Could heart rate variability be associated with weight bearing asymmetries in cerebrovascular diseases?

Introduction: Cerebrovascular diseases result in sensory-motor deficits disturbing postural control that is observed by weight-bearing asymmetries commonly named as hemiparesis. Besides hemiparetic impairments, first observed after stroke, many studies have pointed cardiac failure and risk of sudden death as the main factors responsible for death of stroke survivars. This case series characterized weight-bearing asymmetries and heart rate variability, and describes relationships between these parameters in hemiparesis. Case Series: Brazilian male subjects with chronic hemiparesis acquired after ischemic stroke in the middle cerebral artery. Five were selected to study heart rate variability obtained by Root Mean Square Successive Difference. Also, weight-bearing asymmetries were measured by Symmetry Ratio calculated by weight-bearing recorded between each foot. The Symmetry Ratio was 1.1±0.43 for all cases presenting a symmetry case (n = 1) and different types of asymmetries cases (n = 4) during upright position. Root Mean Square Successive Difference was 9.9±3.4, presenting strong and significant (p < 0.05) positive correlation with age and a strong but not significant (0.05 < p < 0.10) negative correlation with hemiparesis chronicity. A strong but not significant negative correlation was observed between the Root Mean Square Successive Difference and the Symmetry Rate values. Conclusion: A characteristic pattern of heart rate variability for patients with cerebrovascular disease was observed in these cases, associated significantly with age. Still, this behavior seems to be influenced by chronicity and by different types of asymmetries in the distribution of weight bearing that could be investigated in more appropriate clinical research designs

Distribuição espacial, aporte e dispersão de grânulos de plástico em zonas costeiras

The production and the usage of plastic material increases since the decade of 1950. Nowadays, the elevated production rate, the misusing and the waste turned plastic material in an urgent environmental and economic problem. One of the major environmental problems related to this issue is the contamination of marine environments by microplastics. These constitute plastic particles of size between 1 and 5 mm. Microplastics might occur by breaking of larger plastic pieces or as a manufactured product. The plastic pellets are among this second class, these are small plastic spherules (&#8805; 5 mm) used in the plastics industry as raw material for the production of manufactured products. It is hypothesized that plastic pellets reach the marine environment due to losses in port terminals or accidental and intentional releases by commercial ships. The present study evaluated the contamination of the coastal zone by microplastics in different spatial and temporal scales. This evaluation approached the dispersion of microplastics in coastal zones, and used the spatial distribution, the stranding and the accumulation of plastic pellets in sandy beaches as a proxy to disclose the behavior of the variation of microplastics in coastal zones. The results of the present paper reveal that microplastics vary both in small and large temporal and spatial scales. Therefore, the present paper brings new insights to the knowledge on microplastics pollution in coastal zones, which might give a new baseline to methodological approaches adopted in management and monitoring programs.A produção e o consumo de plásticos vêm aumentando desde a década de 1950. Nos dias de hoje, a taxa elevada de produção, o mal-uso e o desperdício tornaram os plásticos em um problema ambiental e econômico urgente. Um dos principais problemas relacionados à esta questão é a poluição dos ambientes marinhos por microplásticos. Estes constituem partículas de plástico de tamanho que varia entre 1 e 5 mm. Microplásticos podem ocorrer em decorrência da quebra de pedaços de plásticos grandes ou podem ocorrer como um produto fabricado. Os grânulos de plástico estão nesta segunda categoria, estes são pequenas esférulas de plástico (&#8805; 5 mm) utilizadas como matéria prima para a produção de utensílios variados pela indústria dos plásticos. A hipótese é de que os grânulos de plástico cheguem ao ambiente marinho a partir de perdas em terminais portuários ou após liberações acidentais ou intencionais por embarcações comerciais. O presente estudo avaliou a contaminação da zona costeira por grânulos de plástico em diferentes escalas espaciais e temporais. Esta avaliação abordou a dispersão de microplásticos em regiões costeiras e utilizou a distribuição espacial o aporte e o acúmulo de grânulos de plástico como um modelo para desvendar o comportamento da variação de microplásticos em zonas costeiras. O presente estudo revelou que os microplásticos varia em escalas espaciais e temporais grandes e pequenas. Os resultados apresentados aqui podem conferir embasamento e questões metodológicas para serem adotadas em estratégias de monitoramento e gestão

Variação espacial e temporal de uma taxocenose de caprelídeos (Crustacea: Amphipoda) em um ecossistema subtropical sujeito à poluição por hidrocarbonetos de petróleo

The petroleum demand, as so as the commerce of its derivates, has caused the introduction of these compounds in marine ecosystems. The transportation and the extraction of petroleum cause severe accidents, impacting coastal ecosystems through a lot of ways. Sargassum beds are very abundant and important to the maintenance of ecological processes in coastal regions. In Sargassum beds the infraorder Amphipoda is one of the most abundant taxonomic groups. Some amphipods species are considered important bioindicators of petrogenic pollution. The Amphipoda Caprellidae shows a high species diversity, and some species are considered strong bioindicators of anthropological impacts. Thus, it can be supposed that, given their potential as bioindicators, caprellids significantly respond to an oil pollutants gradient, as so as others amphipods. The São Sebastião Channel is located at the Brazilian southeastern coast. Oil vessels accidents are among the anthropological impacts in that area. The present study has two chapters. The first one brings evidences of caprellids taxocoenosis structure in a gradient of oil pollutants. The second describes a pattern of temporal variation of caprellids trophic groups. The results suggest that petrogenic pollutants affect caprellids species richness and evenness on the studied scales. A significant pattern of temporal variation was observed in the density of detritivores and omnivores. The results indicate a seasonal segregation in the density of the two groups.Universidade Federal de Minas GeraisA demanda por derivados de petróleo tem causado a introdução deste composto em ecossistemas marinhos. Os processos de transporte e extração muitas vezes causam graves acidentes, impactando ecossistemas costeiros através de diversas maneiras. Em regiões costeiras bancos da alga parda Sargassum são muito abundantes e importantes para a manutenção de processos ecológicos. Nestes bancos a infraordem Amphipoda é um dos grupos mais importantes em termos de abundância. Algumas de suas espécies já foram sugeridas como bioindicadoras de poluição petrogênica. Dentre os Amphipoda, destaca-se a família Caprellidae. Este grupo apresenta uma alta diversidade de espécies e algumas destas são consideradas como relevantes bioindicadoras de pressões antrópicas. Desta forma, é crível supor que, dado seu potencial como bioindicadores, caprelídeos respondem de maneira significativa a um gradiente de poluição petrogênica, assim como outros anfípodes. Na costa sudeste do Brasil, localiza-se o Canal de São Sebastião. Dentre as pressões antrópicas que impactam esta área se destacam os acidentes com embarcações petrolíferas. A presente dissertação é composta por dois capítulos. O primeiro procura evidenciar a estrutura de taxocenoses de caprelídeos em meio a um gradiente de hidrocarbonetos de petróleo no Canal de São Sebastião. O segundo tem como objetivo descrever e estabelecer um padrão de variação temporal para os grupos tróficos de caprelídeos. Os resultados mostram que poluentes petrogênicos afetam a riqueza e a eqüitatividade de espécies nas escalas estudadas. Foi observado ainda um significativo padrão de variação temporal para a densidade de detritívoros e onívoros. Além disso, os resultados sugerem uma segregação sazonal na densidade dos dois grupos

Análises físico-químicas e microbiológicas de águas de pré e pós-tratamento na cidade de Jundiaí-SP

The objective of the present study was to evaluate the quality of the pretreatment (in natura) and posttreatment water in the city of Jundiaí-SP. It also aims to evaluate the effectiveness of the water treatment of the municipality. Three sampling points were evaluated in the city: the source of the Jundiaí-Mirim River (p1), the accumulation dam located in the City Park (p2), and the posttreatment tap water from the distribution network (p3). The evaluation of the physicochemical parameters (dissolved oxygen-DO, hydrogenation potential-pH, orthophosphate-, nitrite-, nitrate-, ammonia-NH3 , turbidity and temperature) and microbiological (thermotolerant coliform-CT) was performed with the use of Alfakit® Ecokit II. Nonconformities were observed only in relation to the microbiological parameter: p1 presented 2,2 x 103 CFU/mL and p2, 1,8 x 103 CFU/mL; CONAMA Resolution 357/05 establishes up to 2 x 102 CFU/mL for class I. Tap water is in compliance with the reference values established by the Ministry of Health Ordinance 2914/11. The methods used were effective to certify good quality of the water after the rigorous treatment done by the DAE company, however additional studies are suggested for the identification of possible contaminants in the region.</jats:p