Evaluation of the propulsion technique and motor performance of wheelchair basketball players

The objective of this study was to evaluate the propulsion technique of wheelchairs basketball athletes. The group of study was formed for 11 athletes practicing, the modality studied, with an average age of 30.27 ± 6.51 years. The sample was divided in two groups (faster, slowest) according to the performance in the agility and speed tests. To analyze the angular kinematics of the upper limbs, each person performed threeattempts to “round trip” in a distance of 5 meters. The results indicate a strong positive association between the results obtained in the speed and agility tests (r = 0.83; p = 0.002) and negative between speed test time and sports practice time (r = −0.68; p = 0.02). For the analysis of angular behavior significant difference was observed (p = 0.02), only in the variable maximum angle of the left elbow and the faster group presentedthe highest values. The angular behavior analyzes during all the movement, present significant difference at some point of the cycle, for the variables abduction angle on the left shoulder, absolute angle of the right and left forearm, absolute angles of the shoulder in the sagittal plane left and right, maximum angle of the right and left elbow. The results indicate that the athletes present specific characteristics of propulsion, andthat some angular movement characteristics, as a smaller angle of shoulder abduction during early stages of the propulsion, influence the performance in the speed test

Infrared (810-nm) low-level laser therapy on rat experimental knee inflammation

Arthritis of the knee is the most common type of joint inflammatory disorder and it is associated with pain and inflammation of the joint capsule. Few studies address the effects of the 810-nm laser in such conditions. Here we investigated the effects of low-level laser therapy (LLLT; infrared, 810-nm) in experimentally induced rat knee inflammation. Thirty male Wistar rats (230–250 g) were anesthetized and injected with carrageenan by an intra-articular route. After 6 and 12 h, all animals were killed by CO2 inhalation and the articular cavity was washed for cellular and biochemical analysis. Articular tissue was carefully removed for real-time PCR analysis in order to evaluate COX-1 and COX-2 expression. LLLT was able to significantly inhibit the total number of leukocytes, as well as the myeloperoxidase activity with 1, 3, and 6 J (Joules) of energy. This result was corroborated by cell counting showing the reduction of polymorphonuclear cells at the inflammatory site. Vascular extravasation was significantly inhibited at the higher dose of energy of 10 J. Both COX-1 and 2 gene expression were significantly enhanced by laser irradiation while PGE2 production was inhibited. Low-level laser therapy operating at 810 nm markedly reduced inflammatory signs of inflammation but increased COX-1 and 2 gene expression. Further studies are necessary to investigate the possible production of antiinflammatory mediators by COX enzymes induced by laser irradiation in knee inflammation

Estudo Prospectivo das Tecnologias da Informação e Comunicação Aplicadas a Pessoas com Autismo

Autism is a developmental disorder that is usually identified in childhood, persisting in adolescence and adulthood. People with autism are characterized by deficits in communication, language and behavior, which invariably impairs their social interaction. Research on information and communication technologies (ICT), focused on the diagnosis and treatment of people with autism, has been emerging in recent years. Mobile devices, for example, have enabled various forms of accessibility and served as tools for autistic individuals with sensory, motor disabilities, as well as those who need augmentative communication. In this study, a search and analysis was carried out on the basis of patents and scientific articles, in order to obtain an overview of the main ICTs that have been applied to people with autism. The results showed a substantial growth in works and technologies that can provide alternative treatments for people with autism, totaling 611 scientific articles and 222 patent families.O autismo é um transtorno do desenvolvimento que normalmente costuma ser identificado na infância, persistindo na adolescência e na fase adulta. Pessoas com autismo são caracterizadas por déficits na comunicação, linguagem e comportamento, o que, invariavelmente, prejudica a sua interação social. Pesquisas em torno de Tecnologias da Informação e Comunicação (TIC), voltadas para o diagnóstico e o tratamento de pessoas com autismo, têm sido emergentes nos últimos anos. Dispositivos móveis, por exemplo, têm viabilizado diversas formas de acessibilidade e servido como ferramentas a indivíduos autistas com deficiências sensoriais, motoras, assim como aos que necessitam de comunicação aumentativa. Neste estudo, foram realizadas busca e análise em base de patentes e artigos científicos com o intuito de se obter um panorama das principais TICs que têm sido aplicadas a pessoas com autismo. Os resultados mostraram um crescimento substancial de trabalhos e tecnologias que podem proporcionar tratamentos alternativos para pessoas com autismo, totalizando 611 artigos científicos e 222 famílias de patentes

PET-BCC: Um PET Temático em Desenvolvimento de Software

O PET-BCC é um grupo temático com o foco em desenvolvimento de software. Além das responsabilidades convencionais de qualquer grupo PET, os temáticos possuem a responsabilidade de desenvolver atividades também voltadas ao seu tema, gerando conhecimento mais direcionado e contribuindo de forma mais pontual para a formação dos estudantes. Este artigo tem como objetivo apresentar os projetos que são desenvolvidos, a organização e a dinâmica de funcionamento do grupo. Apresentam-se também os desafios, limitações e estratégias de gerenciamento que são atualmente adotadas de forma que outros grupos PET possam se beneficiar

Brazilian Flora 2020: Leveraging the power of a collaborative scientific network

International audienceThe shortage of reliable primary taxonomic data limits the description of biological taxa and the understanding of biodiversity patterns and processes, complicating biogeographical, ecological, and evolutionary studies. This deficit creates a significant taxonomic impediment to biodiversity research and conservation planning. The taxonomic impediment and the biodiversity crisis are widely recognized, highlighting the urgent need for reliable taxonomic data. Over the past decade, numerous countries worldwide have devoted considerable effort to Target 1 of the Global Strategy for Plant Conservation (GSPC), which called for the preparation of a working list of all known plant species by 2010 and an online world Flora by 2020. Brazil is a megadiverse country, home to more of the world's known plant species than any other country. Despite that, Flora Brasiliensis, concluded in 1906, was the last comprehensive treatment of the Brazilian flora. The lack of accurate estimates of the number of species of algae, fungi, and plants occurring in Brazil contributes to the prevailing taxonomic impediment and delays progress towards the GSPC targets. Over the past 12 years, a legion of taxonomists motivated to meet Target 1 of the GSPC, worked together to gather and integrate knowledge on the algal, plant, and fungal diversity of Brazil. Overall, a team of about 980 taxonomists joined efforts in a highly collaborative project that used cybertaxonomy to prepare an updated Flora of Brazil, showing the power of scientific collaboration to reach ambitious goals. This paper presents an overview of the Brazilian Flora 2020 and provides taxonomic and spatial updates on the algae, fungi, and plants found in one of the world's most biodiverse countries. We further identify collection gaps and summarize future goals that extend beyond 2020. Our results show that Brazil is home to 46,975 native species of algae, fungi, and plants, of which 19,669 are endemic to the country. The data compiled to date suggests that the Atlantic Rainforest might be the most diverse Brazilian domain for all plant groups except gymnosperms, which are most diverse in the Amazon. However, scientific knowledge of Brazilian diversity is still unequally distributed, with the Atlantic Rainforest and the Cerrado being the most intensively sampled and studied biomes in the country. In times of “scientific reductionism”, with botanical and mycological sciences suffering pervasive depreciation in recent decades, the first online Flora of Brazil 2020 significantly enhanced the quality and quantity of taxonomic data available for algae, fungi, and plants from Brazil. This project also made all the information freely available online, providing a firm foundation for future research and for the management, conservation, and sustainable use of the Brazilian funga and flora