Mirror therapy and self-care autonomy after stroke: an intervention program

Background: In patients with middle cerebral artery (MCA) stroke, changes in upper limb function lead to dependence on others for self-care. In the process of recovering autonomy/independence, there is evidence on the effectiveness of sensory stimulation techniques in the motor recovery after stroke. Objective: To assess the effect of mirror therapy on the self-care autonomy of patients with hemiplegia/hemiparesis due to MCA stroke. Methodology: Cross-sectional and quasi-experimental study with a quantitative approach, a before-and-after design, and a non-equivalent control group. A nonprobability sample of 30 participants was selected. Results: Gains in grip strength, joint range of motion, and manual dexterity of the upper limb were more significant in the experimental group but without statistically significant differences between groups. Conclusion: Despite the more significant evolution of the experimental group, mirror therapy was not effective in the motor recovery of the upper limb. Further studies are needed in this area using randomized designs, larger samples, and focused on self-care

Effects of a large irrigation reservoir on aquatic and riparian plants: a history of survival and loss

Dammed rivers have unnatural stream flows, disrupted sediment dynamics, and rearranged geomorphologic settings. Consequently, fluvial biota experiences disturbed functioning in the novel ecosystems. The case study is the large irrigation reservoir Alqueva in Guadiana River, Southern Iberia. The study area was divided into three zones: upstream and downstream of the dam and reservoir. For each zone, species composition and land use and land cover (LULC) were compared before and after the Alqueva Dam implementation. Data consist of aquatic and riparian flora composition obtained from 46 surveys and the area (%) of 12 classes of LULC obtained in 90 riverine sampling units through the analysis of historical and contemporary imagery. There was an overall decrease of several endemic species and on the riparian shrublands and aquatic stands, although di erences in the proportion of functional groups were not significant. Nevertheless, compositional diversity shows a significant decline in the upstream zone while landscape diversity shows an accentuated reduction in the reservoir area and downstream of the dam, which is likely related to the loss of the rocky habitats of the ‘old’ Guadiana River and the homogenization of the riverscape due to the irrigation intensification. The mitigation of these critical changes should be site-specific and should rely on the knowledge of the interactions between surrounding lands, ecological, biogeomorphologic, and hydrological components of the fluvial ecosystemsinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Neotropical Cerambycidae (Coleoptera) primarily in the Canadian Museum of Nature, Ottawa. I. Falsamblesthiini (Lamiinae)

The following new species are described: Nyctonympha andersoni, sp. n., and N. howdenarum, sp. n., both from Colombia; N. genieri, sp. n., from Ecuador; N. taeniata, sp. n., from Trinidad; Falsamblesthis microps, sp. n., from Venezuela; Bactriola circundata, sp. n., from Brazil (Rio de Janeiro); B. maculata, sp. n., from Venezuela and Ecuador; and B. falsa, sp. n., from Brazil (Minas Gerais to Rio Grande do Sul). A redescription of Bactriola vittulata Bates, 1886, herein designated as the type species of the genus, is provided. Accurate data on the occurrence of Saepiseuthes chilensis Thomson, 1868, in Chile are given. Keys to the species of Bactriola Bates, 1886 and Nyctonympha Thomson, 1868 are added

Socioeconomic indicators for a multidimensional farm system typology in a forest management model – methodology and some resultsEL – METHODOLOGY AND SOME RESULTS

In the Mediterranean forests there is a diversity of agro-forest farms, with different management objectives and socioeconomic characteristics, which need to be accounted in forest management models. Therefore, the following paper presents a proposal of indicators to characterize socioeconomically the farms located within these forests in order to define typologies. Different information sources were analysed and social and economical key indicators defined. The typology created is based on four key indicators which result in 54 typologies. The indicators were applied to the Forest Intervention Zone (FIZ) Arade-Alte/S. B.Messines, using the official statistics complemented with a survey. Results show that the dominant farm type is the Small Scale-Singular producer- Forest- Family labour farm. The resulting simulations of different profit scenarios using a forest management model for the FIZ revealed the applicability of the methodology proposed to the objective.Socioeconomic indicators; Farms’ typologies, Algarve; Forest management model.

Azores tourism product perceptions : the Influence of the country of origin

This study focused on the Autonomous Region of the Azores (ARA), which has some features that are considered favorable to the development of tourism and to the interest in the tourism product. However, the region’s geographical dispersion, its high dependence on transportation and the seasonality of the industry constrain its development. The present research aimed to assess tourists’ perception of certain costs (living, accommodation, plane ticket, and transportation to/from the airport), and whether these differ between tourists of different nationalities. The findings show that tourists, both residents and non-residents, have the perception that the cost of living and of the plane ticket are high, while the cost of accommodation and of transportation to the airport is considered normal by most respondents. We concluded that the models differ when applied to residents and non-residents. For non-residents, living in certain countries induces them to express differences in the perception of the costs studied, when compared to individuals that live in other countries.N/

Concepçôes de formaçâo de professores de matemática: Um exame até a década de 1960

Parte de uma pesquisa de doutorado cujo objetivo foi estudar o movimento de expansão dos cursos de Matemática pelo interior do estado de São Paulo na década de 1960, este texto contempla discussões sobre concepções de formação de professores de Matemática. Tais discussões foram disparadas por estudos de documentos oficiais, referências bibliográficas e narrativas de professores de Matemática que estudaram e/ou se formaram nos cursos criados naquele período

Estereótipos sobre idosos: uma representação social gerontofóbica

Tópicos, ditos, refrões, frases feitas, etiquetas verbais ou adjectivações a respeito de pessoas e grupos, são alusões que frequentemente encontramos, quer nas conversas diárias da rua, quer nos meios de comunicação social. O mundo social e humano, dificilmente se nos apresenta, em sua crua realidade objectiva e objectual, sem possuir adjectivações (frequentemente estereotipadas), porque o estereótipo é precisamente uma percepção extremamente simplificada e geralmente com ausência de matrizes. Na medida em que o conhecimento humano não é capaz de ser sempre complexo, flexível e crítico podemos dizer que tendemos a cair no estereótipo (Castro, et al, 1999). Os estereótipos mais estudados actualmente são os que se referem a grupos étnicos, no entanto existem estereótipos em todos os domínios da vida social: relativos a ambos os sexos, às ocupações, ao ciclo vital, à família, à classe social, ao estado civil, aos desvios sociais e a qualquer campo da vida que desejamos diferenciar

Successful isolation and cultivation of Cylindrospermopsis raciborskii strains isolated from finished drinking water samples

This work presents the successful establishment of Cylindrospermosis raciborskii cultures isolated from water samples collected at the exit point of Water Treatment Plant (WTP). An intense bloom dominated by filamentous cyanobacteria (Aphanizomenon spp., Planktothrix spp., Cylindrospermosis raciborskii, Anabaena spp.) occurred in the summer of 2015 in Roxo reservoir (south Portugal). Several cyanotoxins (microcystins, saxitoxins, cylindrospermopsin) were detected in raw and treated water, although at levels below the corresponding regulatory and/or guideline values. Nevertheless, this bloom caused intense unpleasant odour and taste in the water supplied to the populations and cyanobacterial cells (up to 1000 cells.mL-1) were detected in finished water samples collected at the exit point of WTP. Treated water samples collected at the WTP and at the city water deposit were inoculated in Z8 culture medium and cyanobacterial growth was followed by optical microscopy. After 30 days, cyanobacterial growth was observed showing resistance to the treatment processes and maintenance of reprodution capacity. Interestingly, morphometric and molecular analysis revealed the presence of C. raciborskii. Three isolates of this species were obtained and none were cylindrospermopsin- or microcystins-producers, as confirmed by Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assays (ELISA) and by amplification of genes (PS, PKS, mcyA-cd, mcyAB, mcyB) involved in those cyanotoxin synthesis. However, the ELISA for saxitoxins was positive for the 3 isolates and confirmation of this toxin production is in progress. To our knowledge, this is the first report on the establishment of successful cultures of C. raciborskii that survived to conventional water treatment processes.N/