Graph analysis of dream reports about psychosis

Early psychiatry investigated dreams to understand psychopathologies. Contemporary psychiatry, which neglects dreams, has been criticized for lack of objectivity. In search of quantitative insight into the structure of psychotic speech, we investigated speech graph attributes (SGA) in patients with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder type I, and non-psychotic controls as they reported waking and dream contents. Schizophrenic subjects spoke with reduced connectivity, in tight correlation with negative and cognitive symptoms measured by standard psychometric scales. Bipolar and control subjects were undistinguishable by waking reports, but in dream reports bipolar subjects showed significantly less connectivity. Dream-related SGA outperformed psychometric scores or waking-related data for group sorting. Altogether, the results indicate that online and offline processing, the two most fundamental modes of brain operation, produce nearly opposite effects on recollections: While dreaming exposes differences in the mnemonic records across individuals, waking dampens distinctions. The results also demonstrate the feasibility of the differential diagnosis of psychosis based on the analysis of dream graphs, pointing to a fast, low-cost and language-invariant tool for psychiatric diagnosis and the objective search for biomarkers. The Freudian notion that ‘‘dreams are the royal road to the unconscious’’ is clinically useful, after all.

Graph analysis of dream reports is especially informative about psychosis

Early psychiatry investigated dreams to understand psychopathologies. Contemporary psychiatry, which neglects dreams, has been criticized for lack of objectivity. In search of quantitative insight into the structure of psychotic speech, we investigated speech graph attributes (SGA) in patients with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder type I, and non-psychotic controls as they reported waking and dream contents. Schizophrenic subjects spoke with reduced connectivity, in tight correlation with negative and cognitive symptoms measured by standard psychometric scales. Bipolar and control subjects were undistinguishable by waking reports, but in dream reports bipolar subjects showed significantly less connectivity. Dream-related SGA outperformed psychometric scores or waking-related data for group sorting. Altogether, the results indicate that online and offline processing, the two most fundamental modes of brain operation, produce nearly opposite effects on recollections: While dreaming exposes differences in the mnemonic records across individuals, waking dampens distinctions. The results also demonstrate the feasibility of the differential diagnosis of psychosis based on the analysis of dream graphs, pointing to a fast, low-cost and language-invariant tool for psychiatric diagnosis and the objective search for biomarkers. The Freudian notion that ‘‘dreams are the royal road to the unconscious’’ is clinically useful, after all.

Graph Analasys

Early psychiatry investigated dreams to understand psychopathologies. Contemporary psychiatry, which neglects dreams, has been criticized for lack of objectivity. In search of quantitative insight into the structure of psychotic speech, we investigated speech graph attributes (SGA) in patients with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder type I, and non-psychotic controls as they reported waking and dream contents. Schizophrenic subjects spoke with reduced connectivity, in tight correlation with negative and cognitive symptoms measured by standard psychometric scales. Bipolar and control subjects were undistinguishable by waking reports, but in dream reports bipolar subjects showed significantly less connectivity. Dream-related SGA outperformed psychometric scores or waking-related data for group sorting. Altogether, the results indicate that online and offline processing, the two most fundamental modes of brain operation, produce nearly opposite effects on recollections: While dreaming exposes differences in the mnemonic records across individuals, waking dampens distinctions. The results also demonstrate the feasibility of the differential diagnosis of psychosis based on the analysis of dream graphs, pointing to a fast, low-cost and language-invariant tool for psychiatric diagnosis and the objective search for biomarkers. The Freudian notion that ‘‘dreams are the royal road to the unconscious’’ is clinically useful, after all.

Graph analysis of dream reports is especially informative about psychosis

Early psychiatry investigated dreams to understand psychopathologies. Contemporary psychiatry, which neglects dreams, has been criticized for lack of objectivity. In search of quantitative insight into the structure of psychotic speech, we investigated speech graph attributes (SGA) in patients with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder type I, and non-psychotic controls as they reported waking and dream contents. Schizophrenic subjects spoke with reduced connectivity, in tight correlation with negative and cognitive symptoms measured by standard psychometric scales. Bipolar and control subjects were undistinguishable by waking reports, but in dream reports bipolar subjects showed significantly less connectivity. Dream-related SGA outperformed psychometric scores or waking-related data for group sorting. Altogether, the results indicate that online and offline processing, the two most fundamental modes of brain operation, produce nearly opposite effects on recollections: While dreaming exposes differences in the mnemonic records across individuals, waking dampens distinctions. The results also demonstrate the feasibility of the differential diagnosis of psychosis based on the analysis of dream graphs, pointing to a fast, low-cost and language-invariant tool for psychiatric diagnosis and the objective search for biomarkers. The Freudian notion that ‘‘dreams are the royal road to the unconscious’’ is clinically useful, after all.

O terciário (re) desenhando a periferia: a região administrativa norte de Natal/RN, na última década do século XX, servicializada na Av. Dr. João Medeiros Filho

The tertiary sector has been (re)defining and (re)qualifying, in an impacting way, the urban spaces in the cities, introducing new elements for the discussion of the relationship center/periphery. In Natal, as an inducing economic activity of its development, it conforms to the new needs of the capital, expanding, being materialized through several processes and spatial forms. We aim at analyzing one of those processes, which has taken its Northern Administrative Area to (re)define the design of its urban space, through the actions developed by the agents involved with the spatialization of the tertiary activities, at the same time as it redimensions its role as a periphery of Natal, contributing to the study of the recent and growing transformations of the Brazilian capitals. The studied district corresponds to 39.4% of the municipal area and, until recently, was composed by precarious reproduction spaces, unprovided of relevant economical activities. After the boom of the development of extensive housing complexes by SFH/BNH, the area, gradually stopped being a dependent area, and it imposed itself as an economically participant region, with the increase of the trade and services sectors, as well as a favorable place for the appearance of new activities. Its reflexes are noticeable in the achieved spatial configuration. As the main road to induct changes, Dr. João Medeiros Filho Avenue presents these new tendencies in the production of the intraurban space, concentrating the largest goods and services equipments of the area, through investments of the private and public sectors, which guarantee the capital allocation for the construction of a new centrality

Da crise do estado à democracia como alvo: Observações sobre o neoliberalismo a partir de Friedrich Hayek e Milton Friedman

The neoliberalism proclaims the crisis of the State in front of globalization , but, approaching two books taken as basic on this theoretical chain - The road to serfdom, of Friedrich Hayek, and Capitalism and Freedom, of Milton Friedman - to analyze this supposed dualism, the conclusion into which we arrive is another one. Remembering liberal tradition and quickly, later, analyzing critically the workmanships, can be perceived that others are the conflicts really gifts in the current capitalist reality - market versus State et capitalism versus democracy - and, from the understanding on the reading made and the theoretical trajectory of its authors, we may see as the neoliberalism locates itself in relation to these conflicts, which polar regions of these antagonisms privileges, what represents the State for itself, and what it intends as much more global philosophy than economic/politics thinking only

Comunicação dos enfermeiros com usuários do gênero masculino: um estudo representacional

Communication is seen as vital function. Through it, individuals and organizations relate to each other, the environment and the shares of their own group, influencing each other to turn facts into information. The user of the male part of a group of patients whose health policy is still in development. This fact can create insecurity in the nurse to establish a process that promotes disease prevention, promotion and / or recovery of health for that user. Aiming to elucidate this, the present study aimed to: apprehend the social representations of nurses communication with the users were male, looking for disease prevention, promotion and recovery of his health; identify the factors that influenced, positively or negatively on the effectiveness of nurses communication with the users were male and investigate the strategies used by nurses to clarify communication with the users were male. In order to achieve the goal raised, this study was a descriptive, exploratory and qualitative approach. Was based on theoretical and methodological framework social representations of Denise Jodelet and Serge Moscovici. The project has, through no Parecer nº 649/10, approval of the Ethics and Research HULW. During data collection, we used a semi-structured script and a diary interviews with 24 nurses in basic health units of district-Mangabeira Health District III, the city of João Pessoa (PB). The results were analyzed using the technique of content analysis according to Bardin (2007). Classifying the research subjects and identified three categories and five nuclei of the central ideas. The categories identified: the grasp of the RS communication of nurses with male users, identifying factors that influence the effectiveness of nurses' communication with users and male research on the strategies used by nurses to the elucidation of the communication with male users. The nuclei of the central ideas found: social representations of nurses' communication with the users of the male is externalized as difficult, different, difficult, not technical (knowledge) specific, with a dubious sense in relation to its therapeutic action, the factors examined as positive in this communication were based on the connection between professional and user look in detail and not mechanistic, in preventive actions, the dynamics of care, accessibility, participatory care, humanization, and qualification service. Whereas served as negative factors for the communication, signed on the behavioral differences of men, the feminization of nurses, lack of training for professionals in relation to the subject, prescriptive conduct and prejudice (concerns) sociocultural. Another related consolidated core strategies employed for the occurrence of such communication. Given these results, it was realized the importance of social representations for the consecration of a single language, the common understanding of reality on the nurse's communication with the user in male and determination of changes in the behavior of nurses and the user to the establishment of more effective strategies for obtaining a therapeutic communication between them

Gestão do Conhecimento e o uso estratégico de Tecnologias de Informação: um estudo em Redes de Franquias no Estado do Rio Grande do Norte

This study discusses the use of information technologies for knowledge management in networks of franchises in the Rio Grande do Norte/Brazil, whose management and operation are complex activities, characterized by the geographic spread of their network unities, creating barriers to communication and information sharing between franchisors, franchisees and final customers. In view of this, the following hypotheses were formulated: the knowledge management can be a positive alternative for improving communication between units; and information technology can eliminate many problems related mainly to capture and share knowledge. In general, it aims to investigate, in qualitative and quantitative aspects, how information technology can support knowledge management in networks of franchises. Specifically purposes to register the existence of managerial practices related to knowledge management in enterprises at the franchising sector; to verify whether they have the technological resources with the potential to facilitate the sharing of information; to identify what are the technologies of information and communication used in the organizational environment; and suggest measures that will facilitate the process of organizational learning, using information technology and communication as tools. It concludes that knowledge management becomes a positive alternative, especially in strengthening of bonds of communication and sharing of knowledge between the franchises. In this regard, information technology must provide all the services of the corporation to facilitate communication between franchisor and franchisee, through a single and integrated system. However, they still show unsuitable for more sophisticated technology platforms

Aplicação de indicadores webométricos nos programas de Pós-Graduação das engenharias recomendados pela CAPES

This study aims to identify, through the application of webometric indicators, which Post-Graduate Courses in Engineering recommended by the Coordination of Improvement of Higher Personnel Education (CAPES) in Brazil stand out in the web space, in relation to the communication process and dissemination of scientific information in the academic environment. For this, we analyzed the structures content of the sites, the use, through the conduct of investigations and searches, the quality of information available, as well as the structure of existent hypertexts in the sites of this universe of search. The tools and methodologies adopted for this study are: search engines (Google, Yahoo), Mapper software (Xenu Link Sleuth) and analysis software and visualization of networks (and Ucinet6 NetDraw). Webometric indicators are also used, such as size of the web sites, visibility, web impact factor, brightness and density of the network. These instruments provide a brief analysis and evaluation for this webometric study. Therefore, from the incursion of the literature used, it appears that there are many advantages of using this type of metric study in the so called Information Society. The obtained results could identify which postgraduate courses in engineering has a better availability of their information on the Web, as well to define which of these courses stands out in relation to the use of their information, which has been outstanding in respect to its impact factor and which offers a greater number of links that serve as a source of information for its users, contributing, in its turn, with the navigability of the same network. In summary, it is asserted that the webometric study presents promising results, which are able to achieve the proposed objectives, as well as identify the factors that contribute significantly to the good visualization of these sites in the network, thus helping the spread of information and scientific communication through the use of the Web.

Proposta de integração das redes de comunicação da COSERN como uma solução de contigêncvia em caso de falhas nos enlaces do backbone de automação

T'his dissertation proposes alternative models to allow the interconnectioin of the data communication networks of COSERN Companhia Energética do Rio Grande do Norte. These networks comprise the oorporative data network, based on TCP/IP architecture, and the automation system linking remote electric energy distribution substations to the main Operatin Centre, based on digital radio links and using the IEC 60870-5-101 protoco1s. The envisaged interconnection aims to provide automation data originated from substations with a contingent route to the Operation Center, in moments of failure or maintenance of the digital radio links. Among the presented models, the one chosen for development consists of a computational prototype based on a standard personal computer, working under LINUX operational system and running na application, developesd in C language, wich functions as a Gateway between the protocols of the TCP/IP stack and the IEC 60870-5-101 suite. So, it is described this model analysis, implementation and tests of functionality and performance. During the test phase it was basically verified the delay introduced by the TCP/IP network when transporting automation data, in order to guarantee that it was cionsistent with the time periods present on the automation network. Besides , additional modules are suggested to the prototype, in order to handle other issues such as security and prioriz\ation of the automation system data, whenever they are travesing the TCP/IP network. Finally, a study hás been done aiming to integrate, in more complete way, the two considered networks. It uses IP platform as a solution of convergence to the communication subsystem of na unified network, as the most recente market tendencies for supervisory and other automation systems indicate

Desenvolvimento de um software de comunicação sem fio aplicado à instrumentação de unidade de elevação de petróleo tipo Plunger Lift

This dissertation aims to develop a software applied to a communication system for a wireless sensor network (WSN) for tracking analog and digital variables and control valve of the gas flow in artificial oil s elevation units, Plunger Lift type. The reason for this implementation is due to the fact that, in the studied plant configuration, the sensors communicate with the PLC (Programmable and Logic Controller) by the cables and pipelines, making any changes in that system, such as changing the layout of it, as well as inconveniences that arise from the nature of the site, such as the vicinity s animals presence that tend to destroy the cables for interconnection of sensors to the PLC. For software development, was used communication polling method via SMAC protocol (Simple Medium Access ControlIEEE 802.15.4 standard) in the CodeWarrior environment to which generated a firmware, loaded into the WSN s transceivers, present in the kit MC13193-EVK, (all items described above are owners of Freescale Semiconductors Inc.). The network monitoring and parameterization used in its application, was developed in LabVIEW software from National Instruments. The results were obtained through the observation of the network s behavior of sensors proposal, focusing on aspects such as: indoor and outdoor quantity of packages received and lost, general aspects of reliability in data transmission, coexistence with other types of wireless networks and power consumption under different operating conditions. The results were considered satisfactory, which showed the software efficiency in this communication system

Desenvolvimento de um protocolo de comunicação para automação de subestações móveis via satélite

One of the most important decisions to turn a substation automatic and no attended it relates to the communication media between this substation and Operation Center. Generally energy companies uses radio or optic fiber, depending of distances and infrastructure of each situation. This rule applies to common substations. Mobile substations are a particular case, therefore they are conceived for use at provisional situations, emergencies, preventive or corrective maintenance. Thus the telecommunication solution used at common substations are not applied so easily to mobile substations, due absence of infrastructure (media) or difficulty to insert the mobile substation data in existing automation network not long. The ideal media must supply covering in a great geographic area to satisfy presented requirements. The implantation costs of this big infrastructure are expensive, however a existing operator may be used. Two services that fulfill that requirements are satellite and cellular telephony. This work presents a solution for automation of mobile substations through satellite. It was successfully implanted at a brazilian electric energy concessionaire named COSERN. The operation became transparent to operators. Other gotten benefits had been operational security, quality in the supply of electric energy and costs reduction. The project presented is a new solution, designed to substations and general applications where few data should be transmitted, but there is difficulties in relation to the media. Despite the satellite having been used, the same resulted can be gotten using celullar telephony, through Short Messages or packet networks as GPRS or EDGE.

O leitor universitário e a construção das práticas de ler e escrever textos impressos e digitais

The construction of a mapping of the practices of reading and writing printed and digital texts, declared by graduating students from the Bachelor s degree in Science and Technology (BCT), has provided us the analysis of the course they are making in such a socio-historical moment characterized by the revolution of the post-paper. In this sense, the general objective of this research is to understand how that construction works under the point of view of those graduating students. For this, our reflection has been guided by the search of answers for some questions which have presented to us: what reading and writing conceptions BCT graduating students have; what reading and writing practices those collaborators develop; what collections they declare to have access to; what differences they declare to have between printed and digital reading and writing along the different social roles they develop; what the reader/writer identity relations of those collaborators are. To achieving the plausible answers, we have gathered a corpus composed by texts of three genres of the argument order: academic profiles (or self-portrait), opinion articles and argumentative letters. Besides, we have made semi-structured interviews and questionnaires in the online tool of the Google Docs. The methodology which supports this academic work is the qualitative research (SIGNORINI; CAVALCANTI, 1998)of ethnographic direction (THOMAS, 1993; ANDRÉ, 1995) in Applied Linguistics (CELANI, 2000; MOITA-LOPES, 2006) and the theoretical contribution comes from the bakhtinian perspective of language conception (BAKHTIN [1929] 1981); the socio-historical writing construction (LÉVY, 1996; CHARTIER, R., 1998, 2002, 2007; COSCARELLI, 2006; CHARTIER, A., 2007; ARAÚJO, 2007; COSCARELLI; RIBEIRO, 2007; XAVIER, 2009; MARCUSCHI; XAVIER, 2010); from the studies of the pedagogy of the writing (GIROUX, 1997); from the literacy studies understood as sociocultural practice, plural and situated (TFOUNI, 1988; KLEIMAN, 1995; TINOCO, 2003, 2008; OLIVEIRA; KLEIMAN, 2008), from the studies about identity in postmodernity (HALL, 2003; BAUMAN, 2005). The results of the analysis have pointed at a multiplicity of reading/writing practices of printed and digital texts developed by the BCT graduating students due to the coexistence of the modality printed and that one derived from the new mobile devices. In that multiplicity, the prevalent idea of the collaborators is that there is a continuum between printed texts and digital texts (not a dichotomy), since the option of reading/writing printed texts or digital ones is always linked to specific communication situations, which involve participants, objectives, strategies, values, (dis)advantages, besides (re)creation of discursive genres in function of the mobile devices to which those collaborators have access in the different spheres of activities that they participate. All of that has caused a deep intersection in the identity traces of college students readers/writers in the 21st century which cannot be ignored by academic formation

Caracterização comportamental e distribuição de neurônios inibitórios em um modelo animal de autismo induzido por ácido valpróico

Autism comprises a heterogeneous group of neurodevelopmental disorders that affects the brain maturation and produces sensorial, motor, language and social interaction deficits in early childhood. Several studies have shown a major involvement of genetic factors leading to a predisposition to autism, which are possibly affected by environmental modulators during embryonic and post-natal life. Recent studies in animal models indicate that alterations in epigenetic control during development can generate neuronal maturation disturbances and produce a hyper-excitable circuit, resulting in typical symptoms of autism. In the animal model of autism induced by valproic acid (VPA) during rat pregnancy, behavioral, electrophysiological and cellular alterations have been reported which can also be observed in patients with autism. However, only a few studies have correlated behavioral alterations with the supposed neuronal hyper-excitability in this model. The aim of this project was to generate an animal model of autism by pre-natal exposure to VPA and evaluate the early post-natal development and pre-puberal (PND30) behavior in the offspring. Furthermore, we quantified the parvalbumin-positive neuronal distribution in the medial prefrontal cortex and Purkinje cells in the cerebellum of VPA animals. Our results show that VPA treatment induced developmental alterations, which were observed in behavioral changes as compared to vehicle-treated controls. VPA animals showed clear behavioral abnormalities such as hyperlocomotion, prolonged stereotipies and reduced social interaction with an unfamiliar mate. Cellular quantification revealed a decrease in the number of parvalbumin-positive interneurons in the anterior cingulate cortex and in the prelimbic cortex of the mPFC, suggesting an excitatory/inhibitory unbalance in this animal model of autism. Moreover, we also observed that the neuronal reduction occurred mainly in the cortical layers II/III and V/VI. We did not detect any change in the density of Purkinje neurons in the Crus I region of the cerebellar cortex. Together, our results strengthens the face validity of the VPA model in rats and shed light on specific changes in the inhibitory circuitry of the prefrontal cortex in this autism model. Further studies should address the challenges to clarify particular electrophysiological correlates of the cellular alterations in order to better understand the behavioral dysfunctions

A questão do estilo na psicanálise lacaniana

Lacanian psychoanalysis has won a considerable space in brazilian university: a search for Lacan in the field of subject of the CAPES Thesis Bank shows 1.032 results! However the difference in the style of knowledge production and language usage is considerable between academic psychology and lacanian theory. The difficulty in reading and understanding Lacan is something pointed out by supporters and critics alike. In addition to that, his disciples choose many times to imitate his baroque, complex style, full of neologisms, causing perplexity in many unprepared audiences. What is the origin of such an enigmatic and polemic style of expression? How it became so widespread under the sign of repetition? And which are the consequences of this style to the communication, transmission and teaching of lacanian psychoanalysis? Through these questions it is our goal to contribute to the dialogue between lacanian psychoanalysis and the academy, to provide a better understanding of the causes of this style, analyzing the consequences it has to the transmission of psychoanalysis. We chose to perform a theoretical study, using authors that have treated Lacan s style and the history of psychoanalysis from a critical point of view, like Beividas (2000), Roustang (1987, 1988) and Gellner (1988), and also those that have defended and justified its legitimacy, like Glynos e Stavrakakis (2001), Fink (1997) and Souza (1985), using as well some works by Freud and Lacan. The study of these texts has led us to three main themes: 1) the difficulty of the lacanian text; 2) Lacan, heir of Freud; 3) consequences of the lacanian style. In the first one, we enumerate many different explanations and interpretations given by commentators about the difficulty and particularity of the lacanian discourse; in the second, we show how Lacan came to occupy the place of great idealization that was before destined to Freud, what made his style something to be taken as a model, to be imitated by disciples; in the third, we explore the way in which the concepts are treated in lacanian psychoanalysis, arguing that their multiple meanings point out that the final goal is not to build a clear and coherent theory, but to try to aim directly at the subject, to catch him