Função autonômica em pacientes portadores de lipodistrofia generalizada congênita - sindrome de berardinelli - SEIP

A Síndrome de Berardinelli-Seip ou Lipodistrofia Generalizada Congênita (LGC) é uma doença rara, com transmissão autossômica recessiva, caracterizada principalmente pela ausência quase total de tecido adiposo. Os pacientes afetados apresentam resistência a insulina, dislipidemia e hipertensão arterial. Estudos têm evidenciado que estas alterações metabólicas interferem na modulação autonômica para o nó sinusal. O principal objetivo deste estudo foi investigar a modulação autonômica em pacientes portadores de LGC, através da variabilidade de freqüência cardíaca (VFC), pelo método linear de domínio de tempo na Eletrocardiografia Dinâmica de 24 horas e estabelecer um critério relativamente simples, não invasivo, para diagnóstico de disfunção autonômica nestes pacientes. Participou voluntariamente deste estudo transversal, um grupo de pacientes portadores de LGC (n=18) na faixa etária de 9,3 a 39,8 anos (21,3 ± 8,3) cuja variabilidade de freqüência cardíaca foi comparada com um grupo de pacientes controles (n=19) com idade de 9,3 a 39,1 anos (21,4 ± 7,8). Todos os voluntários foram submetidos à avaliação clínica, laboratorial, antropométrica e análise de VFC no domínio de tempo através de eletrocardiografia dinâmica de 24 horas. Para análise dos dados relativos aos índices temporais de VFC foram utilizados o MeanRR, SSDN e rMSSD. Pacientes com LGC apresentavam aumento da pressão arterial comparados com indivíduos do grupo controle (sistólica, 131,1 vs 106,3 mmHg, p<0,05); diastólica, 85,0 vs 68,2 mmHg, p<0,05) e 10 tinham critérios para diagnóstico de Hipertensão Arterial e Hipertrofia do Ventrículo Esquerdo. Os níveis de glicose, triglicerídeos, colesterol e HOMA-R eram elevados e 12 pacientes tinham critérios para diabetes mellitus tipo 2. Comparado com os controles, pacientes com LGC tinham diminuição dos índices MeanRR (639,8 vs 780,5 ms, p<0,001), SDNN (79,2 vs 168,5 ms, p<0,001), e rMSSD (15,8 vs 59,6 ms, p<0,001). Em pacientes com LGC, a redução da VFC foi independente de distúrbios metabólicos e hemodinâmicos. Os resultados de nosso experimento indicam que pacientes com LGC apresentavam modulação autonômica anormal caracterizada pelo aumento da freqüência cardíaca e pronunciada redução da VFC, independente de distúrbios metabólicos e hemodinâmicos observados nesta síndrome. O caráter multidisciplinar desse estudo fica contemplado pela interação de profissionais de diversas áreas como: cardiologia, endocrinologia, metabolismo, neurologia, nutrição, etc

Bioprospecção de extratos metanólicos de macroalgas marinhas do litoral do Rio Grande do Norte: avaliação das atividades anticoagulante, antioxidante e antiproliferativa

Seaweeds are organisms known to exhibit a variety of biomolecules with pharmacological properties. The coast of Rio Grande do Norte has over 100 species of seaweeds, most of them not yet explored for their pharmacological potential. Sugars and phenolic compounds are the most studied of these being assigned a range of biological properties, such as anticoagulant , antiinflammatory, antitumor and antioxidant activities. In this work, we obtained methanolic extracts from thirteen seaweeds of the coast of Rio Grande do Norte (Dictyota cervicornis; Dictiopterys delicatula; Dictyota menstruallis; D. mertensis; Sargassum filipendula; Spatoglossum schröederi; Acanthophora specifera; Botryocladia occidentalis; Caulerpa cupresoides; C. racemosa; C. prolifera; C. sertularioides e Codium isthmocladum). They were evaluated as anticoagulant and antioxidant drugs, as well as antiproliferative drugs against the tumor cell line HeLa. None of the methanolic extracts showed anticoagulant activity, but when they were evaluated as antioxidant drugs all of extracts showed antioxidant activity in all tests performed (total antioxidant capacity, sequestration of superoxide and hydroxyl radicals, ferric chelation and reductase activity), especially the algae D. mentrualis, D. cilliolata and C. prolifera, who had the greatest potential to donate electrons.In addition, the ability of iron ions chelation appears as the main antioxidant mechanism of the methanolic extracts of these seaweeds mainly for the extract of the C. racemosa seaweed, which reached almost 100% activity. In the MTT assay, all extracts showed inhibitory activity at different levels againts HeLa cells. Moreover, D. cilliolata (MEDC) and D. menstrualis (MEDM) extracts showed specific activity to this cell line, not inhibiting the viability of 3T3 normal cell line, so they were chosen for detailing the antiproliferative mechanism of action. Using flow cytometry, fluorescence microscopy and in vitro assays we demonstrated that MEDC and MEDM induced apoptosis in HeLa cells by activation of caspases 3 and 9 and yet, MEDC induces cell cycle arrest in S phase. Together, these results showed that the methanolic extracts of brown seaweed D. menstrualis and D. cilliolata may contain agents with potential use in combatting cells from human uterine adenocarcinoma. This study also points to the need for more in-depth research on phytochemical and biological context to enable the purification of biologically active products of these extracts

Intervenção dietoterápica em portadores de lipodistrofia generalizada congênita do Rio Grande do Norte

Congenital generalized lipodystrophy is a rare genetic disease with autosomal recessive inheritance characterized by the generalized absence of subcutaneous adipose tissue and insulin resistance. The aim of our study was to determine the profile of patients with congenital generalized lipodystrophy (Berardinelli-Seip syndrome) through their clinical history, eating habits, and socioeconomic and cultural aspects; assess food consumption and nutritional status of the study group; propose and evaluate a diet therapy model associated to oral supplementation with zinc to help in the control and prevention of metabolic complications associated to the pathology. Initial assessment of food consumption indicated a voracious appetite in all the patients studied. The introduction of zinc reduced appetite, contributing to patient adherence to the food plan proposed. It was also observed that the proposed diet contributed mainly to glycidic control, specifically with respect to HbA1c. The nutritional status of the patients investigated was adequate in terms of body mass index (BMI), arm muscle circumference (AMC), arm muscle area AMA, but triceps skinfold (TSF) indicated serious malnutrition. Our study is unique in the literature and provides important information to the field of nutrition and to individuals with this pathology. Furthermore, it contemplates the interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary requirements of the Postgraduate Program in Health Sciences of the Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte (UFRN), Natal, Brazil

Feiras livres : cidades de um só dia, aprendizados para a vida inteira

La tesis problematiza constelaciones creativas de saberes marcados por múltiples subjetividades en un espacio singular de las ciudades: la feria libre. Lugar de cambios financieros, pero también afectivos, simbólicos y míticos, ese espacio se mantiene al lado de los lugares comerciales asépticos y climatizados como son los supermercados e hipermercados de los espacios urbanos y de las metrópolis. Las ferias, por su carácter itinerante y sus personajes nómades modernos, son capaces de suscitar múltiples observaciones, divagaciones, afecciones y construcción de conocimientos. En la feria libre del barrio de Alecrim en la ciudad de Natal-RN/Brasil, principal contexto de referencia de esta investigación, en medio de tantos estímulos movilizadores de los órganos de los sentidos, salta a los ojos el elevado contingente de niños y adolescentes ejerciendo las múltiples actividades laborales. En Brasil el trabajo infantil es encajado en prohibiciones prescritas por leyes que recubren singularidades. Sin la pretensión de negar la importancia de tales convenciones y reglas, las reflexiones aquí puestas ultrapasan las amarras homogeneizantes del discurso oficial instituido de prohibición, problematizando a partir de la feria la idea de una caótica y pulsante aula al aire libre en la cual se construyen saberes más próximos de una lógica del sensible (Claude Lévi-Strauss). La feria es un laboratorio de construcción de conocimientos pertinentes (Edgar Morin), aquellos que religan fenómeno y contexto sin oponer manipulación y tiempo real de aplicabilidad de los saberes construidos. En esa escuela sin paredes, puertas, ventanas, cuadros negros o programas, los saberes de la tradición (Conceição Almeida) son probados y compartidos por niños y adolescentes que viven constantemente con un tipo de cambio de bienes y palabras en permanente construcción. En los puestos de la feria y para más allá de ellos encontramos sujetos híbridos (Bruno Latour) que se estructuran por medio de mecanismos creativos capaces de hacerlos navegar en las incertidumbres caóticas de sus vidas. Los aprendizajes de la feria fueron o son la pulsión de reinvención de esos sujetos aparentemente encarcelados en el conformismo como fatalidad última, portadores de historias embarazadas de simbologías tristes y felices que exponen la cara de un humano en permanente combustión, construcción e incertidumbre

Novas configurações de monopólios planares quase-fractais para sistemas de comunicações móveis

The characteristic properties of the fractal geometry have shown to be very useful for the construction of filters, frequency selective surfaces, synchronized circuits and antennas, enabling optimized solutions in many different commercial uses at microwaves frequency band. The fractal geometry is included in the technology of the microwave communication systems due to some interesting properties to the fabrication of compact devices, with higher performance in terms of bandwidth, as well as multiband behavior. This work describes the design, fabrication and measurement procedures for the Koch quasi-fractal monopoles, with 1 and 2 iteration levels, in order to investigate the bandwidth behavior of planar antennas, from the use of quasi-fractal elements printed on their rectangular patches. The electromagnetic effect produced by the variation of the fractal iterations and the miniaturization of the structures is analyzed. Moreover, a parametric study is performed to verify the bandwidth behavior, not only at the return loss but also in terms of SWR. Experimental results were obtained through the accomplishment of measurements with the aid of a vetorial network analyzer and compared to simulations performed using the Ansoft HFSS software. Finally, some proposals for future works are presented

Antenas de microfita com patch quase-fractal para aplicações em Redes WPAN/WLAN

The microstrip antennas are in constant evidence in current researches due to several advantages that it presents. Fractal geometry coupled with good performance and convenience of the planar structures are an excellent combination for design and analysis of structures with ever smaller features and multi-resonant and broadband. This geometry has been applied in such patch microstrip antennas to reduce its size and highlight its multi-band behavior. Compared with the conventional microstrip antennas, the quasifractal patch antennas have lower frequencies of resonance, enabling the manufacture of more compact antennas. The aim of this work is the design of quasi-fractal patch antennas through the use of Koch and Minkowski fractal curves applied to radiating and nonradiating antenna s edges of conventional rectangular patch fed by microstrip inset-fed line, initially designed for the frequency of 2.45 GHz. The inset-fed technique is investigated for the impedance matching of fractal antennas, which are fed through lines of microstrip. The efficiency of this technique is investigated experimentally and compared with simulations carried out by commercial software Ansoft Designer used for precise analysis of the electromagnetic behavior of antennas by the method of moments and the neural model proposed. In this dissertation a study of literature on theory of microstrip antennas is done, the same study is performed on the fractal geometry, giving more emphasis to its various forms, techniques for generation of fractals and its applicability. This work also presents a study on artificial neural networks, showing the types/architecture of networks used and their characteristics as well as the training algorithms that were used for their implementation. The equations of settings of the parameters for networks used in this study were derived from the gradient method. It will also be carried out research with emphasis on miniaturization of the proposed new structures, showing how an antenna designed with contours fractals is capable of a miniaturized antenna conventional rectangular patch. The study also consists of a modeling through artificial neural networks of the various parameters of the electromagnetic near-fractal antennas. The presented results demonstrate the excellent capacity of modeling techniques for neural microstrip antennas and all algorithms used in this work in achieving the proposed models were implemented in commercial software simulation of Matlab 7. In order to validate the results, several prototypes of antennas were built, measured on a vector network analyzer and simulated in software for comparison

Desenvolvimento de monopolos quase-espirais para aplicações em sistemas UWB

This work is the analysis of a structure of the microstrip antenna designed for application in ultra wide band systems (Ultra Wideband - UWB). This is a prospective analytical study where they tested the changes in the geometry of the antenna, observing their suitability to the proposed objectives. It is known that the UWB antenna must operate in a range of at least 500 MHz, and answer a fractional bandwidth greater than or equal to 25%. It is also desirable that the antenna meets the specifications of track determined by FCC - Federal Communication Commission, which regulates the system in 2002 designating the UWB bandwidth of 7.5 GHz, a range that varies from 3.1 GHz to 10, 6 GHz. by setting the maximum power spectral density of operation in -41.3 dB / MHz, and defining the fractional bandwidth by 20%. The study starts of a structure of geometry in the form of stylized @, which evolves through changes in its form, in simulated commercial software CST MICROWAVE STUDIO, version 5.3.1, and then tested using the ANSOFT HFSS, version 9. These variations, based on observations of publications available from literature referring to the microstrip monopole planar antennas. As a result it is proposed an antenna, called Monopole Antenna Planar Spiral Almost Rectangular for applications in UWB systems - AMQEUWB, which presents simulated and measured results satisfactory, consistent with the objectives of the study. Some proposals for future work are mentioned

Função de distribuição generalizada aplicada à velocidade de rotação estelar

In the present work we use a Tsallis maximum entropy distribution law to fit the observations of projected rotational velocity measurements of stars in the Pleiades open cluster. This new distribution funtion which generalizes the Ma.xwel1-Boltzmann one is derived from the non-extensivity of the Boltzmann-Gibbs entropy. We also present a oomparison between results from the generalized distribution and the Ma.xwellia.n law, and show that the generalized distribution fits more closely the observational data. In addition, we present a oomparison between the q values of the generalized distribution determined for the V sin i distribution of the main sequence stars (Pleiades) and ones found for the observed distribution of evolved stars (subgiants). We then observe a correlation between the q values and the star evolution stage for a certain range of stel1ar mass

Propriedades magnéticas quase-estáticas de filmes ferromagnéticos amorfos de FeCuNbSiB

Today, one of the topics that attracts interest of the scientific community is the understanding of magnetic properties of magnetic systems with reduced dimensions, in particular, ferromagnetic thin films. In this case, the comprehension and control of these properties, as well as the development of routes to obtain them, are crucial issues in many aspects of current and future technologies for storage and transmission of information in the electro-electronic industry. There are several materials that exhibit soft magnetic properties, and we highlight the amorphous alloys and that ones obtained by partial crystallization, so-called nanocrystalline materials. The production of these alloys as magnetic ribbons is very common in scientific and technological area, but there are just a few works related to the production of these alloys as thin films. In this work, we studied the quasi-static magnetic properties of ferromagnetic thin films based on FeCuNbSiB in a wide range of thicknesses, from 20 to 500 nm, produced by sputtering. In particular, after the structural characterization performed via X-ray diffraction, the magnetic properties of the sets of samples were investigated using experimental magnetization curve, obtained using a vibrating sample magnetometer, as well as through theoretical curves obtained by theoretical modeling and numerical computation. The modeling process is based on the Stoner Wohlfarth model applied to three dimensions, and adds some energy terms, using as reference experimental results of magnetization. In this case, from the comparison between theoretical and experimental results and the analysis of the constant anisotropy behavior as a function of film thickness, we aim to obtain further information on the magnetization process of the samples, to identify routes for the production of thin films and develop a theoretical to films to use it, in the future, in the obtainment of the theoretical curves of some magnetic measurements, such as magnetoimpedance and magnetoresistance

Caracterização estatística de processos sísmicos via Distribuição Generalizada de Pareto. Estudo de caso: João Câmara-RN

The work is to make a brief discussion of methods to estimate the parameters of the Generalized Pareto distribution (GPD). Being addressed the following techniques: Moments (moments), Maximum Likelihood (MLE), Biased Probability Weighted Moments (PWMB), Unbiased Probability Weighted Moments (PWMU), Mean Power Density Divergence (MDPD), Median (MED), Pickands (PICKANDS), Maximum Penalized Likelihood (MPLE), Maximum Goodness-of-fit (MGF) and the Maximum Entropy (POME) technique, the focus of this manuscript. By way of illustration adjustments were made for the Generalized Pareto distribution, for a sequence of earthquakes intraplacas which occurred in the city of João Câmara in the northeastern region of Brazil, which was monitored continuously for two years (1987 and 1988). It was found that the MLE and POME were the most efficient methods, giving them basically mean squared errors. Based on the threshold of 1.5 degrees was estimated the seismic risk for the city, and estimated the level of return to earthquakes of intensity 1.5°, 2.0°, 2.5°, 3.0° and the most intense earthquake never registered in the city, which occurred in November 1986 with magnitude of about 5.2º

Avaliação dos níveis de proteína C-reativa ultra-sensível em pacientes com periodontite crônica severa generalizada e sem periodontite

INTRODUCTION: The high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) constitutes an inflammatory mediator used as predictor of cardiovascular risk that comes being researched as indicative relation factor between cardiovascular and periodontal diseases. PROPOSITION: To compare serumals levels of C-reactive protein between patients with and without generalized severe chronic periodontitis. METHODOLOGY: A seccional study was realized using a sample with 62 patients, being 31 participants carriers of periodontal diseases (Group I) and 31 without periodontal diseases (Group II), grouped to the pairs by age and sex. As inclusion criterio were selected patients with diagnosis of generalized severe chronic periodontitis, being preculeds, individuals which presented systemic disease, recent infection history, historical of CVA or stroke, smokers, pregnants and lactants. The research consisted of two stages, a clinc and other biochemist. The clinical stage is constituted of periodontal examination and the biochemist stage, of the peripheral blood collection for determination hsCRP levels and a hemogram to inquire any panel which could suggest infectious and/or inflammatory process. RESULTS: Periodontal disease group presented a average of 0,36mg/dL, while the group without disease presented 0,17 mg/dL, do not existing significant difference statistically between the averages (p = 0,061). The cardiovascular risk for the group I was classified high for 27,6% of participants and low for 72,4% of them. In the group II, 6,45% presented high risk e 93,5% low risk, being this significant relation statistically gotten for Fisher s Test (p = 0,042) presenting OR = 5,33; IC = 95% (1,02 27,4). The independets variables reseacred do not presented significant association statistically with the levels of hsCRP. CONCLUSION: The study indicated that despite of carriers patients of periodontal diseases do not present differents serumals levels of hsCRP from the other group, the periodontal disease was considered as risk factor for hsCRP plasmatic levels elevation

Otimização da síntese de nanoferritas de nizn dopada com cobre e cobalto

Different compositions of Ni0,5-xCuxZn0,5Fe2O4 and Ni0,5-xCoxZn0,5Fe2O4 0 ≤ x ≤ 0.3 were synthesized ferrite y the citrate precursor method. The stoichiometric compositions were calcined in air at 350°C and then pressed into pellets and toroids. The pressed samples were sintered at temperatures of 1000, 1050 and 1100°C/3h in air control at the speed of heating and cooling. The calcined powders were characterized by XRD, TGA / DTG, FTIR, SEM and vibrating sample magnetometry (VSM) and the sintered samples by XRD, SEM, MAV, density and measurements of permeability and magnetic losses. There was pure phase formation ferrimagnetism applied at all temperatures except for A-I composition at all sintering temperatures and A-II only at a temperature of 1100°C. Crystallite sizes were obtained by Rietveld analysis, nanometer size from 11 to 20 nm for the calcined powders. For SEM, the sintered samples showed grain size between 1 and 10 micrometers. Bulk density (ρ) of sintered material presented to the Families almost linear behavior with increasing temperature and a tendency to decrease with increasing concentration of copper, different behavior of the B Family, where the increase in temperature decreased the density. The magnetic measurements revealed the powder characteristics of a soft ferrimagnetic material. Two processes of magnetization were considered, the superparamagnetism at low temperatures (350°C) and the formation of magnetic domains at higher temperatures. Obtaining the best parameters for P and B-II magnetic ferrites at high temperatures. The sintered material at 1000°C showed a relative permeability (μ) from 50 to 800 for the A Family and from 10 to 600 for the B Family. The samples sintered at 1100°C, B Family showed a variation from 10 to 1000 and the magnetic loss (tan δ) of A and B Families, around of 1. The frequency response of the toroidal core is in the range of 0.3 kHz. Several factors contribute to the behavior of microstructure considering the quantities μ and tan δ, such as the grain size, inter-and intragranular porosity, amount of grain boundary and the aspects of the dynamics of domain walls at high frequencies.

Contribuições para verificação automática de applets javacard

The widespread growth in the use of smart cards (by banks, transport services, and cell phones, etc) has brought an important fact that must be addressed: the need of tools that can be used to verify such cards, so to guarantee the correctness of their software. As the vast majority of cards that are being developed nowadays use the JavaCard technology as they software layer, the use of the Java Modeling Language (JML) to specify their programs appear as a natural solution. JML is a formal language tailored to Java. It has been inspired by methodologies from Larch and Eiffel, and has been widely adopted as the de facto language when dealing with specification of any Java related program. Various tools that make use of JML have already been developed, covering a wide range of functionalities, such as run time and static checking. But the tools existent so far for static checking are not fully automated, and, those that are, do not offer an adequate level of soundness and completeness. Our objective is to contribute to a series of techniques, that can be used to accomplish a fully automated and confident verification of JavaCard applets. In this work we present the first steps to this. With the use of a software platform comprised by Krakatoa, Why and haRVey, we developed a set of techniques to reduce the size of the theory necessary to verify the specifications. Such techniques have yielded very good results, with gains of almost 100% in all tested cases, and has proved as a valuable technique to be used, not only in this, but in most real world problems related to automatic verification

A distribuição F generalizada para selecionar modelos de sobrevivência com fração de cura

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior

Estudo imuno-histoquímico da presença de miofibroblastos e da expressão do fator transformador de crescimento-beta1, interferon gama, metaloproteinase de matriz 13 e indutor de metaloproteinases de matriz em lesões odontogênicas epiteliais

Myofibroblasts are cells that exhibit a hybrid phenotype, sharing the morphological characteristics of fibroblasts and smooth muscle cells, which is acquired during a process called differentiation. These cells then start to express -SMA, a marker that can be used for their identification. Studies suggest that myofibroblasts are related to the aggressiveness of different tumors and that TGF-1 and IFN- play a role in myofibroblast differentiation, stimulating or inhibiting this differentiation, respectively. The objective of this study was to investigate the role of myofibroblasts in epithelial odontogenic tumors, correlating the presence of these cells with the aggressiveness of the tumor. Immunohistochemistry was used to evaluate the expression of TGF-1 and IFN- in myofibroblast differentiation, as well as the expression of MMP-13, which is activated by myofibroblasts, and of EMMPRIN (extracellular matrix metalloproteinase inducer) as a precursor of this MMP. The sample consisted of 20 solid ameloblastomas, 10 unicystic ameloblastomas, 20 odontogenic keratocysts, and 20 adenomatoid odontogenic tumors. For evaluation of myofibroblasts, anti- -SMA-immunoreactive cells were quantified in connective tissue close to the epithelium. Immunoexpression of TGF-1, IFN-, MMP-13 and EMMPRIN was evaluated in the epithelial and connective tissue components, attributing scores of 0 to 4. The results showed a higher concentration of myofibroblasts in solid ameloblastomas (mean of 30.55), followed by odontogenic keratocysts (22.50), unicystic ameloblastomas (20.80), and adenomatoid odontogenic tumors (19.15) (p=0.001). No significant correlation between TGF-1 and IFN- was observed during the process of myofibroblast differentiation. There was also no correlation between the quantity of myofibroblasts and MMP-13 expression. Significant correlations were found between MMP-13 and TGF-1 (r=0.087; p=0.011), between MMP- 13 and IFN- (r=0.348; p=0.003), as well as between EMMPRIN and MMP-13 (r=0.474; p<0.001) and between EMMPRIN and IFN- (r=0.393; p=0.001). The higher quantity of myofibroblasts observed in solid ameloblastomas, odontogenic keratocysts and unicystic ameloblastomas suggests that these cells are one of the factors responsible for the more aggressive biological behavior of these tumors, although the myofibroblast population was not correlated with TGF-1, IFN-, MMP-13 or EMMPRIN. The correlation between MMP- 13 and TGF-1 suggests that the latter induces the expression of this metalloproteinase. The present results also support the well-established role of EMMPRIN as an inducer of MMP-13. Furthermore, the relationship between EMMPRIN and IFN- and between MMP-13 and IFN- suggests synergism in the antifibrotic effect of these markers