Development and Validation of the FSIQ-RMS: A New Patient-Reported Questionnaire to Assess Symptoms and Impacts of Fatigue in Relapsing Multiple Sclerosis

Objectives: A new patient-reported outcome (PRO) instrument to measure fatigue symptoms and impacts in relapsing multiple sclerosis (RMS) was developed in a qualitative stage, followed by psychometric validation and migration from paper to an electronic format. Methods: Adult patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) were interviewed to elicit fatigue-related symptoms and impacts. A draft questionnaire was debriefed in cognitive interviews with further RRMS patients, and revised. Content confirmation interviews were conducted with patients with progressive-relapsing multiple sclerosis (PRMS) and relapsing secondary-progressive multiple sclerosis (RSPMS). Psychometric analyses used data from adult patients with different RMS subtypes and matched non-RMS controls in a multicenter, observational study. After item reduction, the final instrument was migrated to a smartphone (eDiary) and usability was confirmed in interviews with additional adult RMS patients. Results: The qualitative stage included 37 RRMS, 5 PRMS, and 5 RSPMS patients. Saturation of concepts was reached during concept elicitation. Cognitive interviews confirmed that participants understood the instructions, items, and response options of the instrument—named FSIQ-RMS—as intended. Psychometric validation included 164 RMS and 74 control patients. Internal consistency and test–retest reliability were demonstrated. The symptoms domain discriminated along the RMS symptom-severity continuum and between patients and controls. Patients were able to attribute fatigue-related symptoms to RMS. Usability and conceptual equivalence of the eDiary were confirmed (n = 10 participants). Conclusions: With 7 symptom items and 13 impact items (in 3 impacts subdomains: physical, cognitive and emotional, and coping) after item reduction, the FSIQ-RMS is a comprehensive, valid, and reliable measure of fatigue-related symptoms and impacts in RMS patients

Nonthermal fragmentation of C60

A theoretical study of the subpicosecond fragmentation of C60 clusters in response to ultrafast laser pulses is presented. We simulate the laser excitation and the consequent nonequilibrium relaxation dynamics of the electronic and nuclear degrees of freedom. The first stages of the nonequilibrium dynamics are dominated by a coherent breathing mode followed by the cold ejection of single C atoms, in contrast to the dimer emission which characterizes the thermal relaxation. We also determine the nonequilibrium damage thresholds as a function of the pulse duration.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figures, submitted to Chem. Phys. Let

Formalism for Multiphoton Plasmon Excitation in Jellium Clusters

We present a new formalism for the description of multiphoton plasmon excitation processes in jellium clusters. By using our method, we demonstrate that, in addition to dipole plasmon excitations, the multipole plasmons (quadrupole, octupole, etc) can be excited in a cluster by multiphoton absorption processes, which results in a significant difference between plasmon resonance profiles in the cross sections for multiphoton as compared to single-photon absorption. We calculate the cross sections for multiphoton absorption and analyse the balance between the surface and volume plasmon contributions to multipole plasmons.Comment: 29 pages, 1 figur

Ultrafast changes in lattice symmetry probed by coherent phonons

The electronic and structural properties of a material are strongly determined by its symmetry. Changing the symmetry via a photoinduced phase transition offers new ways to manipulate material properties on ultrafast timescales. However, in order to identify when and how fast these phase transitions occur, methods that can probe the symmetry change in the time domain are required. We show that a time-dependent change in the coherent phonon spectrum can probe a change in symmetry of the lattice potential, thus providing an all-optical probe of structural transitions. We examine the photoinduced structural phase transition in VO2 and show that, above the phase transition threshold, photoexcitation completely changes the lattice potential on an ultrafast timescale. The loss of the equilibrium-phase phonon modes occurs promptly, indicating a non-thermal pathway for the photoinduced phase transition, where a strong perturbation to the lattice potential changes its symmetry before ionic rearrangement has occurred.Comment: 14 pages 4 figure

Calculations of the A_1 phonon frequency in photoexcited Tellurium

Calculations of the A_1 phonon frequency in photoexcited tellurium are presented. The phonon frequency as a function of photoexcited carrier density and phonon amplitude is determined. Recent pump probe experiments are interpreted in the light of these calculatons. It is proposed that, in conjunction with measurements of the phonon period in ultra-fast pump-probe reflectivity experiments, the calculated frequency shifts can be used to infer the evolution of the density of photoexcited carriers on a sub-picosecond time-scale.Comment: 15 pages Latex, 3 postscript figure

C60_{60} in intense femtosecond laser pulses: nonlinear dipole response and ionization

We study the interaction of strong femtosecond laser pulses with the C$_{60}$ molecule employing time-dependent density functional theory with the ionic background treated in a jellium approximation. The laser intensities considered are below the threshold of strong fragmentation but too high for perturbative treatments such as linear response. The nonlinear response of the model to excitations by short pulses of frequencies up to 45eV is presented and analyzed with the help of Kohn-Sham orbital resolved dipole spectra. In femtosecond laser pulses of 800nm wavelength ionization is found to occur multiphoton-like rather than via excitation of a ``giant'' resonance.Comment: 14 pages, including 1 table, 5 figure

Sub-wavelength terahertz beam profiling of a THz source via an all-optical knife-edge technique

Terahertz technologies recently emerged as outstanding candidates for a variety of applications in such sectors as security, biomedical, pharmaceutical, aero spatial, etc. Imaging the terahertz field, however, still remains a challenge, particularly when sub-wavelength resolutions are involved. Here we demonstrate an all-optical technique for the terahertz near-field imaging directly at the source plane. A thin layer (<100 nm-thickness) of photo carriers is induced on the surface of the terahertz generation crystal, which acts as an all-optical, virtual blade for terahertz near-field imaging via a knife-edge technique. Remarkably, and in spite of the fact that the proposed approach does not require any mechanical probe, such as tips or apertures, we are able to demonstrate the imaging of a terahertz source with deeply sub-wavelength features (<30 μm) directly in its emission plane

Docência no ensino superior: abordagem temática nas licenciaturas da área de ciências da natureza

Tese (doutorado) - Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Educação Científica e Tecnológica, Florianópolis, 2015.A presente pesquisa consiste em investigar práticas docentes de formadores de professores na área de Ciências da Natureza, balizadas pela abordagem temática, na perspectiva de caracterizar as influências dos aspectos formativos, institucionais e organizacionais no desenvolvimento de ações junto a licenciandos em Ciências Biológicas, Física e Química. Inicialmente, foi realizada a análise dos documentos oficiais que regem a formação inicial de professores e a Educação Básica, abordando os desafios enfrentados pelos formadores de professores. Para caracterizar as práticas dos docentes no Ensino Superior, no sentido de enfrentar os desafios postos, por meio da abordagem temática, foi conduzida uma revisão bibliográfica nas atas dos principais eventos nacionais de pesquisa na área de Educação em Ciências no período de 2001 a 2014, e realizada uma entrevista semiestruturada com quatro formadores. Os artigos selecionados e a entrevista foram analisados por meio da Análise Textual Discursiva. A partir do levantamento bibliográfico e da entrevista, aponta-se uma nítida manifestação de que a abordagem temática tem se constituído como uma intencionalidade na formação inicial de professores. As práticas identificadas, tanto a partir dos trabalhos publicados nas atas dos eventos analisados quanto das entrevistas, são de distintas naturezas, desenvolvidas em diferentes contextos, junto aos licenciandos em Ciências Biológicas, Física e Química. Os aspectos que influenciam as práticas dos formadores foram sistematizados sob cinco categorias emergentes, que envolvem dois eixos, quais sejam: Eixo 1: Influências na prática do docente do ensino superior. Neste eixo estão as categorias: i) diálogo; ii) currículo; iii) tempo; Eixo 2: Sobre possibilidades e necessidades: i) na abordagem de temas; ii) na formação continuada de docentes do Ensino Superior. Considerando as práticas desenvolvidas, ainda são escassas e incipientes as iniciativas que envolvem mais de uma área, de modo a propiciar a interdisciplinaridade do conhecimento. As discussões apresentadas remetem para a defesa da necessidade de inserção sistemática e orgânica da abordagem temática em componentes curriculares, de modo a abarcar todos os licenciandos. Além disso, a efetivação de práticas interdisciplinares e coletivas requer uma postura assumida pelo coletivo de docentes que atuam no curso, construindo um perfil de professor a ser formado. Esta questão está associada, principalmente, a dois fatores: formação docente e estrutura curricular. É preciso, portanto, que seja assumido: i) no âmbito institucional, o desafio de proporcionar formação continuada dos docentes do Ensino Superior; ii) no âmbito curricular, pelo coletivo de docentes, o desafio de estruturar projetos pedagógicos de curso que permitam, com a devida flexibilidade, a abordagem conceitual requerida pela legislação, a partir de temas. Ademais, indica-se a importância de uma maior valorização do ensino dentro das instituições de Ensino Superior, de forma que as três esferas que compõem o tripé ensino-pesquisa-extensão sejam tratadas e valorizadas de forma igualitária.Abstract : This research consists to investigate practices of teacher trainers in the field of natural sciences, buoyed by the thematic approach with a view to characterize the formative, institutional and organizational aspects that influence in the development of actions with future teachers in Biology, Physics and Chemistry. Initially, was performed an analysis of official documents that governing the initial teacher education and the Basic Education, addressing the challenges faced by teacher trainers. To characterize teachers? practices in Higher Education, in order to face the challenges posed by the thematic approach, was conducted a literature review in the main national research events in the area of Science Education from 2001 to 2014, and was held a semi-structured interviews with four trainers. The selected articles and the interviews were analyzed using the Discursive Textual Analysis. From the literature review and the interview, it's possible to point for a clear manifestation that the thematic approach has been constituted as intentionality in initial teacher training. The identified practices, from the papers published and analyzed and from the interviews are of different natures, developed in different contexts, with the future teachers in Biology, Physics and Chemistry. The factors influencing the practices of trainers were systematized in five emerging categories, involving two axis, namely: Axis 1: Influences in the practice of Higher Education teachers. In this axis are the categories: i) dialogue; ii) curriculum; iii) time. Axis 2: About possibilities and requirements: i) in thematic approach; ii) in the continuing education of teachers of Higher Education. Considering the practices developed, the initiatives involving more than one area are still scarce and incipient, so as to provide interdisciplinary knowledge. The discussions presented remit to the need for systematic and organic insertion of thematic approach in curricular components so as to encompass all undergraduates. This issue is related mainly to two factors: teacher training and curricular structure. It must therefore be assumed: i) at the institutional scope, the challenge of providing ongoing training of teachers in Higher Education; ii) at the curricular context, by the collective of teachers, the challenge of structuring pedagogical projects of courses that allow, with the necessary flexibility, the conceptual approach required by legislation, through themes. Moreover, it is indicated the importance of a greater appreciation of teaching for undergraduates within Higher Education institutions, so that the three levels that make up the tripod teaching-research-extension are treated and valued equally

Intervenciones nutricionales en modelos de envejecimiento prematuro y cronológico

En el envejecimiento tiene lugar un deterioro funcional progresivo de todos los sistemas fisiológicos del organismo, especialmente de los reguladores, el sistema nervioso, el endocrino y el inmunitario, lo que conlleva la pérdida de homeostasis y el consecuente aumento de morbilidad y mortalidad. Según la teoría de la oxidación-inflamación del envejecimiento, el deterioro al envejecer en los sistemas homeostáticos es consecuencia del estrés oxidativo e inflamatorio crónico del organismo, y en el que el sistema inmunitario está muy implicado. De esta forma, se propone que este sistema que tiene que producir oxidantes e inflamación para llevar a cabo sus funciones,puede, si no está bien regulado, condicionar la velocidad de envejecimiento de cada individuo,siendo un marcador del estado de salud y predictor de longevidad..