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BACKGROUND Tracheal intubation is a life-saving intervention not only for physicians but also for allied health workers. Optimizing the patient's head and neck position for the best glottic view is a crucial step that accelerates tracheal intubation. The left head rotation maneuver has been recently described as an innovative approach to tracheal intubation with marked improvement in glottic visualization and can be an alternative before proceeding to a surgical airway. OBJECTIVE This study aimed to compare the glottic view and intubating conditions in the sniffing position versus left head rotation during direct laryngoscopy. METHODS This randomized, open-label clinical trial enrolled fifty-two adult patients admitted to the Baguio General Hospital & Medical Center from September to January 2021 for an elective surgical procedure requiring tracheal intubation under general anesthesia. Intubation was done using a 45-degree left head rotation in the experimental group, while the control group was intubated using the conventional sniffing position. Glottic visualization and intubation difficulty with left head rotation and sniffing position were assessed using Cormack-Lehane Grade and Intubation Difficulty Scale, respectively. Successful intubation is measured by observing a capnographic waveform in the end-tidal CO2 monitor after placement of the endotracheal tube. RESULTS There was no significant statistical difference in the clinicodemographic characteristics between the two groups. There was no significant difference in the Cormack-Lehane Grade (P=.45), with the majority of patients classified under Grade 1 (21% in left head rotation and 28% in sniffing position) and Grade 2 (21% in left head rotation and 13% in sniffing position). Also, there were no statistically significant differences (P=.85) in the Intubation Difficulty Scale scores of patients intubated with left head rotation or sniffing position; 17.3% and 15.4% of patients were easily intubated with left head rotation and sniffing position, respectively while slight difficulty was noted with most patients with no between-group differences (26.9% in left head rotation and 30.8% in sniffing position). Greater than one attempt at intubation, use of an alternative technique such as a stylet, and the need for more than one operator were commonly used with left head rotation. The intubation success rate was 100% (26/26) in the sniffing position, while the success rate was 92% (24/26) with left head rotation. CONCLUSIONS Sniffing position provided a higher intubation success rate but with comparable laryngeal exposure and intubation ease to left head rotation. However, since our sample size was small, studies with a larger study population are warranted to establish the generalizability of our findings. In addition, we observed inadequate familiarity among anesthesiologists with the left head rotation technique, and the intubation success rate may improve as practitioners attain greater technical familiarization. CLINICALTRIAL ISRCTN23442026

El cáncer de próstata representa uno de los principales problemas de salud pública de cualquier organización sanitaria. La fase de resistencia a la castración, resulta la fase final de la enfermedad y condicionará invariablemente la supervivencia y calidad de vida de estos pacientes. En la última década, se han desarrollado y aprobado múltiples líneas de tratamiento que actúan sobre diferentes dianas terapéuticas para los pacientes con cáncer de próstata resistente a la castración metastásicos (CRPCm). Esto ha supuesto importantes mejoras en supervivencia y calidad de vida. Sin embargo, actualmente, no existe un biomarcador ideal que ayude al clínico a determinar el perfil de paciente con mayor potencial beneficio para cada una de las alternativas terapéuticas disponibles y que resulte útil durante el tratamiento. Se han desarrollado múltiples biomarcadores pronósticos de supervivencia y predictivos de respuesta existiendo varios que han demostrado cierta eficacia para valorar aspectos concretos, pero que, habitualmente, resultan complejos de determinar y solo están disponibles de modo experimental. La inflamación resulta un factor subrogado de actividad biológica en múltiples enfermedades. En el ámbito oncológico, la inflamación es un requisito imprescindible en el desarrollo de la inmunobiología tumoral. El ratio neutrófiloslinfocitos (RNL) resulta un cociente que traduce la respuesta inflamatoria que se está produciendo en el organismo, en nuestro caso como respuesta al tumor (neutrófilos como principales agentes mediadores de la inflamación) y la respuesta antitumoral llevada frente al mismo (mediada preferencialmente por linfocitos). Por tanto, puede ser considerado como un biomarcador independientemente del tipo de tumor y reflejo de la actividad inflamatoria, así como de los mecanismos reguladores de respuesta presentes en el organismo. El objetivo de este estudio es identificar un biomarcador accesible, reproducible y con implicaciones pronósticas independientes proponiendo evaluar el papel del RNL como posible biomarcador en los pacientes con CRPCm en tratamiento con acetato de abiraterona (AA). Medicina

BACKGROUND: Motor neuroprosthesis (MN) involves electrical stimulation of neural structures by miniaturized devices to allow the performance of tasks in the natural environment in which people live (home and community context), as an orthosis. In this way, daily use of these devices could act as an environmental facilitator for increasing the activities and participation of people with stroke. OBJECTIVES: To assess the effects of MN for improving independence in activities of daily living (ADL), activities involving limbs, participation scales of health‐related quality of life (HRQoL), exercise capacity, balance, and adverse events in people after stroke. SEARCH METHODS: We searched the Cochrane Stroke Group Trials Register (searched 19 August 2019), the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) (August 2019), MEDLINE (1946 to 16 August 2019), Embase (1980 to 19 August 2019), and five additional databases. We also searched trial registries, databases, and websites to identify additional relevant published, unpublished, and ongoing trials. SELECTION CRITERIA: Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and randomized controlled cross‐over trials comparing MN for improving activities and participation versus other assistive technology device or MN without electrical stimulus (stimulator is turned off), or no treatment, for people after stroke. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: Two review authors independently selected trials, extracted data, and assessed risk of bias of the included studies. Any disagreements were resolved through discussion with a third review author. We contacted trialists for additional information when necessary and performed all analyses using Review Manager 5. We used GRADE to assess the certainty of the evidence. MAIN RESULTS: We included four RCTs involving a total of 831 participants who were more than three months poststroke. All RCTs were of MN that applied electrical stimuli to the peroneal nerve. All studies included conditioning protocols to adapt participants to MN use, after which participants used MN from up to eight hours per day to all‐day use for ambulation in daily activities performed in the home or community context. All studies compared the use of MN versus another assistive device (ankle‐foot orthosis [AFO]). There was a high risk of bias for at least one assessed domain in three of the four included studies. No studies reported outcomes related to independence in ADL. There was low‐certainty evidence that AFO was more beneficial than MN on activities involving limbs such as walking speed until six months of device use (mean difference (MD) −0.05 m/s, 95% confidence interval (CI) −0.10 to −0.00; P = 0.03; 605 participants; 2 studies; I(2) = 0%; low‐certainty evidence); however, this difference was no longer present in our sensitivity analysis (MD −0.07 m/s, 95% CI −0.16 to 0.02; P = 0.13; 110 participants; 1 study; I(2) = 0%). There was low to moderate certainty that MN was no more beneficial than AFO on activities involving limbs such as walking speed between 6 and 12 months of device use (MD 0.00 m/s, 95% CI −0.05 to 0.05; P = 0.93; 713 participants; 3 studies; I(2) = 17%; low‐certainty evidence), Timed Up and Go (MD 0.51 s, 95% CI −4.41 to 5.43; P = 0.84; 692 participants; 2 studies; I(2) = 0%; moderate‐certainty evidence), and modified Emory Functional Ambulation Profile (MD 14.77 s, 95% CI −12.52 to 42.06; P = 0.29; 605 participants; 2 studies; I(2) = 0%; low‐certainty evidence). There was no significant difference in walking speed when MN was delivered with surface or implantable electrodes (test for subgroup differences P = 0.09; I(2) = 65.1%). For our secondary outcomes, there was very low to moderate certainty that MN was no more beneficial than another assistive device for participation scales of HRQoL (standardized mean difference 0.26, 95% CI −0.22 to 0.74; P = 0.28; 632 participants; 3 studies; I(2) = 77%; very low‐certainty evidence), exercise capacity (MD −9.03 m, 95% CI −26.87 to 8.81; P = 0.32; 692 participants; 2 studies; I(2) = 0%; low‐certainty evidence), and balance (MD −0.34, 95% CI −1.96 to 1.28; P = 0.68; 692 participants; 2 studies; I(2) = 0%; moderate‐certainty evidence). Although there was low‐ to moderate‐certainty evidence that the use of MN did not increase the number of serious adverse events related to intervention (risk ratio (RR) 0.35, 95% CI 0.04 to 3.33; P = 0.36; 692 participants; 2 studies; I(2) = 0%; low‐certainty evidence) or number of falls (RR 1.20, 95% CI 0.92 to 1.55; P = 0.08; 802 participants; 3 studies; I(2) = 33%; moderate‐certainty evidence), there was low‐certainty evidence that the use of MN in people after stroke may increase the risk of participants dropping out during the intervention (RR 1.48, 95% CI 1.11 to 1.97; P = 0.007; 829 participants; 4 studies; I(2) = 0%). AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS: Current evidence indicates that MN is no more beneficial than another assistive technology device for improving activities involving limbs measured by Timed Up and Go, balance (moderate‐certainty evidence), activities involving limbs measured by walking speed and modified Emory Functional Ambulation Profile, exercise capacity (low‐certainty evidence), and participation scale of HRQoL (very low‐certainty evidence). Evidence was insufficient to estimate the effect of MN on independence in ADL. In comparison to other assistive devices, MN does not appear to increase the number of falls (moderate‐certainty evidence) or serious adverse events (low‐certainty evidence), but may result in a higher number of dropouts during intervention period (low‐certainty evidence).

Recurrence analysis and its quantifiers are strongly dependent on the evaluation of the vicinity threshold parameter, i.e., the threshold to regard two points close enough in phase space to be considered as just one. We develop a new way to optimize the evaluation of the vicinity threshold in order to assure a higher level of sensitivity to recurrence quantifiers to allow the detection of even small changes in the dynamics. It is used to promote recurrence analysis as a tool to detect nonstationary behavior of time signals or space profiles. We show that the ability to detect small changes provides information about the present status of the physical process responsible to generate the signal and offers mechanisms to predict future states. Here, a higher sensitive recurrence analysis is proposed as a precursor, a tool to predict near future states of a particular system, based on just (experimentally) obtained signals of some available variables of the system. Comparisons with traditional methods of recurrence analysis show that the optimization method developed here is more sensitive to small variations occurring in a signal. The method is applied to numerically generated time series as well as experimental data from physiology.

Dopamine and sleep have been independently linked with hippocampus-dependent learning. Since D2 dopaminergic transmission is required for the occurrence of rapid-eye-movement (REM) sleep, it is possible that dopamine affects learning by way of changes in post-acquisition REM sleep. To investigate this hypothesis, we first assessed whether D2 dopaminergic modulation in mice affects novel object preference, a hippocampus-dependent task. Animals trained in the dark period, when sleep is reduced, did not improve significantly in performance when tested 24h after training. In contrast, animals trained in the sleep-rich light period showed significant learning after 24h. When injected with the D2 inverse agonist haloperidol immediately after the exploration of novel objects, animals trained in the light period showed reduced novelty preference upon retesting 24h later. Next we investigated whether haloperidol affected the protein levels of plasticity factors shown to be up-regulated in an experience-dependent manner during REM sleep. Haloperidol decreased post-exploration hippocampal protein levels at 3h, 6h and 12h for phosphorylated Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II, at 6h for Zif-268; and at 12h for the brain-derived neurotrophic factor. Electrophysiological and kinematic recordings showed a significant decrease in the amount of REM sleep following haloperidol injection, while slow-wave sleep remained unaltered. Importantly, REM sleep decrease across animals was strongly correlated with deficits in novelty preference (Rho=0.56, p=0.012). Altogether, the results suggest that the dopaminergic regulation of REM sleep affects learning by modulating post-training levels of calcium-dependent plasticity factors.

En un proyecto metalúrgico, un problema a resolver es la cuantificación de la recuperación, el grado y la velocidad cinética del mineral valioso que se espera obtener del material que será procesado. Uno de los métodos para realizar la cuantificación es llevar a cabo el proceso metalúrgico de flotación, el cual consiste en la separación del material valioso del no valioso en un laboratorio metalúrgico. Debido a que el modelado del complejo proceso de flotación es complicado, es esencial poder identificar variables con mayor poder explicativo para obtener un modelo lo más parsimonioso posible. En el presente trabajo fin de máster se han utilizado metodologías de análisis multivariante y técnicas de aprendizaje automático para predecir los resultados metalúrgicos, las cuales podrían ser utilizadas posteriormente en la predicción de todo el yacimiento geológico. Se han logrado resultados satisfactorios en la predicción del grado de cobre en el concentrado de flotación, demostrando la robustez de las técnicas aplicadas como herramientas de predicción., In a metallurgical project, a problem to solve is the quantification of the recovery, the degree and the kinetic speed of the valuable mineral that is expected to be obtained from the material that will be processed. One of the methods to perform the quantification is to carry out the metallurgical flotation process, which consists in the separation of the valuable material from the non-valuable one in a metallurgical laboratory. Because the modeling of the complex flotation process is complicated, it is essential to be able to identify variables with greater explanatory power to obtain a model as parsimonious as possible. In the present Master-thesis project, multivariate analysis methodologies and machine learning techniques have been used to predict metallurgical results, which could later be used in the prediction of the entire geological deposit. Satisfactory results have been achieved in the prediction of the degree of copper in the flotation concentrate, demonstrating the robustness of the techniques applied as predictive tools.

The oscillatory activity of hippocampal neuronal networks is believed to play a role in memory acquisition and consolidation. Particular focus has been given to characterising theta (4-12 Hz), gamma (40-100 Hz) and ripple (150-250 Hz) oscillations. Beyond these well-described network states, few studies have investigated hippocampal beta2 (23-30 Hz) activity in vivo and its link to behaviour. A previous sudy showed that the exploration of novel environments may lead to the appearance of beta2 oscillations in the mouse hippocampus. In the present study we characterised hippocampal beta2 oscillations in mice during an object recognition task. We found prominent bursts of beta2 oscillations in the beginning of novel exploration sessions (four new objects), which could be readily observed by spectral analysis and visual inspection of local field potentials. Beta2 modulated hippocampal but not neocortical neurons and its power decreased along the session. We also found increased beta2 power in the beginning of a second exploration session performed 24 h later in a slightly modified environment (two new, two familiar objects), but to a lesser extent than in the first session. However, the increase in beta2 power in the second exploration session became similar to the first session when we pharmacologically impaired object recognition in a new set of experiments performed 1 week later. Our results suggest that hippocampal beta2 activity is associated with a dynamic network state tuned for novelty detection and which may allow new learning to occur.

Shape memory alloys (SMAs) represent a unique class of materials that undergo a reversible phase transformation (martensitic transformation) allowing these materials to display dramatic pseudoelastic stress-induced deformations and shape memory temperature-induced deformations that are recoverable. Among the known shape memory alloys, NiTi is the most commonly used because of its excellent mechanical properties, corrosion resistance and biocompatibility. This work studied the influence of two parameters of heat treatment (temperature and time) on martensite phase transformation temperature (MS) in a Ni-Ti (48,8 wt % Ti) shape memory alloy, using a factorial design (22). The aim of our research was to establish a mathematic model of the technological process, useful for controlling of martensite phase transformation temperature. The two factors, temperature and time, have an important influence on MS.

RESUMO Um grande desafio no projeto de microssistemas é a implementação de princípios eficientes de atuação miniaturizados em microescala. Ligas com efeito memória de forma (EMF) têm sido consideradas como uma solução potencial para este problema, uma vez que estes materiais oferecem propriedades atraentes como grande deformação e capacidade para ser processada em microescala. Ligas com composição Ni-44, 8wt% Ti e Ni-45, 3wt% Ti foram produzidas usando o método melt spinning em atmosfera argônio. Fitas obtidas neste processo mostraram tamanho médio de grãos martensíticos entre 5 e 30 µm, dependendo do tipo de liga e da velocidade linear da roda do melting spinning. As temperaturas de início de transformação martensítica (MS) assim como o tamanho de grãos foram reduzidos com o aumento de velocidade linear da roda e da quantidade de titânio.

Collateral circulation, defined as the supplementary vascular network that maintains cerebral blood flow (CBF) when the main vessels fail, constitutes one important defense mechanism of the brain against ischemic stroke. In the present study, continuous arterial spin labeling (CASL) was used to quantify CBF and obtain perfusion territory maps of the major cerebral arteries in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs) and their normotensive Wistar-Kyoto (WKY) controls. Results show that both WKY and SHR have complementary, yet significantly asymmetric perfusion territories. Right or left dominances were observed in territories of the anterior (ACA), middle and posterior cerebral arteries, and the thalamic artery. Magnetic resonance angiography showed that some of the asymmetries were correlated with variations of the ACA. The leptomeningeal circulation perfusing the outer layers of the cortex was observed as well. Significant and permanent changes in perfusion territories were obtained after temporary occlusion of the right middle cerebral artery in both SHR and WKY, regardless of their particular dominance. However, animals with right dominance presented a larger volume change of the left perfusion territory (23 ± 9%) than animals with left dominance (7 ± 5%, P

It is important to control the martensitic transformation start temperature (Ms) of Ti–Ni alloys because it determines the temperature range over which the shape memory effect and superelasticity appear. Powder metallurgy (PM) is known to provide the possibility of material-saving and automated fabrication of at least semi-finished products as well as net-shape components for NiTi alloys. In this study powder with different particle sizes was subjected by gas atomization. The evolution of the control the martensitic transformation start temperature (Ms) was studied by differential scanning calorimetry. The effect of the particle size of powders on the transformation temperatures behaviors was discussed.

Neste trabalho, objetivou-se determinar a higroscopicidade do urucum na forma de extrato seco. Neste estudo foram obtidas as atividades de água do extrato seco de urucum para as temperaturas de 10 a 50ºC e teores de água entre 6 e 22% base úmida. A metodologia empregada para as determinações foi o método dinâmico em que se utilizou o equipamento Thermoconstanter Novasina TH-2. Para os resultados experimentais aplicaram-se as equações propostas por Henderson modificada por Thompson e Henderson modificada por Cavalcanti Mata e Peleg. Por meio das análises dos parâmetros encontrados concluiu-se que a equação que melhor se ajusta aos dados experimentais é a equação de Henderson modificada por Cavalcanti Mata e que as isotermas de adsorção de água do extrato de urucum seco se comportaram sigmoidalmente, sendo consideradas do tipo II. The objective of this work was to verify the higroscopicity of annatto seeds in the dry extract form. The isotherms were determined by the dynamic method with the Thermoconstanter Novasina TH-2 equipment. The equilibrium temperatures were 10, 20, 30, 40 and 50 ºC to range of moisture content between 6 and 22%, wet basis. The equations proposed by Henderson modified by Thompson and Henderson modified by Cavalcanti Mata and Peleg were applied to the experimental data. Through the gotten parameters found concluded that the best equation to represent the experimental data is the Henderson equations modified by Cavalcanti Mata. It was also concluded that hygroscopic equilibrium isotherms of annatto seeds presented sigmoid forms, considered type II.

Manganese overexposure in non-human primates and humans causes a neurodegenerative disorder called manganism thought to be related to an accumulation of the metal in the basal ganglia. Here, we assess changes in the concentration of manganese in regions of the brain of a non-human primate (the common marmoset, Callithrix jacchus) following four systemic injections of 30 mg/kg MnCl2·H20 in the tail vein using T1-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and compare these to changes in the rat following the same exposure route and dose. The doses were spaced 48 hours apart and we imaged the animals 48 hours after the final dose. We find that marmosets have significantly larger T1-weighted image enhancements in regions of the brain compared to rats, notably in the basal ganglia and the visual cortex. To confirm this difference across species reflects actual differences in manganese concentrations and not variations in the MRI properties of manganese, we measured the longitudinal relaxivity of manganese (χ1) in the in vivo brain and found no significant species’ difference. The high manganese uptake in the marmoset basal ganglia and visual cortex can be explained by CSF-brain transport from the large lateral ventricles and we confirm this route of uptake with time-course MRI during a tail-vein infusion of manganese. There is also high uptake in the substructures of the hippocampus that are adjacent to the ventricles. The large manganese accumulation in these structures on overexposure may be common to all primates, including humans.

Optogenetics allows light activation of genetically defined cell populations and the study of their link to specific brain functions. While it is a powerful method that has revolutionized neuroscience in the last decade, the shortcomings of directly stimulating electrodes and living tissue with light have been poorly characterized. Here, we assessed the photovoltaic effects in local field potential (LFP) recordings of the mouse hippocampus. We found that light leads to several artifacts that resemble genuine LFP features in animals with no opsin expression, such as stereotyped peaks at the power spectrum, phase shifts across different recording channels, coupling between low and high oscillation frequencies, and sharp signal deflections that are detected as spikes. Further, we tested how light stimulation affected hippocampal LFP recordings in mice expressing channelrhodopsin 2 in parvalbumin neurons (PV/ChR2 mice). Genuine oscillatory activity at the frequency of light stimulation could not be separated from light-induced artifacts. In addition, light stimulation in PV/ChR2 mice led to an overall decrease in LFP power. Thus, genuine LFP changes caused by the stimulation of specific cell populations may be intermingled with spurious changes caused by photovoltaic effects. Our data suggest that care should be taken in the interpretation of electrophysiology experiments involving light stimulation.

Genetically-modified mice without the dopamine transporter (DAT) are hyperdopaminergic, and serve as models for studies of addiction, mania and hyperactive disorders. Here we investigated the capacity for object recognition in mildly hyperdopaminergic mice heterozygous for DAT (DAT +/-), with synaptic dopaminergic levels situated between those shown by DAT -/- homozygous and wild-type (WT) mice. We used a classical dopamine D2 antagonist, haloperidol, to modulate the levels of dopaminergic transmission in a dose-dependent manner, before or after exploring novel objects. In comparison with WT mice, DAT +/- mice showed a deficit in object recognition upon subsequent testing 24h later. This deficit was compensated by a single 0.05mg/kg haloperidol injection 30min before training. In all mice, a 0.3mg/kg haloperidol injected immediately after training impaired object recognition. The results indicate that a mild enhancement of dopaminergic levels can be detrimental to object recognition, and that this deficit can be rescued by a low dose of a D2 dopamine receptor antagonist. This suggests that novel object recognition is optimal at intermediate levels of D2 receptor activity.

Introducción: El diseño de procesos es una de las herramientas de mayor interés para asegurar la calidad de la asistencia sanitaria antes del comienzo de una determinada actividad. Aunque el gold standard del tratamiento de los tumores vesicales superficiales sigue siendo la resección transuretral (RTU), la aparición de la fuente de energía láser con mejores medios endourológicos nos permite adoptar otras alternativas terapéuticas. El objetivo de este estudio piloto es describir el diseño y protocolo en 37 pacientes de un proceso novedoso consistente en el tratamiento en régimen ambulatorio y bajo anestesia local intravesical de los tumores de vejiga con láser de holmium. Material y Métodos: Estudio piloto que incluye 37 pacientes entre enero de 2012 y diciembre de 2013, para la elaboración de un proceso de fulguración vesical con láser de holmium sin infiltración anestésica en régimen ambulatorio. Se analiza y estudia tolerancia al procedimiento, desarrollo de complicaciones inmediatas, escala visual analógica (EVA) del dolor, satisfacción del paciente, estancias hospitalarias evitadas, problemas durante la aplicación del proceso y desarrollo del mismo. Resultados: La edad media de los pacientes fue 69,2 ± 10,3 años, presentando puntuación EVA ≤ 3. No existieron complicaciones importantes. Hubo un ingreso por hematuria tardía que se resolvió de forma conservadora. Conclusiones: La elaboración y aplicación del proceso de fulguración de tumores vesicales papilares superficiales con láser holmium es una técnica sencilla, con buena tolerancia, ambulatoria y sin complicaciones de interés, con eliminación de estancias hospitalarias. Introduction: The process design is one of the most interesting tools to ensure the quality of health care before the start of an activity. Although the gold standard treatment of superficial bladder tumors remains transurethral resection (TUR), the onset of laser energy source with better endourological systems allows us to adopt alternative therapies. The aim of this pilot study is to describe the design and protocol in 37 patients with a novel process consisting of outpatient treatment under local anesthesia of bladder tumors with holmium laser. Material and Methods: Pilot study includes 37 patients between January 2012 and December 2013, for the development of a process of holmium laser bladder fulguration without anesthetic infiltration in outpatient study. It analyzes and studies the procedure tolerance, development of immediate complications, visual analog scale (VAS) of pain, patient satisfaction, hospital stays avoided, problems during the application process and development. Results: The mean age of the patients was 69.2 ± 10.3 years, 100% of patients prefer this procedure instead conventional transurethral resection and VAS rating presenting ≤ 3. There were no important complications. Only one patient was admitted at hospital due to hematuria resolved without surgical treatment. Conclusions: The development and implementation of fulguration of superficial papillary bladder tumors with holmium laser process is simple, well tolerated, ambulatory and without complications, with no need of hospital stay.

e Pew Latin American Fellows Program in the Biomedical Sciences, Financiadora de Estudos e Projetos (FINEP) Grant 01.06.1092.00, Ministério da Ciência, Tecnologia e Inovação (MCTI), CNPq Universal 481351/2011-6, PQ 306604/2012-4, Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES), FAPERN/CNPq Pronem 003/2011, Capes SticAmSud, FAPESP Center for Neuromathematics (Grant no. 2013/07699-0, São Paulo Research Foundation), Associação Alberto Santos Dumont para Apoio à Pesquisa (AASDAP), and NIMBIOS working group “Multi-scale analysis of cortical networks.” Dopamine and sleep have been independently linked with hippocampus-dependent learning. Since D2 dopaminergic transmission is required for the occurrence of rapid-eye-movement (REM) sleep, it is possible that dopamine affects learning by way of changes in post-acquisition REM sleep. To investigate this hypothesis, we first assessed whether D2 dopaminergic modulation in mice affects novel object preference, a hippocampus-dependent task. Animals trained in the dark period, when sleep is reduced, did not improve significantly in performance when tested 24 h after training. In contrast, animals trained in the sleep-rich light period showed significant learning after 24 h. When injected with the D2 inverse agonist haloperidol immediately after the exploration of novel objects, animals trained in the light period showed reduced novelty preference upon retesting 24 h later. Next we investigated whether haloperidol affected the protein levels of plasticity factors shown to be up-regulated in an experience-dependent manner during REM sleep. Haloperidol decreased post-exploration hippocampal protein levels at 3 h, 6 h and 12 h for phosphorylated Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II, at 6 h for Zif-268; and at 12 h for the brain-derived neurotrophic factor. Electrophysiological and kinematic recordings showed a significant decrease in the amount of REM sleep following haloperidol injection, while slow-wave sleep remained unaltered. Importantly, REM sleep decrease across animals was strongly correlated with deficits in novelty preference (Rho=0.56, p=0.012). Altogether, the results suggest that the dopaminergic regulation of REM sleep affects learning by modulating post-training levels of calcium-dependent plasticity factors.