You'll never walk alone : a cooperação como paradigma explicativo das dinâmicas das equipas desportivas

O presente artigo teve por objectivo fazer uma breve revisão do constructo de cooperação desportiva, sendo manifesta a escassez de literatura neste âmbito. De igual modo, pretendeu-se apresentar os instrumentos disponíveis para a sua avaliação, bem como a investigação realizada até à data. Por último, são apresentados alguns estudos que se encontram actualmente em execução e os desafios futuros desta linha de investigação. É de salientar a importância da continuidade da investigação neste âmbito, visto que a cooperação pode ser considerada como um paradigma alternativo válido no estudo e compreensão das dinâmicas das equipas desportivas, que necessita ainda de evidência empírica e experimental.El presente artículo tiene como objetivo proporcionar una breve revisión del constructo de la cooperación deportiva, considerando la manifiesta escasez de la literatura en este campo. Además, se pretende presentar los instrumentos disponibles para la evaluación de la cooperación deportiva, así como la investigación realizada hasta la fecha. Finalmente, se trata de presentar algunos estudios que se hallan actualmente en ejecución y los desafíos futuros de esta línea de investigación. En conclusión, se justifica realzar la importancia de continuar en la profundización y la investigación en este ámbito, , dado que la cooperación puede ser considerada como un paradigma alternativo válido para la comprensión de las dinámicas de equipos deportivos, pero que aún necesita más evidencias empíricas y experimentales.This paper aims to provide a brief review of the construct of cooperation in sport, taking into account the manifest lack of literature in this field. Similarly, the objective is to present available tools for evaluating cooperation in sport, together with research conducted to date. Finally, we present some studies that are currently in progress and future challenges for this line of research. The importance of ongoing research in this field is highlighted, since cooperation can be considered to be a valid alternative paradigm for gaining an understanding of the dynamics of sports teams, with a need for further empirical and experimental evidence

On the Uniform Random Generation of Non Deterministic Automata Up to Isomorphism

In this paper we address the problem of the uniform random generation of non deterministic automata (NFA) up to isomorphism. First, we show how to use a Monte-Carlo approach to uniformly sample a NFA. Secondly, we show how to use the Metropolis-Hastings Algorithm to uniformly generate NFAs up to isomorphism. Using labeling techniques, we show that in practice it is possible to move into the modified Markov Chain efficiently, allowing the random generation of NFAs up to isomorphism with dozens of states. This general approach is also applied to several interesting subclasses of NFAs (up to isomorphism), such as NFAs having a unique initial states and a bounded output degree. Finally, we prove that for these interesting subclasses of NFAs, moving into the Metropolis Markov chain can be done in polynomial time. Promising experimental results constitute a practical contribution.Comment: Frank Drewes. CIAA 2015, Aug 2015, Umea, Sweden. Springer, 9223, pp.12, 2015, Implementation and Application of Automata - 20th International Conferenc

Innovative development of the inspired sinewave device to measure lung functions and inhomogeneity for diagnosis and evaluations of early lung diseases

Surprisingly, lung disease is still one of the leading causes of deaths in the developed countries, including UK. According to the UK National Health Service (NHS), Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is the fifth biggest killer disease in the UK, killing approximately 25,000 people a year. This prob-lem is even worse in developing countries such as Vietnam, India and China, where air pollution is a big problem and the disease awareness is under-recognised. The NHS has set out one of its challenges is to identify people with lung disease earlier in the disease’s development pathway, in order to pro-vide more effective and timely intervention and treatment. This paper presents a novel Inspired Sinewave Device (ISD) to measure lung function and inhomogeneity. Both set of infor-mation are important for diagnosis and detection of early lung diseases. ISD has the potential to replace or supplement the traditional spirometry in the routine lung function testing. The paper describes both the principle of ISD and a set of experi-mental results demonstrating the capability of ISD to asymp-totically detect asthmatic symptoms. Finally the paper discuss-es the future plan, including the testing of 300+ COPD patients at the Oxford Respiratory Trials Unit in UK, and the potential collaborations among research institutions in Vietnam and UK about cost-effective and innovative developments of smart devices, biosensors, lab-on-chips and telehealth solutions for the routine lung function testing, diagnosis and evaluations of early lung diseases

Performance of the CMS Cathode Strip Chambers with Cosmic Rays

The Cathode Strip Chambers (CSCs) constitute the primary muon tracking device in the CMS endcaps. Their performance has been evaluated using data taken during a cosmic ray run in fall 2008. Measured noise levels are low, with the number of noisy channels well below 1%. Coordinate resolution was measured for all types of chambers, and fall in the range 47 microns to 243 microns. The efficiencies for local charged track triggers, for hit and for segments reconstruction were measured, and are above 99%. The timing resolution per layer is approximately 5 ns

Brazilian adolescents' knowledge and beliefs about abortion methods: A school-based internet inquiry

Background: Internet surveys that draw from traditionally generated samples provide the unique conditions to engage adolescents in exploration of sensitive health topics.Methods: We examined awareness of unwanted pregnancy, abortion behaviour, methods, and attitudes toward specific legal indications for abortion via a school-based internet survey among 378 adolescents aged 12-21 years in three Rio de Janeiro public schools.Results: Forty-five percent knew peers who had undergone an abortion. Most students (66.0%) did not disclose abortion method knowledge. However, girls (aOR 4.2, 95% CI 2.4-7.2), those who had experienced their sexual debut (aOR1.76, 95% CI 1.1-3.0), and those attending a prestigious magnet school (aOR 2.7 95% CI 1.4-6.3) were more likely to report methods. Most abortion methods (79.3%) reported were ineffective, obsolete, and/or unsafe. Herbs (e.g. marijuana tea), over-the-counter medications, surgical procedures, foreign objects and blunt trauma were reported. Most techniques (85.2%) were perceived to be dangerous, including methods recommended by the World Health Organization. A majority (61.4%) supported Brazil's existing law permitting abortion in the case of rape. There was no association between gender, age, sexual debut, parental education or socioeconomic status and attitudes toward legal abortion. However, students at the magnet school supported twice as many legal indications (2.7, SE.27) suggesting a likely role of peers and/or educators in shaping abortion views.Conclusions: Abortion knowledge and attitudes are not driven simply by age, religion or class, but rather a complex interplay that includes both social spaces and gender. Prevention of abortion morbidity and mortality among adolescents requires comprehensive sexuality and reproductive health education that includes factual distinctions between safe and unsafe abortion methods

Signatures of a dissipative phase transition in photon correlation measurements

This work was supported by the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) through the National Centre of Competence in Research - Quantum Science and Technology (NCCR QSIT). A.S., C.S., and S.H. acknowledge support by the State of Bavaria and the DFG within the Project Schn1376/3-1.Understanding and characterizing phase transitions in driven-dissipative systems constitutes a new frontier for many-body physics[1-8]. A generic feature of dissipative phase transitions is a vanishing gap in the Liouvillian spectrum [9], which leads to long-lived deviations from the steady state as the system is driven towards the transition. Here, we show that photon correlation measurements can be used to characterize the corresponding critical slowing down of non-equilibrium dynamics. We focus on the extensively studied phenomenon of optical bistability in GaAs cavity polaritons [10,11], which can be described as a first-order dissipative phase transition [12-14]. Increasing the excitation strength towards the bistable range results in an increasing photon-bunching signal along with a decay time that is prolonged by more than nine orders of magnitude as compared with that of single polaritons. In the limit of strong polariton interactions leading to pronounced quantum fluctuations, the mean-field bistability threshold is washed out. Nevertheless, the functional form with which the Liouvillian gap closes as the thermodynamic limit is approached provides a signature of the emerging dissipative phase transition. Our results establish photon correlation measurements as an invaluable tool for studying dynamical properties of dissipative phase transitions without requiring phase-sensitive interferometric measurements.PostprintPeer reviewe

Direct targeting of hippocampal neurons for apoptosis by glucocorticoids is reversible by mineralocorticoid receptor activation

Prova tipográfica (In Press)An important question arising from previous observations in vivo is whether glucocorticoids can directly influence neuronal survival in the hippocampus. To this end, a primary postnatal hippocampal culture system containing mature neurons and expressing both glucocorticoid (GR) and mineralocorticoid (MR) receptors was developed. Results show that the GR agonist dexamethasone (DEX) targets neurons (microtubule-associated protein 2-positive cells) for death through apoptosis. GR-mediated cell death was counteracted by the MR agonist aldosterone (ALDO). Antagonism of MR with spironolactone ([7a-(acetylthio)-3-oxo-17a-pregn- 4-ene,21 carbolactone] (SPIRO)) causes a dose-dependent increase in neuronal apoptosis in the absence of DEX, indicating that nanomolar levels of corticosterone present in the culture medium, which are sufficient to activate MR, can mask the apoptotic response to DEX. Indeed, both SPIRO and another MR antagonist, oxprenoate potassium ((7a,17a)-17-Hydroxy-3-oxo-7- propylpregn-4-ene-21-carboxylic acid, potassium salt (RU28318)), accentuated DEX-induced apoptosis. These results demonstrate that GRs can act directly to induce hippocampal neuronal death and that demonstration of their full apoptotic potency depends on abolition of survival-promoting actions mediated by MR

2019 international consensus on cardiopulmonary resuscitation and emergency cardiovascular care science with treatment recommendations : summary from the basic life support; advanced life support; pediatric life support; neonatal life support; education, implementation, and teams; and first aid task forces

The International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation has initiated a continuous review of new, peer-reviewed, published cardiopulmonary resuscitation science. This is the third annual summary of the International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation International Consensus on Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation and Emergency Cardiovascular Care Science With Treatment Recommendations. It addresses the most recent published resuscitation evidence reviewed by International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation Task Force science experts. This summary addresses the role of cardiac arrest centers and dispatcher-assisted cardiopulmonary resuscitation, the role of extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation in adults and children, vasopressors in adults, advanced airway interventions in adults and children, targeted temperature management in children after cardiac arrest, initial oxygen concentration during resuscitation of newborns, and interventions for presyncope by first aid providers. Members from 6 International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation task forces have assessed, discussed, and debated the certainty of the evidence on the basis of the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation criteria, and their statements include consensus treatment recommendations. Insights into the deliberations of the task forces are provided in the Justification and Evidence to Decision Framework Highlights sections. The task forces also listed priority knowledge gaps for further research

Expression of M. tuberculosis-induced suppressor of cytokine signaling (SOCS) 1, SOCS3, FoxP3 and secretion of IL-6 associates with differing clinical severity of tuberculosis

Background Appropriate immune activation of T cells and macrophages is central for the control of Mycobacterium tuberculosis infections. IFN-γ stimulated responses are lowered in tuberculosis (TB), while expression of Suppressor of Cytokine Signaling (SOCS) molecules – 1 and 3 and CD4+CD25+FoxP3+T regulatory cells is increased. Here we investigated the association of these molecules in regard to clinical severity of TB. Methods Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were isolated from patients with pulmonary TB (PTB, n = 33), extra-pulmonary TB (ETB, n = 33) and healthy endemic controls (EC, n = 15). Cases were classified as moderately advanced or far advanced PTB, and less severe or severe disseminated ETB. M. tuberculosis -stimulated IFN-γ, SOCS1, SOCS3 and FoxP3 gene expression and secretion of Th1 and Th2 cytokines was measured. Statistical analysis was performed using Mann–Whitney U, Wilcoxon Rank and Kruskal Wallis non-parametric tests. Results In un-stimulated PBMCs, IL-6 (p = 0.018) and IL-10 (p = 0.013) secretion levels were increased in PTB while IL-10 was also increased in ETB (p = 0.003), all in comparison with EC. M. tuberculosis-stimulated IL-6 (p = 0.003) was lowered in ETB as compared with EC. SOCS1 mRNA expression in M. tuberculosis stimulated PBMCs levels in moderately advanced PTB (p = 0.022), far advanced (p = 0.014) PTB, and severe ETB (p = 0.009) were raised as compared with EC. On the other hand, SOCS1 mRNA titers were reduced in less severe ETB, in comparison with severe ETB (p = 0.027) and far advanced PTB (p = 0.016). SOCS3 mRNA accumulation was reduced in far advanced PTB (p = 0.007) and FoxP3 mRNA expression was increased in less severe ETB as compared with EC (p = 0.017). Conclusions The lowered SOCS1 mRNA levels in patients with less severe extra-pulmonary TB as compared to those with more severe ETB and PTB may lead to elevated IFN-γ pathway gene expression in the latter group. As localized ETB has shown to be associated with more effective Th1 immunity and adaptive responses, this suggests a role for SOCS1 in determining disease outcome in extra-pulmonary TB

Toxoplasmosis-associated IRIS involving the CNS: a case report with longitudinal analysis of T cell subsets

Background: HIV-infected patients may present an unforeseen clinical worsening after initiating antiretroviral therapy known as immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome (IRIS). This syndrome is characterized by a heightened inflammatory response toward infectious or non-infectious triggers, and it may affect different organs. Diagnosis of IRIS involving the central nervous system (CNS-IRIS) is challenging due to heterogeneous manifestations, absence of biomarkers to identify this condition, risk of long-term sequelae and high mortality. Hence, a deeper knowledge of CNS-IRIS pathogenesis is needed. Case presentation: A 37-year-old man was diagnosed with AIDS and cerebral toxoplasmosis. Anti-toxoplasma treatment was initiated immediately, followed by active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) 1 month later. At 2 months of HAART, he presented with progressive hyposensitivity of the right lower limb associated with brain and dorsal spinal cord lesions, compatible with paradoxical toxoplasmosis-associated CNS-IRIS, a condition with very few reported cases. A stereotactic biopsy was planned but was postponed based on its inherent risks. Patient showed clinical improvement with no requirement of corticosteroid therapy. Routine laboratorial analysis was complemented with longitudinal evaluation of blood T cell subsets at 0, 1, 2, 3 and 6 months upon HAART initiation. A control group composed by 9 HIV-infected patients from the same hospital but with no IRIS was analysed for comparison. The CNS-IRIS patient showed lower percentage of memory CD4(+) T cells and higher percentage of activated CD4(+) T cells at HAART initiation. The percentage of memory CD4(+) T cells drastically increased at 1 month after HAART initiation and became higher in comparison to the control group until clinical recovery onset; the percentage of memory CD8(+) T cells was consistently lower throughout follow-up. Interestingly, the percentage of regulatory T cells (Treg) on the CNS-IRIS patient reached a minimum around 1 month before symptoms onset. Conclusion: Although both stereotactic biopsies and steroid therapy might be of use in CNS-IRIS cases and should be considered for these patients, they might be unnecessary to achieve clinical improvement as shown in this case. Immunological characterization of more CNS-IRIS cases is essential to shed some light on the pathogenesis of this condition.Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT; PIC/IC/83313/2007) and co-financed by the Portuguese North Regional Operational Program (ON.2 - O Novo Norte) under the National Strategic Reference Framework (QREN) through the European Regional Development Fund (FEDER). A FCT fellowship was attributed to RRS (PD/BD/106047/2015; Inter-University Doctoral Program in Ageing and Chronic Disease) and to CN [SFRH/BPD/65380/2009; Programa Operacional Potencial Humano (POPH) through the Fundo Social Europeu (FSE)]info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio