Percepção Visual no Tremor Essencial: Uma Revisão Sistemática

It was investigated whether essential tremor (ET) patients would exhibit visual impairments. Studies published in the following databases were reviewed: PubMed, BIREME, CINAHL, Web of Science, PsycINFO, SciELO, SCOPUS, and ELSEVIER, from inception to January 05th, 2017. Two independent reviewers performed screening, data extraction, and assessment of the data. The NIH assessment tools used to assess study quality. Out of 132 references, 12 were selected according to the eligibility criteria. Results indicated that ET patients have lower visual sensitivity when compared to control groups. There was no significant evidence for color vision impairment. Despite the findings for heterogeneity, visual impairments in ET patients were observed, and these may be one of the main non-motor clinical characteristics.Investigou-se a relação entre percepção visual e tremor essencial (TE). Realizou-se uma revisão dos estudos publicados sobre o tema nas bases de dados PubMed, BIREME, CINAHL, Web of Science, PsycINFO, SciELO, SCOPUS e ELSEVIER desde a origem até 05 de janeiro de 2017. A triagem, extração de dados e avaliação foram realizadas por dois revisores. Para avaliar a qualidade dos estudos utilizou-se as diretrizes do National Institutes of Health (NIH). De 132 estudos potencialmente elegíveis, 12 foram selecionados de acordo com os critérios de elegibilidade. Os resultados indicaram que pessoas com TE apresentam baixa sensibilidade visual quando comparados com indivíduos saudáveis, apesar de não apresentarem prejuízos na visão de cores. Apesar da heterogeneidade dos dados, observamos que existem prejuízos visuais em pessoas com TE e estes podem ser uma das principais características clínicas não-motoras

Estudo do crescimento da microalga Scenedesmus acuminatus (Lagerheim) Chodat 1902 em águas residuárias

As microalgas são fontes potenciais de produção de biocombustíveis. Todavia, o alto custo de cultivo ainda inviabiliza o processo. Dessa forma, o objetivo desse trabalho foi avaliar a produção de microalgas utilizando como meio alternativo as águas residuárias. A microalga estudada foi a Scenedesmus acuminatus, cultivada em meio Wright’s Cryptophyte (WC), sob a qual foram adicionadas diferentes concentrações de efluente para avaliar os parâmetros cinéticos, produtividade de biomassa e lipídica e as remoções de DQO. Constatou-se que a concentração ideal de desenvolvimento para tal microalga é de 100% de efluente em seu meio. A remoção de DQO foi mais eficiente no cultivo com 80% de efluente, alcançando redução de 32,8%. A biomassa da S. acuminatus cultivada com adição de 100% de efluente apresentou produção de 10,42% de lipídios. Os métodos estatísticos indicaram forte correlação entre os parâmetros velocidade específica de crescimento, tempo de geração e remoção de DQO; já a produtividade apresentou correlação moderada com todos os parâmetros, exceto com a variável correspondente à remoção de DQO. A viabilidade da inserção do efluente resultante do tratamento anaeróbio de esgoto doméstico no cultivo das microalgas foi comprovada quando se detectou excelente adaptação e consequente desenvolvimento da microalga submetida a diferentes proporções do efluente em seu cultivo

Neurostimulation Combined With Cognitive Intervention in Alzheimer’s Disease (NeuroAD): Study Protocol of Double-Blind, Randomized, Factorial Clinical Trial

Despite advances in the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease (AD), there is currently no prospect of a cure, and evidence shows that multifactorial interventions can benefit patients. A promising therapeutic alternative is the use of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) simultaneously with cognitive intervention. The combination of these non-pharmacological techniques is apparently a safe and accessible approach. This study protocol aims to compare the efficacy of tDCS and cognitive intervention in a double-blind, randomized and factorial clinical trial. One hundred participants diagnosed with mild-stage AD will be randomized to receive both tDCS and cognitive intervention, tDCS, cognitive intervention, or placebo. The treatment will last 8 weeks, with a 12-month follow-up. The primary outcome will be the improvement of global cognitive functions, evaluated by the AD Assessment Scale, cognitive subscale (ADAS-Cog). The secondary outcomes will include measures of functional, affective, and behavioral components, as well as a neurophysiological marker (Brain-derived neurotrophic factor, BDNF). This study will enable us to assess, both in the short and long term, whether tDCS is more effective than the placebo and to examine the effects of combined therapy (tDCS and cognitive intervention) and isolated treatments (tDCS vs. cognitive intervention) on patients with AD.Clinical Trial Registration: www.ClinicalTrials.gov, identifier NCT02772185—May 5, 2016

Sensibilidade ao contraste espacial de luminância e discriminação de cores na esquizofrenia: qual o papel dos antipsicóticos?

Schizophrenia is a complex disorder with heterogeneous pathophysiology, affecting about 1% of the world population. Whereas there are several studies investigating cognition and behavior, basic visual function are poorly studied, even being important markers for the prognosis of the disorder. Here we investigated the visual processing and its link with antipsychotics drugs in schizophrenia, evaluating the spatial luminance contrast sensitivity and the color discrimination. Data were obtained from 45 participants, a group of schizophrenic using typical medication (n = 15), a group using atypical medication (n = 15) and a group of healthy individuals (n = 15), aged between 20 to 45 years. Participants were matched for level of education, age and gender. Vertical sine-wave gratins ranging from 0.2 to 16 cycles per degree were used for contrast sensitivity function assessment (CSF), and the Lanthony D15d (D15d) and Cambridge Colour Test (CCT) were used for assessing color vision. All subjects had undergone ophthalmologic examinations in the last two years, being free of observable eye diseases. The results indicated that the group of schizophrenic patients presented lower performance in comparison to the control group (p < .05) for all procedures. Pairwise comparisons showed that the group using typical antipsychotics had the lowest performance (p < .001), followed by the group using atypical antipsychotics (p < .01). These results suggest that schizophrenia and antipsychotics interacts with visual processing. Our study highlights the importance of understanding the diffuse effects of antipsychotic medication on visual processing.NenhumaA esquizofrenia (EQZ) é um transtorno complexo com fisiopatologia heterogênea, afetando cerca de 1% da população mundial. Enquanto existem diversos estudos investigando a cognição e comportamento, as funções visuais básicas são pouco estudadas, mesmo sendo marcadores importantes para o prognóstico do transtorno. Aqui investigamos o processamento visual e a relação medicamentosa na EQZ, avaliando a sensibilidade ao contraste de luminância e a discriminação de cores. Os dados foram obtidos de 45 participantes, um grupo de pacientes fazendo uso de medicação típica (n = 15), um grupo fazendo uso de medicação atípica (n = 15) e um grupo de indivíduos saudáveis (n = 15), com idade entre 20 a 45 anos. Os participantes foram equiparados em nível de escolaridade, idade e gênero. Grades senoidais verticais variando entre 0.2 a 16 ciclos por grau foram utilizadas para avaliação da função de sensibilidade ao contraste (FSC), e o Lanthony D15d (D15d) e teste de cores da Cambridge (CCT) foram utilizados para avaliação da visão de cores. Todos os indivíduos haviam passado por exames oftalmológicos nos últimos dois anos, estando livres de doenças oculares observáveis. Os resultados indicaram que o grupo de pacientes com EQZ apresentou menor desempenho em comparação ao grupo controle (p < .05) em todos os testes. Quando analisados separadamente, o grupo utilizando medicação típica teve o menor desempenho (p < .001), seguido pelo grupo utilizando medicação atípica (p < .01). Estes resultados demonstram que o processamento visual na EQZ pode ser influenciado pela classe medicamentosa utilizada devido a afinidade de receptores dopaminérgicos e/ou serotoninérgicos. Nosso estudo destaca a importância de compreender os efeitos difusos da medicação antipsicótica no processamento visual

Ontogeny and molecular phylogeny of Apoamphisiella vernalis reveal unclear separation between genera Apoamphisiella and Paraurostyla (Protozoa, Ciliophora, Hypotricha)

Morphology and divisional morphogenesis of the hypotrich ciliate Apoamphisiella vernalis are investigated based on two populations from Brazil. Typical specimens of A. vernalis replicates its ventral ciliature from six fronto-ventral-transverse (FVT) anlagen independently formed for proter and opisthe, plus one or more short anlagen located between IV and V, which form surplus transverse cirri. Dorsal morphogenesis occurs as in typical oxytrichid dorsomarginalians, viz., with formation of three anlagen and fragmentation of the rightmost one. Dorsomarginal kineties are formed near anterior end of right marginal cirral row anlagen. Various anomalous specimens exhibiting more than two long ventral rows were found, which are explained by increasing the number of FVT anlagen and/or the number of cirri produced by anlagen. Comparative ontogeny and phylogenetic analyses based on the 18S rDNA reveal that Apoamphisiella vernalis is closely affine to North American and European strains of the Paraurostyla weissei complex. Their reduced genetic distances and conspicuous morphological variability show that both genera can overlap, which implies the necessity of re-evaluating the contextual relevance of some morphological characters commonly used for genus-level separation within hypotrich taxa.Fil: de Castro, Larissa Araguaia Monteiro. Universidade Federal Do Pará; BrasilFil: Kuppers, Gabriela Cristina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales "Bernardino Rivadavia"; ArgentinaFil: Fernandes, Noemi Mendes. Universidade Federal Do Rio de Janeiro; BrasilFil: Schlegel, Martin. Universitat Leipzig; AlemaniaFil: Paiva, Thiago Da Silva. Universidade Federal Do Pará; Brasil. Universidade de Sao Paulo; Brasi

Evaluation of water permeability in compacted sand-bentonite liners from landfill using planning and factorial analysis

Compacted Clay Liners (CCL) are designed to prevent environmental contamination in landfills. These layers are designed with low permeability soils, which are difficult to obtain. To this end, bentonite can be added. The objective of this work is to evaluate the reliability of factor analysis on the hydraulic performance of sand-bentonite mixtures. Two types of designs were used, with the variables controlled: compaction energy (CE), water content (U) and percentage of bentonite (B). Experimental layers were made to obtain water permeability (kw). The results showed that CE and B are, respectively, the factors that most influence permeability. The application of adequate energy promotes better accommodation of bentonite soil particles in the voids in the sand, which, when moistened, undergo an expansion process, reducing the voids in the layer. All of these parameters can be optimized by using a curvature design to obtain kW. Therefore, knowledge of CCL kw is essential to ensure the safety of the local environmental environment

Photomicrographs of <i>Apoamphisiella vernalis</i> from Minad Gerais after protargol-impregnation, showing stages of divisional morphogenesis.

<p>(A) and (B) Ventral side of middle-to-late divider showing anlagen for proter (A) and opisthe (B). Arrowheads mark surplus transverse cirri in the proter (notice that surplus transverse cirri are also present in the opisthe, but out of focus in the image). (C) Middle divider showing dorsal kineties anlagen for the proter (white arrowheads) and opisthe (black arrowheads). (D) Fragmentation of right dorsal anlagen (arrows) and formation of caudal cirri (arrowheads). Anlagen labeled with roman numbers, where “o” names the opisthe and “p” names the proter.</p

Morphometric data on <i>Apoamphisiella vernalis</i> from Belém-PA, Brazil.

<p>Morphometric data on <i>Apoamphisiella vernalis</i> from Belém-PA, Brazil.</p

Bayesian inference (50% majority rule consensus) tree of Hypotricha, emphasizing the relationships within the Dorsomarginalia (uroleptids, stylonychines and “non-stylonychine dorsomarginalians”) and some <i>incertae sedis</i> representatives.

<p>Values associated to nodes are Bayesian posterior probabilities / maximum-likelihood bootstrap support. * = full support; ? = node contradicted in the maximum-likelihood tree. Scale bar = substitutions per 100 nucleotide positions.</p