Chasing Tics in the Human Brain: Development of Open, Scheduled and Closed Loop Responsive Approaches to Deep Brain Stimulation for Tourette Syndrome

Leonardo Almeida,Daniel Martinez-Ramirez,Peter J. Rossi,Zhongxing Peng,Aysegul Gunduz,Michael S. Okun 대한신경과학회 2015 Journal of Clinical Neurology Vol.11 No.2

Tourette syndrome is a childhood-onset disorder characterized by a combination of motor andvocal tics, ofen associated with psychiatric comorbidities including attention defcit and hyperactivity disorder and obsessive-compulsive disorder. Despite an onset early in life, half of patients may present symptoms in adulthood, with variable degrees of severity. In select cases,the syndrome may lead to signifcant physical and social impairment, and a worrisome riskfor self injury. Evolving research has provided evidence supporting the idea that the pathophysiology of Tourette syndrome is directly related to a disrupted circuit involving the cortexand subcortical structures, including the basal ganglia, nucleus accumbens, and the amygdala. Tere has also been a notion that a dysfunctional group of neurons in the putamen contributes to an abnormal facilitation of competing motor responses in basal ganglia structures ultimately underpinning the generation of tics. Surgical therapies for Tourette syndrome have beenreserved for a small group of patients not responding to behavioral and pharmacological therapies, and these therapies have been directed at modulating the underlying pathophysiology. Lesion therapy as well as deep brain stimulation has been observed to suppress tics in at leastsome of these cases. In this article, we will review the clinical aspects of Tourette syndrome, aswell as the evolution of surgical approaches and we will discuss the evidence and clinical responses to deep brain stimulation in various brain targets. We will also discuss ongoing research and future directions as well as approaches for open, scheduled and closed loop feedback-driven electrical stimulation for the treatment of Tourette syndrome.

Effects of dietary L-glutamine and glutamic acid combination, and whey powder on the performance and nutrient digestion in weaned piglets fed grain-based diets

Almeida Jonathan Mádson dos Santos,Pascoal Leonardo Augusto Fonseca,de Almeida Jorge Luiz Santos,Guerra Ricardo Romão,da Silva José Humberto Vilar,da Silva David Rwbystanne Pereira,Silva Neto Manoel R 아세아·태평양축산학회 2021 Animal Bioscience Vol.34 No.12

Objective: The present study aimed to evaluate the influence of including L-glutamine along with glutamic acid as a supplement in weaned piglets’ diets with and without whey powder. Methods: Two assays were carried out. A total of 40 piglets ([Landrace×Large White]× Pietrain) weaned at 24 days of age with an initial body weight of 6.6±0.6 kg were used in the first assay, and the following parameters were evaluated: growth performance, the incidence of diarrhea, morphometry, intestinal integrity, and hepatic glycogen index. The animals were then blocked into four groups according to different diets: diet all-grain feeding (G); diet all-grain feeding with whey powder (GW); and with vs without 1% supplementation of the commercial product containing L-glutamine and glutamic acid (A or NA). Whey powder was added according to the stage of life, corresponding to 17%, 10%, and 5%, respectively, in order to meet the need for lactose. The animals were evaluated at 24 to 42 days and at 24 to 55 days of age. The nutrient digestibility for the second assay was carried out by using 24 animals with an average weight of 11.49±1.6 kg, and the same diets were tested. Results: The supplementation of L-glutamine + glutamic acid or the addition of whey powder in diets for weaned piglets provided (p<0.05) greater feed intake, greater weight gain and improved feed conversion in the initial period (24 to 42 days age). However, in the whole period (24 to 55 days age) only amino acid supplementation affected (p<0.05) growth performance. There was a positive interaction (p<0.05) between the type of diet and L-glutamine + glutamic acid supplementation on villus height, crypt depth and the villus:crypt ratio in the duodenum. In addition, L-glutamine + glutamic acid supplementation reduced (p<0.05) the crypt depth and improved the villus:crypt ratio in the jejunum. The inclusion of whey powder affected (p<0.05) positively the digestibility coefficients analyzed except mineral matter digestibility coeficients. The supplementation of 1% the commercial product composed of L-glutamine and glutamic acid improved (p<0.05) only the digestibility coefficient of crude protein. Conclusion: These results indicate that supplementation of 1% commercial product containing L-glutamine + glutamic acid in diets for piglets from 24 to 55 days of age, dispenses with the use of whey powder when evaluating growth performance. Amino acid supplementation alone or associated with whey powder affects (p<0.05) positively the indicators of the intestinal integrity. Objective: The present study aimed to evaluate the influence of including L-glutamine along with glutamic acid as a supplement in weaned piglets’ diets with and without whey powder.Methods: Two assays were carried out. A total of 40 piglets ([Landrace×Large White]× Pietrain) weaned at 24 days of age with an initial body weight of 6.6±0.6 kg were used in the first assay, and the following parameters were evaluated: growth performance, the incidence of diarrhea, morphometry, intestinal integrity, and hepatic glycogen index. The animals were then blocked into four groups according to different diets: diet all-grain feeding (G); diet all-grain feeding with whey powder (GW); and with vs without 1% supplementation of the commercial product containing L-glutamine and glutamic acid (A or NA). Whey powder was added according to the stage of life, corresponding to 17%, 10%, and 5%, respectively, in order to meet the need for lactose. The animals were evaluated at 24 to 42 days and at 24 to 55 days of age. The nutrient digestibility for the second assay was carried out by using 24 animals with an average weight of 11.49±1.6 kg, and the same diets were tested.Results: The supplementation of L-glutamine + glutamic acid or the addition of whey powder in diets for weaned piglets provided (p<0.05) greater feed intake, greater weight gain and improved feed conversion in the initial period (24 to 42 days age). However, in the whole period (24 to 55 days age) only amino acid supplementation affected (p<0.05) growth performance. There was a positive interaction (p<0.05) between the type of diet and L-glutamine + glutamic acid supplementation on villus height, crypt depth and the villus:crypt ratio in the duodenum. In addition, L-glutamine + glutamic acid supplementation reduced (p<0.05) the crypt depth and improved the villus:crypt ratio in the jejunum. The inclusion of whey powder affected (p<0.05) positively the digestibility coefficients analyzed except mineral matter digestibility coeficients. The supplementation of 1% the commercial product composed of L-glutamine and glutamic acid improved (p<0.05) only the digestibility coefficient of crude protein.Conclusion: These results indicate that supplementation of 1% commercial product containing L-glutamine + glutamic acid in diets for piglets from 24 to 55 days of age, dispenses with the use of whey powder when evaluating growth performance. Amino acid supplementation alone or associated with whey powder affects (p<0.05) positively the indicators of the intestinal integrity.

Control and Reorganization of Heterogeneous Vehicle Platoons after Vehicle Exits and Entrances

Daniel Almeida Godinho,Armando Alves Neto,Leonardo Amaral Mozelli,Fernando de Oliveira Souza 제어·로봇·시스템학회 2022 International Journal of Control, Automation, and Vol.20 No.8

Platoons are efficient solutions to improve road transportation, traffic throughput, and other demands. But problems such as environmental disturbances, network imperfections, and unaware surrounding vehicles increase the necessity for resilient methods that ensure stability and connectivity among the platoon members. Hence, in this paper, we study the problem of decentralized control for platoons of heterogeneous vehicles under a limited communication range with a constant spacing policy. The goals are to guarantee inter-vehicle distances in steady-state, and resourcefulness to overcome entrances and exits of vehicles. Our main result is a resilient strategy, composed of a reconfiguration protocol and some simple rules for tuning the control law, based on local information about the relative connectivity to neighbors. It guarantees, in a decentralized manner, the automatic reorganization of the platoon under the entry and exit of agents. We conclude by illustrating our approach with simulated experiments on platoons with different numbers of vehicles, and by comparing it with the current state-of-the-art.

Antimicrobial activity of nanostructured Amazonian oils against Paenibacillus species and their toxicity on larvae and adult worker bees

Rodrigo de Almeida Vaucher,Janice Luehring Giongo,Leandro Perger Bolzan,Marcos Saldanha Côrrea,Viviane Pedroso Fausto,Camilla Filippi dos Santos Alves,Leonardo Quintana Soares Lopes,Aline Augusti Boli 한국응용곤충학회 2015 Journal of Asia-Pacific Entomology Vol.18 No.2

Antimicrobial activity of Amazonian oils Andiroba and Copaiba against Paenibacillus larvae has been recently determined, indicating their potential use for the control of American Foulbrood Disease (AFB), but the use of essential oils in the environment still represents a challenge. The oils present several volatile elements in its composition, such high volatility being the cause of a sharp decline in antimicrobial activity. In this context the nanostructuration of these amazon oils may decrease the volatile characteristic of such products. The following research aimed to evaluate the activity of nanoemulsions prepared with Andiroba and Copaiba oils against Paenibacillus species. The toxicity of nanoemulsions has also been investigated with larvae and adult worker bees. Nanoemulsions (NE1, 10% Andiroba oil; NE2, 10% Copaiba oil; and NE3, 10% medium-chain triglyceride as negative control) were prepared in a high pressure homogenizer. The particle sizes were determined as 192, 211, and 178 nm for NE1, NE2, and NE3, respectively. The z potential values were −56.4, −47.1, and −27.2, respectively. NE1 and NE2 showed minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) values lower than 0.39% for most Paenibacillus species tested. None of the strains were inhibited by negative control NE3. The timeresponse effect of the nanoemulsions has been tested on P. larvae ATCC9545, resulting in a decrease in the number of viable cells to less than 1 log CFU/ml for NE1. The nanoemulsion NE1 showed a significant toxic effect for the larvae (26% mortality) when compared with NE2 (13%) and NE3 (7%). The toxic effect of nanoemulsions has also been evaluated for 72 h in adult worker bees and low mortality rate was only observed for the NE1 treatment (8.3%). This study shows for the first time that nanoemulsions of Copaiba oil can be a potential candidate for the treatment or prevention of AFB.

Sugarcane bagasse as exclusive roughage for dairy cows in smallholder livestock system

Gleidiana Amelia Pontes de Almeida,Marcelo de Andrade Ferreira,Janaina de Lima Silva,Juana Catarina Cariri Chagas,Antonia Sherlanea Chaves Veras,Leonardo Jose Assis de Barros,Gledson Luiz Pontes de Al 아세아·태평양축산학회 2018 Animal Bioscience Vol.31 No.3

Objective: The study aimed to evaluate sugarcane bagasse as roughage in lactating cow on feed intake, digestibility, ingestive behavior, milk production and composition, and microbial protein synthesis. Methods: Ten Girolando cows at initial body weight of 450±25.6 kg and at 143.7±30.7 days in milk were assigned in two 5×5 Latin square designs. Five 21-day experimental periods were adopted (1° to 14-day: diets adaptation period; 15° to 21-day: data collection and sampling period). The diets consisted of four different levels of sugarcane bagasse (45%, 50%, 55%, and 60%) and a control diet, commonly adopted in the region, based on spineless cactus (25% sugarcane bagasse), formulated to meet 12 kg/d milk yield. Results: The dry matter (DM), organic matter (OM), and total digestible nutrients intakes and DM and OM digestibilities observed for 45% and 50% bagasse inclusion were similar to control diet, while that 55% and 60% bagasse inclusion were lower. Cows fed control diet, and bagasse diets of 45%, and 50% levels had the nutritional requirements attended, that guaranteed 12 kg/d of milk yield. The crude protein intake and digestibility of cows fed 45%, 50%, and 55% of bagasse inclusion were similar to control diet. The neutral detergent fiber (NDF) intake and digestibility differ for all bagasse diets related to control diet, while the non-fiber carbohydrates intake and digestibility for cows fed 45% of bagasse were similar for control diet. The intakes and digestibilities of nutrients decreased linearly in function of bagasse inclusion; NDF and indigestible NDF intakes did not vary. The ruminating time, feeding and rumination efficiency, microbial protein synthesis and milk yield decreased linearly with sugarcane bagasse inclusion. Conclusion: Sugarcane bagasse decreases milk production; however, its inclusion level in between 45% to 50% associated to concentrate could replace diets based on spineless cactus for crossbred dairy cow's producing 12 kg/d of milk.

Impact of deep brain stimulation surgery on speech and swallowing in patients with essential tremor

Ja Young Kim,Julie Hicks,Leonardo Brito de Almeida,Aparna Wagle-Shukla,Pamela Zeilman,Karen Hegland 한국언어재활사협회 2021 Clinical Archives of Communication Disorders Vol.6 No.2

Purpose: The ventral intermediate nucleus (VIM) of the thalamus is the typical target of deep brain stimulation (DBS) for controlling tremor in essential tremor (ET). It remains unclear whether the outcomes are significantly different on speech and/or swallowing functions. This study was to compare speech and swallowing outcomes in patients with ET without VIM DBS, and those with unilateral/bilateral VIM DBS. Methods: We conducted a retrospective review of 133 patients with the diagnosis of ET. We analyzed the clinical speech and swallowing evaluations, and compared outcomes across four ‘DBS disposition’ groupings: no DBS, left, right, or bilateral VIM DBS. Results: Speech function was worse in bilateral group versus no DBS and unilateral groups. Orofacial (p=0.000), rate (p=0.001), and prosody (p=0.003) were significantly different between groups. No DBS and unilateral groups demonstrated either no dysarthria or mild hyperkinetic dysarthria versus exhibiting higher rates of dysarthria including an ataxic component in bilateral group. Bilateral group showed more impaired swallowing severity versus no DBS and unilateral groups, however, these differences were not statistically significant. Conclusions: The results demonstrated speech and swallowing changes in the ET patient population after VIM DBS. This data provides support for further study in order to better understand the speech and/or swallowing changes that may occur with VIM DBS.