Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais

About: Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais is a education organization based out in Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Context (language use). The organization has 41631 authors who have published 75688 publications receiving 1249905 citations.

Prevention of Low Back Pain: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

Abstract: Importance Existing guidelines and systematic reviews lack clear recommendations for prevention of low back pain (LBP). Objective To investigate the effectiveness of interventions for prevention of LBP. Data Sources MEDLINE, EMBASE, Physiotherapy Evidence Database Scale, and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials from inception to November 22, 2014. Study Selection Randomized clinical trials of prevention strategies for nonspecific LBP. Data Extraction and Synthesis Two independent reviewers extracted data and assessed the risk of bias. The Physiotherapy Evidence Database Scale was used to evaluate the risk-of-bias. The Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation system was used to describe the quality of evidence. Main Outcomes and Measures The primary outcome measure was an episode of LBP, and the secondary outcome measure was an episode of sick leave associated with LBP. We calculated relative risks (RRs) and 95% CIs using random-effects models. Results The literature search identified 6133 potentially eligible studies; of these, 23 published reports (on 21 different randomized clinical trials including 30 850 unique participants) met the inclusion criteria. With results presented as RRs (95% CIs), there was moderate-quality evidence that exercise combined with education reduces the risk of an episode of LBP (0.55 [0.41-0.74]) and low-quality evidence of no effect on sick leave (0.74 [0.44-1.26]). Low- to very low–quality evidence suggested that exercise alone may reduce the risk of both an LBP episode (0.65 [0.50-0.86]) and use of sick leave (0.22 [0.06-0.76]). For education alone, there was moderate- to very low–quality evidence of no effect on LBP (1.03 [0.83-1.27]) or sick leave (0.87 [0.47-1.60]). There was low- to very low–quality evidence that back belts do not reduce the risk of LBP episodes (1.01 [0.71-1.44]) or sick leave (0.87 [0.47-1.60]). There was low-quality evidence of no protective effect of shoe insoles on LBP (1.01 [0.74-1.40]). Conclusion and Relevance The current evidence suggests that exercise alone or in combination with education is effective for preventing LBP. Other interventions, including education alone, back belts, and shoe insoles, do not appear to prevent LBP. Whether education, training, or ergonomic adjustments prevent sick leave is uncertain because the quality of evidence is low.

MANNA: a management architecture for wireless sensor networks

Abstract: Wireless sensor networks (WSNs) are becoming an increasingly important technology that will be used in a variety of applications such as environmental monitoring, infrastructure management, public safety, medical, home and office security, transportation, and military. WSNs will also play a key role in pervasive computing where computing devices and people are connected to the Internet. Until now, WSNs and their applications have been developed without considering a management solution. This is a critical problem since networks comprising tens of thousands of nodes are expected to be used in some of the applications above. This article proposes the MANNA management architecture for WSNs. In particular, it presents the functional, information, and physical management architectures that take into account specific characteristics of this type of network. Some of them are restrict physical resources such as energy and computing power, frequent reconfiguration and adaptation, and faults caused by nodes unavailable. The MANNA architecture considers three management dimensions: functional areas, management levels, and WSN functionalities. These dimensions are specified to the management of a WSN and are the basis for a list of management functions. The article also proposes WSN models to guide the management activities and the use of correlation in the WSN management. This is a first step into a largely unexplored research area.

Multiple mechanisms involved in the large-spectrum therapeutic potential of cannabidiol in psychiatric disorders

Abstract:  Cannabidiol (CBD) is a major phytocannabinoid present in the Cannabis sativa plant. It lacks the psychotomimetic and other psychotropic effects that the main plant compound D 9 -tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) being able, on the contrary, to antagonize these effects. This property, together with its safety profile, was an initial stimulus for the investigation of CBD pharmacological properties. It is now clear thatCBDhastherapeutic potentialoverawiderangeofnon-psychiatricandpsychiatricdisorderssuch as anxiety, depression and psychosis. Although the pharmacological effects of CBD in different biological systems have been extensively investigated by in vitro studies, the mechanisms responsible for its therapeutic potential are still not clear. Here, we review recent in vivo studies indicating that these mechanisms are not unitary but rather depend on the behavioural response being measured. Acute anxiolytic and antidepressant-like effects seem to rely mainly on facilitation of 5-HT1Amediated neurotransmission in key brain areas related to defensive responses, including the dorsal periaqueductal grey, bed nucleus of the stria terminalis and medial prefrontal cortex. Other effects, such as anti-compulsive, increased extinction and impaired reconsolidation of aversive memories, and facilitation of adult hippocampal neurogenesis could depend on potentiation of anandamidemediated neurotransmission. Finally, activation of TRPV1 channels may help us to explain the antipsychoticeffectandthebell-shapeddose-responsecurvescommonlyobservedwithCBD.Considering its safety profile and wide range of therapeutic potential, however, further studies are needed to investigate the involvement of other possible mechanisms (e.g. inhibition of adenosine uptake, inverse agonism at CB2 receptor, CB1 receptor antagonism, GPR55 antagonism, PPARg receptors agonism, intracellular (Ca 2þ ) increase, etc.), on CBD behavioural effects.