimento, as alterações no alinhamento pélvico e os baixos níveis de flexibilidade não foram correlacionados ao encurtamento de isquiostibiais.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether there is a correlation of low back pain and hamstrings shortening in professors of a higher education institution. METHODS: A descriptive crosssectional, quantitative study with a sample of ten professors of the Physiotherapy course, of both genders. A collection of anthropometric data, goniometry of the hip joint, and evaluation of low back pain, posture and flexibility to detect hamstring muscle shortening were performed. Descriptive statistics and chi-square tests, Variance Analysis (ANOVA), and Kruskal-Wallis test for intervariables analysis were performed using the software SPSS (Statistical Package for Social Science) for Windows, version 10.0. RESULTS: Of the 10 professors evaluated, 70% (7) were female, mean age of 35.7±5.3 years, mean body mass index (BMI) 24.1±3.1. Sedentarism was present in 50% of the professors evaluated, and 40% (4) did not do stretching exercises:40% reported no back pain, 50% moderate pain, and 10% strong pain. In the evaluation ofhip joint, 30% (3) had normal angulation in hip flexion with knee extension; 40% had normal angulation in hip flexion with knee flexion and hip extension, with the others presenting values above or below normal. In the flexibility test, 30% (3) were excellent, 20% on average, 10% below the average, and 40% were weak. Of the professors, 40% had pelvic anteversion, 30% normal alignment, and 30% pelvic retroversion. There was a significant correlation between the level of flexibility and the variables gender (p=0.041), and Body Mass Index (p=0.048). CONCLUSIONS: Range of motion (ROM) restriction, changes in pelvic alignment, and low levels of flexibility were not correlated with hamstrings shortening.

Seasonal variation in the content of tannins in barks of barbatimão species

The contents of tannins in the barks of barbatimão species, Stryphnodendron adstringens (Mart.) Cov. and S. polyphyllum (Mart.), were analysed monthly during one year. Results were correlated with climate conditions (rainfall, humidity and mean temperature) by chemometric methods. Principal component analysis of the data showed a tendency for higher production of tannins in the warm and wet season, suggesting that environmental factors can affect the levels of tannins in those plants.

A composição de taninos em cascas de espécies de barbatimão, Stryphnodendron adstringens (Mart.) Cov. and S. polyphyllum (Mart.), foi analisada mensalmente durante um ano. Os resultados foram correlacionados com as condições climáticas do período de coleta (precipitação, umidade e temperatura média) através de métodos quimiométricos. Análise de componentes principais dos dados mostrou uma tendência de maior produção de taninos na estação quente e chuvosa, sugerindo que os fatores ambientais podem afetar os teores de taninos nestas espécies.