Júlia Teles

Behavioral compliance for dynamic versus static signs in an immersive virtual environment.

This study used an immersive virtual environment (IVE) to examine how dynamic features in signage affect behavioral compliance during a work-related task and an emergency egress. Ninety participants performed a work-related task followed by an emergency egress. Compliance with uncued and cued safety signs was assessed prior to an explosion/fire involving egress with exit signs. Although dynamic presentation produced the highest compliance, the difference between dynamic and static presentation was only statistically significant for uncued signs. Uncued signs, both static and dynamic, were effective in changing behavior compared to no/minimal signs. Findings are explained based on sign salience and on task differences. If signs must capture attention while individuals are attending to other tasks, salient (e.g., dynamic) signs are useful in benefiting compliance. This study demonstrates the potential for IVEs to serve as a useful tool in behavioral compliance research.

Attributes of Top Elite Team-handball Players

Abstract Massuça, LM, Fragoso, I, and Teles, J. Attributes of top elite team-handball players. J Strength Cond Res 28(1): 178–186, 2014—Researchers in the field of excellence in sport performance are becoming increasingly focused on the study of sport-specific characteristics and requirements. In accordance with this, the purposes of this study were (a) to examine the morphologic-, fitness-, handball-specific skills and psychological and “biosocial” differences between top elite and nontop elite team-handball players and (b) to investigate the extent to which they may be used to identify top elite team-handball players. One hundred sixty-seven adult male team-handball players were studied and divided in 2 groups: top elite (n = 41) and nontop elite (n = 126). Twenty-eight morphologic-, 9 fitness-, 1 handball-specific skills and 2 psychological-based and 2 “biosocial”-based attributes were used. Top elite and nontop elite groups were compared for each variable of interest using Students t-test, and 5 logistic regression analyses were performed with the athletes performance group (top elite or nontop elite) as the dependent variable and the variables of each category as predictors. The results showed that (a) body mass, waist girth, radiale-dactylion length, midstylion-dactylion length, and absolute muscle mass (morphologic model); (b) 30-m sprint time, countermovement jump height and average power, abdominal strength and the class of performance in the Yo-Yo Intermittent Endurance Test (fitness model); (c) offensive power (specific-skills model); (d) ego-based motivational orientation (psychological model); (e) socioeconomic status and the energy spent (for week) in handball activity (biosocial model); significantly (p < 0.05) contributed to predict the probability of an athlete to be a top elite team-handball player. Moreover, the fitness model exhibited higher percentages of correct classification (i.e., 91.5%) than all the other models did. This study provided (a) the rational to reduce the battery of tests for evaluation purposes, and (b) the initial step to work on building a multidisciplinary model to predict the probability of a handball athlete to be a top elite player.

Analysis of variables that are not directly observable: influence on decision-making during the research process

The sample dimension, types of variables, format used for measurement, and construction of instruments to collect valid and reliable data must be considered during the research process. In the social and health sciences, and more specifically in nursing, data-collection instruments are usually composed of latent variables or variables that cannot be directly observed. Such facts emphasize the importance of deciding how to measure study variables (using an ordinal scale or a Likert or Likert-type scale). Psychometric scales are examples of instruments that are affected by the type of variables that comprise them, which could cause problems with measurement and statistical analysis (parametric tests versus non-parametric tests). Hence, investigators using these variables must rely on suppositions based on simulation studies or recommendations based on scientific evidence in order to make the best decisions.The sample dimension, types of variables, format used for measurement, and construction of instruments to collect valid and reliable data must be considered ...

Determinants of sleepiness at work among railway control workers

In the last two decades the control of the Portuguese railway network has become much more centralized in three centres, there integrating the functions of route flow management, electrical control and signalling. This study aimed to investigate the influence of work and individual determinants in sleepiness among railway control workers, namely socio-demographic factors, work ability, psychosocial factors, shiftwork characteristics, fatigue perception, and sleep. Sleepiness by shift was associated with quality of sleep, job satisfaction, fatigue perception, quantitative demands, and age. The results indicate a high prevalence of sleepiness during the night shift and show the relevance of the quality of sleep as a predictor in the three models of sleepiness for morning, afternoon and night shifts. This study, done at the major Portuguese railway control centre, alerted managers to the importance of schedule planning as well as sleepiness prevention plans and makes these results a reference for future research.

Is the Sagittal Postural Alignment Different in Normal and Dysphonic Adult Speakers

OBJECTIVE Clinical research in the field of voice disorders, in particular functional dysphonia, has suggested abnormal laryngeal posture due to muscle adaptive changes, although specific evidence regarding body posture has been lacking. The aim of our study was to verify if there were significant differences in sagittal spine alignment between normal (41 subjects) and dysphonic speakers (33 subjects). STUDY DESIGN Cross-sectional study. METHODS Seventy-four adults, 35 males and 39 females, were submitted to sagittal plane photographs so that spine alignment could be analyzed through the Digimizer-MedCalc Software Ltd program. Perceptual and acoustic evaluation and nasoendoscopy were used for dysphonic judgments: normal and dysphonic speakers. RESULTS For thoracic length curvature (TL) and for the kyphosis index (KI), a significant effect of dysphonia was observed with mean TL and KI significantly higher for the dysphonic speakers than for the normal speakers. Concerning the TL variable, a significant effect of sex was found, in which the mean of the TL was higher for males than females. The interaction between dysphonia and sex did not have a significant effect on TL and KI variables. For the lumbar length curvature variable, a significant main effect of sex was demonstrated; there was no significant main effect of dysphonia or significant sex×dysphonia interaction. CONCLUSIONS Findings indicated significant differences in some sagittal spine posture measures between normal and dysphonic speakers. Postural measures can add useful information to voice assessment protocols and should be taken into account when considering particular treatment strategies.

Concordance coefficients to measure the agreement among several sets of ranks

In this paper, two measures of agreement among several sets of ranks, Kendalls concordance coefficient and top-down concordance coefficient, are reviewed. In order to illustrate the utility of these measures, two examples, in the fields of health and sports, are presented. A Monte Carlo simulation study was carried out to compare the performance of Kendalls and top-down concordance coefficients in detecting several types and magnitudes of agreements. The data generation scheme was developed in order to induce an agreement with different intensities among m (m>2) sets of ranks in non-directional and directional rank agreement scenarios. The performance of each coefficient was estimated by the proportion of rejected null hypotheses, assessed at 5% significance level, when testing whether the underlying population concordance coefficient is sufficiently greater than zero. For the directional rank agreement scenario, the top-down concordance coefficient allowed to achieve a percentage of significant concordances that was higher than the one achieved by Kendalls concordance coefficient. Mainly, when the degree of agreement was small, the results of the simulation study pointed to the advantage of using a weighted rank concordance, namely the top-down concordance coefficient, simultaneously with Kendalls concordance coefficient, enabling the detection of agreement (in a top-down sense) in situations not detected by Kendalls concordance coefficient.

Physical Activity–Related Injury Profile in Children and Adolescents According to Their Age, Maturation, and Level of Sports Participation:

Background: Physical activity (PA) is beneficial, enhancing healthy development. However, one-third of school-age children practicing sports regularly suffer from an injury. These injuries are associated with sex, chronological age, and PA level. Purpose: To identify the importance of age, PA level, and maturity as predictors of injury in Portuguese youth. Study Design: Descriptive epidemiological study. Level of Evidence: Level 3. Methods: Information about injury and PA level was assessed via 2 questionnaires (LESADO RAPIL II) from 647 subjects aged 10 to 17 years. Maturity offset according to Mirwald (time before or after peak height velocity) and Tanner-Whitehouse III bone age estimates were used to evaluate maturation. Binary logistic regression and gamma regression were used to determine significant predictors of injury and injury rate. Results: Injury occurrence was higher for both sexes in recreational, school, and federated athletes (athletes engaged in sports that are regulated by their respective federations, with formal competition). These injuries also increased with age in boys and in the higher maturity offset group in girls. Injury rate was higher for both sexes in the no sports participation group. Early-maturing girls, with higher bone age and lower maturity offset, showed higher injury rate. Conclusion: Injuries in Portuguese youth were related to PA level, age, and biological maturation. Recreational, school, and federated athletes had more injury ocurrences while subjects with no sports participation had higher injury risk. Older subjects had more injuries. Early-maturing girls that had just passed peak height velocity may be particularly vulnerable to risk of sports injury because of the growing process. Clinical Relevance: Increased knowledge about injury with specific PA exposure data is important to an overall risk management strategy. This study has deepened the association between injury and biological maturation variables.

Immune cell changes in response to a swimming training session during a 24-h recovery period

Understanding the impact of training sessions on the immune response is crucial for the adequate periodization of training, to prevent both a negative influence on health and a performance impairment of the athlete. This study evaluated acute systemic immune cell changes in response to an actual swimming session, during a 24-h recovery period, controlling for sex, menstrual cycle phases, maturity, and age group. Competitive swimmers (30 females, 15 ± 1.3 years old; and 35 males, 16.5 ± 2.1 years old) performed a high-intensity training session. Blood samples were collected before, immediately after, 2 h after, and 24 h after exercise. Standard procedures for the assessment of leukogram by automated counting (Coulter LH 750, Beckman) and lymphocytes subsets by flow cytometry (FACS Calibur BD, Biosciences) were used. Subjects were grouped according to competitive age groups and pubertal Tanner stages. Menstrual cycle phase was monitored. The training session induced neutrophilia, lymphopenia, and a low eosinophil count, lasting for at least 2 h, independent of sex and maturity. At 24 h postexercise, the acquired immunity of juniors (15-17 years old), expressed by total lymphocytes and total T lymphocytes (CD3(+)), was not fully recovered. This should be accounted for when planning a weekly training program. The observed lymphopenia suggests a lower immune surveillance at the end of the session that may depress the immunity of athletes, highlighting the need for extra care when athletes are exposed to aggressive environmental agents such as swimming pools.

A Personalized Speech Warning Facilitates Compliance in an Immersive Virtual Environment

The effect of a personalized technology-based warning on compliance was assessed using an immersive virtual environment (IVE). Sixty university students performed an end-of-day routine security check in the IVE. Participants were asked to search for and activate safety-related devices, which involved entering several rooms. Just prior to abandoning the first room, participants were incidentally exposed to a posted warning (mandatory to disconnect the music generator) consisting of either a personal warning (i.e., a speech message with the participant’s first name) or an impersonal warning (i.e., a auditory beep signal). Compliance was determined by observing whether or not the participants pressed the button-switch as directed by the warning. Results reveal that compliance rate was significantly greater when the warning was personalized. No significant gender differences were found. Implications of these results are discussed in terms of the benefits of effective warnings.

A randomized controlled trial of a combined self-management and exercise intervention for elderly people with osteoarthritis of the knee: the PLE2NO program

Objective: To assess the effectiveness of a 12-week self-management and exercise intervention (the PLE2NO program) in elderly individuals with knee osteoarthritis. Design: Randomized controlled trial. Setting: Four different community settings. Subjects: Eighty individuals aged 60 years or older with clinical and radiographic knee osteoarthritis enrolled in the study. Intervention: A combined self-management and exercise intervention (treatment group) and an educational intervention (control group). Main measures: The primary outcomes were pain and other knee osteoarthritis symptoms (swelling, crackling, limitation on movement, and stiffness), self-management behaviors (communication with physician and cognitive symptom management), and functional lower limb strength. Secondary outcomes were knee osteoarthritis–specific health-related quality of life, self-perceived health, aerobic capacity, lower and upper limb flexibility, and handgrip strength. Results: In all, 67 participants, mean age 69.1 ± 5.8 years, completed the study: 32 in the Educational Group and 35 in the Self-Management and Exercise Group. A significant group effect favorable to the Self-Management and Exercise Group was observed in the following variables: communication with the physicians (P = .048), aerobic capacity (P = .035), and functional lower limb strength (P = .015). Although no significant group effect was detected, clinical improvements in pain (31%) and knee osteoarthritis symptoms (29%) were observed in the experimental group. No improvements regarding cognitive symptom management, self-perceived health, lower limb flexibility, and handgrip strength were found. Conclusion: This study supports the importance of a combined self-management and exercise intervention to improve functional lower limb strength and aerobic capacity in a Portuguese sample. Additionally, pain and other symptoms have improved clinically.