Estimation of spontaneous blinking main sequence in normal subjects and patients with Graves' upper eyelid retraction

Purpose. We quantified the main sequence of spontaneous blinks in normal subjects and Graves' disease patients with upper eyelid retraction using a nonlinear and two linear models, and examined the variability of the main sequence estimated with standard linear regression for 10-minute periods of time. Methods. A total of 20 normal subjects and 12 patients had their spontaneous blinking measured with the magnetic search coil technique when watching a video during one hour. The main sequence was estimated with a power-law function, and with standard and trough the origin linear regressions. Repeated measurements ANOVA was used to test the mean sequence stability of 10-minute bins measured with standard linear regression. Results. In 95% of the sample the correlation coefficients of the main sequence ranged from 0.60 to 0.94. Homoscedasticity of the peak velocity was not verified in 20% of the subjects and 25% of the patients. The power-law function provided the best main sequence fitting for subjects and patients. The mean sequence of 10-minute bins measured with standard linear regression did not differ from the one-hour period value. For the entire period of observation and the slope obtained by standard linear regression, the main sequence of the patients was reduced significantly compared to the normal subjects. Conclusions. Standard linear regression is a valid and stable approximation for estimating the main sequence of spontaneous blinking. However, the basic assumptions of the linear regression model should be examined on an individual basis. The maximum velocity of large blinks is slower in Graves' disease patients than in normal subjects. © 2013 The Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology, Inc.

Long-term orange juice consumption is associated with low LDL-cholesterol and apolipoprotein B in normal and moderately hypercholesterolemic subjects

Abstract. Background: This study investigated the hypothesis that long-term orange juice consumption (≥ 12 months) was associated with low risk factors for cardiovascular disease in adult men and women with normal and moderately high cholesterol blood levels. Methods. The sample consisted of 103 men (18-66 y) and 26 women (18-65 y); all were employees of an orange juice factory with daily access to free orange juice. The results showed that 41% of the individuals consumed 2 cups (480 mL) of orange juice per day for at least twelve months, while 59% of the volunteers are non-consumers of orange juice. Results: Orange juice consumers with normal serum lipid levels had significantly lower total cholesterol (-11%, p <0.001), LDL-cholesterol (-18%, p < 0.001), apolipoprotein B (apo B) (-12%, p < 0.01) and LDL/HDL ratio (-12%, p < 0.04) in comparison to non-consumers, as did the consumers with moderate hypercholesterolemia: lower total cholesterol (-5%, p <0.02), LDL-cholesterol (-12%, p <0.03), apolipoprotein B (-12%, p <0.01) and LDL/HDL ratio (-16%, p <0.05) in comparison the non-consumers counterparts. Serum levels of homocysteine, HDL- cholesterol and apolipoprotein A-1, body composition and the dietary intake of food energy and macronutrients did not differ among orange juice consumers and non-consumers, but vitamin C and folate intake was higher in orange juice consumers. Conclusion: Long-term orange juice consumers had lower levels of total cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, apo B and LDL/HDL ratio and an improvement of folate and vitamin C in their diet. © 2013 Aptekmann and Cesar; licensee BioMed Central Ltd.

Heparin and penicillamine-hypotaurine-epinephrine (PHE) solution during bovine in vitro fertilization procedures impair the quality of spermatozoa but improve normal oocyte fecundation and early embryonic development

The presence of heparin and a mixture of penicillamine, hypotaurine, and epinephrine (PHE) solution in the in vitro fertilization (IVF) media seem to be a prerequisite when bovine spermatozoa are capacitated in vitro, in order to stimulate sperm motility and acrosome reaction. The present study was designed to determine the effect of the addition of heparin and PHE during IVF on the quality and penetrability of spermatozoa into bovine oocytes and on subsequent embryo development. Sperm quality, evaluated by the integrity of plasma and acrosomal membranes and mitochondrial function, was diminished (P < 0.05) in the presence of heparin and PHE. Oocyte penetration and normal pronuclear formation rates, as well as the percentage of zygotes presenting more than two pronuclei, was higher (P < 0.05) in the presence of heparin and PHE. No differences were observed in cleavage rates between treatment and control (P > 0.05). However, the developmental rate to the blastocyst stage was increased in the presence of heparin and PHE (P > 0.05). The quality of embryos that reached the blastocyst stage was evaluated by counting the inner cell mass (ICM) and trophectoderm (TE) cell numbers and total number of cells; the percentage of ICM and TE cells was unaffected (P > 0.05) in the presence of heparin and PHE (P < 0.05). In conclusion, this study demonstrated that while the supplementation of IVF media with heparin and PHE solution impairs spermatozoa quality, it plays an important role in sperm capacitation, improving pronuclear formation, and early embryonic development. © 2013 The Society for In Vitro Biology.

Envejecimiento de la población uruguaya treinta años después: del envejecimiento normal" al envejecimiento "perverso""

Las consecuencias sociales del envejecimiento son múltiples y suele admitirse que una de ellas es el aumento de la carga que pesa sobre la población activa, especialmente en el contexto de creciente urbanización como es el de Uruguay. La gran mayoría de los jubilados trabaja ante la recepción de pensiones insuficientes para vivir. El envejecimiento de la población se ha visto agravado por la enorme emigración selectiva que compromete a personas en edad activa. Sin embargo, se observan transformaciones importantes en el país que remiten al enorme aumento de la tasa de participación femenina y al aumento de las familias extensas, como dos mecanismos para hacer frente a las condiciones de vida. Estos cambios tienden a fortificar el papel de los ancianos como suplentes de los padres en el hogar.

Caracterização hidráulica do microaspersor Eden Twister em posição normal e invertida

Pós-graduação em Agronomia (Ciência do Solo) - FCAV

Contribuição do contraste negativo na artrografia tomográfica do joelho normal de cães

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Estudo comparativo entre parto normal e a anestesia para a cesariana em cães: estudo clínico e cardiorrespiratório na mãe e no feto

Pós-graduação em Medicina Veterinária - FMVZ

Resistência de união ao microcisalhamento de sistemas adesivos distintos em substrato dentinário normal e hipermineralizado artificialmente

Pós-graduação em Ciências Odontológicas - FOAR

As ausências de conhecimentos manifestos na formação de professoras-alunas de curso normal superior

Pós-graduação em Educação Escolar - FCLAR

Revista da escola normal de São Carlos (1916-1923): um estudo sobre idéias e práticas educacionais

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

A história da origem da curva normal

Pós-graduação em Educação Matemática - IGCE

Correlação dos níveis de lactato sanguíneo com o estado neurológico e cardiorrespiratório de filhotes de cães nascidos de parto normal ou cesariana sob anestesia geral inalatória

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Avaliação imuno-histoquímica do marcado de proliferação celular KI-67 em glandula perianal normal e em neoplástica de cães

Pós-graduação em Ciência Animal - FMVA

El envejecimiento de la población uruguaya treinta años después: del envejecimiento normal" al envejecimiento "perverso""

Documento de Sala de Conferencia, No 2 y No 2, Add.1

Identificação precoce de neoplasia trofoblástica pós-molar pela curva de regressão normal da gonadotrofina coriônica humana

Pós-graduação em Ginecologia, Obstetrícia e Mastologia - FMB