O Brasil é o maior produtor de cana-de-açúcar do mundo, com produção de 734 milhões de toneladas em 2011 (41% da produção mundial), sendo apontado como líder no setor de bioenergia. A aplicação de vinhaça, resíduo da fabricação do álcool, como fertilizante na cultura da cana-de-açúcar tem se tornado frequente, aumentando também a preocupação com seu potencial poluente. Estudos sobre o tema culminaram em uma instrução normativa (P4.231) da Companhia de Tecnologia de Saneamento Ambiental do Estado de São Paulo (CETESB), cuja dose recomendada baseia-se nas concentrações de K+ no solo e na vinhaça. A presente pesquisa teve como objetivo avaliar a percolação da vinhaça no solo aplicada via gotejamento subsuperficial em um Nitossolo Vermelho Eutrófico, considerando-se a hipótese de que a dose recomendada depende também da dinâmica de água e íons no solo. Para tanto, foram aplicados seis tratamentos: T1 (Sem irrigação + adubação convencional); T2 (Fertirrigação + sem vinhaça); T3 (Fertirrigação + 1/2 dose CETESB); T4 (Fertirrigação + 1 dose CETESB); T5 (Fertirrigação + 2 doses CETESB) e T6 (Fertirrigação + 3 doses CETESB). As variáveis condutividade elétrica, pH e as concentrações dos íons K+, Ca2+, Mg2+, Na2+, SO4- e NO3-, na solução do solo, foram analisadas por meio de análises multivariadas; enquanto variáveis de produção (colmos e ponteiras) e características tecnológicas (Brix, Pol, Açúcares Redutores, Pureza, Fibra, Açúcares redutores totais, Açúcar total recuperável e Cinzas) foram analisadas pela estatística convencional. Um balanço de água foi realizado na área experimental, considerando a camada de 0 a 0,8 m de solo. A partir dos resultados obtidos neste experimento, concluiu-se que a quantidade de vinhaça aplicada ao solo depende não somente dos teores de potássio no solo e na vinhaça, mas também da dinâmica da água e de íons na solução. Em função da aplicação, houve aumento para todas as variáveis analisadas da solução do solo, com exceção para o íon nitrato. Há risco de enriquecimento do lençol freático, se este estiver presente e ascender até próximo de 0,8 m da superfície do solo, independente das doses aplicadas. As variáveis de produção e tecnológicas, com exceção para teor de cinzas, não foram afetadas pelas aplicações. / Brazil is the world\'s largest sugarcane producer, with 734 millions of tons in 2011 (41% of the world\'s production), being considered a leader in the bioenergy sector. The application of vinasse, a byproduct in the ethanol production process, as a fertilizer on sugarcane has become frequent, increasing thus the concern with its polluting potential. Studies on this subject have culminated in a normative instruction (P4.231) of the Environmental Protection Agency of São Paulo State (CETESB), of which the recommended dose is based on the K+ concentrations in both soil and vinasse. This study aimed to verify vinasse percolation in soil applied via subsurface drip irrigation in a Nitossolo considering the hypothesis that the recommended dose depends also upon the water and ion dynamics in soil. For that, six treatments were applied: T1 (No irrigation + conventional fertilization); T2 (Fertigation + no vinasse); T3 (Fertigation + 1/2 CETESB dose); T4 (Fertigation + 1 CETESB dose); T5 (Fertigation + 2 CETESB doses) e T6 (Fertigation + 3 CETESB doses). Multivariate statistical analysis was used to evaluate electrical conductivity, pH, and the concentrations of K+, Ca2+, Mg2+, Na2+, SO4- and NO3- in the soil solution; while conventional statistical analysis was used for sugarcane production (stalk and tops) and technological characteristics (Brix, Pol, Reducing sugar, Purity, Fiber, Total reducing sugar, Total recoverable sugar and Ash percentage). A water balance was performed in the experimental area, considering the soil layer of 0-0.8 m. From the obtained results, it was concluded that the amount of vinasse applied on soil depends not only on the potassium contents in the vinasse and soil, but also on water and ion dynamics. As a result of the application, there was an increase for all the variables analyzed in the soil solution, except for nitrate. There is risk of groundwater enrichment, if it is present and ascends to close to 0.8 m from the soil surface, regardless of the applied doses. Technological and yield variables, except for ash content, were not affected by the applications.

Cross-sectional evidence associates breakfast omission with negative health outcomes. The present work aimed to examine if these cross-sectional associations have a causal component, by conducting randomised control trials in healthy humans. It was established using lean individuals that there are divergent hormonal responses to morning feeding and fasting, although increased energy intake at lunch following fasting incompletely compensated for breakfast intake. Hormonal and subjective appetite responses in the afternoon did not consistently provide evidence for increased hunger following fasting. In the same participants assigned to a 6-week free-living intervention of either 700 kcal pre 11:00 or fasting until 12:00 daily, it was found that energy intake was greater in those assigned breakfast consumption, but that physical activity was also greater than those fasting. Cardiovascular risk factors and measures of metabolic control were largely unaffected by either intervention. There was no adaptation of acute metabolic/hormonal responses to feeding following either intervention. In obese individuals, similar patterns of results were obtained for the hormonal and metabolic responses to acute feeding and fasting, but with no compensation for breakfast intake at lunch. Results from the free-living intervention demonstrated no difference in energy intake between groups or physical activity over the entire day, but greater energy expenditure during the morning in those consuming breakfast. Markers of cardiovascular health and metabolic control were generally not differently affected by either intervention. Neither intervention caused adaptation of the acute hormonal and metabolic responses to feeding. In summary, acute morning fasting does not cause complete compensation for breakfast intake at lunch, or result in greater hunger throughout the afternoon. Daily morning fasting does not affect acute responses to feeding or cause increased energy intake or weight gain relative to self-selected breakfast consumption, but seems to limit physical activity in lean, and to a lesser extent, in obese individuals.

The pharmacodynamic effects of Risperidone on the vestibular system were assessed via dynamic computed posturography in 12 healthy subjects (6 male). Subjects were administered 2 mg, orally, of Risperidone and assessed on the NeuroCom® Balance Master© system under varying conditions. The vestibular response was deductively quantified by first assessing balance with a static force plate and eyes closed (Condition 2), and then assessed on a dynamic force plate with eyes closed (Condition 5). On average, Condition 2 scores were 24.46 points higher than Condition 5 scores (95% CI [20.973, 27.957]). A Pearson correlation between scores in Condition 2 and 5 showed a significant, moderate positive correlation (r = .487, p <.001). A trend analysis showed the effect of time, post-dose, on equilibrium score to be linear in nature (p < .001). In conclusion, some, but not all, of the subjects involved in the study experienced diminished vestibular control after administration of Risperidone; this may be due to phenotypic differences or learning effects.

Submitted by Filipe dos Santos (fsantos@pucsp.br) on 2017-01-10T11:32:24Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Luiza Diniz da Rosa.pdf: 1572053 bytes, checksum: 0d46bf8493716356da06f9d1a1d0253a (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2017-01-10T11:32:24Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Luiza Diniz da Rosa.pdf: 1572053 bytes, checksum: 0d46bf8493716356da06f9d1a1d0253a (MD5) Previous issue date: 2016-12-12 / Conselho Nacional de Pesquisa e Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico - CNPq / INTRODUCTION: Dizziness is a very common symptom and it affects mainly adults and the elderly. It can lead to significant damage, disrupting the patient´s quality of life. Considering the high prevalence of reported dizziness in the population, many studies have been carried out in order to both identify its possible causes and develop speech therapy intervention techniques. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the benefits of speech therapy intervention in adults and elderly people with dizziness. METHOD: Prospective and longitudinal clinical study conducted on a sample of 20 patients with complaints of dizziness, of both sexes and aged between 48 and 85 years of age (average of 66 years of age). All subjects were referred to vestibular rehabilitation by medical indication and they underwent ten sessions of exercises based and adapted from the Cawthorne (1944) and Cooksey (1946) Protocol. In addition, we applied the Dizziness Handicap Inventory (DHI), the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS) and the Dizziness Quantification Scale questionnaires in three moments: before the intervention, at the fifth session of speech therapy intervention and after the tenth session. At the end of the ten sessions, all subjects answered a question concerning the improvement of the dizziness symptomatology. We used the questionnaires in the three moments of intervention both for comparison purposes and for the assessment of the effectiveness of the treatment. RESULTS: After the intervention, 17 subjects (85%) showed improvement in the DHI score and 18 (90%) reported improvement in the dizziness symptomatology. In spite of the fact that the three tests had a decrease in average in the three moments, we observed intervention interference only in relation to the DHI. The symptoms of depression, anxiety and insecurity were considered as influence variables in the intervention results. Cronbach’s Alpha showed that the DHI delivers a good consistency level, whereas GDS-5 showed only reasonable significance. CONCLUSION: The speech therapy intervention on dizziness proved to be effective. We observed there was a greater benefit in the 10-session intervention, when compared to the 5-session intervention. The use of questionnaires to assess the result of the interventions is an important instrument in the assessment of the treatment effectiveness. However, self-reference and clinical hearing should be taken into account / INTRODUÇÃO: a tontura é um sintoma muito comum e afeta principalmente adultos e idosos. Pode levar a prejuízos significativos, atrapalhando a qualidade de vida. Considerando a alta prevalência da queixa de tontura na população, muitos estudos têm sido realizados com o objetivo tanto de identificar as possíveis causas, quanto de desenvolver técnicas de intervenção fonoaudiológica. OBJETIVO: avaliar o benefício da intervenção fonoaudiológica em adultos e idosos com tontura. MÉTODO: estudo clínico prospectivo e longitudinal realizado em uma amostra de 20 pacientes com queixa de tontura, de ambos os sexos e com idade entre 48 e 85 anos (média de 66 anos). Todos os sujeitos foram encaminhados para reabilitação vestibular por indicação médica e realizaram dez sessões de exercícios, baseados e adaptados do Protocolo de Cawthorne (1944) e Cooksey (1946). Além disso, foram aplicados os questionários Dizziness Handicap Inventory (DHI), Escala Geriátrica de Depressão (GDS) e Escala de Quantificação da Tontura (QT) em três momentos: antes da intervenção, na 5ª sessão de intervenção fonoaudiológica e após a décima sessão. No término das dez sessões, todos responderam a uma questão referente à melhoria do sintoma de tontura. Os questionários foram utilizados para fins comparativos entre os três momentos da intervenção e para avaliação da efetividade do tratamento. RESULTADOS: após a intervenção, 17 sujeitos (85%) apresentaram melhora no escore do DHI e 18 (90%) relataram melhora do sintoma de tontura. Apesar dos três testes terem tido diminuição das médias nos três momentos, foi observada interferência da intervenção apenas em relação ao DHI. Os sintomas de depressão, ansiedade e insegurança foram considerados como variáveis de influência nos resultados das intervenções. O Alfa de Conbrach mostrou que o DHI apresenta um bom nível de consistência, já a GDS-15 demonstrou significância razoável. CONCLUSÃO: a intervenção fonoaudiológica na tontura mostrou-se efetiva. Foi observado maior benefício quanto a intervenção com 10 sessões, quando comparado a 5 sessões. O uso de questionários para verificar o resultado das intervenções consiste em um importante instrumento de avaliação da efetividade do tratamento. Entretanto, a auto-referência e a escuta clínica devem ser valorizadas

Não existe consenso em relação à melhor forma de reconhecimento de investimentos em joint ventures na demonstração contábil consolidada da investidora. Há necessidade de adoção de uma única prática contábil, já que a falta de padronização do tratamento contábil de investimentos com controle compartilhado prejudica a comparabilidade das demonstrações contábeis consolidadas de empresas que adotam abordagens diferentes. Este trabalho tem como objetivo avaliar tanto os reflexos da adoção da consolidação proporcional nas demonstrações contábeis da investidora quanto da não adoção desse método quando há investimento de controle compartilhado. O Lucro Líquido e o Patrimônio Líquido são os únicos valores que devem ser iguais nessas demonstrações. A pesquisa empírica testou se há diferenças significativas entre os valores das contas ao ser feita adoção ou não da consolidação proporcional. O levantamento de dados foi realizado por meio do banco de dados da Fundação Instituto de Pesquisas Contábeis, Atuariais e Financeiras- FIPECAFI/FEA USP, que é utilizado na edição da Revista Exame ? Melhores e Maiores. Inicialmente, foram pesquisadas as empresas que atuam no mercado brasileiro e que, no período de 1996 a 2003, apresentaram investimento com controle compartilhado. Posteriormente, na pesquisa empírica foram utilizados os dados de 2000 a 2003 que totalizaram 34 demonstrações contábeis e, a partir dessas demonstrações, foi calculado como seriam os valores caso não fosse feita a consolidação proporcional. Utilizou-se o teste não paramétrico de Wilcoxon e os resultados indicaram que ao nível de significância de 5%, há diferenças significativas entre os valores do ativo circulante, do realizável a longo prazo, do passivo circulante, do exigível de longo prazo, das vendas líquidas, do custo da mercadorias vendidas ou custo do produtos vendidos ou custo dos serviços prestados, do capital circulante liquido, do capital de terceiros sobre capital próprio, da liquidez corrente, da liquidez geral e da margem líquida, obtidos aplicando-se a consolidação proporcional e não a aplicando. Esses resultados confirmam a controvérsia existente na literatura acadêmica em relação às divergências de um método em relação ao outro, em termos de controle e definição de ativo e exigibilidade. Apesar de os testes estatísticos sugerirem que não há diferença significativa na composição do endividamento não é possível generalizar que seus valores não sejam diferentes. Os resultados obtidos, neste trabalho, indicam que a adoção de uma abordagem de consolidação ou outra pode fazer com que o usuário da demonstração contábil interprete de forma diferente as demonstrações consolidadas de empresas que possuem investimentos em joint venture. / There is no consensus on the best way of recognizing investments in joint ventures in the investing company?s financial statement. One single accounting practice needs to be adopted, as the lack of a standardized accounting treatment for investments in cases of shared control impairs the comparability of consolidated financial statements issued by companies that adopt different approaches. This study aims to evaluate the reflexes of adopting ? or not - the proportional consolidation method in the investing company?s financial statements in case of shared control investments. In these statements, Net Profit and Net Equity are the only figures that have to be equal. An empirical study tested for significant differences between the figures of accounts with or without proportional consolidation. Data were collected from the database of the Institute for Accounting, Actuarial and Financial Research Foundation - FIPECAFI/FEA USP, which is used to publish the magazine Exame ? Melhores e Maiores. First, we examined companies active in the Brazilian market who presented shared control investments between 1996 and 2003. Next, in the empirical study, we used data from 2000 to 2003, totaling 34 financial statements, which were used for calculating figures with and without proportional consolidation. Wilcoxon?s non-parametrical test was used with a significance level of 5%. Results indicated significant differences in current and long-term assets, current and long-term liabilities, net sales, cost of goods sold or cost of products sold or cost of services rendered, working capital, index of capital of third-party investors on own capital, current and general liquidity and net margin, when calculated with and without the proportional consolidation method. These results confirm the controversy in academic literature about the differences between one method and another in terms of control and definition of assets and liabilities. Although statistical tests suggest that there is no significant difference in the composition of indebtedness, it cannot be generalized that there are no differences between the figures. The results of this study indicate that, due to the adoption of a specific consolidation approach, financial statement users may give a different interpretation to the consolidated statements of companies with joint venture investments.

A concussion can result in a wide range of signs and symptoms including physical, cognitive, emotional and sleep-related symptoms. While a concussion can occur at any age, children and adolescents are at an increased risk of experiencing a concussion. Important physical consequences of concussion are balance deficits which affect approximately one in three cases. Balance is essential to perform many postures and activities and therefore it is important to accurately identify these deficits at the time of injury and during the recovery process in order to avoid potential further injury. A review of the literature regarding the different clinical and laboratory measures used to assess balance following a concussion was completed and identified several gaps in the literature. The four studies in this thesis were tailored to address these gaps in knowledge. The first study addressed the sensitivity of a gold standard clinical measure and laboratory measures of standing balance in terms of identifying balance deficits in adolescents at 1-month post-concussion. Performance on the Balance Error Scoring System (BESS) and COP measures from single and dual-task balance conditions were compared between a group of adolescents at one-month post-concussion and a group of non-injured adolescents. The results demonstrated that COP measures from single and dual-task conditions identified balance deficits in the concussed group that were not captured by the BESS. The second study addressed whether self-reported balance problems are a suitable alternative to COP measures to identify balance deficits in concussed adolescents. A secondary analysis of the data from study 1 was conducted to compare COP measures from the single and dual-task conditions between concussed adolescents self-reporting balance problems, concussed adolescents self-reporting no balance problems and a group of non-injured adolescents. The results from this analysis showed that the concussed adolescents demonstrated balance deficits regardless of whether they self-reported balance problems. There is significant clinical interest that lies in the ability to predict which adolescents presenting in the emergency department with concussion will be affected with ongoing balance deficits. The third study addressed the predictive ability of a set of COP variables recorded within the first 10 days following injury in a group of concussed adolescents to predict balance performance on a dual-task condition at one-month post-injury. Seven COP variables were identified as significant predictors. A secondary objective of this study was to compare performance on the COP measures between the concussed adolescents and a group of non-injured adolescents during the first session within the first 10 days following injury and during the second session at one-month post-injury and to compare performance between sessions within each group. The between session comparisons showed that performance remained relatively stable across sessions within both groups. In contrast, the between group comparisons revealed several significant differences in COP measures between the concussed and non-injured groups. The fourth study in this thesis addressed the association between balance and saccadic eye movements in concussed adolescents. Impaired saccadic eye movements are an important consequence of concussion and may be associated with balance deficits since both processes are dependent on several of the same cortical structures and brainstem areas. In this study, concussed and non-injured adolescents performed three different dual-task balance conditions involving either a high cognitive load, a low cognitive load and a gaze shifting component or a high cognitive load and a gaze shifting component. The results demonstrated that the concussed adolescents swayed over larger 95% ellipse areas while performing the two dual-tasks with the gaze shifting component, but these larger amounts of sway were not associated with an increase in saccades. Taken together, these four studies extend the current knowledge regarding balance performance in concussed adolescents and provide results that can be applied to balance assessments for concussion.

O Brasil é o maior produtor de cana-de-açúcar do mundo, com produção de 734 milhões de toneladas em 2011 (41% da produção mundial), sendo apontado como líder no setor de bioenergia. A aplicação de vinhaça, resíduo da fabricação do álcool, como fertilizante na cultura da cana-de-açúcar tem se tornado frequente, aumentando também a preocupação com seu potencial poluente. Estudos sobre o tema culminaram em uma instrução normativa (P4.231) da Companhia de Tecnologia de Saneamento Ambiental do Estado de São Paulo (CETESB), cuja dose recomendada baseia-se nas concentrações de K+ no solo e na vinhaça. A presente pesquisa teve como objetivo avaliar a percolação da vinhaça no solo aplicada via gotejamento subsuperficial em um Nitossolo Vermelho Eutrófico, considerando-se a hipótese de que a dose recomendada depende também da dinâmica de água e íons no solo. Para tanto, foram aplicados seis tratamentos: T1 (Sem irrigação + adubação convencional); T2 (Fertirrigação + sem vinhaça); T3 (Fertirrigação + 1/2 dose CETESB); T4 (Fertirrigação + 1 dose CETESB); T5 (Fertirrigação + 2 doses CETESB) e T6 (Fertirrigação + 3 doses CETESB). As variáveis condutividade elétrica, pH e as concentrações dos íons K+, Ca2+, Mg2+, Na2+, SO4- e NO3-, na solução do solo, foram analisadas por meio de análises multivariadas; enquanto variáveis de produção (colmos e ponteiras) e características tecnológicas (Brix, Pol, Açúcares Redutores, Pureza, Fibra, Açúcares redutores totais, Açúcar total recuperável e Cinzas) foram analisadas pela estatística convencional. Um balanço de água foi realizado na área experimental, considerando a camada de 0 a 0,8 m de solo. A partir dos resultados obtidos neste experimento, concluiu-se que a quantidade de vinhaça aplicada ao solo depende não somente dos teores de potássio no solo e na vinhaça, mas também da dinâmica da água e de íons na solução. Em função da aplicação, houve aumento para todas as variáveis analisadas da solução do solo, com exceção para o íon nitrato. Há risco de enriquecimento do lençol freático, se este estiver presente e ascender até próximo de 0,8 m da superfície do solo, independente das doses aplicadas. As variáveis de produção e tecnológicas, com exceção para teor de cinzas, não foram afetadas pelas aplicações. / Brazil is the world\'s largest sugarcane producer, with 734 millions of tons in 2011 (41% of the world\'s production), being considered a leader in the bioenergy sector. The application of vinasse, a byproduct in the ethanol production process, as a fertilizer on sugarcane has become frequent, increasing thus the concern with its polluting potential. Studies on this subject have culminated in a normative instruction (P4.231) of the Environmental Protection Agency of São Paulo State (CETESB), of which the recommended dose is based on the K+ concentrations in both soil and vinasse. This study aimed to verify vinasse percolation in soil applied via subsurface drip irrigation in a Nitossolo considering the hypothesis that the recommended dose depends also upon the water and ion dynamics in soil. For that, six treatments were applied: T1 (No irrigation + conventional fertilization); T2 (Fertigation + no vinasse); T3 (Fertigation + 1/2 CETESB dose); T4 (Fertigation + 1 CETESB dose); T5 (Fertigation + 2 CETESB doses) e T6 (Fertigation + 3 CETESB doses). Multivariate statistical analysis was used to evaluate electrical conductivity, pH, and the concentrations of K+, Ca2+, Mg2+, Na2+, SO4- and NO3- in the soil solution; while conventional statistical analysis was used for sugarcane production (stalk and tops) and technological characteristics (Brix, Pol, Reducing sugar, Purity, Fiber, Total reducing sugar, Total recoverable sugar and Ash percentage). A water balance was performed in the experimental area, considering the soil layer of 0-0.8 m. From the obtained results, it was concluded that the amount of vinasse applied on soil depends not only on the potassium contents in the vinasse and soil, but also on water and ion dynamics. As a result of the application, there was an increase for all the variables analyzed in the soil solution, except for nitrate. There is risk of groundwater enrichment, if it is present and ascends to close to 0.8 m from the soil surface, regardless of the applied doses. Technological and yield variables, except for ash content, were not affected by the applications.

O sistema visual tem papel fundamental no controle de estabilidade da marcha. Pessoas com problemas visuais apresentam características de instabilidade ao andar. Apesar do número de indivíduos com visão prejudicada ser cada vez menor, pode-se observar essas mesmas características durante a caminhada em privação da visão ou em ambientes com baixa luminosidade. Aparentemente adultos dependem menos da visão que outros grupos para caminhar, sugerindo que possam ter estabilidade mesmo em menores níveis de luz. Assim, não fica claro quanto adultos dependem do sistema visual. Portanto, o objetivo do estudo foi analisar a estabilidade da marcha de adultos com visão saudável em diferentes condições visuais. O controle de luminosidade ambiente, no entanto, é difícil de ser feito. Então, as diferentes condições de visão foram manipuladas através do uso de máscaras com películas diminuindo a passagem de luz até o olho. Primeiramente, os efeitos das condições visuais foram analisados separadamente nos parâmetros de estabilidade e espaço temporais. Logo após, o efeito de duas velocidades de caminhada e a sua interação com as diferentes condições de visão foram verificados. 37 adultos com visão saudável participaram do estudo. Os participantes caminharam aleatoriamente em quatro condições visuais: visão total e com escurecimento da visão usando máscaras envolvidas por película automotiva 50%, 20% e 5% (mais escuro), cada percentual representando o nível de luz passando pela película até o olho. A caminhada foi realizada em duas velocidades: autosselecionada e 30% mais rápida. Sete câmeras de infravermelho capturaram os parâmetros de estabilidade (avaliada através dos deslocamentos do centro de massa em relação à base de suporte) e espaço temporais (comprimento de passo, velocidade da marcha, tempos de apoio). O nível de significância para todos os testes foi de α = 0,05. Os parâmetros de estabilidade e espaço temporais da marcha não mudaram entre condições visuais nas duas velocidades de caminhada, sem efeito de interação entre os fatores. Apenas a cinemática do tronco apresentou diferença nas piores condições visuais (posição mais posterior), adotando um padrão mais cuidadoso durante a caminhada. As ausências de mudanças nas variáveis espaço temporais podem justificar a manutenção dos níveis de estabilidade. Em conclusão, os resultados sugerem que adultos controlam a estabilidade e os padrões da marcha mesmo em menores níveis de luz. / The visual system plays a fundamental role in gait stability control. People with visual impairment show some gait instability characteristics. Although the number of individuals with visual problems is decreasing, it is possible to see the same characteristics during walking in visual deprivation or in environments with low luminosity. Apparently, adults seem to be less visual dependent than other groups to walk, suggesting that they can have stability even in low light levels. Thus, it is not clear of how much adults depend of the visual system. Therefore, the objective of this study is to analyze the gait stability of adults with normal vision in different visual conditions. However, the control of ambient light level is difficult to be done. Then, the different visual conditions were manipulated by using masks with automotive films that decrease the light passage until the eye. First, only the effect of the different visual conditions on stability and spatiotemporal parameters was analyzed. After that, the effect of two walking velocities and its interaction with the different visual conditions was tested. 37 adults without any visual problems participated of the study. All participants walked randomly in four visual conditions: total vision and darkened vision using masks involved by automotive films of 50%, 20% and 5% (lower light level), with each percentage representing the light level passing through the film until the eye. Participants walked at two gait speeds: self-selected and 130% of self-selected walking speed. Seven infrared cameras were used to capture the gait stability (quantified by the center of mass displacements relative to the base of support) and the spatiotemporal parameters (step length, gait speed and stance times). The level of significance adopted for all the tests was α = 0,05. The spatiotemporal and the gait stability parameters did not change between visual conditions at both walking speeds, with no interaction effect between the two factors. Only the trunk kinematics showed differences in the worst visual conditions (more backward position), adopting a more cautious pattern during walking. The absence of changes in spatiotemporal parameters can justify the maintenance in stability variables. In conclusion, these results suggest that adults control the gait stability even in low light levels.

Preeclampsia (PE) remains one of the most enigmatic and pervasive conditions developed during pregnancy and is a leading cause of maternal and fetal morbidity and mortality throughout the world. Afflicting nearly 5-8% of pregnancies in the Unites States, PE is most commonly characterized by an increase in blood pressure and high protein excretion near or after the 20th week of gestation. Unfortunately, few effective treatments are available, and the only "cure" is delivery. While the molecular pathogenesis of PE remains undefined, an interruption in placental blood flow, or placental ischemia, is widely observed as a primary contributor to the syndrome progression. Furthermore, to investigate the role of both pharmacological and non-pharmacological modalities to prevent placental ischemia induced hypertension, we employed a robust model of reduced utero-placental perfusion pressure (RUPP) in the pregnant rat. First, in Chapter IV, exercise initiated during gestation was not effective in the prevention of RUPP-induced hypertension, whereas exercise training prior to and continued through gestation prevented the increase in blood pressure. Though the molecular contributions to this effect are undefined, the effects appear to be independent of angiogenic balance restoration. Finally, in Chapter V, administration of 5-aminoimidazole-4-carboxamide-1-β-D-ribofuranoside (AICAR) was explored as a novel pharmacological modality to prevent the onset of hypertension and endothelial dysfunction in the RUPP model. As hypothesized, AICAR ameliorated the RUPP-induced hypertension, and the anti-hypertensive effect in the RUPP appears to be dependent on the restoration of angiogenic balance in the maternal plasma. This dissertation includes previously published and unpublished co-authored material.

No