RCAAP Repository

Introduction: Cerebrovascular diseases result in sensory-motor deficits disturbing postural control that is observed by weight-bearing asymmetries commonly named as hemiparesis. Besides hemiparetic impairments, first observed after stroke, many studies have pointed cardiac failure and risk of sudden death as the main factors responsible for death of stroke survivars. This case series characterized weight-bearing asymmetries and heart rate variability, and describes relationships between these parameters in hemiparesis. Case Series: Brazilian male subjects with chronic hemiparesis acquired after ischemic stroke in the middle cerebral artery. Five were selected to study heart rate variability obtained by Root Mean Square Successive Difference. Also, weight-bearing asymmetries were measured by Symmetry Ratio calculated by weight-bearing recorded between each foot. The Symmetry Ratio was 1.1±0.43 for all cases presenting a symmetry case (n = 1) and different types of asymmetries cases (n = 4) during upright position. Root Mean Square Successive Difference was 9.9±3.4, presenting strong and significant (p < 0.05) positive correlation with age and a strong but not significant (0.05 < p < 0.10) negative correlation with hemiparesis chronicity. A strong but not significant negative correlation was observed between the Root Mean Square Successive Difference and the Symmetry Rate values. Conclusion: A characteristic pattern of heart rate variability for patients with cerebrovascular disease was observed in these cases, associated significantly with age. Still, this behavior seems to be influenced by chronicity and by different types of asymmetries in the distribution of weight bearing that could be investigated in more appropriate clinical research designs.

OBJETIVO: Este estudo investiga os efeitos do flúor suplementar sobre as características dos ossos de ratas ovariectomizadas (castradas), utilizadas como modelo de osteoporose experimental, por meio da correlação entre os parâmetros biomecânicos e as propriedades físicas e químicas desses ossos. MÉTODOS: No início do experimento, 78 ratas Wistar, com quatro meses de idade, foram divididas em oito grupos: grupo basal, que gerou os parâmetros iniciais do experimento; grupo 1, formado por ratas não ovariectomizadas; e os grupos 2 a 7, constituídos por ratas ovariectomizadas submetidas a dosagens de fluoreto de sódio (NaF) de 0, 20, 40, 60, 80 e 100mg/L em solução, respectivamente, durante dois meses. RESULTADOS: A ovariectomia promoveu osteopenia, observada pelos parâmetros morfométricos, físicos e químicos, provocando menor resistência biomecânica dos fêmures submetidos ao ensaio de flexão. Os ossos das ratas que ingeriram 40mg de flúor demonstraram melhores características físicas, bioquímicas e biomecânicas do que os das ratas ovariectomizadas sem tratamento e os das não ovariectomizadas. CONCLUSÃO: Além de promover uma proteção contra a perda óssea induzida pela deficiência de estrógenos causada pela castração, o flúor melhorou a qualidade óssea, demonstrada pelos resultados biomecânicos aumentados em relação ao grupo não ovariectomizado. _______________________________________________________________________________ ABSTRACT

A literatura médica reconhece que o envelhecimento predispõe a um consumo aumentado de medicamentos prescritos e não-prescritos. No entanto, mudanças fisiológicas relacionadas ao envelhecimento, tais como a modificação da composição corporal e a redução das funções renal e hepática, podem alterar em muito a farmacocinética e a farmacodinâmica de diversos fármacos, fazendo com que indivíduos idosos estejam suscetíveis com maior freqüência a efeitos adversos ou terapêuticos mais intensos. Neste cenário, a literatura médica tem sido constantemente enriquecida com estudos que apontam explicitamente para medicamentos específicos ou categorias de medicamentos cujo consumo por indivíduos idosos deve ser evitado ou utilizado com cautela. Este trabalho se propõe a descrever brevemente algumas informações consensuais acerca destes medicamentos impróprios para idosos, ressaltando alguns fármacos que se encontram disponíveis à população brasileira.

The objective of the present study was to compare the effect of acute exercise performed at different intensities in relation to the anaerobic threshold (AT) on abilities requiring control of executive functions or alertness in physically active elderly females. Forty-eight physically active elderly females (63.8 ± 4.6 years old) were assigned to one of four groups by drawing lots: control group without exercise or trial groups with exercise performed at 60, 90, or 110% of AT (watts) and submitted to 5 cognitive tests before and after exercise. Following cognitive pretesting, an incremental cycle ergometer test was conducted to determine AT using a fixed blood lactate concentration of 3.5 mmol/L as cutoff. Acute exercise executed at 90% of AT resulted in significant (P < 0.05, ANOVA) improvement in the performance of executive functions when compared to control in 3 of 5 tests (verbal fluency, Tower of Hanoi test (number of movements), and Trail Making test B). Exercising at 60% of AT did not improve results of any tests for executive functions, whereas exercise executed at 110% of AT only improved the performance in one of these tests (verbal fluency) compared to control. Women from all trial groups exhibited a remarkable reduction in the Simple Response Time (alertness) test (P = 0.001). Thus, physical exercise performed close to AT is more effective to improve cognitive processing of older women even if conducted acutely, and using a customized exercise prescription based on the anaerobic threshold should optimize the beneficial effects.

Background The absence of the I allele of the angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) gene has been associated with higher levels of circulating ACE, lower nitric oxide (NO) release and hypertension. The purposes of this study were to analyze the post-exercise salivary nitrite (NO2-) and blood pressure (BP) responses to different exercise intensities in elderly women divided according to their ACE genotype. Methods Participants (n = 30; II/ID = 20 and DD = 10) underwent three experimental sessions: incremental test - IT (15 watts workload increase/3 min) until exhaustion; 20 min exercise 90% anaerobic threshold (90% AT); and 20 min control session without exercise. Volunteers had their BP and NO2- measured before and after experimental sessions. Results Despite both intensities showed protective effect on preventing the increase of BP during post-exercise recovery compared to control, post-exercise hypotension and increased NO2- release was observed only for carriers of the I allele (p < 0.05). Conclusion Genotypes of the ACE gene may exert a role in post-exercise NO release and BP response.

Dissertação (mestrado)—Universidade de Brasília, Faculdade de Tecnologia, Departamento de Engenharia Elétrica, 2007.

The photogeneration of nitric oxide (NO) using laser flash photolysis was investigated for S-nitroso-glutathione (GSNO) and S-nitroso-N-acetylcysteine (NacySNO) at pH 6.4 (PBS/HCl) and 7.4 (PBS). Irradiation of S-nitrosothiol with light ( = 355 nm followed by absorption spectroscopy) resulted in the homolytic decomposition of NacySNO and GSNO to generate radicals (GS• and NacyS•) and NO. The release of NO from donor compounds measured with an ISO-Nometer apparatus was larger at pH 7.4 than pH 6.4. NacySNO was also incorporated into dipalmitoyl-phosphatidylcholine liposomes in the presence and absence of zinc phthalocyanine (ZnPC), a well-known photosensitizer useful for photodynamic therapy. Liposomes are usually used as carriers for hydrophobic compounds such as ZnPC. Inclusion of ZnPC resulted in a decrease in NO liberation in liposomal medium. However, there was a synergistic action of both photosensitizers and S-nitrosothiols resulting in the formation of other reactive species such as peroxynitrite, which is a potent oxidizing agent. These data show that NO release depends on pH and the medium, as well as on the laser energy applied to the system. Changes in the absorption spectrum were monitored as a function of light exposure.

Dissertação (mestrado)—Universidade de Brasília, Instituto de Química, 2012.

Dissertação (mestrado)—Universidade de Brasília, Faculdade de Agronomia e Medicina Veterinária, 2012.

Dissertação (mestrado)—Universidade de Brasília, Faculdade de Ciências da Saúde, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Enfermagem, 2012.

Dissertação (mestrado)—Universidade de Brasília, Faculdade de Economia, Administração, Contabilidade e Ciência da Informação e Documentação, Departamento de Economia, 2012.

Dissertação (mestrado)—Universidade de Brasília, Faculdade de Agronomia e Medicina Veterinária, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Agronegócios, 2012.

Dissertação (mestrado)—Universidade de Brasília, Faculdade de Educação Física, Programa de pós-graduação em Educação Física, Mestrado em Educação Física, 2012.

Dissertação (mestrado)—Universidade de Brasília, Faculdade de Tecnologia, Departamento de Engenharia Florestal, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Florestais, 2012.

Dissertação (mestrado)—Universidade de Brasília, Faculdade de Tecnologia, Departamento de Engenharia Florestal, 2008.

Dissertação (mestrado)—Universidade de Brasília, Faculdade Gama, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Engenharia Biomédica, 2012.

Dissertação (mestrado)—Universidade de Brasília, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Departamento de Biologia Celular, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biologia Molecular, 2012.

Dissertação (mestrado)—Universidade de Brasília, Faculdade de Economia, Administração, Contabilidade e Ciência Informação e Documentação, Programa de Pós-graduação em Administração, 2012.

Dissertação (mestrado)—Universidade de Brasília, Faculdade de Tecnologia, Pós-Graduação em Ciências Mecânicas, 2012.

Raman spectroscopy has been used to get some insight into the chemical composition and structure of magnetic fluids based on ferrites. The inner as well as the surface structure of Fe-maghemite and Zn-maghemite have characterized by Raman spectroscopy. It has been shown that different chemical species are present on the maghemite surface by changing the laser excitation energy. Maghemites modified by the adsorption of aspartic and glutamic acids as well as those modified by the adsorption of methylene blue(MB) have also been investigated by Raman spectroscopy. It has been shown that while FTIR (Fourier transform infrared) spectroscopy gives almost no information regarding to the surface species, Raman spectroscopy in and off resonance gives suitable information regarding to the adsorbate structure and bonding. The Raman spectroscopy study of the modified maghemites have shown that the organic acids adsorb on the maghemite surfarce as glutamate and aspartate chemically bounded to Fe(III) ions on the maghemite surface, and that MB, a cation, adsorbs on the maghemite surface as a monomer by ion pair formation with coadsorbed nitrate.