The brain decade in debate: VII. Neurobiology of sleep and dreams

This article is a transcription of an electronic symposium held on February 5, 2001 by the Brazilian Society of Neuroscience and Behavior (SBNeC) during which eight specialists involved in clinical and experimental research on sleep and dreaming exposed their personal experience and theoretical points of view concerning these highly polemic subjects. Unlike most other bodily functions, sleep and dreaming cannot, so far, be defined in terms of definitive functions that play an ascribable role in maintaining the organism as a whole. Such difficulties appear quite clearly all along the discussions. In this symposium, concepts on sleep function range from a protective behavior to an essential function for maturation of the nervous system. Kleitman's hypothesis [Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease (1974), 159: 293-294] was discussed, according to which the basal state is not the wakeful state but sleep, from which we awake to eat, to protect ourselves, to procreate, etc. Dreams, on the other hand, were widely discussed, being considered either as an important step in consolidation of learning or simply the conscious identification of functional patterns derived from the configuration of released or revoked memorized information.Universidade de São Paulo Faculdade de Medicina Instituto de PsiquiatriaUniversity of Laval School of Medicine Department of PhysiologyRutgers State University Center for NeuroscienceUniversidade de São Paulo Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas Departamento de Fisiologia e BiofísicaUniversidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP) Instituto do SonhoFacultad de Medicina de Montevideo Departamento de Fisiología NeurofisiologíaFlorida Atlantic University Center for Complex SystemsUniversidade de São Paulo Faculdade de Medicina Departamento de NeurologiaUNIFESP, Instituto do SonhoSciEL

Estratégias de planejamento a partir do diagnóstico rápido participativo e da análise SWOT: um estudo na comunidade de São Bento, Salinopólis - PA.

A preocupação com o envolvimento das comunidades locais no desenvolvimento assumiu destaque nos estudos científicos, em especial, nas ciências sociais nas últimas décadas. Este artigo tem por objetivo propor estratégias que possam gerar ocupação e renda na comunidade de São Bento, no Município de Sanilópolis, no Estado do Pará, a partir das constatações da própria comunidade. O estudo aplicado, exploratório e descritivo, adotou abordagem qualitativa e utilizou técnicas de Diagnóstico Rápido Participativo (DRP), para coletar informações e análise SWOT para sistematizar os resultados do trabalho de campo. Participaram dos 19 grupos de trabalho, 53 entrevistados, caracterizando uma amostragem não probabilística por acessibilidade. Os resultados da pesquisa indicaram seis estratégias principais capazes de contribuir para a melhoria das condições de vida na região. Observa-se que engajar a comunidade no planejamento pode fundamentar ações de cidadania, contribuindo para uma realidade local mais justa, participativa e com visão de futuro

Uso de los tra amientos termico e no termico (alta presion hidrostatica) para la inactivación de enzimas bacterianas metaloproteases presentes en la degradación de leche.

El estudio de la aplicación de la tecnología de alta presión en el tratamiento de la leche para la inactivación de las enzimas proteolíticas puede proporcionar un producto con alta calidad y salubridad diferencial, capaz de investir en un aumento del consumo y de valor agregado, con el fin de beneficiarse de la cadena de producción, con impactos económicos y sociales

Avaliação do potencial antagonista de bactéria endofítica sobre fungos de grãos de milho.

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Nuchal Translucency: An Ultrasound Marker For Fetal Chromosomal Abnormalities.

CONTEXT: The literature shows an association between several ultrasound markers and chromosome abnormality. Among these, measurement of nuchal translucency has been indicated as a screening method for aneuploidy. The trisomy of chromosome 21 has been most evaluated. OBJECTIVE: To define the best fixed cutoff point for nuchal translucency, with the assistance of the ROC curve, and its accuracy in screening all fetal aneuploidy and trisomy 21 in a South American population. TYPE OF STUDY: Validation of a diagnostic test. SETTING: This study was carried out at the State University of Campinas, Campinas, Brazil. PARTICIPANTS: 230 patients examined by ultrasound at two tertiary-level private centers, at 10 to 14 weeks of gestation. DIAGNOSTIC TEST: The participants consisted of all those patients who had undergone ultrasound imaging at 10 to 14 weeks of gestation to measure nuchal translucency and who had had the fetal or neonatal karyotype identified. MAIN MEASUREMENTS: Maternal age, gestational age, nuchal translucency measurement, fetal or neonatal karyotype. RESULTS: Prevalence of chromosomal defects - 10 %; mean age - 35.8 years; mean gestational age - 12 weeks and 2 days; nuchal translucency (NT) thickness - 2.18 mm. The best balance between sensitivity and specificity were values that were equal to or higher than 2.5 mm for overall chromosomal abnormalities as well as for the isolated trisomy 21. The sensitivity for overall chromosomal abnormalities and trisomy 21 were 69.5 % and 75 %, respectively, and the positive likelihood ratios were 5.5 and 5.0, respectively. CONCLUSION: The measurement of nuchal translucency was found to be fairly accurate as an ultrasound marker for fetal abnormalities and measurements equal to or higher than 2.5 mm were the best fixed cutoff points.1191192

Superpulsed low-level laser therapy protects skeletal muscle of mdx mice against damage, inflammation and morphological changes delaying dystrophy progression.

Aim: To evaluate the effects of preventive treatment with low-level laser therapy (LLLT) on progression of dystrophy in mdx mice. Methods: Ten animals were randomly divided into 2 experimental groups treated with superpulsed LLLT (904 nm, 15 mW, 700 Hz, 1 J) or placebo-LLLT at one point overlying the tibialis anterior muscle (bilaterally) 5 times per week for 14 weeks (from 6th to 20th week of age). Morphological changes, creatine kinase (CK) activity and mRNA gene expression were assessed in animals at 20th week of age. Results: Animals treated with LLLT showed very few morphological changes in skeletal muscle, with less atrophy and fibrosis than animals treated with placebo-LLLT. CK was significantly lower (p = 0.0203) in animals treated with LLLT (864.70 U.l−1, SEM 226.10) than placebo (1708.00 U.l−1, SEM 184.60). mRNA gene expression of inflammatory markers was significantly decreased by treatment with LLLT (p<0.05): TNF-α (placebo-control = 0.51 µg/µl [SEM 0.12], - LLLT = 0.048 µg/µl [SEM 0.01]), IL-1β (placebo-control = 2.292 µg/µl [SEM 0.74], - LLLT = 0.12 µg/µl [SEM 0.03]), IL-6 (placebo-control = 3.946 µg/µl [SEM 0.98], - LLLT = 0.854 µg/µl [SEM 0.33]), IL-10 (placebo-control = 1.116 µg/µl [SEM 0.22], - LLLT = 0.352 µg/µl [SEM 0.15]), and COX-2 (placebo-control = 4.984 µg/µl [SEM 1.18], LLLT = 1.470 µg/µl [SEM 0.73]). Conclusion: Irradiation of superpulsed LLLT on successive days five times per week for 14 weeks decreased morphological changes, skeletal muscle damage and inflammation in mdx mice. This indicates that LLLT has potential to decrease progression of Duchenne muscular dystrophy

Extracción de aceite de bacaba (Oenocarpus bacaba) con CO2 supercrítico: Isotermas de rendimiento global, composición de ácidos grasos, calidad funcional, estabilidad oxidativa, perfil espectroscópico y actividad antioxidante

Bacaba is widely consumed by the Amazonian population, and is promising for the production of cooking oil. The objective of this research was to determine the parameters of bacaba oil extraction with supercritical CO2: the fatty acid composition, functional quality, oxidative stability, spectroscopic profile and antioxidant activity of the extracted oil. Extractions of bacaba (Oenocarpus bacaba) oil were performed with supercritical CO2 at temperatures of 40 and 60 ºC, with pressures varying from 120 to 420 bar. The highest mass yield was 60.39 ± 0.72% on a dry basis, obtained in the isotherm of 60 °C and 420 bar. Oleic acid was the major compound. The Infrared spectroscopic profile showed the predominance of unsaturated fatty acids. The results indicate that bacaba oil presents good functional quality.La bacaba es muy consumida por la población amazónica, constituyendo una promesa para una producción de aceite de cocina. El objetivo de esta investigación es determinar parámetros de la extracción de aceite de bacaba con CO2 supercrítico, la composición de ácidos grasos, evaluar su calidad funcional, la estabilidad oxidativa, el perfil espectroscópico y la actividad antioxidante del aceite. Las extracciones de aceite de bacaba (Oenocarpus bacaba) se realizaron con CO2 supercrítico a temperaturas de 40 y 60 ºC y presiones de 120 a 420 bar. El mayor rendimiento en masa fue de 60.39 ± 0.72% en base seca, obtenido en la isoterma de 60 °C y 420 bar. El ácido oleico fue el compuesto mayoritario. El perfil espectroscópico infrarrojo mostró el predominio de ácidos grasos no saturados. Los resultados indicaron que el aceite de bacaba presenta buena calidad funcional