Integrating eye tracking in virtual reality for stroke rehabilitation

This thesis reports on research done for the integration of eye tracking technology into virtual reality environments, with the goal of using it in rehabilitation of patients who suffered from stroke. For the last few years, eye tracking has been a focus on medical research, used as an assistive tool  to help people with disabilities interact with new technologies  and as an assessment tool  to track the eye gaze during computer interactions. However, tracking more complex gaze behaviors and relating them to motor deficits in people with disabilities is an area that has not been fully explored, therefore it became the focal point of this research. During the research, two exploratory studies were performed in which eye tracking technology was integrated in the context of a newly created virtual reality task to assess the impact of stroke. Using an eye tracking device and a custom virtual task, the system developed is able to monitor the eye gaze pattern changes over time in patients with stroke, as well as allowing their eye gaze to function as an input for the task. Based on neuroscientific hypotheses of upper limb motor control, the studies aimed at verifying the differences in gaze patterns during the observation and execution of the virtual goal-oriented task in stroke patients (N=10), and also to assess normal gaze behavior in healthy participants (N=20). Results were found consistent and supported the hypotheses formulated, showing that eye gaze could be used as a valid assessment tool on these patients. However, the findings of this first exploratory approach are limited in order to fully understand the effect of stroke on eye gaze behavior. Therefore, a novel model-driven paradigm is proposed to further understand the relation between the neuronal mechanisms underlying goal-oriented actions and eye gaze behavior.

Construção das capacidades organizacionais de tecnologia da informação no contexto dos sistemas institucionais integrados de gestão da UFRN

The IT capability is a organizational ability to perform activities of this role more effectively and an important mechanism in creating value. Its building process (stages of creation and development) occurs through management initiatives for improvement in the performance of their activities, using human resources and IT assets complementary responsible for the evolution of their organizational routines. This research deals with the IT capabilities related to SIG (integrated institutional management systems), built and deployed in UFRN (Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte) to realization and control of administrative, academic and human resources activities. Since 2009, through cooperative agreements with federal and educational institutions of direct administration, UFRN has supported the implementation of these systems, currently involving more than 30 institutions. The present study aims to understand how IT capabilities, relevant in the design, implementation and dissemination of SIG, were built over time. This is a single case study of qualitative and longitudinal nature, performed by capturing, coding and analysis from secondary data and from semi-structured interviews conducted primarily with members of Superintenência de Informática, organizational unit responsible for SIG systems in UFRN. As a result, the technical, of internal relationship and external cooperation capabilities were identified as relevant in the successful trajectory of SIG systems, which have evolved in different ways. The technical capacity, initiated in 2004, toured the stages of creation and development until it reached the stage of stability in 2013, due to technological limits. Regarding the internal relationship capability, begun in 2006, it toured the stages of creation and development, having extended its scope of activities in 2009, being in development since then. Unlike the standard life cycle observed in the literature, the external cooperation capability was initiated by an intensity of initiatives and developments in the routines in 2009, which were decreasing to cease in 2013 in order to stabilize the technological infrastructure already created for cooperative institutions. It was still identified the start of cooperation in 2009 as an important event selection, responsible for changing or creating trajectories of evolution in all three capacities. The most frequent improvements initiatives were of organizational nature and the internal planning activity has been transformed over the routines of the three capabilities. Important resources and complementary assets have been identified as important for the realization of initiatives, such as human resources technical knowledge to the technical capabilities and external cooperation, and business knowledge, for all of them, as well as IT assets: the iproject application for control of development processes, and the document repository wiki. All these resources and complementary assets grew along the capacities, demonstrating its strategic value to SINFO/UFRN

Cinemática de partículas em fluidos de viscosidade variável com o tempo e sua aplicação na construção de poços de petróleo: avaliação durante paradas operacionais

The new oil reservoirs discoveries in onshore and ultra deep water offshore fields and complex trajectories require the optimization of procedures to reduce the stops operation during the well drilling, especially because the platforms and equipment high cost, and risks which are inherent to the operation. Among the most important aspects stands out the drilling fluids project and their behavior against different situations that may occur during the process. By means of sedimentation experiments, a correlation has been validated to determe the sedimentation particles velocity in variable viscosity fluids over time, applying the correction due to effective viscosity that is a shear rate and time function. The viscosity evolution over time was obtained by carrying out rheologic tests using a fixed shear rate, small enough to not interfere in the fluid gelling process. With the sedimentation particles velocity and the fluid viscosity over time equations an iterative procedure was proposed to determine the particles displacement over time. These equations were implemented in a case study to simulate the cuttings sedimentation generated in the oil well drilling during stops operation, especially in the connections and tripping, allowing the drilling fluid project in order to maintain the cuttings in suspension, avoiding risks, such as stuck pipe and in more drastic conditions, the loss of the well

Qualidade de frutos de cajá-manga armazenados sob diferentes temperaturas

O presente trabalho teve como objetivo determinar o efeito de diferentes temperaturas de armazenamento na qualidade de frutos de cajá-manga. Os frutos de cajá-manga foram obtidos junto ao CEAGESP - Companhia de Entrepostos e Armazéns Gerais de São Paulo, e transportados em caixas isotérmicas para o Laboratório onde foram selecionados quanto à aparência, estádio de maturação, ausência de danos físicos, depois sanitizados em solução de 50 ppm de cloro livre e acondicionados em bandejas de poliestireno expandido, envolto por filme de policloreto de vinila (PVC). O delineamento experimental utilizado foi o inteiramente casualizado, com três tratamentos (4ºC, 8ºC e 25ºC) e 5 épocas de avaliação (0; 3; 6; 9 e 12 dias após a instalação do experimento). em cada coleta, foram avaliadas a firmeza, a acidez titulável, os sólidos solúveis, o teor de ácido ascórbico, a cor da casca e, também, a liberação de CO2 pelos frutos ao longo do tempo. Foi observado que baixas temperaturas prolongam a vida útil dos frutos e que a temperatura de armazenamento influencia nas características avaliadas, sendo a temperatura de 8ºC a mais adequada para o armazenamento dos frutos de cajá-manga.

Alterações radiográficas e ultra-sonográficas iniciais em osteoartrite experimental eqüina

Avaliaram-se oito articulações metacarpofalangeanas (MCF) de eqüinos adultos pelos exames radiográfico e ultra-sonográfico após indução cirúrgica de uma instabilidade articular, para mimetizar as alterações iniciais da osteoartrite (OA) naturalmente adquirida. Foram mensurados a circunferência articular, a amplitude do movimento articular e o grau de claudicação dos membros torácicos (avaliação clínica). Dez dias após a intervenção cirúrgica os animais foram exercitados em um andador por um período de 60 dias. Os exames radiográfico e ultra-sonográfico foram realizados antes da intervenção cirúrgica e após 25, 40 e 70 dias, e a avaliação clínica, semanalmente, durante todo o período experimental. Observaram-se alterações ultra-sonográficas aos 25 dias após a instabilidade articular, enquanto as alterações radiográficas somente foram visualizadas aos 40 dias. Houve aumento significativo (P<0,05) da circunferência articular da articulação MCF operada (25,75cm± 1,1) a partir do sétimo dia, em relação à articulação controle (24,88cm± 1,0) e diminuição da amplitude do movimento da articulação operada (96,38º± 10,7) a partir do 25º dia, em relação ao seu valor basal (109,24º± 10,3) e em relação ao controle (108,75º± 8,3). O grau de claudicação aumentou significativamente (P<0,05) durante o período do estudo, com valor médio do escore de 1,5 para o membro operado em relação ao membro contralateral. em conclusão, os sinais iniciais da OA cirurgicamente induzida foram melhor e mais precocemente detectados pela ultra-sonografia quando comparado ao exame radiografico. As mensurações da circunferência articular e da amplitude do movimento articular são úteis na avaliação das doenças articulares.

Emergência de plântulas de pequizeiro em função da planta matriz e uso de ácido giberélico

Em Goiás, o pequi (Caryocar brasiliense) se destaca, dentre as frutíferas nativas do Cerrado, como promissora para a produção comercial. Um dos obstáculos para a sua produção em grande escala, no entanto, é o fato de que a germinação de sementes seja baixa e irregular. Com o objetivo de avaliar a emergência de sementes de pequizeiro e o desenvolvimento inicial de mudas oriundas de 16 plantas, aos dez meses após a colheita, na presença e ausência de ácido giberélico (GA3), foram conduzidos dois experimentos. O primeiro foi implantado em delineamento de blocos ao acaso, com parcelas subdivididas, tendo as matrizes nas parcelas e, nas subparcelas, um tratamento de imersão por 48 horas, em água pura e em solução de 500 mg L-1 de GA3. Foram realizadas avaliações a cada sete dias, para determinação da percentagem final, tempo médio e índice de velocidade de emergência. Para o segundo experimento, foi utilizado delineamento inteiramente casualizado, com número variado de repetições, de acordo com o número de mudas obtidas no primeiro experimento. Para percentagem, índice de velocidade e tempo médio de emergência, o efeito dos tratamentos foi significativo, sendo que, para os dois primeiros, houve interação significativa entre genótipo e tratamento, para superação da dormência. Observou-se que a utilização de 500 mg L-1 de ácido giberélico pode minimizar a dormência em sementes de Caryocar brasiliense e que o crescimento das matrizes em campo foi linear e contínuo, ao longo do tempo.

Canopy characteristics and behavior of Nellore heifers in Brachiaria brizantha pastures under different grazing heights at a continuous stocking rate

The objective of this study was to evaluate the Brachiaria brizantha cv. Marandu canopy structure maintained at different grazing heights under a continuous stocking rate and with a dietary supplementation strategy for the animals during the rainy season. This study also intended to observe the relationships of these variables with the grazing behaviors of the heifers. The effects of three canopy heights (15, 25 and 35 cm) were evaluated in association with three types of supplements: one mineral and two protein/energy supplements, the first with a high rumen degradable protein and energy and the others with a low ratio. Both the protein/energy supplements were provided at 0.3% of body weight/day. The experimental design was completely randomized, with two replications and repeated measures, and took place during the period from January to April 2008. The supplementation strategies did not affect any variable related to the canopy structure. Total and green herbage masses and the ratio of green/dead material increased with canopy height. The leaf/stem ratio was higher in the lowest canopy height: 15 cm. Changes in the canopy structure caused variations in the grazing behavior of the animals. Animals maintained in the 15-cm-tall pasture grazed for a longer time, increasing the time for each meal, but the number of meals was lower than that of the animals grazing within the 35-cm-tall pasture. The grazing time of animals receiving the energy/protein supplement was lower only in the period of the day during which it was supplied. Canopy structure is affected by sward height, and changes animal behavior. Supplementation does not affect the canopy structure of the pastures with similar heights.

Comportamento de ovinos em capim-tanzânia sob lotação rotativa com quatro níveis de suplementação concentrada

Avaliou-se o comportamento de ovinos em pastagem de capim-tanzânia irrigado sob suplementação (0,0; 0,6; 1,2 e 1,8% PV) com concentrado. O delineamento utilizado foi o inteiramente casualizado com seis repetições (ovinos). A porcentagem do tempo total sob o sombrite, pastejando, ruminando, em outras atividades, em ócio, o número de ingestões de suplemento/sal, de defecações, de micções e de ingestão de água e a taxa de bocado foram estimados dividindo-se o dia em oito períodos de 3 horas (das 5 às 8 h; 8 às 11 h; 11 às 14 h; 14 às 17 h; 17 às 20 h; 20 às 23 h; 23 às 2 h; 2 às 5 h). O tempo de pastejo foi maior entre os animais que não receberam suplementação e decresceu progressivamente, voltando a elevar somente com 1,8% de suplementação. O tempo de ruminação foi maior nos animais com suplementação de 0,6% PV, principalmente das 14 às 17 h e das 17 às 20 h, enquanto o tempo de ócio foi maior no nível de 1,2% PV. A ingestão de água elevou-se com o aumento da suplementação até 1,2% PV e concentrou-se entre 11 e 14 h. O número de micções e de defecações foi maior com suplementação no nível de 1,8% PV. A elevação progressiva na taxa de bocado até o nível de suplementação de 1,2% PV no período das 11 às 20 h com posterior redução sugere efeito aditivo do suplemento sobre o pasto até esse nível, no qual se inicia efeito substitutivo. O tempo sob o sombrite concentrou-se no período das 8 às 14 h e reduziu com a suplementação até 1,2% PV. A suplementação afeta o comportamento ingestivo de ovinos em pastejo, uma vez que, no nível de 1,2% PV, houve otimização da capacidade ingestiva dos animais. Níveis superiores de suplementação comprometem o comportamento ingestivo, por isso, são necessárias alterações na formulação do suplemento quando utilizados níveis mais elevados.

Modelagem situada de metodologia da oficina de desenho de renda de bilros

The bobbin lace, a secular art in the process of extinction in the Village Ponta Negra in Natal, Brazil, was one of the main means of income generation for some families in town, but over time, there was growing disaffection of the younger generation to learn and practice this art, due to the high demand of time for production and insufficient and not guaranteed financial return . This project aims to promote the recovery of control over the product in the production of bobbin lace in the village of Ponta Negra, by design and implementation of a workshop for the transfer of drawing techniques in the Production Center of Craft in Village of Ponta Negra. This design was based on the methodology of Ergonomic Work Analysis and in the concepts of anthropotechnology and technology social. The ergonomic analysis, by advocating and enforcing the social and technical building, was essential for the modeling of this workshop, as allowed the construction of a social participative device , with the participation of the community groups and the external group of researchers, in a process of social construction technique. As a result, it was observed that the transfer of technical design of bobbin lace molds came to complement the learning of art office, providing solutions to promote the sustainable development of the group of tenants, in an attempt to reduce the risk of extinction eminent, and also contributed to reactivate a network of economic activities interconnected to the craft, such as the production of cushions, lace and easels

Avaliação de dois métodos para condicionamento e coleta de sêmen em quatro espécies do gênero Mazama

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

Dinâmica da Plasticidade Sináptica em neurônios do hipocampo durante ciclos de sono: um estudo computacional

Several research lines show that sleep favors memory consolidation and learning. It has been proposed that the cognitive role of sleep is derived from a global scaling of synaptic weights, able to homeostatically restore the ability to learn new things, erasing memories overnight. This phenomenon is typical of slow-wave sleep (SWS) and characterized by non-Hebbian mechanisms, i.e., mechanisms independent of synchronous neuronal activity. Another view holds that sleep also triggers the specific enhancement of synaptic connections, carrying out the embossing of certain mnemonic traces within a lattice of synaptic weights rescaled each night. Such an embossing is understood as the combination of Hebbian and non-Hebbian mechanisms, capable of increasing and decreasing respectively the synaptic weights in complementary circuits, leading to selective memory improvement and a restructuring of synaptic configuration (SC) that can be crucial for the generation of new behaviors ( insights ). The empirical findings indicate that initiation of Hebbian plasticity during sleep occurs in the transition of the SWS to the stage of rapid eye movement (REM), possibly due to the significant differences between the firing rates regimes of the stages and the up-regulation of factors involved in longterm synaptic plasticity. In this study the theories of homeostasis and embossing were compared using an artificial neural network (ANN) fed with action potentials recorded in the hippocampus of rats during the sleep-wake cycle. In the simulation in which the ANN did not apply the long-term plasticity mechanisms during sleep (SWS-transition REM), the synaptic weights distribution was re-scaled inexorably, for its mean value proportional to the input firing rate, erasing the synaptic weights pattern that had been established initially. In contrast, when the long-term plasticity is modeled during the transition SWSREM, an increase of synaptic weights were observed in the range of initial/low values, redistributing effectively the weights in a way to reinforce a subset of synapses over time. The results suggest that a positive regulation coming from the long-term plasticity can completely change the role of sleep: its absence leads to forgetting; its presence leads to a positive mnemonic change

Supplementation of Nellore young bulls on Marandu grass pastures in the dry period of the year

The objective of this study was to evaluate performance and daytime ingestive behavior of 84 Nellore young bulls in the post-weaning phase kept on Brachiaria brizantha cv. Marandu pastures during the dry season. Treatments were protein mineral supplementation (1 g/kg body weight) and protein+energy mineral supplementation (3 g/kg body weight). The experimental area comprised 12 paddocks in a total area of 27.36 ha, divided in two blocks of six paddocks each, having three replications per treatment in each block, with 42 animals/treatment. The data were subjected to variance analysis with repeated measures over time via procedure PROCMIXED of SAS (Statistical Analysis System, version 9.0) and means were compared by the Tukey test at 5% probability. The initial average weight of animals was 204.8 kg; final weights were 260.9 and 276.9 kg for animals that received protein and protein+energy supplement, respectively. The forage availability, sward height and stocking rate values did not differ with supplementation, but they showed difference between the experimental periods. The average time spent grazing during daylight of animals fed protein+energy supplement was shorter as compared with those which consumed protein supplement. Animals kept under the same pasture conditions during the dry season show better performance when they receive protein+energy supplement than protein supplement.

Eficácia do glyphosate e 2,4-d no controle de espécies de trapoerabas (commelina spp.)

The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of glyphosate and 2,4-D for the Commelina benghalensis, Commelina diffusa and Commelina erecta. Three experiments were conducted in a greenhouse in a completely randomized in factorial scheme 3x7+1 (three herbicides x seven periods - hour after application) for two methods for measuring absorption of herbicides (simulated rain and cut the leaves applied), and a control without application, with four replications. The herbicides used were: glyphosate (1,080 g ha(-1)), 2,4-D amine (720 g ha(-1)) and, mixture glyphosate + 2,4-D (720 + 720 g ha(-1)). It was evaluated seven time intervals for washing (simulating rainfall after application) and cut (simulation abortion as a strategy of defense) the leaves applied: 0, 2, 4, 6, 8, 12 and 24 hours after herbicide application (HHA). The minimum period for absorption of glyphosate alone and in mixture with 2,4 -D presented a satisfactory control (> 90.0%) was around 12 HHA to C. benghalensis, C. diffusa and C. erecta, independently of washing or cut the leaves applied. This observed behavior can influence the time required without rain after herbicide application, besides that, the plants aborted part of the stem with injuries to avoid the herbicide translocation, especially when was used the 2,4-D alone. Concluded that glyphosate alone and in mixture with 2,4-D were efficient and that the differences in the control of species may be due to variation of time to absorb the herbicide.

Suco desidratado de caju (Anacardium occidentale L.) por atomização: caracterização físico-química, bioativa e estudo da vida de prateleira do produto

Despite the relatively organized cashew (Anacardium occidentale L.) productive chain and the number of cashew derivatives found in the market, it is estimated that over 90% of the cashew peduncle is wasted. A possible strategy for a better commercial exploitation of this agroindustrial commodity would be the production of spray dried cashew pulp. Thus, this paper approaches the yellow cashew pulp spray drying process and the final product evaluation. Based on that, the shelf life of the spray dried cashew pulp packed in different packaging was evaluated. Drying was conducted in two drying temperatures (140 °C to 150 °C) and two concentrations of Arabic gum (AG, 15% and 25%), which summed four experimental groups. The drying performance was evaluated as well as the physicochemical characteristics (moisture, water activity, total soluble solids, pH, density, solubility, particle diameter, hygroscopicity, degree of caking, color, scanning electronic microscopy and X-ray diffraction), composition (protein, ash, fat and sugars) and bioactive and functional value (total phenolic compounds, carotenoids, ascorbic acid and antioxidant activity) of the final products. Results showed spray drying efficiency higher than 65% for all experiments, mainly for the C4 group (150 °C and 25% AG) which reached efficiency of 93.4%. It was also observed high solubility (94.7% to 97.9%) and the groups with lower hygroscopicity (5.8% and 6.5%) were those with the highest proportion of drying coadjuvant. The particle diameters ranged between 14.7 μm and 30.2 μm and increased with the proportion of AG. When comparing the product before and after spray drying, the drying impact was evident. However, despite the observed losses, dried yellow cashew showed high phenolic concentration (from 235.9 to 380.4 mg GAE eq / 100 g DM), carotenoids between 0.22 and 0.49 mg/100 g DM and remarkable ascorbic acid levels (852.4 to 1346.2 mg/100 g DM), in addition to antioxidant activity ranging from 12.9 to 16.4 μmol TE/ g DM. The shelf life study revealed decreased phenolic content over time associated to a slight water activity increase. Overall, our results unveil the technological and bioactive potential of dried yellow cashew as a functional ingredient to be used in food formulations or as a ready-to-use product. The technological approach presented here can serve as an efficient strategy for a rational use of the cashew apple, avoiding its current underutilization

Increasing trends of sleep complaints in the city of São Paulo, Brazil

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