Efeitos imediatos da eletroestimulação nervosa transcutânea e crioterapia na espasticidade e na atividade eletromiográfica de sujeitos hemiparéticos

Cerebrovascular accident (CVA) is a term used to characterize an ischemic or hemorrhagic vascular injury, which has got as main clinic manifestations, the motor and reflex function disturbance. In the first stage there is flaccidity and loss of voluntary movements that afterwards is substituted by mass patterns and spasticity. The spasticity brings with itself functional deficits and can generate negative impacts in various motor patterns. The aim of this research was to investigate the hyperreflexia and identify the immediate effects of transcutaneous nervous stimulation (TENS) and cryotherapy in the spasticity and electromyographic activity of hemiparetic subjects. The study is characterized as an almost experimental type, in which were selected, to compose the sample, 16 patients of both sex with CVA sequel. These individuals were evaluated by collecting the amplitude peak to peak and H reflex latency, Motor response (M response) in solear muscle and the electromyography (EMG) of the injured and healthy legs anterior tibial muscles. In the injured limb the evaluations occurred in different days for cryotherapy, TENS and control, in two moments, before and after the interventions. The healthy limb was evaluated one single time to serve as baseline, for comparison with the injured limb. It was used an statistic analysis, the t paired student test to identify the H reflex differences, latency and EMG of the injured and healthy limbs and to compare the results before and after the recourses application. The ANOVA for related samples was used to identify the differences among the recourses used. It was attributed for the statistic tests a significance level of 5%. The amplitude peak to peak of normalized maximum H reflex through the maximum motor response (Hmax/Mmax), showed itself significantly increased in the injured limb (p=0.0245). The H reflex latency was presented reduced in the injured limb (p=0, 0375). The electromyographic activity was showed decreased in the injured limb (p< 0.0001). After the TENS there was a Hmáx/Mmáx ratio decrease (0.60±0.16 versus 0.49.±0.18; P = 0.0006). Nonetheless, Just after the cryotherapy application there was an increase of Hmáx/Mmáx ratio (0.58 ± 0,15 to 0.77 ± 0.13, P=0,0007) and increase of signal latency (30.41 ± 1.87 versus 33.24 ± 2.19; P=0.0001). The electromyographic activity wasn t altered significantly by any resource. It was met statistic significant differences when the Hmáx/Mmáx P<0.0001) ratio and H reflex latency (P<0.0001) were compared between the post TENS, cryotherapy and control. One can conclude that the TENS can be used to spasticity immediate reduction, and that the cryotherapy can increase the hyperreflexia state in spastic patients. Nonetheless, the spasticity decrease or increase didn t provoke lectromyographic activity change in the muscle that is opponent to the spastic one

Administrative rationality and coping strategies in shift work

Shift work (SW) can affect worker health and productivity. Working at night, workers often accumulate fatigue and are less productive. In Brazil, laws have been drafted aiming to reduce night work and rotating shift hours. In order to slash costs, companies have been looking for new arrangements to improve productivity under these conditions. The purpose of this study was to examine management changes and their outcomes in a large glass factory located in an industrial region of Brazil. The results show that the management, seeking equal productivity among shifts, focused its efforts mainly on distributing employee expertise. The arrangement resulted in 12 different groups that combine to serve three fixed shifts. A same shift can be served by more than one group, and the members of a same group share days off on different days. There was no statistically significant productivity difference among the three shifts. The on-site examination showed that part of the production was held by the workers and transferred to the next shift in order for them to be able to meet the management's performance rate requirements. The finding shows how a Brazilian cultural trait (resistance without conflict) is used to drive coping in SW.

Critérios comportamentais utilizados por técnicos na avaliação do desempenho esportivo de futebolista das categorias de base

Currently one of the major concerns in sports is to identify, select, discover and reveal talents in soccer. As principal reasons is perceived the search direct or indirect for resources for players, clubs, media, sports brands and their sponsors. However, high salaries are an exception and not a rule, because the majority of professional players in Brazil receives 1 minimum salary per month. It is also known that on professional clubs, daily, arriving several players to try to be a professional soccer player, however, the majority of clubs - almost all does not present methodological, systematic and analytical aspects to select promising players. The selective processes ("sieves" or "big sieves") developed by technical observers ( olheiros") summarized in the observation of the sportive performance of a big group of players in a period of few minutes given to each player. In this period the target behavior is the ability with the ball. If promising players are identified on that selection, they are referred to the club for a new observation, which will be conducted by the responsible coach of base category in question. It is understood by base categories, the amateur categories (not professional), to serve as a "base" for the formation of the cast of professional clubs. What are sub-13 (under 13 years), sub-15 (under 15 years), sub-17 (under 17 years) and sub-20 (under 20 years). The absence of common criterias and performance indicators of these professionals may hamper the evaluation of promising players, and be a costly activity for the club. This study proposes to identify, characterize and categorize the criterias and methods of behavioral evaluation, used by coaches of base categories of Rio Grande do Norte (RN) to evaluate the sportive performance of young soccer players, with the purpose of to compare the criterias of evaluation of sportive performance of young soccer players, used by coaches with different time of experience in function. The proposal had 2 pilot studies, the first (June and July, 2007) were interviewed 29 coaches, 17 of category sub-13 and 12 of category sub-17. The data were tabulated and organized into spreadsheets in order to describe, and developed a set of descriptors of behavior. And the second (May and June, 2008), with revisions made based on observations, analysis and descriptions found in the first, were interviewed 14 technical of category sub-15. After the results found in pilots, it was possible to outline the study in question, which had 46 coaches base categories of the RN. And from the results show that the characteristic of greatest importance, according to the interviewees was the behavior, the 2nd most important characteristic considered was the motivation, the 3rd was the ability and the 4th was the physical condition and the last was the affiliation. And by analyzing the results to the methods of evaluation of sportive performance used by coaches, it was noted clearly that most uses only the observation to select young soccer players. Therefore, needs a systematization to the selection of soccer players, since there is complexity in the verification of characteristics and aspects involved with purpose to avoid wrong evaluations and selections and the results negligible

Simulation Tools of DC-DC Converters for Power Electronics Education

This paper presents interactive simulation tools to support the enhancement of power electronics education considering DC to DC converters. These interactive tools make use of the benefits of Java language to provide a dynamic and interactive visualization of simulations in steady-state for idealized non-isolated DC to DC converters. Additionally, this paper discusses the features and the usage of the interactive educational tools to serve as a first design tool for the laboratory experiments in the power electronics courses. In this way, some results were confronted with a well-known simulator package and with experimental results in order to validate the developed interactive simulation tools.

Simulation Tools for Power Electronics Courses Based on Java Technologies

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

A relação juventude-trabalho no projovem integrado do município de Natal/RN

The National Program for Youth Inclusion (ProJovem) has been created in 2005 in order to break the reproductive cycle of social inequality, through the improvement of the basic education and the professional qualification. Therefore, our objective is to discuss how the categories youth-work are inserted and implemented on ProJovem Integrado , which could be translated as Integrated , in Natal/RN. In 2008, ProJovem is has started to be executed based in four modalities: (1) Teenagers Socio-Educational Service, (2) Urban, (3) Worker and (4) Countryside Land Knowledge, aiming to serve a population from 15 to 29 years old who were seldom helped by specifics policies so far. In order to implement this research, three semi-structured interviews have been made, as well as observations at the program units and analysis of the official documents. In Natal, the operating modalities are: ProJovem Urban, which three units, divided in two districts of the city; the ProJovem Teenagers , which has ten units on Natal s four administrative regions; and ProJovem Worker , which were still structuring its courses until the beginning of the data collection. The data has been qualitatively analyzed through the Marxian Theory, tied to the Constant Comparative Method. The referred approach, based on the Grounded Theory, enables the understanding of the phenomenon s meanings through the perspective of the participants. The neighborhoods in which ProJovem s units are inserted has been characterized as well the Program s target. The results have been presented in three blocks: a) the modality s structure, which includes the implementation, functioning and operationalization of the activities; b) management of the modality s management, concerned to the main difficulties, expectations and functions; and c) the relation youth-work at the modalities. About the objectives and qualification and insertion goals, there is incongruence at the offer of occupational arches. We have observed that offered occupations are historically subservient and precarious. Hence they do not promote significant changes on the students career paths by usually inserting them into informal jobs or underemployments. Besides that, the professional qualification is very incipient. For that reason, it does not go with the necessary requirements to enable the youngster to enter the work world. It is considered that other researches are necessary to for better understanding of the remaining aspects of the relation youth-work

Estudo da água produzida em diferentes zonas de produção de petróleo, utilizando a hidroquímica e a análise estatística de parâmetros químicos

Over exploitation of oil deposits on land onshore or offshore, there is simultaneous generation of waste water, known as produced water, which represents the largest waste stream in the production of crude oil. The relationship between the chemical composition of oil and water production and the conditions in which this process occurs or is favored are still poorly studied. The area chosen for the study has an important oil reserve and an important aquifer saturated with freshwater meteoric. The aim of this work is to study some chemical parameters in water produced for each reservoir zone of production in mature oil fields of Açu Formation, using the hydrochemical and statistical analysis to serve as a reference and be used as tools against the indicator ranges water producers in oil producing wells. Samples were collected from different wells in 6 different areas of production and were measured 50 parameters, which can be classified into three groups: anions, cations and physicochemical properties (considering only the parameters that generated values above detection limits in all samples). Through the characterization hydrochemistry observed an area of water and chlorinated sodium, chlorinated calcium or magnesium (mixed) in well water in different areas of Açu, by applying a statistical treatment, we obtained a discriminant function that distinguishes chemically production areas. Thus, it was possible to calculate the rate of correct classification of the function was 76.3%. To validate this model the accuracy rate was 86%

Electrical and mechanical effects of hyoscine butylbromide on the human stomach: a non-invasive approach

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Molecular systematic and historical biogeography of the armored Neotropical catfishes Hypoptopomatinae and Neoplecostominae (Siluriformes: Loricariidae)

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Seqüenciamento de peptídeos usando espectrometria de massas: um guia prático

This paper introduces the basics of peptide mass spectra interpretation applied to proteomics and is directed to chemists, biochemists and biologists. The manuscript presents a well detailed protocol aiming to serve as a first choice guide for understanding peptide sequencing. The tutorial was elaborated based on both a thorough bibliographic revision and the author's experience. In order to prove the applicability of the proposed guide, spectra obtained on different instruments have been successfully interpreted by applying the presented rational.

COEVOLUTION BETWEEN ATTINE ANTS and ACTINOMYCETE BACTERIA: A REEVALUATION

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Influence of different durations of estrogen deficiency on alveolar bone loss in rats

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Influência do cetoprofeno na consolidação óssea de ulnas osteotomizadas de coelhos: estudo qualitativo e quantitativo através de programas computacionais

OBJETIVO: Acompanhar o processo de consolidação óssea de ulnas osteotomizadas de coelhos tratados com cetoprofeno, por meio de programas computacionais. MÉTODOS: Os coelhos foram submetidos a osteotomia da ulna e divididos em dois grupos. No grupo A (n=10) os animais foram tratados com cetoprofeno (2mg.kg-1) durante cinco dias. O grupo B (n=5) serviu como controle. Os animais foram radiografados um dia após a operação e a cada 7 dias até perfazer 28 dias. No ato da tomada radiográfica, junto à região a ser estudada, foram colocadas uma escada e uma cunha de alumínio que serviram como referencial de densidade óptica. As imagens radiográficas foram digitalizadas através de um scanner. O programa ODR forneceu imagens tridimensionais e coloridas. Outro programa, CROMOX, avaliou a densidade mineral óssea da região da ostetotomia. RESULTADOS: As imagens fornecidas pelo ODR proporcionaram melhor visualização da lesão e do processo de consolidação óssea. O programa CROMOX forneceu uma análise quantitativa ao calcular a densidade mineral do calo ósseo formado ao longo dos 28 dias de observação. Não houve diferença estatisticamente significante entre os valores de densidade mineral óssea das ulnas osteotomizadas dos coelhos tratados com cetoprofeno e do grupo controle, nas radiografias realizadas ao longo de 28 dias de pós-operatório. CONCLUSÃO: O cetoprofeno não interferiu no processo de formação do calo ósseo de ulnas osteotomizadas de coelhos.

Fundamentos da prática docente: por uma pedagogia ativa

O artigo pretende mostrar como a questão dos fundamentos da prática docente é prioritária numa discussão sobre as falhas, incoerências e insatisfações do professor em sua tarefa diária, constituindo-se em ponto de partida para uma análise do ensino atual. São apontadas confusões e ambigüidades da prática docente, bem como a permanência de características da pedagogia tradicional, com suas suposições e implicações para o desenvolvimento e a aprendizagem do aluno. Ao final, são apresentados princípios psicológicos e epistemológicos da teoria piagetiana passíveis de fundamentar uma pedagogia ativa, e sugestões para sua efetivação na prática, visando atender à finalidade educacional de desenvolvimento das potencialidades do educando em novas bases.

A criança abrigada: considerações acerca do sentido da filiação

O presente artigo discute os sentidos da filiação para crianças abrigadas, vítimas de violência doméstica. O desejo dessas crianças de recuperar a filiação familiar é analisado como busca de um lugar psicossocial. As crianças abrigadas, que sofreram uma ruptura na filiação primeva e história de vida, flutuam entre vinculações efêmeras, sem referências de seu passado e sem pontos fixos e sólidos para seu assentamento no presente que lhes possam servir de guia ou de novas filiações. Tal condição de desfiliação é focalizada como tendência da sociedade contemporânea em afrouxar vinculações, movimentar os ancoradouros psicossociais e produzir desterritorializações, favorecendo uma subjetividade móvel, não identitária, desenlaçada de encaixes e conexões duradouros. Como conclusão, é apontada a continuidade histórica da vitimização da infância realizada pela condição de trânsito e passagem na qual vive, impeditiva de constituições de vínculos duradouros e sólidos que permitam uma suficiente estabilidade e segurança para a prospecção do mundo.