Nintendo Wii: uso terapêutico no controlo postural em indivíduos que sofreram um acidente vascular cerebral

Mestrado em Fisioterapia.Introdução: É crescente o interesse e o número de pesquisas científicas sobre o uso das consolas comerciais na reabilitação de indivíduos que sofreram um Acidente Vascular Cerebral (AVC). No entanto, a especificidade da sintomatologia em cada indivíduo resulta em estudos com poucos resultados homogéneos e pouco extrapolativos. Objetivo: Averiguar o contributo da intervenção com Nintendo Wii no controlo postural em indivíduos que sofreram um AVC, na melhoria da simetria corporal, equilíbrio e mobilidade. Métodos: Duas mulheres, com 47 e 67 anos de idade; e um homem com 68 anos de idade; ambos com diagnósticos de AVC isquémico com lesão no hemisfério direito apresentando um quadro motor de hemiparesia esquerda, realizaram diariamente 60 minutos de fisioterapia convencional e um programa de treino de equilíbrio em pé de 15 minutos com a Nintendo Wii, ao longo de 20 sessões, 5x por semana. A avaliação inicial e final da intervenção foi feita por uma Plataforma de Forças Laboratorial, pela Plataforma da Nintendo Wii - Wii Balance Board, pela Escala de Equilíbrio de Berg (EEB) e pelo Teste Timed 'Up-and-Go' (TUG). Na análise da simetria corporal foram avaliadas as médias e coeficientes de variação das três componentes de força reativa e calculadas as percentagens de transferência de peso em quatro atividades: em pé de olhos abertos e fechados, e durante a tarefa do agachamento e transferência de sentado para de pé. Resultados: Em todas as atividades verificou-se um predomínio na transferência do peso para o lado não afetado. Contudo, no final da intervenção a diferença entre os dois membros inferiores reduz, principalmente com olhos abertos. Em ambas as atividades observou-se que a componente de força reativa, Fx (medio-lateral) apresentou maiores valores de média de deslocamento do centro de pressão, mas a componente de força reativa, Fy (ântero-posterior) apresentou maiores coeficientes de variação. De forma global, o membro inferior esquerdo, afetado, tende a oscilar menos, em ambas as avaliações. Na análise da funcionalidade ambos os participantes demonstraram aumento na execução de atividades funcionais, de acordo com a pontuação na EEB e TUG. Conclusão: O presente estudo demonstrou que a aplicação desta abordagem, como complemento à abordagem terapêutica convencional, parece ter contribuído para melhorar a distribuição do peso, o equilíbrio, a mobilidade e velocidade nestes três participantes.ABSTRACT - Introduction: An increasing interest and the number scientific research on the use of commercial consoles in the rehabilitation of individuals who have suffered a stroke. However, the specificity of each individual symptom results in studies is uneven and some extrapolation. Objective: To investigate the contribution of intervention with Nintendo Wii ® on postural control in individuals who have suffered a stroke, improving body symmetry, balance and mobility. Methods: Two women, 47 and 67 years old, and a man with 68 year old; both with a diagnosis of ischemic stroke in the right hemisphere lesion presenting a framework engine left hemiparesis, underwent 60 minutes of daily physical therapy and a program standing balance training of 15 minutes with Nintendo Wii® Plus over 20 sessions, 5x per week. The initial assessment and end of the intervention was made by a Force Platform Lab, the Nintendo Wii ® Platform - Wii Balance Board, the Berg Balance Scale (BBS) and the Test Timed 'Up-and-Go' (TUG). In the analysis of body symmetry were assessed averages and coefficients of variation of the three components of reactive power, and calculated the percentages of weight transfer into four activities: standing with eyes open and closed, and during the task of squatting and sitting transfer for standing. Results: In all four activities there was a predominance in the transfer of weight to the unaffected side. But at the end of the intervention, the difference between the two lower limbs reduces, especially with open eyes. In both activities was observed that the component of reactive force, Fx (mediumlateral) had higher mean displacement of center of pressure, but the reactive power components, Fy (anteroposterior) showed higher coefficients of variation. Globally the left lower limb affected, tends to fluctuare less in both assessments. In the analysis of functionality both participants demonstrated increased performance of functional activities in accordance with a score of BBS and TUG. Conclusion: The present study demonstrated that the application of this approach as a complement to conventional therapeutic approach seems to have contributed to improving weight distribution, balance, mobility and speed in all three participants

Portuguese propolis: a source of valuable bioactivities

To FEDER/COMPETE/POCI– Operational Competitiveness and Internationalization Programme, under Project POCI-01-0145-FEDER-006958 and FCT - Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology, under the project UID/AGR/04033/2013

Identification of novel genetic causes of Rett syndrome-like phenotypes

Background The aim of this work was to identify new genetic causes of Rett-like phenotypes using array comparative genomic hybridisation and a whole exome sequencing approach. Methods and results We studied a cohort of 19 Portuguese patients (16 girls, 3 boys) with a clinical presentation significantly overlapping Rett syndrome (RTT). Genetic analysis included filtering of the single nucleotide variants and indels with preference for de novo, homozygous/compound heterozygous, or maternally inherited X linked variants. Examination by MRI and muscle biopsies was also performed. Pathogenic genomic imbalances were found in two patients (10.5%): an 18q21.2 deletion encompassing four exons of the TCF4 gene and a mosaic UPD of chromosome 3. Variants in genes previously implicated in neurodevelopmental disorders (NDD) were identified in six patients (32%): de novo variants in EEF1A2, STXBP1 and ZNF238 were found in three patients, maternally inherited X linked variants in SLC35A2, ZFX and SHROOM4 were detected in two male patients and one homozygous variant in EIF2B2 was detected in one patient. Variants were also detected in five novel NDD candidate genes (26%): we identified de novo variants in the RHOBTB2, SMARCA1 and GABBR2 genes; a homozygous variant in EIF4G1; compound heterozygous variant in HTT. Conclusions Network analysis reveals that these genes interact by means of protein interactions with each other and with the known RTT genes. These findings expand the phenotypical spectrum of previously known NDD genes to encompass RTT-like clinical presentations and identify new candidate genes for RTT-like phenotypes.This work was supported by the Seventh Framework Programme (FP7/2007-2013) under grant agreement no. 262055. This work was also supported by the FEDER through the Programa Operacional Factores de Competitividade-COMPETE and by Portuguese national funds through the FCT-Fundacao para a Ciencia e Tecnologia, grants number PIC/IC/83026/2007 and PIC/IC/83013/2007, PhD scholarship grant to MB number SFRH/BDINT/ 51549/2011 and PhD scholarship grant to FL number SFRH/BD/84650/2010.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Studies of the mass composition of cosmic rays and proton-proton interaction cross-sections at ultra-high energies with the Pierre Auger Observatory

In this work, we present an estimate of the cosmic-ray mass composition from the distributions of the depth of the shower maximum (Xmax) measured by the fluorescence detector of the Pierre Auger Observatory. We discuss the sensitivity of the mass composition measurements to the uncertainties in the properties of the hadronic interactions, particularly in the predictions of the particle interaction cross-sections. For this purpose, we adjust the fractions of cosmic-ray mass groups to fit the data with Xmax distributions from air shower simulations. We modify the proton-proton cross-sections at ultra-high energies, and the corresponding air shower simulations with rescaled nucleus-air cross-sections are obtained via Glauber theory. We compare the energy-dependent composition of ultra-high-energy cosmic rays obtained for the different extrapolations of the proton-proton cross-sections from low-energy accelerator data

Study of downward Terrestrial Gamma-ray Flashes with the surface detector of the Pierre Auger Observatory

The surface detector (SD) of the Pierre Auger Observatory, consisting of 1660 water-Cherenkov detectors (WCDs), covers 3000 km2 in the Argentinian pampa. Thanks to the high efficiency of WCDs in detecting gamma rays, it represents a unique instrument for studying downward Terrestrial Gamma-ray Flashes (TGFs) over a large area. Peculiar events, likely related to downward TGFs, were detected at the Auger Observatory. Their experimental signature and time evolution are very different from those of a shower produced by an ultrahigh-energy cosmic ray. They happen in coincidence with low thunderclouds and lightning, and their large deposited energy at the ground is compatible with that of a standard downward TGF with the source a few kilometers above the ground. A new trigger algorithm to increase the TGF-like event statistics was installed in the whole array. The study of the performance of the new trigger system during the lightning season is ongoing and will provide a handle to develop improved algorithms to implement in the Auger upgraded electronic boards. The available data sample, even if small, can give important clues about the TGF production models, in particular, the shape of WCD signals. Moreover, the SD allows us to observe more than one point in the TGF beam, providing information on the emission angle

Investigating multiple elves and halos above strong lightning with the fluorescence detectors of the Pierre Auger Observatory

ELVES are being studied since 2013 with the twenty-four FD Telescopes of the Pierre Auger Observatory, in the province of Mendoza (Argentina), the world’s largest facility for the study of ultra-high energy cosmic rays. This study exploits a dedicated trigger and extended readout. Since December 2020, this trigger has been extended to the three High levation Auger Telescopes (HEAT), which observe the night sky at elevation angles between 30 and 60 degrees, allowing a study of ELVES from closer lightning. The high time resolution of the Auger telescopes allows us to upgrade reconstruction algorithms and to do detailed studies on multiple ELVES. The origin of multiple elves can be studied by analyzing the time difference and the amplitude ratio between flashes and comparing them with the properties of radio signals detected by the ENTLN lightning network since 2018. A fraction of multi-ELVES can also be interpreted as halos following ELVES. Halos are disc-shaped light transients emitted at 70-80 km altitudes, appearing at the center of the ELVES rings, due to the rearrangement of electric charges at the base of the ionosphere after a strong lightning event