Autonomic hardware manager: uma arquitetura de hardware autonômico usando a solução de repositório ativo de componentes

This Thesis main objective is to implement a supporting architecture to Autonomic Hardware systems, capable of manage the hardware running in reconfigurable devices. The proposed architecture implements manipulation, generation and communication functionalities, using the Context Oriented Active Repository approach. The solution consists in a Hardware-Software based architecture called "Autonomic Hardware Manager (AHM)" that contains an Active Repository of Hardware Components. Using the repository the architecture will be able to manage the connected systems at run time allowing the implementation of autonomic features such as self-management, self-optimization, self-description and self-configuration. The proposed architecture also contains a meta-model that allows the representation of the Operating Context for hardware systems. This meta-model will be used as basis to the context sensing modules, that are needed in the Active Repository architecture. In order to demonstrate the proposed architecture functionalities, experiments were proposed and implemented in order to proof the Thesis hypothesis and achieved objectives. Three experiments were planned and implemented: the Hardware Reconfigurable Filter, that consists of an application that implements Digital Filters using reconfigurable hardware; the Autonomic Image Segmentation Filter, that shows the project and implementation of an image processing autonomic application; finally, the Autonomic Autopilot application that consist of an auto pilot to unmanned aerial vehicles. In this work, the applications architectures were organized in modules, according their functionalities. Some modules were implemented using HDL and synthesized in hardware. Other modules were implemented kept in software. After that, applications were integrated to the AHM to allow their adaptation to different Operating Context, making them autonomic.

Hiperidrose compensatória após simpatectomia toracoscópica: características, incidência e influência na satisfação do paciente

Hyperhidrosis is an idiopathic condition characterized by excessive sweating. Symptoms generally begin in childhood or early adolescence, and rarely improve with age. The excessive localized sweating generally occurs either spontaneously, or in association with stressful or emotionally charged situations. This prospective study aimed to investigate predictive factors for compensatory hyperhidrosis after thoracoscopic sympathicotomy. From 2000 to 2002, 80 patients (53 female and 27 male) underwent hyperhidrosis surgery. The patients, ranging from 12 to 56 years old, were studied and followed-up for 42.51 ±5.98 months. A satisfaction grading using a visual analogue scale -VAS (0 = not at all satisfied, and 10 = fully satisfied) was used. The surgical procedure was performed bilaterally on the second ganglion (T2) for facial hyperhidrosis, on the third and fourth ganglia (T3 and T4) for axillary hyperhidrosis, and on the third ganglion (T3) for palmar hyperhidrosis. The results showed that, 68 patients (85%) presented with compensatory sweating (CS), which was classified as mild (33.8%), moderate (33.8%) and severe (32.4%). Considering the final surgical results, 70 patients (87.5%) were satisfied with the outcome of the operation, while 10 patients (12.5%) were dissatisfied. Degrees of satisfaction varied according to sex, age, BMI and extent of denervation. Moreover, the compensatory hyperhidrosis was more severe in abdomen and back than in legs. In conclusion, although CS is a frequent adverse effect of sympathicotomy, the degree of patient satisfaction was high. Some factors were related to the occurrence and severity of CS and the most adequate patients to be submitted to this operation are young adult women whose BMI is less than 24.9

Efeitos da simpaticotomia endoscópica sobre as artérias caróticas e vertebrais na terapêutica cirúrgica da hiperidrose primária

Analyze, in patients with primary hyperhidrosis (PH) who was undergone to videothoracoscopic sympathicotomy, the degree of vascular denervation after surgical transection of the thoracic sympathetic chain by measuring ultrasonografic parameters in carotid and vertebral arteries. Methods: Twenty-four patients with PH underwent forty-eight endoscopic thoracic sympathicotomy and were evaluated by duplex eco-doppler measuring systolic peak velocity (SPV), diastolic peak velocity (DPV), pulsatility index (PI) and resistivity index (RI) in bilateral common, internal and external carotids, besides bilateral vertebral arteries. The exams were performed before operations and a month later. Wilcoxon test was used to analyse the differences between the variables before and after the sympatholisis. Results: T3 sympathicotomy segment was the most frequent transection done (95,83%), as only ablation (25%) or in association with T4 (62,50%) or with T2 (8,33%). It was observed increase in RI and PI of the common carotid artery ( p<0,05). The DPV of internal carotid artery decreased in both sides (p<0,05). The SPV and the DPV of the right and left vertebral arteries also increased (p<0,05). Asymmetric findings were observed so that, arteries of the right side were the most frequently affected. Conclusions: Hemodynamic changes in vertebral and carotid arteries were observed after sympathicotomy for PH. SPV was the most often altered parameter, mostly in the right side arteries, meaning significant asymmetric changes in carotid and vertebral vessels. Therefore, the research findings deserve further investigations to observe if they have clinical inferences

Desenpenho aeróbio e controle autonômico cardíaco em idosas praticantes de tai chi chuan e sedentárias

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico

Efeito do treinamento resistido na função autônomica cardíaca, nos parâmetros bioquímicos e antropométricos de pessoas vivendo com HIV/AIDS

Introduction: The emergence of High Active Antiretroviral Therapy (HAART) increase the life expectancy of the persons living with HIV/AIDS (PLHIV), therefore the prolonged use cause metabolic implications and influences on body fat distribution and increase the cardiovascular diseases prevalence. Aims: Evaluate the effect of resistance training on heart rate variability, biochemical parameters and somatotype on PLHIV. Methods: Participated this study seven sedentary men, with age above 25 years old, living with HIV/AIDS, under HAART use. Were submitted a 16 week intervention with resistance training. Evaluated the heart rate variability, biochemical parameters and somatotype, before, after 8 weeks and 16 weeks, all in paired form. It was found the data normality by Shapiro-Wilk test and conducted the Anova one way combined with Tukey post hoc to samples in each evaluate moment, adopting significance level p<0,05. Also were calculated percentage change deltas. For somatotype was used the somatotype spatial distance (DES), obeying the significance value DES≥1. Results: Was found significance differences only in variable final heart rate delta 60s (p=0,01), however, is not showed changes on heart rate variability, biochemical parameters and somatotype components. Conclusion: 16 weeks of resistance training showed improvement on heart rate recovery after submaximal effort and, despite is not enough to produce significance differences on biochemical parameters and somatotype components, could be realize improvement on average value of fasting glucose and lipid profile, as well as reducing the endomorphic component

Força muscular respiratória, qualidade de vida e modulação autonômica da frequência cardíaca na distrofia miotônica

Background: The myotonic dystrophy (MD) is a multisystem neuromuscular disease that can affect the respiratory muscles and heart function, and cause impairment in quality of life. Objectives: Investigate the changes in respiratory muscle strength, health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and autonomic modulation heart rate (HR) in patients with MD. Methods: Twenty-three patients performed assessment of pulmonary function, sniff nasal inspiratory pressure (SNIP), the maximal inspiratory (MIP) and expiratory (MEP) pressure, and of HRQoL (SF-36 questionnaire). Of these patients, 17 underwent assessment of heart rate variability (HRV) at rest, in the supine and seated positions. Results: The values of respiratory muscle strength were 64, 70 and 80% of predicted for MEP, MIP, and SNIP, respectively. Significant differences were found in the SF-36 domains of physical functioning (58.7 ± 31,4 vs. 84.5 ± 23, p<0.01) and physical problems (43.4 ± 35.2 vs. 81.2 ± 34, p<0.001) when patients were compared with the reference values. Single linear regression analysis demonstrated that MIP explains 29% of the variance in physical functioning, 18% of physical problems and 20% of vitality. The HRV showed that from supine position to seated, HF decreased (0.43 x 0.30), and LF (0.57 x 0.70) and the LF/HF ratio (1.28 x 2.22) increased (p< 0.05). Compared to healthy persons, LF was lower in both male patients (2.68 x 2.99) and women (2.31 x 2.79) (p< 0.05). LF / HF ratio and LF were higher in men (5.52 x 1.5 and 0.8 x 0.6, p <0.05) and AF in women (0.43 x 0.21) (p< 0.05). There was positive correlation between the time of diagnosis and LF / HF ratio (r = 0.7, p <0.01). Conclusions: The expiratory muscle strength was reduced. The HRQoL was more impaired on the physical aspects and partly influenced by changes in inspiratory muscle strength. The HRV showed that may be sympathetic dysfunction in autonomic modulation of HR, although with normal adjustment of autonomic modulation during the change of posture. The parasympathetic modulation is higher in female patients and sympathetic tends to increase in patients with longer diagnosis

Efeitos da prática de Yoga na memória e em parâmetros psicológicos e fisiológicos de indivíduos saudáveis

Techniques of mind & body control seem to benefit human organism in general and cognition in particular, because they involve a mindfulness practice. However, there is still a scarcity of studies with well-controlled methods to investigate the possible effects of Yoga practice. In this study, we investigated the effects of regular Yoga practice, based on Yoga postures (asanas), breathing techniques, and meditation exercises, on memory and physiologic and psychological parameters related to quality of life. There were significant improvements on performance tasks of short term memory and long term memory. We also observed significant beneficial effects on psychological and physiological parameters such as mood, anxiety, depression, stress, and modulation of the autonomic nervous system in Yoga practitioners group compared to the conventional physical exercises group. The results suggest the possible influences of stress, emotional state and mental training on cognitive effects of yoga practice. Our results support the indication of practice of Yoga for the treatment or prevention of stress, psychological disorders and their possible cognitive consequences

Estimulação transcraniana por corrente contínua (ETCC) sobre o córtex motor na modulação autonômica em pessoas com lesão medular com diferentes graus e níveis de lesão

Introduction: Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) has been used in studies for the treatment of chronic pain, but their effects on the autonomic nervous system (ANS) are non-existent. Therefore, the need for studies is of fundamental importance, as these individuals have autonomic imbalance and the intensity of this is dependent on the degree and level of injury. Objective: We investigated the effect of tDCS on the ANS in people with spinal cord injury (SCI) with different degrees and levels of injury. Methods: Randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind, applied anodal tDCS or sham on the primary motor cortex (M1), bilaterally. The subjects (lower incomplete injury, n = 7; lower complete injury, n = 9; and high complete thoracic injury, n = 3) visited the laboratory three times and received active or sham tDCS for 13min. The heart rate variability (HRV) was measured before, during and after stimulation and analyzed the variables LF, HF and LF / HF. Results: The tDCS modulated the ANS in different ways among the groups. In individuals with SCI high complete thoracic the tDCS did not change the HRV. However, for individuals with SCI low incomplete, tDCS changed the HRV in order to increase sympathetic (LF, p = 0.046) and reduced parasympathetic (HF, p = 0.046). For individuals SCI low complete to tDCS changed the HRV reduction sympathetic (LF, p = 0.017) and increased parasympathetic (HF, p = 0.017). Conclusions: The present study suggests that anodal tDCS applied on the motor cortex bilaterally could modulate the ANS balance in people with spinal cord injury and that this effect is dependent on the degree and level of injury.

Influência de mudanças de fase no ciclo claro-escuro sobre o controle autonômico cardíaco de ratos

Introduction: The circadian system has neural projections for the Autonomic Nervous System (ANS), directly interfering with sympathetic-vagal modulation of the cardiovascular system. Disturbances in the circadian system, such as phase changes in light-dark cycle (LD), has been related to the risk of development of cardiovascular diseases due to increased sympathetic tone and reduction o Heart Rate Variability (HRV - RR intervals). Purpose: Investigate the interaction between Circadian Timing System and cardiac autonomic control in rats. Materials and methods: We used 18 Wistar rats (♀, age = 139.9 ± 32.1 days, weight = 219.5 ± 16.2 g), divided into three distinct groups: Control (CG), phase delay of 6h (GDe) and phase advance of 6h (GAd). Three animals were excluded during data collection (CG/GDe/GAd - n=5). Telemeters were surgically implanted in each animal for continuous acquisition of electrocardiographic (ECG) signals (duration of 21 days in the CG and 28 days in GDe/ GAd). A LD cycle was established 12h: 12h, beginning of light at18:00h and dark at 06:00h. The animals remained in the same CG LD cycle throughout the experimental period, while, on the 14th day of registration, the GDe and GAd underwent a delay and an advance in 6h, respectively. Throughout the experimental period, the locomotor activity (LA), the mean heart rate (mHR) and variables related to iRR [mean RR (mRR), SDNN, RMSSD, LF, HF and LF/ HF ratio ] were recorded. All data were analyzed in blocks of 3 and 7 days, for the presence of circadian rhythm, values of Cosinor - mesor, amplitude and acrophase (paired t test), phase relationship, differences between light and dark (t test independent), averages every 30 minutes along each time series (two-way ANOVA with post hoc Bonferroni). The data block B1,M1 and M2 in CG served as benchmarks for comparisons between series of analysis of the GAT/GAV. Results: We observed circadian rhythmicity in the variables LA, mRR and mFC(p<0.01). mRR and mFC showed phase relationship with the LA in all three groups, being less stable in GAd. In the CG, no significant differences between blocks were found in any of the analyzes(p>0.05). Among the 7 day blocks, there was a significant reduction in mRR(p=0.04) and mFC(p=0.03) in GDe and significant reduction in HF mean(p=0.02) in GAd; and between 3 day blocks, a significant increase of LF/HF(p= 0.04) in the GDe; besides mRR(p=0.03), SDNN(p=0.04), RMSSD (p=0.04), LF (p=0.01) and HF(p=0.02) significant increase in the GAd. It was found that the differences between the means of the mRR, LA and mFC in light and dark phases were not significant after phase changes in some of the blocks/moments (GDe and GAd). No significant results were found when comparing rhythmic variables means every 30 minutes over the blocks, except for a significant decrease in mRR at the middle of the dark phase (B2) and the start of light phase (B3) - (p<0.01). Conclusion: phase advances and delays (6h) altered cardiac autonomic control in the experimental groups by temporarily HRV decrease. Phase advances apparently had greater negative interference in this process, in relation to the phase delays.

Influência do jet lag social em marcadores circadianos de atividade - repouso e cardíaco em estudantes de medicina

Studies reveal that in recent decades a decrease in sleep duration has occurred. Social commitments, such as work and school are often not aligned to the "biological time" of individuals. Added to this, there is a reduced force of zeitgeber caused by less exposure to daylight and larger exposure to evenings. This causes a chronic sleep debt that is offset in a free days. Indeed, a restriction and extent of sleep called "social Jet lag" occurs weekly. Sleep deprivation has been associated to obesity, cancer, and cardiovascular risk. It is suggested that the autonomic nervous system is a pathway that connects sleep problems to cardiovascular diseases. However, beyond the evidence demonstrated by studies using models of acute and controlled sleep deprivation, studies are needed to investigate the effects of chronic sleep deprivation as it occurs in the social jet lag. The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of social jet lag in circadian rest-activity markers and heart function in medical students. It is a cross-sectional, observational study conducted in the Laboratory of Neurobiology and Biological Rhythmicity (LNRB) at the Department of Physiology UFRN. Participated in the survey medical students enrolled in the 1st semester of their course at UFRN. Instruments for data collection: Munich Chronotype Questionnaire, Morningness Eveningness Questionnaire of Horne and Östberg, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, Epworth Sleepiness Scale, Actimeter; Heart rate monitor. Analysed were descriptive variables of sleep, nonparametric (IV60, IS60, L5 and M10) and cardiac indexes of time domain, frequency (LF, HF LF / HF) and nonlinear (SD1, SD2, SD1 / SD2). Descriptive, comparative and correlative statistical analysis was performed with SPSS software version 20. 41 students participated in the study, 48.8% (20) females and 51.2% (21) males, 19.63 ± 2.07 years. The social jet lag had an average of 02: 39h ± 00:55h, 82.9% (34) with social jet lag ≥ 1h and there was a negative correlation with the Munich chronotype score indicating greater sleep deprivation in subjects prone to eveningness. Poor sleep quality was detected in 90.2% (37) (X2 = 26.56, p <0.001) and 56.1% (23) excessive daytime sleepiness (X2 = 0.61, p = 0.435). Significant differences were observed in the values of LFnu, HFnu and LF / HF between the groups of social jet lag <2h and ≥ 2h and correlation of the social jet lag with LFnu (rs = 0.354, p = 0.023), HFnu (rs = - 0.354 , p = 0.023) and LF / HF (r = 0.355, p = 0.023). There was also a negative association between IV60 and indexes in the time domain and non-linear. It is suggested that chronic sleep deprivation may be associated with increased sympathetic activation promoting greater cardiovascular risk.

AdaptMCloud: uma estratégia para adaptação dinâmica de aplicações Multi-Cloud

Multi-Cloud Applications are composed of services offered by multiple cloud platforms where the user/developer has full knowledge of the use of such platforms. The use of multiple cloud platforms avoids the following problems: (i) vendor lock-in, which is dependency on the application of a certain cloud platform, which is prejudicial in the case of degradation or failure of platform services, or even price increasing on service usage; (ii) degradation or failure of the application due to fluctuations in quality of service (QoS) provided by some cloud platform, or even due to a failure of any service. In multi-cloud scenario is possible to change a service in failure or with QoS problems for an equivalent of another cloud platform. So that an application can adopt the perspective multi-cloud is necessary to create mechanisms that are able to select which cloud services/platforms should be used in accordance with the requirements determined by the programmer/user. In this context, the major challenges in terms of development of such applications include questions such as: (i) the choice of which underlying services and cloud computing platforms should be used based on the defined user requirements in terms of functionality and quality (ii) the need to continually monitor the dynamic information (such as response time, availability, price, availability), related to cloud services, in addition to the wide variety of services, and (iii) the need to adapt the application if QoS violations affect user defined requirements. This PhD thesis proposes an approach for dynamic adaptation of multi-cloud applications to be applied when a service is unavailable or when the requirements set by the user/developer point out that other available multi-cloud configuration meets more efficiently. Thus, this work proposes a strategy composed of two phases. The first phase consists of the application modeling, exploring the similarities representation capacity and variability proposals in the context of the paradigm of Software Product Lines (SPL). In this phase it is used an extended feature model to specify the cloud service configuration to be used by the application (similarities) and the different possible providers for each service (variability). Furthermore, the non-functional requirements associated with cloud services are specified by properties in this model by describing dynamic information about these services. The second phase consists of an autonomic process based on MAPE-K control loop, which is responsible for selecting, optimally, a multicloud configuration that meets the established requirements, and perform the adaptation. The adaptation strategy proposed is independent of the used programming technique for performing the adaptation. In this work we implement the adaptation strategy using various programming techniques such as aspect-oriented programming, context-oriented programming and components and services oriented programming. Based on the proposed steps, we tried to assess the following: (i) the process of modeling and the specification of non-functional requirements can ensure effective monitoring of user satisfaction; (ii) if the optimal selection process presents significant gains compared to sequential approach; and (iii) which techniques have the best trade-off when compared efforts to development/modularity and performance.

Efeitos dos exercícios aeróbio contínuo e intervalado na variabilidade da frequência cardíaca em adultos jovens saudáveis. Ensaio clínico aleatório

The high-intensity interval exercise has been described as an option for increasing physical activity and its use also being suggested in the therapeutic management of many conditions such as diabetes mellitus and heart failure. However, the knowledge of its physiological effects and parameters that can assure greater safety for interval exercise prescription; especially its effect on short- and medium-term (24 hours after exercise) exercise recovery, need to be clarified. This study objective was to evaluate the effect of continuous and interval aerobic exercise on the cardiac autonomic control immediate and medium term (24 hours), by assessing heart rate variability (HRV). The present study is a randomized crossover clinical trial in which healthy young individuals with low level of physical activity had the VFC 24 hours measured by a heart rate sensor and portable accelerometer (3D eMotion HRV, Kuopio, Finland) before and after continuous aerobic exercise (60-70% HR max, 21 min.) and interval exercise (cycle 1 min. 80-90% HR max, 2 min. at 50-60% HR max, duration 21 min.). HRV was measured in the time and frequency domain and the sympathovagal balance determined by the ratio LF / HF. Nonlinear evaluation was calculated by Shannon entropy. The data demonstrated delayed heart rate recovery immediate after exercise and lower HR after 24 hours compared to pre intervention values, especially in the interval exercise group. There was a tendency to higher predominance and representatives index values of sympathetic stimulation during the day in interval exercise group; however, without statistical significance. The study results help to clarify the effects of interval exercise on the 24 hours following interval exercise, setting parameters for prescription and for further evaluation of groups with metabolic and cardiovascular diseases.