FAUNA SUBTERRÂNEA DO ESTADO DO RIO GRANDE DO NORTE: CARACTERIZAÇÃO E IMPACTOS

Estudos referentes à fauna das cavernas do nordeste brasileiro ainda são escassos. Boa parte do conhecimento acerca da fauna hipógea brasileira provém de estudos realizados na região sudeste. Deste modo, neste trabalho são apresentados dados sobre a riqueza de espécies, estrutura das comunidades, além da relevância biológica de algumas cavernas presentes no estado do Rio Grande do Norte. Nas 17 cavernas inventariadas foram encontrados invertebrados pertencentes a pelo menos 36 ordens e 91 famílias, além de 3 espécies de peixes e 8 espécies de morcegos. Dentre as espécies encontradas, 23 apresentam caracteres troglomórficos. Além disso, algumas das espécies troglóbias evidenciadas representam relictos de grupos originalmente oceânicos, sendo, desta forma, testemunhos das introgressões e regressões oceânicas ocorridas no passado da área. Tendo em vista o cenário bioespeleológico encontrado nas cavernas é importante que ações de manejo e conservação sejam implementadas na região, para que o frágil patrimônio espeleológico e biológico venham a ser preservados

Responding to the need of postgraduate education for Planetary Health : Development of an online Master's Degree

Unidad de excelencia María de Maeztu CEX2019-000940-MAltres ajuts: CERCA Programme/Generalitat de CatalunyaPlanetary Health has emerged as a new approach to respond to the existential risks that the clime and global environmental crises pose to human societies. As stated by various stakeholders, the challenges involved in Planetary Health are of such magnitude that education must be at the forefront to obtain a meaningful response. Universities and higher education institutions have been specifically called to embed the concept of planetary stewardship in all curricula and train the next generation of researchers and change makers as a matter of urgency. As a response to this call, the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (UOC), the Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), and the Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal) developed the first online and asynchronous Master in Science (MSc) in Planetary Health. The aim of the programme is to train a new generation of academics and professionals who understand the challenges of Planetary Health and have tools to tackle them. This article describes the development of the curriculum of this MSc, presents the main characteristics of the programme and discusses some of the challenges encountered in the development of the programme and its implementation. The design of this MSc was based on: the alignment of the programme with the principles for Planetary Health education with a focus on human health; a multi-, inter-, and trans-disciplinary approach; the urgency to respond to the Anthropocene challenges; and the commitment to the 2030 Agenda. The MSc was recognized as an official degree by the Agency for Quality of the Catalan University System, included in the European Quality Assurance Register for Higher Education, and the Spanish National Academic Coordination body in April 2021 and launched in October 2021. There are currently more than 50 students enrolled in the program coming from a broad range of disciplines and geographic locations. The information presented in this article and the discussion on challenges encountered in developing and implementing the programme can be useful for those working in the development of similar programs

Blind Testing: DNA Barcoding Sheds Light Upon the Identity of Plant Fragments as a Subsidy for Cave Conservation

Plants living above and around caves represent an important, albeit poorly studied, resource within cave ecosystems. The presence of plant material (root-like structures or rhizothemes, saplings, seeds, and seedlings) correlates positively with the biodiversity of the cave dwelling animals as shown for iron-ore caves in Carajás, Pará, Brazil. Plant material collected in caves has proven to be difficult to identify by traditional botanical methods, thus this research aims to provide a qualitative insight into the taxonomy and morphology of rhizothemes and other plant fragments found in the caves. The identification process used a combination of different molecular markers (ITS2, rbcL, and trnH-psbA) followed by a comparison of the sequences obtained against publicly available databases. The rhizothemes were submitted to micromorphological analysis to ascertain their putative root or stem origin and to compare their anatomy with known patterns found in the plant families or genera recovered through molecular matches. All studied samples were Angiosperms, mostly belonging to subclass Rosideae, within four orders: Malpighiales (Euphorbiaceae, Hypericaceae), Sapindales (Anacardiaceae and Sapindaceae), Myrtales (Myrtaceae), Fabales (Fabaceae), and only two belonging to subclass Asteridae, order Gentianales (Apocynaceae). Some of the samples were matched to generic level, with ITS2 being the best marker to identify the fragments because it shows high degree of sequence variation even at specific level and result reliability. All rhizothemes turned out to be roots, and correspondence was found between the existing literature and the individual anatomical patterns for the families and genera retrieved. DNA barcode has proved to be a useful tool to identify plant fragments found in this challenging environment. However, the existence of well curated, authoritatively named collections with ample biological information has proven to be essential to achieve a reliable identification

Is systematic training in opioid overdose prevention effective?

The objectives were to analyze the knowledge about overdose prevention, the use of naloxone, and the number of fatal overdoses after the implementation of Systematic Training in Overdose Prevention (STOOP) program. We conducted a quasi-experimental study, and held face-to-face interviews before (n = 725) and after (n = 722) implementation of systematic training in two different samples of people who injected opioids attending harm reduction centers. We asked participants to list the main causes of overdose and the main actions that should be taken when witnessing an overdose. We created two dependent variables, the number of (a) correct and (b) incorrect answers. The main independent variable was Study Group: Intervention Group (IG), Comparison Group (CG), Pre-Intervention Group With Sporadic Training in Overdose Prevention (PREIGS), or Pre-Intervention Group Without Training in Overdose Prevention (PREIGW). The relationship between the dependent and independent variables was assessed using a multivariate Poisson regression analysis. Finally, we conducted an interrupted time series analysis of monthly fatal overdoses before and after the implementation of systematic program during the period 2006-2015. Knowledge of overdose prevention increased after implementing systematic training program. Compared to the PREIGW, the IG gave more correct answers (IRR = 1.40;95%CI:1.33-1.47), and fewer incorrect answers (IRR = 0.33;95%CI:0.25-0.44). Forty percent of people who injected opioids who received a naloxone kit had used the kit in response to an overdose they witnessed. These courses increase knowledge of overdose prevention in people who use opioids, give them the necessary skills to use naloxone, and slightly diminish the number of fatal opioid overdoses in the city of Barcelon

Responding to the need of postgraduate education for Planetary Health: development of an online Master's Degree

The Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (UOC), the Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), and the Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal) have developed an online and asynchronous Master in Science (MSc) in Planetary Health. The aim of the programme is to train a new generation of academics and professionals who understand the challenges of Planetary Health and have tools to tackle them. The design of this MSc was based on: the alignment of the programme with the principles for Planetary Health education with a focus on human health; a multi-, inter-, and trans-disciplinary approach; the urgency to respond to the Anthropocene challenges; and the commitment to the 2030 Agenda. The MSc was recognized as an official degree by the Spanish academic system on April 2021 and launched in October 2021. There are currently more than 50 students enrolled in the program coming from a broad range of disciplines and geographic locations. This article describes the development of the curriculum of this MSc, presents the main characteristics of the programme and discusses some of the challenges encountered in the development of the programme and its implementation

Algorithms for the Multiple Variants of Registration in 3D Range Data

Des del naixement de la fotografia hi ha hagut sempre un gran interès en la possibilitat de detectar una tercera dimensió en les imatges obtingudes per una càmera. Aquesta tercera dimensió permetria la diferenciació i filtrat dels diferents objectes presents a una escena, i per tant facilitar molts del problemes actuals en la recerca de visió per computador. Per tal d'aconseguir-la, diverses tècniques s'han anat utilitzant a través del temps, des de la clàssica estereoscopia fins a altres mètodes més actuals com el Structure from Motion. Durant els darrers anys l'evolució de la tecnologia ha fet possible l'aparició de dispositius que permeten la captura directa d'aquesta informació 3D sense la necessitat d'una intervenció manual. L'ús de diferents espectres de llum com el làser o la llum infraroja, així com la seva integració en els dispositius, han possibilitat aquesta important millora, acompanyada al mateix temps d'una reducció en el preu dels components que ha fet possible el seu ús per gran part de la comunitat de recerca. Aquesta tesis està enfocada en el principals problemes derivats de l'ús de les anomenades càmeres range que, a més de la imatge RGB usual, ofereixen una imatge addicional indicant la distància als objectes de l'escena. Gràcies a l'aplicació directa d'aquestes imatges range, on cada píxel correspon a una distancia, una recreació 3D de l'escena capturada pot ser obtinguda fàcilment. Una de les seves principals avantatges és el fet de que, si la càmera està correctament calibrada, el 3D obtingut es troba expressat en unitat físiques reals (per exemple, en metres) i no pas en píxels. Tot i això, l'ús d'aquestes càmeres range no és tan ideal com es podria suposar. Normalment diverses captures d'una escena o objecte són necessàries per tal d'aconseguir una reconstrucció completa, i alguns materials poden produir problemes que interfereixen en el correcte posicionament dels objectes. Les particularitats de la representació 3D obtinguda fan que aquesta sigui apropiada per fer-la servir com a suport per afegir-hi altres fonts d'informació, com ara imatges RGB o imatges infraroges. L'estructura 3D obtinguda pot ser texturitzada amb aquestes fonts d'informació, donant un resultat integrat que pot ser molt útil per solucionar problemes que no serien possibles utilitzant les imatges de forma separada. Tot i això, diferències en el procés d'adquisició entre aquest tipus d'imatges poden produir alguns problemes quan són fusionades. A més, per tal d'obtenir una reconstrucció 3D completa d'una escena, normalment és necessari que la captura s'hagi fet des de múltiples punts de vista diferents. L'alineament de totes aquestes estructures 3D obtingudes és conegut com registració multivista, on és necessari identificar la posició i orientació de les càmeres range en cadascuna de les presses per tal de poder alinear-les correctament. Aquest alineament s'aconsegueix normalment fen servir dos passos diferenciats: la registració de imatges rang parell a parell, i la posterior minimització de l'error considerant simultàniament totes aquestes parelles.Ever since the photography was born, there exists a high interest in the possibility of detecting a third dimension in the images obtained by a camera. This third dimension feature would allow the differentiation and easily filtering of the different objects present in the scene, and therefore to facilitate some of the main problematics in the computer vision research. In order to achieve this third dimension acquisition some techniques were historically applied, starting by the classical stereoscopy or other more current methods like Structure from Motion. During last years, the evolution of the technology has made possible the appearance of devices which allows the direct retrieval of 3D information without the manual intervention of the user. The use of different light spectrums like laser or infrared light and their integration inside the camera case have allowed this important improvement, accompanied at the same time by a reduction of the components price which allows its use for the vast majority of the research community. This thesis focuses on the main problems obtained in the use of the so-called range cameras, which, in addition to the usual RGB image, offers an additional image indicating the distance with respect to the objects in the scene. Thanks to the direct application of these range images, where each pixel corresponds to a distance, a 3D recreation of the observed scene can be directly obtained. One of the main advantages is that, if the camera is correctly calibrated, the 3D structure can be obtained with physical units of the real world (such as meters), and not with pixels. Nevertheless, the use of these range cameras was not as ideal as supposed. Usually some captures of every object in the scene are needed in order to obtain a full reconstruction, and different materials could produce problems that interferes the correct position of the object. The presence of these inconveniences produces the necessity of using some algorithms to produce a correct final 3D structure. The particularities of the 3D representation created from the range image become it appropriate to use as a support plate for placing other sources of information, like visible images or infrared images. The obtained 3D structure can be textured with these sources of information, giving an integrated result which could clarify some problems that cannot be solved by using the images separately. However, differences in the acquisition process between these types of images produce difficulties when they are fused. In addition, in order to obtain a full-side representation of a scene usually some 3D captures from different points of views are required. This addresses to the so-called multiview registration problem, where it is necessary to identify the position and orientation of the range camera for each viewpoint in order to correctly join the corresponding 3D structures. Current technology devices like GPSs or IMUs could give this information, but usually is not accurate enough, so common visual elements between different range images must be detected in order to align them. This alignment is usually achieved by using a two-steps procedure: the registration of pairs of range images between them, and the posterior minimization of the global error for the whole set of images

The entrance as a complex ecotone in a Neotropical cave

Cave entrances are transition zones with intermediate characteristics between epigean environments, which bear lower environmental stability, and hypogean environments, with lower food resources. Associated to these interfaces there is a specific community, capable of exploiting its unique and intermediate characteristics. This work investigated this community in a Brazilian limnestone cave, identifying its arthropod species composition and spatial distribution, and exploring its relationships with climatic and structural environment characteristics and trophic relations. An ecotone zone was identified, with 55 species found only in the ecotone, 49 species were shared with the epigean community, 37 species with the hypogean community, and 14 species were found in the three communities. Although detritus is the base of the trophic web in the entrance, light allows the establishment of some producers and even herbivores. Species diversity in the ecotone was intermediate to that of the adjacent environments. Light is the main filter that acts near the cave entrance and determines the presence and distribution of several species in the ecotone. Therefore, this region is importante for the cave ecosystem as a whole, considering that a considerable amount of trophic resources is transferred from the epigean to the hypogean environment through this area. Accordingly, conservation and management strategies regarding cave communities should incorporate actions to study and protect ecotonal communities

The entrance as a complex ecotone in a Neotropical cave

Cave entrances are transition zones with intermediate characteristics between epigean environments, which bear lower environmental stability, and hypogean environments, with lower food resources. Associated to these interfaces there is a specific community, capable of exploiting its unique and intermediate characteristics. This work investigated this community in a Brazilian limnestone cave, identifying its arthropod species composition and spatial distribution, and exploring its relationships with climatic and structural environment characteristics and trophic relations. An ecotone zone was identified, with 55 species found only in the ecotone, 49 species were shared with the epigean community, 37 species with the hypogean community, and 14 species were found in the three communities. Although detritus is the base of the trophic web in the entrance, light allows the establishment of some producers and even herbivores. Species diversity in the ecotone was intermediate to that of the adjacent environments. Light is the main filter that acts near the cave entrance and determines the presence and distribution of several species in the ecotone. Therefore, this region is importante for the cave ecosystem as a whole, considering that a considerable amount of trophic resources is transferred from the epigean to the hypogean environment through this area. Accordingly, conservation and management strategies regarding cave communities should incorporate actions to study and protect ecotonal communities

The entrance as a complex ecotone in a Neotropical cave

Cave entrances are transition zones with intermediate characteristics between epigean environments, which bear lower environmental stability, and hypogean environments, with lower food resources. Associated to these interfaces there is a specific community, capable of exploiting its unique and intermediate characteristics. This work investigated this community in a Brazilian limnestone cave, identifying its arthropod species composition and spatial distribution, and exploring its relationships with climatic and structural environment characteristics and trophic relations. An ecotone zone was identified, with 55 species found only in the ecotone, 49 species were shared with the epigean community, 37 species with the hypogean community, and 14 species were found in the three communities. Although detritus is the base of the trophic web in the entrance, light allows the establishment of some producers and even herbivores. Species diversity in the ecotone was intermediate to that of the adjacent environments. Light is the main filter that acts near the cave entrance and determines the presence and distribution of several species in the ecotone. Therefore, this region is importante for the cave ecosystem as a whole, considering that a considerable amount of trophic resources is transferred from the epigean to the hypogean environment through this area. Accordingly, conservation and management strategies regarding cave communities should incorporate actions to study and protect ecotonal communities