Effects of Physical Exercise Program in Adults with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities—A Study Protocol

We developed a physical exercise (PE) program for people with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (IDD), aiming to determine the effects on physical fitness, health, cognitive ability, and quality of life (QoL). Using experimental methodology, this intervention study recruited 21 adults (18 to 65 years old), institutionalized and with no other associated pathology, who will be allocated to one of the different groups: (i) gym/indoor intervention group (using weight machines), (ii) outdoor intervention group (using low-cost materials), or (iii) control group (without specific intervention, who continue with their normal daily activities). Both intervention groups will engage in 45 min of training per session, twice a week, for 24 weeks. Assessments will be conducted at baseline (initial assessment), 3 months (mid-term assessment), and 6 months (final assessment). Variables assessed include anthropometrics, body composition, functional capacity, muscle strength, general health, cognitive ability, and QoL. The results of this study will assist in the development of more effective strategies, recommendations, and interventions to ensure better and greater adherence to PE by institutionalized individuals with IDD, namely, recommendations for assessment, prescription, and implementation of PE for this population. Additionally, we intend to make available two PE programs, if they are adapted and promote positive effects.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Pervasive gaps in Amazonian ecological research

Biodiversity loss is one of the main challenges of our time,1,2 and attempts to address it require a clear un derstanding of how ecological communities respond to environmental change across time and space.3,4 While the increasing availability of global databases on ecological communities has advanced our knowledge of biodiversity sensitivity to environmental changes,5–7 vast areas of the tropics remain understudied.8–11 In the American tropics, Amazonia stands out as the world’s most diverse rainforest and the primary source of Neotropical biodiversity,12 but it remains among the least known forests in America and is often underrepre sented in biodiversity databases.13–15 To worsen this situation, human-induced modifications16,17 may elim inate pieces of the Amazon’s biodiversity puzzle before we can use them to understand how ecological com munities are responding. To increase generalization and applicability of biodiversity knowledge,18,19 it is thus crucial to reduce biases in ecological research, particularly in regions projected to face the most pronounced environmental changes. We integrate ecological community metadata of 7,694 sampling sites for multiple or ganism groups in a machine learning model framework to map the research probability across the Brazilian Amazonia, while identifying the region’s vulnerability to environmental change. 15%–18% of the most ne glected areas in ecological research are expected to experience severe climate or land use changes by 2050. This means that unless we take immediate action, we will not be able to establish their current status, much less monitor how it is changing and what is being lostinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Outcomes from elective colorectal cancer surgery during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic

This study aimed to describe the change in surgical practice and the impact of SARS-CoV-2 on mortality after surgical resection of colorectal cancer during the initial phases of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic

Pervasive gaps in Amazonian ecological research

Biodiversity loss is one of the main challenges of our time,1,2 and attempts to address it require a clear understanding of how ecological communities respond to environmental change across time and space.3,4 While the increasing availability of global databases on ecological communities has advanced our knowledge of biodiversity sensitivity to environmental changes,5,6,7 vast areas of the tropics remain understudied.8,9,10,11 In the American tropics, Amazonia stands out as the world's most diverse rainforest and the primary source of Neotropical biodiversity,12 but it remains among the least known forests in America and is often underrepresented in biodiversity databases.13,14,15 To worsen this situation, human-induced modifications16,17 may eliminate pieces of the Amazon's biodiversity puzzle before we can use them to understand how ecological communities are responding. To increase generalization and applicability of biodiversity knowledge,18,19 it is thus crucial to reduce biases in ecological research, particularly in regions projected to face the most pronounced environmental changes. We integrate ecological community metadata of 7,694 sampling sites for multiple organism groups in a machine learning model framework to map the research probability across the Brazilian Amazonia, while identifying the region's vulnerability to environmental change. 15%–18% of the most neglected areas in ecological research are expected to experience severe climate or land use changes by 2050. This means that unless we take immediate action, we will not be able to establish their current status, much less monitor how it is changing and what is being lost

Redescriptions of Streblosoma bairdi (Malmgren, 1866) and Thelepus cincinnatus (Fabricius, 1780), based on types and material from type localities

Nogueira, João Miguel De Matos (2019): Redescriptions of Streblosoma bairdi (Malmgren, 1866) and Thelepus cincinnatus (Fabricius, 1780), based on types and material from type localities. Zootaxa 4544 (3): 419-428, DOI: https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4544.3.

The genus Loimia Malmgren, 1866 (Annelida: Terebellidae) off the Brazilian coast, with description of three new species and notes on some morphological characters of the genus

Carrerette, Orlemir, Nogueira, João Miguel De Matos (2015): The genus Loimia Malmgren, 1866 (Annelida: Terebellidae) off the Brazilian coast, with description of three new species and notes on some morphological characters of the genus. Zootaxa 3999 (1): 1-31, DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.3999.1.

Streblosoma Sars 1872

Streblosoma Sars, 1872 Type species: Grymaea bairdi Malmgren, 1866. Diagnosis. Prostomium at base of upper lip; basal part of prostomium frequently with eyespots, distal part usually forming shelf-like process from which buccal tentacles originate. Peristomium forming lips, sometimes continuing dorsally. Lateral lobes on anterior segments absent, but segment 2 usually protruding ventrally. Zero to 3 pairs of branchiae, on segments 2–4, each with numerous simple filaments progressively tapering to tips. Notopodia beginning on segment 2, continuing for variable number of segments; notochaetae as limbate capillaries, arranged in two tiers, anterior tier with shorter chaetae. Neuropodia beginning on segment 5, extending until posterior body, neuropodia usually glandular, slightly raised from body wall; uncini with elongate base, dorsal button terminal or almost, prow, if present, reduced to short knob and main fang topped by few rows of secondary teeth. Remarks. Streblosoma is a large genus, with 30 described species, distinguished mostly by arrangement and number of branchial filaments and eyespots, if present, morphology of notochaetae and uncini, arrangement of uncini and, in the case of Streblosoma bingarra sp. nov., described below, size of lower lip and structure of anterior ventral surface of the body.Published as part of Nogueira, João Miguel De Matos & Hutchings, Pat A., 2007, New species of terebellid polychaetes (Polychaeta: Terebellidae) from Australia, pp. 1-24 in Zootaxa 1473 on page 18, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.17672

Pseudostreblosoma Hutchings and Murray 1984

Pseudostreblosoma Hutchings and Murray, 1984, emended Type­species: Pseudostreblosoma serratum Hutchings and Murray, 1984 by original designation. Diagnosis Upper lip short and rounded, lower lip restricted to oral area. Basal part of prostomium bearing eyespots. Lobes on anterior segments sometimes present. Three pairs of branchiae formed by numerous simple filaments. Notopodia from segment 2, extending for a variable number of segments. Each notopodium with two rows of chaetae; chaetae on posterior row distinctly longer than chaetae on anterior row. On anterior notopodia, chaetae on both rows as smooth, limbate capillaries; on posterior notopodia, chaetae on anterior row of notochaetae as serrated capillaries, with elongated and thin blades, and chaetae on posterior row of notochaetae as smooth, limbate capillaries. Neuropodia from segment 5 until near pygidium, uncini in single rows throughout. Uncini high (considered as the distance from top of crest to bottom of base) and elongated (considered as the distance from end of heel to end of prow), heel and prow conspicuous, dorsal button away from the anterior margin. Remarks Hutchings and Murray (1984) erected Pseudostreblosoma to accommodate one species which was otherwise similar to Streblosoma Sars, 1872, but had serrated chaetae and “Amphitritinae­like” (= Terebellinae­like) uncini, with conspicuous heel and prow, and dorsal button situated subdistally. Later, Hutchings and Glasby (1987) emended the diagnosis of the genus, noticing that smooth (= limbate) capillaries were also present, and included a species from the Arabian Gulf, which had originally been described as Streblosoma, P. longum (Mohammed, 1973). The uncini of Pseudostreblosoma, as confirmed in the present paper, are very unusual for a Thelepodinae. Although still being longer than high, as typical of the uncini of the subfamily, they have a short posterior heel, developed prow and dorsal button away from the anterior margin of uncini, all these characters being characteristic of the uncini of Terebellinae, as commented on by Hutchings and Murray (1984). However, in spite of the atypical position of the dorsal button of the uncini of Pseudostreblosoma, its morphology is similar to that of other species of Thelepodinae, a small circle of low bristles projecting for a short extension above the integument (Fig. 4 B–F), as shown in several other studies which included SEMs of uncini of species of thelepodines (Hutchings & Glasby 1987, Nogueira & Amaral 2001, Nogueira et al. 2004) instead of a tuft of longer bristles holding the tip of main fang, as typical of the uncini of Terebellinae (Figs. 8 A–H). The diagnosis of the genus is now emended again, to allow for the presence of lobes on anterior segments, a feature of the Brazilian species described below. Lobes on anterior segments have been referred to in the literature as “lateral lobes”, or “lateral lappets”, however we consider these terms misleading because such lobes are often situated ventrolaterally or even mid­ventrally, instead of laterally, as in the case of the mid­ventral lobe on segment 1 of the new species of Pseudostreblosoma described in this paper. The most important features to characterise this genus are the segments on which the noto­ and neuropodia begin, and the morphology of notochaetae and neurochaetal uncini.Published as part of Nogueira, João Miguel De Matos & Alves, Tarsila Montrezoro, 2006, Two new terebellid polychaetes (Polychaeta: Terebellidae) from the state of São Paulo, southeastern Brazil, pp. 31-54 in Zootaxa 1205 on pages 33-35, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.17236

Spinosphaera Hessle 1917

Spinosphaera Hessle, 1917 Type species: Spinosphaera pacifica Hessle, 1917, by monotypy. Diagnosis. Prostomium in two parts, basal part sometimes with eyespots, distal part forming shelf-like process from which buccal tentacles originate. Peristomium restricted to lips; upper lip short, hood-like, lower lip narrow. Segment 1 conspicuous dorsally, laterally and ventrally, forming ventral lobe below lower lip. Anterior segments not dorsally inflated, lateral lobes absent. Anterior segments with smooth mid ventral shields, followed by mid ventral stripe extending from posterior notochaetigerous segments to pygidium. Branchiae absent. Notopodia beginning from segment 4 and extending for variable number of segments. Notochaetae arranged in two oblique tiers, those on anterior tier shorter; anterior notochaetae on both tiers as bilimbate capillaries; posterior notochaetae on both tiers with serrated tips. Neuropodia beginning from segment 5, forming low rectangular ridges slightly raised from surface of body, internal supporting rods on abdominal neuropodia absent. Uncini short-handled, with conspicuous dorsal button, short triangular heel and prow distally pointed and downwardly directed; uncini arranged in double rows from segment 11, for a variable number of segments. Remarks. Spinosphaera was revised by Londoño-Mesa (2003), who described three new species, redescribed S. oculata Hartman, 1944 and transferred S. cowarrie Hutchings, 1997 to a new genus, Hutchingsiella Londoño-Mesa, 2003. The author emphasized the importance of the structure of the notochaetae of posterior notochaetigerous segments, which characterize the group, and which he named as “ spinosphaera chaeta”. However, although S. pacifica Hessle 1917, the type species of the genus, and some other species of the group have unique notochaetae on the posterior tier of posterior notochaetigerous segments, as illustrated by Hessle (1917) and in this paper (Fig. 5 B–D), Londoño-Mesa (2003) mistakingly illustrated “ spinosphaera chaetae” as flail-tipped capillaries, which occur in several genera of terebellines. He then proceeded to describe additional species of the genus which actually lack the characteristic chaetae. True “ spinosphaera chaetae” have uniform broad winged limbation on both margins basally, which is broader than the width of the shaft, followed by a coarsely spinulated process originating from a swollen part of the shaft, with narrow limbation restricted to the outer margin, and finely serrated tip (Fig. 5 B–D). Londoño-Mesa’s drawings of S. carrerai (2003: 750, Fig. 2 C) illustrate notochaetae from both the anterior and posterior tiers of a posterior notochaetigerous segment, both these chaetae have long, hirsute limbation inside which the shaft is visible. This indicates that the shaft is not involved in the formation of the hirsute process, which is formed from the limbation, as occurs in Amphitritides, Neoleprea, Phisidia Saint-Joseph, 1894, Terebella Linnaeus, 1767, Tyira and several other genera of terebellines, but not in S. pacifica, according to the figure provided by Hessle (1917: 209, Fig. 60 a). This indicates that S. carrerai cannot be classified as possessing true “ spinosphaera chaetae” which characterize the genus and occur in the type species. The genus currently contains six species, including S. barega sp. nov., described below. Of those, only S. pacifica, S. harrisae Londoño-Mesa, 2003, according to drawings provided in the original description, and S. barega sp. nov., possess the true “ spinosphaera chaetae” as defined above. These three species also share other features, most of which are not present in the other three species, such as 20–23 pairs of notopodia, chaetae of the anterior tier of notochaetae on posterior notochaetigerous segments alimbate and serrate, with blade at an angle with the shaft, and uncini arranged in double rows terminating before the segment on which notopodia terminate. The characteristics of all species of Spinosphaera currently recognized are listed in Table 2. Londoño-Mesa (2003) removed S. cowarrie from Spinosphaera and erected the new genus Hutchingsiella Londoño-Mesa, 2003 to accommodate it because, according to him and the original description (Hutchings 1997 a), it has notopodia beginning from segment 5, neuropodia beginning from segment 6, greater number of segments with uncini arranged in double rows, more pairs of notopodia than any other species currently assigned to Spinosphaera and the notochaetae of posterior notochaetigerous segments having a different morphology. These chaetae in H. cowarrie are alimbate and distally serrate, with blade at an angle with the shaft on both the anterior and posterior tiers of notochaetae. Re-examination of type material of H. cowarrie showed that, contrary to its original description (Hutchings 1997 a) and the redescription provided by Londoño-Mesa (2003), this taxon has notopodia from segment 4 and neuropodia from segment 5. So, the major differences between H. cowarrie and S. pacifica are with regards to the numbers of pairs of notopodia and neuropodia with uncini arranged in double rows, and the absence of “ spinosphaera chaeta” in H. cowarrie. Similar differences are found between S. pacifica and the three other species which Londoño-Mesa considered as belonging to this genus, S. carrerai Londoño-Mesa, 2003, S. hutchingsae Londoño-Mesa, 2003 and S. oculata (Table 2). The fact that all these species are grouped in Spinosphaera, but not H. cowarrie, is inconsistent and makes the diagnosis of Spinosphaera considerably continued. S. oculata S. pacifica S. barega sp. nov. broader than those of the other genera of the subfamily. However, as previously stated, we prefer to wait for the results of the phylogenetic analysis of the group, which is in progress (Nogueira and Hutchings in prep.), before reorganizing these genera and their components.Published as part of Nogueira, João Miguel De Matos & Hutchings, Pat A., 2007, New species of terebellid polychaetes (Polychaeta: Terebellidae) from Australia, pp. 1-24 in Zootaxa 1473 on pages 9-11, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.17672