Analysis of the chronic intake of and withdrawal from diazepam on emotional reactivity and sensory information processing in rats

It has been demonstrated that, on abrupt withdrawal, patients with chronic exposure can experience a number of symptoms indicative of a dependent state. In clinical patients, the earliest to arise and most persistent signal of withdrawal from chronic benzodiazepine (Bzp) treatment is anxiety. In laboratory animals, anxiety-like effects following abrupt interruption of chronic Bzp treatment can also be reproduced. In fact, signs that oscillate from irritability to extreme fear behaviours and seizures have been described already. As anxiety remains one of the most important symptoms of Bzp withdrawal, in this study we evaluated the anxiety levels of rats withdrawn from diazepam. Also studied were the effects on the motor performance and preattentive sensory gating process of rats under diazepam chronic treatment and upon 48-h withdrawal on three animal models of anxiety, the elevated plus-maze (EPM), ultrasonic vocalizations (USV) and startle + prepulse inhibition tests. Data obtained showed an anxiolytic- and anxiogenic-like profile of the chronic intake of and withdrawal from diazepam regimen in the EPM test, 22-KHz USV and startle reflex. Diazepam chronic effects or its withdrawal were ineffective in promoting any alteration in the prepulse inhibition (PPI). However, an increase of PPI was achieved in both sucrose and diazepam pretreated rats on 48-h withdrawal, suggesting a procedural rather than a specific effect of withdrawal on sensory gating processes. It is also possible that the prepulse can function as a conditioned stimulus to informing the delivery of an aversive event, as the auditory startling-eliciting stimulus. All these findings are indicative of a sensitization of the neural substrates of aversion in diazepam withdrawn animals without concomitant changes on the processing of sensory information

Perceptual Information Integration: Hypothetical Role of Astrocytes

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

Astrocytes and human cognition: Modeling information integration and modulation of neuronal activity

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Usage of enterprise modeling processes and information systems design to forecast demand

Managing the great complexity of enterprise system, due to entities numbers, decision and process varieties involved to be controlled results in a very hard task because deals with the integration of its operations and its information systems. Moreover, the enterprises find themselves in a constant changing process, reacting in a dynamic and competitive environment where their business processes are constantly altered. The transformation of business processes into models allows to analyze and redefine them. Through computing tools usage it is possible to minimize the cost and risks of an enterprise integration design. This article claims for the necessity of modeling the processes in order to define more precisely the enterprise business requirements and the adequate usage of the modeling methodologies. Following these patterns, the paper concerns the process modeling relative to the domain of demand forecasting as a practical example. The domain of demand forecasting was built based on a theoretical review. The resulting models considered as reference model are transformed into information systems and have the aim to introduce a generic solution and be start point of better practical forecasting. The proposal is to promote the adequacy of the information system to the real needs of an enterprise in order to enable it to obtain and accompany better results, minimizing design errors, time, money and effort. The enterprise processes modeling are obtained with the usage of CIMOSA language and to the support information system it was used the UML language.

A reabilitação psicossocial no atendimento em saúde mental: Estratégias em construção

This study aims to identify the representations about Psychosocial Rehabilitation by Mental Health professionals working in open services, and also the difficulties they have met in the process of turning the care effective for the population. The study uses a qualitative methodology, collecting data by means of semistructured interviews with 15 subjects. The professionals identify the rehabilitation process as complex, meeting several obstacles and requiring their dedication and a flexible attitude to achieve the expected results.

Biomolecular information, brain activity and cognitive functions

Molecular neurobiology has provided an explanation of mechanisms supporting mental functions as learning, memory, emotion and consciousness. However, an explanatory gap remains between two levels of description: molecular mechanisms determining cellular and tissue functions, and cognitive functions. In this paper we review molecular and cellular mechanisms that determine brain activity, and then hypothetize about their relation with cognition and consciousness. The brain is conceived of as a dynamic system that exchanges information with the whole body and the environment. Three explanatory hypotheses are presented, stating that: a) brain tissue function is coordinated by macromolecules controlling ion movements, b) structured (amplitude, frequency and phase-modulated) local field potentials generated by organized ionic movement embody cognitive information patterns, and c) conscious episodes are constructed by a large-scale mechanism that uses oscillatory synchrony to integrate local field patterns. © by São Paulo State University.

Recent advances in brain physiology and cognitive processing

The discovery of participation of astrocytes as active elements in glutamatergic tripartite synapses (composed by functional units of two neurons and one astrocyte) has led to the construction of models of cognitive functioning in the human brain, focusing on associative learning, sensory integration, conscious processing and memory formation/retrieval. We have modelled human cognitive functions by means of an ensemble of functional units (tripartite synapses) connected by gap junctions that link distributed astrocytes, allowing the formation of intra- and intercellular calcium waves that putatively mediate large-scale cognitive information processing. The model contains a diagram of molecular mechanisms present in tripartite synapses and contributes to explain the physiological bases of cognitive functions. It can be potentially expanded to explain emotional functions and psychiatric phenomena. © MSM 2011.

PAR-COM: A new methodology for post-processing association rules

The post-processing of association rules is a difficult task, since a huge number of rules that are generated are of no interest to the user. To overcome this problem many approaches have been developed, such as objective measures and clustering. However, objective measures don't reduce nor organize the collection of rules, therefore making the understanding of the domain difficult. On the other hand, clustering doesn't reduce the exploration space nor direct the user to find interesting knowledge, therefore making the search for relevant knowledge not so easy. In this context this paper presents the PAR-COM methodology that, by combining clustering and objective measures, reduces the association rule exploration space directing the user to what is potentially interesting. An experimental study demonstrates the potential of PAR-COM to minimize the user's effort during the post-processing process. © 2012 Springer-Verlag.

Evolução biológica pelo modo não-tradicional: como professores de ensino médio lidam com esta situação?

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

A perspectiva sóciocognitiva no tratamento temático da informação em bibliotecas universitárias: aspectos inerentes a percepção profissional

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Contribuições ao estudo da ambiguidade da linguagem: uma proposta linguístico-educacional

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Direito e inclusão da pessoa com deficiência: uma análise orientada pela teoria do reconhecimento social de Axel Honneth

The law that justifies the inclusion of people with disability in schools and companies has been in force since the end of the 1980thies. In view of its coercion, people with disabilities have been enrolled at schools and been employed in companies. This research attempts to analyze the inclusion process according to Axel Honneth's Social Recognition Theory. Backed by his three dimension recognition process, we show firstly that inclusion signifies a process of individuation and social inclusion. Then, we study the law in force, its goals and strategies of achievement. We show that recognition's approach allows interpreting the law of inclusion more generously - in a less positivistic way. Finally, we approach the conditions for schools and companies to accomplish the law of inclusion so conceived.

A nova configuração do paradigma cognitivo na Ciência da Informação: contribuições ao processo de conhecer do profissional da informação

Introduction: Studies about human cognition represent a relevant perspective in information science, considering the subjective actions of information professionals and dialogic process that should permeate the activity of subjects dealing with the organization and representation of information. Objective: Explore the approach of the cognitive perspective in information science and their new settings by contemporary needs of information to reflect on the process of meeting the professional information through the social reality that permeates the contexts of information. Methodology: Reflection on theoretical aspects that deal with the cognitive development to discuss the implications of the cognitive approach in information science and its evolution in the scope of the representation and processing of information. Results: Research in Information Science must consider issues of cognitive and social order that underlie information processing and the process of knowing the information professional as knowledge structures must be explained from the social context of knowing subjects. Conclusions: There is a need to investigate the process of knowing the information professional in the bias of socio-cognitive approach, targeting new elements for the understanding of the relationship information (cognitive manifestations) and its implications on the social dimension.

Como os sintomas de transtornos mentais e comportamentais influenciam a memória operacional de universitários?

Pós-graduação em Psicologia do Desenvolvimento e Aprendizagem - FC