Cognitive and affective motivation in conceptual modelling

A proposal is presented towards the extension of conceptual models of information systems, in order to allow specification and simulation of the behaviour of agents with an adequate degree of realism. Our method is mainly based on rules to infer the goals of agents from situations holding at given states. In this paper, we argue that the rules should take into account both cognitive and affective characteristics, as can be conveyed, for the various agents, by their individual profiles and current internal states. Such characteristics should also influence the choice of strategies to handle goal interferences in multi-goal/multi-agent environments.Keywords: Conceptual Modelling, Simulation, Multi-Agents, Affective Motivation, Goal Interference

What is important for continent catheterizable stomas: angulations or extension?

OBJECTIVE: We developed an experimental ex-vivo model to define factors that may influence continence of catheterizable channels by urinary and colonic stomas based on the principle of imbrication of the outlet tube. MATERIALS AND METHODS: From 20 pigs, colon specimens with 25 cm length were obtained and a transverse flap with 3.0 cm length x 1.5 cm width in the average point of the intestine was tubulated to create an efferent tube. With the tube configured, it was embedded by 3 seromuscular stitches far 0.5 cm each other. A pressure study of both intra-luminal surface and channel was then conducted during the filling of the submerse piece with environmental air in a water container, to define the efferent channel continence. The study was repeated after the progressive release of suture stitches until only one stitch remains. RESULTS: Channel continence analyzed in each segment in three different valve length situations, making a total of 20 segments, revealed that with 3 stitches (1.5 cm valve) the maximum average pressure prior to overflow was 54 cm H2O; 53.65 cm H2O with 2 stitches (1.0 cm of valve), and 55.45 cm H2O with only one stitch (0.5 cm of valve), which are the same values. The record at the segment explosion pressure was 67.87 cm H2O. CONCLUSION: The study showed that angulation of channel with colon, maintained by only one stitch (0.5 cm imbrication) was more important than a larger extension of the valve, represented by 3 suture stitches (1.5 cm imbrication) in order to allow continence to the efferent channel.Federal University of São Paulo Divisions of Urology and Experimental Surgery Department of SurgeryUNIFESP, Divisions of Urology and Experimental Surgery Department of SurgerySciEL

CARACTERIZAÇÃO DO MODELO INFLAMATÓRIO DE CISTITE INDUZIDA POR CICLOFOSFAMIDA EM CAMUNDONGOS SWISS

A Cistite Hemorrágica é um problema de saúde importante no mundo causado pelo uso da oxazoforinas. Apesar dos tratamentos disponíveis, há uma incidência de 2 até 40% em pacientes tratados com Ciclofosfamida (CYP). O objetivo deste trabalho foi caracterizar um modelo experimental de cistite induzida por CYP em camundongos Swiss. Para isto, camundongos fêmeas foram distribuídos em 5 grupos com 7 animais, onde 4 grupos sofreram eutanásia após 0,5, 6, 12 e 24h da aplicação de 150mg/kg de CYP via intraperitoneal. O grupo controle recebeu salina tamponada pela mesma via. Foram avaliados o peso da bexiga e seu aspecto histopatológico, o hemograma, e a contagem celular de medula óssea e linfonodo ilíaco. Os resultados demonstraram que houve aumento significativo do peso da bexiga nos tempos de 6 e 12h. Houve aumento na infamação aguda nestes dois tempos. Após 24 horas houve diminuição da resposta inflamatória aguda e início da fibrose. O número de leucócitos foi menor em todos os tempos em relação ao controle. Da mesma forma, o número de células da medula óssea foi menor nos tempos de 6, 12 e 24h. Por outro lado, o número de células do linfonodo aumentou após 12 horas. Concluímos que houve aumento progressivo da inflamação até as 12h  e que após 24h já há um processo de resolução do quadro inflamatório. Sendo assim, sugerimos a utilização do tempo de 12h como padrão experimental por ser o de maior disponibilidade de parâmetros elevados para avaliação da inflamação.Descritores: Cistite. Ciclofosfamida. Camundongo. Modelo experimental.AbstractCharacterization of cyclophosphamide-induced cystitis inflammatory model in Swiss mice. The Hemorragic Cystitis (HC) is an important health problem over the world caused by oxazoforines. Despite the available treatments, still have an incidence of 2 to 40% of HC in patients following treatment with Cyclophosphamide (CYP). The aim of this work was characterize a model of CYP-induced cystitis  in Swiss mice. Female mice were divided  in 5 groups with 7 animals each, 4 groups were killed 0.5, 6, 12 and 24h after an injection of CYP (150mg/kg). The control group received phosphate buffered saline at the same way. In each time the bladders were collected, weighted and prepared to histopathology analyses. The complete blood count was evaluated. The cell number from lymph nodes and bone marrow was quantified. The results showed that bladder weight was increased at 6thand 12th hour pos cystitis induction. There was acute inflammation increased after 6 and 12h. After 24h there was an initial fibrosis. The leucocytes count was decreased in all times. The cells number was decreased at 6th,12th, and 24th hours in bone marrow and it was increased at 12th in lymph nodes. We concluded that there is an increase in inflammatory parameters until the 12th hour pos CYP injection which are decreased at 24th hour. We suggest using the time of 12h as the standard experimental time because of the biggest availability parameters for evaluating.Descriptors: Cyclophosphamide. Cystitis. Mice. Experimental model

A Computational Study on the Role of Gap Junctions and Rod Ih Conductance in the Enhancement of the Dynamic Range of the Retina

Recent works suggest that one of the roles of gap junctions in sensory systems is to enhance their dynamic range by avoiding early saturation in the first processing stages. In this work, we use a minimal conductance-based model of the ON rod pathways in the vertebrate retina to study the effects of electrical synaptic coupling via gap junctions among rods and among AII amacrine cells on the dynamic range of the retina. The model is also used to study the effects of the maximum conductance of rod hyperpolarization activated current Ih on the dynamic range of the retina, allowing a study of the interrelations between this intrinsic membrane parameter with those two retina connectivity characteristics. Our results show that for realistic values of Ih conductance the dynamic range is enhanced by rod-rod coupling, and that AII-AII coupling is less relevant to dynamic range amplification in comparison with receptor coupling. Furthermore, a plot of the retina output response versus input intensity for the optimal parameter configuration is well fitted by a power law with exponent . The results are consistent with predictions of more theoretical works and suggest that the earliest expression of gap junctions along the rod pathways, together with appropriate values of rod Ih conductance, has the highest impact on vertebrate retina dynamic range enhancement

EpIG‐DB: A database of vascular epiphyte assemblages in the Neotropics

Vascular epiphytes are a diverse and conspicuous component of biodiversity in tropical and subtropical forests. Yet, the patterns and drivers of epiphyte assemblages are poorly studied in comparison with soil‐rooted plants. Current knowledge about diversity patterns of epiphytes mainly stems from local studies or floristic inventories, but this information has not yet been integrated to allow a better understanding of large‐scale distribution patterns. EpIG‐DB, the first database on epiphyte assemblages at the continental scale, resulted from an exhaustive compilation of published and unpublished inventory data from the Neotropics. The current version of EpIG‐DB consists of 463,196 individual epiphytes from 3,005 species, which were collected from a total of 18,148 relevés (host trees and ‘understory’ plots). EpIG‐DB reports the occurrence of ‘true’ epiphytes, hemiepiphytes and nomadic vines, including information on their cover, abundance, frequency and biomass. Most records (97%) correspond to sampled host trees, 76% of them aggregated in forest plots. The data is stored in a TURBOVEG database using the most up‐to‐date checklist of vascular epiphytes. A total of 18 additional fields were created for the standardization of associated data commonly used in epiphyte ecology (e.g. by considering different sampling methods). EpIG‐DB currently covers six major biomes across the whole latitudinal range of epiphytes in the Neotropics but welcomes data globally. This novel database provides, for the first time, unique biodiversity data on epiphytes for the Neotropics and unified guidelines for future collection of epiphyte data. EpIG‐DB will allow exploration of new ways to study the community ecology and biogeography of vascular epiphytes