Using Depth Cameras to Detect Patterns in Oral Presentations: A Case Study Comparing Two Generations of Computer Engineering Students.

Speaking and presenting in public are critical skills for academic and professional development. These skills are demanded across society, and their development and evaluation are a challenge faced by higher education institutions. There are some challenges to evaluate objectively, as well as to generate valuable information to professors and appropriate feedback to students. In this paper, in order to understand and detect patterns in oral student presentations, we collected data from 222 Computer Engineering (CE) fresh students at three different times, over two different years (2017 and 2018). For each presentation, using a developed system and Microsoft Kinect, we have detected 12 features related to corporal postures and oral speaking. These features were used as input for the clustering and statistical analysis that allowed for identifying three different clusters in the presentations of both years, with stronger patterns in the presentations of the year 2017. A Wilcoxon rank-sum test allowed us to evaluate the evolution of the presentations attributes over each year and pointed out a convergence in terms of the reduction of the number of features statistically different between presentations given at the same course time. The results can further help to give students automatic feedback in terms of their postures and speech throughout the presentations and may serve as baseline information for future comparisons with presentations from students coming from different undergraduate courses.

Pilates Exercise for Hypertensive Patients: A Review of the Literature.

Systemic arterial hypertension (SAH) has a prevalence of approximately 1 billion cases worldwide. The main goals for its treatment involve changes in a patient's lifestyle, with a strategy of management that aims to increase his or her level of physical activity, with a recommendation for aerobic and resistance exercise. Some evidence has suggested that training with isometric exercises can produce effects similar to aerobic exercise on blood pressure reduction. Conventional exercises that are currently used in rehabilitation of hypertensive patients show low adherence, with a lack of motivation on the part of those patients. In that context, the Pilates method, which uses isometric exercises, has been gaining in popularity and worldwide acceptance, and it has the potential to be an effective method. The current literature review shows the possible benefits of the Pilates method for rehabilitation of hypertensive patients. However, even though the method is a promising modality, the authors have found that future research appears to be necessary to evaluate the benefits of Pilates for hypertensive patients.

Pilates Method for Lung Function and Functional Capacity in Obese Adults.

Obesity is defined as the condition in which the body mass index (BMI) is ≥ 30 kg/m2 and is responsible for decreased quality of life and functional limitations. The harmful effects on ventilatory function include reduced lung capacity and volume; diaphragmatic muscle weakness; decreased lung compliance and stiffness; and weakness of the abdominal muscles, among others. Pilates is a method of resistance training that works with low-impact muscle exercises and is based on isometric exercises. The current article is a review of the literature that aims to investigate the hypothesis that the Pilates method, as a complementary method of training, might be beneficial to pulmonary function and functional capacity in obese adults. The intent of the review was to evaluate the use of Pilates as an innovative intervention in the respiratory dysfunctions of obese adults. In studies with other populations, it has been observed that Pilates can be effective in improving chest capacity and expansion and lung volume. That finding is due to the fact that Pilates works through the center of force, made ​​up of the abdominal muscles and gluteus muscles lumbar, which are responsible for the stabilization of the static and dynamic body that is associated with breath control. It has been observed that different Pilates exercises increase the activation and recruitment of the abdominal muscles. Those muscles are important in respiration, both in expiration and inspiration, through the facilitation of diaphragmatic action. In that way, strengthening the abdominal muscles can help improve respiratory function, leading to improvements in lung volume and capacity. The results found in the current literature review support the authors' observations that Pilates promotes the strengthening of the abdominal muscles and that improvements in diaphragmatic function may result in positive outcomes in respiratory function, thereby improving functional capacity. However, the authors did not find specific studies with obese people, justifying the need for future studies.

Benefits of Hip Hop Dance for obese children and adolescents: A systematic review / Hip Hop como atividade física para crianças e adolescentes obesos: Uma revisão sistemática

The infant juvenile obesity is currently one of the most serious public health problems of the 21st century, being directly related to physical inactivity as a decisive factor in the worldwide epidemic. The programs of conventional workouts have become not so attractive for this particular population. Because of that the access and permanence in those structured physical activity programs for obese adolescents are difficult. This systematic review has the general goal to verify what benefits the systematic practice of hip hop dance, can promote in obese children and adolescents. The search for relevant articles was conducted in the electronic databases Medline (Pubmed), Cochrane, LILACS, SciELO from January through June 2014, being structured as [(hip hop /) and (obesity /) and (children/ adolescent), controlled and randomized trials were included regarding the systematic practice of hip hop dance as exercise and its benefits for obese children and adolescents, subjects aged 2-19, considered obese and/or overweight. A total of 21 articles were identified in the survey. Based on the found eligible articles for the full review, only one article met all the inclusion criteria. This preliminary study is intended to broaden the context in health for adolescents and children suffering from overweight and/or obesity, recommending an intervention through dance hip hop, it would be an important modality association for possible monitoring and reducing the risk of associated comorbidities. In this field of research, there is a lack of studies of high methodological quality, which may be able to demonstrate the benefits of this type of intervention.

A obesidade juvenil infantil é atualmente um dos mais graves problemas de saúde pública do século 21, estando diretamente relacionada à inatividade física como um fator decisivo na epidemia mundial. Os programas de exercícios convencionais tornaram-se não tão atrativos para essa população específica. Por conta disto o aceso e permanência em programas de atividade física estruturados para adolescentes obesos são difíceis. Esta revisão sistemática tem o objetivo geral de verificar quais os benefícios que a prática sistemática de dança hip hop, pode promover em crianças e adolescentes obesos. A busca de artigos científicos foi realizada nas bases Medline eletrônica (Pubmed), Cochrane, LILACS, SciELO, de janeiro a junho de 2014, que está sendo estruturado como [(hip hop /) e (obesidade /) e (crianças / adolescentes), estudos controlados e randomizados foram incluídos que investigassem à prática sistemática da dança hip hop como exercício e seus benefícios para crianças e adolescentes obesos, indivíduos com idades entre 2-19, considerados obesos e / ou excesso de peso. Um total de 21 artigos foram identificados na pesquisa. Com base nos artigos encontrados elegíveis para a revisão completa, apenas um artigo cumpriu todos os critérios de inclusão. Este estudo preliminar destina-se a ampliar o contexto em saúde para adolescentes e crianças que sofrem de excesso de peso e / ou obesidade, recomendando uma intervenção através da dança hip hop, como uma importante modalidade que pode ser associada no monitoramento e redução do risco de comorbidades associadas. Neste campo de pesquisa, há uma carência de estudos de alta qualidade metodológica, capzes de demonstrar os benefícios deste tipo de intervenção.

Prevalence of overweight and obesity in children and adolescents from the age range of 2 to 19 years old in Brazil.

Introduction. Infant juvenile obesity is currently a worldwide public health problem and it is increasing at alarming rate in the Brazilian population, showing its relevance in terms of public health. Objectives. Determine the prevalence of overweight and obesity in children and adolescents between 2 and 19 years old in different regions of Brazil. Methods. The following electronic databases were searched (from September through November 2013): Medline (PubMed), LILACS, and SciELO, using the descriptors and Boolean operators (obesity) and (overweight) and (child) and (prevalence) and (Brazil). Prospective and/or cross-sectional designs studies were found regarding the prevalence of overweight and obese children and adolescents in the five regions of Brazil. Results. A total of 191 scientific articles were found of which 17 met all inclusion criteria. A higher prevalence of overweight was found in the south (25.7%) and north (28.8%) of the country, and obesity in the southeast (15.4%) and south (10.4%). Conclusions. The scope of the studies was mostly based on municipal coverage, which resulted in limitations for conclusive analysis, showing the need for further studies of prevalence at the national level, with emphasis on public health in obese children and adolescents throughout the Brazilian territory.