Art through the colors of graffiti: from the perspective of the chromatic structure

Graffiti is a general term that describes inscriptions on a wall, a practice with ancient origins, ranging from simple drawings and writings to elaborate pictorial representations. Nowadays, the term graffiti commonly describes the street art dedicated to wall paintings, which raises complex questions, including sociological, legal, political and aesthetic issues. Here we examine the aesthetics of graffiti colors by quantitatively characterizing and comparing their chromatic structure to that of traditional paintings in museums and natural scenes obtained by hyperspectral imaging. Two hundred twenty-eight photos of graffiti were taken in the city of São Paulo, Brazil. The colors of graffiti were represented in a color space and characterized by several statistical parameters. We found that graffiti have chromatic structures similar to those of traditional paintings, namely their preferred colors, distribution, and balance. In particular, they have color gamuts with the same degree of elongation, revealing a tendency for combining similar colors in the same proportions. Like more traditional artists, the preferred colors are close to the yellow–blue axis of color space, suggesting that graffiti artists’ color choices also mimic those of the natural world. Even so, graffiti tend to have larger color gamuts due to the availability of a new generation of synthetic pigments, resulting in a greater freedom in color choice. A complementary analysis of graffiti from other countries supports the global generalization of these findings. By sharing their color structures with those of paintings, graffiti contribute to bringing art to the cities.This work was supported by Fundação CAPES (Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior) to Carlo M. Gaddi (88882.376512/2019-01), and the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) in the framework of the Strategic Funding UID/FIS/04650/2019

Agreement Between the Douleur Neuropathique in 4 Questions and Leeds Assessment of Neuropathic Symptoms and Signs Questionnaires to Classify Neuropathic Pain Among Patients with Leprosy.

Neuropathic pain (NP) often occurs during the course of leprosy, and screening tools to differentiate NP from non-NP are often used. However, their performance varies in different settings. The most frequently used scales are the Douleur Neuropathique in 4 questions (DN4) and the Leeds assessment of neuropathic symptoms and signs (LANSS) questionnaires. Thus, we conducted a study to evaluate the agreement between DN4 and LANSS questionnaires to classify NP in 195 leprosy patients attending two reference centers in Sergipe, Brazil. The DN4 and LANSS classified 166 and 110 patients, respectively, as having NP. One hundred and seven (54.8%) were classified as NP by both questionnaires; 59 (30.2%) solely by the DN4 questionnaire and three (1.5%) solely by the LANSS. The agreement of the questionnaires was 66.2% (weak agreement, Kappa = 0.30). Although both questionnaires identified a high proportion of NP, the development of more robust instruments is necessary to ensure the accuracy of diagnosis of leprosy patients classified as having NP

Análise de sustentabilidade da produção familiar no sudeste paraense: o caso dos produtores de leite do município de Rio Maria.

Este trabalho faz uma análise da sustentabilidade da pecuária leiteira na agricultura familiar, decorrente do rápido processo de degradação das pastagens formadas em área de terra firme, numa região de fronteira da Amazônia brasileira. A pesquisa foi realizada no Município de Rio Maria, Sudeste Paraense, sendo este um dos Municípios do Pará reconhecido internacionalmente pelo alto índice de conflitos fundiários. A renda sustentável da atividade de pecuária leiteira sendo muito baixa em relação a renda obtida logo na fase inicial da atividade desestimula a adoção de práticas mais sustentáveis. A tendência declinante da produtividade das pastagens, com leves acréscimos decorrentes das queimadas e de controle da juquira foram compensadas com a incorporação de novas áreas de pastagens. O esgotamento de estoques de reservas florestais tende levar ao colapso da atividade a despeito da existência de mercado para carne e leite, as práticas de recuperação não são adotadas. Considerando uma taxa de depreciação de pastagens de 10,00% ao ano e uma taxa de juros de 15,00% ao ano, indica que do lucro líquido obtido os proprietários deveriam investir pelo menos 40,00% para garantir a sustentabilidade das pastagens ao final de dez anos. Verifica-se que a pecuária leiteira da agricultura familiar está sendo feita com a contínua drenagem dos recursos naturais, sem a devida compensação na no preço de venda desses produtos (leite e carne). Espera-se que estes resultados possam contribuir para definir políticas públicas, com medidas concretas para os pequenos produtores de leite, no sentido de garantir renovação/recuperação das pastagens degradadas, visto que, são estes produtores, responsáveis por grande parte do desequilíbrio ecológico do ecossistema no Sudeste Paraense. Não existe entre os produtores, um espírito de conservação, mas sim uma ansiedade em aumentar o rebanho e as pastagen

Planning, Implementing, and Running a Multicentre Preterm Birth Study with Biobank Resources in Brazil: The Preterm SAMBA Study

Background. Our aim was to describe the steps in planning, implementing, and running a multicentre cohort study of maternal and perinatal health using a high-quality biobank comprised of maternal serum, plasma, and hair samples collected from five sites in Brazil. The Preterm SAMBA study, conducted by the Brazilian Network for Studies on Reproductive and Perinatal Health, was an innovative approach used to identify women at higher risk for preterm birth. It is also of great importance in the study of other maternal and perinatal complications in the context of Brazil, which is a middle-income country. Methods. We described phases of planning, implementing, and running the Preterm SAMBA study, a multicentre Brazilian cohort study of low-risk nulliparous pregnant women, to validate a set of metabolite biomarkers for preterm birth identified in an external cohort. Procedures and strategies used to plan, implement, and maintain this multicentre preterm birth study are described in detail. Barriers and experience cited in the current narrative are not usually discussed in the scientific literature or published study protocols. Results. Several barriers and strategies were identified in different phases of the Preterm SAMBA study at different levels of the study framework (steering committee; coordinating and local centres). Strategies implemented and resources used in the study are a legacy of the Brazilian Network, aimed at training collaborators in such complex settings. Conclusion. The Brazilian Network for Studies on Reproductive and Perinatal Health has gained some experience in conducting a multicentre cohort study using a resourceful biobank which may be helpful to other research groups and maternal/perinatal health networks that plan on employing a similar approach to a similar background.201

Identifying characteristic features of the retinal and choroidal vasculature in choroideremia using optical coherence tomography angiography

PURPOSE: Using optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) to investigate the area with flow in the superficial retinal vessel network (SVRN) and choriocapillaris (CC) layer among male subjects with choroideremia (CHM), female carriers, and normal controls to identify vascular changes. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Images of SRVN and CC layer were acquired in 9 affected males, 5 female carriers, and 14 age- and gender-matched controls using the Angiovue software of the RTVue XR Avanti. RESULTS: The mean age was 33 years for affected male CHM patients (median 30 years), 46 years for female carriers (median 53 years), and 39 years for controls (median 38.5). Mean SRVN area±SD in subjects with CHM was 12.93±2.06 mm², in carrier subjects 15.36±0.60 mm², and in controls 15.30±1.35 mm² (P<0.01). The mean CC area±SD with flow was 6.97±5.26 mm² in CHM subjects, 21.65±0.17 mm² in carriers and 21.36±0.76 mm² in controls (P<0.01). SRVN and CC area with flow showed a negative correlation in CHM subjects with the age (r=−0.86; P<0.003 and r=−0.77; P<0.01, respectively). CC area with flow had a positive correlation with SRVN (r=0.83, P<0.001). Overall, visual acuity had a negative correlation with SRVN and CC area with flow (r=−0.67, P<0.001 and r=−0.57, P<0.002, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: This is the first study to highlight changes in the SRVN in CHM subjects. OCTA detected a reduced area with flow in both retinal and choroidal circulations, and may be a useful tool for monitoring natural history and disease progression in forthcoming clinical trials

Use of medicinal plants by black women: ethnography study in a low-income community

Objective To explore beliefs, values and practices related to the use of medicinal plants among low-income black families. Method The research method was ethnography and the participant observation process was done in a low-income community in the peripheral area of the City of São Paulo. Twenty black women were interviewed. Results Two cultural sub-themes, I do use medicines that I learned to make with my mother and with religious practitioners to care for diseases and Home medicines are to treat problems that are not serious, and the cultural theme I do use home medicines to treat simple diseases because I always have them at my disposal, they are free and I don’t need a medical prescription represent beliefs, values, and practices related to the use of medicinal plants among low-income black families. Conclusion The development of such practices, which can hide ethnic and social vulnerability, reveals the resilience of low-income black women in the process of confronting problems during the health-illness process

Histological Evaluation of Diabetic Neurodegeneration in the Retina of Zucker Diabetic Fatty (ZDF) Rats

In diabetes, retinal dysfunctions exist prior to clinically detectable vasculopathy, however the pathology behind these functional deficits is still not fully established. Previously, our group published a detailed study on the retinal histopathology of type 1 diabetic (T1D) rat model, where specific alterations were detected. Although the majority of human diabetic patients have type 2 diabetes (T2D), similar studies on T2D models are practically absent. To fill this gap, we examined Zucker Diabetic Fatty (ZDF) rats - a model for T2D - by immunohistochemistry at the age of 32 weeks. Glial reactivity was observed in all diabetic specimens, accompanied by an increase in the number of microglia cells. Prominent outer segment degeneration was detectable with changes in cone opsin expression pattern, without a decrease in the number of labelled elements. The immunoreactivity of AII amacrine cells was markedly decreased and changes were detectable in the number and staining of some other amacrine cell subtypes, while most other cells examined did not show any major alterations. Overall, the retinal histology of ZDF rats shows a surprising similarity to T1D rats indicating that despite the different evolution of the disease, the neuroretinal cells affected are the same in both subtypes of diabetes