La citogenética molecular revela un heteromorfismo cromosómico numérico y estructural poco común en Zephyranthes brachyandra (Amaryllidaceae)

Background and aims: Zephyranthes brachyandra belongs to a tribe of ornamental Amaryllidaceae native of South America, whose genera circumscription and phylogenetic relationships are still unclear. Cytologically, Z. brachyandra is a tetraploid whose chromosomes are of similar size and morphology, hindering the identification of its 2n = 24 chromosomes. The aim of this study was to investigate the stability of the many CMA+ and DAPI+ bands and the occurrence of B chromosomes by a cytomolecular approach.  M&M: For this investigation we conducted a cytomolecular analysis with CMA/DAPI staining and fluorescence in situ hybridization with 5S and 35S rDNA probes, and the TTTAGGG telomeric probe. Results: In the present work, a cytomolecular analysis of Z. brachyandra, revealed a large and variable number of CMA+ and DAPI+ heterochromatic bands and 5S and 35S rDNA sites, and a regular distribution of the TTTAGGG telomeric sequences. In addition, one individual was monotrisomic with 2n = 24, and another one had a B chromosome. Both numerical and structural chromosome alterations were clearly characterized by CMA/DAPI bands and rDNA sites. Conclusions: Comparing the present data with the cytological data for other species of Zephyranthes, it becomes clear that a cytomolecular approach is fundamental to the understanding of the chromosome variation and cytotaxonomy of the group.Introducción y objetivos: Zephyranthes brachyandra pertenece a una tribu de Amaryllidaceae ornamentales nativa de América del Sur, cuya circunscripción de géneros y relaciones filogenéticas aún no están claras. Citológicamente, Z.brachyandra es un tetraploide cuyos cromosomas son de tamaño y morfología similar, lo que dificulta la identificación de sus 2n = 24 cromosomas. El objetivo de este estudio fue investigar la estabilidad de las numerosas bandas CMA+ y DAPI+ y la aparición de cromosomas B mediante un enfoque citomolecular. M&M: Para esta investigación realizamos un análisis citomolecular con tinción CMA/DAPI e hibridación fluorescente in situ con sondas de ADNr 5S y 35S, y la sondatelomérica TTTAGGG. Resultados: En el presente trabajo se realizaron varios análisis citomoleculares de Z.brachyandra, que revelaron un número alto y variable de bandas heterocromáticasCMA+ y DAPI+ y de sitios de ADNr 5S y 35S, además de una distribución típica de las secuencias teloméricas TTTAGGG. Además, un individuo era monotrisómico con 2n = 24 y otro tenía un cromosoma B. Las alteraciones cromosómicas tanto numéricas como estructurales se caracterizaron claramente por bandas CMA/DAPI y sitios de ADNr. Conclusión: Al comparar los datos actuales con la literatura citológica de otras especies del género Zephyranthes, queda claro que un enfoque citomolecular es fundamental para la comprensión de la variación cromosómica y la citotaxonomía del grupo.

Physiomechanical responses of gait with poles in people with Parkinson's Disease

Introdução: A doença de Parkinson (DP) impacta na locomoção diminuindo a velocidade da marcha, o comprimento e frequência de passo, ativação muscular, e aumenta a variabilidade e o gasto energético da marcha. Estes fatores estão associados a um aumento do risco de quedas e a redução das atividades de vida diária e da qualidade de vida. As intervenções de caminhada Nórdica (CN) são conhecidas por melhorar os parâmetros da marcha e reduzir os sintomas motores a longo prazo. No entanto, ainda é desconhecido o efeito agudo dos bastões sobre as flutuações das energias mecânicas, parâmetros cinéticos e espaço-temporais da marcha de pessoas com DP. Objetivo: O nosso objetivo foi comparar os parâmetros mecânicos, mecanismo pendular, cinéticos e espaço-temporais da marcha em diferentes velocidades com e sem bastões de CN em pessoas com DP e controles saudáveis. Métodos: Os estudos que compuseram a dissertação incluíram 11 pessoas (idade 65,6 ± 7,0 anos) com DP idiopática, estagiamento entre 1 e 1,5 na escala de Hoehn e Yahr, e nove controles saudáveis (idade 70,0 ± 5,6 anos). Todas as pessoas eram praticantes experientes de CN. Os dados foram coletados em três velocidades de caminhada, 1,8 km.h-1 , 4,7 km.h-1 , velocidade máxima de caminhada, e uma velocidade de corrida autosselecionada através de oito plataformas de força 3D implementadas a uma passarela. O Generalized Linear Model foi utilizado para identificar efeitos principais de grupo (grupo Parkinson × controle), modalidade (CL × CN) e interações (grupo × modalidade). O post hoc de Bonferroni foi utilizado para encontrar diferenças estatísticas em caso de interações significativas. Resultados: Encontramos um maior recovery pendular (p0,05). As pessoas com DP mostraram um significativo aumento na flutuação das energias verticais e forward utilizando bastões em comparação a controles saudáveis. Além disso, pessoas com DP demostraram um aumento da frequência de passo e uma redução do comprimento de passo em comparação com os controles durante CN e CL. O trabalho mecânico total foi aumentado devido ao trabalho mecânico interno durante a CN de forma semelhante no grupo Parkinson e o controles saudáveis. Nossos resultados justificam parcialmente a menor economia durante a CL na DP devido ao maior trabalho total e a redução do recovery em velocidade habitualmente utilizada. Durante a máxima velocidade caminhada, nós encontramos aumento dos componentes verticais (apoio terminal) e anteroposteriores (braking e propulsive) das forças de reação do solo (FRS) (p0,005) em comparação com os controles saudáveis. A frequência de passo foi reduzida (p>0,005) em DP de forma semelhante aos controles durante CN e corrida Nórdica. Conclusão: concluímos que caminhar e correr com bastões são atividades funcionais e seguras. Portanto, pode ser uma estratégia útil de reabilitação devido ao seu potencial para aumentar a mobilidade funcional e recuperação de energia mecânica, bem como alterar o trabalho mecânico externo e os componentes cinéticos, resultando em determinantes mecânicos importantes do custo energético da locomoção em pessoas com DP.Background: Parkinson’s disease (PD) affects the locomotion decreasing gait speed, step length and frequency, and muscle activation, and increasing the gait variability and energy expenditure. These factors are associated with an increased risk of falls and reduced activities of daily living and quality of life. The Nordic walking (NW) interventions are known to improve gait parameters and reduce motor symptoms in the long term. However, the acute effect of poles on the mechanical energies’ fluctuations, kinetic and spatiotemporal parameters in people with PD is still unknown. Objective: We aimed to compare mechanical parameters, pendulum-like mechanism, kinetic, and spatiotemporal variables of gait at different speeds gait with and without NW poles in people with PD and healthy controls. Methods: The dissertation studies included 11 people (aged 65.6±7.0 years) with idiopathic PD, scoring between 1 and 1.5 on the Hoehn and Yahr scale (H&Y), and nine healthy controls (aged 70.0±5.6 years). All the people were experienced Nordic walkers. Data was collected with people at three walking speed, 1.8 km.h-1 , 4.7 km.h-1 , fast-walking speed and a selfselect running speed on eight 3D force platforms on a walkway. Generalized Linear Model was used to identify the main effects group (control × Parkinson’s group), modality (FW × NW), and group × modality interactions, and Bonferroni post hoc was used to find statistical differences. Results: We found greater pendulum-like energy recovery (p0.05). People with PD showed a major increase in vertical and forward energy fluctuations using poles than in healthy controls. In addition, the PD showed increased step frequency and reduced step length compared to controls in NW and FW conditions. Our findings partly justify the lower walking economy in PD during FW due to higher total work and reduced pendulumlike mechanism at commonly used speeds. NW increases the total work due to internal work similarly in Parkinson’s group and healthy control. During fast-walking speed we found greater vertical (terminal stance) and anteroposterior (braking and propulsive) components of the ground reaction force (GRF) (p0.005) compared to the healthy controls. The NW and NR reduced step frequency (p>0.005) similarly in both groups. These finds suggest NW and NR modify gait patterns and lead to compensatory adjustments to reduce motor symptoms of PD. Conclusion: we concluded walking and running with poles are functional and safe activities. Therefore, it can be a compelling strategy for rehabilitation because of its potential to improve functional mobility, increase pendulum-like energy recovery, external mechanical work, kinetic components and impacts the energy cost of PD locomotion

Essays on local currencies, development, and sustainable tourism

The past years brought challenges to humankind. This was not different to the tourism sector which needed to face travel restrictions and the perspective of changes in behaviour when travelling. As a consequence, this thesis aims to deal with new perspectives on tourism, addressing local development and well-being. This work is divided into three papers and brings three different propositions to improve local conditions and deal with visitors by using local currencies. The goal of local currencies is to allow money coming from out of the community to circulate in the local economy, possibly creating a virtuous circle. The first chapter treats the Maricá's case, a small city in Brazil that is implanting basic income for its inhabitants using oil royalties and a local currency called Mumbuca. It proposes a change in the engine of the city's economy, coming from oil to sustainable tourism, including tourism in the local financial framework. The second chapter proposes a balance in the negative externalities coming from visitors in favour of locals. To do so, it suggests a basic income coming from tourism, being paid through local currency. On the contrary, the last chapter proposes a kind of local cryptocurrency, based on cases in the literature and in specialized markets, in order to foment tourism and improve locals' well-being

Visual-Quality-Driven Learning for Underwater Vision Enhancement

The image processing community has witnessed remarkable advances in enhancing and restoring images. Nevertheless, restoring the visual quality of underwater images remains a great challenge. End-to-end frameworks might fail to enhance the visual quality of underwater images since in several scenarios it is not feasible to provide the ground truth of the scene radiance. In this work, we propose a CNN-based approach that does not require ground truth data since it uses a set of image quality metrics to guide the restoration learning process. The experiments showed that our method improved the visual quality of underwater images preserving their edges and also performed well considering the UCIQE metric.Comment: Accepted for publication and presented in 2018 IEEE International Conference on Image Processing (ICIP

Risk Assessment Proposal In HydrauliC Presses With Fuzzy Logic

The aim of this study was to evaluate the safety level of industrial machines, in particular hydraulic press. The dissertation used hydraulic presses as the object of study. The research instruments used were machine safety analyzes based on normative items pre-established in ABNT NBR: 12100, possible accidents that these machineries can cause. The results show that hydraulic presses cause many accidents, in some situations dying. Through Annex B of ABNT NBR 14153: 2013, there are 4 risk categories for machinery, the greater the degree of risk, the more unsafe the machine is. The appraiser\u27s experience is very important to analyze the machine and reach the level of risk level before and after the adjustment. Finally, it appears that the machine analyzed in this study was at risk level 3, after analysis and adaptations the same machine was at risk level 1, totally acceptable to maintain the operator\u27s safety level

Preventive Effect of Ophthalmic Lenses on Cataract, is it Real?

Knowing that the prevalence of crystalline cataracts  after 40 years is relatively high and that exposure to UV rays is a factor for its appearance, since the lens is an absorber of these rays, it was intended with this pilot study to verify the relationship between the appearance of crystalline nuclear sclerosis and the time that patients take from the use of ophthalmic lenses, since they absorb most of these rays under normal conditions of use