Submitted by Fabiana Gonçalves Pinto (benf@ndc.uff.br) on 2017-03-07T18:26:02Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Isabelle Andrade Silveira.pdf: 1744842 bytes, checksum: 517b4f56d05e86c90f2f3978129e864a (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2017-03-07T18:26:02Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Isabelle Andrade Silveira.pdf: 1744842 bytes, checksum: 517b4f56d05e86c90f2f3978129e864a (MD5) Previous issue date: 2016 / Mestrado Acadêmico em Ciências do Cuidado em Saúde / Introdução: O Leg Ulcer Measurement Tool é um instrumento desenvolvido no Canadá especificamente para avaliar úlceras de perna. Composto por 14 itens classificados como domínios avaliados clinicamente e 3 domínios avaliados pelo paciente. A primeira parte do instrumento avalia as características da lesão e a segunda parte avalia a intensidade e frequência da dor e a qualidade de vida. Objetivos: Traduzir e adaptar transculturamente o LUMT para língua portuguesa do Brasil; Validar o conteúdo do instrumento traduzido através do Comitê de Juízes; Avaliar a praticabilidade da versão final do instrumento em pacientes com úlceras de perna. Método: Pesquisa metodológica que seguiu as etapas de tradução e adaptação transcultural recomendadas por Guillemin, Bombardier e Beaton (1993), as quais incluem: tradução inicial; síntese das traduções; retrotradução; avaliação das versões por um comitê de juízes e a realização do pré-teste. O protocolo de pesquisa foi submetido ao Comitê de Ética em Pesquisa da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade Federal Fluminense e aprovado sob o número 1.585.542, CAAE 56252216.2.0000.5243. Resultados: Na primeira etapa, foram realizadas duas traduções do instrumento e das instruções; na segunda etapa em uma reunião consensual com as duas tradutoras e as autoras desse estudo as discrepâncias entre as traduções iniciais foram resolvidas e gerada uma versão síntese; na terceira etapa, a versão síntese do instrumento e das instruções foram retrotraduzidas para o inglês por duas tradutoras independentes a fim de verificar a equivalência com a versão original e nenhuma destas apresentou discrepâncias importantes em relação ao instrumento original; na quarta etapa, um comitê de juízes analisou a versão síntese e as retrotraduções com relação à equivalência semântica e idiomática e julgou adequada a versão do instrumento em língua portuguesa; na quinta e última etapa o LUMT na língua portuguesa foi aplicado por enfermeiros em pacientes com úlceras de perna e avaliada sua praticabilidade na prática clínica, e o mesmo foi considerado apropriado e aplicável. Conclusão: Atingiu-se o objetivo proposto de realizar a tradução e adaptação transcultural do LUMT para a língua portuguesa do Brasil. Durante as etapas percorridas foi viável perceber a viabilidade da utilização do mesmo na realidade brasileira. Este estudo metodológico contribui para a área da saúde na disponibilização de um instrumento específico para avaliação de úlceras de perna e para a comparação de resultados internacionalmente de forma mais acurada e fidedigna, fortalecendo a homogeneidade dos dados coletados / Introduction: The Leg Ulcer Measurement Tool is a tool developed in Canada specifically to evaluate leg ulcers. Composed of 14 items classified as domains assessed clinically and 3 domains assessed by the patient. The first part of the instrument evaluates the characteristics of the lesion and the second part evaluates the intensity and frequency of pain and quality of life. Objectives: To translate and adapt culturally the LUMT into Portuguese of Brazil; Validate the instrument content translated through the Judges Committee; To evaluate the feasibility of the final version of the instrument in patients with leg ulcers. Method: Methodology research that followed the steps of translation and cultural adaptation recommended by Guillemin, Bombardier and Beaton (1993), which include: initial translation; synthesis of translations; back translation; evaluation of versions by a panel of judges and the pretest. The research protocol was submitted to the Ethics Committee of the Medical School of the Universidade Federal Fluminense and approved under number 1585542, CAAE 56252216.2.0000.5243. Results: In the first stage, there were two translations of the instrument and instructions; in the second stage in a consensus meeting with the two translators and the authors of this study the discrepancies between the initial translations were resolved and generated a summary version; the third step, the synthesis version of the instrument and instructions were back-translated into English by two independent translators to verify the equivalence with the original version and none of them was important discrepancies in the original instrument; the fourth stage, a committee of judges examined the synthesis version and back translations regarding the semantic and idiomatic equivalence and deemed appropriate instrument version in Portuguese; in the fifth and final stage, the LUMT in Portuguese was applied by nurses in patients with leg ulcers and assessed its feasibility in clinical practice, and it was considered appropriate and applicable. Conclusion: It was reached the proposed objective of performing the translation and cultural adaptation of LUMT into Portuguese of Brazil. During the covered steps it was possible to realize the feasibility of using the same in the Brazilian reality. This methodological study contributes to the health sector in the provision of a specific instrument for evaluating leg ulcers and to compare results internationally more accurately and reliably, strengthening the homogeneity of the data collected

Nonverbal communication such as body language is a vital component of our communication, and since scholars agree that there are some notable differences in the way men and women use body language, the study of gendered nonverbal communication as a social construction is vital to our understanding of how we create gendered identities. The aim of this paper is to investigate how social gender norms concerning body language appear in constructed communication. By studying the body language of the characters in the American sitcom Friends, and with focus on leg postures, I examine how the show Friends enacts and represents stereotyped sex differences in body language. The study encompasses both the distribution of leg positions between the genders, and what these postures seem to accomplish in interaction. As for the relationship between gender and leg postures, I observed the sitting positions of the characters Chandler, Ross, Joey, Monica and Rachel in six episodes from the 1999/2000 season of Friends for the first study. For the analysis of leg postures in relation to the communicative situation, the entire corpus of ten episode recordings was used. Based on repeated inspection of scenes where leg positions could be studied in relation to gender and communication, systematic patterns were identified. The results of the study are consistent with the findings of scholars like Vrugt and Luyerink (2000); women tend to sit in closed postures or with their legs crossed, which is regarded feminine, while men sit in wide positions with their legs spread, which is regarded masculine. Furthermore, the characters/actors in Friends seem to perform their gender roles partly by using different leg positions and wideness of postures. However, leg positions alone were not found to be decisive in the messages communicated, and emotions and stance were communicated using verbal and other non-verbal channels and cues. Instead, leg positions remained gender-stereotypical regardless of the message communicated, and men and women seem to communicate the same message using different leg positions. It is therefore concluded that leg positions are an inherent part of “doing gender”, but that leg positions as such are not necessarily related to the type of message or emotional stance that is communicated.

La recherche d’une locomotion performante sur des terrains accidentés constitue encore à l’heure actuelle un défi pour les systèmes robotisés de toutes sortes s’y attelant. Les robots hybrides de type “roues-pattes”, qui tentent d’allier l’efficacité énergétique des roues à l’agilité des pattes, en sont un exemple aux capacités potentiellement très prometteuses. Malheureusement, le contrôle de telles structures s’avère rapidement problématique du fait des redondances cinématiques, mais aussi et surtout de la difficulté que pose la connaissance exacte de la géométrie du sol à mesure que le robot avance. Cette thèse propose alors une réponse à la complexité des systèmes roulants reconfigurables par une approche synergique entre compliance et actionnement. Pour cela, nous proposons d’exploiter une décomposition idéalement orthogonale entre les différentes formes de compliances qui réalisent la suspension du robot. Ainsi, l’actionnement au sein de la structure est ici dédié à un contrôle des efforts verticaux s’exerçant sur les roues, tandis que les déplacements horizontaux de ces dernières sont le fait d’une raideur passive combinée à une modulation locale des vitesses d’entraînement. La posture du robot est maîtrisée via l’asservissement des forces verticales fournies par un actionnement de type série-élastique. Ceci permet de garantir une adaptation spontanée de la hauteur des roues tout en conservant l’ascendant sur la distribution de la charge. La faisabilité d’un tel système de locomotion est validée à travers un prototype reposant sur quatre “roues-pattes” compliantes. Celui-ci, entièrement conçu dans le cadre de cette étude, approche la décomposition fonctionnelle proposée tout en répondant aux contraintes de réalisation et de robustesse. Tirant parti de la décomposition fonctionnelle proposée pour la structure, deux procédés de commande sont présentés afin de réaliser le franchissement des obstacles : le premier vise à exploiter l’inertie du châssis pour réaliser une modification locale des forces verticales appliquées aux roues, tandis que le second est basé sur la sélection d’un mode de répartition des efforts adaptés à la poursuite d’une évolution quasi-statique en toutes circonstances. Pour cette dernière commande, deux méthodes de synthèse sont abordées : l’une via un algorithme d’apprentissage de type “Q-learning” et l’autre par détermination de règles expertes paramétrées. Ces commandes, validées par des simulations dynamiques dans des situations variées, se basent exclusivement sur des données proprioceptives accessibles immédiatement par la mesure des variables articulaires de la structure. De cette manière, le robot réagit directement au contact des obstacles, sans avoir besoin de connaître à l’avance la géométrie du sol. / Performing an efficient locomotion on rough terrains is still a challenge for robotic systems of all kinds. “Wheel-on-leg” robots that try to combine energy efficiency of wheels with leg agility are an example with potentially very promising capabilities. Unfortunately, control of such structures turns out to be problematic because of the kinematic redundanciesand, above all, the difficulty of precisely evaluating the ground geometry as the robot advances. This thesis proposes a solution to the complexity of reconfigurable rolling systems by a synergic approach between compliance and actuation.To this purpose, we propose to exploit an ideally orthogonal decomposition between the different movements enabled by the robot suspension due to compliant elements. Then, the structure actuation is here dedicated to controlling the vertical forces applied on wheels, while the horizontal wheel displacements are due to a passive stiffness combined with a local modulation of wheel speed. The robot posture is controlled through the vertical forces servoing provided by a series elastic actuation. This ensures a spontaneous adaptation of wheel heights while keeping the control on load distribution. The feasibility of such a locomotion system is validated through a prototype based on four compliant “wheel-legs”. Entirely conceived as part of this study, this one approximates the proposed functional decomposition while meeting the realization and robustness constraints. We also present two control methods that take advantage of the functional decompositionproposed for the structure in order to cross obstacles. The first one aims to exploit the chassis inertia in order to perform a local modification of the vertical forces applied on wheels, while the second one is based on the selection of proper ways of distributing forces in order to be able to pursue a quasi-static advance in all circumstances. Two approaches are given for the production of the last control : either with a “Q-learning” algorithm or by determining parameterized expert rules. Validated by dynamic simulations in various situations, these controls rely only on proprioceptive data immediately provided by the measurement of articular variables. This way, the robot directly reacts when it touches obstacles, without having to know the ground geometry in advance.

Cricket umpiring is demanding. In today’s world where so much technology is available to television viewers, they expect perfect umpiring, forgetting that what they see on their television screens is not available to the umpires standing in the middle of the field making the decisions. This study aimed to examine cricket umpires on-field decisions during the 2007 ICC Cricket World Cup. Examining leg before wicket (LBW) and caught behind decisions, in particular. The researcher made use of a notational analysis program known as Umpirestat to collect the necessary data on each umpire. The umpires were examined in two groups Elite and International umpires (groupings defined by the ICC) and were compared to a base line in the form of Hawk-Eye for LBW decisions and TV replays for caught behind decisions. The umpire groups were compared to each other and then to the base line, an individual umpire comparison was then done within each grouping. The data was statistically analysed using percentages, chi squared and modelling for the Elite Umpires. For LBW decisions there was a difference of 2.02% between Elite and International umpires, showing a similarity between the two groups. The difference between Elite Umpires and Hawk-Eye was 18.83% and between International umpires and Hawk-Eye was 16.81%, showing difference between the three groups. It was found that there was a difference of 3.63% for caught behind decisions between Elite and International umpires, showing a similarity between the two groups. The difference between Elite Umpires and TV replays was 2.99% and between International umpires and TV replays there was 0.64%, showing similarities between the three groups. In conclusion, for LBW appeals there is a similarity between Elite and International umpire groupings however a difference exists between Hawk-Eye and both groupings of umpires. For the individual umpires LBW comparison the following was seen for the International umpires; no real conclusions could be drawn due to limited amounts of data collected on them. However, variances in individual performances were seen within the International umpire grouping. For Elite Umpires, it is clearly seen in the model that the umpires expected number of dismissals got closer together and almost group together at around four appeals. This indicates a strong consensus amongst umpires when dealing with four, five and six appeals during a match. This consensus is more pronounced for four and five appeals. In conclusion, for caught behind appeals there is a similarity between Elite and International umpires as well as a similarity between replays and both groups of umpires. For the individual umpires caught behind comparison the following was seen for the International umpires; as with the LBW results there was limited amount of data available for the caught behind results. Thus no real conclusions could be drawn for International umpire caught behind decisions, although when examining the percentage data, differences can be seen. For the individual umpires caught behind comparison the following was seen for the Elite Umpires, no consensus is seen between the umpires - they all appear to have different expected dismissals to one another. Copyright / Dissertation (MA)--University of Pretoria, 2010. / Biokinetics, Sport and Leisure Sciences / unrestricted

Bakgrund: Bensår är ett tillstånd som blir allt vanligare i Sverige, ökar i takt med hög ålder och definieras som sår som inte läkt inom sex veckor. Att leva med en kronisk hudsjukdom innebär att anpassningar i det dagliga livet måste ske. Syfte: Syftet med föreliggande studie var att beskriva hur personer med bensår upplever sin vardag samt att beskriva vilka undersökningsgrupper som ingick i de inkluderade artiklarna. Metod: En beskrivande litteraturstudie som inkluderade tio stycken vetenskapliga artiklar som söktes fram i databaserna Cinahl och PubMed. Huvudresultat: Bensår påverkade personernas liv fysiskt, psykiskt och socialt. Stora faktorer som bidrog till begränsningar i det dagliga livet var förekomsten av smärta, depression samt rädsla för att utöva fysisk aktivitet. Kontakten med vården var en stor del av vardagen, där personerna upplevde att vården tog upp mycket tid och personerna upplevde även att sjuksköterskorna hade för lite kunskap avseende deras sjukdom och lidande. I artiklarna som utgör resultatet var det mellan 5-1824 deltagare, de flesta deltagarna var kvinnor, åldersspannet var mellan 18 - 104 år, det var främst venösa bensår som förekom och deltagarna hade haft sina bensår mellan 6 veckor - 43 år. Slutsatser: Att leva med ett bensår skapade begränsningar i det dagliga livet och smärta, depression samt rädsla för att utöva fysiskt aktivitet förekom. Det är viktigt som sjuksköterska att uppmärksamma denna patientgrupp för att ge ett professionellt bemötande och en god omvårdnad. / Background: A Leg ulcer is a condition that is becoming more common in Sweden with higher age. Leg ulcers are defined as wounds that are not healed within six weeks. Living with a chronic skin disease means that adaptions in daily life must happen. Aim: The purpose of this study was to describe how people with leg ulcers experience their daily life and to describe which study groups are applied in the included articles. Method: A descriptive literature study that includes ten scientific articles which were searched in the databases Cinahl and PubMed. Main result: Leg ulcer affected people's lives physically, psychologically and socially. Major factors that contributed to daily life limitations where the presence of pain, depression and fear of performing physical activity. The contact with healthcare was a major part of everyday life, were the persons perceived that care took up a lot of time and the persons also found that the nurses had little knowledge about their illness and suffering. In the articles that represented the result there were between 5-1824 participants, most of the participants were women, the age range was between 18-104 years, it was mainly venous leg ulcers that occurred and the participants have had leg ulcer between 6 weeks - 43 years. Conclusion: Living with a leg ulcer created limitation in daily life as a result of pain, depression and fear of performing physical activity. As a nurse it is very important to pay attention to this patient group to provide professional treatment and good care.

Skridskoåkning är en avgörande faktor för prestation i ishockey och styrka (i nedre extremitet) är i sin tur avgörande för hur snabb spelaren är på isen. Syftet med denna studie är att undersöka sambandet mellan power off-ice och skidskosnabbhet på is. Sju män 19.5 ± 0.5 år vid ett gymnasium ställde upp i studien och genomförde ett testbatteri bestående av Ishockeyförbundets styrketester samt Effektmätning vid knäböj. Variabler i dessa styrketester korrelerades sedan mot deltagarnas resultat i skridskotestet Acceleration & Speed för att bestämma vilka styrkevariabler som är relevanta för skridskosnabbhet. Resultaten visade signifikanta samband mellan absolut styrka i frivändning och tid på total skridskosträcka (ρ=0.77, p<0.05) samt hastighetssträckan (ρ=0.77, p=<0.05). Signifikant samband kunde även påvisas mellan relativ styrka i frivändning och hastighetssträckan (ρ=0.71, p<0.05). Slutsatsen av denna studie är att delar av testbatteriet är relevant för att anskaffa information om en spelares maximala åkhastighet. / Skating is a key factor for a successful ice hockey player and strength in the lower extremity is therefore a crucial factor for determination of a players speed on the ice. The purpose of this study was to investigate the correlation between power, tested off-ice, and skating speed on ice. Seven male ice hockey players aged 19.5 ± 0.5 years were recruited from a local highschool. They completed a test battery consisting of the Swedish Ice hockey associations strength tests and power measurements in squat. In order to determine which strength variable is the most relevant to skating speed the strength variables were correlated to the results in a skating test called Acceleration and Speed. The results showed significant correlations between 1RM in clean and time on total distance (ρ=0.77, p<0.05) and velocity (ρ=0.77, p=<0.05) in the skating test. A significant correlation was also found between relative strength in clean and velocity (ρ=0.71, p<0.05). The conclusion of this study was that parts of the testing battery is relevant for use when collecting information on a players maximum skating speed.

Bakgrund: Kroniska venösa bensår är ett bensår som inte läker inom sex veckor. Bensår kan förekomma på grund av olika omständigheter som underliggande sjukdom eller från yttre skada som leder till en cirkulationsstörning i benet och uppkommer då hudlagren bryts ner vilket kan påverka djupare vävnader. Vanlig behandling är kompressionsbehandling vilket kan behövas även efter läkning för att förebygga återkommande av bensår. Behandlingstiden är ofta lång vilket leder till kontakt med vården under en längre tid. Syfte: Syftet med litteraturstudien var att beskriva personer med kroniska venösa bensårs erfarenheter av kroniska venösa bensår. Metod: En beskrivande litteraturstudie som sammanställt 13 vetenskapliga artiklar med kvalitativ ansats. Huvudresultat: I resultatet framkom det att flera av deltagarna i studierna fått en negativ påverkan i vardagen på grund av de symtom och behandling bensåren medförde. Kompressionsbehandling och sårvård visade sig vara påfrestande och kunde utföras både i deltagarnas egna hem och på mottagningar. Begränsningar i vardagen medförde att ångest och depression utvecklades och flera valde att självisolera sig. Information och stöd var en avgörande faktor som bidrog till att deltagarna hade bristande förståelse för behandlingen, vilket påverkade förtroendet för vårdpersonalen. Eget ansvar för rörelse och näringsrik kost visade sig ha en positiv effekt för hälsan och sårens läkningsprocess. Slutsats: Personers erfarenheter av kroniska venösa bensår innefattade flera negativa upplevelser som påverkade livskvaliteten. Information, kunskap och förståelse visade sig vara en betydande faktor i förhållandet mellan de utsatta personerna och sjuksköterskan. Mer kunskap och utbildning behövs inom området. / Background: Chronic venous leg ulcers are leg ulcers that do not heal within six weeks. Leg ulcers can occur due to various circumstances such as underlying disease or from external damage that leads to a circulatory disorder in the leg. Leg ulcers occur when the skin layers break down, which can affect deeper tissues. Common treatment is compression treatment which may be needed even after healing to prevent the recurrence of leg ulcers. The treatment time is often long, which leads to contact with healthcare personnel for a longer period of time. Aim: The purpose of the literature study was to describe people with chronic venous leg ulcers' experiences of chronic venous leg ulcers. Method: A descriptive literature study that compiled 13 scientific articles with a qualitative approach. Main results: The results showed that several of the participants in the studies had a negative impact on everyday life due to the symptoms and treatment caused by the leg ulcers. Compression therapy and wound care proved to be frustrating for the participants and could be performed both in their own homes and at clinics. Limitations in everyday life led to anxiety and depression developed and many chose to self-isolate. Information and support was a decisive factor that contributed to the participants in the result having a lack of understanding of the treatment, which affected the confidence of the care staff. Own responsibility for exercise and a nutritious diet proved to have a positive effect on health and the wound healing process. Conclusion: People's experiences of chronic venous leg ulcers include several negative experiences that affect the quality of life. Information, knowledge and understanding have proven to be a significant factor in the relationship between the vulnerable people and the nurse. More knowledge and education is needed in the area.

The goal of the work is restore a quadruped walking spider-type robot named Jaromír. Part of the work is a body design that is then printed on a 3D printer. Another part is the design and creation of a new control board, which’ll include sensor equipment appropriate for robot operation. Subsequently, the thesis deals with the design of the tactile sensor’s and their fitting on the legs. The final part is implementation of the algorithm for robot control. The goal was to put the model to a state where it could be used for learning and presentations.

This thesis is devoted to the design model of the lower limbs crash test dummies. It describes how the dummy developed historically, what are currently available for crash tests, what they are made and what their future will be. The main motive of the work is to design a model of lower limb for crash tests, with emphasis on the human anatomy. The work is characterized by how the figurine is produced using the form from material Thermolyne Clear, wood as a substitute human bones and the agar substitutes such as human muscle.

L’expansion volémique est le traitement de première intention de l’insuffisance circulatoire aiguë dans presque tous les cas. Cependant, son efficacité très inconstante et ses effets secondaires incitent à en prédire les effets avant de l’entreprendre. Plusieurs tests ont été développés pour détecter cet état de précharge dépendance, et nous nous sommes intéressés au perfectionnement de certains d’entre eux et à la description de leurs limites.Le test de passive leg raising (PLR) repose sur le transfert de sang veineux depuis le territoire veineux splanchnique et les membres inférieurs vers le thorax. Nous avons démontré qu’en cas d’hypertension intra-abdominale, la valeur diagnostique du test était plus faible, avec l’apparition de nombreux cas de faux négatifs. Cette limite du PLR test est importante en raison de la prévalence de l’hypertension intra-abdominale chez les patients de soins intensifs.Les effets de ce test doivent être appréciés sur le débit cardiaque, et plusieurs méthodes ont déjà été décrites pour cela. Nous avons d’abord pu montrer que celle qui consiste à mesurer les effets du test sur les débits artériels carotidien et fémoral n’était pas fiable, avec une très mauvaise corrélation entre les changements de débit cardiaque et ceux de ces deux débits artériels. En revanche, nous avons décrit une méthode originale et fiable pour mesurer les effets du test, qui consiste en la mesure de l’indice de perfusion (IP), rapport entre la portion pulsatile et non pulsatile du signal de saturation pulsée en oxygène. Même si le signal ne pouvait pas être recueilli de façon stable chez tous les patients, les changements de cet indice lors du PLR permettaient de mesurer ses effets et de détecter la précharge dépendance. Ces résultats ouvrent la possibilité de mesurer les effets du test grâce à un outil non-invasif et pouvant être utilisé chez tous les patients en réanimation et au bloc opératoire.Enfin, nous avons appliqué la mesure de l’IP à un autre test détectant la précharge dépendance, le test d’occlusion télé-expiratoire. Il consiste à interrompre la ventilation mécanique pendant quelques secondes et à observer les changements simultanés du débit cardiaque. Même s’ils sont de plus faible amplitude que ceux induits par le PLR, ces changements étaient correctement suivis par les modifications de l’IP et ils détectaient de façon fiable la précharge dépendance. / Volume expansion is the first-line treatment of acute circulatory failure in almost all cases. However, its inconsistent effectiveness and side effects encourage to predict its effects before undertaking it. Several tests have been developed to detect preload responsiveness and we have sought to improve some of them and describe their limits.The passive leg raising (PLR) test is based on the transfer of some venous blood from the venous compartment of the splanchnic compartment and the lower limbs toward the thorax. We have shown that, in case of intra-abdominal hypertension, the diagnostic value of the test was lower, with many cases false negatives cases. This limitation of the PLR test is of importance because of the prevalence of intra-abdominal hypertension in critically ill patients.The effects of this test should be evaluated on cardiac output, and several methods have already been described for this evaluation. First, we have shown that measuring the effects of the test on carotid and femoral arterial flows was unreliable, with a very poor correlation between changes in cardiac output and those in these two arterial flows. Second, we have described an original and reliable method for measuring the effects of the test, which consists in measuring the perfusion index (PI), the ratio between the pulsatile and non-pulsatile portions of the pulse oximetry signal. Although a stable signal could not be obtained in all patients, changes in this index during PLR allowed the measurement of its effects and the detection of preload responsiveness. These results open up the possibility of measuring the effects of the test with a non-invasive tool that can be used in all patients in the intensive care unit and the operating room.Finally, we applied the PI measurement to another test of preload responsiveness, the end-expiratory occlusion test. It consists in interrupting mechanical ventilation for a few seconds and observing simultaneous changes in cardiac output. Although the changes are smaller than those induced by PLR, these changes were well tracked by PI changes and reliably detected preload dependence.