Composing music with case-based reasoning

Comunicação apresentada na International Conference on Computational Models of Creative Cognition, Dublin, 1997.Music is one of the most intriguing and joyful domain of research and analysis. Driven by this insatiable curiosity, Musical Analysis has emerged to formally understand and structure music and its intrinsic intention and causality. Each complete analysis of a piece points to issues that go far beyond the normal graphical music representation. A better analysis is important not only to a better interpretation, but also to a more perfect composition. An exceptional composer is indeed an exceptional analyst. This paper presents a computational approach to music composition through the use and exploration of musical analysis. Centered on Case-Based Reasoning and Planning techniques, it consists on creating new solutions by keeping, transforming and extrapolating knowledge from already expert-made music analysis. For our approach, each analysis is represented as a precisely structured Case, divisible into all of its components. The process of composition we adopt is progressive, left-to-right, and top-to-bottom and has some similarities with (Wallas’ 1926) theory for creative production (Macedo et al. 1996a) which we adapted for this specifically structured and complex domain. The resulting implemented program has already generated several different musical pieces, which were examined and analyzed by experts, bringing up precious questions and advice

Estimulação da memória na doença de Alzheimer em fase inicial: o papel da SenseCam no funcionamento cognitivo e no bem-estar

Tese de Doutoramento em Psicologia, na especialidade de Neuropsicologia, apresentada à Faculdade de Psicologia e de Ciências da Educação da Universidade de CoimbraThe Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most common type of dementia, and its clinical presentation is characterized by memory deficits, at first, followed by progressive generalized cognitive deficits. This cognitive impairment with a gradual character affects significantly AD patients’ well-being, mainly their emotional state and daily function. Although the first line of treatment, after de diagnosis, is the pharmacological, there is a growing consensus regarding the need to complement these treatments with non-pharmacological interventions, in order to reduce the impact of the disease. Neuropsychological Rehabilitation (NR) is the non-pharmacological intervention paradigm first implemented with these patients. However, the fact that it requires intensive and repetitive cognitive training brought limited benefits for AD patients, due to frequent dropouts and limited effects not generalized to long term. The utility of the NR interventions in AD changed in the beginning of this century, with the appearance of cognitive stimulation based on internal strategies (such as errorless learning, spaced retrieval, and vanishing cues) that a wide range of studies showed their efficacy in the optimization of preserved abilities and also in the facilitation of learning abilities that the mild stage of AD still allows. At the same time, a strong focus in external strategies for cognitive stimulation in AD also raised, namely in the domain of the “cognitive prosthetics”. Technological advances led to the development of effective less demanding tools regarding the cognitive resources they required for its use, as so becoming helpful for these patients to compensate for their cognitive deficits. In this context, the device Sensecam was built – a wearable and automatic camera, that captures images from patients’ daily life, from their perspective. The promising findings from the first clinical studies with this cognitive prosthetic tool justify the choice of this device to be tested in the present research. Based in the NR paradigm, this research focused on the understanding of the effectiveness of the SenseCam use, as a tool of cognitive stimulation, with the aims of: a) to know the effects of this tool in cognitive performance and well-being of patients with mild AD and b) to compare the effects of this external strategy with a programme of training based on internal strategies’ (Memo+) and a structured diary applied to these patients. Additionally, we looked to promote a deeper understanding about how metacognitive abilities of these patients (awareness about oneself cognitive abilities) are stimulated with the participation in sessions of cognitive stimulation. Methods: The present research is cross-sectional. We examined first the utility of a set of neuropsychological assessment instruments as outcome measures to test the effects of the SenseCam in a sample of 29 healthy adults (15 young adults and 14 older adults), and we collected data about the immediate effects on memory performance of the SenseCam use during three days. We then proceed to the main study in which we assessed the efficacy of SenseCam use, comparatively to a cognitive training programme (Memo+) and to a written diary, during six weeks of training, concerning the cognitive performance, state of humour and well-being (examined through the evaluation of depressive symptoms, functional capacity and quality of life) in a sample of 51 patients with mild AD. In this study beyond the evaluation of the immediate effects we also tested the long term effects of the three interventions (SenseCam, Memo+ and diary) in a six-months follow-up. Results: The cognitive intervention based in the SenseCam device contributed, in general, to ameliorate the cognitive performance of the participants, both in the pilot study with healthy young and older adults and in the clinical study with mild AD patients. For the AD patients it was found, immediately and six months after the intervention with SenseCam, an increase in autobiographical memory performance compared to baseline and compared to the Memo+ and the diary interventions. The SenseCam intervention showed an equivalent effect to the programme Memo+ in most measures of memory and in some measures of executive function. Regarding non-cognitive measures used in this study, both the SenseCam and Memo+ interventions contributed to a decrease of depressive symptomatology and also to a diminution in the self-perceived dysfunctionality, comparatively to the diary intervention. However, contrary to the effects in cognition, those effects were not maintained at follow-up. At end, concerning the impact of the cognitive interventions in metacognitive abilities, none contributed to increase the accuracy rates of memory abilities in this sample of mild AD patients. They maintaining an overestimation of performance independently of the intervention of cognitive stimulation applied and to the feedback received. Conclusions: Globally, and despite the limitations of the present research (regarding the sample size and the suitability of the outcome measures applied) these results increase the relevance of the development of non-pharmacological interventions for patients with mild AD, particularly those based in NR and in the most recent developments regarding internal and external strategies of cognitive stimulation. Interventions using the device SenseCam appear as good alternative to the interventions based on rehearsal of internal cognitive strategies, more demanding for both the patients and the therapists. On the other side, the observed efficacy of the multi-task programme Memo+, designed to be tested in the present investigation and based on documented effective internal strategies of cognitive improvement to optimize preserved abilities, reveals that this intervention, aimed to optimize instead of to compensate for the deficits, is also useful for patients with mild AD. However, the limited effects of both interventions (the SenseCam and the Memo+) regarding well-being of the patients suggest the need for further probe of these results. Future lines of research should examine to what extent the conjoint utilization of the interventions that this research revealed to be effective amplify its effectiveness and contribute significantly to the increase of well-being in the long term of the patients with mild AD. Key words: Alzheimer’s disease; memory; SenseCam; neuropsychological rehabilitation; non-pharmacological interventions; cognition; well-being.A doença de Alzheimer (DA) é a forma mais comum de demência e a sua manifestação clínica evidencia défices primariamente mnésicos, progressivamente generalizados a outros domínios cognitivos. Este decréscimo cognitivo com caráter progressivo interfere significativamente no bem-estar dos pacientes com DA, afetando o seu estado de humor e a sua funcionalidade diária. Embora a primeira linha de atuação nesta doença, após o diagnóstico, seja o tratamento farmacológico, há um consenso crescente relativamente à urgência de complementar esta atuação com a implementação de intervenções não farmacológicas, de modo a reduzir o impacto da doença. A Reabilitação Neuropsicológica (RN) foi a abordagem não farmacológica inicialmente implementada com estes pacientes, mas o facto de se basear no treino cognitivo intensivo e repetitivo levou a que estas intervenções apresentassem poucos benefícios na DA, nomeadamente devido a um elevado número de desistências do tratamento e dos ganhos se circunscreverem ao momento imediato. A pouca utilidade das intervenções baseadas na RN para a DA alterou-se, no início deste século, com o surgimento de estratégias internas de estimulação cognitiva (como a aprendizagem sem erros, a recuperação espaçada e o desvanecimento de pistas) tendo um conjunto vasto de estudos mostrado a sua eficácia na potenciação das capacidades preservadas destes pacientes e na facilitação da capacidade de aprendizagem que a plasticidade cerebral remanescente ainda permite, na fase inicial da DA. Paralelamente, ocorreu também uma maior disseminação de estratégias externas de estimulação cognitiva na DA, denominadas “próteses cognitivas”. Os avanços tecnológicos conduziram ao desenvolvimento de ferramentas mais eficazes e menos exigentes do ponto de vista dos recursos cognitivos necessários para a sua utilização, o que pode ajudar os pacientes a compensar as suas limitações cognitivas. Neste contexto, surgiu a SenseCam – uma câmara fotográfica automática portátil, que capta imagens do dia-a-dia vivenciado pelos pacientes, a partir da sua perspetiva. Os resultados promissores dos primeiros estudos clínicos com esta prótese cognitiva justificaram a sua utilização no presente projeto de estudo. Ancorada num paradigma de RN, a presente investigação centrou-se na compreensão da eficácia da utilização da SenseCam, como ferramenta de estimulação cognitiva, procurando: a) conhecer os efeitos deste dispositivo no desempenho cognitivo e no bem-estar de pacientes com DA em fase inicial e b) comparar os efeitos desta estratégia externa de RN com um conjunto de estratégias internas (programa Memo+ e escrita de um diário estruturado) aplicadas a estes pacientes. De forma complementar, procurámos perceber em que medida as competências metacognitivas (de tomada de consciência das capacidades cognitivas por parte dos pacientes) seriam potenciadas através da participação em sessões de estimulação cognitiva. Metodologia: A presente investigação é de natureza transversal. Principiámos por examinar a utilidade de instrumentos de avaliação neuropsicológica enquanto medidas de eficácia para examinar os efeitos da SenseCam numa amostra de 29 adultos saudáveis (15 adultos jovens e 14 adultos idosos), tendo recolhido dados sobre a eficácia imediata no desempenho mnésico da utilização da SenseCam durante três dias. Seguidamente, procedemos ao estudo principal no qual avaliámos a eficácia da SenseCam comparativamente com um programa de treino cognitivo (Memo+) e um diário escrito, com a duração de seis semanas, no desempenho cognitivo e no bem-estar (examinado através da avaliação do humor deprimido, da capacidade funcional e da qualidade de vida, do ponto de vista do paciente) de 51 pacientes com diagnóstico de DA em fase inicial. Neste estudo, examinámos, além da eficácia imediata, a eficácia a longo prazo das três intervenções (SenseCam, Memo+ e diário), seis meses após o términus das sessões de estimulação cognitiva. Resultados: A intervenção baseada na SenseCam permitiu, de uma maneira geral, melhorar o desempenho cognitivo dos participantes, quer no estudo piloto com adultos jovens e idosos saudáveis quer no estudo clínico com os pacientes com DA inicial. Para os pacientes com DA verificou-se, imediatamente e seis meses após a intervenção com a SenseCam, um desempenho mnésico autobiográfico superior ao desempenho de base, e mais elevado relativamente às intervenções Memo+ e diário escrito. Essa intervenção apresentou um benefício idêntico ao programa Memo+ no desempenho mnésico global e em algumas medidas de funcionamento executivo. Relativamente às medidas não cognitivas utilizadas, as intervenções com recurso à SenseCam e ao Memo+ permitiram a diminuição dos sintomas depressivos e a perceção de menos disfuncionalidade, por comparação com a intervenção baseada no diário. Contudo, contrariamente aos efeitos cognitivos, esses efeitos não se mantiveram após seis meses. Finalmente, no que concerne ao impacto das intervenções ao nível da metacognição, nenhuma delas contribuiu para aumentar o nível de exatidão dos julgamentos de desempenho cognitivo por parte dos pacientes examinados. Estes continuaram a sobrestimar o seu desempenho, independentemente da participação em intervenções de estimulação cognitiva, e do feedback recebido. Conclusões: De um modo global e não obstante as limitações da presente investigação (do ponto de vista amostral e da adequação das medidas de eficácia utilizadas), estes resultados reforçam a importância do desenvolvimento de intervenções não farmacológicas para pacientes com DA em fase inicial, de modo particular aquelas que radicam nos princípios da RN e nos avanços mais recentes, quer relativos a estratégias internas quer a estratégias externas de estimulação cognitiva. A intervenção com recurso à SenseCam afigura-se como alternativa a intervenções baseadas em estratégias internas, mais exigentes para os pacientes e para os terapeutas. Por outro lado, a eficácia observada do programa multitarefas Memo+, construído para ser testado na presente investigação, com base em estratégias internas de estimulação cognitiva referidas na literatura como eficazes na potenciação das capacidades cognitivas remanescentes, revela que também esta intervenção, de natureza de restituição funcional e não de compensação, tem utilidade para os pacientes com DA em fase inicial. Contudo, os efeitos limitados de ambas as intervenções (SenseCam e Memo+) a respeito do bem-estar geral destes pacientes sugerem a necessidade de aprofundamento dos resultados encontrados. Linhas investigacionais futuras deverão examinar em que medida a atuação conjunta destas intervenções, que a presente investigação mostrou como sendo eficazes, potenciam essa mesma eficácia e contribuem, significativamente, para o aumento do bem-estar a longo prazo dos pacientes com DA inicial

Duration of post-vaccination immunity against yellow fever in adults

Submitted by Nuzia Santos ([email protected]) on 2015-06-22T17:37:43Z No. of bitstreams: 1 2014_152.pdf: 756403 bytes, checksum: c18d98237e29e19e785cf895a2a68ddc (MD5)Approved for entry into archive by Nuzia Santos ([email protected]) on 2015-06-22T17:37:52Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 2014_152.pdf: 756403 bytes, checksum: c18d98237e29e19e785cf895a2a68ddc (MD5)Approved for entry into archive by Nuzia Santos ([email protected]) on 2015-06-22T17:58:36Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 2014_152.pdf: 756403 bytes, checksum: c18d98237e29e19e785cf895a2a68ddc (MD5)Made available in DSpace on 2015-06-22T17:58:36Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 2014_152.pdf: 756403 bytes, checksum: c18d98237e29e19e785cf895a2a68ddc (MD5) Previous issue date: 2014Fundação Oswaldo Cruz. Brasilia, DF, BrasilFundação Oswaldo Cruz. Escola Nacional de Saúde Pública. Rio de Janeiro, RJ, BrazilFundação Oswaldo Cruz. Centro de Pesquisa Rene Rachou. Laboratório de Biomarcadores Belo Horizonte, MG, BrasilFundação Oswaldo Cruz. Instituto de Tecnologia em Imunobiológicosde Bio-Manguinhos. Rio de Janeiro, RJ, BrasilFundação Oswaldo Cruz. Instituto de Tecnologia em Imunobiológicos de Bio-Manguinhos. Rio de Janeiro, RJ, BrasilFundação Oswaldo Cruz. Instituto de Tecnologia em Imunobiológicos de Bio-Manguinhos. Rio de Janeiro, RJ, BrasilFundação Oswaldo Cruz. Instituto de Tecnologia em Imunobiológicos de Bio-Manguinhos. Rio de Janeiro, RJ, BrasilFundação Oswaldo Cruz. Instituto de Tecnologia em Imunobiológicos de Bio-Manguinhos. Rio de Janeiro, RJ, BrasilFundação Oswaldo Cruz. Instituto de Tecnologia em Imunobiológicos de Bio-Manguinhos. Rio de Janeiro, RJ, BrasilFundação Oswaldo Cruz. Instituto de Tecnologia em Imunobiológicos de Bio-Manguinhos. Rio de Janeiro, RJ, BrasilFundação Oswaldo Cruz. Instituto de Tecnologia em Imunobiológicos de Bio-Manguinhos. Rio de Janeiro, RJ, BrasilFundação Oswaldo Cruz. Instituto de Tecnologia em Imunobiológicos de Bio-Manguinhos. Rio de Janeiro, RJ, BrasilFundação Oswaldo Cruz. Instituto de Tecnologia em Imunobiológicos de Bio-Manguinhos. Rio de Janeiro, RJ, BrasilFundação Oswaldo Cruz. Instituto de Tecnologia em Imunobiológicos de Bio-Manguinhos. Rio de Janeiro, RJ, BrasilFundação Oswaldo Cruz. Instituto de Tecnologia em Imunobiológicos de Bio-Manguinhos. Rio de Janeiro, RJ, BrasilFundação Oswaldo Cruz. Instituto de Tecnologia em Imunobiológicos de Bio-Manguinhos. Rio de Janeiro, RJ, BrasilFundação Oswaldo Cruz. Instituto de Tecnologia em Imunobiológicos de Bio-Manguinhos. Rio de Janeiro, RJ, BrasilFundação Oswaldo Cruz. Instituto de Tecnologia em Imunobiológicos de Bio-Manguinhos. Rio de Janeiro, RJ, BrasilFundação Oswaldo Cruz. Instituto de Tecnologia em Imunobiológicos de Bio-Manguinhos. Rio de Janeiro, RJ, BrasilFundação Oswaldo Cruz. Instituto de Tecnologia em Imunobiológicos de Bio-Manguinhos. Rio de Janeiro, RJ, BrasilFundação Oswaldo Cruz. Instituto de Tecnologia em Imunobiológicos de Bio-Manguinhos. Rio de Janeiro, RJ, BrasilFundação Oswaldo Cruz. Instituto de Tecnologia em Imunobiológicos de Bio-Manguinhos. Rio de Janeiro, RJ, BrasilFundação Oswaldo Cruz. Instituto de Tecnologia em Imunobiológicos de Bio-Manguinhos. Rio de Janeiro, RJ, BrasilFundação Oswaldo Cruz. Instituto de Tecnologia em Imunobiológicos de Bio-Manguinhos. Rio de Janeiro, RJ, BrasilFundação Oswaldo Cruz. Instituto de Tecnologia em Imunobiológicos de Bio-Manguinhos. Rio de Janeiro, RJ, BrasilFundação Oswaldo Cruz. Instituto de Tecnologia em Imunobiológicos de Bio-Manguinhos. Rio de Janeiro, RJ, BrasilFundação Oswaldo Cruz. Instituto de Tecnologia em Imunobiológicos de Bio-Manguinhos. Rio de Janeiro, RJ, BrasilFundação Oswaldo Cruz. Instituto de Tecnologia em Imunobiológicos de Bio-Manguinhos. Rio de Janeiro, RJ, BrasilFundação Oswaldo Cruz. Instituto de Tecnologia em Imunobiológicos de Bio-Manguinhos. Rio de Janeiro, RJ, BrasilFundação Oswaldo Cruz. Instituto de Tecnologia em Imunobiológicos de Bio-Manguinhos. Rio de Janeiro, RJ, BrasilFundação Oswaldo Cruz. Instituto de Tecnologia em Imunobiológicos de Bio-Manguinhos. Rio de Janeiro, RJ, BrasilFundação Oswaldo Cruz. Instituto de Tecnologia em Imunobiológicos de Bio-Manguinhos. Rio de Janeiro, RJ, BrasilFundação Oswaldo Cruz. Centro de Pesquisa Rene Rachou. Laboratório de Biomarcadores. Belo Horizonte, MG, BrasilFundação Oswaldo Cruz. Centro de Pesquisa Rene Rachou. Laboratório de Biomarcadores. Belo Horizonte, MG, BrasilFundação Oswaldo Cruz. Centro de Pesquisa Rene Rachou. Laboratório de Imunopatologia .Belo Horizonte, MG, BrasilFundação Oswaldo Cruz. Centro de Pesquisa Rene Rachou. Laboratório de Esquistossomose. Belo Horizonte, MG, BrasilFundação Oswaldo Cruz. Centro de Pesquisa Rene Rachou. Laboratório de Biomarcadores. Belo Horizonte, MG, BrasilFundação Oswaldo Cruz. Centro de Pesquisa Rene Rachou. Laboratório de Biomarcadores. Belo Horizonte, MG, BrasilFood and Drug Administration Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research. Bethesda, USA.Fundação Oswaldo Cruz. Instituto Oswaldo Cruz. Laboratorio de Fla-vivirus. Rio de JaneiroFundação Oswaldo Cruz. Instituto Oswaldo Cruz. Laboratorio de Fla-vivirus. Rio de JaneiroFundação Oswaldo Cruz. Instituto Oswaldo Cruz. Laboratorio de Fla-vivirus. Rio de JaneiroInstituto de Biologia do Exército. Rio de Janeiro, RJ, BrasilInstituto de Biologia do Exército. Rio de Janeiro, RJ, BrasilInstituto de Biologia do Exército. Rio de Janeiro, RJ, BrasilInstituto de Biologia do Exército. Rio de Janeiro, RJ, BrasilInstituto de Biologia do Exército. Rio de Janeiro, RJ, BrasilInstituto de Biologia do Exército. Rio de Janeiro, RJ, BrasilMinas Gerais. Secretaria Estadual de Saude. Belo Horizonte, MG, BrasilMinas Gerais. Secretaria Estadual de Saude. Belo Horizonte, MG, BrasilMinas Gerais. Secretaria Estadual de Saude. Belo Horizonte, MG, BrasilMinas Gerais. Secretaria Estadual de Saude. Belo Horizonte, MG, BrasilUniversidade Federal de Alfenas. Alfenas, MG, BrasilUniversidade de Brasília. Faculdade de Medicina. Brasilia, DF, BrasilFundação Oswaldo Cruz. Instituto Evandro Chagas. Ananindeua, PA, BrasilINTRODUCTION: Available scientific evidence to recommend or to advise against booster doses of yellow fever vaccine (YFV) is inconclusive. A study to estimate the seropositivity rate and geometric mean titres (GMT) of adults with varied times of vaccination was aimed to provide elements to revise the need and the timing of revaccination. METHODS: Adults from the cities of Rio de Janeiro and Alfenas located in non-endemic areas in the Southeast of Brazil, who had one dose of YFV, were tested for YF neutralising antibodies and dengue IgG. Time (in years) since vaccination was based on immunisation cards and other reliable records. RESULTS: From 2011 to 2012 we recruited 691 subjects (73% males), aged 18-83 years. Time since vaccination ranged from 30 days to 18 years. Seropositivity rates (95%C.I.) and GMT (International Units/mL; 95%C.I.) decreased with time since vaccination: 93% (88-96%), 8.8 (7.0-10.9) IU/mL for newly vaccinated; 94% (88-97), 3.0 (2.5-3.6) IU/mL after 1-4 years; 83% (74-90), 2.2 (1.7-2.8) IU/mL after 5-9 years; 76% (68-83), 1.7 (1.4-2.0) IU/mL after 10-11 years; and 85% (80-90), 2.1 (1.7-2.5) IU/mL after 12 years or more. YF seropositivity rates were not affected by previous dengue infection. CONCLUSIONS:Eventhough serological correlates of protection for yellow fever are unknown, seronegativity in vaccinated subjects may indicate primary immunisation failure, or waning of immunity to levels below the protection threshold. Immunogenicity of YFV under routine conditions of immunisation services is likely to be lower than in controlled studies. Moreover, infants and toddlers, who comprise the main target group in YF endemic regions, and populations with high HIV infection rates, respond to YFV with lower antibody levels. In those settings one booster dose, preferably sooner than currently recommended, seems to be necessary to ensure longer protection for all vaccinee

Characterisation of microbial attack on archaeological bone

As part of an EU funded project to investigate the factors influencing bone preservation in the archaeological record, more than 250 bones from 41 archaeological sites in five countries spanning four climatic regions were studied for diagenetic alteration. Sites were selected to cover a range of environmental conditions and archaeological contexts. Microscopic and physical (mercury intrusion porosimetry) analyses of these bones revealed that the majority (68%) had suffered microbial attack. Furthermore, significant differences were found between animal and human bone in both the state of preservation and the type of microbial attack present. These differences in preservation might result from differences in early taphonomy of the bones. © 2003 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved

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

Growing knowledge: an overview of Seed Plant diversity in Brazil

Abstract An updated inventory of Brazilian seed plants is presented and offers important insights into the country's biodiversity. This work started in 2010, with the publication of the Plants and Fungi Catalogue, and has been updated since by more than 430 specialists working online. Brazil is home to 32,086 native Angiosperms and 23 native Gymnosperms, showing an increase of 3% in its species richness in relation to 2010. The Amazon Rainforest is the richest Brazilian biome for Gymnosperms, while the Atlantic Rainforest is the richest one for Angiosperms. There was a considerable increment in the number of species and endemism rates for biomes, except for the Amazon that showed a decrease of 2.5% of recorded endemics. However, well over half of Brazillian seed plant species (57.4%) is endemic to this territory. The proportion of life-forms varies among different biomes: trees are more expressive in the Amazon and Atlantic Rainforest biomes while herbs predominate in the Pampa, and lianas are more expressive in the Amazon, Atlantic Rainforest, and Pantanal. This compilation serves not only to quantify Brazilian biodiversity, but also to highlight areas where there information is lacking and to provide a framework for the challenge faced in conserving Brazil's unique and diverse flora