Abstract Regular aerobic training has been suggested to protect the heart by increasing cardiac vagal activity. The aims of this study were to evaluate the autonomic regulation of heart rate (HR) during and after exercise, during aerobic training interventions and to study the association between autonomic regulation and the training response in healthy male subjects. HR variability assessment was used to study the effects of exercise on autonomic regulation of HR. The whole study population consisted of 70 volunteer male subjects (age 36 ± 10 years). The recovery of the autonomic nervous system after prolonged exhaustive exercise was studied in a group of 10 subjects. The training interventions included 51 subjects. The effects of training volume on autonomic regulation were assessed (n = 46) during a controlled eight-week training intervention. The association between training and autonomic regulation was studied (n = 24) during a ten-month period of home-based training based on the American College of Sports Medicine recommendations. Finally, the association between autonomic regulation and the individual training response was analysed (n = 51) after eight weeks of controlled training. The recovery rate of vagally mediated high-frequency (HF) power of HR variability after prolonged exhaustive exercise was associated with physical fitness (r = -0.71, P < 0.016). Moderate (3 hours/week) and high-volume (6 hours/week) aerobic training results in a similar increase in HR variability indices. HF power increased from 6.19 ± 1.02 to 6.76 ± 0.96 ln ms2 (P < 0.001) and from 6.61 ± 1.01 to 7.12 ± 0.92 ln ms2 (P < 0.001) after moderate and high-volume training, respectively. During the home-based training program, the changes in HF power were associated with the changes in the fitness (r = 0.44, P < 0.05), body mass index (r = -0.44, P < 0.05) and the amount of training (r = 0.41, p < 0.05). Finally, a significant correlation was observed between the training response and the baseline HF power (r = 0.52, P = 0.001). HF power accounted for 27 % of the change as an independent predictor of the aerobic training response. In conclusion, a highly controlled aerobic training intervention of eight weeks, including six 30-min sessions a week at an intensity of 70–80 % of maximum HR, is a sufficient intervention to increase cardiac vagal outflow and the offered home-based training according the current guidelines maintains the high cardiac vagal outflow. Secondly, high vagal activity at baseline is associated with the improvement in aerobic fitness caused by aerobic training, suggesting that the cardiovascular autonomic function is an important determinant of the response to aerobic training.

Abstract Multiple sclerosis (MS) is one of the major causes of disability in the young, mostly affecting people between 20–45 years of age. MS is considered as an autoimmune disorder, characterized by discrete areas of central nervous system inflammation, demyelination and axonal injury. Symptoms related to alterations of the autonomic nervous system are frequent in patients with MS. Bladder dysfunction or impairment of sexual performance is highly distressing for most MS patients, whereas the clinical relevance of other autonomic symptoms is less clear. The present study was designed to clarify the involvement of cardiovascular and sudomotor dysfunctions in patients with MS, to study the sudomotor functions in patients with optic neuritis (optic neuritis being a frequent initial manifestation of MS), and to assess the extent of demyelinative lesions in the CNS by using magnetic resonance imaging and by correlating the findings thus obtained with autonomic nervous system responses. The study showed cardiovascular autonomic regulation failure in MS patients manifesting itself both in the heart rate responses to deep breathing and in the heart rate and blood pressure responses in the tilt table test. In particular, midbrain lesions were found to be associated with cardiovascular dysfunction. MS patients also showed abnormal sympathetic skin responses indicating sudomotor failure. Focal MS lesions in the temporal lobe, in the pons and in the cerebellum were also associated with abnormal sympathetic skin responses. MS patients were also found to have an impairment in thermoregulatory sweating, which seemed to be related to disease severity and to total lesion volume in the brain. Sympathetic skin responses were also abnormal in optic neuritis patients, suggesting sudomotor autonomic failure. Patients with optic neuritis showed no thermoregulatory dysfunction.

Abstract Epilepsy is associated with changes in autonomic cardioregulatory function. Ictally, autonomic disturbances may be evident with significant changes in heart rate (HR), blood pressure (BP) and respiration. However, interictal dysfunction of autonomic cardiovascular system may be subtle and it may be recognized only by delicate tools designed for that purpose. The aim of this study was to evaluate the function of the cardiovascular autonomic regulatory system in patients with epilepsy. Cardiovascular reflex tests were performed on patients with partial or idiopathic generalized epilepsies. Special attention was paid to temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE). An association of refractory and well controlled TLE and hippocampal sclerosis with altered cardioregulation was evaluated by using cardiovascular reflex tests and an analysis of spectral and non-linear analysis of heart rate variation (HRV). Cardiovascular reflexes were altered both in patients with partial and idiopathic generalized epilepsies who had been treated for epilepsy with antiepileptic drugs (AEDs), whereas patients with newly, untreated epilepsy did not differ from the control subjects. Diminished cardiovascular reflexes also seemed to be associated with carbamazepine (CBZ) treatment. Various parameters of cardiovascular reflex tests and analysis of spectral and dynamic measures of HRV were diminished in patients with TLE compared to the control subejcts. These results indicate that epilepsy, especially TLE, is associated with interictal changes of autonomic cardioregulation. Although these changes seem to be evident in patients with severe form of TLE, patients with well controlled TLE and patients without hippocampal sclerosis also have altered autonomic cardioregulatory function. These results suggest that dysfunction of the cardioregulatory system is rather associated with functional than structural changes of the inner temporal lobe in patients with TLE.

Abstract This thesis describes the laser Doppler technique based on a self-mixing effect in a diode laser to noninvasive cardiovascular pulse detection in a human wrist above the radial artery. The main applications of self-mixing interferometry described in this thesis in addition to pulse detection are arterial pulse shape and autonomic regulation measurements. The elastic properties of the arterial wall are evaluated and compared to pulse wave velocity variation at different pressure conditions inside the radial artery. The main advantages of self-mixing interferometry compared to conventional interferometers are that the measurement set up is simple, because basically only one optical component, the laser diode, is needed. The use of fewer components decreases the price of the device, thus making it inexpensive to use. Moreover, an interferometer can be implemented in a small size and it is easy to control because only one optical axis has to be adjusted. In addition, an accuracy, which corresponds to half of the wavelength of the light source, can be achieved. These benefits make this technique interesting for application to the measurement of different parameters of the cardiovascular pulse. In this thesis, measurement of three different parameters from cardiovascular pulsation in the wrist is studied. The first study considers arterial pulse shape measurement. It was found that an arterial pulse shape reconstructed from the Doppler signal correlates well to the pulse shape of a blood pressure pulse measured with a commercial photoplethysmograph. The second study considers measurement of autonomic regulation using the Doppler technique. It was found that the baroreflex part of autonomic regulation can be measured from the displacement of the arterial wall, which is affected by blood pressure variation inside the artery. In the third study, self-mixing interferometry is superimposed to evaluate the elastic properties of the arterial wall. It was found that the elastic modulus of the arterial wall increases as blood pressure increases. Correlations between measurements and theoretical values were found but deviation in measured values was large. It was noticed that the elastic modulus of the arterial wall and pulse wave velocity behave similarly as a function of blood pressure. When the arterial pressure increases, both the elastic modulus and pulse wave velocity reach higher values than in lower pressure.

The aim of this paper was to summarize the current knowledge of function and regulation of autonomic nervous system (ANS). We wanted to assess possible involvement of ANS in changes of muscle tension. Sympathetic nervous system affects the sensitivity of somatosenzory afferention, thus effecting the function of whole nervous system. Exists evidence about ANS effect on cutaneous afferents activity as well as muscle spindle afferent activity. Sympathetic modulation of proprioceptive information from muscle spindles may influence α motoneuron excitability. ANS may affect muscle tonus regulation. The selective activation of trigger point (TRP) during heightened muscle sympathetic efferent activity (MSNA) was proved. This supports the idea that the sympathetic nervous system can directly contribute on maintaining of the TRP and myofascial pain syndrome. Powered by TCPDF (www.tcpdf.org)

Communication network technologies have been evolving exponentially in the late decades. These innovations increase the network capabilities and open new horizons to creating novel and original services. The heterogeneity in equipment qualifications increases the level of complexity in the technological advancement. In such environment, service management has become an everyday challenge to service providers. Important efforts have been deployed to innovate in the exploitation of intelligent devices in the home and other private locations. In this Thesis, we propose a framework for self-configuration of devices within Hone Area Networks. We propose a device self-configuration architecture based on IBM Monitor-Analyze-Plan-Execute using Knowledge autonomic control loop. To prove the validity of our system architecture and support its applicability, we developed a prototype system that gives a general control loop implementation for device self-configuration using the CPE WAN Management Protocol. A video streaming scenario is implemented and used to evaluate validity our framework.

Biofeedback equipment is intended to train conscious regulation of normally sub-conscious processes like autonomic nervous system activities. The manufacturers claim that measurements made with the equipment are accurate enough for research purposes, but these claims have not been vigorously tested. The subconscious processes recorded with biofeedback equipment are often disturbed by stress, and the aim of this study was to determine if the markers of stress could be accurately determined with biofeedback equipment. The physiological processes that were screened were:<ul><li> Time and frequency domain heart rate variability (HRV) determined from blood-volume-pulse (BVP) </li><li> Time and frequency domain HRV determined from electrocardiogram (ECG) </li><li> The amplitude of the BVP</li><li> Electromyographic (EMG) activity</li><li> The pulse transit time</li><li> Respiration rate and depth</li><li> Skin conductivity</li><li> Fingertip temperature</li><li> Quantitative electroencephalographic (QEEG) activity</li></ul> The accuracy of the HRV measurements were tested by comparing them to readings made simultaneously with a gold-standard device (Actiheart), and the main findings were:<ul><li> The hardware capabilities of the two systems are comparable when it comes to registering heartbeats and calculating heart rate</li><li> The frequency domain biofeedback HRV variables had relatively good correlations to the Actiheart results, but improvements are necessary</li><li> Frequency domain HRV variables differ when calculated with fast Fourier transform or with autoregression</li><li> The BVP signal is prone to movement artifact and other forms of interference</li></ul> The HRV measurements of both the biofeedback and Actiheart device were correlated to psychometric evaluations of anxiety and burnout, two conditions closely related to the concept of stress. The main findings were:<ul><li> Worry and anxiety can have a cardiac accelerating effect, largely mediated by vagal withdrawal </li><li> A decrease in resting autonomic variability associated with anxiety</li><li> Significant autonomic nervous system inflexibility occurs in the face of a cognitive stressor with increased anxiety</li><li> An increase in vagal and a decrease in sympathetic cardiac control correlated with increased levels of vital exhaustion</li><li> HRV assessment with specialized software such as Polar Precision Performance Software and the advanced HRV Analysis 1.1 software for windows (Biomedical Signal Analysis Group) were superior to assessments by means of the Biograph Infinity program</li></ul> Next it was investigated whether any association existed between levels of anxiety, burnout and that of Biograph-derived physiological indicators such as BVP amplitude, BVP HRV, ECG HRV, pulse transit time, EMG, fingertip temperature, respiration rate and amplitude, skin conductivity and QEEG levels. The overriding observations with increases in the levels of stress-related emotional conditions such as anxiety were that of a decrease in variability in almost all physiological functions assessed by Biograph. In conclusion, relatively good associations were found between certain, but not all, Biofeedback monitor results and that of other assessments of stress. The potential exists to develop a program which would accurately reflect stress levels. / Dissertation (MSc)--University of Pretoria, 2012. / School of Health Systems and Public Health (SHSPH) / Unrestricted

The convergence of data, audio and video on IP networks is changing the way individuals, groups and organizations communicate. This diversity of communication media presents opportunities for creating synergistic collaborative communications. This form of collaborative communication is however not without its challenges. The increasing number of communication service providers coupled with a combinatorial mix of offered services, varying Quality-of-Service and oscillating pricing of services increases the complexity for the user to manage and maintain `always best' priced or performance services. Consumers have to manually manage and adapt their communication in line with differences in services across devices, networks and media while ensuring that the usage remain consistent with their intended goals. This dissertation proposes a novel user-centric approach to address this problem. The proposed approach aims to reduce the aforementioned complexity to the user by (1) providing high-level abstractions and a policy based methodology for automated selection of the communication services guided by high-level user policies and (2) providing services through the seamless integration of multiple communication service providers and providing an extensible framework to support the integration of multiple communication service providers. The approach was implemented in the Communication Virtual Machine (CVM), a model-driven technology for realizing communication applications. The CVM includes the Network Communication Broker, the layer responsible for providing a network-independent API to the upper layers of CVM. The initial prototype for the NCB supported only a single communication framework which limited the number, quality and types of services available. Experimental evaluation of the approach show the additional overhead of the approach is minimal compared to the individual communication services frameworks. Additionally the automated approach proposed out performed the individual communication services frameworks for cross framework switching.

Submitted by Nadir Basilio (nadirsb@uninove.br) on 2015-07-27T14:59:47Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Josiane Motta e Motta.pdf: 1112413 bytes, checksum: 56336232aa8fd9a87ed00d49c5689dd5 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2015-07-27T14:59:47Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Josiane Motta e Motta.pdf: 1112413 bytes, checksum: 56336232aa8fd9a87ed00d49c5689dd5 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2013-01-13 / The scientific literature confirms that metabolic, autonomic and anthropometric changes are commonly present in patients with arterial hypertension (AH). Offspring of hypertensive parents show since childhood some metabolic and autonomic changes, like glucose intolerance, increased lipid and catecholamines levels and a higher blood pressure than offspring of normotensive parents. Few studies have evaluated the heart rate variability in sons of hypertensive parents.Objective. The aim of this prospective randomized study was to assess anthropometric, hemodynamic and metabolic changes as well as changes in sympathetic-vagal imbalances after carbohydrate overload in offspring of hypertensive parents. Methods. In phase one, 200 volunteers were prospectively evaluated. Their hemodynamic variables were probed with HDI (Hypertension Diagnosis Incorporation, CR2000, Eagan, USA), a stress analysis was done through social readjustment scale of Holmes-Rahe and anthropometric assessment included measurement of cervical and abdominal circumferences, evaluation of lean and fat body mass and metabolic rate through bioimpedance. Part of the group as submitted to a carbohydrates overload to evaluate the autonomic imbalance. Results. Data did not meet statistical differences in lean and fat mass as well as in neck circumference and stress evaluation for offspring of hypertensive parents and the control group. However, offspring of hypertensive parents showed higher (p<0.05) casual systolic anddiastolic pressure, abdominal circumference, body mass index pulse pressure, and basal metabolic rate. For the younger cohort, we found a positive correlation between neck circumference and pulse pressure, basal metabolic rate, uric acid, and triglycerides, as well as a negative correlation between neck circumference and HDL- cholesterol. Those correlations were stronger for neck circumference than for waist circumference. In offspring of hypertensive parents we found higher blood pressure, pulse pressure, abdominal circumference, body mass index, and an increase in sympathetic-vagal imbalance after carbohydrate overload. / A literatura confirma que alterações antropométricas, metabólicas e autonômicas com freqüência estão presentes nos portadores de hipertensão arterial. Filhos de hipertensos já apresentam desde a infância alterações como intolerância à glicose, aumento dos níveis de lípides, de catecolaminas e níveis pressóricos mais altos comparados aos filhos de normotensos. O objetivo deste trabalho prospectivo caso controle foi avaliar alterações hemodinâmicas, antropométricas, metabólicas e do balanço simpato-vagal em filhos de hipertensos em condições basais e após sobrecarga de carboidratos. Métodos: Na primeira fase do estudo foram investigados prospectivamente 200 voluntários em relação ao estresse psicossocial (escala de reajustamento social de Holmes-Rahe), dados antropométricos (medidas das circunferências abdominal e cervical, índice de massa corpórea) percentual de gordura corpórea, massa magra e a taxa metabólica com a bioimpedância. As variáveis hemodinâmicas foram avaliadas de forma não invasiva com o H.D.I. (Hypertension DiagnosisIncorporation, CR2000, Eagan, USA). Não se encontrou diferenças estatísticas na massa magra, massa gorda, circunferência cervical e na avaliação de estresse entre os grupos. Em uma segunda fase um subgrupo foi submetido à sobrecarga de carboidratos e foi avaliado o balanço autonômico após a sobrecarga. Os filhos de hipertensos têm maior (p<0,05) pressão arterial sistólica e diastólica de consultório, pressão de pulso(PP),taxa metabólica basal (TMB), circunferência abdominal e índice de massa corpórea. Para a população com idade média de 28 anos investigada encontrou-se correlação positiva entre circunferência cervical e valores de PP, TMB, ácido úrico, triglicerídios e correlação negativa com fração HDL-colesterol. As correlações da circunferência cervical com PP, triglicérides, HDL-colesterol, ácido úrico e TMB foram melhores do que com a circunferência abdominal. Após sobrecarga de carboidratos houve aumento do componente LF, redução do componente HF e aumento da relação LF/HF no grupo HF+ em relação ao grupo HF-. Os filhos de hipertensos, comparados com filhos de normotensos tem maior pressão arterial, índice de massa corpórea, taxa metabólica basal, circunferência de cintura e apresentaram maior resposta simpática (componente LF) após sobrecarga de carboidratos.

Submitted by Nadir Basilio (nadirsb@uninove.br) on 2018-07-20T20:21:48Z No. of bitstreams: 1 José Robertto Zaffalon Júnior.pdf: 1226797 bytes, checksum: 98ee59a170b7f0ef47fc560dd2ba5b1f (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2018-07-20T20:21:48Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 José Robertto Zaffalon Júnior.pdf: 1226797 bytes, checksum: 98ee59a170b7f0ef47fc560dd2ba5b1f (MD5) Previous issue date: 2018-03-09 / Subjects with a family history of hypertension (SAH) and Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (DM2) presented early impairment in heart rate variability (HRV) when compared to those without family history. Despite previous studies reporting the benefits of physical exercise in hypertensive and diabetic subjects, the benefits of a physically active lifestyle in subjects with family history SAH and DM2, especially among young women, have not been fully evaluated. Therefore, the aim of this thesis was to analyze metabolic, hemodynamic and autonomic parameters at rest and in response to sympathetic stimulation in sedentary and physically active women with family history of SAH, DM2 or SAH+DM2. We performed a cross-sectional study with 105 women (age: 18 to 30 years). We evaluated: family history of SAH/DM2; level of physical activity; blood pressure; glycemia; HRV in the time and frequency domain by recording the R-R intervals. For better analysis, the thesis was divided in four studies. In the sStudy 1 we analyzed the quality of life and hemodynamic and autonomic parameters at rest and in response to a mental stress test of sedentary (SW=48) and active (AW=48) young women. The results provided evidence that sedentary lifestyles impaired autonomic cardiac modulation both at rest and in response to physiological stress and worsed quality of life. In the Study 2 we analyzed the HRV in offspring: of normotensive and normoglycemic (NND, n=14), of hypertensive (HD, n=13), of diabetic (DD, n=11), and of diabetic and hypertensive (DFD, n=11). The results showed that the family history of SAH and/or DM2 induced impairment in HRV before clinical cardiovascular or glycemic alterations. In the Study 3 we analyzed the impact of lifestyle on the autonomic cardiac modulation in women with a family history of DM2. We compared offspring of: normoglycemic sedentary (SDN, n = 14), diabetic sedentary (DSD, n=11) and diabetic active (DAD, n = 14). We demonstrated that physically active lifestyles improve cardiac autonomic modulation in diabetic offspring. In the Study 4 we evaluated the influence of the family history of hypertension associated to DM2 on HRV at rest and in response to a mental stress test. We evaluated sedentary offspring of normotensive and normoglycemic (SDNN, n=13), sedentary and active offspring of hypertensive (SHD, n=13 and SAH, n=14), and sedentary and active offspring of hypertensive and diabetic (SHD, n=11 and AHD, n=14). We showed that physically active lifestyles induced improvement on cardiac autonomic modulation of women with a family history of SAH, but that the association with the family history of DM2 is responsible for attenuation of these benefits, especially in response to a mental stress test. In summary, our results demonstrated impairment on HRV in women with family history of SAH and DM2, highlight the importance of a physically active lifestyle in the prevention of early autonomic dysfunctions associated with the development of SAH and DM2 in genetically predisposed women, and also reinforced the HRV analysis as a possible early marker of cardiovascular risk in this population. / Indivíduos com histórico familiar de hipertensão arterial sistêmica (HAS) e Diabetes Mellitus do tipo 2 (DM2) apresentam precocemente prejuízo na variabilidade da frequência cardíaca (VFC) quando comparados aos filhos de normotensos/normoglicêmicos. Apesar de diversos estudos avaliarem os benefícios do exercício físico em hipertensos e diabéticos, poucos analisaram a influência do estilo de vida fisicamente ativo em filhos de pais com HAS e DM2, principalmente entre mulheres jovens. Destarte, o objetivo desta tese foi analisar parâmetros metabólicos, hemodinâmicos e autonômicos em repouso e em resposta a estimulação simpática de mulheres sedentárias e fisicamente ativas com histórico familiar positivo de HAS, DM2 e HAS+DM2. Foi conduzido um estudo analítico transversal, com 105 mulheres (18 a 30 anos de idade). Foi avaliado: histórico familiar de HAS/DM2; nível de atividade física; pressão arterial; glicemia; VFC no domínio do tempo e da frequência por meio do registro dos intervalos R-R. Os resultados foram divididos em quatro estudos. No estudo 1 foi analisada a qualidade de vida e os parâmetros hemodinâmicos e autonômicos em repouso e em resposta ao teste de estresse mental em mulheres jovens sedentárias (MS=48) e fisicamente ativas (MA=48). Os achados evidenciaram que o sedentarismo em mulheres induziu prejuízo na modulação autonômica cardíaca em repouso e em resposta ao estresse fisiológico e piorou a qualidade de vida, antes mesmo de alterar parâmetros clínicos cardiovasculares ou metabólicos. No Estudo 2, foi comparada a VFC de mulheres filhas: de normotensos e normoglicêmicos (FNN, n=14), de hipertensos (FH, n=13), de diabéticos (FD, n=11) e de diabéticos e hipertensos (FHD, n=11). Os resultados demonstraram que o histórico familiar de HAS e/ou DM2 induziu prejuízo na VFC antes de alterações clínicas cardiovasculares ou glicêmicas. No estudo 3 foi avaliado o impacto do estilo de vida sobre a modulação autonômica cardíaca de mulheres com histórico familiar de DM2. Foram avaliadas filhas: sedentárias de normoglicêmicos (FSN, n=14), sedentárias de diabéticos (FSD, n=11) e ativas de diabéticos (FAD, n=14), concluindo que o estilo de vida fisicamente ativo foi associado a melhor modulação autonômica cardíaca do grupo FAD. No Estudo 4 foi avaliado a influência do histórico familiar de HAS associado ou não à DM2 sobre a VFC em repouso e em resposta a um teste de estresse mental de mulheres sedentárias e fisicamente ativas. Foram avaliadas filhas: sedentárias de normotensos e normoglicêmicos (FSNN, n=14), sedentárias de hipertensos (FSH, n=13), ativas de hipertensos (FAH, n=14); e sedentárias de hipertensos e diabéticos (FSHD, n=11) e ativas de hipertensos e diabéticos (FAHD, n=14). Os achados deste estudo mostraram que o estilo de vida fisicamente ativo é responsável pela melhor modulação autonômica cardíaca de mulheres com histórico familiar de HAS, mas que a associação com o histórico de DM2 atenua estes benefícios, não só na condição de repouso, mas principalmente frente ao teste de estresse mental. Em conjunto nossos resultados evidenciam prejuízo na VFC em mulheres com histórico familiar de HAS e/ou DM2, ressaltam a importância de uma vida fisicamente ativa na prevenção de disfunções autonômicas precoces associadas ao desenvolvimento de HAS e DM2 em mulheres geneticamente predispostas, e reforçam a análise da VFC como um possível marcador precoce de risco cardiovascular nessa população.