Juan Miguel Saavedra Carrasco - Academia.edu (original) (raw)
Papers by Juan Miguel Saavedra Carrasco
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
One of the main challenges faced by physical therapy (PT) students is to learn the practical skil... more One of the main challenges faced by physical therapy (PT) students is to learn the practical skills involved in neurological physical therapy (PT). To help them to acquire these skills, a set of rubrics were designed for formative purposes. This paper presents the process followed in the creation of these rubrics and their application in the classroom, noting that students perceived them as valid, reliable, and highly useful for learning. The perception of the validity and usefulness of the rubrics has different closely related dimensions, showing homogeneous values across the students´ sociodemographic and educational variables, with the exception of dedication to studying, which showed a significant relationship with schoolwork engagement and course satisfaction. The adequacy of the hypothesized structural model of the relationships among the variables was confirmed. Direct effects of the perception of the rubrics’ validity and engagement on course satisfaction were found, as well...
Journal of Clinical Medicine
Introduction. Service-learning (SL) seems to be useful for healthcare students. This study aimed ... more Introduction. Service-learning (SL) seems to be useful for healthcare students. This study aimed at comparing an SL program versus a traditional approach (TA) on moral sensitivity, ethical competences, knowledge, teaching quality, SL participation and performance, and satisfaction in physiotherapy students. Methods. Randomized clinical trial. A total of 32 physiotherapy students were allocated to an SL group (SLG, n = 16), or to a TA group (TAG, n = 16). Participants had to create an exercise program for patients with heart transplantation and acute coronary syndrome. The SLG performed the program with real patients, whilst the TAG performed a traditional collaborative approach. Moral sensitivity, ethical competences, knowledge and teaching quality were assessed pre- and post-intervention. SL participation and performance and satisfaction of the SLG were assessed post-intervention. Results. After the intervention, the SLG showed higher moral sensitivity, ethical competences, knowled...
Journal of Clinical Medicine
Background: low–moderate intensity strength training to failure increases strength and muscle hyp... more Background: low–moderate intensity strength training to failure increases strength and muscle hypertrophy in healthy people. However, no study assessed the safety and neuromuscular response of training to failure in people with severe haemophilia (PWH). The purpose of the study was to analyse neuromuscular responses, fear of movement, and possible adverse effects in PWH, after knee extensions to failure. Methods: twelve severe PWH in prophylactic treatment performed knee extensions until failure at an intensity of five on the Borg CR10 scale. Normalised values of amplitude (nRMS) and neuromuscular fatigue were determined using surface electromyography for the rectus femoris, vastus medialis, and vastus lateralis. After the exercise, participants were asked about their perceived change in fear of movement, and to report any possible adverse effects. Results: Patients reported no adverse effects or increased fear. The nRMS was maximal for all the muscles before failure, the median fre...
2003 International Conference on Dependable Systems and Networks, 2003. Proceedings.
RAID (Redundant Array of Inexpensive Disks) are widely used in storage servers. Level-5 RAID is o... more RAID (Redundant Array of Inexpensive Disks) are widely used in storage servers. Level-5 RAID is one of the most popular RAID architectures. Numerical analysis of exact Markovian dependability models of level-5 RAID architectures with orthogonal organization is unfeasible for many realistic model parameters due to the size of the resulting state space. In this paper we develop approximate dependability models for a level-5 RAID architecture with orthogonal organization which have small state spaces. We consider two measures: the steady-state unavailability and the unreliability. The models encompass disk hot spares and imperfect disk reconstruction. Using bounding techniques we analyze the accuracy of the models and show that the models are extremely accurate.
Proceedings Fifth International Symposium on Modeling, Analysis, and Simulation of Computer and Telecommunication Systems
A Method for the Computation of Reliability Bounds for Non-repairable Faulttolerant Systems* Vict... more A Method for the Computation of Reliability Bounds for Non-repairable Faulttolerant Systems* Victor Sufi6 a n d J u a n A. Carrasco D e p a r t a m e n t d'Enginyeria Electrbnica, UPC Diagonal 647, plta. 9, 08028 Barcelona, S p a i n { sunye, carr
Revista Conrado, Sep 20, 2021
Journal of Clinical Medicine, 2022
Background: This study compares the effect of foam rolling (FR) vs. manual therapy (MT) on pain, ... more Background: This study compares the effect of foam rolling (FR) vs. manual therapy (MT) on pain, pressure pain threshold (PPT), headache disability (HDI) and impact of headache (HIT-6) in patients with tension-type headache (TTH). Methods: A total of 38 participants with TTH were randomly assigned to an FR group (FRG, n = 13), an MT group (MTG, n = 13) or a control group (CG, n = 12). FRG received FR treatment; MTG received MT techniques; CG received a placebo treatment. The treatment lasted one month. Outcome measures were assessed at baseline, post-intervention and follow-up. Results: Both FRG and MTG showed significant improvements in all variables after the treatment, but the intervention effect was maintained only for functional disability (p = 0.002 and p = 0.005, respectively), overall disability (p = 0.007; p = 0.030) and HIT-6 (p = 0.002; p = 0.001) at follow-up. After treatment, FRG and MTG presented a significantly higher PPT in right (p = 0.044; p = 0.009) and left suboc...
2002 IEEE 33rd Annual IEEE Power Electronics Specialists Conference. Proceedings (Cat. No.02CH37289)
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 2021
Widening of the inter-rectus distance (IRD) is highly prevalent among postpartum women and can le... more Widening of the inter-rectus distance (IRD) is highly prevalent among postpartum women and can lead to dysfunction of abdominopelvic muscles. The aim of this study was to evaluate the differences in IRD and abdominopelvic function between nulliparous, primiparous and multiparous women. A cross-sectional study was conducted on 75 women (25 nulliparous, 25 primiparous and 25 multiparous at 6 months postpartum). The participants underwent ultrasound assessment under three conditions (at rest, abdominal draw-in maneuver (ADIM) and curl-up) at two locations (2 cm above and 2 cm below the umbilicus). Furthermore, abdominopelvic muscle function was determined by prone, supine and side bridge tests. In all conditions and locations, the IRD were significantly higher (p < 0.05) in the primiparous and multiparous women than in the nulliparous. The multiparous women presented greater (p > 0.05) IRD at rest and during ADIM compared to the primiparous women. Regarding abdominopelvic muscle ...
[1991] Proceedings, Advanced Computer Technology, Reliable Systems and Applications
A hierarchical, object-oriented modeling language for the specification of dependability models f... more A hierarchical, object-oriented modeling language for the specification of dependability models for complex fault-tolerant computer systems is overviewed. The language incorporates the hierarchical notions of cluster, operational mode and configuration and borrows from object-oriented prograniming the concepts of class, parameterization, and instantiation. These features together result in a highly expressive environment allowing the concise specification of sophisticated dependability models for complex systems. In addition, the language supports the declaration of symmetries that systems may exhibit at levels higher than the component level. These symmetries can be used to automatically generate lumped state-level models of significantly reduced size in relation to the state-level models which would be generated from a flat, component-level description of the system.
MASCOTS '99. Proceedings of the Seventh International Symposium on Modeling, Analysis and Simulation of Computer and Telecommunication Systems
We propose an algorithm to compute bounds for the steadystate unavailability using continuous-tim... more We propose an algorithm to compute bounds for the steadystate unavailability using continuous-time Markov chains, which is based on the failure distance concept. The algorithm generates incrementally a subset of the state space until the tightness of the bounds is the specified one. In contrast with a previous algorithm also based on the failure distance concept, the proposed algorithm uses lower bounds for failure distances which are computed on the fault tree of the system, and does not require the knowledge of the minimal cuts. This is advantageous when the number of minimal cuts is large or their computation is time-consuming.
Advanced Driver Assistance Systems are used to increase the security of vehicles. Computer Vision... more Advanced Driver Assistance Systems are used to increase the security of vehicles. Computer Vision is one of the main technologies used for this aim. Lane marks recognition, pedestrian detection, driver drowsiness or road sign detection and recognition are examples of these systems. The last one is the goal of this paper. A system that can detect and recognize road signs based on color and shape features is presented in this article. It will be focused on detection, especially the color space used, investigating on the case of road signs under shadows. The system, also tracks the road sign once it has been detected. It warns the driver in case of anomalous speed for the recognized road sign using the information from a GPS.
Esta investigacion presenta una serie de indicadores alusivos a la exclusion social y su relacion... more Esta investigacion presenta una serie de indicadores alusivos a la exclusion social y su relacion con el sistema de transporte, con el objetivo de conocer patrones espaciales de movilidad en una tipica ciudad intermedia Chilena. Los indices fueron desarrollados con informacion base de la Encuesta de Origen - Destino (EOD, 2004) de la ciudad de Los Angeles en la region del Bio Bio, Chile. Se propone una clasificacion de los indicadores por el esquema de ciudad propuesto por Manheim en 1979, referido al Sistema de Actividades (SA), el Sistema de Transporte (ST) y el Patron de Flujos (PF). Los resultados detallan distintos aspectos del sistema urbano y su relacion con el transporte, destacando una alta concentracion de las actividades en el centro de la ciudad, atrayendo una alta demanda de viajes de las zonas perifericas. El principal aporte de este trabajo consiste en establecer una metodologia que, a partir de datos convencionales, estudie la problematica de las interacciones entre ...
Journal of Clinical Medicine, 2021
Understanding the fostering factors of physical activity (PA) and sedentary behavior (SB) in post... more Understanding the fostering factors of physical activity (PA) and sedentary behavior (SB) in post-stroke chronic survivors is critical to address preventive and health interventions. This cross-sectional study aimed to analyze the association of barriers to PA, fear of falling and severity of fatigue encountered by stroke chronic survivors with device-measured PA and SB. Ambulatory community-dwelling post-stroke subjects (≥six months from stroke onset) were evaluated and answered the Barriers to Physical Activity after Stroke Scale (BAPAS), Short Falls Efficacy Scale-International (Short FES-I) and Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS). SB and PA were measured with an Actigraph GT3X+ accelerometer for ≥seven consecutive days. Stepwise multiple linear regression analysis was employed to identify factors associated with PA and SB. Fifty-seven participants (58.2 ± 11.1 years, 37 men) met the accelerometer wear–time criteria (three days, ≥eight h/day). The physical BAPAS score explained 28.7% of...
[1991] Proceedings Tenth Symposium on Reliable Distributed Systems
Simulation methods have recently been developed for the solution of the extremely large markovian... more Simulation methods have recently been developed for the solution of the extremely large markovian dependability models which result from complex fault-tolerant computer systems. This paper presents efficient simulation methods for the estimation of transient reliability/availability mefrics f o r repairable fault-tolerant computer systems which combine estimator decomposition techniques with an efficient importance sampling technique recently developed. Comparison with simulation methods previously proposed for the same type of metrics and models shows that the methods proposed here are orders of magnitude faster.
Journal of Clinical Medicine, 2020
In people with haemophilia (PWH), elastic band training is considered an optimal option, even tho... more In people with haemophilia (PWH), elastic band training is considered an optimal option, even though the literature is scarce. The aim was to evaluate normalized electromyographic amplitude (nEMG), rate of perceived exertion (RPE), pain, tolerability, and possible adverse effects during the knee extension exercise using multiple elastic resistance intensities in PWH. During a single session, 14 severe PWH undergoing prophylactic treatment performed knee extensions without resistance and with different intensity levels of elastic resistance. nEMG was measured for the knee extensors and participants rated their RPE, tolerability and pain intensity after each condition. Patients had to report the possible adverse effects after the session. In most of the cases, an nEMG increase is only evidenced after increasing the resistance by two to three levels. Significant associations were found between RPE and the nEMG (ρ = 0.61), as well as between the elastic resistance level and nEMG (ρ = 0....
Industrial Crops and Products, 2020
In order to face the expected increasing demand of energy crops without creating conflicts of lan... more In order to face the expected increasing demand of energy crops without creating conflicts of land occupation sustainability, farmers need to find reliable alternatives in marginal agricultural areas where the production of food hardly ever is economically and environmentally sustainable. The purpose of this work was the study of the viability of the introduction of new non-food crops in marginal areas of real farms. This study compares the profit margin and the energy and environmental performance of growing tall wheatgrass, in the marginal area of a rainfed farm versus rye, the annual crop sowed traditionally in the marginal area of the farm. The cited farm owned 300 ha of which about 13% was marginal. The methodology was based on the use of the profit margin of the crops as indicator for the economic assessment and Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) as technique for the energy and the environmental evaluations. Results of the economic analysis showed a slight enhancement of the profit margin for tall wheatgrass (156 €•ha-1 •y-1) compared to rye (145 €•ha-1 •y-1). Environmental LCA was driven by CO 2 fixation due to soil organic matter increase and reduced inputs consumption for tall wheatgrass that produced a Global Warming Potential (GWP) of-1.9 Mg CO 2 eq.•ha-1 •y-1 versus 1.6 Mg CO 2 eq.•ha-1 •y-1 obtained for rye. Tall wheatgrass cultivation primary energy consumption was less than 40% of rye's consumption. According to the results achieved it was concluded that tall wheatgrass is better option than rye from the energy and the environmental point of views and slight better option from the economic view. Considering these results, monetarization of the CO 2 eq. reductions of tall wheatgrass compared to rye is essential to improve its profit margin and promote the implantation of this new crop in marginal areas of farms.
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 2019
Physical activity (PA) is highly beneficial for people with haemophilia (PWH), however, studies t... more Physical activity (PA) is highly beneficial for people with haemophilia (PWH), however, studies that objectively monitor the PA in this population are scarce. This study aimed to monitor the daily PA and analyse its evolution over time in a cohort of PWH using a commercial activity tracker. In addition, this work analyses the relationship between PA levels, demographics, and joint health status, as well as the acceptance and adherence to the activity tracker. Twenty-six PWH were asked to wear a Fitbit Charge HR for 13 weeks. According to the steps/day in the first week, data were divided into two groups: Active Group (AG; ≥10,000 steps/day) and Non-Active Group (NAG; <10,000 steps/day). Correlations between PA and patient characteristics were studied using the Pearson coefficient. Participants’ user experience was analysed with a questionnaire. The 10,000 steps/day was reached by 57.7% of participants, with 12,603 (1525) and 7495 (1626) being the mean steps/day of the AG and NAG,...
Haemophilia, 2019
Haemarthrosis is the most common morbidity in patients with haemophilia and involves severe disab... more Haemarthrosis is the most common morbidity in patients with haemophilia and involves severe disability and reduced health-related quality of life (HRQoL). 1,2 Bleeding occurs into the joints in 70%-80% of cases, mainly on knees, elbows and ankles. 3 Once the acute phase of a haemarthrosis has been controlled and the risk of bleeding reduced, supervised rehabilitation, as well as follow-up of joint changes over time and effective physiotherapy interventions, is needed. 2 Clinical scores like Haemophilia Joint Health Score 2.1 (HJHS), 4 as well as Gilbert score, 5 are usually used for the haemophiliac joint assessment. The joint range of motion (ROM), recognized as an important health component and a potential area of impairment, 6 is one of the clinical parameters evaluated in these scores, due to the importance of preventing joint limitations and loss of functionality resulting from bleeding episodes. The goniometer is the most common method to measure ROM because it is simple and easy-to-use. Its use is recommended in the clinical setting when the pathologic situation not require a measurement accuracy greater than ± 10°. 7 Currently, the patients' follow-up, as well as the compliance with their programs of physical therapy after bleeding episodes, is supervised in repeated appointments at the referral hospital. However,
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
One of the main challenges faced by physical therapy (PT) students is to learn the practical skil... more One of the main challenges faced by physical therapy (PT) students is to learn the practical skills involved in neurological physical therapy (PT). To help them to acquire these skills, a set of rubrics were designed for formative purposes. This paper presents the process followed in the creation of these rubrics and their application in the classroom, noting that students perceived them as valid, reliable, and highly useful for learning. The perception of the validity and usefulness of the rubrics has different closely related dimensions, showing homogeneous values across the students´ sociodemographic and educational variables, with the exception of dedication to studying, which showed a significant relationship with schoolwork engagement and course satisfaction. The adequacy of the hypothesized structural model of the relationships among the variables was confirmed. Direct effects of the perception of the rubrics’ validity and engagement on course satisfaction were found, as well...
Journal of Clinical Medicine
Introduction. Service-learning (SL) seems to be useful for healthcare students. This study aimed ... more Introduction. Service-learning (SL) seems to be useful for healthcare students. This study aimed at comparing an SL program versus a traditional approach (TA) on moral sensitivity, ethical competences, knowledge, teaching quality, SL participation and performance, and satisfaction in physiotherapy students. Methods. Randomized clinical trial. A total of 32 physiotherapy students were allocated to an SL group (SLG, n = 16), or to a TA group (TAG, n = 16). Participants had to create an exercise program for patients with heart transplantation and acute coronary syndrome. The SLG performed the program with real patients, whilst the TAG performed a traditional collaborative approach. Moral sensitivity, ethical competences, knowledge and teaching quality were assessed pre- and post-intervention. SL participation and performance and satisfaction of the SLG were assessed post-intervention. Results. After the intervention, the SLG showed higher moral sensitivity, ethical competences, knowled...
Journal of Clinical Medicine
Background: low–moderate intensity strength training to failure increases strength and muscle hyp... more Background: low–moderate intensity strength training to failure increases strength and muscle hypertrophy in healthy people. However, no study assessed the safety and neuromuscular response of training to failure in people with severe haemophilia (PWH). The purpose of the study was to analyse neuromuscular responses, fear of movement, and possible adverse effects in PWH, after knee extensions to failure. Methods: twelve severe PWH in prophylactic treatment performed knee extensions until failure at an intensity of five on the Borg CR10 scale. Normalised values of amplitude (nRMS) and neuromuscular fatigue were determined using surface electromyography for the rectus femoris, vastus medialis, and vastus lateralis. After the exercise, participants were asked about their perceived change in fear of movement, and to report any possible adverse effects. Results: Patients reported no adverse effects or increased fear. The nRMS was maximal for all the muscles before failure, the median fre...
2003 International Conference on Dependable Systems and Networks, 2003. Proceedings.
RAID (Redundant Array of Inexpensive Disks) are widely used in storage servers. Level-5 RAID is o... more RAID (Redundant Array of Inexpensive Disks) are widely used in storage servers. Level-5 RAID is one of the most popular RAID architectures. Numerical analysis of exact Markovian dependability models of level-5 RAID architectures with orthogonal organization is unfeasible for many realistic model parameters due to the size of the resulting state space. In this paper we develop approximate dependability models for a level-5 RAID architecture with orthogonal organization which have small state spaces. We consider two measures: the steady-state unavailability and the unreliability. The models encompass disk hot spares and imperfect disk reconstruction. Using bounding techniques we analyze the accuracy of the models and show that the models are extremely accurate.
Proceedings Fifth International Symposium on Modeling, Analysis, and Simulation of Computer and Telecommunication Systems
A Method for the Computation of Reliability Bounds for Non-repairable Faulttolerant Systems* Vict... more A Method for the Computation of Reliability Bounds for Non-repairable Faulttolerant Systems* Victor Sufi6 a n d J u a n A. Carrasco D e p a r t a m e n t d'Enginyeria Electrbnica, UPC Diagonal 647, plta. 9, 08028 Barcelona, S p a i n { sunye, carr
Revista Conrado, Sep 20, 2021
Journal of Clinical Medicine, 2022
Background: This study compares the effect of foam rolling (FR) vs. manual therapy (MT) on pain, ... more Background: This study compares the effect of foam rolling (FR) vs. manual therapy (MT) on pain, pressure pain threshold (PPT), headache disability (HDI) and impact of headache (HIT-6) in patients with tension-type headache (TTH). Methods: A total of 38 participants with TTH were randomly assigned to an FR group (FRG, n = 13), an MT group (MTG, n = 13) or a control group (CG, n = 12). FRG received FR treatment; MTG received MT techniques; CG received a placebo treatment. The treatment lasted one month. Outcome measures were assessed at baseline, post-intervention and follow-up. Results: Both FRG and MTG showed significant improvements in all variables after the treatment, but the intervention effect was maintained only for functional disability (p = 0.002 and p = 0.005, respectively), overall disability (p = 0.007; p = 0.030) and HIT-6 (p = 0.002; p = 0.001) at follow-up. After treatment, FRG and MTG presented a significantly higher PPT in right (p = 0.044; p = 0.009) and left suboc...
2002 IEEE 33rd Annual IEEE Power Electronics Specialists Conference. Proceedings (Cat. No.02CH37289)
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 2021
Widening of the inter-rectus distance (IRD) is highly prevalent among postpartum women and can le... more Widening of the inter-rectus distance (IRD) is highly prevalent among postpartum women and can lead to dysfunction of abdominopelvic muscles. The aim of this study was to evaluate the differences in IRD and abdominopelvic function between nulliparous, primiparous and multiparous women. A cross-sectional study was conducted on 75 women (25 nulliparous, 25 primiparous and 25 multiparous at 6 months postpartum). The participants underwent ultrasound assessment under three conditions (at rest, abdominal draw-in maneuver (ADIM) and curl-up) at two locations (2 cm above and 2 cm below the umbilicus). Furthermore, abdominopelvic muscle function was determined by prone, supine and side bridge tests. In all conditions and locations, the IRD were significantly higher (p < 0.05) in the primiparous and multiparous women than in the nulliparous. The multiparous women presented greater (p > 0.05) IRD at rest and during ADIM compared to the primiparous women. Regarding abdominopelvic muscle ...
[1991] Proceedings, Advanced Computer Technology, Reliable Systems and Applications
A hierarchical, object-oriented modeling language for the specification of dependability models f... more A hierarchical, object-oriented modeling language for the specification of dependability models for complex fault-tolerant computer systems is overviewed. The language incorporates the hierarchical notions of cluster, operational mode and configuration and borrows from object-oriented prograniming the concepts of class, parameterization, and instantiation. These features together result in a highly expressive environment allowing the concise specification of sophisticated dependability models for complex systems. In addition, the language supports the declaration of symmetries that systems may exhibit at levels higher than the component level. These symmetries can be used to automatically generate lumped state-level models of significantly reduced size in relation to the state-level models which would be generated from a flat, component-level description of the system.
MASCOTS '99. Proceedings of the Seventh International Symposium on Modeling, Analysis and Simulation of Computer and Telecommunication Systems
We propose an algorithm to compute bounds for the steadystate unavailability using continuous-tim... more We propose an algorithm to compute bounds for the steadystate unavailability using continuous-time Markov chains, which is based on the failure distance concept. The algorithm generates incrementally a subset of the state space until the tightness of the bounds is the specified one. In contrast with a previous algorithm also based on the failure distance concept, the proposed algorithm uses lower bounds for failure distances which are computed on the fault tree of the system, and does not require the knowledge of the minimal cuts. This is advantageous when the number of minimal cuts is large or their computation is time-consuming.
Advanced Driver Assistance Systems are used to increase the security of vehicles. Computer Vision... more Advanced Driver Assistance Systems are used to increase the security of vehicles. Computer Vision is one of the main technologies used for this aim. Lane marks recognition, pedestrian detection, driver drowsiness or road sign detection and recognition are examples of these systems. The last one is the goal of this paper. A system that can detect and recognize road signs based on color and shape features is presented in this article. It will be focused on detection, especially the color space used, investigating on the case of road signs under shadows. The system, also tracks the road sign once it has been detected. It warns the driver in case of anomalous speed for the recognized road sign using the information from a GPS.
Esta investigacion presenta una serie de indicadores alusivos a la exclusion social y su relacion... more Esta investigacion presenta una serie de indicadores alusivos a la exclusion social y su relacion con el sistema de transporte, con el objetivo de conocer patrones espaciales de movilidad en una tipica ciudad intermedia Chilena. Los indices fueron desarrollados con informacion base de la Encuesta de Origen - Destino (EOD, 2004) de la ciudad de Los Angeles en la region del Bio Bio, Chile. Se propone una clasificacion de los indicadores por el esquema de ciudad propuesto por Manheim en 1979, referido al Sistema de Actividades (SA), el Sistema de Transporte (ST) y el Patron de Flujos (PF). Los resultados detallan distintos aspectos del sistema urbano y su relacion con el transporte, destacando una alta concentracion de las actividades en el centro de la ciudad, atrayendo una alta demanda de viajes de las zonas perifericas. El principal aporte de este trabajo consiste en establecer una metodologia que, a partir de datos convencionales, estudie la problematica de las interacciones entre ...
Journal of Clinical Medicine, 2021
Understanding the fostering factors of physical activity (PA) and sedentary behavior (SB) in post... more Understanding the fostering factors of physical activity (PA) and sedentary behavior (SB) in post-stroke chronic survivors is critical to address preventive and health interventions. This cross-sectional study aimed to analyze the association of barriers to PA, fear of falling and severity of fatigue encountered by stroke chronic survivors with device-measured PA and SB. Ambulatory community-dwelling post-stroke subjects (≥six months from stroke onset) were evaluated and answered the Barriers to Physical Activity after Stroke Scale (BAPAS), Short Falls Efficacy Scale-International (Short FES-I) and Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS). SB and PA were measured with an Actigraph GT3X+ accelerometer for ≥seven consecutive days. Stepwise multiple linear regression analysis was employed to identify factors associated with PA and SB. Fifty-seven participants (58.2 ± 11.1 years, 37 men) met the accelerometer wear–time criteria (three days, ≥eight h/day). The physical BAPAS score explained 28.7% of...
[1991] Proceedings Tenth Symposium on Reliable Distributed Systems
Simulation methods have recently been developed for the solution of the extremely large markovian... more Simulation methods have recently been developed for the solution of the extremely large markovian dependability models which result from complex fault-tolerant computer systems. This paper presents efficient simulation methods for the estimation of transient reliability/availability mefrics f o r repairable fault-tolerant computer systems which combine estimator decomposition techniques with an efficient importance sampling technique recently developed. Comparison with simulation methods previously proposed for the same type of metrics and models shows that the methods proposed here are orders of magnitude faster.
Journal of Clinical Medicine, 2020
In people with haemophilia (PWH), elastic band training is considered an optimal option, even tho... more In people with haemophilia (PWH), elastic band training is considered an optimal option, even though the literature is scarce. The aim was to evaluate normalized electromyographic amplitude (nEMG), rate of perceived exertion (RPE), pain, tolerability, and possible adverse effects during the knee extension exercise using multiple elastic resistance intensities in PWH. During a single session, 14 severe PWH undergoing prophylactic treatment performed knee extensions without resistance and with different intensity levels of elastic resistance. nEMG was measured for the knee extensors and participants rated their RPE, tolerability and pain intensity after each condition. Patients had to report the possible adverse effects after the session. In most of the cases, an nEMG increase is only evidenced after increasing the resistance by two to three levels. Significant associations were found between RPE and the nEMG (ρ = 0.61), as well as between the elastic resistance level and nEMG (ρ = 0....
Industrial Crops and Products, 2020
In order to face the expected increasing demand of energy crops without creating conflicts of lan... more In order to face the expected increasing demand of energy crops without creating conflicts of land occupation sustainability, farmers need to find reliable alternatives in marginal agricultural areas where the production of food hardly ever is economically and environmentally sustainable. The purpose of this work was the study of the viability of the introduction of new non-food crops in marginal areas of real farms. This study compares the profit margin and the energy and environmental performance of growing tall wheatgrass, in the marginal area of a rainfed farm versus rye, the annual crop sowed traditionally in the marginal area of the farm. The cited farm owned 300 ha of which about 13% was marginal. The methodology was based on the use of the profit margin of the crops as indicator for the economic assessment and Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) as technique for the energy and the environmental evaluations. Results of the economic analysis showed a slight enhancement of the profit margin for tall wheatgrass (156 €•ha-1 •y-1) compared to rye (145 €•ha-1 •y-1). Environmental LCA was driven by CO 2 fixation due to soil organic matter increase and reduced inputs consumption for tall wheatgrass that produced a Global Warming Potential (GWP) of-1.9 Mg CO 2 eq.•ha-1 •y-1 versus 1.6 Mg CO 2 eq.•ha-1 •y-1 obtained for rye. Tall wheatgrass cultivation primary energy consumption was less than 40% of rye's consumption. According to the results achieved it was concluded that tall wheatgrass is better option than rye from the energy and the environmental point of views and slight better option from the economic view. Considering these results, monetarization of the CO 2 eq. reductions of tall wheatgrass compared to rye is essential to improve its profit margin and promote the implantation of this new crop in marginal areas of farms.
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 2019
Physical activity (PA) is highly beneficial for people with haemophilia (PWH), however, studies t... more Physical activity (PA) is highly beneficial for people with haemophilia (PWH), however, studies that objectively monitor the PA in this population are scarce. This study aimed to monitor the daily PA and analyse its evolution over time in a cohort of PWH using a commercial activity tracker. In addition, this work analyses the relationship between PA levels, demographics, and joint health status, as well as the acceptance and adherence to the activity tracker. Twenty-six PWH were asked to wear a Fitbit Charge HR for 13 weeks. According to the steps/day in the first week, data were divided into two groups: Active Group (AG; ≥10,000 steps/day) and Non-Active Group (NAG; <10,000 steps/day). Correlations between PA and patient characteristics were studied using the Pearson coefficient. Participants’ user experience was analysed with a questionnaire. The 10,000 steps/day was reached by 57.7% of participants, with 12,603 (1525) and 7495 (1626) being the mean steps/day of the AG and NAG,...
Haemophilia, 2019
Haemarthrosis is the most common morbidity in patients with haemophilia and involves severe disab... more Haemarthrosis is the most common morbidity in patients with haemophilia and involves severe disability and reduced health-related quality of life (HRQoL). 1,2 Bleeding occurs into the joints in 70%-80% of cases, mainly on knees, elbows and ankles. 3 Once the acute phase of a haemarthrosis has been controlled and the risk of bleeding reduced, supervised rehabilitation, as well as follow-up of joint changes over time and effective physiotherapy interventions, is needed. 2 Clinical scores like Haemophilia Joint Health Score 2.1 (HJHS), 4 as well as Gilbert score, 5 are usually used for the haemophiliac joint assessment. The joint range of motion (ROM), recognized as an important health component and a potential area of impairment, 6 is one of the clinical parameters evaluated in these scores, due to the importance of preventing joint limitations and loss of functionality resulting from bleeding episodes. The goniometer is the most common method to measure ROM because it is simple and easy-to-use. Its use is recommended in the clinical setting when the pathologic situation not require a measurement accuracy greater than ± 10°. 7 Currently, the patients' follow-up, as well as the compliance with their programs of physical therapy after bleeding episodes, is supervised in repeated appointments at the referral hospital. However,