Realidade Virtual: Reflexo Experiência Imersiva no Mundo da Cor

O presente relatório aborda e descreve o processo de desenvolvimento de um projeto final de mestrado na área da Realidade Virtual (RV) intitulado Reflexo. O projeto expõe definições importantes para a aprendizagem e compreensão dos conceitos, contextualização e técnicas da realidade virtual, da cor e do daltonismo. Reflexo utiliza a RV para explorar a problemática da perceção da cor e tem como inspiração as dificuldades impostas pelo daltonismo. Resume-se à criação de ambientes imersivos virtuais que simulam, com uma aproximação artística, os diferentes tipos de daltonismo total e que permitem ao utilizador a hipótese de os vivenciar e experimentar, interagindo com o espaço virtual e seus componentes. Tem no seu âmago, a tentativa de compreender de maneira mais imersiva que a cor sofre variações, e que existem outras perspetivas que têm de ser tidas em conta. Este projeto é constituído por sete ambientes surreais que expõem reflexões das vivências do autor, e que se conjugam num processo criativo. Nestes ambientes, o utilizador é capaz de se deslocar e aventurar, vivenciando, imersivamente, todos os ambientes e elementos, enquanto percebe as diferenças cromáticas que ocorrem com daltonismo.The present report addresses and describe the process of development of a master’s final project in the area of Virtual Reality (VR) entitled Reflexo. The project exposes important definitions for learning and understanding the concepts, contextualization and techniques of virtual reality, color and color blindness. Reflexo uses VR to explore the problem of color perception and is inspired by the difficulties imposed by color blindness. It boils down to the creation of virtual immersive environments that simulate, with an artistic approach, the different types of total color blindness and allows the user the hypothesis to experience them, interacting with the virtual space and its components. It has at its core, the attempt to understand more immersively that color suffers variations, and that there are other perspectives that need to be taken into account. This project consists of seven surreal VR environments that expose reflections of the author’s experiences, and that are combined in a creative process. In these environments, the user is able to move and venture, experiencing, immersively, all environments and elements, perceiving the chromatic differences that occur with color vision deficiency

NEOTROPICAL ALIEN MAMMALS: a data set of occurrence and abundance of alien mammals in the Neotropics

Biological invasion is one of the main threats to native biodiversity. For a species to become invasive, it must be voluntarily or involuntarily introduced by humans into a nonnative habitat. Mammals were among first taxa to be introduced worldwide for game, meat, and labor, yet the number of species introduced in the Neotropics remains unknown. In this data set, we make available occurrence and abundance data on mammal species that (1) transposed a geographical barrier and (2) were voluntarily or involuntarily introduced by humans into the Neotropics. Our data set is composed of 73,738 historical and current georeferenced records on alien mammal species of which around 96% correspond to occurrence data on 77 species belonging to eight orders and 26 families. Data cover 26 continental countries in the Neotropics, ranging from Mexico and its frontier regions (southern Florida and coastal-central Florida in the southeast United States) to Argentina, Paraguay, Chile, and Uruguay, and the 13 countries of Caribbean islands. Our data set also includes neotropical species (e.g., Callithrix sp., Myocastor coypus, Nasua nasua) considered alien in particular areas of Neotropics. The most numerous species in terms of records are from Bos sp. (n = 37,782), Sus scrofa (n = 6,730), and Canis familiaris (n = 10,084); 17 species were represented by only one record (e.g., Syncerus caffer, Cervus timorensis, Cervus unicolor, Canis latrans). Primates have the highest number of species in the data set (n = 20 species), partly because of uncertainties regarding taxonomic identification of the genera Callithrix, which includes the species Callithrix aurita, Callithrix flaviceps, Callithrix geoffroyi, Callithrix jacchus, Callithrix kuhlii, Callithrix penicillata, and their hybrids. This unique data set will be a valuable source of information on invasion risk assessments, biodiversity redistribution and conservation-related research. There are no copyright restrictions. Please cite this data paper when using the data in publications. We also request that researchers and teachers inform us on how they are using the data

NEOTROPICAL XENARTHRANS: a data set of occurrence of xenarthran species in the Neotropics

Xenarthrans—anteaters, sloths, and armadillos—have essential functions for ecosystem maintenance, such as insect control and nutrient cycling, playing key roles as ecosystem engineers. Because of habitat loss and fragmentation, hunting pressure, and conflicts with domestic dogs, these species have been threatened locally, regionally, or even across their full distribution ranges. The Neotropics harbor 21 species of armadillos, 10 anteaters, and 6 sloths. Our data set includes the families Chlamyphoridae (13), Dasypodidae (7), Myrmecophagidae (3), Bradypodidae (4), and Megalonychidae (2). We have no occurrence data on Dasypus pilosus (Dasypodidae). Regarding Cyclopedidae, until recently, only one species was recognized, but new genetic studies have revealed that the group is represented by seven species. In this data paper, we compiled a total of 42,528 records of 31 species, represented by occurrence and quantitative data, totaling 24,847 unique georeferenced records. The geographic range is from the southern United States, Mexico, and Caribbean countries at the northern portion of the Neotropics, to the austral distribution in Argentina, Paraguay, Chile, and Uruguay. Regarding anteaters, Myrmecophaga tridactyla has the most records (n = 5,941), and Cyclopes sp. have the fewest (n = 240). The armadillo species with the most data is Dasypus novemcinctus (n = 11,588), and the fewest data are recorded for Calyptophractus retusus (n = 33). With regard to sloth species, Bradypus variegatus has the most records (n = 962), and Bradypus pygmaeus has the fewest (n = 12). Our main objective with Neotropical Xenarthrans is to make occurrence and quantitative data available to facilitate more ecological research, particularly if we integrate the xenarthran data with other data sets of Neotropical Series that will become available very soon (i.e., Neotropical Carnivores, Neotropical Invasive Mammals, and Neotropical Hunters and Dogs). Therefore, studies on trophic cascades, hunting pressure, habitat loss, fragmentation effects, species invasion, and climate change effects will be possible with the Neotropical Xenarthrans data set. Please cite this data paper when using its data in publications. We also request that researchers and teachers inform us of how they are using these data