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BiP (immunoglobulin heavy-chain binding protein) is a Hsp70 monomeric ATPase motor that plays broad and crucial roles in maintaining proteostasis inside the cell. Structurally, BiP is formed by two domains, a nucleotide-binding domain (NBD) with ATPase activity connected by a flexible hydrophobic linker to the substrate-binding domain. While the ATPase and substrate binding activities of BiP are allosterically coupled, the latter is also dependent on nucleotide binding. Recent structural studies have provided new insights into BiP's allostery; however, the influence of temperature on the coupling between substrate and nucleotide binding to BiP remains unexplored. Here, we study BiP's binding to its substrate at the single molecule level using thermo-regulated optical tweezers which allows us to mechanically unfold the client protein and explore the effect of temperature and different nucleotides on BiP binding. Our results confirm that the affinity of BiP for its protein substrate relies on nucleotide binding, by mainly regulating the binding kinetics between BiP and its substrate. Interestingly, our findings also showed that the apparent affinity of BiP for its protein substrate in the presence of nucleotides remains invariable over a wide range of temperatures, suggesting that BiP may interact with its client proteins with similar affinities even when the temperature is not optimal. Thus, BiP could play a role as a "thermal buffer" in proteostasis.

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The medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) is essential in the execution of cognitive tasks, however very little is known on how these neurons are modulated during specific tasks and which subtype of neurons are responsible for so. Therego, with the intention of addressing this issue, we recorded mPFC gabaergic and glutamatergic activation patterns through fiber photometry (FIP) in mice, while simultaneously performing the Barnes Maze (BM) cognitive task (4 day behavioral trial). In addition, an altered structural and procedural protocol for BM was validated in this study due to necessary modifications allowing FIP and BM to happen simultaneously. A successful protocol validation was followed by our preliminary results, which showed that both glutamatergic and gabaergic neurons presented significant change in activation intensity and number of events in specific contexts throughout the task days. In addition, when stratified and crossed with BM performance parameters, such as latency to complete tasks and adopted strategy, glutamatergic and gabaergic neurons presented a significant decline in both activation patterns and number of activation events throughout the days. This data suggest not only an important role of glutamatergic and gabaergic mPFC neurons in learning, memory and decision making, but also that activation patterns of each of these groups may serve as markers for cognitive progression and/or dysfunction. KEY-WORDS: Memory, Learning, Decision Making, Medial Prefrontal Cortex (mPFC), Fiber Photometry (FIP), Barnes Maze (BM), Glutamatergic, Gabaergic, Neuronal Activity, Neuronal Activation Patterns, Neuronal Dynamics.

O córtex pré-frontal medial (mPFC) é essencial na execução de tarefas cognitivas, no entanto, pouco se sabe sobre como esses neurônios são modulados durante tarefas específicas e qual subtipo de neurônios é responsável por isso. Portanto, com a intenção de abordar essa questão, registramos os padrões de ativação de neurônios gabaérgicos e glutamatérgicos do mPFC por meio de fotometria de fibra (FIP) em camundongos, enquanto realizávamos simultaneamente a tarefa cognitiva do Labirinto de Barnes (BM) (ensaio comportamental de 4 dias). Além disso, um protocolo estrutural e procedimental alterado para o BM foi validado neste estudo devido a modificações necessárias que permitiram a realização simultânea de FIP e BM. Uma validação bem-sucedida do protocolo foi seguida pelos nossos resultados preliminares, que mostraram que tanto os neurônios glutamatérgicos quanto os gabaérgicos apresentaram mudanças significativas na intensidade de ativação e no número de eventos em contextos específicos ao longo dos dias da tarefa. Além disso, quando estratificados e cruzados com parâmetros de desempenho do BM, como latência para completar as tarefas e estratégia adotada, os neurônios glutamatérgicos e gabaérgicos apresentaram uma diminuição significativa nos padrões de ativação e no número de eventos de ativação ao longo dos dias. Esses dados sugerem não apenas um papel importante dos neurônios glutamatérgicos e gabaérgicos do mPFC na aprendizagem, memória e tomada de decisões, mas também que os padrões de ativação de cada um desses grupos podem servir como marcadores de progressão e/ou disfunção cognitiva. PALAVRAS-CHAVE: Memória, Aprendizagem, Tomada de Decisões, Córtex Pré-Frontal Medial (mPFC), Fotometria de Fibra (FIP), Labirinto de Barnes (BM), Glutamatérgico, Gabaérgico, Atividade Neuronal, Padrões de Ativação Neuronal, Dinâmica Neuronal.

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The ability to learn motor skills implicates an improvement in accuracy, speed and consistency of movements. Motor control is related to movement execution and involves corticospinal neurons (CSp), which are broadly distributed in layer 5B of the motor and somatosensory cortices. CSp neurons innervate the spinal cord and are functionally diverse. However, whether CSp activity differs between different cortical areas throughout motor learning has been poorly explored. Given the importance and interaction between primary motor (M1) and somatosensory (S1) cortices related to movement, we examined the functional roles of CSp neurons in both areas. We induced the expression of GCaMP7s calcium indicator to perform photometric calcium recordings from layer 5B CSp neurons simultaneously in M1 and S1 cortices and track their activity while adult mice learned and performed a cued lever-press task. We found that during early learning sessions, the population calcium activity of CSp neurons in both cortices during movement did not change significantly. In late learning sessions the peak amplitude and duration of calcium activity CSp neurons increased in both, M1 and S1 cortices. However, S1 and M1 CSp neurons display a different temporal dynamic during movements that occurred when animals learned the task; both M1 and S1 CSp neurons activate before movement initiation, however, M1 CSp neurons continue active during movement performance, reinforcing the idea of the diversity of the CSp system and suggesting that CSp neuron activity in M1 and S1 cortices throughout motor learning have different functional roles for sensorimotor integration.

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Purpose To evaluate the effect of glass-reinforced ceramics (leucite and lithium disilicate) with different thicknesses (1, 2, and 3 mm) on the wavelength and irradiance spectrum of blue and violet lights. In addition, the effect of the ceramics on four current light-curing units (LCUs) was evaluated: a halogen lamp, a single peak LED, and two multi-peak LEDs.Methods Ceramic discs of different thicknesses (1, 2, and 3 mm) were obtained from computer-aided design and computer-aided manufacturing (CAD-CAM) blocks. The irradiance, radiant exposure, and emission spectrum of the four LCUs were analyzed using a spectrometer-based instrument. To evaluate the violet and blue lights, a specific device that provides a narrow emission spectrum was used.Results The ceramics reduced the irradiance of all the tested LCUs. However, the wavelength of the transmitted light was only altered slightly. The effect of leucite and lithium disilicate varied according to the type of LCU and thickness of the ceramic disc evaluated .Conclusions From the results, it could be concluded that the thickness of the leucite and lithium disilicate ceramic significantly reduced the irradiance of the light emitted by the LCUs, with minimal changes on the wavelength spectrum of the lights. The effects of the ceramic on irradiance and transmitted wavelengths of the blue and violet lights was slightly different.

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This study was undertaken to evaluate the sodium concentration in meat products, to ascertain their appropriateness for labels and agreements set up between the Health Ministry and the Brazilian Association of Food Industries. A total of 96 meat derivative samples (italian salami, chicken pate, cooked ham, ham, sausage, bologna, tuscan sausage and smoked mixed sausage) were collected from different brands and batches. Using flame emission spectroscopy, the samples were analyzed for sodium levels based on the official methodology. It was observed that 46.9% of the companies showed values in nutritional labeling to be noncompliant with the Brazilian legislation. In fact, 31.2% of the brands assessed failed to satisfy the sodium reduction target decided upon for 2017. The italian salami was the product with the higher sodium content present a average value among the brands of 1716.11 mg 100 g-1. It became evident that merely implementing voluntary agreements had failed to provide total adequacy in the sodium content of the meat products. There is also great need for the industries to be more engaged in finding substitutes to minimize the sodium levels in the foods, without inducing significant alterations in the physicochemical, microbiological and technological features of the products, apart from the higher inspection by the government agencies in terms of agreement compliance and population awareness.(AU)

O objetivo deste trabalho foi determinar a concentração de sódio em produtos cárneos a fim de verificar sua adequação aos rótulos e aos acordos de redução estabelecidos entre Ministério da Saúde e Associação Brasileira das Indústrias da Alimentação. Foram coletadas 96 amostras de derivados cárneos (salame tipo italiano, patê de frango, presunto cozido, apresuntado, salsicha, mortadela, linguiça toscana e linguiça mista defumada) de diferentes marcas e lotes. As amostras foram analisadas quanto ao conteúdo de sódio, empregando espectroscopia de emissão de chama, conforme metodologia oficial. Foi observado que 46,9% das empresas estavam com os valores expressos na rotulagem nutricional em desacordo com a legislação brasileira e 31,2% das marcas avaliadas não cumpriram a meta para redução de sódio acordada para 2017. O salame tipo italiano foi o produto que apresentou maior conteúdo de sódio, com valor médio entre as marcas de 1716,11 mg 100 g-1. Verificou-se que somente a implantação de acordos voluntários não resulta em uma adequação total no teor de sódio nos produtos cárneos, bem como, faz-se necessário um maior engajamento das indústrias em encontrar alternativas para a redução de sódio nos alimentos sem que haja alterações significativas nos aspectos físico-químicos, microbiológicos e tecnológicos dos produtos, além de uma maior fiscalização dos órgãos governamentais referente ao cumprimento dos acordos e a conscientização da população.(AU)

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To achieve mass, power and cost reduction, there is a trend to reduce the volume of many instruments aboard spacecraft, especially for small spacecraft (cubesats or nanosats) with very limited mass, volume and power budgets. With the current trend of miniaturizing spacecraft instruments one could naturally ask if is there a physical limit to this process for star sensors. This paper shows that there is a fundamental limit on star sensor accuracy, which depends on stellar distribution, star sensor dimensions and exposure time. An estimate of this limit is given for our location in the galaxy.

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Although usual in analytical chemistry, separations of volatile analytes by distillation are time-consuming, whereas gas diffusion through membranes is characterized by low efficiency. These limitations directly hinder sample throughput and sensitivity. In this work, a simple and inexpensive approach is proposed for separation of volatile analytes by microdistillation. It consists of an eppendorf type tube containing the acceptor solution suspended inside a 50 mL Falcon® capped tube containing the sample. The bottom of the sample tube is submitted to controlled heating in a water bath to promote analyte volatilization to the headspace, thus favoring its collection into the acceptor solution. The efficiency of the approach was evaluated by determination of methanol in biodiesel, whose threshold limit is 0.2% (m/m) according the current legislation. Measurements were based on discoloration of an acidic potassium permanganate solution (750 µL), caused by oxidation of methanol with consequent reduction to Mn(II). The analytical measurements were based on intensity of the reflected radiation acquired as digital images by the camera of a smartphone under controlled lighting. Values of the G channel were used as analytical parameter because of the complementarity with the color of the potassium permanganate solution. Under heating at 70 °C for 40 min, the transference of methanol to the acceptor solution was estimated at (98 ±â€¯3)%. A linear response was achieved within 0.025% and 0.200% (m/m) methanol, with coefficient of variation (n = 10) and limit of detection (99.7% confidence level) estimated at 3.7% and 0.009% (m/m) respectively. The procedure requires only 100 µg of potassium permanganate and 200 µL of sample and generates as low as 950 µL of residue per determination. Because of the selectivity provided by microdistillation, the results obtained by the proposed approach agreed with the reference procedure at the 95% confidence level. The proposed approach is a simple, efficient, and cost-effective alternative for separation and determination of volatile species.

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This study was done to establish the sodium concentration in the cheeses marketed in the western border region of the Rio Grande do Sul. A total of 30 cheese samples (grated Parmesan, Mozzarella, Prato and Artisanal) were collected from different brands and lots. After analyzing them under atomic emission spectroscopy, in quadruplicate, the sodium levels were ascertained. From the quantification of the sodium content significant differences were noted among the lots of all the cheese brands assessed. The results clearly revealed that 44.4% of the companies had listed nutritional values on the labels that were noncompliant with the legislation. Besides, 77.8% of the brands failed to reduce the sodium concentration to the levels jointly decided upon by the Ministry of Health and Brazilian Association of Food Industries, which should have been achieved ideally towards the end of 2016. While the Artisanal cheeses did not register high concentrations of sodium, the formulation of the grated Parmesan cheese was characterized by its high sodium content (2014.56 mg/100 g), as well as by its steady rise in sodium concentration over the years. This is indicative of the inattentiveness of the industry towards the consumers, as stringent laws to standardize the quantity of added salt in cheeses preparations are nonexistent.(AU)

O objetivo deste trabalho foi determinar a concentração de sódio em queijos comercializados na região da fronteira oeste do Rio Grande do Sul. Foram coletadas 30 amostras de queijos (Parmesão ralado, Muçarela, Prato e Artesanal) de diferentes marcas e lotes, as quais foram analisadas em quadruplicata quanto ao conteúdo de sódio, empregando a espectroscopia de emissão atômica. A quantificação do teor de sódio permitiu constatar que houve diferença significativa entre os lotes de todas as marcas de queijos avaliadas. Os resultados indicaram que 44,4% das empresas estavam com os valores da rotulagem nutricional em desacordo com a legislação. Além disso, 77,8% das marcas não cumprem a meta para redução de sódio acordada entre o Ministério da Saúde e Associação Brasileira das Indústrias da Alimentação, a qual deveria ter sido alcançada até o final do ano de 2016. Em relação aos queijos Artesanais não foram registradas altas concentrações de sódio. O queijo Parmesão ralado destacou-se pelo elevado conteúdo de sódio em sua formulação (2014,56 mg/100 g) e também pelo aumento da adição deste mineral com o passar dos anos. Com isso, evidencia-se a negligência da indústria em relação aos consumidores, devido à ausência de leis para padronizar a adição de sal na preparação de queijos.(AU)

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This study was done to establish the sodium concentration in the cheeses marketed in the western border region of the Rio Grande do Sul. A total of 30 cheese samples (grated Parmesan, Mozzarella, Prato and Artisanal) were collected from different brands and lots. After analyzing them under atomic emission spectroscopy, in quadruplicate, the sodium levels were ascertained. From the quantification of the sodium content significant differences were noted among the lots of all the cheese brands assessed. The results clearly revealed that 44.4% of the companies had listed nutritional values on the labels that were noncompliant with the legislation. Besides, 77.8% of the brands failed to reduce the sodium concentration to the levels jointly decided upon by the Ministry of Health and Brazilian Association of Food Industries, which should have been achieved ideally towards the end of 2016. While the Artisanal cheeses did not register high concentrations of sodium, the formulation of the grated Parmesan cheese was characterized by its high sodium content (2014.56 mg/100 g), as well as by its steady rise in sodium concentration over the years. This is indicative of the inattentiveness of the industry towards the consumers, as stringent laws to standardize the quantity of added salt in cheeses preparations are nonexistent.

O objetivo deste trabalho foi determinar a concentração de sódio em queijos comercializados na região da fronteira oeste do Rio Grande do Sul. Foram coletadas 30 amostras de queijos (Parmesão ralado, Muçarela, Prato e Artesanal) de diferentes marcas e lotes, as quais foram analisadas em quadruplicata quanto ao conteúdo de sódio, empregando a espectroscopia de emissão atômica. A quantificação do teor de sódio permitiu constatar que houve diferença significativa entre os lotes de todas as marcas de queijos avaliadas. Os resultados indicaram que 44,4% das empresas estavam com os valores da rotulagem nutricional em desacordo com a legislação. Além disso, 77,8% das marcas não cumprem a meta para redução de sódio acordada entre o Ministério da Saúde e Associação Brasileira das Indústrias da Alimentação, a qual deveria ter sido alcançada até o final do ano de 2016. Em relação aos queijos Artesanais não foram registradas altas concentrações de sódio. O queijo Parmesão ralado destacou-se pelo elevado conteúdo de sódio em sua formulação (2014,56 mg/100 g) e também pelo aumento da adição deste mineral com o passar dos anos. Com isso, evidencia-se a negligência da indústria em relação aos consumidores, devido à ausência de leis para padronizar a adição de sal na preparação de queijos.

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BACKGROUND: Hydroelectrolytic disorders are common in clinical situations and may be harmful to the patient, especially those involving plasma sodium and potassium dosages. Among the possible methods for the dosages are flame photometry, ion-selective electrode (ISE) and colorimetric enzymatic method. METHODS: We analyzed 175 samples in the three different methods cited from patients attending the laboratory of the University Hospital of the Federal University of Juiz de Fora. The values obtained were statistically treated using SPSS 19.0 software. The present study aims to evaluate the impact of the use of these different methods in the determination of plasma sodium and potassium. RESULTS: The averages obtained for sodium and potassium measurements by flame photometry were similar (P > .05) to the means obtained for the two electrolytes by ISE. The averages obtained by the colorimetric enzymatic method presented statistical difference in relation to ISE, both for sodium and potassium. In the correlation analysis, both flame photometry and colorimetric enzymatic showed a strong correlation with the ISE method for both dosages. CONCLUSION: At the first time in the same work sodium and potassium were analyzed by three different methods and the results allowed us to conclude that the methods showed a positive and strong correlation, and can be applied in the clinical routine.

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In this work, a multicommuted flow analysis procedure is proposed for the spectrophotometric determination of cobalt in fresh water, employing an instrument setup of downsized dimension and improved cost-effectiveness. The method is based on the catalytic effect of Co(II) on the Tiron oxidation by hydrogen peroxide in alkaline medium, forming a complex that absorbs radiation at 425 nm. The photometric detection was accomplished using a homemade light-emitting-diode (LED)-based photometer designed to use a flow cell with an optical path-length of 100 mm to improve sensitivity. After selecting adequate values for the flow system variables, adherence to the Beer-Lambert-Bouguer law was observed for standard solution concentrations in the range of 0.13-1.5 µg L-1 Co(II). Other useful features including a relative standard deviation of 2.0% (n = 11) for a sample with 0.49 µg L-1 Co(II), a detection limit of 0.06 µg L-1 Co(II) (n = 20), an analytical frequency of 42 sample determinations per hour, and waste generation of 1.5 mL per determination were achieved.

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O consumo de bebidas carbonatadas no Brasil é elevado e o país carece de dados sobre os teores de sódio neste tipo de bebida. Este trabalho verificou os teores de sódio, por meio da fotometria de chama, em 15 amostras de refrigerantes à base de cola, guaraná e laranja adquiridas no comércio de São Luís - MA. Os teores de sódio encontrados variaram de 50 a 254 mg/L. As bebidas adoçadas com açúcar apresentaram média de 104,2 mg/L de Na e as bebidas adoçadas artificialmente, média de 101,2 mg/L de Na, devido a um número inferior de amostras analisadas. Por conseguinte, um consumidor médio de refrigerantes (259 mL/dia) poderá ingerir por dia cerca de 27 mg de sódio provenientes do refrigerante caso consuma bebidas adoçadas com açúcar enquanto que, o consumidor médio que preferir bebidas adoçadas artificialmente estará ingerindo aproximadamente 26 mg/dia de Na. Já os consumidores de 2 L/dia, ao preferirem bebidas com açúcar estarão ingerindo cerca de 208,4 mg/ dia de Na e 202,4 mg/dia de Na se consumirem as bebidas com edulcorantes artificiais, considerando unicamente os refrigerantes como fonte do mineral. Tal ingestão deve ser levada em consideração por pessoas com hipertensão arterial e com recomendação de dieta hipossódica. (AU)

The consumption of carbonated drinks in Brazil is high and the country lacks data on the sodium content of this type of beverage sold. This study examined the levels of sodium by flame photometry in 15 samples of soft drinks, with cola, orange and guarana bought locally from São Luís - MA. The sodium content ranged from 50 to 254 mg/L of Na. The sugar-sweetened beverages had mean of 104.2 mg/L of Na and sweetened beverages, average of 101.2 mg/L of Na, due to a lower number of samples. Therefore, an average consumer of soft drinks (259 mU/day) per day may ingest about 27 mg of sodium from the soda case consume sugar-sweetened beverages while the average consumer who prefer sweetened beverages will be ingesting about 26 mg/day of Na. Already consumers 2 Uday, to prefer sugary drinks are getting about 208.4 mg/ day of Na and 202.4 mg/day of day are consumed drinks with artificial sweeteners, considering only soft drinks as a source of the mineral. This intake should be taken into account by people with hypertension and low sodium diet. (AU)

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Antecedentes. La postura en sedente es un elemento esencial en la valoración global fisioterapéutica, el análisis en el campo de la ergonomía y la prescripción de silla de ruedas. De los métodos existentes, ninguno ofrece la combinación de ser comprensivo con el uso de técnicas de medición fáciles de implementar y económicas. Objetivo. Adaptar un método de medición tri-planar de la postura en bípedo a sedente. Materiales y métodos. Unidades de análisis incluyen el método de medición tri-planar de la postura en bípedo GOSS y documentos de referencia primaria y secundaria. Resultados. El método de medición GOSS-Petrocci identifica los parámetros (el sistema de referencia, los segmentos corporales, los puntos de referencia corporal) y los mecanismos (los instrumentos de medición y el protocolo de medición) de la postura en sedente. Conclusión. El método GOSS-Petrocci se utiliza para medir la postura en sedente en tres planos de manera comprensivo, utilizando fotometría lo cual permite entender la postura de acuerdo a la posición de mayor estabilidad/postura ideal y permite una implementación fácil en el ámbito clínico.

Background. Seated posture is an essential element in global physical therapy evaluations, in analysis in the field of ergonomics and for the prescription of wheelchairs. Existing methods of seated posture do not offer the combination of measuring posture comprehensively in an easy and economic way. Objective. To adapt a tri-planar standing postural measurement method to sitting. Materials and methods. Units of analysis include the tri-planar measurement method in standing, GOSS method, and primary and secondary reference documents. Results. The GOSS-Petrocci method, which include the identification of the parameters (the reference system, the body segments, body reference points) and the mechanisms (the measurement instruments and the measurement protocol) of seated posture. Conclusion. The GOSS-Petrocci method is used to measure seated posture in three planes comprehensively, using photometry, which permits the understanding of posture according to the position of greatest stability/ideal posture and can be easily implemented in a clinical setting.

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A postura apresenta relação com o tipo de modalidade esportiva praticada, acompanhada de características próprias. Por isso, este trabalho teve como objetivo verificar a postura e suas possíveis alterações em atletas de ginástica rítmica. Trata-se de um estudo de fotometria - fotografias retiradas de pontos específicos demarcados no corpo da atleta, sendo analisados pelo software de avaliação postural (SAPO). Participaram do estudo 27 indivíduos do sexo feminino, entre sete e 15 anos, atletas de uma equipe GR de Maringá, PR. Foram verificadas alterações em todas as atletas, sendo que algumas mostraram-se maiores, que podem ser justificadas pelos aspectos característicos da modalidade, e necessitam de novas análises. Portanto, a avaliação postural das atletas de GR torna-se importante como medida profilática para identificar os possíveis desalinhamentos posturais.

Posture is correlated with the sports modality and presents its own characteristics which the body has to adapt to and can cause postural disorders. Therefore, this study aimed to verify posture and its alterations in rhythmic gymnastics athletes using software called SAPO. It is a study that uses photometry - analysis of pictures captured of specific points marked on the athlete's body. 27 women aged between seven and 15 years, rhythmic gymnastics athletes from Maringá-PR participated in the study. Alterations were verified in all the athletes; however, some disorders being more remarkable, which can be justified by the characteristic aspects of the modality, and hence need to be further investigated. Thus, the evaluation of postural disorders becomes important to identify possible postural disorders.

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Nos últimos anos, a obesidade assumiu proporções epidêmicas, relacionando-se aos fatores de risco cardiovasculares e também ao aparecimento de alterações posturais, tanto no adulto como em crianças e adolescentes. O objetivo do presente estudo foi identificar e comparar a frequência de alterações posturais e dor em escolares obesos e não obesos de acordo com o gênero. Foram analisadas 51 crianças e adolescentes, de 9 a 17 anos, de ambos os sexos, divididas em dois grupos: obesos (n=33) e não-obesos (n=18), estes foram posteriormente subdivididos por sexo para as análises. A partir da massa corporal e da estatura, foi calculado o índice de massa corporal (IMC). Utilizou-se questionário elaborado pelos autores e validado em conteúdo para avaliar a presença ou não de dor. Foram avaliados desvios posturais de ombro, cabeça e joelho, pelo uso de fotometria para análise angular e de dimensão. Os meninos obesos apresentaram maiores alterações posturais do que os não-obesos somente na região do joelho (p<0,01). Entre as meninas, não houve diferença para nenhuma das regiões. A frequência de dor nas meninas obesas foi significativamente maior do que nas não-obesas (p<0,05). Conclui-se que as alterações não são exclusivas dos indivíduos obesos, mas o excesso de peso pode acentuar esses desvios. Mais estudos são necessários para diagnosticar, já na infância, essas alterações, possibilitando intervenção precoce e boa postura na vida adulta.

Obesity has reached epidemic proportions over recent years and is related to cardiovascular risk factors, as well as to the occurrence of postural changes in adults, children and adolescents. The objective of this study was to identify the prevalence of postural abnormalities and pain in schoolchildren. Fifty-one children and adolescents of both genders aged 9-17 years were divided into an obese (n = 33) and a non-obese group (n = 18). Weight and height were measured to calculate the body mass index. A questionnaire was used to assess the presence or absence of pain. Postural deviations of the shoulder, head and knees were analyzed by photometry using the Corel Draw12 software for the determination of angular measures and size. Obese boys showed greater postural changes in the region of the knees than non-obese ones (p<0.001). No significant differences in any of the regions analyzed were observed for girls. On the other hand, the prevalence of pain was significantly higher among obese girls than among non-obese girls. We conclude that postural changes are not limited to obese children, but excess weight may increase this deviation. Further studies are needed to diagnose these changes during childhood in order to permit early intervention and good posture in adult life.

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Introdução: A reeducação postural global (RPG) é um método de avaliação e tratamento das diversas disfunçõesposturais, que utiliza posturas globais para tratar as cadeias musculares em alteração. Objetivo: Analisar o efeito de uma sessão de RPG na postura de mulheres com encurtamento da cadeia muscular anterior. Métodos: Trinta voluntárias (20 ± 2,4 anos) com encurtamento da cadeia anterior foram divididas aleatoriamente em dois grupos: grupo experimental e grupo controle. No grupo experimental foi aplicada a postura de RPG (40 min), e no grupo controle, as participantes não foram submetidas a nenhum procedimento.Foram mensuradas 11 variáveis relacionadas à análise postural por meio da fotometria, antes e imediatamente após a técnica de reeducação postural. Resultados: Algumas variáveis relacionadas à posição da cabeça e do ombro apresentaram alterações significativas: o ângulo de protusão da cabeça (p = 0,00), o alinhamento horizontal da cabeça (p = 0,02), distância fio de prumo-trago (p = 0,00) e distância fio de prumo-acrômio (p = 0,00). Conclusão: A técnica de reeducação postural global apresentou efeito imediato na posição da cabeça e do ombro, porém uma única intervenção não foi capaz de alterar o posicionamento de outras estruturas analisadas, como o tronco, a pelve e o membro inferior.

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