Meniscus morphometric study in humans

The objective of this study was to evaluate the morphometric variations in human beings meniscus. For this,40 menisci from 20 knees, previously dissected and preserved with Formaldehyde and/or glycerin solution,were utilized. In each meniscus, the following aspects were evaluated to check the width and thicknessvariations: outer circumference length and distance between posterior and anterior horns in three points(anterior, medium, and posterior part). With regard to the outer circumference length, there was no significantstatistic difference between the medial and lateral meniscus. The distance between the anterior and posteriorhorns in the medial meniscus was significantly higher than that of the lateral meniscus. The lateral meniscusshowed no significant difference regarding to the length between the anterior, medium, and posterior part,whereas the posterior part was wider in the medial meniscus. With regard to the medial meniscus length, theposterior part was thicker than the anterior and medium part. In the lateral meniscus, the medium part wasthe thickest followed by the posterior and anterior part, respectively. The meniscus morphometric findings arein accordance with studies on meniscus injuries.

Relief influence on the spatial distribution of the Atlantic Forest cover on the Ibiúna Plateau, SP

Several studies suggest that, on a large scale, relief conditions influence the Atlantic Forest cover. The aim of this work was to explore these relationships on a local scale, in Caucaia do Alto, on the Ibiúna Plateau. Within an area of about 78 km², the distribution of forest cover, divided into two successional stages, was associated with relief attribute data (slope, slope orientation and altitude). The mapping of the vegetation was based on the interpretation of stereoscopic pairs of aerial photographs, from April 2000, on a scale of 1:10,000, while the relief attributes were obtained by geoprocessing from digitalized topographic maps on a scale of 1:10,000. Statistical analyses, based on qui-square tests, revealed that there was a more extensive forest cover, irrespective of the successional stage, in steeper areas (>10 degrees) located at higher altitudes (>923 m), but no influence of the slope orientation. There was no sign of direct influence of relief on the forest cover through environmental gradients that might have contributed to the forest regeneration. Likewise, there was no evidence that these results could have been influenced by the distance from roads or urban areas or with respect to permanent preservation areas. Relief seems to influence the forest cover indirectly, since agricultural land use is preferably made in flatter and lower areas. These results suggest a general distribution pattern of the forest remnants, independent of the scale of study, on which relief indirectly has a strong influence, since it determines human occupation.

Vários estudos sugerem que as condições do relevo influenciam, em larga escala, a cobertura da Mata Atlântica. Este trabalho teve por objetivo explorar estas relações em escala local, na região do Planalto de Ibiúna, denominada de Caucaia do Alto. Numa área de cerca de 78 km², procurou-se associar a cobertura florestal, dividida em dois estádios sucessionais, com atributos do relevo (declividade, orientação de vertente e altitude). O mapeamento da vegetação foi feito a partir da interpretação de pares estereoscópicos de fotografias aéreas de abril de 2000, na escala 1:10.000, enquanto os atributos do relevo foram gerados por geoprocessamento a partir de cartas topográficas digitalizadas, em escala 1:10.000. As análises estatísticas, baseadas em testes de qui-quadrado, revelam que há maior cobertura florestal, independentemente do estádio sucessional, em áreas mais íngremes (>10 graus) e situadas em altitudes mais elevadas (>923 m), porém não há influência da orientação de vertente. Não há indícios de influência direta do relevo sobre a cobertura florestal, através de gradientes ambientais que poderiam agir na regeneração florestal. Também não foram obtidas evidências de que estes resultados possam ser influenciados pelo distanciamento a estradas ou centros urbanos, ou ainda pelo respeito às áreas de preservação permanente. O relevo parece determinar o recobrimento florestal, principalmente por condicionar o uso agrícola dos solos, que se dá preferencialmente em áreas mais planas e baixas. Estes resultados sugerem um padrão geral de influência do relevo sobre a distribuição dos remanescentes florestais, independentemente da escala de estudo, onde o relevo atua indiretamente ao condicionar a ocupação humana.