Cette thèse pose un premier regard sur l’expérience subjective de la violence manifestée par les individus atteints d’un trouble de santé mentale grave et persistant et d’un trouble lié à une substance. À partir d’une recension des écrits, elle présente, dans le premier chapitre, une adaptation des volets psychopharmacologique et économico-compulsif du modèle tripartite de Goldstein (1985), à la population aux prises avec une telle comorbidité. Dans les deuxième et troisième chapitres, elle présente l’analyse qualitative d’une série d’entrevues effectuées auprès de détenus incarcérés dans une unité de santé mentale d’un pénitencier canadien pour cause de délits violents. Elle explore, dans ces chapitres, les représentations de l’influence de la consommation sur les différentes sphères de la vie de ces détenus ainsi que l’importance qu’ils attribuent à celles-ci quant au passage à l’acte responsable de leur incarcération. L’analyse démontre que presque la moitié des personnes interrogées attribue la responsabilité du délit violent aux effets directs de la substance sur les symptômes liés à la maladie mentale ou aux effets directs de celle-ci sur leur comportement et leurs cognitions. Les autres attribuent plutôt la responsabilité de leur acte violent à la détérioration de leur fonctionnement psychosocial (c’està- dire à leur incapacité graduelle à maintenir un emploi, à se nourrir, se loger et à entretenir des relations sociales, amoureuses ou familiales), qui résulte des conséquences sociales et économiques associées à l’usage répétitif et/ou excessif de substances intoxicantes. À la lumière de ces résultats, le deuxième chapitre vérifie l’applicabilité du volet psychopharmacologique à cette population, et le troisième, celle du volet économico-compulsif. Les trois chapitres de cette thèse sont présentés sous forme d’articles scientifiques. / This thesis offers a first look at the subjective experience of violent behaviour manifested by individuals who present a severe mental disorder and a substance abuse disorder. The first chapter presents an adaptation of Goldstein’s psychopharmacological and economic-compulsive models (1985), based on a literature review. The second and third chapter present a qualitative analysis of a series of interviews conducted with mentally disordered offenders from a Canadian penitentiary who are incarcerated for violent crimes. These chapters explore the inmates’ perceptions of the influence of the substance abuse on the various aspects of their lives and of its contribution in the realization of their crime. The results show that almost half of the subjects were of the opinion that their violent crime resulted from the direct influence of the substance abuse on their mental illness, on their behaviour or on their cognitions. The others attributed the responsibility of their violent crime to the gradual deterioration of their general psychosocial functioning (meaning their gradual inability to hold a job, to feed themselves, to maintain housing accommodations, as well as social, familial and love relationships) that results from the social and economical consequences of substance abuse. Based on these results, the second and third chapter discuss the applicability of the psychopharmacological and economiccompulsive models to this population. All three chapters are presented in the form of a scientific article.

The cradle to cradle (C2C) is a sustainable business strategy that mimics the natural recycling cycle and waste is reused, the question of when and how to apply the C2C concept successfully in business is still controversial. This thesis takes Huawei, the leading enterprise in the mobile communication industry, as an example, and to investigate the challenges for Chinese mobile communication companies in implementing an effective C2C strategy to achieve a sustainable development. This study used the semi-structured interviews in the qualitative data collection method to interview both Huawei and China Telecommunications’ managers. Data analysis shows that for the electronics industry with low recycling rate and high pollution, Huawei still faces many challenges in adopting the C2C strategy，which includes alloy recycling, recycling of electronic products in consumers' hands, disassembly problems, and recycling of electronic products by value, Another challenge is the mismatch between C2C evaluation mechanism and China's mobile communications industry. Only fully considered cradle to cradle, cradle to Grave, and Life cycle, the sustainable mode of the mobile communications industry would be reached.

Pessoas com tetraplegia possuem controle sobre poucas partes do corpo, por isso têm grande dificuldade de interação com o mundo ao seu redor. Interfaces humano-computador que utilizam a capacidade de controle muscular remanescente podem promover um acréscimo importante na autonomia do usuário com tetraplegia. Uma nova forma de interação com o computador é proposta: controle de um dispositivo de entrada por meio do lábio inferior. A ideia não foi partir da tecnologia e agregar recursos, mas sim, partir da pessoa e entender suas necessidades e potencialidades para pesquisar, propor, desenvolver e avaliar alternativas tecnológicas. Com o intuito de investigar se o lábio inferior seria capaz de controlar uma interface de maneira eficiente e precisa, foram desenvolvidos protótipos de um dispositivo de entrada vestível que pudesse ser acionado pelo lábio. Considerando o estado da arte, foi avaliada a capacidade do lábio inferior controlar esta interface proposta como um mouse de computador. Também foi realizada a comparação do controle pelo lábio inferior e pelo polegar utilizando o mesmo dispositivo sob as mesmas condições. O objetivo foi estabelecer referências sobre a capacidade do lábio inferior de controlar uma interface. Foram realizados e analisados os resultados de testes com sujeitos de pesquisa, mensurando e comprovando a capacidade tanto do lábio inferior, como parte do corpo capaz de controlar um dispositivo de entrada, quanto do próprio dispositivo. / People with tetraplegia control few body parts; therefore, they have great difficulty to interact with the environment. Human-computer interfaces that explore the residual muscular control capacity can provide the user with tetraplegia with an important autonomy increase. I propose a new form of interaction, a input device controlled by the lower lip. The idea was not starting from the technology and aggregate resources, but starting from the user needs to research, to propose, to develop and to evaluate technological alternatives. In order to investigate the lower lip ability to efficiently and precisely control an input device, prototypes of a wearable device were developed. I presented an evaluation of the lower lip potential to control a pointing input device, according to the state of the art. The lower lip throughput was compared with the thumb throughput using the same input device under the same conditions. The objective was to establish the baseline for future researches about the lower lip capacity to operate a computer pointing device. The results proved and measured the capacity of the interface as well as the lower lip as a body part able to control a input device.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-04-26T20:24:28Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Luiz Carlos Goncalves Filho.pdf: 2250666 bytes, checksum: 729afbaa4ef90ec8969676c9fb421654 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2006-05-31 / Este trabalho tem por finalidade abranger um tema de enorme relevância na atualidade, envolvendo diversas questões referentes à Lei de Execução Penal (LEP). Nossa principal finalidade é demonstrar que toda questão voltada ao assunto escolhido divide duas opiniões muito claras. Assim, de um lado encontramos aqueles que são apaixonados pela problemática do assunto, com todos os seus contornos, e, em oposição, encontramos aqueles que não suportam reflexão de qualquer natureza sobre o mesmo. O primeiro grupo apresenta sugestões ponderadas, após reflexão, sempre considerando as regras e a tradição do mundo jurídico. Já, de acordo com o segundo grupo, estes, apresentam soluções rápidas, muitas vezes sem qualquer fundamento, demonstrando que não dominam o assunto. Salientamos a importância de registrar que, embora o tema proposto seja de natureza predominantemente jurídica, sua avaliação exige conhecimento sobre a realidade carcerária, sob pena de se fazer, equivocadamente, considerações utópicas, desmedidas, isto é, sem qualquer sentido. O tema por nos escolhido ganha grande importância na medida em que o assunto passa a ser discutido e encarado como problema complexo da humanidade, envolvendo várias questões a serem avaliadas, ainda que não se tenha a pretensão de, neste trabalho, esgotar-se o assunto. Desenvolvemos assim, um trabalho voltado à pesquisa doutrinária, legislativa e jurisprudencial, procurando identificar, dentro da realidade do mundo carcerário, quais são os efeitos que decorrem da prática de falta disciplinar de natureza grave. Ressaltamos por final que todas as posições foram tomadas com os olhos e a mente voltada para a realidade do mundo jurídico. Assim, procuramos demonstrar da forma cristalina que esta realidade não pode se apartar da realidade carcerária. Por todo exposto não podemos nos esquecer jamais que, para o homem encarcerado, no interior das prisões, vigora lei própria, por eles criada e não escrita, porém a única respeitada

INTRODUÇÃO: A síndrome da imunodeficiência adquirida (AIDS) é atualmente uma pandemia, e as doenças pulmonares são a principal causa de morbidade e mortalidade dos pacientes com AIDS. Nesse sentido, as infecções respiratórias são frequente causa de hipoxemia e morte. Os pacientes com AIDS e insuficiência respiratória hipoxêmica frequentemente necessitam de ventilação mecânica invasiva, a qual é independentemente associada com mortalidade. A ventilação não invasiva com pressão positiva refere-se à oferta de assistência ventilatória mecânica sem a necessidade de invasão artificial das vias aéreas, sendo reconhecida por melhorar a oxigenação e a dispneia dos pacientes com insuficiência respiratória hipoxêmica, principalmente se aplicada de forma sequencial e progressiva, e esta pode reduzir a necessidade de ventilação mecânica invasiva nestes pacientes. Tendo em vista as incertezas quanto à resposta da oxigenação a PEEP nos pacientes com AIDS com insuficiência respiratória aguda hipoxêmica e usando o racional da pressurização progressiva das vias aéreas e seu potencial benefício na oxigenação sanguínea, nós fizemos a hipótese de que o incremento sequencial dos níveis de PEEP até 15 cmH2O pode melhorar a oxigenação sanguínea sem afetar o conforto e a hemodinâmica do paciente. O objetivo principal deste estudo foi investigar os efeitos de diferentes sequências de níveis de PEEP aplicado de forma não invasiva sobre as trocas gasosas, a sensação de dispneia e os padrões hemodinâmicos em pacientes com AIDS e insuficiência respiratória aguda hipoxêmica. O objetivo secundário foi avaliar o tempo livre de ventilação mecânica invasiva em 28 dias e a mortalidade hospitalar em 60 dias. MÉTODOS: Foram estudados 30 pacientes adultos com HIV/AIDS e insuficiência respiratória aguda hipoxêmica. Todos os pacientes receberam uma sequência randomizada de PEEP não invasivo (os valores usados foram 5, 10 ou 15 cmH2O) por vinte minutos. A PEEP foi fornecida através de máscara facial com pressão suporte (PSV) de 5 cmH2O e uma FiO2 = 1. Um período de washout de 20 minutos com respiração espontânea foi permitido entre cada PEEP. Variáveis clínicas e uma gasometria arterial foram registradas após cada etapa de PEEP. RESULTADOS: Analisando os 30 pacientes, a oxigenação melhorou linearmente com a elevação da PEEP, contudo, estudando os pacientes conforme a PEEP inicial randomizada, a oxigenação foi similar independentemente da primeira PEEP randomizada (5, 10 ou 15 cmH2O), e somente o subgrupo com PEEP inicial = 5 cmH2O melhorou mais a oxigenação quando PEEPs maiores foram usadas. A PaCO2 também aumentou junto com a elevação da PEEP, especialmente com uma PEEP = 15 cmH2O. O uso de PSV = 5 cmH2O foi associado com significante e consistente melhora da sensação subjetiva de dispnéia e da frequência respiratória com PEEP de 0 a 15 cmH2O. CONCLUSÕES: Os pacientes com SIDA e insuficiência respiratória hipoxêmica melhoram a oxigenação com a elevação progressiva e sequencial da PEEP até 15 cmH2O, contudo a elevação da PaCO2 limita a PEEP até 10 cmH2O. Uma PSV = 5 cmH2O promove uma melhora da sensação subjetiva da dispnéia independentemente do uso de PEEP / INTRODUTION: The acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) is a pandemic, and lung diseases are the leading cause of morbidity and mortality and are often associated with respiratory infections, hypoxemia and death. The noninvasive ventilation with positive pressure refers to the provision of mechanical ventilatory assistance without the need for artificial airway invasion, being recognized for improving oxygenation and dyspnea in patients with hipoxemic respiratory failure. Patients with AIDS and hypoxemic respiratory failure often require invasive mechanical ventilation, which is independently associated with mortality. Given the uncertainties about response in oxygenation with PEEP in patients with AIDS with acute hypoxemic respiratory failure and using the rational for progressive pressurization of the airway and its potential benefits on blood oxygenation, we made the hypothesis that increased levels of sequential PEEP up to 15 cmH2O may improve blood oxygenation without affecting the comfort and hemodynamics of the patient. The main objective of this study was to investigate the effects of different sequences of PEEP levels on gas exchange, the sensation of dyspnea and hemodynamics in patients with AIDS and acute hypoxemic respiratory failure. The secondary objective was to assess the time free of invasive mechanical ventilation in 28 days and hospital mortality within 60 days. METHODS: We studied 30 adults patients with HIV/AIDS and acute hypoxemic respiratory failure. All patients received a randomized sequence of noninvasive PEEP (the values used were 5,10 or 15 cmH2O) for twenty minutes. PEEP was delivered via face mask with pressure support (PSV) of 5 cmH2O and FiO2 = 1. A washout period of 20 minutes with spontaneous breathing was allowed between each PEEP trial. Clinical variables and arterial blood gases were recorded after each PEEP step. RESULTS: Analyzing the 30 patients, oxygenation improved linearly with increasing PEEP, however studying the patients randomized according to the initial PEEP, oxygenation was similar regardless of the first randomized PEEP (5,10 or 15 cmH2O), and only the subgroup with initial PEEP = 5 cmH2O further improve the oxygenation when high PEEP were used. The PaCO2 also rose beside the PEEP elevation, especially with a PEEP = 15 cmH2O. The use of PSV = 5 cmH2O was associated with significant and consistent improvement of subjective sensation of dyspnea and respiratory rate with a PEEP from 0 to 15 cmH2O. CONCLUSION: AIDS-patients with hypoxemic respiratory failure improve oxygenation with a progressive sequential elevation of PEEP up to 15 cmH2O, however the elevation of PaCO2 limit the PEEP up to 10 cmH2O. A PSV = 5 cmH2O promotes an improvement of subjective sensation of dyspnea independently from the use of PEEP

O complexo distrofina-glicoproteínas associadas (DGC) localiza-se no sarcolema das células musculares esqueléticas e cardíacas e tem como função principal proporcionar ligação mecânica entre o citoesqueleto intracelular e a matriz extracelular. Estudos prévios realizados em nosso laboratório, focalizando o complexo DGC, demonstraram perda de proteínas importantes desse complexo. As situações avaliadas anteriormente foram: infecção experimental por Trypanosoma cruzi (T. cruzi) e sépsis experimental. Em ambas as situações verificou-se a perda da distrofina acompanhada por disfunção contrátil e aumento nos níveis da calpaína, protease dependente de cálcio implicada na proteólise da distrofina. Todavia, o mecanismo responsável pela ativação das calpaínas e proteólise da distrofina na infecção experimental por T. cruzi e na sépsis experimental não está totalmente definido. O objetivo desse trabalho foi avaliar in vitro o mecanismo responsável pela ativação das calpaínas nas culturas de cardiomiócitos desafiadas com o soro dos animais infectados experimentalmente com T. cruzi ou com o soro dos animais submetidos à sépsis grave experimental. Camundongos C57BL/6 foram submetidos à sépsis grave ou infectados com a cepa Y de T. cruzi. No pico de expressão das citocinas pró-inflamatórias, 12 dias após inoculação do parasito ou 6 horas após a indução da sépsis, o sangue foi coletado e o soro separado. Corações de camundongos recém-nascidos foram isolados para o cultivo dos cardiomiócitos. No quinto dia após o início das culturas, as células foram estimuladas com 10% do soro de animais infectados com T. cruzi ou o soro de animais submetidos à sépsis grave durante 24 horas. Após, as células foram coletadas para análises de Western blotting e imunofluorescência para verificar a expressão da distrofina e calpaína-1. Avaliou-se também, por imunofluorescência, a expressão do NF-B. Os cardiomiócitos foram estimulados e tratados com o dantrolene, inibidor da liberação de cálcio do retículo sarcoplasmático, ou ALLN, inibidor da calpaína-1, e após coletados para verificar a expressão da distrofina e calpaína-1 por Western blotting e imunofluorescência. Nossos resultados mostraram uma redução significativa na expressão da distrofina com desarranjo das miofibrilas contráteis e formação de bolhas citoplasmáticas, além de um aumento nos níveis da calpaína-1 e do NF-B. O tratamento com dantrolene nas culturas estimuladas com o soro de animais infectados experimentalmente com T. cruzi ou com o soro dos animais submetidos à sépsis grave, recuperou a expressão da distrofina e reduziu os níveis da calpaína-1. O tratamento com ALLN nos cardiomiócitos estimulados com o soro de animais infectados experimentalmente com T. cruzi recuperou a expressão da distrofina e não alterou os níveis da calpaína-1. Nas culturas estimuladas com o soro dos animais submetidos à sépsis grave, o tratamento com o ALLN recuperou a expressão da distrofina e reduziu os níveis da calpaína-1. Nossos resultados demonstraram que citocinas pró-inflamatórias presentes no soro dos animais infectados experimentalmente com T. cruzi como também no soro dos animais submetidos à sépsis grave induziriam um aumento no influxo de cálcio com consequente ativação das calpaínas, as quais atuariam na ativação do NF-B e na degradação da distrofina. Esse mecanismo poderia ser responsável pela proteólise da distrofina cardíaca observada na infecção experimental por Trypanosoma cruzi como também sépsis experimental. Mais estudos são necessários para elucidar este mecanismo, principalmente em relação a inibidores dos canais de cálcio, das citocinas pró-inflamatórias e das calpaínas, com o objetivo de fornecer novas vias de intervenção na prevenção de alterações cardíacas observadas na doença de Chagas e na sépsis. / The dystrophin-glycoprotein complex (DGC), located in the sarcolemma of cardiac and skeletal muscle cells and concentrated along the plasma membrane in costameric structures provides a framework that connects the intracellular cytoskeleton to the extracellular matrix. Previous studies from our laboratory clearly demonstrated disruption of DGC proteins in experimentally-induced T. cruzi infection and experimental sepsis. Both situation presented dystrophin disruption associated with contractile dysfunction and increased calpain levels, calcium dependent protease responsible for dystrophin proteolysis. However, the mechanism responsible for calpain activation and dystrophin proteolysis in experimentally-induced T. cruzi infection and experimental sepsis is not totally understood. The aim of this study was to evaluate in vitro the mechanism responsible for calpain activation in cultured cardiomyocytes challenged with serum from animals experimentally infected with T. cruzi or subjected to severe sepsis. Mice C57BL/6 were subjected to sepsis induction or infected with Y strain from T. cruzi. At the peak of proinflammatory cytokines expression, 12 days after parasite inoculation or 6 hours after sepsis induction, the blood was collected and the serum separated. Hearts from newborn mice were isolated for culture of cardiomyocytes. After 5 days of incubation, the cardiac cells were stimulated with 10% of serum from animals experimentally infected with T. cruzi or subjected to severe sepsis during 24 hours, and collected for Western blotting and immunofluorescence analysis to verify dystrophin and calpain-1 expression. The expression of NF-B was evaluated by immunofluorescence. The treatments with dantrolene, inhibitor of calcium release from sarcoplasmic reticulum, or ALLN, calpain-1 inhibitor, were performed in cultured cardiomyocytes stimulated during 24 hours with serum from animals infected with T. cruzi or subjected to severe sepsis, and dystrophin and calpain-1 expression were analyzed by Western blotting and immunofluorescence. Our results demonstrated loss of dystrophin associated with myofibers derangement and presence of cytoplasmic blebs as well increase of calpain-1 and NF-B expression. The dantrolene treatment in cultures stimulated with serum from animals infected with T. cruzi or subjected to severe sepsis recovey dystrophin expression and reduced calpain-1 levels. The ALLN treatment in cardiomyocytes stimulated with serum from animals infected with T. cruzi recovery dystrophin expression and preserved calpain-1 levels. In cultures stimulated with serum from animals subjected to severe sepsis, the ALLN treatment recovery dystrophin expression and decreased calpain-1 levels. Our results demonstrated that proinflammatory cytokines in serum from mice infected with T. cruzi or subjected to severe sepsis could induce an increase calcium influx with calpain activation, which could act in NF-B activation and dystrophin disruption. Possibly, this mechanism could be responsible to dystrophin proteolysis observed in experimentally-induced acute T. cruzi infection and experimental sepsis. More studies are needed to elucidate this mechanism, especially in relation to calcium channel blockers and inhibitors of pro-inflammatory cytokines and calpains, which may provide new routes for intervention to prevent cardiac damage in Chagas disease and sepsis.

Comprendre les mécanismes de spéciation des Produits de Fission (PF) dans le combustible nucléaire est un enjeu majeur pour pouvoir estimer précisément le terme source d’un accident grave. Parmi les nombreux PF créés, certains sont très réactifs et peuvent avoir un impact radiologique important en cas de relâchement dans l’atmosphère. C’est notamment le cas du césium (Cs), du molybdène (Mo) et du baryum (Ba). C’est dans ce contexte que s’inscrit le travail de thèse qui propose d’apporter des données expérimentales sur l’effet du potentiel oxygène sur la spéciation du Cs, du Mo et du Ba dans des combustibles nucléaires, à différents stades d’un accident grave.Une approche thermodynamique a été utilisée en support à l’interprétation des données expérimentales obtenues dans le cadre de ce travail. Deux types d’échantillons ont été étudiés: des combustibles MOX irradiés et des matériaux simulant un combustible UO2 à fort taux de combustion, obtenus par frittage à haute température (SIMFuel). Les échantillons ont été traités thermiquement dans des conditions représentatives d’un accident grave survenant dans un Réacteur à Eau Pressurisée (REP). Les conditions expérimentales ont couvert une gamme de température allant de 400°C à 2530°C et des potentiels oxygène situés entre -470 kJ.mol(O2)-1 et -100 kJ.mol(O2)-1. Les échantillons ont été caractérisés finement avant et après chaque traitement à l’aide de techniques complémentaires comme la microscopie optique et électronique, la microsonde et le SIMS dans le cas de l’irradié. Des mesures de XANES sur synchrotron ont été réalisées sur SIMFuel et ont conduit à des résultats importants en termes de spéciation des PF. Enfin, la technique de Spark Plasma Sintering (SPS) a été explorée avec succès pour la fabrication de SIMFuel contenant du Cs, du Mo et du Ba sous des formes chimiques représentatives d’un combustible REP en fonctionnement nominal.Ce travail a permis de mettre en évidence l’effet de la température en conditions oxydantes sur le comportement du combustible et des PF. Une oxydation du Mo, initialement présent sous forme métallique dans les inclusions blanches du combustible, en MoO2 a été observée dès 1000°C en conditions oxydantes. Une interaction entre le MoO2 formé et le Ba contenu dans la phase oxyde a eu lieu dans les mêmes conditions, menant à la formation de BaMoO4. Le potentiel oxygène joue aussi un rôle important dans le phénomène d’interaction pastille-gaine, en favorisant la diffusion des espèces en conditions oxydantes, diminuant ainsi la température de fusion du combustible. / In the nuclear community, it is a top priority to gain in-depth understanding of fission product (FP) speciation mechanisms occurring in nuclear fuel in order to precisely estimate the source term of a severe accident. Among the FP produced, some are highly reactive and may have a strong radiological impact if released into the environment. This is particularly the case of cesium (Cs), molybdenum (Mo) and barium (Ba). In this context, the objective of this study is to provide experimental data on the effect of the oxygen potential on Cs, Mo and Ba speciation in nuclear fuels at different stages of a severe accident.A thermodynamic approach was coupled with the experimental work to support the interpretation of experimental data. Two types of samples were studied in detail: irradiated MOX fuels and simulated high burn-up UO2 fuels produced through sintering at high temperature (SIMFuel). The samples were submitted to thermal treatments in conditions representative of a pressurised water reactor (PWR) severe accident. This approach made it possible to cover a temperature range from 400°C up to 2530°C and oxygen potentials from -470 kJ.mol(O2)-1 to -100 kJ.mol(O2)-1. The samples were characterized before and after each test using complementary techniques like OM, SEM, EPMA and SIMS in the case of irradiated fuels. XANES measurements using synchrotron radiation facilities were performed on SIMFuels and provided valuable results on FP speciation. Moreover, spark plasma sintering (SPS) was successfully investigated for the production of SIMFuel samples containing Cs, Mo and Ba in a chemical state representative of PWR fuel in normal operating conditions.This work highlighted the effect of oxidizing severe accident conditions on the fuel and FP behavior. Oxidation of Mo initially contained in the fuel’s metallic inclusions into MoO2 was observed to take place around 1000°C in oxidizing conditions. An interaction between MoO2 and the oxide phase containing Ba took place in the same conditions, leading to the formation of BaMoO4. The oxygen potential also plays an important role in fuel-cladding interactions, enhancing the diffusion of species in oxidizing conditions and lowering the temperature at which fuel melting occurs.

O complexo distrofina-glicoproteínas associadas (DGC) localiza-se no sarcolema das células musculares esqueléticas e cardíacas e tem como função principal proporcionar ligação mecânica entre o citoesqueleto intracelular e a matriz extracelular. Estudos prévios realizados em nosso laboratório, focalizando o complexo DGC, demonstraram perda de proteínas importantes desse complexo. As situações avaliadas anteriormente foram: infecção experimental por Trypanosoma cruzi (T. cruzi) e sépsis experimental. Em ambas as situações verificou-se a perda da distrofina acompanhada por disfunção contrátil e aumento nos níveis da calpaína, protease dependente de cálcio implicada na proteólise da distrofina. Todavia, o mecanismo responsável pela ativação das calpaínas e proteólise da distrofina na infecção experimental por T. cruzi e na sépsis experimental não está totalmente definido. O objetivo desse trabalho foi avaliar in vitro o mecanismo responsável pela ativação das calpaínas nas culturas de cardiomiócitos desafiadas com o soro dos animais infectados experimentalmente com T. cruzi ou com o soro dos animais submetidos à sépsis grave experimental. Camundongos C57BL/6 foram submetidos à sépsis grave ou infectados com a cepa Y de T. cruzi. No pico de expressão das citocinas pró-inflamatórias, 12 dias após inoculação do parasito ou 6 horas após a indução da sépsis, o sangue foi coletado e o soro separado. Corações de camundongos recém-nascidos foram isolados para o cultivo dos cardiomiócitos. No quinto dia após o início das culturas, as células foram estimuladas com 10% do soro de animais infectados com T. cruzi ou o soro de animais submetidos à sépsis grave durante 24 horas. Após, as células foram coletadas para análises de Western blotting e imunofluorescência para verificar a expressão da distrofina e calpaína-1. Avaliou-se também, por imunofluorescência, a expressão do NF-B. Os cardiomiócitos foram estimulados e tratados com o dantrolene, inibidor da liberação de cálcio do retículo sarcoplasmático, ou ALLN, inibidor da calpaína-1, e após coletados para verificar a expressão da distrofina e calpaína-1 por Western blotting e imunofluorescência. Nossos resultados mostraram uma redução significativa na expressão da distrofina com desarranjo das miofibrilas contráteis e formação de bolhas citoplasmáticas, além de um aumento nos níveis da calpaína-1 e do NF-B. O tratamento com dantrolene nas culturas estimuladas com o soro de animais infectados experimentalmente com T. cruzi ou com o soro dos animais submetidos à sépsis grave, recuperou a expressão da distrofina e reduziu os níveis da calpaína-1. O tratamento com ALLN nos cardiomiócitos estimulados com o soro de animais infectados experimentalmente com T. cruzi recuperou a expressão da distrofina e não alterou os níveis da calpaína-1. Nas culturas estimuladas com o soro dos animais submetidos à sépsis grave, o tratamento com o ALLN recuperou a expressão da distrofina e reduziu os níveis da calpaína-1. Nossos resultados demonstraram que citocinas pró-inflamatórias presentes no soro dos animais infectados experimentalmente com T. cruzi como também no soro dos animais submetidos à sépsis grave induziriam um aumento no influxo de cálcio com consequente ativação das calpaínas, as quais atuariam na ativação do NF-B e na degradação da distrofina. Esse mecanismo poderia ser responsável pela proteólise da distrofina cardíaca observada na infecção experimental por Trypanosoma cruzi como também sépsis experimental. Mais estudos são necessários para elucidar este mecanismo, principalmente em relação a inibidores dos canais de cálcio, das citocinas pró-inflamatórias e das calpaínas, com o objetivo de fornecer novas vias de intervenção na prevenção de alterações cardíacas observadas na doença de Chagas e na sépsis. / The dystrophin-glycoprotein complex (DGC), located in the sarcolemma of cardiac and skeletal muscle cells and concentrated along the plasma membrane in costameric structures provides a framework that connects the intracellular cytoskeleton to the extracellular matrix. Previous studies from our laboratory clearly demonstrated disruption of DGC proteins in experimentally-induced T. cruzi infection and experimental sepsis. Both situation presented dystrophin disruption associated with contractile dysfunction and increased calpain levels, calcium dependent protease responsible for dystrophin proteolysis. However, the mechanism responsible for calpain activation and dystrophin proteolysis in experimentally-induced T. cruzi infection and experimental sepsis is not totally understood. The aim of this study was to evaluate in vitro the mechanism responsible for calpain activation in cultured cardiomyocytes challenged with serum from animals experimentally infected with T. cruzi or subjected to severe sepsis. Mice C57BL/6 were subjected to sepsis induction or infected with Y strain from T. cruzi. At the peak of proinflammatory cytokines expression, 12 days after parasite inoculation or 6 hours after sepsis induction, the blood was collected and the serum separated. Hearts from newborn mice were isolated for culture of cardiomyocytes. After 5 days of incubation, the cardiac cells were stimulated with 10% of serum from animals experimentally infected with T. cruzi or subjected to severe sepsis during 24 hours, and collected for Western blotting and immunofluorescence analysis to verify dystrophin and calpain-1 expression. The expression of NF-B was evaluated by immunofluorescence. The treatments with dantrolene, inhibitor of calcium release from sarcoplasmic reticulum, or ALLN, calpain-1 inhibitor, were performed in cultured cardiomyocytes stimulated during 24 hours with serum from animals infected with T. cruzi or subjected to severe sepsis, and dystrophin and calpain-1 expression were analyzed by Western blotting and immunofluorescence. Our results demonstrated loss of dystrophin associated with myofibers derangement and presence of cytoplasmic blebs as well increase of calpain-1 and NF-B expression. The dantrolene treatment in cultures stimulated with serum from animals infected with T. cruzi or subjected to severe sepsis recovey dystrophin expression and reduced calpain-1 levels. The ALLN treatment in cardiomyocytes stimulated with serum from animals infected with T. cruzi recovery dystrophin expression and preserved calpain-1 levels. In cultures stimulated with serum from animals subjected to severe sepsis, the ALLN treatment recovery dystrophin expression and decreased calpain-1 levels. Our results demonstrated that proinflammatory cytokines in serum from mice infected with T. cruzi or subjected to severe sepsis could induce an increase calcium influx with calpain activation, which could act in NF-B activation and dystrophin disruption. Possibly, this mechanism could be responsible to dystrophin proteolysis observed in experimentally-induced acute T. cruzi infection and experimental sepsis. More studies are needed to elucidate this mechanism, especially in relation to calcium channel blockers and inhibitors of pro-inflammatory cytokines and calpains, which may provide new routes for intervention to prevent cardiac damage in Chagas disease and sepsis.

Pessoas com tetraplegia possuem controle sobre poucas partes do corpo, por isso têm grande dificuldade de interação com o mundo ao seu redor. Interfaces humano-computador que utilizam a capacidade de controle muscular remanescente podem promover um acréscimo importante na autonomia do usuário com tetraplegia. Uma nova forma de interação com o computador é proposta: controle de um dispositivo de entrada por meio do lábio inferior. A ideia não foi partir da tecnologia e agregar recursos, mas sim, partir da pessoa e entender suas necessidades e potencialidades para pesquisar, propor, desenvolver e avaliar alternativas tecnológicas. Com o intuito de investigar se o lábio inferior seria capaz de controlar uma interface de maneira eficiente e precisa, foram desenvolvidos protótipos de um dispositivo de entrada vestível que pudesse ser acionado pelo lábio. Considerando o estado da arte, foi avaliada a capacidade do lábio inferior controlar esta interface proposta como um mouse de computador. Também foi realizada a comparação do controle pelo lábio inferior e pelo polegar utilizando o mesmo dispositivo sob as mesmas condições. O objetivo foi estabelecer referências sobre a capacidade do lábio inferior de controlar uma interface. Foram realizados e analisados os resultados de testes com sujeitos de pesquisa, mensurando e comprovando a capacidade tanto do lábio inferior, como parte do corpo capaz de controlar um dispositivo de entrada, quanto do próprio dispositivo. / People with tetraplegia control few body parts; therefore, they have great difficulty to interact with the environment. Human-computer interfaces that explore the residual muscular control capacity can provide the user with tetraplegia with an important autonomy increase. I propose a new form of interaction, a input device controlled by the lower lip. The idea was not starting from the technology and aggregate resources, but starting from the user needs to research, to propose, to develop and to evaluate technological alternatives. In order to investigate the lower lip ability to efficiently and precisely control an input device, prototypes of a wearable device were developed. I presented an evaluation of the lower lip potential to control a pointing input device, according to the state of the art. The lower lip throughput was compared with the thumb throughput using the same input device under the same conditions. The objective was to establish the baseline for future researches about the lower lip capacity to operate a computer pointing device. The results proved and measured the capacity of the interface as well as the lower lip as a body part able to control a input device.

Grave X was found in 1952 during construction work in Tuna in Badelunda parish, in the province of Västmanland. Objects from this 3rd Century grave were dispersed and the stone grave covering and cist-like wooden burial chamber were cut almost in half as a result of the construction work that unearthed it. The purpose of this dissertation is to create a better understanding of Tuna in Badelunda and to place Grave X and the person buried there in context. Due to my interest in Grave X and the person in this grave, the scope of the study is limited to Tuna during the Late Roman Iron Age. What kind of place may Tuna in Badelunda have been during that time? Which kinds of knowledge may the person in Grave X have possessed and what roles may this person have had in local society? How may this person have acted in Tuna in Badelunda in particular? Why was this person buried in the specific type of structure that was Grave X? To answer these questions, ancient monuments and phenomena in the Tuna area, objects from the grave and construction details of the grave are discussed. Specifically, I examine the name Tuna, stone enclosures, hillforts of Bejby borg-character and travel routes, beads, golden rings in the shape of snakes, vessels and serving utensils, and the stone grave covering and cist-like chamber. Since Grave X was partly ruined when discovered, comparisons are made to about 20 similar graves from other parts of Scandinavia in order to get an idea of what may have been lost from Grave X. A performative-constructive gender perspective is of importance in this dissertation, as well as the concept of creolization. The kinds of knowledge and the societal roles the person in Grave X may have had can be summarized in five categories or contexts of action: production within the (social-political) economy of the farm, ritual performances, physical communication, textile production, and oral performances with the telling of stories and relating of memories. Possible personal strategies in relation to the activities the person in question was involved in are seen as important. One way this dissertation takes up this subject is through the discussion of the role the person may have had in greetings and farewells in the yard of the farm (Sw. tun, gårdsplan). Greetings and farewells were probably of importance, and Tuna is discussed as a crossroads. This means that although a local perspective is advocated in this dissertation, Tuna may not be seen as an isolated community, but rather as a small place that to a great extent partook in the larger world. This can also be seen in Grave X; when the person in this grave was buried, the living made choices that both expressed local traditions and made reference to far-away places. In contrast to the surrounding graves, the person in Grave X was not cremated. One of many possible reasons may have been a desire to emphasize the person’s personality and gender as well as roles in society. / <p>Auktoriserad namnform i LIBRIS: Fernstål, Charlotte, 1974-</p>