Avaliação radiográfica de cães com displasia coxofemoral tratados pela sinfisiodese púbica

Avaliou-se a progressão dos sinais radiográficos de cães com displasia coxofemoral ou potencialmente displásicos tratados pela técnica da sinfisiodese púbica. Foram utilizados 14 cães, seis machos e oito fêmeas, com idades entre quatro e seis meses. Após exame físico, procedeu-se ao exame radiográfico para avaliação da articulação coxofemoral, segundo padrão estabelecido pelo Colégio Brasileiro de Radiologia Veterinária. Três deles foram também avaliados pelo método PennHIP. Pelo histórico clínico, nove (64%) animais foram trazidos por manifestarem sinais de dificuldade locomotora com os membros pélvicos, manifestada especialmente por claudicação unilateral ou bilateral e dificuldade de se levantar. Cinco (36%) cães não tinham qualquer sinal clínico, e em quatro (29%) realizou-se o exame radiográfico como prevenção. O sinal físico mais evidente foi dor à palpação da articulação coxofemoral, e dois (14%) cães apresentaram sinal de Ortolani positivo. Com exceção de um cão que apresentou infecção nos pontos cutâneos, todos os demais evoluíram sem complicações no período pós-operatório. Radiograficamente houve progressão das lesões articulares em seis (43%) animais e oito (57%) mantiveram a classificação inicial. Concluiu-se que cães tratados pela sinfisiodese púbica não apresentam melhora dos sinais radiográficos iniciais.

Reparação de defeitos osteocondrais de cães com implante de cultura de condrócitos homólogos e membrana biossintética de celulose: avaliação clínica, ultrassonográfica e macroscópica

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Thermal relationships and exercise physiology in anuran amphibians: Integration and evolutionary implications

Thermal and water balance are coupled in anurans, and species with particularly permeable skin avoid overheating more effectively than minimizing variance of body temperature. In turn, temperature affects muscle performance in several ways, so documenting the mean and variance of body temperature of active frogs can help explain variation in behavioral performance. The two types of activities studied in most detail, jumping and calling, differ markedly in duration and intensity, and there are distinct differences in the metabolic profile and fiber type of the supporting muscles. Characteristics of jumping and calling also vary significantly among species, and these differences have a number of implications that we discuss in some detail throughout this paper. One question that emerges from this topic is whether anuran species exhibit activity temperatures that match the temperature range over which they perform best. Although this seems the case, thermal preferences are variable and may not necessarily reflect typical activity temperatures. The performance versus temperature curves and the thermal limits for anuran activity reflect the thermal ecology of species more than their systematic position. Anuran thermal physiology, therefore, seems to be phenotypically plastic and susceptible to adaptive evolution. Although generalizations regarding the mechanistic basis of such adjustments are not yet possible, recent attempts have been made to reveal the mechanistic basis of acclimation and acclimatization. (C) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Energy substrate utilization during nightly vocal activity in three species of Scinax (Anura/Hylidae)

Anuran amphibians exhibit different patterns of energy substrate utilization that correlate with the intensity of vocal and locomotor activities. Given the remarkable differences among species in breeding and feeding strategies, and the different ways energy is used in the whole animal, the suggested correlations between calling and locomotor behavior and the level of energy substrates in the muscles responsible for such activities are more complex than previously reported. We explored the relationships between calling and locomotor behavior and energy supply to trunk and hindlimb muscles, respectively, within the ecologically diverse tree-frog genus Scinax. Specifically, we measured the relative amount of carbohydrates and lipids in these two groups of muscles, and in the liver of three species of Scinax that differ in vocal and locomotor performance, and compared our results with those of two other species for which comparable data are available. We also compared the contents of lipids and carbohydrates of conspecific males collected at the beginning and after 4 h of calling activity. The stomach content to potential feeding opportunities across species was also assessed in both groups of males. Scinax hiemalis and S. rizibilis exhibit comparatively low and episodic calling during long periods of activity whereas S. crospedospilus calls at higher rates over shorter periods. Male S. hiemalis had highest levels of trunk muscle glycogen followed by those of S. rizilbilis and S. crospedospilus, respectively. There was no correlation between total lipid content in trunk muscle and calling rate among different species, suggesting that other metabolic aspects may be responsible for the energetic support for vocal activity. The levels of lipids and carbohydrates in trunk and hindlimb muscles and liver of males collected at the beginning and 4 h into the calling period were similar across species, so the extent of energetic reserves does not appear to constrain vocal or locomotor activity. Finally, we found exceptionally high levels of carbohydrates and lipids in the liver of S. rizibilis, a trait perhaps related to a long and demanding breeding period.

The evolution of jumping performance in anurans: morphological correlates and ecological implications

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Parâmetros cinemáticos da marcha com obstáculos em idosos com Doença de Parkinson, com e sem efeito da levodopa: um estudo piloto

CONTEXTO: Os efeitos da levodopa na marcha de pacientes com Doença de Parkinson (DP) em terrenos desobstruídos são conhecidos, mas pouco se conhece sobre seus efeitos na marcha com obstáculos. OBJETIVO: Este estudo objetivou descrever, por meio de ferramenta cinemática, o comportamento locomotor de pacientes com DP e verificar as estratégias locomotoras, sem e sob o efeito da levodopa, durante a ultrapassagem de obstáculos de diferentes alturas. MÉTODO: Cinco pacientes com DP (Hoehn e Yahr= 2±0; idade= 68,4±5,7 anos) percorreram, andando, 10m e ultrapassaram um de dois obstáculos (alto= metade da altura do joelho e baixo= altura do tornozelo) posicionado no meio da passarela em duas sessões (em jejum e no pico de ação do medicamento). As seguintes variáveis foram coletadas e analisadas: distância horizontal pé-obstáculo (DHPO), distância vertical pé-obstáculo (DVPO); distância horizontal obstáculo-pé (DHOP) e velocidades médias, horizontais e verticais, nas fases de abordagem e aterrissagem (respectivamente, VHAO,VVAO; VHDO,VVDO). RESULTADOS: A ANOVA, por tentativa, revelou efeito principal de obstáculo para DVPO (F1,49=15,33; p< 0,001), para VVAO (F1,49= 82,184; p< 0,001), para VHDO (F1,49= 15,33; p< 0,001) e para VVDO (F1,49= 31,30; p< 0,001); e efeito principal de medicamento para DVPO (F1,49= 6,66; p< 0,013) e para VVAO (F1,49= 10,174; p< 0,002). CONCLUSÕES: Pacientes foram mais perturbados pelo obstáculo alto. Os sintomas da DP (bradicinesia e hipocinesia) foram diminuídos com o medicamento, evidenciando aumento geral da velocidade da perna de abordagem e da margem de segurança sobre os obstáculos. Pacientes com DP, independente da condição de medicamento, apresentaram um comportamento que garantiu segurança e estabilidade na marcha.

Parâmetros na marcha na paralisia supranuclear progressiva: um estudo de caso

INTRODUÇÃO: Comprometimentos na marcha de pacientes com paralisia supranuclear progressiva (PSP) podem aumentar o risco de quedas durante o andar, especialmente em ambientes complexos. OBJETIVO: Descrever o comportamento locomotor de uma paciente com PSP, nas condições de marcha livre e marcha adaptativa. MATERIAIS E MÉTODOS: Estudo de caso de uma paciente com PSP (71 anos). Para análise cinemática, nas condições de marcha livre, com obstáculo baixo e alto, uma câmera digital registrou uma passada completa da paciente. RESULTADOS: Com o aumento da complexidade do ambiente (marcha livre, obstáculo baixo e alto, respectivamente), foi observada diminuição do comprimento do passo (0,37 ± 0,07; 0,30 ± 0,07; 0,26 ± 0,06 m), do comprimento da passada (0,71 ± 0,11; 0,58 ± 0,15; 0,47 ± 0,07 m) e da velocidade da passada (0,55 ± 0,14; 0,43 ± 0,11; 0,36 ± 0,11 m/s). Aumento progressivo ocorreu na duração do duplo suporte da passada livre (29,47%) para a passada antes do obstáculo alto (41,11%). Observou-se, ainda, ligeira diminuição na distância vertical pé/obstáculo alto (membro/abordagem: 7,18 ± 1,88; e membro/suporte: 8,84 ± 2,57 cm) em relação ao obstáculo baixo (membro de abordagem: 8,86 ± 1,88; e membro de suporte: 11,67 ± 2,09 cm). CONCLUSÃO: A PSP afetou de forma evidente a marcha da paciente. Inflexibilidade para a adaptação da marcha às demandas do ambiente foi observada durante a aproximação e a transposição dos obstáculos, o que pode aumentar o risco de tropeços e quedas.

OBSTACLE STEPPING and BODY SCALE MODULATING PARAMETERS

The purpose of this study was to investigate gait spatial parameters at the point of departure, with obstacle heights adjusted to individual body scale. Undergraduate student volunteers (M age=22.4 yr., SD=2.1; 6 women, 1 man) were asked to step once, then cross over an obstacle and stop. This behavior was video recorded to extract kinematic data. The obstacle heights corresponded to high (knee-height) and low obstacles (half the knee-height). Points of departure corresponded to far (length of the lower limb) and close (half the length of the lower limb). The close point of departure influenced the trailing foot's placement ahead of the obstacle as well as step length. The high obstacle influenced the trailing foot's toe clearance. An interaction between factors was observed for leading foot toe clearance. Results indicate that body scale affected the participants' locomotor behavior during the obstacle-avoidance task.

Contribuição de diferentes conteúdos das aulas de educação física no ensino fundamental I para o desenvolvimento das habilidades motoras fundamentais

Introduction and objective: This study investigated the contribution of physical education (PE) classes in elementary school I for the development of basic motor skills of children from two public schools in the same neighborhood of São Paulo city, and if the practice of extreme sports besides the PE classes could differently contribute to the development of those skills. Methods: Nineteen children (9.5 +/- 0.3 years) who had two weekly PE classes composed the control group (CG) and 22 children (9.6 +/- 0.5 years) who had two weekly PE classes and three extreme sports classes composed the experimental group (EG). All children were videotaped while performing locomotor and object control motor skill subtests from the Test of Gross Motor Development (TGMD-2). The videos were analyzed and raw scores were obtained according to the quality of the observed movement, and equivalent motor age was also estimated for both subtests. Results: The results indicated that the EG presented higher raw scores compared to CG in the locomotor subtest and both groups presented similar scores in the object control subtest. Moreover, EG presented higher equivalent motor age in the locomotor subtest compared to CG and neither group presented differences between equivalent motor age and chronological age in the object control subtest. Conclusion: Based on these results we conclude that PE classes in elementary school appropriately contributed to the development of basic motor skills, since neither group presented difference between equivalent motor age and chronological age, and that extreme sports classes contributed even more for the development of locomotor skills.

Effects of obstacle height on obstacle crossing in mild Parkinson's disease

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Adaptive Locomotion for Crossing a Moving Obstacle

Crossing moving obstacles requires different space-time adjustments compared with stationary obstacles. Our aim was to investigate gait spatial and temporal parameters in the approach and crossing phases of a moving obstacle. We hypothesized that obstacle speed affects gait parameters, which allow us to distinguish locomotor strategies. Ten young adults walked and stepped over an obstacle that crossed their way perpendicularly, under three obstacle conditions: control-stationary obstacle, slow (1.07 m/s) and fast speed (1.71 m/s) moving obstacles. Gait parameters were different between obstacle conditions, especially on the slow speed. In the fast condition, the participants adopted predictive strategies during the approach and crossing phases. In the slow condition, they used an anticipatory strategy in both phases. We conclude that obstacle speed affects the locomotor behavior and strategies were distinct in the obstacle avoidance phases.

Optic Flow Contribution to Locomotion Adjustments in Obstacle Avoidance

Locomotion generates a visual movement pattern characterized as optic flow. To explore how the locomotor adjustments are affected by this pattern, an experimental paradigm was developed to eliminate optic flow during obstacle avoidance. The aim was to investigate the contribution of optic flow in obstacle avoidance by using a stroboscopic lamp. Ten young adults walked on an 8m pathway and stepped over obstacles at two heights. Visual sampling was determined by a stroboscopic lamp (static and dynamic visual sampling). Three-dimensional kinematics data showed that the visual information about self-motion provided by the optic flow was crucial for estimating the distance from and the height of the obstacle. Participants presented conservative behavior for obstacle avoidance under experimental visual sampling conditions, which suggests that optic flow favors the coupling of vision to adaptive behavior for obstacle avoidance.

Functional and historical determinants of shape in the scapula of Xenarthran mammals: Evolution of a complex morphological structure

The mammalian scapula is a complex morphological structure, composed of two ossification plates that fuse into a single structure. Most studies on morphological differentiation in the scapula have considered it to be a simple, spatially integrated structure, primarily influenced by the important locomotor function presented by this element. We used recently developed geometric morphometric techniques to test and quantify functional and phylogenetic influences on scapular shape variation in fossil and extant xenarthran mammals. The order Xenarthra is well represented in the fossil record and presents a stable phylogenetic hypothesis for its genealogical history. In addition, its species present a large variety of locomotor habits. Our results show that approximately half of the shape variation in the scapula is due to phylogenetic heritage. This is contrary to the view that the scapula is influenced only by functional demands. There are large-scale shape transformations that provide biomechanical adaptation for the several habits (arboreality, terrestriality, and digging), and small scale-shape transformations (mostly related to the coracoid process) that are not influenced by function. A nonlinear relationship between morphometric and phylogenetic distances indicates the presence of a complex mixture of evolutionary processes acting on shape differentiation of the scapula. J. Morphol. 241,251-263, 1999. (C) 1999 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Fight versus flight: the interaction of temperature and body size determines antipredator behaviour in tegu lizards

Ectotherm antipredator behaviour might be strongly affected both by body temperature and size: when environmental temperatures do not favour maximal locomotor performance, large individuals may confront predators, whereas small animals may flee, simply because they have no other option. However, integration of body size and temperature effects is rarely approached in the study of antipredator behaviour in vertebrate ectotherms. In the present study we investigated whether temperature affects antipredator responses of tegu lizards, Tupinambis merianae, with distinct body sizes, testing the hypothesis that small tegus (juveniles) run away from predators regardless of the environmental temperature, because defensive aggression may not be an effective predator deterrent, whereas adults, which are larger, use aggressive defence at low temperatures, when running performance might be suboptimal. We recorded responses of juvenile (small) and adult (large) tegu lizards to a simulated predatory attack at five environmental temperatures in the laboratory. Most differences between the two size classes were observed at low temperatures: large tegus were more aggressive overall than were small tegus at all temperatures tested, but at lower temperatures, the small lizards often used escape responses whereas the large ones either adopted a defensive posture or remained inactive. These results provide strong evidence that body size and temperature affect the antipredator responses of vertebrate ectotherms. We discuss the complex and intricate network of evolutionary and ecological parameters that are likely to be involved in the evolution of such interactions. (C) 2009 The Association for the Study of Animal Behaviour. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Sedative and antinociceptive effects of romifidine and xylazine in Thoroughbred mares

Compararam-se os efeitos sedativos e antinociceptivos da romifidina (0,1mg/kg) e da xilazina (1,0mg/kg) em éguas da raça Puro Sangue Inglês. A sedação foi quantificada por meio da atividade locomotora espontânea (ALE) e altura da cabeça (AC) em baias individuais automatizadas para o estudo do comportamento. A antinocicepção foi avaliada utilizando uma lâmpada de irradiação de calor registrando-se a latência para o reflexo de retirada do membro (LRRM) e a latência para o reflexo do frêmito cutâneo (LRFC), em delineamento experimental em blocos ao acaso com 10 repetições. O efeito sedativo sobre a ALE foi de aparecimento mais rápido no grupo exposto à xilazina, ao passo que a ptose da cabeça foi mais prolongada no grupo que recebeu romifidina. A romifidina promoveu aumento da LRRM e LRFC e a xilazina não causou efeito antinociceptivo medido pela LRFC. O efeito antinociceptivo da romifidina foi mais pronunciado que o da xilazina.