Synchrony of hand-foot coupled movements: is it attained by mutual feedback entrainment or by independent linkage of each limb to a common rhythm generator?

BACKGROUND: Synchrony of coupled oscillations of ipsilateral hand and foot may be achieved by controlling the interlimb phase difference through a crossed kinaesthetic feedback between the two limbs, or by an independent linkage of each limb cycle to a common clock signal. These alternative models may be experimentally challenged by comparing the behaviour of the two limbs when they oscillate following an external time giver, either alone or coupled together. RESULTS: Ten subjects oscillated their right hand and foot both alone and coupled (iso- or antidirectionally), paced by a metronome. Wrist and ankle angular position and Electromyograms (EMG) from the respective flexor and extensor muscles were recorded. Three phase delays were measured: i) the clk-mov delay, between the clock (metronome beat) and the oscillation peak; ii) the neur (neural) delay, between the clock and the motoneurone excitatory input, as inferred from the EMG onset; and iii) the mech (mechanical) delay between the EMG onset and the corresponding point of the limb oscillation. During uncoupled oscillations (0.4 Hz to 3.0 Hz), the mech delay increased from -7° to -111° (hand) and from -4° to -83° (foot). In contrast, the clk-mov delay remained constant and close to zero in either limb since a progressive advance of the motoneurone activation on the pacing beat (neur advance) compensated for the increasing mech delay. Adding an inertial load to either extremity induced a frequency dependent increase of the limb mechanical delay that could not be completely compensated by the increase of the neural phase advance, resulting in a frequency dependent increment of clk-mov delay of the hampered limb. When limb oscillations were iso- or antidirectionally coupled, either in the loaded or unloaded condition, the three delays did not significantly change with respect to values measured when limbs were moved separately. CONCLUSION: The absence of any significant effect of limb coupling on the measured delays suggests that during hand-foot oscillations, both iso- and antidirectionally coupled, each limb is synchronised to the common rhythm generator by a "private" position control, with no need for a crossed feedback interaction between limbs

Classificação automática de inclusões em aços – preparação de amostras com diferentes tipos de inclusões

O desenvolvimento de aços avançados requer um controle bastante elaborado da etapa do refino, em particular para o controle da formação das inclusões, que ocorrem através da interação entre o metal líquido e as diversas superfícies do equipamento (inclusões exógenas) ou pela solubilização de gases e outros elementos de liga que posteriormente se precipitam durante o vazamento do metal (inclusões endógenas). Padrões internacionais definem normas para classificação destas inclusões, utilizando métodos clássicos de comparação de quadros – chart comparison e medidas utilizando análise de imagens. No entanto, o processo definido por estas normas ainda é caracteristicamente manual. Estas normas classificam as inclusões de acordo com o tipo de inclusão nas classes A (sulfetos), B (alumina), C (silicatos) e D (óxidos); espessura ou diâmetro; formação de “strings” – seqüências de inclusões alinhadas na direção de laminação; severidade – uma medida da densidade de inclusões. O presente projeto de pesquisa foi desenvolvido em parceria com o grupo de pesquisadores da PUC-Rio que desenvolveu um método automático de classificação de inclusões em aços, com alta confiabilidade estatística, minimizando a interferência do usuário ao longo de todo o procedimento inicialmente baseado nas imagens padrão. O presente trabalho colaborou com uma segunda fase do trabalho que consiste em aplicar a rotina computacional desenvolvida em imagens reais contendo inclusões. Para isso as amostras de aços contendo inclusões foram preparadas metalograficamente e analisadas em MO. Desta maneira será possível fazer uma comparação entre os resultados da rotina automática para separar inclusões das diferentes classes das imagens reais e das imagens de referência da norma

Features and initial assessment of the Italian Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (PASSI), 2007-2008

http://www.cdc.gov/pcd/issues/2011/jan/pdf/10_0030.pd

Casimir-Lifshitz interaction between ZnO and SiO2 nanorods in bromobenzene: retardation effects turn the interaction repulsive at intermediate separations

We consider the interaction between a ZnO nanorod and a SiO2 nanorod in bromobenzene. Using optical data for the interacting objects and ambient we calculate the force - from short-range attractive van der Waals force to intermediate range repulsive Casimir-Lifshitz force to long range entropically driven attraction. The nonretarded van der Waals interaction is attractive at all separations. We demonstrate a retardation driven repulsion at intermediate separations. At short separations (in the nonretarded limit) and at large separations (in the classical limit) the interaction is attractive. These effects can be understood from an analysis of multiple crossings of the dielectric functions of the three media as functions of imaginary frequencies.Comment: 3.5 pages, 3 figure

RESVERATROL INCLUSION COMPLEX WITH β-CYCLODEXTRIN (RCD): CHARACTERIZATION AND EVALUATION OF TOXICITY IN WISTAR RATS

Objective: The aim of this study was to characterise the resveratrol inclusion complex with β-cyclodextrin (RCD) and evaluate their toxicity in wistar rats.Methods: The RCD were prepared in ultra-turrax. For characterization of the RCD were used: Fourier transform infra-red Spectroscopy, Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR), Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) and X-ray powder diffraction. The RCD and others 4 treatments were performed by the chronic oral administration in 35 rats during 60 ds. After the treatments they were euthanized and the serum blood were collected to analyzed some hemogram and biochemical parameters including aspartyl aminotransferase (AST); alanine aminotransferase (AST); phosphatase alkaline (ALP); total bilirubin (TB); direct bilirubin (DB); total protein (TP); total cholesterol (TC), triacylglycerol (TAG), very low-density lipoprotein (VLDL), high-density lipoprotein (HDL), calcium, iron and phosphate using fully automated biochemistry analyzer.Results: The characterization results indicated a successful formation of the RCD. All hematological parameters analysed were within the normal values in all the groups. Furthermore, the hemogram and biochemical parameters were significantly (P>0.05) similar to the control group.Conclusion: The daily oral administration during 60 d of RCD are not harmful on blood parameters of Wistar rats. Thus, RCD can be used safely for treatment of some metabolic diseases

Perfil de pecuaristas da microrregião de São Joaquim no Planalto Catarinenese.

Introdução: A pecuária de corte é uma atividade tradicional que carece de informações sobre suas características. Conhecer a realidade é fundamental para balizar intervenções técnicas na busca da eficiência zootécnica, no cenário atual de aquecimento da cadeia produtiva. Objetivo: Diagnosticar os sistemas produtivos da pecuária de corte da microrregião de São Joaquim no Planalto Catarinens

Características morfogênicas de cultivares de azevém-anual diploide e tetraploides.

O azevém-anual (Lolium multiflorum Lam.) é amplamente utilizado no Sul do Brasil, com grande importância nos sistemas integrados de produção agropecuária, pois é a principal espécie forrageira de inverno, apresentando boa produção e qualidade. Diversas cultivares de azevém-anual diploides e tetraploides têm sido registradas e lançadas no mercado nos últimos anos, muitas diferindo de cultivares mais antigas. Materiais diploides e tetraploides podem apresentar variações no tamanho de perfilhos, folhas e sementes. Definir características morfogênicas tem implicações no manejo, estimativa do potencial produtivo e pode ser um recurso para comparação das cultivares. O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar características morfogênicas de 6 cultivares de azevém-anual, uma delas diploide e as outras tetraploides. Foram testadas em blocos ao acaso com quatro repetições, as cultivares: Empasc 304 (diplóide) e Potro, BarHQ, Barjumbo, KLm 138, e Maximus (Tetraploides). Não houve diferença significativa entre as cultivares para nenhuma das características morfogênicas avaliadas (P>0.055). Os valores médios das variáveis foram de 2.25 +- 0.17 cm dia-1 para a taxa de alongamento foliar, 0.75 +- 0.04 cm dia-1 para taxa de senescência foliar, 0.15 +- 0.006 cm dia-1 para taxa de alongamento de pseudocolmos, 9.71 +- 1.38 dias para filocrono e duração de vida de folhas foi de 41.97 +- 4.52 dias

Excitability of the Motor Cortex Ipsilateral to the Moving Body Side Depends on Spatio-Temporal Task Complexity and Hemispheric Specialization

Unilateral movements are mainly controlled by the contralateral hemisphere, even though the primary motor cortex ipsilateral (M1ipsi) to the moving body side can undergo task-related changes of activity as well. Here we used transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) to investigate whether representations of the wrist flexor (FCR) and extensor (ECR) in M1ipsi would be modulated when unilateral rhythmical wrist movements were executed in isolation or in the context of a simple or difficult hand-foot coordination pattern, and whether this modulation would differ for the left versus right hemisphere. We found that M1ipsi facilitation of the resting ECR and FCR mirrored the activation of the moving wrist such that facilitation was higher when the homologous muscle was activated during the cyclical movement. We showed that this ipsilateral facilitation increased significantly when the wrist movements were performed in the context of demanding hand-foot coordination tasks whereas foot movements alone influenced the hand representation of M1ipsi only slightly. Our data revealed a clear hemispheric asymmetry such that MEP responses were significantly larger when elicited in the left M1ipsi than in the right. In experiment 2, we tested whether the modulations of M1ipsi facilitation, caused by performing different coordination tasks with the left versus right body sides, could be explained by changes in short intracortical inhibition (SICI). We found that SICI was increasingly reduced for a complex coordination pattern as compared to rest, but only in the right M1ipsi. We argue that our results might reflect the stronger involvement of the left versus right hemisphere in performing demanding motor tasks