The Geometric Curvature Of The Spine Of Runners During Maximal Incremental Effort Test.

This study sought to analyse the behaviour of the average spinal posture using a novel investigative procedure in a maximal incremental effort test performed on a treadmill. Spine motion was collected via stereo-photogrammetric analysis in thirteen amateur athletes. At each time percentage of the gait cycle, the reconstructed spine points were projected onto the sagittal and frontal planes of the trunk. On each plane, a polynomial was fitted to the data, and the two-dimensional geometric curvature along the longitudinal axis of the trunk was calculated to quantify the geometric shape of the spine. The average posture presented at the gait cycle defined the spine Neutral Curve. This method enabled the lateral deviations, lordosis, and kyphosis of the spine to be quantified noninvasively and in detail. The similarity between each two volunteers was a maximum of 19% on the sagittal plane and 13% on the frontal (p<0.01). The data collected in this study can be considered preliminary evidence that there are subject-specific characteristics in spinal curvatures during running. Changes induced by increases in speed were not sufficient for the Neutral Curve to lose its individual characteristics, instead behaving like a postural signature. The data showed the descriptive capability of a new method to analyse spinal postures during locomotion; however, additional studies, and with larger sample sizes, are necessary for extracting more general information from this novel methodology.

Twin-twin Transfusion Syndrome: Neurodevelopmental Screening Test.

Objective To assess the neurodevelopmental functions (cognition, language and motor function) of survivors of twin-twin transfusion syndrome (TTTS). Method Observational cross-sectional study of a total of 67 monochorionic diamniotic twins who underwent fetoscopic laser coagulation (FLC) for treatment of TTTS. The study was conducted at the Center for Investigation in Pediatrics (CIPED), Universidade Estadual de Campinas. Ages ranged from one month and four days to two years four months. Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development Screening Test-III, were used for evaluation. Results Most children reached the competent category and were classified as having appropriate performance. The preterm children scored worse than term infants for gross motor subtest (p = 0.036). Conclusion The majority of children reached the expected development according to their age. Despite the good neurodevelopment, children classified at risk should be monitored for development throughout childhood.

Application Of Laser Microdissection Icp-ms For High Resolution Elemental Mapping In Mouse Brain Tissue: A Comparative Study With Laser Ablation Icp-ms.

Mapping of elements in biological tissue by laser induced mass spectrometry is a fast growing analytical methodology in life sciences. This method provides a multitude of useful information of metal, nonmetal, metalloid and isotopic distribution at major, minor and trace concentration ranges, usually with a lateral resolution of 12-160 µm. Selected applications in medical research require an improved lateral resolution of laser induced mass spectrometric technique at the low micrometre scale and below. The present work demonstrates the applicability of a recently developed analytical methodology - laser microdissection associated to inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LMD ICP-MS) - to obtain elemental images of different solid biological samples at high lateral resolution. LMD ICP-MS images of mouse brain tissue samples stained with uranium and native are shown, and a direct comparison of LMD and laser ablation (LA) ICP-MS imaging methodologies, in terms of elemental quantification, is performed.

Utilização de um monitor de vídeo como fonte de alta tensão para eletroforese capilar

This article describes the use of a conventional CRT monitor as a high voltage power supply for capillary electrophoresis. With this monitor, a 23-kV high voltage with a ripple of 1.32% was observed. The reproducibility of the applied high voltage was evaluated by measuring the standard deviations of peak area and migration time for five consecutive injections of a test mixture containing potassium, sodium, and lithium cations at 50 mmol L-1. The errors were about 2.5% and 0.6% for peak area and migration time, respectively. The maximum current tested was about 180 mA, which covers most capillary electrophoresis applications. This system has been successfully used for several months, maintaining the desired level of performance.

Flow injection green method for the quantitative analysis of ketoconazole in pharmaceutical preparations

A flow injection method for the quantitative analysis of ketoconazole in tablets, based on the reaction with iron (III) ions, is presented. Ketoconazole forms a red complex with iron ions in an acid medium, with maximum absorbance at 495 nm. The detection limit was estimated to be 1×10--4 mol L-1; the quantitation limit is about 3×10--4 mol L-1 and approximately 30 determinations can be performed in an hour. The results were compared with those obtained with a reference HPLC method. Statistical comparisons were done using the Student's t procedure and the F test. Complete agreement was found at the 0.95 significance level between the proposed flow injection and the HPLC procedures. The two methods present similar precision, i.e., for HPLC the mean relative standard deviation was ca. 1.2% and for FIA ca. 1.6%.

Evaluation of the cytotoxic and genotoxic potential of water from the River Paraíba do Sul, in Brazil, with the Allium cepa L. test

This work investigated the cytotoxic and genotoxic potential of water from the River Paraíba do Sul (Brazil) using Allium cepa roots. An anatomo-morphological parameter (root length), mitotic indices, and frequency of micronuclei were analysed. Eight bulbs were chosen at random for treatment for 24 to 120 hours with the River water collected in the years of 2005 and 2006 from sites in the cities of Tremembé and Aparecida (São Paulo state, Brazil). Daily measurements of the length of the roots grown from each bulb were carried out throughout the experiment. Mitotic index (MI) and frequency of micronuclei (MN) were determined for 2000 cells per root, using 3-5 root tips from other bulbs (7-10). Only in the roots treated with samples of the River water collected in 2005 in Tremembé city was there a decrease in the root length growth compared to the respective control. However, a reduction in MI values was verified for both sites analysed for that year. Considering the data involving root length growth and especially MI values, a cytotoxic potential is suggested for the water of the River Paraíba do Sul at Tremembé and Aparecida, in the year of 2005. On the other hand, since in this year the MN frequency was not affected with the river water treatments, genotoxicity is not assumed for the river water sampled at the aforementioned places.

Full threshold vs. Swedish interactive threshold algorithm (SITA) em pacientes glaucomatosos submetidos à perimetria computadorizada pela primeira vez

PURPOSE: To compare the Full Threshold (FT) and SITA Standard (SS) strategies in glaucomatous patients undergoing automated perimetry for the first time. METHODS: Thirty-one glaucomatous patients who had never undergone perimetry underwent automated perimetry (Humphrey, program 30-2) with both FT and SS on the same day, with an interval of at least 15 minutes. The order of the examination was randomized, and only one eye per patient was analyzed. Three analyses were performed: a) all the examinations, regardless of the order of application; b) only the first examinations; c) only the second examinations. In order to calculate the sensitivity of both strategies, the following criteria were used to define abnormality: glaucoma hemifield test (GHT) outside normal limits, pattern standard deviation (PSD) <5%, or a cluster of 3 adjacent points with p<5% at the pattern deviation probability plot. RESULTS: When the results of all examinations were analyzed regardless of the order in which they were performed, the number of depressed points with p<0.5% in the pattern deviation probability map was significantly greater with SS (p=0.037), and the sensitivities were 87.1% for SS and 77.4% for FT (p=0.506). When only the first examinations were compared, there were no statistically significant differences regarding the number of depressed points, but the sensitivity of SS (100%) was significantly greater than that obtained with FT (70.6%) (p=0.048). When only the second examinations were compared, there were no statistically significant differences regarding the number of depressed points, and the sensitivities of SS (76.5%) and FT (85.7%) (p=0.664). CONCLUSION: SS may have a higher sensitivity than FT in glaucomatous patients undergoing automated perimetry for the first time. However, this difference tends to disappear in subsequent examinations.

Comparison between the 1% and 2% ibopamine provocative test in primary open-angle glaucoma patients: sensitivity, specificity and tolerability

PURPOSE: To compare intraocular pressure (IOP) rise in normal individuals and primary open-angle glaucoma patients and the safety and efficacy of ibopamine eye drops in different concentrations as a provocative test for glaucoma. METHODS: Glaucoma patients underwent (same eye) the ibopamine provocative test with two concentrations, 1% and 2%, in a random sequence at least 3 weeks apart, but not more than 3 months. The normal individuals were randomly submitted to one of the concentrations of ibopamine (1% and 2%). The test was considered positive if there was an IOP rise greater than 3 or 4 mmHg at 30 or 45 minutes to test which subset of the test has the best sensitivity (Se)/specificity (Sp). RESULTS: There was no statistically significant difference in any of the IOP measurements, comparing 1% with 2% ibopamine. The IOP was significantly higher at 30 and 45 minutes with both concentrations (p<0.001). The best sensitivity/specificity ratio was achieved with the cutoff point set as greater than 3 mmHg at 45 minutes with 2% ibopamine (area under the ROC curve: 0.864, Se: 84.6%; Sp:73.3%). All patients described a slight burning after ibopamine's instillation. CONCLUSION: 2% ibopamine is recommended as a provocative test for glaucoma. Because both concentrations have similar ability to rise IOP, 1% ibopamine may be used to treat ocular hypotony.

Curva de aprendizado e flutuações a curto e longo prazos com perimetria de freqüência dupla (FDT)

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the learning effect, short-term fluctuation and long-term fluctuation in healthy subjects undergoing frequency doubling perimetry (FDP). METHODS: Twenty healthy young subjects underwent FDT (program N30, full threshold) in one eye (right). Each subject was tested once in the first three sessions and three times in the fourth session. Both short- and long-term fluctuations were studied as the average fluctuation of all the tested points or as a point-to-point fluctuation. To study the learning effect, the MDs values of the first session were compared to the second, third and fourth sessions. RESULTS: In the short-term analysis (3 examination done in the last session), the total mean sensitivity was 31.91 ± 1.20 dB and the mean MD and PSD were 0.84 ± 1.85 and 3.73 ± 1.55 dB, respectively. The average short-term fluctuation was 1.72 ± 0.38 dB. When the four examination, performed at different visits, were compared, the average mean sensitivity of all sessions and the average long-term fluctuation were 31.75 ± 1.11 and 2.16 ± 0.26 dB, respectively. The MD averages of the first, second, third and fourth tests were 0.11 ± 2.14 dB, 0.47 ± 1.64 dB, 1.16 ± 1.62 dB and 0.98 ± 1.92 dB respectively. The MD difference between the first and the third and between the first and the fourth examinations were statistically significant (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: The threshold sensitivity detected by FDP is influenced by both short- and long-term fluctuations. We observed a mild learning effect that shoud be taken into account whenever a patient undergoes this test for the first time.

Sensitivity and specificity of machine learning classifiers for glaucoma diagnosis using Spectral Domain OCT and standard automated perimetry

PURPOSE: To evaluate the sensitivity and specificity of machine learning classifiers (MLCs) for glaucoma diagnosis using Spectral Domain OCT (SD-OCT) and standard automated perimetry (SAP). METHODS: Observational cross-sectional study. Sixty two glaucoma patients and 48 healthy individuals were included. All patients underwent a complete ophthalmologic examination, achromatic standard automated perimetry (SAP) and retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) imaging with SD-OCT (Cirrus HD-OCT; Carl Zeiss Meditec Inc., Dublin, California). Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were obtained for all SD-OCT parameters and global indices of SAP. Subsequently, the following MLCs were tested using parameters from the SD-OCT and SAP: Bagging (BAG), Naive-Bayes (NB), Multilayer Perceptron (MLP), Radial Basis Function (RBF), Random Forest (RAN), Ensemble Selection (ENS), Classification Tree (CTREE), Ada Boost M1(ADA),Support Vector Machine Linear (SVML) and Support Vector Machine Gaussian (SVMG). Areas under the receiver operating characteristic curves (aROC) obtained for isolated SAP and OCT parameters were compared with MLCs using OCT+SAP data. RESULTS: Combining OCT and SAP data, MLCs' aROCs varied from 0.777(CTREE) to 0.946 (RAN).The best OCT+SAP aROC obtained with RAN (0.946) was significantly larger the best single OCT parameter (p<0.05), but was not significantly different from the aROC obtained with the best single SAP parameter (p=0.19). CONCLUSION: Machine learning classifiers trained on OCT and SAP data can successfully discriminate between healthy and glaucomatous eyes. The combination of OCT and SAP measurements improved the diagnostic accuracy compared with OCT data alone.

Crescimento fisico em crianças e adolescentes de moderada altitude

Universidade Estadual de Campinas . Faculdade de Educação Física

Variabilidade dos indicadores antropométricos e de desempenho físico de jovens futebolistas em função da idade cronológica

Universidade Estadual de Campinas . Faculdade de Educação Física

Desenvolvimento de equações generalizadas para estimativa da coordenação motora em crianças e adolescentes portadores de deficiencia mental

Universidade Estadual de Campinas . Faculdade de Educação Física

Determinação da velolcidade critica como referencia do limiar anaerobio para o nado costas

Universidade Estadual de Campinas . Faculdade de Educação Física

Correlação entre o ponto de compensação respiratoria e desempenho em corredores de rua

Universidade Estadual de Campinas . Faculdade de Educação Física