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Introduction: Cerebral Palsy (CP) is characterized by a disorder of posture and movement, commonly leading to disabling orthopedic alterations, including muscle shortening, especially in the lower limbs. Stretching methods, performed gradually, are necessary to delay the impairment in function from muscle shortening. The use of serial casting aims to promote proper alignment, and an ideal and stable support base, in addition to better bone and joint health, leading to better posture, mobility, muscle function, and, subsequently, increased fitness and health. Objective: evaluate range of motion, postural control, and motor performance in children with CP, using serial casting, as well as to measure its effect on fitness through the autonomic nervous system (ANS). Methods: Sixty children and adolescents with CP, of both sexes, 3 to 12 years of age, will be divided into three groups: Groups A, B, and C, with 20 individuals each. Group A will use serial casting, Group B will use the orthosis continuously (with removal only allowed for bathing), and Group C will use the orthosis in their daily routine. Range of motion of the ankle of first and second resistance levels (R1 and R2), gross motor function measure (GMFM), and balance (measured by BERG scale) will be used in the initial and final assessments, and after 6 months and one year of follow-up. Timed-up-and-go (TUG), load distribution (baropodometry), motor performance measured through a real basketball game and the virtual MoveHero game, analysis of body angulation with “mydartfish”, and cardiac autonomic modulation through heart rate variability will be assessed in three different situations: barefoot, with orthosis, and with casting. Conclusion: Serial casting demonstrates the potential to produce positive results in the treatment of individuals with CP regarding better alignment, with consequent motor and autonomic improvement.

O tema deste artigo descreve as aplicações tecnológicas de baixo custo voltadas para a saúde implementada pelos conceitos da Internet das Coisas (IOT) e associado aos avanços eletrônicos dos sistemas embarcados. O objetivo foi estudar os princípios básicos que envolvem processos de tecnologias de baixo custo aplicados à saúde e desenvolver um protótipo associado a um aplicativo de smartphone para fazer demonstração da captação dos sinais vitais do corpo humano. O avanço tecnologico cresceu de forma exponencial em todas as áreas do conhecimento. A velocidade com que ocorreu o processo de automatização resultou na grande demanda de produtos e serviços que de alguma forma refletiu diretamente na qualidade de vida da população. Para o alcance do objetivo a metodologia utilizada foi a escrita do referencial teórico dos conceitos empregados no artigo e dos materiais utilizados na confecção do protótipo, preparação do protótipo bem como programação do mesmo. Nos resultados e discussão podemos falar que protótipo desenvolvido funcionou de maneira eficiente, conseguindo captar sinais e frequencias do corpo humano, provando que pequenos dispositivos eletrônicos podem ser programados para realizar tarefas ligadas a prevenção e manutenção da saúde dos seres vivos. Assim concluimos que mesmo jogando 100% do valor que foi gasto no protótipo para seu aperfeiçoamento, o valor final não se aproxima com os Eletrocardiograma mais baratos disponíveis no mercado.

The composition of lignocellulosic materials used as enzyme inducers have different effects on enzyme production by fungal cultures. This work reports a comparative study of different cultivation systems for the production of xylanase and β-glucosidase by the fungus Aspergillus fumigatus SCB4 during solid-state fermentation (SSF), using sugarcane bagasse (SCB) or commercial substrates (Kraft pulp and Avicel). SCB was submitted to chemical pretreatments with H2O2, NaOH and ethanol (organosolv) and pretreated SCB samples were subsequently employed for the synthesis of enzymes. Pretreatments were efficient in the lignin reduction. Among them, the alkaline pretreatment was the most efficient with a reduction of 81.9% of lignin content in NaOH pretreated SCB in comparison to untreated SCB. In NaOH alkali-pretreated SCB, the fibers structure were also more efficiently altered with disrupted arranges and increased porosity. Despite the structural advantages obtained after pretreatments, the enzymatic biosynthesis was favored in cultivations using untreated SCB and commercial substrates as carbon sources. For β-glucosidase, it was noted a peak of production of 30.52 U/g after 96 h of SSF using untreated SCB as substrate. For xylanase, the maximum activity was detected using Kraft pulp (1878.76 U/g of substrate) after 120 h of SSF, probably due to the high concentration of hemicelluloses (19.52%) and low quantity of lignin (1.3%) in this material. Fermentations with untreated SCB also showed high xylanase activities (1647.20 U/g after the same period of incubation). This minor enzymatic biosynthesis after SSF using pretreated SCB might be due to the presence of some inhibitors produced after pretreatments which could be restricting fungal growth and consequently, the production of enzymes.

CAPES - Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior O sorgo biomassa (SB) é um tipo de sorgo sensível ao fotoperíodo com alta produtividade em biomassa e maior conteúdo em polissacarídeos (celulose e hemiceluloses), tornando-se uma cultura promissora para aplicação na produção de etanol de segunda geração (etanol 2G). Neste contexto, na primeira etapa desse estudo, avaliou-se a eficiência de um extrato enzimático produzido por fermentação em estado sólido (FES) utilizando um consórcio entre os fungos Aspergillus fumigatus SCBM6 e A. niger SCBM1 na hidrólise de SB bruto e após a retirada de extrativos (SE). Após a FES, com relação à produção de hemicelulases, foram obtidos picos máximos de xilanase (375 U g-1) no 4° dia e β-xilosidase (150 U g-1) no 2° dia de co-cultivo. Para celulases, os picos máximos de produção foram observados no 1° dia de fermentação (80 U g-1) para β-glicosidase e no 6° dia (80 U g-1) para endoglucanase (CMCase) e celulase em papel de filtro (FPase) (4 U g-1). Após a hidrólise enzimática utilizando o extrato produzido pelo consórcio fúngico, a liberação de xilose e glicose aumentou em SE cerca de 10x (2,5 g.L-1 após 12 horas), indicando que a retirada de extrativos influenciou positivamente na eficiência da hidrólise e nos rendimentos em açúcares fermentescíveis. A retirada dos extrativos também representou um fator positivo para a diminuição da formação de compostos inibidores da fermentação alcóolica, como o ácido fórmico. Na segunda etapa, foi avaliado o rendimento em etanol a partir de hidrolisados de sorgo biomassa previamente submetido a três diferentes pré-tratamentos químicos (PTs): hidróxido de sódio (NaOH - 1 e 2%), ácido clorídrico (HCl - 0,34 e 1,5%) e peróxido de hidrogênio alcalino (H2O2 - 5 e 7,36%) utilizando as enzimas comerciais Celluclast 1,5 L (10FPU) e Novozym 188 (30CBU) nas hidrólises e a levedura Pichia stipitis na fermentação alcóolica. Entre os PTs usados, o PT com H2O2 a 7,36% foi o mais eficiente na remoção de lignina e preservação da fração polissacarídica. Após as hidrólises, observou-se que as concentrações de xilose se mantiveram praticamente inalteradas nos hidrolisados de SB ¨in natura¨ e SE (sem extrativos). No entanto, nos hidrolisados de sorgo pré-tratado, observou-se um grande aumento na concentração de xilose, principalmente nos hidrolisados de sorgo pré-tratado com HCl e H2O2. Esse aumento foi ainda mais expressivo nos hidrolisados de sorgo pré-tratado com HCl 0,34% e com H2O2 5%. Com relação à glicose, a amostra de sorgo pré-tratado com H2O2 foi o que favoreceu a maior liberação desse monossacarídeo após a hidrólise enzimática. Além disso, todos os hidrolisados apresentaram baixas concentrações de inibidores. Após as hidrólises, os maiores rendimentos em etanol foram obtidos nas fermentações com os hidrolisados de SB pré-tratado com HCl (0,34 e 1,5%), obtendo-se 3,84 e 3,61g.L-1 de etanol, correspondendo respectivamente a 16,15 e 14,62% de rendimento. Os resultados obtidos indicaram que o sorgo biomassa apresenta potencial para utilização como matéria prima na produção de etanol e abrem perspectivas para estudos adicionais a fim de otimizar o processo e obter rendimentos ainda mais expressivos em etanol. Sorghum biomass (SB) is a kind of sorghum sensitive to photoperiod with high productivity in biomass, and higher content in polysaccharides (cellulose and hemicelluloses), becoming a promising crop for application in the production of second generation ethanol (2G ethanol) . In this context, in the first stage of this study, the efficiency of an enzymatic extract produced by solid state fermentation (SSF) was evaluated using a consortium between the fungi Aspergillus fumigatus SCBM6 and A. niger SCBM1 in the hydrolysis of crude SB and after the removal of extractives (SE). After SSF, with respect to hemicellulase production, maximum peaks of xylanase (375 U g -1) on day 4 and β-xylosidase (150 U g -1) were obtained on 2nd day of co-cultivation. For cellulases, peaks of production were observed on the 1st day of fermentation (80 U g-1) for β-glycosidase and on 6 day (80 U g-1) for endoglucanase (CMCase) and cellulase on filter paper (FPase) (4 U g-1). After the enzymatic hydrolysis using the extract produced by the fungal consortium, the xylose and glucose release increased in SE about 10x (2.5 gL-1 after 12 hours), indicating that the withdrawal of extractives positively influenced hydrolysis efficiency and yields in fermentable sugars. The extraction of the extractives also represented a positive factor for the decrease of the formation of inhibitor compounds of alcoholic fermentation, such as formic acid. In the second stage, the ethanol yield was evaluated from hydrolysates of sorghum biomass previously submitted to three different chemical pre-treatments (PTs): sodium hydroxide (NaOH-1 and 2%), hydrochloric acid (HCl = 0.34 and 1.5%) and alkaline hydrogen peroxide (H2O2-5 and 7.36%) using the commercial enzymes Celluclast 1.5 L (10FPU) and Novozym 188 (30CBU) in the hydrolysis and the yeast Pichia stipitis in the alcoholic fermentation. Among the evaluated PTs, PT with 7.36% H2O2 was the most efficient in lignin removal and preservation of the polysaccharide fraction. After the hydrolysis, it was observed that the xylose concentrations remained practically unchanged in the hydrolysates of SB ¨in natura¨ and SE (without extractives). However, in the pre-treated sorghum hydrolysates, a large increase in xylose concentration was observed, especially in the hydrolysates of pretreated HCl and H2O2 sorghum. This increase was even more significant in sorghum hydrolysates pretreated with 0.34% HCl and 5% H2O2. Regarding glucose, the sorghum pretreated with H2O2 favored the highest release of this monosaccharide after enzymatic hydrolysis. In addition, all hydrolysates showed low concentrations of inhibitors. After hydrolysis, the highest ethanol yields were obtained in fermentations carried out with the hydrolysates of SB pretreated with HCl (0.34 and 1.5%), obtaining 3.84 and 3, 61g.L-1 ethanol, corresponding respectively to 16.15 and 14.62% yield. The results indicated that sorghum biomass presents potential for use as raw material in the production of ethanol, opening prospects for additional studies in order to optimize the process and obtain more expressive yields in ethanol. Tese (Doutorado)

FAPEMIG - Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de Minas Gerais This study evaluated the production of lignocellulose-degrading enzymes by solid-state fermentation (SSF) using a microbial consortium of Aspergillus fumigatus SCBM6 and A. niger SCBM1 (AFN extract). The fungal strains were cultivated in sugarcane bagasse (SCB) and wheat bran (WB) as lignocellulosic substrates for 7 days at 30 °C. After SSF, the highest peaks of enzyme production were 150 and 80 U g−1 for β-xylosidase and β-glucosidase at 48 h, 375 U g−1 for xylanase at 96 h, and 80 U g−1 for endoglucanase and 4 U g−1 for cellulase activity on filter paper (FPase) at 144 h. The efficiency of the produced AFN extract was investigated in the enzymatic hydrolysis of crude biomass sorghum (BS) and after the removal of extractives (ES). After saccharification, the glucose and xylose concentrations were 10× superior in ES than in BS hydrolysate (2.5 g L−1 after 12 h). The presence of inhibitors of alcoholic fermentation, such as formic acid, was also reduced in ES hydrolysates, indicating that the removal of extractives positively contributed to the effectiveness of enzymatic hydrolysis of biomass sorghum using AFN extract