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Postural adjustments involve displacements of the center of mass (COM), controlled by the central nervous system (CNS), to maintain equilibrium whilst standing. Postural adjustments can be anticipatory (APAs) or compensatory (CPAs), and are triggered to counteract predictable perturbations.Is the new smartphone application, Momentum, a valid and reliable tool for the assessment of body balance, by measuring APAs and CPAs using accelerometer readings?20 young adults were exposed to external predictable perturbations induced at the shoulder level, whilst standing. COM linear acceleration was recorded by Momentum (extracting data from a smartphone's accelerometer) and a 3D motion capture system.The key results demonstrated a very high, significant correlation (r ≥ 0.7, p 0.05) between the two device settings in the APA parametersThese experiments show that Momentum is a valid method for measuring COM acceleration under predictable perturbations and is reliable for compensatory events.

The school is a privileged space for the introduction of eating and hygiene habits that are potentially favorable to oral health literacy. However, despite several interventions for this purpose, oral diseases remain a global public health problem. One of the reasons is the implementation failure. Objective: This study intends to map the implementation of interventions aimed at oral health literacy aimed at children enrolled in kindergarten and in the first year. Methods: We intend to carry out a scoping review following the recommendations contained in the JBI Manual for Evidence Synthesis for scoping reviews. The following data sources will be accessed: MEDLINE, Web of Science, Embase, Scopus, Eric, CINAHL/EBSCO, and Redalyc. The terms used will be related to the implementation of an intervention to promote oral health literacy in preschool and in the first school cycle. Primary studies in English, Portuguese and Spanish from 1996 will be included, focusing on literacy in oral health and with at least one of the proposed pillars for Health Promoting Schools. The references of the identified articles will be examined to verify possible studies that were not captured in the searched databases. Gray literature will also be consulted. For the extraction of texts, the RE-AIM framework adapted for systematic reviews will be used. The results will be described quantitatively and qualitatively through percentage and thematic analysis, respectively. Expected results: It is expected to map the implementation of interventions aimed at literacy in oral health in the context of the health promoting school and, with that, identify possibilities for improvements.

Bone injuries or defects that require invasive surgical treatment are a serious clinical issue, particularly when it comes to treatment success and effectiveness. Accordingly, bone tissue engineering (BTE) has been researching the use of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analysis tools to assist in designing optimal scaffolds that better promote bone growth and repair. This paper aims to offer a comprehensive review of recent studies that use CFD analysis in BTE. The mechanical and fluidic properties of a given scaffold are coupled to each other via the scaffold architecture, meaning an optimization of one may negatively affect the other. For example, designs that improve scaffold permeability normally result in a decreased average wall shear stress. Linked with these findings, it appears there are very few studies in this area that state a specific application for their scaffolds and those that do are focused on in vitro bioreactor environments. Finally, this review also demonstrates a scarcity of studies that combine CFD with optimization methods to improve scaffold design. This highlights an important direction of research for the development of the next generation of BTE scaffolds.

BACKGROUND Many resistance studies state that they used the traditional method of resistance training in the intervention. However, there is a wide difference on the characteristics of the training protocols used even though they are labeled as "the traditional method". There is no clear definition and characteristics for the traditional method of resistance training. OBJECTIVE To describe the most common definitions and references, and also the main characteristics of the training variables of the studies using the traditional training method for strengthening. DATABASE Searches were carried out in Pubmed, Embase, SPORTDiscus and Web of Science. STUDY SELECTION We included randomized controlled trials that included a strengthening program using the "traditional method" and that evaluated hypertrophy and/or maximum strength in healthy individuals. RESULT The initial search resulted in 26,057 studies, but only 39 studies were eligible and included in this review. The common characteristics of the traditional training protocol were frequency of 3 sessions/week, 3 sets of 9 repetitions, with weight = 75% 1RM. The movement time was 2±1 seconds for the concentric and for the eccentric phases. Resting time between sets was 2±1 minutes. The concepts used to define the method as traditional and the characteristics of the intervention protocols were different. The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) was the most cited reference. CONCLUSIONS The "traditional method of resistance training" can be defined as: "Three (±1) sets of 9±6 repetitions of concentric and eccentric exercises using an external load of 75±20% of one maximum repetition, completed 3±1 times/week.

Olhares sobre o envelhecimento. Estudos interdisciplinares, 37-50. Volume I

Screening traditionally refers to the problem of detecting active inputs in the computer model. In this paper, we develop methodology that applies to screening, but the main focus is on detecting active inputs not in the computer model itself but rather on the discrepancy function that is introduced to account for model inadequacy when linking the computer model with field observations. We contend this is an important problem as it informs the modeler which are the inputs that are potentially being mishandled in the model, but also along which directions it may be less recommendable to use the model for prediction. The methodology is Bayesian and is inspired by the continuous spike and slab prior popularized by the literature on Bayesian variable selection. In our approach, and in contrast with previous proposals, a single MCMC sample from the full model allows us to compute the posterior probabilities of all the competing models, resulting in a methodology that is computationally very fast. The approach hinges on the ability to obtain posterior inclusion probabilities of the inputs, which are very intuitive and easy to interpret quantities, as the basis for selecting active inputs. For that reason, we name the methodology PIPS -- posterior inclusion probability screening.

The evaluation of anticipatory postural adjustments (APAs) requires high-cost and complex handling systems, only available at research laboratories. New alternative methods are being developed in this field, on the other hand, to solve this issue and allow applicability in clinic, sport and hospital environments. The objective of this study was to validate an app for mobile devices to measure the APAs during gait initiation by comparing the signals obtained from cell phones using the Momentum app with measurements made by a kinematic system. The center-of-mass accelerations of a total of 20 healthy subjects were measured by the above app, which read the inertial sensors of the smartphones, and by kinematics, with a reflective marker positioned on their lumbar spine. The subjects took a step forward after hearing a command from an experimenter. The variables of the anticipatory phase, prior to the heel-off and the step phase, were measured. In the anticipatory phase, the linear correlation of all variables measured by the two measurement techniques was significant and indicated a high correlation between the devices (APAonset: r = 0.95, p < 0.0001; APAamp: r = 0.71, p = 0.003, and PEAKtime: r = 0.95, p < 0.0001). The linear correlation between the two measurement techniques for the step phase variables measured by ques was also significant (STEPinterval: r = 0.56, p = 0.008; STEPpeak1: r = 0.79, p < 0.0001; and STEPpeak2: r = 0.64, p < 0.0001). The Bland–Altman graphs indicated agreement between instruments with similar behavior as well as subjects within confidence limits and low dispersion. Thus, using the Momentum cell phone application is valid for the assessment of APAs during gait initiation compared to the gold standard instrument (kinematics), proving to be a useful, less complex, and less costly alternative for the assessment of healthy individuals.

O presente estudo sobre o desenvolvimento Motor da criança nos primeiros meses de vida, teve como objetivo verificar a relação entre as Habilidades Motoras e a Idade, e a relação entre as habilidades motoras Globais e Finas em crianças dos 12 aos 46 meses.Para o efeito, desenvolvemos um estudo de natureza quantitativa, com uma amostra de 405 crianças com idades compreendidas entre os 12 e os 46 meses, de ambos os géneros. Os instrumentos usados no estudo foram as Peabody Developmental Motor Scales-2 (PDMS-2). Em termos globais os resultados indicam que existe uma tendência para correlações positivas (maioritariamente moderadas e baixas) entre as variáveis Idade, Habilidades Motoras Globais e Habilidades Motoras Finas, salientando a correlação positiva moderada (p≤0.05; r2=0.265; 0.5≤ r≤0.7) entre a Idade e a Motricidade Fina e por sua vez uma correlação positiva pequena (p≤0.05; r2=0.217; 0.1≤ r≤ 0.3) entre a Idade e a Motricidade Global. Podemos assim contatar, uma melhoria destas habilidades à medida que as crianças vão crescendo, salientando melhores resultados na Motricidade Fina. RESUMEN: El presente estudio sobre el desarrollo motor de los niños en los primeros meses de vida tuvo como objetivo verificar la relación entre las habilidades motoras y la edad, y la relación entre las habilidades motoras globales y finas en niños de 12 a 46 meses. Para ello, desarrollamos un estudio de naturaleza tranversal cuantitativa, con una muestra de 405 niños de edades comprendidas entre los 12 y los 46 meses, de ambos géneros. Los instrumentos utilizados en el estudio fueron las Peabody Developmental Motor Scales-2 (PDMS-2). En términos globales los resultados indican que existe una tendenciaa correlaciones positivas (mayoritariamente moderadas y bajas) entre las variables Edad, Habilidades Motoras Globales y Habilidades Motoras Finas, resaltando la correlación positiva moderada (p≤0.05, r2=0.265, 0.5≤ r≤ 0.7) entre la Edad y la Motricidad Fina a su vez una pequeña correlación positiva (p≤0.05, r2=0.217, 0.1≤ r≤ 0.3) entre la Edad y la Motricidad Global. Podemos así constatar, una mejora de esas habilidades a medida que los niños crecen, destacando mejores resultados en la Motricidad Fina. ABSTRACT: The present study on the motor development of children in the first months of life aimed to verify the relationship between Motor Skills and Age, and the relationship between Global and Fine motor skills in children from 12 to 46 months. For this purpose, we developed a transversal quantitative study, with a sample of 405 children between the ages of 12 and 46 months of both genders. The instruments used in the study were the Peabody Developmental Motor Scales-2 (PDMS-2). Overall, the results indicate that there is a tendency for positive (mostly moderate and low) positive correlations between the variables Age, Global Motor Skills and Fine Motor Skills, emphasizing the moderate positive correlation (p≤0.05; r2=0.265; 0.5≤ r≤ 0.7) between Age and Fine Motricity in turn a small positive correlation (p≤0.05; r2=0.217; 0.1≤ r≤ 0.3) between Age and Global Motricity. We can thus see an improvement of these abilities as children grow, emphasizing better results in Fine Motor.

Introduction: Postural control is a determining factor for functional performance and motor skills during sports activities. Objective: The objective of this study was to investigate postural control during the controlled soccer ball kicking task through a biomechanical analysis system. Methods: The sample consisted of 11 professional male athletes recruited using convenience sampling, with a mean age of 22 years. The athletes performed twenty-five precision kicks at a target, with the ball in vertical motion released by means of a hand-held device synchronized with the computed biomechanical measurements. Marking of the lower limb segments involved in the kick and the ball were analyzed by accelerometry, while postural control measures were quantified by a force platform in three axes of movement. The support leg was investigated in single leg stance during all tests on the force platform. The main variables of postural control calculated by stabilographic analysis and computed during the 25 kicks were: center of pressure (COP) displacement area, velocity and frequency of COP oscillation in the anteroposterior and mediolateral directions. The mean was used for final analysis to determine the differences in the three phases: pre-kick, kick, and post-kick. Results: The results revealed significant differences (p

Kinematic analysis and surface electromyography are tools being used as important methods to evaluate the human gait and to analyze different types of footwear aiming modifications and adaptations to the human locomotor system, especially of the feet. The aim of the present study was to analyze through electromyography (EMG) the muscles tibialis anterior (TA) and gastrocnemius lateralis (GL) and gastrocnemius medialis (GM) and to capture digital images of the human gait in four different footware situations, barefoot with tennis, platform shoes and high heels. Twenty healthy women with a mean age of 22.6 years took part in this experiment, which was performed on a treadmill at a speed of 3.8 m/s. The results showed that shoes that do not allow a normal movement of the tarsal bones caused changes in the trajectory of the gait, which promotes a greater muscular movement. This study concluded that shoes closer to a normal position and allow greater mobility of the feet, decrease muscular demands, which in everyday situations cause less localized muscular fatigue.

No presente estudo, procuramos conhecer as áreas de saber e os elementos específicos que quatro Treinadores Experts (TEs) utilizam no processo de alto rendimento desportivo, assim como estas os orientam quer direta quer indiretamente. A metodologia utilizada foi qualitativa, a técnica de recolha de dados foi a entrevista semiestruturada, os dados foram tratados de forma indutiva com suporte do programa Nvivo2. Os treinadores entrevistados pertenciam à Liga profissional de basquetebol em Portugal com mais títulos, experiência internacional e reconhecidos pelos seus pares. Os nossos resultados confirmam a multiplicidade de áreas de conhecimento que os TEs dominam no alto rendimento, fruto de uma larga experiência e reflexão que permitiram aos treinadores identificar, aplicar e otimizar os saberes necessários para obter o sucesso desportivo, neste sentido, realçam a Metodologia do Treino, Psicologia, Sociologia e Filosofia do desporto. In the present study, we wanted to know the areas of knowledge and the specific elements that four Experts Coaches (TEs) use in the process of high performance sports, as these guide them either directly or indirectly. The methodology used was qualitative, the technique of data collection was the semi-structured interview, and the data were treated in an inductive way with support of the program Nvivo2. The coaches interviewed were from the professional basketball league in Portugal, they are the coaches with more titles in Portugal, they have international experience and are recognized by their peers. Our results confirm the multiplicity of areas of knowledge that TEs dominate in the high performance, thanks to a wide experience and reflection that allowed the coaches to identify, apply and optimize the knowledge needed to achieve sports success, in this sense, were highlight the Methodology of Training, Psychology, Sociology and Philosophy of Sport. En el presente estudio, buscamos conocer las áreas de saber y sus elementos específicos que cuatro Entrenadores Expertos (TEs) utilizan en el proceso de alto rendimiento deportivo, y así como éstos los orientan directa o indirectamente. La metodología utilizada fue cualitativa, la técnica de recogida de datos fue la entrevista semiestructurada, los datos fueron tratados de forma inductiva con soporte del programa Nvivo2. Los participantes eran entrenadores en la liga de baloncesto profesional en Portugal, los entrenadores con más títulos, experiencia internacional y reconocidos por sus pares. Nuestros resultados confirman la multiplicidad de áreas de conocimiento que los TEs dominan en el alto rendimiento, fruto de una larga experiencia y reflexión que permitieron a los entrenadores identificar, aplicar y optimizar los saberes necesarios para obtener el éxito deportivo, en este sentido, realzan la Metodología del Entrenamiento, Psicología, Sociología y Filosofía del deporte.

Urban transport infrastructure and motorised road traffic contribute to the physical or psychological separation of neighbourhoods, with possible effects on the health and wellbeing of local residents. This issue, known as "community severance", has been approached by researchers from a range of disciplines, which have different ways of constructing scientific knowledge. The objective of this paper is to build bridges between these different approaches and provide a basis for the integration of the issue into public policy. A framework for cross-disciplinary research on community severance is developed, built on the results of two workshops attended by researchers from different disciplines. This framework takes into consideration the chain of direct and indirect effects of transport infrastructure and motorised traffic on local communities and the complexity in the methods used for analysing and formulating solutions to the problem. The framework is then compared with the views of practitioners, based on discussions held in a third and final workshop. It was concluded that to better understand community severance, researchers should frame their work in relation to that of other disciplines and develop tools that reflect the diversity of local contexts and stakeholders, balancing complexity with applicability.

Factors are categorical variables, and the values which these variables assume are called levels. In this paper, we consider the variable selection problem where the set of potential predictors contains both factors and numerical variables. Formally, this problem is a particular case of the standard variable selection problem where factors are coded using dummy variables. As such, the Bayesian solution would be straightforward and, possibly because of this, the problem, despite its importance, has not received much attention in the literature. Nevertheless, we show that this perception is illusory and that in fact several inputs like the assignment of prior probabilities over the model space or the parameterization adopted for factors may have a large (and difficult to anticipate) impact on the results. We provide a solution to these issues that extends the proposals in the standard variable selection problem and does not depend on how the factors are coded using dummy variables. Our approach is illustrated with a real example concerning a childhood obesity study in Spain.

The wear of ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene, UHMWPE, components has been associated with the failure of joint prostheses in the hip, knee, and shoulder. Considering that in vitro experiments are generally too expensive and time-consuming, computational models are an attractive alternative to study the wear behavior of UHMWPE components. The objective of the present study was to develop a computational wear model to evaluate the wear resistance of anatomical and reverse shoulder prostheses. The effects of the wear law and the updating of the UHMWPE surface on the prediction of wear were also considered. Apart from Archard's law, a new wear law, so-called second generation law, which includes the concept of cross-shear and a pressure-independent wear factor, was considered. The wear analyses were performed considering three shoulder joint motions. The muscle and joint reaction forces applied were estimated by an inverse biomechanical model of the upper limb. The results show that abrasive wear is as important for the reverse components as it is for the anatomical. Nevertheless, the volumetric wears estimated over 1 year are within the range considered clinically desirable to reduce the risk of osteolysis. For the anatomical components, the predictions from Archard's law compare better, than those of the second generation law, to the experimental and clinical data available in the literature. Yet, the opposite result is obtained for the reverse components. From the numerical point of view, an updating procedure for the UHMWPE surface is mandatory to improve the numerical predictions.

Objective: assess the effects of physical activity (PA) on physiological parameters, in association with corporal composition, on sedentary subjects and in comparison with those practicing PA. Methods: sample with 104 adults of both sexes, divided into 3 groups: G EXERC+SCHOOL - 49 students doing curricular and extracurricular activities ; G SCHOOL - 34 students doing curricular activities; G SEDENTARY - 21 sedentary students. We used questionnaires, evaluation of physiological parameters and body composition. We used the Mann-Whitney test, analysis of variance and Spearman's test, with p ≥ .05. Results: G EXERC+SCHOOL obtained results statistically different in terms of systolic and diastolic blood pressure, triglycerides and BMI in comparison to G SEDENTARY. There was a positive correlation between BMI and waist circumference, and between some variables. Conclusions: The practice of supervised exercise and periodization appears to contribute to the improvement of some physiological parameters, promoting greater functionality and decreasing the likelihood of metabolic and cardiovascular diseases., Objetivo: verificar os efeitos da atividade física (AF) nos parâmetros fisiológicos, em associação com a composição corporal, de sujeitos sedentários e com prática diferenciada de AF. Métodos: estudo transversal com 104 adultos, de ambos os sexos, divididos em 3 grupos: G esc+exerc - 49 alunos com atividades curriculares e extracurriculares; G escola - 34 alunos com atividades curriculares; G sedentários - 21 alunos sedentários. Aplicação de questionário, avaliação de parâmetros fisiológicos e composição corporal. Utilizou - se o teste Mann-Whitney, a análise de variância e o teste de Spearman, com p >= .05. Resultados: G esc+exerc obteve resultados estatisticamente diferentes na Pressão Arterial sistólica e diastólica, nos Triglicerídeos e no IMC, comparativamente ao G sedentários. Verificou - se correlação positiva entre o IMC e perímetro da cintura, e entre algumas variáveis avaliadas. Conclusões: A prática de exercício supervisionado e periodizado parece contribuir para a melhoria de alguns parâmetros fisiológicos avaliados, promovendo maior funcionalidade e diminuindo a apetência para patologias metabólicas e cardiovasculares., Objetivo: Evaluar los efectos de la actividad física (AF) en los parámetros fisiológicos, en asociación con la composición corporal, en sujetos sedentarios y en comparación con aquellos que practican AF. Métodos: la muestra con 104 adultos de ambos sexos, divididos en 3 grupos: G EXERC+ESCUELA - 49 estudiantes que realizan AF en actividades curriculares y extracurriculares; G ESCUELA - 34 estudiantes que realizan AF en actividades curriculares; G SEDENTARIOS - 21 estudiantes sedentarios. Se utilizó cuestionarios, la evaluación de parámetros fisiológicos y la composición corporal. Se utilizó la prueba de Mann-Whitney, análisis de varianza y el test de Spearman, con p ≥ .05. Resultados: G EXERC+ESCUELA obtuvo resultados estadísticamente diferentes en la presión arterial sistólica y diastólica, en los triglicéridos y en el IMC en comparación con G SEDENTARIOS. Hubo una correlación positiva entre el IMC y la circunferencia de la cintura, y entre algunas variables. Conclusiones: La práctica de ejercicio supervisado y periódico parece contribuir para la mejora de algunos parámetros fisiológicos, para la promoción de una mayor funcionalidad y la disminución de la probabilidad de enfermedades metabólicas y cardiovasculares.

Resumen basado en el de la publicación Título, resumen y palabras clave también en inglés El objetivo perseguido es evaluar los efectos de la actividad física (AF) en los parámetros fisiológicos, en asociación con la composición corporal, en sujetos sedentarios y en comparación con aquellos que practican AF. La muestra tomada se compone de 104 adultos de ambos sexos, divididos en 3 grupos: GEXERC+ESCUELA - 49 estudiantes que realizan AF en actividades curriculares y extracurriculares; GESCUELA - 34 estudiantes que realizan AF en actividades curriculares; GSEDENTARIOS - 21 estudiantes sedentarios. Se utilizaron cuestionarios, la evaluación de parámetros fisiológicos y la composición corporal. A su vez, Se utilizaron las pruebas de MannWhitney, análisis de varianza y el test de Spearman, con p ≥ .05. Los resultados obtenidos muestran como GEXERC+ESCUELA obtuvo resultados estadísticamente diferentes en la arterial sistólica y diastólica, en los triglicéridos y en el IMC en comparación con GSEDENTARIOS. Hubo una correlación positiva entre el IMC y la circunferencia de la cintura, y entre algunas variables. A modo de conclusión, se infiere que la práctica de ejercicio supervisado y periódico parece contribuir para la mejora de algunos parámetros fisiológicos, para la promoción de una mayor funcionalidad y la disminución de la probabilidad de enfermedades metabólicas y cardiovasculares. ESP

According to Wolff’s law, the changes in stress after a prosthesis implantation may modify the shape and internal structure of bone, thus compromising the long-term prosthesis fixation and, consequently, be a significant factor for glenoid loosening. The aim of the present study is to evaluate the changes in the bone adaptation process of the scapula after an anatomical and reverse total shoulder arthroplasty. Five finite element models of the implanted scapula are developed considering the implantation of three anatomical, cemented, all-polyethylene components; an anatomical, cementless, metal-backed component; and a reverse, all-metal component. The methodology followed to simulate the bone adaptation of the scapula was previously validated for the intact model, prior to the prosthesis implantation. Additionally, the influence of the bone quality on the adaptation process is also investigated by considering an osteoporotic condition. The results show that the stress shielding phenomenon is more concerning in cementless, metal-based components than in cemented, all-polyethylene components, regardless of the bone quality. Consequently, as far as the bone adaptation process of the bone is concerned, cemented, all-polyethylene components are better suited for the treatment of the shoulder joint.

Pedestrians are particularly susceptible to urban environmental nuisances such as transport noise. While we have methods for measuring pedestrian noise exposures in specific locations, policy-makers also require larger-scale evidence on how their policies affect exposures. This paper assesses the role of pedestrian mobility on exposures of people living and working in different areas and using different travel modes at different times. Two GIS-based indicators measure exposure. Non-employed individuals are exposed along the routes to nearby locations and employed individuals are exposed on the walking sections of the optimal routes to work.

Transport policy is often influenced by political factors. The few existing studies on this topic analyse patterns arising from a series of past decisions. This chapter adds to this knowledge by exploring the implications of political bias in the design of an individual project. The objective is to compare socially and politically optimal decisions for different hypothesis about the level and nature of political bias. GIS methods are used to derive route alignments for a new road, taking into account the level and distribution of community severance effects. The results show that even when bounding the problem with several restrictions, attending to political interests leads to deviations from the social optimum, producing alignments not only with higher aggregate severance impacts, but also with higher land use costs and important distributional effects.

Resumen basado en el de la publicación Título, resumen y palabras clave en portugués, inglés y español Se pretende determinar la capacidad funcional y la composición corporal (IMC) de ancianos sedentarios y con práctica de actividad física formal y no formal. La muestra está formada por 90 voluntarios de ambos sexos, aparentemente sanos, de edades comprendidas entre 65 y 93 años, con una edad media de 75 ± 8 años. El estudio se basó en la aplicación de la batería de Rikli y Jones (1999) para evaluar la capacidad funcional de los ancianos, y el IMC se evaluó mediante mediciones antropométricas. Los datos obtenidos fueron tratados mediante análisis de varianza (SCHEFFÉ). En individuos que practican actividad física formal los resultados obtenidos fueron significativamente (p ≤ 0,05) mejores en todas las pruebas, en comparación con los individuos sedentarios. Los Individuos que practican actividad física no formal los resultados obtenidos fueron significativamente (p ≤ 0,05) mejores en cuatro pruebas de la batería. Los resultados indican que la práctica de las sesiones de ejercicio supervisado y objetivos en relación con la intensidad y el tipo de ejercicio ayuda a mejorar la capacidad funcional y el IMC en la población anciana. ESP

We evaluate the performance of volatility and Value-at-Risk models for hedge fund indexes over the period from January 1994 to December 2003. The exponentially weighted sample variance (EWMA) and E-GARCH models have the best volatility forecast performance for hedge funds in terms of statistical loss functions. In contrast for traditional assets, the best volatility model is the simple sample variance. There is evidence that hedge fund volatility is less persistent that stocks and bonds volatility. We find that the critical decision in selecting a Value-at-Risk model for hedge funds is the distributional assumption. However, in contrast with traditional assets for which the normal distribution presents the best performance, the t-student and, especially the Cornish-Fisher expansion, distributional assumptions present the best performance.

Introdução: O presente trabalho visa compreender quais as situações que melhor se enquadram os fundamentos técnico-táticos para um bom desenvolvimento do jogo, neste caso no Hóquei em Patins, onde através da comparação entre duas situações de jogo sendo elas: jogo formal e jogo em campo reduzido (Mini-Hóquei) nos escalões Benjamins e Escolares. Objetivo: Verificar se a diminuição das dimensões do campo nestes escalões de formação, promove uma maior ação em termos técnico-táticos por parte dos jogadores, com vista à formação e compreensão do jogo. Métodos: foi utilizada a gravação em vídeo de 10 jogos de Hóquei, 5 jogos regulamentares e 5 de Mini-hóquei, e foram registados os dados referentes aos passes efetuados, remates e número de golos. Foi utilizado para o tratamento estatístico o programa SPSS versão 20.0 onde efetuámos a estatística descritiva, médias e desvios padrões e ainda testes não paramétricos de Wilcoxon e Prova U de Mann-Whitney. O valor de significância foi colocado a p ≤ 0,05 que permitiu verificar que existe significância nas hipóteses testadas. Resultados: os resultados corroboram o nosso objetivo, uma vez que a maioria das hipóteses não foram rejeitadas, nos 5 jogos regulamentares foram registados um total 1214 passes, 229 remates e 54 golos. Nos resultados dos jogos de Mini-hóquei foram registados um total de total de 578 passes, 286 remates e 84 golos. Conclusões: Os resultados obtidos permitem-nos subentender que o Mini-hóquei promove uma maior ação técnico-táctica nestes escalões, com maior interação com bola, tornando-se assim numa excelente etapa de ensino-aprendizagem para o jogo formal 5x5 em campo de dimensões oficiais. info:eu-repo/semantics/acceptedVersion

A nossa sociedade evidencia uma tendência preocupante para a inatividade física, associados aos graves problemas de saúde pública que proliferam na sociedade (Mota & Salis, 2002). A importância da atividade física (AF) para a população infanto-juvenil é hoje inquestionável, proporcionando a prática regular destas atividades efeitos positivos sobre o organismo. A preocupação com a questão da AF e saúde, para todas as faixas etárias, tem sido constante, prova disso são as investigações realizadas nesta área, e o próprio interesse e preocupação das pessoas sobre esta temática (Paulo, 2014). O objetivo geral deste estudo passa por verificar quais as diferenças, ao nível da composição corporal e das habilidades motoras, comparando crianças com níveis de prática de AF diferenciados, de ambos os sexos e idades distintas, correlacionando ainda as variáveis composição corporal, habilidades motoras e idade. Estudo transversal com amostra constituída por 204 crianças com uma idade média de 7.83 ±1.4 anos, de ambos os géneros, divididos em dois grupos: Grupo AFEXTRA- 62 crianças que praticam algum tipo de AF, supervisionada e periodizada, complementando a prática letiva; Grupo AFESCOLA- 142 crianças que apenas praticam AF na escola. Para dividir os grupos foi feito um pequeno questionário que foi inserido no Termo de Consentimento Informado. Foram avaliados os valores de composição corporal (IMC, Perímetro Cintura (PC), Massa Muscular (MM), Massa Óssea (MO) e % Massa Gorga (MG)), recorrendo aos respetivos protocolos de avaliação, e foi aplicada a bateria de testes Körperkoordinationstest Für Kinder (KTK) (Kiphard & Schilling, 1974), que foi usada para avaliar a coordenação motora das crianças. Os dados obtidos foram tratados no S.P.S.S. 21.0 recorrendo numa primeira fase à estatística descritiva, posteriormente procedeu-se à verificação da normalidade da amostra através do Kolmogorov-Smirnov test. Para as variáveis analisadas, que não apresentaram distribuição normal, procedeu-se à utilização do teste U de Mann-Whitney, adotando-se um nível de significância de 0.05. Os resultados obtidos parecem demonstrar indiferença entre os grupos com níveis de prática diferenciada, em muitos dos indicadores estudados. O grupo AFEXTRA apresenta resultados estatisticamente diferentes (p≤0,05), ao nível de %MG, quando comparado com o grupo oposto (p=0.000). Nas restantes variáveis de composição corporal não se apresentam diferenças entres os grupos de estudo. Nas variáveis referentes às habilidades motoras, não se encontram diferenças quando comparados grupos com níveis de prática diferenciada em nenhuma das variáveis estudadas, contudo, verificam-se diferenças (p≤0,05), entre as crianças com idades distintas nas variáveis Saltos Monopedais (p=0.000), Transferência de Plataformas (p=0.011) e Score Total (p=0.001). Nas restantes variáveis de avaliação de habilidades motoras não se encontraram diferenças estatisticamente significativas (Trave (p=0.317) e Saltos Laterais (p=0.592). A prática de exercício extraescolar, supervisionado e periodizado, parece contribuir para valores de %MG mais reduzidos. A adoção de hábitos de vida sedentários reflete-se nas habilidades motoras, nomeadamente na coordenação motora, à medida que as crianças vão envelhecendo, influenciando a sua prestação motora, diminuindo a prestação da mesma. info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion

Submitted by Samuel Honório (samuelhonorio@ipcb.pt) on 2019-01-15T19:38:14Z No. of bitstreams: 1 EFFECTS OF SWIMMING AND WATER WALKING ON BODY COMPOSITION AND SPIROMETRIC VALUES IN YOUNG CHILDREN_JHSE_Samuel et al. 2018.docx: 34607 bytes, checksum: 1603c79b27ffa2e13734974fd26f2bde (MD5) Approved for entry into archive by Maria Eduarda Pereira Rodrigues (erodrigues@ipcb.pt) on 2019-01-17T17:28:33Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 EFFECTS OF SWIMMING AND WATER WALKING ON BODY COMPOSITION AND SPIROMETRIC VALUES IN YOUNG CHILDREN_JHSE_Samuel et al. 2018.docx: 34607 bytes, checksum: 1603c79b27ffa2e13734974fd26f2bde (MD5) Made available in DSpace on 2019-01-24T14:03:48Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 EFFECTS OF SWIMMING AND WATER WALKING ON BODY COMPOSITION AND SPIROMETRIC VALUES IN YOUNG CHILDREN_JHSE_Samuel et al. 2018.docx: 34607 bytes, checksum: 1603c79b27ffa2e13734974fd26f2bde (MD5) Previous issue date: 2019 info:eu-repo/semantics/acceptedVersion

The ability to generate and control mental images is present in all of us, but it differs from person to person. Therefore, it is important to understand that imagery ability can be changed through training and experimentation, it is not a fixed ability. The aim of this study is to compare imagery ability in elite, sub-elite and non-elite athletes in a sport which involves closed and continuous motor skills, such as swimming. 79 swimmers (male N = 37; female N = 42) at an average age of 17 took part in this study. In order to assess imagery ability, the Movement Imagery Questionnaire 3 was used, Portuguese version (Mendes et al., 2016). After analysis of the results, these show that in each and every imagery modality, the scores in the three groups differ significantly. In kinesthetic and external visual imagery the elite and sub-elite groups’ scores, although not statistically different from each other, are significantly higher than those of the non-elite group. In internal visual imagery, the differences between all the compared pairs of groups are statistically significant. The elite group got the highest scores, followed by the sub-elite group average scores and finally the non-elite group average scores. According to these results, the conclusion is that athletes with better performance show greater imagery ability and that apparently the external visual imagery proved to be the best intervention method among swimming athletes.

O efeito barreira, também chamado de efeito de separação da comunidade, surge quando uma infraestrutura de transporte e/ou o tráfego motorizado atravessam vizinhanças, prejudicando assim a mobilidade e a acessibilidade dos pedestres no local. Este estudo tem como objetivo verificar se uma via urbana com intenso tráfego motorizado localizada em uma cidade brasileira de médio porte constitui uma barreira para viagens a pé. Um questionário foi aplicado a 103 indivíduos em uma área de até 800 metros da via selecionada para o estudo para obter informações sobre características socioeconômicas (idade, renda etc.), interações sociais na vizinhança e características de viagens e mobilidade. Usamos o conjunto de dados para explorar o potencial dos modelos de classificação de Árvores de Decisão e Florestas Aleatórias em prever a percepção dos usuários do efeito de barreira, que foi caracterizado pelas variáveis dependentes Velocidade e Volume (do tráfego motorizado). Além disso, foi utilizado o teste de independência do Qui-quadrado para testar a associação entre o efeito de barreira e as dificuldades existentes no deslocamento a pé indicadas pelos respondentes. Os resultados mostram que as seguintes variáveis afetam de forma relevante a percepção dos respondentes sobre o efeito barreira: distância da residência à via estudada, tempo de residência no endereço e na região, interações sociais na vizinhança e rua considerada como a mais movimentada na região. Observou-se também que, em alguns aspectos, a rua selecionada para o estudo representa uma barreira para os deslocamentos a pé dos entrevistados. O efeito barreira foi principalmente associado com questões relacionadas à velocidade e/ou ao volume do tráfego: trechos que exigem esforço físico excessivo (devido ao relevo), ruas muito largas e poluição sonora ou do ar. The barrier effect, also called community severance, is observed when a transport infrastructure and/or motorized traffic crossing a neighborhood negatively affects pedestrians\' mobility and accessibility in that location. This study aims to examine if an urban road with intense motorized traffic in a medium-sized Brazilian city constitutes a barrier for walking trips. A questionnaire was applied to 103 individuals in an area up to 800 meters from the road selected for the study to get information about personal characteristics (age, income, etc.), social interactions in the neighborhood, and travel and mobility characteristics. We used the dataset to explore the potential of Decision Trees and Random Forests classification models to predict the users\' perception of the barrier effect, which was characterized by the dependent variables Speed and Volume (of motorized traffic). In addition, we used a Chi-square test of independence to test the association between the barrier effect and difficulties for walking trips indicated by the respondents. The results show that the following variables considerably affect the perception of the barrier effect of the respondents: distance from the residence to the studied road, time living at the address and in the region, social connections in the neighborhood, and the street reported as the busiest in the region. We also observed that, in some aspects, the street selected for the study represents a barrier to the respondents\' walking trips. The barrier effect was mainly associated with these issues related to traffic speed and/or volume: sections that require excessive physical effort (due to an irregular topography), very wide streets, and noise or air pollution.

Cataract surgery is very common and the majority of these surgeries are successful and are really fast. However, some people who are operated of cataracts have problems after a while (after 5-7 years or more): they suffer a dislocation of the IOL (intraocular lens), and still is not clear the reasons why this happens. The aim of this work is to find out what is causing this problem. And in order to reach the objective, the study was done creating a 3D finite element model of the capsular bag, the intraocular lens (IOL) and the zonular fibres in ABAQUS. About this study there are a few things to take into account: the capsular bag is considered a membrane which is the most similar model to the real one, also the ligaments were modelled as wires and the IOL was made of three different material: polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA), silicone and natural material of human lens as a control group. The results show that the stresses on the capsular bag and also on the lens are asymmetric so the stress is not distributed in the same directions than before the surgery, what is interesting information in order to advance on this project. There are studies those show that after cataracts surgery the pressure inside the eye it is the same or even lower than before this operation, which means that is not a crucial aspect to take into account as it is for example the deterioration of the tissues of human eye.

Dissertação de Mestrado apresentada à Escola Superior de Educação do Instituto Politécnico de Castelo Branco para cumprimento dos requisitos necessários à obtenção do grau de Mestre em Atividade Física na especialidade Geral. Submitted by iria pinto (iria@ipcb.pt) on 2021-02-16T11:02:07Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Tese Final Rui.pdf: 2378155 bytes, checksum: 21803c8e1d0668ba860dacee6b98688a (MD5) Approved for entry into archive by Maria Eduarda Pereira Rodrigues (erodrigues@ipcb.pt) on 2021-02-19T13:00:11Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 Tese Final Rui.pdf: 2378155 bytes, checksum: 21803c8e1d0668ba860dacee6b98688a (MD5) Made available in DSpace on 2021-02-19T13:46:26Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Tese Final Rui.pdf: 2378155 bytes, checksum: 21803c8e1d0668ba860dacee6b98688a (MD5) Previous issue date: 2020

Dissertação apresentado à Escola Superior de Educação do Instituto Politécnico de Castelo Branco para cumprimento dos requisitos necessários à obtenção do grau de Mestre em Atividade Física. O processo de envelhecimento acarreta inúmeras alterações na vida do idoso, que lhe afetam a funcionalidade, mobilidade, saúde, privando-o de uma vida autónoma e saudável debilitando-lhe assim a qualidade de vida (Karinkanta et al., 2005). Este trabalho tem como objetivos verificar quais as diferenças encontradas na composição corporal e na aptidão física funcional, comparando o pré-teste com o pós-teste, na aplicação de um programa de exercício físico, em idosos institucionalizados e não institucionalizados, com grupo sedentário e grupo de exercício. Neste estudo a amostra foi constituída por 40 idosos, divididos em dois grupos: o grupo de exercício, constituído por 20 idosos sujeitos a um programa de exercício supervisionado; e o grupo sedentário, constituído por 20 idosos sem prática de atividade física orientada. Os parâmetros avaliados foram a força e resistência muscular, a flexibilidade e mobilidade física utilizando a bateria Functional Fitness Test de Rikli e Jones (1991), e a avaliação das medidas da composição corporal, índice de massa corporal, perímetro da cintura, percentual de massa gorda, mineral ósseo e massa muscular. Os resultados no teste de levantar e sentar da cadeira em ambos os grupos houve diferenças estatisticamente significativas. No teste de flexão do antebraço, a média de repetições efetuadas pelo grupo de exercício foi de 17 repetições enquanto no grupo sedentário foi de 10 repetições. Os resultados obtidos referentes aos testes de flexibilidade para os membros superiores e membros inferiores, alcançar atrás das costas e sentar e alcançar respetivamente, verificou-se um agravamento dos níveis de flexibilidade em ambos os grupos da amostra. Na composição corporal, foi possível verificar que em média o IMC apresenta valores mais altos no grupo de exercício, registou-se um valor de IMC de 32,1, já no grupo sedentário foi 26,5. Não se verificam diferenças estatisticamente significativas nos valores de massa muscular e ao nível de massa gorda no primeiro grupo a média de valores foi de 35,95 kg e no segundo grupo 30,33 kg. No perímetro da cintura os valores em média registaram uma igualdade de 103 centímetros de perímetro da cintura. Concluindo, verificou-se uma maior capacidade física funcional por parte do grupo sujeito a um programa de exercício físico supervisionado, o que pode resultar em um estado de bem-estar físico, que permite às pessoas realizarem atividades diárias de forma independente, traduzindo-se numa melhor possível qualidade de vida. The aging process causes innumerable changes in elderly people daily routines, affecting their functionality, mobility, health, and depriving them of an autonomous and healthy life, debilitating their quality of life (Karinkanta et al., 2005). This study aims to verify the effects of the practice of a physical exercise program on body composition and functional fitness of elderly institutionalized and not institutionalized people. In a simple random sample, consisting of 40 elderly people divided into two groups of 20, the experimental group subjected to structured physical activity and the control group, that didn’t practice any structured physical activity and are institutionalized. The parameters evaluated were strength and muscular endurance, flexibility and physical mobility using the battery Functional Fitness Test of Rikli e Jones (1991), and the evaluation of the measures of body composition were body mass index, waist circumference, percentage of fat mass, bone mass and muscular mass. The results of the test stand and sit in the chair, the average of the experimental group were 13 repetitions, while in the control group was half of that value. In both groups, there were statistically significant differences. In arm curl test, the average of repetitions performed by the experimental group were 17, while in the control group were 10 repetitions. The results obtained relating to flexibility tests for upper and lower limb, reaching behind his/her back and sitting and reaching, respectively, there was a worsening of the levels of flexibility in both groups of the sample. In body composition, we found that the average of BMI is higher values in the experimental group, the BMI value was of 32.1, as in the control group was 26.5. There were no statistically significant differences in lean body mass values and the average value of fat mass level in the first group was 35.95 kg and 30.33 kg in the second group. In the waist circumference, values recorded in average 103 cm. In conclusion, it was verified that there was a greater functional physical capacity of the group subject to structured physical activity, which can result in a state of physical well-being, that allows people to perform daily activities independently translating therefore in a better quality of life.

Dissertação de Mestrado apresentado à Escola Superior de Educação do Instituto Politécnico de Castelo Branco para cumprimento dos requisitos necessários à obtenção do grau de Mestre em Atividade Física. Submitted by iria pinto (iria@ipcb.pt) on 2018-11-26T13:12:46Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Tese Tiago Teixeira_FINAL_.pdf: 1814802 bytes, checksum: 952be9d9d77ccf5560718d8d1aef4732 (MD5) Approved for entry into archive by Maria Eduarda Pereira Rodrigues (erodrigues@ipcb.pt) on 2018-11-26T22:26:16Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 Tese Tiago Teixeira_FINAL_.pdf: 1814802 bytes, checksum: 952be9d9d77ccf5560718d8d1aef4732 (MD5) Made available in DSpace on 2018-11-28T13:46:10Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Tese Tiago Teixeira_FINAL_.pdf: 1814802 bytes, checksum: 952be9d9d77ccf5560718d8d1aef4732 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2018-10-26