Is mental practice effective for treating upper extremity deficits in individuals with hemiparesis after stroke? A cochrane review summary with commentary

BACKGROUND: Mental practice, which is proposed for the rehabilitative training of people post-stroke, is a training method based on the repetition of the internal representation of a movement or a task with the aim of improving the performance. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this commentary is to discuss Cochrane evidence on the efficacy of mental practice in improving upper extremity functioning in people with hemiparesis after stroke. METHODS: To summarize and discuss from a rehabilitation perspective the published Cochrane Review “Mental practice for treating upper extremity deficits in individuals with hemiparesis after stroke” by Barclay et al. RESULTS: This Cochrane Review included 25 studies involving 676 people with hemiparesis after stroke. The authors analysed the following two comparisons: mental practice versus conventional therapy and mental practice in addition to other treatment versus other treatment (±placebo). CONCLUSIONS: Mental practice in addition to other treatment, compared with other treatment, probably improves upper extremity activity and function in people with hemiparesis after stroke.

Signification and Performance Measurement: Making Sense of Mandated Performance Objectives

Understanding performance measures’ place in effecting program change requires examining them in relation to other structural program elements and the interpretive meanings attached to them. Framed using structuration theory, this paper utilizes interviews with professionals in the homelessness field to analyze how administrators make sense of performance objectives associated with federally-funded permanent supportive housing (PSH). Findings illustrate that when the meaning of a performance objective is unclear and contradictory to funder requirements and program norms, administrators do not value nor use the performance data. Conversely, when the meaning of a performance objective is clear, reinforcing funder requirements and program norms, administrators use the performance data for various purposes. In the context of PSH, professionals conveyed using a single performance objective to benchmark against peer programs, to confirm they are meeting other program norms that are not reliably tracked, and to build a performance-based advocacy argument without collecting additional performance data.

Pengembangan KIT Meriam Telur untuk Meningkatkan Motivasi dan Hasil Belajar Siswa

Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk membuat alat praktikum materi tekanan hidrostatis, agar dapat meningkatkan motivasi dan hasil belajar siswa. Kurangnya motivasi atau keinginan siswa belajar matapelajaran IPA dan hasil belajar materi tekanan hidrostatis salah satunya disebabkan oleh minimnya alat peraga atau alat praktikum materi tekanan hidrostatis. Penelitian dilakukan menggunakan rancangan uji coba one-group pre-test – post-test, sedangkan pengembangan Kit Meriam Telur menggunakan model ASSURE yang terdiri dari 6 tahap yaitu analyzer learner characteristic, (2) state standard and performance objective, (3) select methods, media, and materials, (4) utilize technology, media and material, (5) requires learner participation dan (6) evaluation and revision. Penelitian pengembangan Kit Meriam Telur diujicobakan kepada siswa kelas 8E yang terdiri atas 32 siswa dengan komposisi heterogen. Penggunaan Kit Meriam Telur dalam pembelajaran mampu meningkatkan motivasi belajar siswa dalam hal ini keinginan belajar siswa terhadap mata pelajaran IPA, khususnya materi tekanan hidrostatis sebesar 43,36% dan meningkatkan hasil belajar dengan rata- rata n-gain sebesar 0,8 berkategori tinggi.

A Distributed Model Predictive Control for Multiple Mobile Robots with the Model Uncertainty

In this paper, a distributed predictive control with the model uncertainty which uses the data-driven strategy and robust theory (data-driven RDMPC) is proposed for the formation control of multiple mobile robots. The robust performance objective minimization is applied to replace the quadratic performance objective minimization to establish the optimization problem, where the model uncertainty is considered in the distributed system. The control policy is derived by applying the data-driven strategy, and the future predictive value is obtained by employing the linear law in the historical data. Lyapunov theory is referred to analyze the stability of the mobile robot formation system. The effectiveness of the proposed method is proved by a set of simulation experiments.

Study on integrated response-based adaptive strategies for control and placement optimization of multiple magneto-rheological dampers-controlled structure under seismic excitations

The application and optimization of control systems with multiple magneto-rheological dampers integrated into a civil engineering structure is a challenging task. The performance of the control system is strongly linked with the location and arrangement of control devices, and the optimal placement of control devices is inherently linked with the performance objective of the control algorithm. Therefore, for semi-active control devices, the placement algorithm should be well rooted within the control algorithm, for effective structural control. This article proposes response-based adaptive control strategies embedded with the device location optimization algorithm. The acceleration and inter-story drift responses of the structure are considered as the performance objective for two separate control strategies. The flexibility of this approach lies in the fact that the design algorithm for control and location of magneto-rheological dampers can be engineered based on the performance criteria of the system. This study involves numerical simulation of an actual five-story framed structure. The simulation results indicated that the seismic performance of the structure is strongly linked with the number, placement of the magneto-rheological damper, and the performance objective of the control strategy used. Also, the configuration and corresponding control provided by the response-based adaptive strategies performed better than the configuration predicted by the benchmark genetic algorithm using the H2/LQG controller.

Acute Effects of Different Intervals Between Repeated Sprints on Performance Responses in Amateur Futsal Athletes

Background: Interventions with the performance of sessions with sprints in different intensity manipulations, can be a great alternative to improve physical performance. Objective: To verify the influence of different break times between sprints on the performance of amateur futsal athletes Methods: 10 individuals, men, amateur futsal athletes (Age: 21.5 ± 1.6; Weight: 72.4 ± 6.88; Height: 1.72 ± 0.05; BMI: 24.3 ± 1.2; Fat%: 13.7 ± 3.3, VO2peak: 49.1 ± 10.5) participated in the study. For the intervention, individuals were randomly selected to perform sessions with sprints (10 sets 20 meters) with different pause times, being 15 (S15), 30 (S30) and 60 (S60) seconds. For performance analysis, the speed (km / h) applied to each sprint was used, monitored by a device with a photocell (CEFISE Biotecnologia Esportiva®, Nova Odessa, São Paulo) and the statistical treatment of all data was through the software Statistica 7.0 (Statsoft ™, Tulsa, OK, USA) using a significance level of p≤0.05. Results: There was an interaction between speed and interval time (p = 0.000). For condition S15, a greater reduction in performance was observed (p≤0.05), while for S30 and S60, no significant reduction in performance was observed (p> 0.05). The data for the area under the curve showed a significant difference (p = 0.000), where the interval of 60 seconds (S60) was longer compared to the values of 30 (S30) (p = 0.000) and 15 seconds (S15) (p = 0.000). However, there were no significant differences between the 30 and 15 second data (p = 0.248). Conclusion: Shorter time (15 seconds) of interval between repeated sprints can significantly affect performance when compared to longer breaks (30 and 60 seconds). But, all the conditions tested here, can be positive for the improvement of the performance, mainly in sports that demand fast and efficient motor actions, as for example, futsal.

An Intelligent Data Uploading Selection Mechanism for Offloading Uplink Traffic of Cellular Networks

Wi-Fi uploading is considered an effective method for offloading the traffic of cellular networks generated by the data uploading process of mobile crowd sensing applications. However, previously proposed Wi-Fi uploading schemes mainly focus on optimizing one performance objective: the offloaded cellular traffic or the reduced uploading cost. In this paper, we propose an Intelligent Data Uploading Selection Mechanism (IDUSM) to realize a trade-off between the offloaded traffic of cellular networks and participants’ uploading cost considering the differences among participants’ data plans and direct and indirect opportunistic transmissions. The mechanism first helps the source participant choose an appropriate data uploading manner based on the proposed probability prediction model, and then optimizes its performance objective for the chosen data uploading manner. In IDUSM, our proposed probability prediction model precisely predicts a participant’s mobility from spatial and temporal aspects, and we decrease data redundancy produced in the Wi-Fi offloading process to reduce waste of participants’ limited resources (e.g., storage, battery). Simulation results show that the offloading efficiency of our proposed IDUSM is (56.54×10−7), and the value is the highest among the other three Wi-Fi offloading mechanisms. Meanwhile, the offloading ratio and uploading cost of IDUSM are respectively 52.1% and (6.79×103). Compared with other three Wi-Fi offloading mechanisms, it realized a trade-off between the offloading ratio and the uploading cost.

Migraine without aura in academics of physical therapy course

Introduction: Migraine is a primary headache that is usually severe. It is classified into five main categories, the two most important being migraine without aura and migraine with aura. The common, without aura, is characterized by periodic headaches that are usually pulsatile and unilateral, exacerbated by activities and associated with nausea, photophobia and phonophobia. In academics, headaches lead to loss of days of study and worse academic performance. Objective: The objective of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of migraine without aura in academics of the Physiotherapy course. Methodology: A total of 217 physiotherapy students over 18 years of age were evaluated, and the headache questionnaire was applied according to the International Classification of Headache Disorders, 3rd edition, 2014. Conclusion: It is concluded that there was prevalence of migraine without aura in academics of the Physiotherapy course.

Engenharia de processo de negócio e lean healthcare aplicados a uma policlínica municipal

O presente trabalho reforça às contribuições da engenharia de produção para as organizações de saúde, a partir da aplicação de dois pilares conceituais, quais sejam: engenharia de processo de negócio e lean healthcare. Objetivos: Explicitar os processos dos serviços oferecidos por uma policlínica municipal, analisar estes processos a partir dos métodos e ferramentas da engenharia de processos e os princípios de produção enxuta (lean), e propor melhorias que possibilitem a prestação de serviços com maior eficiência e eficácia. Método: O presente estudo caracteriza-se por uma abordagem qualitativa, utilizando como estrutura conceitual os conhecimentos da engenharia de processos de negócios e o lean healthcare para construção das etapas da pesquisa. Desenvolvimento: Primeiramente, tem-se a caracterização de uma unidade de saúde pertencente ao nível secundário do Sistema Único de Saúde - SUS. Para explicitação dos processos da unidade foi utilizado a modelagem de processos a partir da notação ARIS/EPC, foram construídos a cadeia de valor agregado – VAC e a cadeia de processos orientados por eventos EPC. Na sequência, foi realizada a análise sistemática dos processos para identificação de efeitos indesejáveis (EI), utilizando como princípios norteadores os oito desperdícios do lean healthcare, o que permitiu a identificação de 129 efeitos indesejáveis. A utilização da árvore de realidade atual (ARA), ferramenta da Teoria das restrições, viabilizou encontrar 32 causas-raízes, e focar os esforços na origem dos problemas. Resultados: Para as causas-raízes foram construídas proposições, envolvendo profissionais de diferentes níveis de atuação, grupos assistenciais e a alta gestão, visando a eliminação ou mitigação dos efeitos indesejáveis identificados. O que se espera com a implantação das soluções é a mitigação/eliminação de todos os efeitos, mas principalmente dos 6 efeitos do topo da ARA, associados ao objetivo de desempenho da organização. Conclusão: As proposições sugeridas visam a mitigação ou eliminação de todos os efeitos, para eliminar os efeitos do topo, que impactam de forma negativa o objetivo de desempenho dessa organização. As contribuições do presente trabalho para a literatura e para a prática se dão, sobretudo, em um cenário de recursos cada vez mais escassos e de demandas crescentes, onde faz-se necessário aperfeiçoar os processos para que resultem na prestação da assistência com maior qualidade e valor ao usuário.Palavras-chave: Avaliação de Processos; Eficiência Organizacional; Policlínica. ABSTRACTThis work reinforces the contributions of production engineering to health organizations, based on the application of two conceptual pillars, namely: business process engineering and lean healthcare. Objectives: To explain the service processes offered by a municipal polyclinic, analyze these processes based on the methods and tools of process engineering and the principles of lean production, and propose improvements that enable the provision of services with greater efficiency and effectiveness. Method: The present study is characterized by a qualitative approach, using as a conceptual framework the knowledge of business process engineering and lean healthcare to build the research stages. Development: First, there is the characterization of a health unit belonging to the secondary level of the Unified Health System. To explain the processes of the unit, process modeling based on the ARIS / EPC notation was used, the value-added chain - VAC and the process chain driven by EPC events were built. Then, a systematic analysis of the processes for the identification of undesirable effects (EI) was carried out, using the eight waste of lean healthcare as guiding principles, which allowed the identification of 129 undesirable effects. The use of the current reality tree (ARA), a tool of the theory of restrictions, made it possible to find 32 root causes, and to focus efforts on the origin of the problems. Results: For root causes, propositions were constructed, involving professionals from different levels of activity, care groups and senior management, aiming at the elimination or mitigation of the undesirable effects identified. What is expected with the implementation of the solutions is the mitigation / elimination of all effects, but mainly of the 6 effects at the top of ARA, associated with the organization's performance objective. Conclusion: The suggested propositions aim to mitigate or eliminate all effects, in order to finally eliminate the effects from the top, which negatively impact the performance objective of that organization. The contributions of the present work to the literature and to the practice occur, above all, in a scenario of increasingly scarce resources and growing demands, where it is necessary to improve the processes so that they result in the provision of assistance with higher quality and value to the user.Keywords: Process Assessment; Efficiency, Organizational; Polyclinic.