Jusqu'à récemment, les patients souffrant d'épilepsie réfractaire aux traitements médicamenteux étaient destinés à un avenir incertain. Le recours à la chirurgie comme traitement alternatif offre l'espoir de mener un jour une vie normale. Pour déterminer si un patient peut bénéficier d’une intervention chirurgicale, une évaluation complète est cruciale. Les méthodes d’évaluation préchirurgicale ont connu des progrès importants au cours des dernières décennies avec le perfectionnement des techniques d’imagerie cérébrale. Parmi ces techniques, la spectroscopie proche infrarouge (SPIR), aussi connue sous le nom d’imagerie optique, présente de nombreux avantages (coût, mobilité du participant, résolution spatiale et temporelle, etc.). L’objectif principal de cette étude est de développer un protocole d'évaluation préchirurgicale de la mémoire. Une tâche de mémoire verbale incluant l’encodage, le rappel immédiat et le rappel différé de listes de mots a été administrée à dix adultes sains lors d’un enregistrement en imagerie optique. Les résultats obtenus suggèrent l’activation bilatérale des aires préfrontales antérieures et dorsolatérales ainsi que des aires temporales antérieures et moyennes. Les aires préfrontales et temporales antérieures semblent modulées par les différents processus mnésiques et la position du rappel dans le temps. La première fois qu’une liste est rappelée, l’activité hémodynamique est plus élevée que lors des rappels subséquents, et ce, davantage dans l’hémisphère gauche que dans l’hémisphère droit. Cette étude constitue la première étape dans le processus de validation du protocole à des fins cliniques auprès de patients épileptiques. / Until recently, patients with epilepsy refractory to drug treatments were intended to an uncertain future. Surgery as an alternative treatment offers hope to, one day, lead a normal life. In order to determine if a patient may benefit from a surgical intervention, a complete evaluation is essential. With the advancements in brain imagery techniques over the last few decades, preoperative evaluation methods have seen important progress. Among these techniques, near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS), also known as optical imaging, presents numerous advantages (cost, participant mobility, spatial and temporal resolution, etc.). The purpose of this study is to develop a preoperative evaluation protocol for memory assessment. During a NIRS recording, a verbal memory task including encoding, immediate and delayed free-recall of a list of words was administered to ten healthy adults. The results obtained revealed bilateral activation of anterior and dorsolateral prefrontal areas as well as anterior and median temporal areas. Prefrontal and anterior temporal areas seemed to be regulated by different memory processes and the recall location in time. The first time that a list is recalled, increased hemodynamic activity is observed in comparison to subsequent recalls, with a greater activity in the left hemisphere than in the right hemisphere. This study constitutes the first step in the validation process of the protocol for clinical needs among epileptic patients.

Mémoire numérisé par la Division de la gestion de documents et des archives de l'Université de Montréal

Acacia mearnsii (black wattle) is an important South African commercial forestry species, providing a source of high quality raw material (fibre) for both the domestic and international pulp and paper industries. Compared with many Pinus and Eucalyptus species, there has been very little research into the wood and pulping properties of black wattle. The ability to assess pulp yield in a non-destructive manner, using near infrared (NIR) spectroscopy, is vital from a tree improvement perspective. Destructive sampling and analysis, results in the loss of the genotype, while also being very expensive and time consuming. In order to assess some of the important characteristics that make the species desirable from a fibre perspective, this study investigates growth characteristics, wood density and pulp yield of ten trees grown on each of three different sites namely, Bloemendal, Glen Echo and Phoenix, and from each of three different age classes being 7- , 9- and 11-years-old. In total, 90 trees were sampled for this stage of the study. In general, physical characteristics such as utilisable height and diameter at breast height of the trees differed between sites and increased with age, this age effect trend was not reflected in the pulp yield or wood density results. Pulp yield measurements ranged from 52.61 to 59.91% across all sites and age classes, which, when compared to the pulp yield from many other forestry species, is relatively high. Laboratory pulp yield data was used in conjunction with NIR spectra obtained from the same wood samples to calibrate a NIR spectrophotometer to predict pulp yield. Thirty 11- year-old trees were then chosen from the Bloemendal site and sampled extensively to investigate the within-tree variation in pulp yield. The NIR model developed was used to measure the pulp yield from the numerous samples taken from within the trees. In general, pulp yield decreased from pith to bark and from the base of the tree to about 20% of the tree height and then decreased towards the top of the tree. The within-tree variation data for pulp yield was analysed to identify the best position for non-destructive sampling, and a model was then developed to predict whole tree pulp yield based on this sample, which was taken at 1.4 m up the tree. The analyses of small samples of wood meal, using near infrared spectroscopy, enabled the prediction of whole tree pulp yield. / Thesis (M.Sc.) - University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2009.

Pelchem, a commercial subsidiary of Necsa (South African Nuclear Energy Corporation), produces a range of commercial fluorocarbon products while driving research and development initiatives to support the fluorine product portfolio. One such initiative is to develop improved analytical techniques to analyse product composition during development and to quality assure produce. Generally the C–F type products produced by Necsa are in a solution of anhydrous HF, and cannot be directly analyzed with traditional techniques without derivatisation. A technique such as vibrational spectroscopy, that can analyze these products directly without further preparation, will have a distinct advantage. However, spectra of mixtures of similar compounds are complex and not suitable for traditional quantitative regression analysis. Multivariate data analysis (MVA) can be used in such instances to exploit the complex nature of spectra to extract quantitative information on the composition of mixtures. A selection of fluorocarbon alcohols was made to act as representatives for fluorocarbon compounds. Experimental design theory was used to create a calibration range of mixtures of these compounds. Raman and infrared (NIR and ATR–IR) spectroscopy were used to generate spectral data of the mixtures and this data was analyzed with MVA techniques by the construction of regression and prediction models. Selected samples from the mixture range were chosen to test the predictive ability of the models. Analysis and regression models (PCR, PLS2 and PLS1) gave good model fits (R2 values larger than 0.9). Raman spectroscopy was the most efficient technique and gave a high prediction accuracy (at 10% accepted standard deviation), provided the minimum mass of a component exceeded 16% of the total sample. The infrared techniques also performed well in terms of fit and prediction. The NIR spectra were subjected to signal saturation as a result of using long path length sample cells. This was shown to be the main reason for the loss in efficiency of this technique compared to Raman and ATR–IR spectroscopy. It was shown that multivariate data analysis of spectroscopic data of the selected fluorocarbon compounds could be used to quantitatively analyse mixtures with the possibility of further optimization of the method. The study was a representative study indicating that the combination of MVA and spectroscopy can be used successfully in the quantitative analysis of other fluorocarbon compound mixtures. / Thesis (M.Sc. (Chemistry))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2012.

Pelchem, a commercial subsidiary of Necsa (South African Nuclear Energy Corporation), produces a range of commercial fluorocarbon products while driving research and development initiatives to support the fluorine product portfolio. One such initiative is to develop improved analytical techniques to analyse product composition during development and to quality assure produce. Generally the C–F type products produced by Necsa are in a solution of anhydrous HF, and cannot be directly analyzed with traditional techniques without derivatisation. A technique such as vibrational spectroscopy, that can analyze these products directly without further preparation, will have a distinct advantage. However, spectra of mixtures of similar compounds are complex and not suitable for traditional quantitative regression analysis. Multivariate data analysis (MVA) can be used in such instances to exploit the complex nature of spectra to extract quantitative information on the composition of mixtures. A selection of fluorocarbon alcohols was made to act as representatives for fluorocarbon compounds. Experimental design theory was used to create a calibration range of mixtures of these compounds. Raman and infrared (NIR and ATR–IR) spectroscopy were used to generate spectral data of the mixtures and this data was analyzed with MVA techniques by the construction of regression and prediction models. Selected samples from the mixture range were chosen to test the predictive ability of the models. Analysis and regression models (PCR, PLS2 and PLS1) gave good model fits (R2 values larger than 0.9). Raman spectroscopy was the most efficient technique and gave a high prediction accuracy (at 10% accepted standard deviation), provided the minimum mass of a component exceeded 16% of the total sample. The infrared techniques also performed well in terms of fit and prediction. The NIR spectra were subjected to signal saturation as a result of using long path length sample cells. This was shown to be the main reason for the loss in efficiency of this technique compared to Raman and ATR–IR spectroscopy. It was shown that multivariate data analysis of spectroscopic data of the selected fluorocarbon compounds could be used to quantitatively analyse mixtures with the possibility of further optimization of the method. The study was a representative study indicating that the combination of MVA and spectroscopy can be used successfully in the quantitative analysis of other fluorocarbon compound mixtures. / Thesis (M.Sc. (Chemistry))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2012.

Die Nah-infrarot-Spektroskopie (NIRS) bestimmt kontinuierlich und nicht-invasiv anhand der Absorptionsänderung von nah-infrarotem Licht den Oxy- und Desoxyhämoglobingehalt sowie den Redoxstatus von Cytochrom a/a3 im Gewebe. Veränderungen von zerebralem Oxy- und Desoxyhämoglobingehalt und der daraus abgeleiteten Parameter reflektieren vor allem den venösen Sauerstoffstatus des Gehirns. Sie können ein früher und sensitiver Indikator für eine zerebrale Hypoxie sein. Der Redoxzustandes von Cytochrom a/a3 gibt als Korrelat des zerebralen Energiezustandes Hinweise auf ein kritisches Sauerstoffdefizit. Ziel der Untersuchung. In der experimentellen und klinischen Studie sollten mit einem kommerziell erhältlichen Gerät die Eignung der NIRS zur Überwachung des zerebralen Sauerstoffstatus während Anästhesie und Intensivtherapie bei Hund und Katze, die Messqualität, die auftretenden technischen Probleme und die darstellbaren Ereignisse geprüft werden. In der experimentellen Studie sollten die Veränderungen der zerebralen Oxygenierung und des Redoxzustandes von Cytochrom a/a3 nach verschiedenen zur Narkoseeinleitung beim Hund etablierten Protokollen sowie nach deren Antagonisierung ebenso untersucht werden wie der Zusammenhang der mittels NIRS erfassten Parameter mit denen des pulmonalen Gaswechsels und der Herz-Kreislauf-Funktion. Material und Methoden. In der klinischen Studie wurden Daten von 33 Hunden und 4 Katzen während Anästhesie oder Intensivüberwachung aufgezeichnet. Die experimentelle Studie wurde an 84 Foxhounds und 32 Beagle mit einem mittleren Alter von 12,96 Monaten (STD 13,42; 6,33–94,43 Monate) und einer mittleren Körpermasse von 24,76 kg (STD 6,6; 12,7–43 kg) durchgeführt, die zufällig auf vier Versuchsgruppen verteilt wurden. Die Sensorapplikation erfolgte in beiden Studien in Höhe der Ohrbasis auf geschorener Haut. Versuchsgruppen und –ablauf der experimentellen Studie: Gruppe Acepromazin/l-Methadon(AM): Narkoseeinleitung 0,1 mg/kg KM Acepromazin und 0,5 mg/kg KM l-Methadon i.v., keine weitere Erhaltung Gruppe Diazepam/l-Methadon(DM): 0,5 mg/kg KM Diazepam und 0,5 mg/kg KM l-Methadon i.v., keine weitere Erhaltung Gruppe Medetomidin/l-Methadon(MM): 40 mikrog/kg KM Medetomidin und 0,5 mg/kg KM l-Methadon i.v., keine weitere Erhaltung Propofol(P): Einleitung 0,1 mg/kg KM Propofol i.v., Erhaltung in dieser Gruppe 0,3 mg/kg/min Propofol i.v. In den Gruppen AM, DM und MM Antagonisierung 8 mikrog/kg KM Naloxon i.v. 30 min nach Einleitung, in der Gruppe MM zusätzlich 200 mikrog/kg KM Atipamezol i.v. 5 min später Kontinuierliche Überwachung von Herzfrequenz, EKG, Temperatur, invasiver Blutdruck,Pulsoxymetrie, Nah-infrarot-Spektroskopie. Blutgasanalyse 0, 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30 min nach Einleitung, 0, 2, 7 min nach Antagonisierung/Propofol-Ende Ergebnisse. Die Nah-infrarot-Spektroskopie ist prinzipiell bei Hund und Katze anwendbar, nicht jedoch bei schwarzhaarigen Tieren. Hauptprobleme sind Sensorbefestigung, Bewegungsartefakte und mangelnde Signalqualität. In der experimentellen Studie besteht im Mittel zu 80 % der ausgewerteten Zeit eine gute Messqualität. 14 % der Messungen sind ohne Störung, bei 17 % tritt in mehr als 50 % der Messzeit eine Störmeldung auf. Vor Narkoseeinleitung beträgt die regionale zerebrale Sauerstoffsättigung etwa 65 % (n=109, STD 7 %). Schon 1 Minute nach Einleitung bestehen signifikante Gruppenunterschiede. In Gruppe P steigt die zerebrale regionale Sauerstoffsättigung um etwa 8 %, sie fällt in Gruppe AM um 5 %, in Gruppe DM um bis zu 10 %, in Gruppe MM um maximal 20 % auf etwa 48 %, im weiteren Verlauf verweilt sie annähernd auf diesem Niveau. Zerebraler Oxy- und Desoxyhämoglobingehalt verhalten sich entsprechend. Der zerebrale Gesamthämoglobingehalt zeigt keine Gruppenunterschiede. Nach Antagonisierung erfolgt eine Änderung auf die Ausgangswerte vor Narkose ebenso prompt. Narkoseeinleitung und Antagonisierung haben keinen Effekt auf den Redoxzustand von Cytochrom a/a3. Korrelationen der zerebralen Oxygenierung mit arteriellem Sauerstoffstatus und Kohlendioxidpartialdruck bestehen. Eine periodische Atmung und eine Erhöhung des intraabdominellen Drucks spiegeln sich in parallelen Schwankungen der NIRS-Parameter wider. Die Auswirkungen von wechselnder Narkosetiefe, Erwachen, Hypoxie, Hyperventilation, Adrenalin, Pentobarbital, Herz-Kreislauf-Stillstand auf die NIRS-Parameter können dargestellt werden. Bewegungsartefakte stören häufig die Überwachung von Intensivpatienten. Bei Hunden mit Schädel-Hirn-Trauma ist die Signalqualität der limitierende Faktor. Diskussion. Die Nutzung eines für die Anwendung am Menschen bestimmten Gerätes bedingt aufgrund des spezifischen Weglängenfaktors einen Fehler unbekannter Bedeutung. Die zerebrale Messung konnte gesichert werden, der mögliche extrazerebrale Signalanteil bleibt unbekannt. Die nicht mögliche Nutzung bei schwarzen Tieren und die Artefaktanfälligkeit schränken den Wert der NIRS ein. Die ermittelten Störindizes sind stark methodisch beeinflusst, so dass ihre Beurteilung kritisch erfolgen sollte. Die NIRS ist geeignet, die durch Narkoseeinleitung und Antagonisierung beim Hund verursachten Veränderungen der zerebralen Oxygenierung aufzuzeigen. Eine Abnahme der regionalen zerebralen Sauerstoffsättigung um etwa 20 % (Gruppe MM) über die gesamte Messdauer scheint von klinischer Relevanz. Werte in dieser Höhe werden als Indiz einer kritischen zerebralen Sauerstoffversorgung beurteilt. Parallele Verläufe, positive Zusammenhänge mit dem arteriellen Sauerstoffstatus und negative zum Kohlendioxidpartialdruck zeigen ebenso wie die Effekte der Antagonisierung den entscheidenden Einfluss der Anästhetikabedingten Atemdepression auf den vaskulären zerebralen Sauerstoffstatus. Die mangelnde Reduktion von Cytochrom a/a3 deutet auf das Fehlen einer Störung der intrazellulären Sauerstoffversorgung hin. Die Reaktion der NIRS-Parameter auf eine Narkosekomplikation erfolgt schnell, jedoch unspezifisch, eine Interpretation ist nur in Zusammenhang mit anderen Parametern möglich. Die Beurteilung des Redoxzustandes von Cytochrom a/a3 erscheint schwierig, messtechnische Probleme sind nicht ausgeschlossen. Trotz aller messtechnischen und anwendungsbedingten Probleme wird die NIRS als Bereicherung der Überwachungsmöglichkeiten bei Hund und, sehr eingeschränkt, auch bei der Katze beurteilt. Sie eröffnet erstmals die Möglichkeit, die Auswirkungen von in der klinischen Routine eingeführten Verfahren auf die zerebrale Oxygenierung darzustellen. / ON NEAR-INFRARED-SPECTROSCOPY IN DOG AND CAT - EXPERIMENTAL AND CLINICAL STUDY ON PERIOPERATIVE MONITORING AS WELL AS EFFECTS OF ANAESTHESIA ON CEREBRAL OXYGEN STATUS Alef, Michaele Department of Small Animal Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Leipzig Habilitation thesis, 4. Dezember 2002 Near-Infrared-spectroscopy (NIRS) is a method to determine continuously and non-invasively the content of oxy- and deoxyhemoglobin as well as the redox status of cytochrome a/a3 in tissue via absorption changes of near-infrared light. Variations in cerebral content of oxy- and deoxyhemoglobin and parameters derived thereof reflect above all the venous oxygen status of the brain and may thus serve as an early and sensitive indicator of cerebral hypoxia. The redox status of cytochrome a/a3 correlates with the cerebral energy status and may thus serve as an indicator of a critical oxygen deficit. Aim of the study. The study was aimed at assessing in dogs and cats the suitability of NIRS and of an equipment used in human medicine for monitoring the cerebral oxygen status during anaesthesia and intensive therapy. The quality of the measurements, technical problems and the achievable results should be critically checked in experimental and clinical situations. Changes of cerebral oxygenation and of the redox status of cytochrome a/a3 with different established protocols of anaesthesia in dogs and after antagonising had to be investigated in the experimental study as well as well as relationships between parameters obtainable with NIRS and those of pulmonary gas exchange and cardiovascular function. Materials and methods. During the clinical study data from 33 dogs and 4 cats were recorded during anaesthesia and intensive supervision. The experimental investigations were performed with 84 foxhounds and 32 Beagles with a mean age of 12,96 months (STD 13,42; range 6,33–94,43) and a mean weight of 24.76 kg (STD 6.6, range 12.7–43), which were distributed at random into four experimental groups. Sensors were applied near the ear base on shaved skin. Experimental groups and design. Group Acepromazine/l-Methadone(AM): INduction 0.1 mg/kg BW Acepromazine and 0.5 mg/kg BW l-Methadonr i.v., no additional maintenance Group Diazepam/l-Methadone(DM): 0.5 mg/kg BW Diazepam and 0.5 mg/kg BW l-Methadone i.v., no additional maintenance Group Medetomidine/l-Methadone(MM): 40 mikrog/kg BW Medetomidine and 0.5 mg/kg BW l-Methadone i.v., no additional maintenance Group Propofol(P): Induction 0.1 mg/kg BW Propofol i.v., Maintenance 0.3 mg/kg/min Propofol i.v. In groups AM, DM und MM antagonization of the opioide with 8 mikrog/kg BW Naloxone i.v. 30 min after induction, in group MM 200 mikrog/kg BE Atipamezole i.v. 5 min later Continuos Monitoring of heart rate, ECG, temperature, invasive blood pressure,pulse oxymetry, near-infrared-spectroscopy. Blood gas analysis 0, 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30 min post induction and 0, 2, 7 min post Naloxone/end of infusion. Results. NIRS is in principle applicable in dogs and cats but not, however, in black-haired animals. The main problems are the application of the sensor, movement artefacts and poor quality of the measurement signals. In the experimental study good measurement quality could be obtained in on average 80% of the investigation time, 14% of the recordings are without disturbance, in 17% disturbances are recorded in more than 50% of the investigation time. Before the start of anaesthesia the regional cerebral oxygen saturation amounts to about 65% (n=109, STD 7%). Already one minute after the beginning of anaesthesia significant differences between groups are found: In group P the regional cerebral oxygen saturation increases by about 8% while it decreases in group AM by 5%, in group DM by up to 10% and in group MM by maximally 20% to a value of about 48% where it remains roughly during the following time. Cerebral oxy- and deoxyhemoglobin content display an analogous behaviour. There are no inter-group differences in total cerebral hemoglobin content. After antagonising the initial values before the start of anaesthesia are rapidly attained again. Start of anaesthesia and antagonising do not show any influences on the redox status of cytochrome a/a3 while there are correlations between the cerebral oxygenation and the arterial oxygen status and the partial pressure of carbon dioxide. Periodic breathing and an increase of the intra-abdominal pressure are mirrored by variations of the NIRS-parameters, The effects of changing depth of anaesthesia, waking up, hypoxia, hyperventilation, adrenaline, pentobarbital and circulatory arrest can be demonstrated by the NIRS-parameters. Movement artefacts frequently interfere with the monitoring of intensive patients. The signal quality is frequently not sufficient in dogs with severe head trauma. Discussion. The direct application of factors established in humans leads to poorly defined errors. For cerebral measurements the applicability of the method could be confirmed, the possible contribution of extracerebral signals, however, remains unknown. The fact that black-haired animals cannot be investigated and proneness to artefacts limit the value of NIRS. Determined disturbance indices depend strongly on the methods used and should be seen critically. NIRS is suitable to give an indication of changes of cerebral oxygenation caused by the start of anaesthesia and antagonising. A decrease of about 20% in the regional cerebral oxygen saturation during the total measurement time (group MM) appears to be of clinical relevance. Values in this range are taken to be indicative of a critical cerebral oxygen supply. Parallelisms and positive correlations with the arterial oxygen status as well as negative correlations with carbon dioxide partial pressure and the effects of antagonising demonstrate the decisive influence of anaesthesia-related depression of breathing on the vascular cerebral oxygen status. The lack of cytochrome a/a3 reduction indicates that the intracellular oxygen supply is not disturbed. The reaction of NIRS-parameters on the start of anaesthesia is fast, but unspecific, and a meaningful interpretation is only possible in conjunction with other parameters. The evaluation of cytochrome a/a3 redox status appears to be difficult, and technical problems with the measurement cannot be excluded. In spite of these limitations in terms of measurements and applicability NIRS can be judged as a valuable addition for the clinical observation of dogs, less so with cats. The method opens for the first time the possibility to monitor the influence of clinical routines on cerebral oxygenation.

No description available.

De tout temps, les humains ont cherché différents moyens pour améliorer leur quotidien. Avec les avancées technologiques actuelles, cette quête s’en trouve facilitée, notamment dans la volonté d’accroître leurs capacités cognitives et/ou motrices. La neuro imagerie permet dorénavant de renseigner les aires cérébrales activées lors de différentes tâches fonctionnelles. Il est aussi possible de moduler l’activité cérébrale en stimulant localement le cerveau avec de faibles courants électriques. Une des techniques les plus répandues à cet effet est appelée tDCS pour transcranial direct current stimulation. Il s’agit en fonction de la polarité du courant induit de moduler à la hausse (stimulation anodale) ou à la baisse (stimulation cathodale) l’excitabilité cortico-spinale en dépolarisant ou en hyperpolarisant la membrane des neurones, respectivement. Malgré une démocratisation grandissante de la neuromodulation via tDCS, les résultats rapportés par la communauté scientifique sont relativement hétérogènes. Les travaux initiés au début des années 2000 sont remis en cause par des résultats actuels faisant état d’une variabilité inter et intra individuelle assez importante. Cette pierre d’achoppement nécessite de développer de nouveaux protocoles d’application de la tDCS. Dans cette thèse, nous avons étudié plusieurs modalités d’application de la tDCS afin d’accroître la persistance des effets neuroplastiques induits et d’augmenter les performances comportementales. Deux études ont été menées afin de révéler dans un premier temps les apports induits par le couplage tâche motrice-tDCS pour ensuite mettre en avant les effets cumulatifs de la répétition de sessions de tâche motrice-tDCS avec pré conditionnement sur la performance motrice. La première étude à travers l’utilisation de la spectroscopie dans le proche infrarouge a permis de rapporter des changements hémodynamiques distincts subséquents au couplage tâche motrice-tDCS par rapport à des protocoles tDCS plus conventionnels. La primauté de l’utilisation concomitante de la tDCS à la tâche motrice a été révélée par la moindre activation du cortex sensorimoteur durant la stimulation ainsi que par une activation cérébrale retardée accrue qui pourrait représenter une réorganisation neuroplastique. La seconde étude s’est intéressée aux effets de la polarité du conditionnement lors de sessions répétées avec comme objectif d’améliorer l’apprentissage et la rétention du système sensorimoteur. Le conditionnement par tDCS était plus propice lors de sessions répétées à engendrer des performances motrices supérieures contrairement à la condition sham. La polarité cathodale engendrait une persistance prolongée. Les premiers résultats de ces travaux de thèse ont permis de défendre l’usage concomitant de la tDCS avec la tâche motrice. De futures recherches sont nécessaires afin d’étudier le transfert de ces résultats dans le monde de l’entraînement ainsi que celui de la réhabilitation. / Historically, humans have sought various ways to improve their daily lives. With the current technological advances, this quest is facilitated, especially in the desire to increase their cognitive and / or motor skills. Neuro imagery now makes it possible to inform the areas activated during different functional tasks. Today, it is now possible to modulate brain activity by stimulating the brain locally with weak electrical currents. One of the most common techniques for this purpose is called tDCS for transcranial direct current stimulation. The polarity of the induced current (anodal or cathodal stimulation) allows to modulate upward or downward cortico-spinal excitability by depolarizing or hyperpolarizing the membrane of the neurons, respectively. Despite a growing interest of neuromodulation techniques via tDCS, the results reported by the scientific community are relatively heterogeneous. The work initiated at the beginning of the 2000s is called into question by current results showing a rather large inter and intra variability. This stumbling block requires the development of new protocols for the application of anodal tDCS (atDCS). In this thesis, we were interested in optimizing atDCS protocols in order to increase the persistence of the induced-neuroplastic effects and to increase the behavioral performances. Two studies were carried out in order to first reveal the impact from the motor task/atDCS coupling and then to highlight the cumulative effects of multiple motor-tDCS task sessions with priming atDCS on motor performance. The first study through the use of near infrared spectroscopy allowed to report various hemodynamic changes subsequent to the motor task/atDCS coupling with respect to independent and controlled stimulation protocols. The primacy of the concomitant use of tDCS with the motor task was revealed by the slightest activation of the sensorimotor cortex during stimulation and by an increased delayed cerebral activation which could represent a neuroplastic reorganization. The second study examined the effects of repeated atDCS sessions with anoadal or cathodal tDCS priming in order to improve the learning and retention gains of the sensorimotor system. TDCS priming was more favorable for repeated atDCS sessions to generate higher motor performances contrary to sham. The cathodal polarity produced prolonged persistence. The major findings of this work allow to support the concomitant use of atDCS with the motor task. Future research is needed to study the transfer of these results into the fields of coaching and rehabilitation.

Submitted by Maurilio Gustavo Nespeca (mauriliogn@hotmail.com) on 2018-08-31T21:01:07Z No. of bitstreams: 1 TESE - MAURILIO G NESPECA.pdf: 12338235 bytes, checksum: 0ffb2ce70bfeb2d88ea11b6f84d923e9 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Ana Carolina Gonçalves Bet null (abet@iq.unesp.br) on 2018-09-04T12:54:22Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 nespeca_mg_dr_araiq_int.pdf: 8911620 bytes, checksum: d6033930d5b3d08e08ac463efd5ad737 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2018-09-04T12:54:22Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 nespeca_mg_dr_araiq_int.pdf: 8911620 bytes, checksum: d6033930d5b3d08e08ac463efd5ad737 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2018-08-31 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) / Segundo dados, de 2017, da Companhia Ambiental do Estado de São Paulo (CETESB), os postos de combustíveis são responsáveis pela contaminação ambiental de 72% das 5942 áreas contaminadas cadastradas no estado de São Paulo. A contaminação de solos e águas subterrâneas por combustíveis fósseis causam imensos danos ambientais devido à alta toxicidade dos constituintes destes combustíveis, além de apresentarem propriedades carcinogênicas e elevada permanência no solo. O monitoramento ambiental em áreas de risco potencial de contaminação, como postos de combustíveis, é realizado através da análise de hidrocarbonetos totais do petróleo (TPH), entre outros hidrocarbonetos individuais. Estas análises são realizadas através de métodos cromatográficos em fase gasosa que requerem etapas de extração com solventes halogenados, purificação e, muitas vezes, pré-concentração. O elevado custo e o tempo demandado para a quantificação de TPH em solo tornam-se barreiras para o crescimento do monitoramento e acompanhamento de processos de remediação das áreas contaminadas. Desta forma, este trabalho objetivou o desenvolvimento de métodos analíticos mais rápidos e de menor custo para a identificação e quantificação de TPH em solo através da espectroscopia na região do infravermelho próximo (NIR). Três métodos NIR foram desenvolvidos: (i) sem preparo de amostra; (ii) após extração por hexano; e (iii) após extração por etanol. Os modelos de classificação foram desenvolvidos pelo método de análise discriminante por mínimos quadrados parciais (PLS-DA) e os modelos de calibração por mínimos quadrados parciais (PLS). No desenvolvimento dos modelos, nove diferentes pré-processamentos e seleção de variáveis pelo algoritmo genético (GA) foram avaliados. Os modelos foram desenvolvidos usando-se amostras de solo fortificado com os contaminantes (gasolina, diesel e óleo lubrificantes) e validados com amostras de solo contaminado, adquiridas no monitoramento ambiental de postos de combustíveis. O modelo PLS-DA proporcionou 100% de classificações corretas das amostras contaminadas sem a necessidade de preparo de amostra, enquanto a predição da concentração dos analitos tornou-se possível através dos modelos PLS após a etapa de extração com etanol. Como objetivos secundários deste trabalho, foram desenvolvidos métodos de quantificação das diferentes frações de TPH e dos compostos benzeno, tolueno, etilbenzeno e xilenos (BTEX) por cromatografia em fase gasosa ultrarrápida com detector de ionização por chama (UFGC-FID). Além do desenvolvimento dos métodos UFGC-FID, otimizou-se o processo de extração dos analitos por sonicação através de planejamentos experimentais, avaliando-se diferentes solventes, tempo de sonicação, agitação por vórtex e volume de solvente. Os métodos UFGC-FID proporcionaram análises de 3 a 17 vezes mais rápidas que o método cromatográfico de acordo com a norma EPA 8015. Ao final deste trabalho, os métodos desenvolvidos e o método EPA 8015 foram comparados segundo aspectos analíticos, ambientais e financeiros. De forma geral, os três métodos apresentaram mesma exatidão; o método cromatográfico (EPA 8015) foi o método mais preciso; o método UFGC-FID foi o de menor investimento inicial e de menor tempo para retorno financeiro; e, finalmente, o método NIR após extração com etanol foi o mais sensível, rápido, favorável à química verde e de menor custo por análise. / According to the Environmental Company of the State of São Paulo (CETESB), the gas stations are responsible for the environmental contamination of 72% of the 5942 contaminated areas registered in the state of São Paulo. Contamination of soils and groundwater by fossil fuels causes immense environmental damages due to their high toxicity, carcinogenic properties and high permanence in the soil. Environmental monitoring in areas of potential contamination risk, such as gas stations, is carried out through the analysis of total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH), among other individual compounds. These analyzes are performed by gas chromatographic methods which require some sample preparation steps, such as extraction with halogenated solvents, purification, and often preconcentration. The high cost and time demanded for the quantification of TPH in the soil become barriers for the growth of the monitoring program and remediation processes of the contaminated areas. Therefore, this work aimed at the development of faster and lower cost analytical methods for the identification and quantification of TPH in soil through near-infrared spectroscopy (NIR). Three NIR methods were developed: (i) without sample preparation; (ii) after hexane extraction; and (iii) after extraction with ethanol. The classification models were developed by partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) method and the calibration models by partial least squares (PLS) method. In the development of the models, we evaluated nine different preprocessing and selection of variables by the genetic algorithm (GA). The models were developed using soil samples fortified with contaminants (gasoline, diesel and lubricant oil) and validated with samples of contaminated soil acquired in the environmental monitoring of gas stations. The PLS-DA model provided 100% correct classifications without sample preparation, while the prediction of the concentration of the analytes was possible by PLS models after the ethanol extraction. As secondary objectives of this work, we developed quantification methods for the different fractions of TPH and benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylenes (BTEX) compounds by ultrafast gas chromatography with flame ionization detector (UFGC-FID). In addition to the UFGC-FID methods, the TPH extraction by sonication was optimized through experimental design, evaluating different solvents, sonication time, agitation and solvent volume. The UFGC-FID methods provided analyzes 3 to 17 times faster than the chromatographic method according to EPA 8015. At the end of this work, the developed methods and the EPA 8015 method were compared according to analytical, environmental and financial aspects. In general, the three methods presented the same accuracy; the EPA 8015 method was the most precise; the UFGC-FID method presented lower initial investment and less time for financial return; and the NIR method after ethanol extraction was the most sensitive, fast, favorable to green chemistry and presented the lowest cost per analysis.

Orientador: Prof. Dr. João Ricardo Sato / The brain is a complex system organized in structurally segregated and functionally specialized regions. The brain areas are composed of neuronal networks interconnected by axonal pathways that integrate through correlated neural activity. Recent studies on neural connectivity using graph theoretical analysis have revealed that brain networks interact through densely connected regions with high topological value called hubs. Previous studies of Default Mode Network (DMN), one of the most important resting-state networks, have improved the understanding of the intrinsic neuronal activity and the dynamics of the human brain. Spontaneous brain activity and Resting-State Functional Connectivity (RSFC) patterns of Resting-State Network (RSN) are essential for the comprehension of the brain function. Neuroimaging techniques such as functional Near Infrared Spectroscopy (fNIRS) make these studies possible. Thus, the main objective of this study was to investigate the RSFC using Eigenvector Centrality (EVC) measure of graph theory in fNIRS data. This work has demonstrated the effectiveness of the graph analysis for detection of hubs and mcommunities, and identified brain regions associated with rich-club, that integrates highly interconnected hubs and plays a central role in the flow and integration of Information throughout the brain. One can also conclude from the RSFC analysis the existence of functional hubs associated with DMN. / Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Federal do ABC, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Engenharia da Informação, 2017. / O cérebro é um sistema complexo organizado em regiões segregadas estruturalmente e especializadas funcionalmente que são compostas por redes neuronais interconectadas por vias axonais que se integram através de atividade neural correlacionada. Estudos recentes sobre conectividade neural usando teoria de grafos revelaram que as redes cerebrais interagem através de regiões densamente conectadas e com alto valor topológico denominadas hubs. Dentre as redes existentes destaca-se, por sua contribuição para a melhor compreensão do funcionamento do cérebro humano, a rede de modo padrão (Default Mode Network, DMN). A atividade espontânea do cérebro e os padrões de conectividade funcional (Resting-State Functional Connectivity, RSFC) das redes cerebrais na condição de repouso (Resting-State Network, RSN) também se tornam essenciais nos estudos que visam compreender a função desse órgão, estudos esses possibilitados graças às técnicas de neuroimagem destacando-se a espectroscopia funcional no infravermelho próximo (functional Near Infrared Spectroscopy, fNIRS). Assim, o objetivo principal deste estudo foi investigar a RSFC usando a medida de centralidade do autovetor (Eigenvector Centrality, EVC), técnica pertencente à teoria de grafos, em dados de fNIRS. Este estudo pode demonstrar a eficácia da metodologia empregada para analisar a RSFC além de revelar a existência de um núcleo estrutural, denominado hub complex, densamente conectado (rich-club), que integra hubs altamente interligados e desempenha papel central no fluxo e integração da informação ao longo do cérebro. Pode-se também concluir a partir da análise da RSFC a existência de hubs funcionais associados à DMN.