Estudo dos efeitos comportamentais do neuropeptídeos em camundongos submetidos a modelos animais de Parkinson

Neuropeptide S (NPS) is the endogenous ligand of a G-protein coupled receptor. Preclinical studies have shown that NPSR receptor activation can promote arousal, anxiolytic-like behavioral, decrease in food intake, besides hyperlocomotion, which is a robust but not well understood phenomenon. Previous findings suggest that dopamine transmission plays a crucial role in NPS hyperactivity. Considering the close relationship between dopamine and Parkinson Disease (PD), and also that NPSR receptors are expressed on dopaminergic nuclei in the brain, the current study attempted to investigate the effects of NPS in motor deficits induced by intracerebroventricular (icv) administration of 6-OHDA and systemic administration of haloperidol. Motor deficits induced by 6-OHDA and haloperidol were evaluated on Swiss mice in the rota-rod and catalepsy test. Time on the rotating rod and time spent immobile in the elevated bar were measured respectively in each test. L-Dopa, a classic antiparkinsonian drug, and NPS were administrated in mice submitted to one of the animal models of PD related above. 6-OHDA injection evoked severe motor impairments in rota-rod test, while the cataleptic behavior of 6-OHDA injected mice was largely variable. The administration of L-Dopa (25 mg/kg) and NPS (0,1 and 1 nmol) reversed motor impairments induced by 6-OHDA in the rota-rod. Haloperidolinduced motor deficits on rota-rod and catalepsy tests which were reversed by L-Dopa (100 e 400 mg/kg), but not by NPS (0,1 and 1 nmol) administration. The association of L-Dopa 10 mg/kg and NPS 1 nmol was also unable to counteract haloperidol-induced motor deficits. To summarize, 6-OHDA-, but not haloperidol-, induced motor deficits were reversed by the central administration of NPS. These data suggest that NPS possibly facilitates dopamine release in basal ganglia, what would explain the overcome of motor performance promoted by NPS administration in animals pretreated with 6-OHDA, but not haloperidol. Finally, the presented findings point, for the first time, to the potential of NPSR agonist as an innovative treatment for PD.

Avaliação dos efeitos do extrato de Passiflora cincinnata Masters em camundongos: efeito na ansiedade e potencial neuroprotetor

Anxiety disorders and Parkinson’s disease (PD) affect a large portion of the world population. Indeed, therapeutic alternatives available do not contribute to improve most clinical conditions and/or are linked with undesirable side effects. Thus, there is a great demand for the development of new drugs to treatment of these diseases. Passiflora cincinnata Mast. is a native species present in several Brazilian states, popularly known as “maracujá do mato”, “maracujá tubarão” or “maracujá mochila”. Additionally, species of Passiflora genus are traditionally known for their exotic flowers, edible fruits with pronounced flavor and for their sedative, tranquilizer and anxiolytic properties reported by folk medicine. These plants possess important organic compounds such as phenols, cyanogenic glycosides, flavonoids and alkaloids, which are responsible for the anxiolytic, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antihyperglycemic, among others activities when tested in mammals. Despite this fact, only a few studies have been conducted to investigate the possible in vivo biological effects of Passiflora cincinnata Mast extracts. Thereby, in this study we evaluated the effects of the alcoholic extract of this plant in anxiety and PD animal model. Mice acutely or chronically administered with ethanolic extract of P. cincinnata do not showed any anxiogenic- or anxyolitic-like effect in elevated plus maze (EPM). In order to reproduce PD symptom’s in mice, we administered repeated injections of reserpine which progressively induced motor impairments such as increase in catalepsy, oral movements, and reduction of the average speed of the animals in the open field, as well as depleted dopamine prodution in SNpc cells. Furthermore, this treatment resulted in the loss of aversive memory recall in mice when undergoing PMDAT. Yet, passiflora group also show this amnesic profile. However, animals treated concomitantly with the alcoholic extract of Passiflora cincinnata Mast. showed higher latency for the onset of motor impairment evaluated by catalepsy. Thus, our results shows that the alcoholic extract of the plant P. cincinnata was able to delay the onset of the catalepsy induced by reserpine administration, plus reverted the depletion of dopamine production in SNpc cells.

Sistema de sensoriamento eletromagnético utilizado para detecção da contaminação do óleo isolante do motor no método de elevação artificial do tipo bombeio centrífugo submerso

In the artificial lift method by Electrical Submersible Pump (ESP), the energy is transmitted for the well´s deep through a flat electric handle, where it is converted into mechanical energy through an engine of sub-surface, which is connected to a centrifugal pump. This transmits energy to the fluid under the pressure form, bringing it to the surface In this method the subsurface equipment is basically divided into: pump, seal and motor. The main function of the seal is the protect the motor, avoiding the motor´s oil be contaminated by oil production and the consequent burning of it. Over time, the seal will be wearing and initiates a contamination of motor oil, causing it to lose its insulating characteristics. This work presents a design of a magnetic sensor capable of detecting contamination of insulating oil used in the artificial lift method of oil-type Electrical Submersible Pump (ESP). The objective of this sensor is to generate alarm signal just the moment when the contamination in the isolated oil is present, enabling the implementation of a predictive maintenance. The prototype was designed to work in harsh conditions to reach a depth of 2000m and temperatures up to 150°C. It was used a simulator software to defined the mechanical and electromagnetic variables. Results of field experiments were performed to validate the prototype. The final results performed in an ESP system with a 62HP motor showed a good reliability and fast response of the prototype.

Evuloção cognitiva e funcional de pacientes pós-acidente vascular cerebral - AVC

PURPOSE: Stroke is a high-incidence cerebrovascular disease with elevated morbidity that results in impairments such as functional disabilities. This study aimed to investigate the functional evolution of individuals in the first six months post-stroke. METHOD: Longitudinal study with 42 stroke patients. The functional independence measure (FIM) and The National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) were used by multidisciplinary staff 3 times in each participant; the first application was at admission to rehabilitation and the others three and six months later. RESULTS: Sample predominantly female (57%), married (52%), mean age 65.26 ±10.72 years, elementary schooling level (43%), ischemic stroke (91%), and right cerebral hemisphere (74%). Motor FIM scores and NIHSS scale showed improvement in the 3 evaluations, with significant p-value (<0.001). There was a strong relation between motor FIM evolution and NIHSS evolution (r = - 0.69 p-value< 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: It was observed that functional evolution at 6 months post-stroke was significant and the smaller the evolution of clinical impairment in these patients, the larger the evolution of their functional independence. The study is important because it allows a more appropriate therapeutic planning according with functional evolution in stroke rehabilitation

Avaliação do desempenho funcional de crianças com paralisia cerebral de acordo com níveis de comprometimento motor

Contextualization: Several studies have examined the mobility of this group of children, however little is known about the impact of motor function in activities of daily living, considering the seriousness of their neuromotor damage. Objective: Identify the functional differences of children with Cerebral Palsy with different levels of motor dysfunction and correlate these differences with the areas of mobility, self-care and social function in functional ability and caregiver´s assistance of these children. Methods: An l analytical cross-section search was developed, which were part 70 children / families aged from 4 to 7.5 years, in the Rehabilitation Center for Children. As tools were used the Pediatric Evaluation Disability Inventory (PEDI) and the Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS). Data analysis was performed by ANOVA and Pearson's correlation tests. Results: The results show the functional variability of children CP in different severity levels of motor disfunction This variation was observed in the areas of mobility, self-care and social function. The results also showed a strong correlation between the domains mobility and self-care, mobility and social function. Conclusions: The variability shown by the children with CP, suggests the use of PEDI and GMFCS as this association appears to increase the understanding of how the gross motor functions are related to activities of daily living, describing the best commitments and their degree of impact on functional activities. This correlation demonstrates how mobility is crucial to evaluate the performance and guide the therapeutic practice, to develop the children´s potencial, and guide the caregiver in stimulation

Estado nutricional, desempenho motor e marcadores dermatoglíficos em escolares púberes

A fase da puberdade é o período em que ocorrem as maiores transformações características da adolescência. Por essa razão, este estudo objetivou identificar o estado nutricional, desempenho motor e marcadores dermatoglíficos em 2363 escolares púberes selecionados de forma estratificada, de ambos os sexos, com idades variando de 6 a 15 anos, matriculados no Ensino Fundamental (2ª a 9ª Séries) do ensino público no estado do Rio Grande do Norte. Foram avaliados o estado nutricional (Índice de Massa Corporal); as qualidades físicas básicas ( testes de coordenação, equilíbrio, agilidade, flexibilidade, força e velocidade); o potencial genético (método da dermatoglifia) e o estágio maturacional (auto avaliação de Tanner); Com relação ao estado nutricional observou-se que escolares acima do peso apresentam valores mais baixos em relação ao seu desempenho motor sendo esses valores, mais significativos nos meninos. No que se refere à maturação sexual, os resultados apontaram que os meninos atingem os estágios maturacionais primeiro que as meninas, não tendo encontrado correlação entre o potencial genético e os demais indicadores o que nos permite concluir que os escolares do estado do Rio Grande do Norte, principalmente os do sexo masculino sofrem influência significativa de seu estado nutricional e seu estágio maturacional no que diz respeito ao seu desempenho motor. Essa dissertação apresenta relação de interdisciplinaridade, tendo o seu conteúdo uma aplicação nos campos da Educação Física, Nutrição, Medicina e Enfermagem.

Controle vetorial de velocidade de um motor de indução trifásico com estimação neural de fluxo

This work describes the study and the implementation of the speed control for a three-phase induction motor of 1,1 kW and 4 poles using the neural rotor flux estimation. The vector speed control operates together with the winding currents controller of the stator phasis. The neural flux estimation applied to the vector speed controls has the objective of compensating the parameter dependences of the conventional estimators in relation to the parameter machine s variations due to the temperature increases or due to the rotor magnetic saturation. The implemented control system allows a direct comparison between the respective responses of the speed controls to the machine oriented by the neural rotor flux estimator in relation to the conventional flux estimator. All the system control is executed by a program developed in the ANSI C language. The main DSP recources used by the system are, respectively, the Analog/Digital channels converters, the PWM outputs and the parallel and RS-232 serial interfaces, which are responsible, respectively, by the DSP programming and the data capture through the supervisory system

Motor de indução trifásico sem mancais com bobinado dividido: otimização do sistema de posicionamento radial

This dissertation dea1s with the active magnetic suspension controI system of an induction bearingIess motor configured with split windings. It analyses a dynamic modeI for the radial magnetic forces actuating on the rotor. From that, it proposes a new approach for the composition of the currents imposed to the machine's stator. It shows the tests accomplished with a prototype, proving the usefulness of the new actuating structure for the radial positioning controI. Finnaly, it points out the importance of adapting this structure to well-known rotational controI techniques, continuing this kind of equipment research, which is carried out at Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte since 2000

Controle preditivo bilinear aplicado a um motor de indução

The present work is based on the applied bilinear predictive control applied to an induction motor. As in particular case of the technique based on predictive control in nonlinem systems, these have desperted great interest, a time that present the advantage of being simpler than the non linear in general and most representative one than the linear one. One of the methods, adopted here, uses the linear model "quasi linear for step of time" based in Generalized Predictive Control. The modeling of the induction motor is made by the Vectorial control with orientation given for the indirect rotor. The system is formed by an induction motor of 3 cv with rotor in squirregate, set in motion for a group of benches of tests developed for this work, presented resulted for a variation of +5% in the value of set-point and for a variation of +10% and -10% in the value of the applied nominal load to the motor. The results prove a good efficiency of the predictive bilinear controllers, then compared with the linear cases

Identificação de uma planta de corrente de um motor de indução utilizando redes de base radial

The present work describes the use of a mathematical tool to solve problems arising from control theory, including the identification, analysis of the phase portrait and stability, as well as the temporal evolution of the plant s current induction motor. The system identification is an area of mathematical modeling that has as its objective the study of techniques which can determine a dynamic model in representing a real system. The tool used in the identification and analysis of nonlinear dynamical system is the Radial Basis Function (RBF). The process or plant that is used has a mathematical model unknown, but belongs to a particular class that contains an internal dynamics that can be modeled.Will be presented as contributions to the analysis of asymptotic stability of the RBF. The identification using radial basis function is demonstrated through computer simulations from a real data set obtained from the plant