The influence of visual inter-hemispheric connections on spiking, assembly and LFP activities, and their phase relationship during figure-ground stimulation

Desde os descobrimentos pioneiros de Hubel e Wiesel acumulou-se uma vasta literatura descrevendo as respostas neuronais do córtex visual primário (V1) a diferentes estímulos visuais. Estes estímulos consistem principalmente em barras em movimento, pontos ou grades, que são úteis para explorar as respostas dentro do campo receptivo clássico (CRF do inglês classical receptive field) a características básicas dos estímulos visuais como a orientação, direção de movimento, contraste, entre outras. Entretanto, nas últimas duas décadas, tornou-se cada vez mais evidente que a atividade de neurônios em V1 pode ser modulada por estímulos fora do CRF. Desta forma, áreas visuais primárias poderiam estar envolvidas em funções visuais mais complexas como, por exemplo, a separação de um objeto ou figura do seu fundo (segregação figura-fundo) e assume-se que as conexões intrínsecas de longo alcance em V1, assim como as conexões de áreas visuais superiores, estão ativamente envolvidas neste processo. Sua possível função foi inferida a partir da análise das variações das respostas induzidas por um estímulo localizado fora do CRF de neurônios individuais. Mesmo sendo muito provável que estas conexões tenham também um impacto tanto na atividade conjunta de neurônios envolvidos no processamento da figura quanto no potencial de campo, estas questões permanecem pouco estudadas. Visando examinar a modulação do contexto visual nessas atividades, coletamos potenciais de ação e potenciais de campo em paralelo de até 48 eletrodos implantados na área visual primária de gatos anestesiados. Estimulamos com grades compostas e cenas naturais, focando-nos na atividade de neurônios cujo CRF estava situado na figura. Da mesma forma, visando examinar a influência das conexões laterais, o sinal proveniente da área visual isotópica e contralateral foi removido através da desativação reversível por resfriamento. Fizemos isso devido a: i) as conexões laterais intrínsecas não podem ser facilmente manipuladas sem afetar diretamente os sinais que estão sendo medidos, ii) as conexões inter-hemisféricas compartilham as principais características anatômicas com a rede lateral intrínseca e podem ser vistas como uma continuação funcional das mesmas entre os dois hemisférios e iii) o resfriamento desativa as conexões de forma causal e reversível, silenciando temporariamente seu sinal, permitindo conclusões diretas a respeito da sua contribuição. Nossos resultados demonstram que o mecanismo de segmentação figurafundo se reflete nas taxas de disparo de neurônios individuais, assim como na potência do potencial de campo e na relação entre sua fase e os padrões de disparo produzidos pela população. Além disso, as conexões laterais inter-hemisféricas modulam estas variáveis dependendo da estimulação feita fora do CRF. Observamos também uma influência deste circuito lateral na coerência entre potenciais de campo entre eletrodos distantes. Em conclusão, nossos resultados dão suporte à ideia de um mecanismo complexo de segmentação figura-fundo atuando desde as áreas visuais primárias em diferentes escalas de frequência. Esse mecanismo parece envolver grupos de neurônios ativos sincronicamente e dependentes da fase do potencial de campo. Nossos resultados também são compatíveis com a hipótese que conexões laterais de longo alcance também fazem parte deste mecanismo

Museu Paulista e trocas intelectuais na escrita da História de Afonso de Taunay

Com o objetivo de compreender a trajetória intelectual de Afonso Taunay pretende-se analisar os intercâmbios estabelecidos entre este historiador e parte de sua rede de sociabilidade reunida em torno da escrita da História de São Paulo no período de 1911 a 1929. Acredita-se que o Museu Paulista assumiu o papel de possibilidade para a escrita da História realizada pelo autor, facilitando a aquisição de obras e documentos, bem como fortalecendo conexões importantes para a concretização de suas obras. A correspondência apresenta-se como principal fonte deste estudo.

Estudo clínico e níveis de ansiedade em uma série de casos de líquen plano oral

Oral Lichen Planus (OLP) is a relatively common, cronic inflammatory disease. Its etiopathogenesis is no completely understood and several factors have proposed in attempt to explain the appearance, variety of clinical manifestations and periods of exacerbation and remission of the symptons of the lesions. The objective of the present study was to assess the presence of local factors, systemic diseases and levels of anxiety in patients with OLP, investigating their association with the clinical characteristics of the lesions. The sample consisted of 37 patients with histopathologically confirmed OLP that were submitted to a clinical exam to evaluate the presence of smoking habits, consumption of alcoholic beverages, diabetes mellitus, hypertension and hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. The existence of skin lesions, as well as the time course, clinical form, symptomatology, number and location of the oral lesions were also registered. The trait anxiety was measured by Spielberger s Stai-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), and to associate the variables we used the chi-square or Fisher s exact test. It was observed that females were the most affected (75%) and the mean age of the patients was 53,3 years. Most cases were non-smoker (97,3%) and none was drinker. Diabetes mellitus and hypertension were present in 10,8% e 16,2% of the sample, respectively and only one patient was HCV-seropositive (2,7%). Moderate levels of anxiety were seen in most cases (78,4%) and 21,6% had elevated levels. The oral lesions persisted in 95% of the cases for a period of 6 months to 13 years. The erosive form was the most prevalent (57,1%) and symptons were reported by 45,7% of the patients. Multiple lesions were frequent (60%), affecting mainly the buccal mucosa, followed by gums e tongue. There was no significant association of the presence of diabetes mellitus, hypertension and levels of anxiety with the clinical form or symptomatology of the oral lesions (p>0,005), despite a trend in patients with hypertension to have erosive lesions. It was concluded that, in the sample studied, moderate levels of anxiety were commonly observed, and the HCV infection apparently is not related to the onset of the OLP. In this study, the presence of diabetes mellitus, hypertension and levels of anxiety seem not to be associated with the clinical characteristics of the lesions of OLP

O jogo de RPG como ferramenta auxiliar de aprendizagem na disciplina de Ciências

ON reflecting the traditional teaching approach, characterized by non-dynamic and descriptive methods that still persists in schools at the present time, associated to social living enrichment has motivated the search for new techniques to stimulate students in the process of teaching, such as roleplaying games, known as RPG, already being used in various school disciplines. Considering the amount of themes in general sciences and in biology, in particular that could be explored through RPG our purpose was to develop a game to be used as a learning complementary tool. PANGÉIA, the game we developed, was based on the GURPS system and to be placed at the geological Eras of the earth. The objective of the game was playing a character that represented an animal belonging to a Class of Vertebrates, and making it surviving and reproducing during risky situations presented in the game. These situations were narratives by the Master about challenges that the character would face, which should be solved using the dices. Along the narrative, the Master introduced concepts and informations about the subject being studied. To evaluating how the game worked out, we solicited 11 volunteers, from two different schools in Natal, to play PANGÉIA. Before starting the game, and without knowing the final objectives of our project, the volunteers answered a general questionnaire to let us know their level of knowledge, which was also answered after playing the game. The comparison of the volunteers answers before and after playing the game suggests that this activity influenced them. Also, based on this test, we identified critical aspects to be modified in PANGÉIA, specially a stronger relation between both the questionnaire and the game placement with the narrative of the master. In order to have PANGÉIA used as a complementary learning tool, a teachers handbook has to be written, including rules concerning the format of game application. Nonetheless, based on this pilot study, we conclude that topics on sciences and biology can be easily adjusted to RPG format, and its flexibility provides multiple combinations that can be used to help learning the more difficult topics to be taught in a class

Neurofisiologia hipocampal durante sessões de sono intercaladas por exploração espacial: Reverberação do passado ou predição do futuro?

The ability to predict future rewards or threats is crucial for survival. Recent studies have addressed future event prediction by the hippocampus. Hippocampal neurons exhibit robust selectivity for spatial location. Thus, the activity of hippocampal neurons represents a cognitive map of space during navigation as well as during planning and recall. Spatial selectivity allows the hippocampus to be involved in the formation of spatial and episodic memories, including the sequential ordering of events. On the other hand, the discovery of reverberatory activity in multiple forebrain areas during slow wave and REM sleep underscored the role of sleep on the consolidation of recently acquired memory traces. To this date, there are no studies addressing whether neuronal activity in the hippocampus during sleep can predict regular environmental shifts. The aim of the present study was to investigate the activity of neuronal populations in the hippocampus during sleep sessions intercalated by spatial exploration periods, in which the location of reward changed in a predictable way. To this end, we performed the chronic implantation of 32-channel multielectrode arrays in the CA1 regions of the hippocampus in three male rats of the Wistar strain. In order to activate different neuronal subgroups at each cycle of the task, we exposed the animals to four spatial exploration sessions in a 4-arm elevated maze in which reward was delivered in a single arm per session. Reward location changed regularly at every session in a clockwise manner, traversing all the arms at the end of the daily recordings. Animals were recorded from 2-12 consecutive days. During spatial exploration of the 4-arm elevated maze, 67,5% of the recorded neurons showed firing rate differences across the maze arms. Furthermore, an average of 42% of the neurons showed increased correlation (R>0.3) between neuronal pairs in each arm. This allowed us to sort representative neuronal subgroups for each maze arm, and to analyze the activity of these subgroups across sleep sessions. We found that neuronal subgroups sorted by firing rate differences during spatial exploration sustained these differences across sleep sessions. This was not the case with neuronal subgroups sorted according to synchrony (correlation). In addition, the correlation levels between sleep sessions and waking patterns sampled in each arm were larger for the entire population of neurons than for the rate or synchrony subgroups. Neuronal activity during sleep of the entire neuronal population or subgroups did not show different correlations among the four arm mazes. On the other hand, we verified that neuronal activity during pre-exploration sleep sessions was significantly more similar to the activity patterns of the target arm than neuronal activity during pre-exploration sleep sessions. In other words, neuronal activity during sleep that precedes the task reflects more strongly the location of reward than neuronal activity during sleep that follows the task. Our results suggest that neuronal activity during sleep can predict regular environmental changes

Caracterização citoarquitetônica, neuroquímica e de aferência óptica do complexo parabraquial do sagui (Callithrix jacchus)

The parabrachial complex (PB) is an area of the brainstem responsible for the processing and transmission of essential physiologic information for the survival of the organisms. This region is subdivided in approximately nine subregions, considering morphology, cytoarchitectural and functional characteristic. Its neurons have an extensive network of connections with other regions of the nervous system. The objective in this work was to map the retinal projection to the PB and make a citoarchitectonic and neurochemical characterization of this region in the common marmoset (Callithrix jacchus), a primate of the New World. The retinal projections were mapped by anterograde transport of the choleric toxin subunit b (CTb). The citoarchitecture was described through the Nissl method, and the neurochemical characterization was made through immunohistochemical technique to the some neurotransmitters and neuroactives substances present in this neural center. In marmoset PB, in the coronal sections labeled by Nissl method, we found a similar pattern to that evidenced in other animal species. The immunoreactivity against CTb was verified in the PBMv in fibers/terminal, characterizing such as retinal innervations in this area. The immunohistochemical technique reveled that the PB contain cells, fibers and/or terminals immunoreactives to the neuronal nuclear protein, Choline acetyl transferase, nitric oxide synthase, serotonin, enkephalin, substance P, Calcium-binding proteins (calbindin, calretinin e parvalbumin), and glial fibrillary acidic protein. The histochemical technique reveled cells and fibers NADPH-diaphorase reactive. Each one of those substances presented a characteristic pattern of demarcation in PB, and some serve as specific markers of subregions

Security constrained optimal active power flow via network model and interior point method

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

Produtividade fabril II - método para rápido aumento da produtividade fabril: redução de esperas dentro do ciclo da operação

O método para rápido aumento da produtividade fabril, aplicável principalmente à indústria brasileira de manufatura (17% do PIB), fundamenta-se exclusivamente na redução ou eliminação do tempo inativo do homem, da máquina e do material, que é a grande causa da ineficiência. O método exige a utilização de apenas cinco das mais simples, elementares e conhecidas técnicas e é aplicável às vinte situações mais freqüentes (objetos de estudo) na indústria de manufatura. Nossa experiência atesta que o método é capaz de aumentar a produtividade fabril em valor superior a 30%, em poucos meses e de forma perene (houve um caso de aumento de 160% em toda uma seção de usinagem de uma empresa multinacional). Sua aplicação e a implantação das medidas dele decorrentes são feitas com extrema facilidade e, por isto, os resultados surgem muito rapidamente. Atinge portanto seu objetivo: proporcionar aumento da produtividade fabril em curto espaço de tempo. Este artigo detalhará sete objetos de estudo (situações): 1.redução da espera da máquina durante as inspeções; 2.redução da espera do operário, abordando trabalho em equipe, produção em linha e operação com ajudante; e 3.redução da espera do operador de máquina, por meio da diminuição do tempo-máquina, do controle do tempo-máquina e da atribuição de outras atividades ao operador pela adoção da célula de manufatura.

A dimensão sociocultural da reforma psiquiátrica: articulando redes para a consolidação da estratégia de atenção psicossocial

This thesis aims to discuss on articulations that have been produced on the socio-cultural field in the Psychiatric Reform process and its pertinence to the streghtening of Psychosocial Care Strategy (EAPS) in Fortaleza/CE. Such interest has been justified by the need to promote not only the production of these networks, but also interfaces to enable strategies of support and sociability from the perspective of deinstitutionalization of madness. We were inspired by the cartography perspective of Deleuze e Guattari, and determined as objectives: 1) to discuss the complexity of Psychiatric Reform process and analyze the EAPS as a model for the current Mental Health policy in the country; 2) to map socio-cultural strategies connected to the CAPS network in the city, investigating experiences that already exist or may be constituted as everyday social support networks; 3) from that mapping to start, define and discuss some aspects that converge to the accomplishment for this new mental health paradigm, drawing a cartography of the issues and movements in progress. The mapping was carried out in 2009 and consisted of semi-structured interviews with the coordinators of the 14 existent CAPS and with some people connected to the Coordination of Mental Health. Besides, during the whole development of the study, we have taken part in public events that brought us clues on the connection between mental health and culture. From the survey produced, we defined three vectors for discussion (Art, Labour and Partnership with Social Movements) which have been highlighted as effective possibilities of intervention in the socio-cultural field of Psychiatric Reform in Fortaleza and reveal important paths on the fulfillment process of a new pattern of care. For each of these axes, we chose a field of empirical research (Projeto Arte e Saúde, COOPCAPS e MSMCBJ) in which we could better understand their strengths and difficulties, starting from open interviews with some of their actors and the production of a diary of sensations in 2010. We have seen that they are articulated with the proposal of EAPS, being part of the concerns to the National Mental Health Policy and also the municipal administration. However, we have noticed to be necessary to promote those dimensions further, focusing on its complexity at the macro and micro policies, with the purpose of leading the Psychiatric Reform process

Esquemas alternativos para o passo de parametrização do método da continuação baseados em parâmetros físicos

O método de fluxo de carga convencional é considerado inadequado para se obter o ponto de máximo carregamento (PMC) de sistemas de potência, devido à singularidade da matriz Jacobiana neste ponto. Os métodos da continuação são ferramentas eficientes para a solução deste tipo de problema, visto que técnicas de parametrização podem ser utilizadas para evitar a singularidade da matriz Jacobiana. Neste trabalho, novas opções para a etapa de parametrização do método da continuação são apresentadas. Mostra-se que variáveis com claro significado físico podem ser utilizadas na etapa de parametrização. As seguintes variáveis foram testadas: perda total de potência ativa e reativa, potência ativa e reativa na barra de referência, potência reativa das barras de geração, e as perdas de potência ativa e reativa nas linhas de transmissão (LT). Além de facilitar a implementação computacional do método de continuação, as técnicas de parametrização apresentadas simplificam a definição matemática e o entendimento do método por parte de engenheiros de potência, visto que os métodos de continuação existentes na literatura sempre utilizam técnicas de parametrização complexas, e de interpretação puramente geométrica. Resultados obtidos com a nova metodologia para os sistemas testes do IEEE (14, 30, 57 e 118 barras) mostram que as características de convergência do método de fluxo de carga convencional são melhoradas na região do PMC. Além disso, durante o traçado das curvas PV, as diversas técnicas de parametrização podem ser comutadas entre si possibilitando o cálculo de todos os pontos da curva com um número reduzido de iterações. Diversos testes são realizados para proporcionar a comparação do desempenho dos esquemas de parametrização propostos.

Fluxo de carga continuado utilizando estratégia de parametrização geométrica baseada em parâmetros físicos

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

Sofrimento solitário, mal-estar compartilhado :um estudo sobre a doença dos nervos

Nerves has been perceived as generalized suffering with multiple complaints, such as pain and other physical sensations, usually followed by symptoms of anxiety and/or depression. Even after medications have been prescribed, mainly psychotropic drugs to reduce these symptoms, exams aiming to discover the causes of the disorders, and a significant referral to health services, the problem tends to get progressively worse. The objective of this study is to characterize the diseases of clients who complain of nerves at the Unidade Mista de Felipe Camarão, Natal/RN, through in depth interviews, allowing for the clarification of ideas, beliefs and the meanings attributed to nerves by that person; to identify the symptoms and to know how they interfere in daily activities; to investigate the causes attributed to the problem and their relation to the biographical and psychosocial context of the patient. Thirteen women, health service clients, aged 30 to 59 years old, participated in the research. It was observed that they perceive, feel and act in unique ways with relation to symptoms, as well as to the attributed explanations and treatments given, showing the influence of life conditions, family context and their own subjectivity. Daily concerns and overwhelming responsibilities in the domestic environment, which usually stem from their precarious survival conditions, as well as marital conflicts motivated by the inequity of gender relations, contribute to trigger this type of suffering. The methodology of the research itself proved to be crucial to the comprehension and understanding of the meanings attributed to the complaints as well as to the argumenting process and the redefinition of the illness experience. Therefore, the importance of interdisciplinary intervention must be emphasize and specially the role of listening as relevant intervention resource

As relações afetivas na prática tutorial e sua relações com a aprendizagem no curso a distância de licenciatura plena em Química

In distance learning degree in Chemistry in full of the Secretária de Educação a distância da Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte (SEDIS / UFRN). The teacher-tutor to establish the experimental subjects closer relationships with students, mediating the pedagogical actions that develop in the distance learning course, with a view to achieving the principles of autonomy and learning, contributing to the creation of learning environments collaborative, guided by affection.The article presents the results of an empirical research on affectivity in practice this tutorial experimental classes in higher distance education in the full degree course in Chemistry Polo Currais Novos/ RN, held between 2009 and 2010. The study is based on qualitative methodology, whose data were collected through questionnaires and semi-structured interviews with 48 (forty eight) students involved in distance learning courses and selected in order to compose a group of subjects who showed variability, as guidelines that guide the sampling procedures in qualitative research. The results, based on category theory and empirical analysis of data from the interviews were supplemented by information obtained from participant observation which also served to guide the data collection of the corpus of this work. With the results we understand that there is clarity about what characterizes a loving relationship between those involved in the process of teaching and learning in experimental classes in high school chemistry Distance Education. Furthermore, it was also clear that the communication process in dialogic teaching and learning in higher distance education in chemistry at the trial need to mark out in balanced affective attitudes, the experimental error that value and respect the many possible construction of knowledge by movements social interaction of individual and collective

As relações afetivas na prática tutorial e sua relação com a aprendizagem no curso a distância de licenciatura plena em química

In distance learning degree in Chemistry in full of the Secretária de Educação a distância da Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte (SEDIS / UFRN). The teacher-tutor to establish the experimental subjects closer relationships with students, mediating the pedagogical actions that develop in the distance learning course, with a view to achieving the principles of autonomy and learning, contributing to the creation of learning environments collaborative, guided by affection.The article presents the results of an empirical research on affectivity in practice this tutorial experimental classes in higher distance education in the full degree course in Chemistry Polo Currais Novos/ RN, held between 2009 and 2010. The study is based on qualitative methodology, whose data were collected through questionnaires and semi-structured interviews with 48 (forty eight) students involved in distance learning courses and selected in order to compose a group of subjects who showed variability, as guidelines that guide the sampling procedures in qualitative research. The results, based on category theory and empirical analysis of data from the interviews were supplemented by information obtained from participant observation which also served to guide the data collection of the corpus of this work. With the results we understand that there is clarity about what characterizes a loving relationship between those involved in the process of teaching and learning in experimental classes in high school chemistry Distance Education. Furthermore, it was also clear that the communication process in dialogic teaching and learning in higher distance education in chemistry at the trial need to mark out in balanced affective attitudes, the experimental error that value and respect the many possible construction of knowledge by movements social interaction of individual and collective

Hidrocarbonetos policíclicos aromáticos no meio ambiente: diferenciação de fontes em sedimentos e metabólitos em bile de peixes

Many studies on environmental ecosystems quality related to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) have been carried out routinely due to their ubiquotus presence worldwide and to their potential toxicity after its biotransformation. PAH may be introduced into the environmet by natural and anthropogenic processes from direct runoff and discharges and indirect atmospheric deposition. Sources of naturally occurring PAHs include natural fires, natural oil seepage and recent biological or diagenetic processes. Anthropogenic sources of PAHs, acute or chronic, are combustion of organic matter (petroleum, coal, wood), waste and releases/spills of petroleum and derivatives (river runoff, sewage outfalls, maritime transport, pipelines). Besides the co-existence of multiples sources of PAH in the environmental samples, these compounds are subject to many processes that lead to geochemical fates (physical-chemical transformation, biodegradation and photo-oxidation), which leads to an alteration of their composition. All these facts make the identification of the hydrocarbons sources, if petrogenic, pyrolytic or natural, a challenge. One of the objectives of this study is to establish tools to identify the origin of hydrocarbons in environmental samples. PAH diagnostic ratios and PAH principal component analysis were tested on a critical area: Guanabara Bay sediments. Guanabara Bay is located in a complex urban area of Rio de Janeiro with a high anthropogenic influence, being an endpoint of chronic pollution from the Greater Rio and it was the scenario of an acute event of oil release in January 2000. It were quantified 38 compounds, parental and alkylated PAH, in 21 sediment samples collected in two surveys: 2000 and 2003. The PAH levels varied from 400 to 58439 ng g-1. Both tested techniques for origin identification of hydrocarbons have shown their applicability, being able to discriminate the PAH sources for the majority of the samples analysed. The bay sediments were separated into two big clusters: sediments with a clear pattern of petrogenic introduction of hydrocarbons (from intertidal area) and sediments with combustion characteristics (from subtidal region). Only a minority of the samples could not display a clear contribution of petrogenic or pyrolytic input. The diagnostic ratios that have exhibited high ability to distinguish combustion- and petroleum-derived PAH inputs for Guanabara Bay sediments were Phenanthrene+Anthracene/(Phenanthrene+Anthracene+C1Phenanthrene); Fluorantene/(Fluorantene+Pyrene); Σ (other 3-6 ring PAHs)/ Σ (5 alkylated PAH series). The PCA results prooved to be a useful tool for PAH source identification in the environment, corroborating the diagnostic indexes. In relation to the temporal evaluation carried out in this study, it was not verified significant changes on the class of predominant source of the samples. This result indicates that the hydrocarbons present in the Guanabara Bay sediments are mainly related to the long-term anthropogenic input and not directly related to acute events such as the oil spill of January 2000. This findings were similar to various international estuarine sites. Finally, this work had a complementary objective of evaluating the level of hydrocarbons exposure of the aquatic organisms of Guanabara Bay. It was a preliminary study in which a quantification of 12 individual biliar metabolites of PAH was performed in four demersal fish representing three different families. The analysed metabolites were 1-hydroxynaphtalene, 2-hidroxinaphtalene, 1hydroxyphenanthrene, 9-hydroxyphenanthrene, 2-hydroxyphenanthrene, 1hydroxypyrene, 3-hidroxibiphenil, 3- hydroxyphenanthrene, 1-hydroxychrysene, 9hydroxyfluorene, 4-hydroxyphenanthrene, 3-hydroxybenz(a)pyrene. The metabolites concentrations were found to be high, ranging from 13 to 177 µg g-1, however they were similar to worldwide regions under high anthropogenic input. Besides the metabolites established by the used protocol, it was possible to verified high concentrations of three other compounds not yet reported in the literature. They were related to pyrolytic PAH contribution to Guanabara Bay aquatic biota: 1-hydroxypyrine and 3-hydroxybenz(a)pyrine isomers