Expanding the phenotypic spectrum of CLCN2-related leucoencephalopathy and ataxia.

Mutations in CLCN2 are a rare cause of autosomal recessive leucoencephalopathy with ataxia and specific imaging abnormalities. Very few cases have been reported to date. Here, we describe the clinical and imaging phenotype of 12 additional CLCN2 patients and expand the known phenotypic spectrum of this disorder. Informed consent was obtained for all patients. Patients underwent either whole-exome sequencing or focused/panel-based sequencing to identify variants. Twelve patients with biallelic CLCN2 variants are described. This includes three novel likely pathogenic missense variants. All patients demonstrated typical MRI changes, including hyperintensity on T2-weighted images in the posterior limbs of the internal capsules, midbrain cerebral peduncles, middle cerebellar peduncles and cerebral white matter. Clinical features included a variable combination of ataxia, headache, spasticity, seizures and other symptoms with a broad range of age of onset. This report is now the largest case series of patients with CLCN2-related leucoencephalopathy and reinforces the finding that, although the imaging appearance is uniform, the phenotypic expression of this disorder is highly heterogeneous. Our findings expand the phenotypic spectrum of CLCN2-related leucoencephalopathy by adding prominent seizures, severe spastic paraplegia and developmental delay.

Pompe disease misdiagnosed as polymyositis.

Late-onset Pompe disease manifests predominantly in the proximal lower limbs and may be mistaken for an inflammatory myopathy. A 46-year-old man with acromegaly had an 8-year history of progressive weakness. His myopathy was initially attributed to the acromegaly, but severe progression prompted a muscle biopsy, which suggested an inflammatory myopathy. However, his weakness progressed despite treatment for polymyositis. His muscle ultrasound scan pattern was more suggestive of Pompe disease than polymyositis, and Pompe disease was confirmed by genetic and enzymatic testing. Patients with apparent polymyositis, which persists despite treatment, require reconsideration of the diagnosis, with particular attention to treatable genetic causes.

Marked neuropsychiatric involvement and dysmorphic features in nemaline myopathy.

BACKGROUND: Inherited nemaline myopathy is one of the most common congenital myopathies. This genetically heterogeneous disease is defined by the presence of nemaline bodies in muscle biopsy. The phenotypic spectrum is wide and cognitive involvement has been reported, although not extensively evaluated. METHODS: We report two nemaline myopathy patients presenting pronounced central nervous system involvement leading to functional compromise and novel facial and skeletal dysmorphic findings, possibly expanding the disease phenotype. RESULTS: One patient had two likely pathogenic NEB variants, c.2943G > A and c.8889 + 1G > A, and presented cognitive impairment and dysmorphic features, and the other had one pathogenic variant in ACTA1, c.169G > C (p.Gly57Arg), presenting autism spectrum disorder and corpus callosum atrophy. Both patients had severe cognitive involvement despite milder motor dysfunction. CONCLUSION: We raise the need for further studies regarding the role of thin filament proteins in the central nervous system and for a systematic cognitive assessment of congenital myopathy patients.

Correlation between ABO blood type, susceptibility to SARS-CoV-2 infection and COVID-19 disease severity: A systematic review

ABSTRACT Objectives: To verify the association between the ABO blood type and the risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection and COVID-19 disease severity. Methods: This review was conducted according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA), using the 2020 PRISMA Checklist and flow diagram, and articles selected for review were analyzed using the Newcastle-Ottawa Quality Rating Scale. The research question was: "Would the ABO blood group influence the risk of infection and clinical course of patients infected with SARS-CoV-2?", The following databases were used: Embase, PubMed, Virtual Health Library (VHL), Web of Science, Science-Direct and Scopus. The protocol for this review was registered in the Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO), number CRD42021245945. Results: We found 798 articles across PubMed, Embase, Scopus, Web of Science, Science Direct and Virtual Health Library and 54 articles were included in the final analysis. Among 30 studies evaluating the risk of COVID-19 infection, 21 found significant correlations with ABO blood groups, 14 of them revealing an increased risk in blood group A and 15 studies showing a decreased risk in blood group O. Most studies found no significant correlation with disease severity or mortality. Conclusion: The qualitative assessment of available information suggests that blood group A may be a risk factor for COVID-19 infection and that blood group O may have a protective effect. We were unable to determine a clear association between the ABO blood group and mortality. These conclusions are based on highly heterogenous evidence.

From species descriptions to diversity patterns: the validation of taxonomic data as a keystone for ant diversity studies reproducibility and accuracy.

Research findings in natural sciences need to be comparable and reproducible to effectively improve our understanding of ecological and behavioural patterns. In this sense, knowledge frontiers in biodiversity studies are directly tied to taxonomic research, especially in species-rich tropical regions. Here we analysed the taxonomic information available in 470 studies on Brazilian ant diversity published in the last 50 years. We aimed to quantify the proportion of studies that provide enough data to validate taxonomic identification, explore the frequency of studies that properly acknowledge their taxonomic background, and investigate the primary resources for ant identification in Brazil. We found that most studies on Brazilian ant diversity (73.6%) explicitly stated the methods used to identify their specimens. However, the proportion of papers that provide complete data for the repository institutions and vouchered specimens is vanishingly small (5.8%). Additionally, only 40.0% of the studies consistently presented taxon authorities and years of description, rarely referencing taxonomic publications correctly. In turn, the number of specialists and institutions consulted for ant identification in Brazil has increased in the last years, along with the number of studies that explicitly provide their taxonomic procedures for ant identification. Our findings highlight a shift between generations regarding the recognition of taxonomy as fundamental science, deepening our understanding of biodiversity.

Correlation between ABO blood type, susceptibility to SARS-CoV-2 infection and COVID-19 disease severity: A systematic review.

OBJECTIVES: To verify the association between the ABO blood type and the risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection and COVID-19 disease severity. METHODS: This review was conducted according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA), using the 2020 PRISMA Checklist and flow diagram, and articles selected for review were analyzed using the Newcastle-Ottawa Quality Rating Scale. The research question was: "Would the ABO blood group influence the risk of infection and clinical course of patients infected with SARS-CoV-2?", The following databases were used: Embase, PubMed, Virtual Health Library (VHL), Web of Science, ScienceDirect and Scopus. The protocol for this review was registered in the Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO), number CRD42021245945. RESULTS: We found 798 articles across PubMed, Embase, Scopus, Web of Science, Science Direct and Virtual Health Library and 54 articles were included in the final analysis. Among 30 studies evaluating the risk of COVID-19 infection, 21 found significant correlations with ABO blood groups, 14 of them revealing an increased risk in blood group A and 15 studies showing a decreased risk in blood group O. Most studies found no significant correlation with disease severity or mortality. CONCLUSION: The qualitative assessment of available information suggests that blood group A may be a risk factor for COVID-19 infection and that blood group O may have a protective effect. We were unable to determine a clear association between the ABO blood group and mortality. These conclusions are based on highly heterogenous evidence.

Direct and indirect effects of geographic and environmental factors on ant beta diversity across Amazon basin.

Understanding the direct and indirect effects of niche and neutral processes in structuring species diversity is particularly challenging because environmental factors are often geographically structured. Here, we used Structural Equation Modeling to quantify direct and indirect effects of geographic distance, the Amazon River's opposite margins, and environmental differences in temperature, precipitation, and vegetation density (Normalized Difference Vegetation Index-NDVI) on ant beta diversity (Jaccard's dissimilarity) across Amazon basin. We used a comprehensive survey of ground-dwelling ant species from 126 plots distributed across eight sampling sites along a broad environmental gradient. We found that geographic distance and NDVI differences were the major direct predictors of ant composition dissimilarity. The major indirect effect was that of temperature through NDVI, whereas precipitation neither had direct or indirect detectable effects on beta diversity. Thus, ant compositional dissimilarity seems to be mainly driven by a combination of isolation by distance (through dispersal limitation) and selection imposed by vegetation density, and indirectly, by temperature. Our results suggest that neutral and niche processes have been similarly crucial in driving the current beta diversity patterns of Amazonian ground-dwelling ants.

Ants of the State of Par, Brazil: a historical and comprehensive dataset of a key biodiversity hotspot in the Amazon Basin.

The state of Par in northern Brazil is located entirely within the Amazon Basin and harbors a great diversity of landscape and vegetation types that support high levels of biodiversity. Here, we provide a comprehensive inventory of ant species and their distribution in Par. This regional list is based on an extensive review of species records from published and unpublished sources covering a period of 134 years (18862020) and includes the five most representative ant collections in Brazil. In total, we documented 12 subfamilies, 90 genera and 753 ant species, including 97 species recorded for the first time in Par and 12 species newly reported in Brazil. Sampling effort across the state is highly uneven, and most records may be associated with research areas near the state capital, mining areas, hydroelectric dams, and research field stations run by the state or universities. In addition, our results suggest a strong bias in ant collection in Par in terms of proximity of sampled sites to access routes, such as roads and rivers. We also found that species records were highly unevenly distributed based on areas of endemism within the Amazon, vegetation type, and protected areas within the state. Ant surveys are still lacking from most protected areas of Par, and further sampling is urgently needed in view of the current trend of expansion of major infrastructure projects and natural resource harvesting within protected areas of Par. Our database represents an extremely valuable and rich source of information for further studies on ant biodiversity and conservation in the Amazon Basin.

Air transportation, population density and temperature predict the spread of COVID-19 in Brazil.

There is evidence that COVID-19, the disease caused by the betacoronavirus SARS-CoV-2, is sensitive to environmental conditions. However, such conditions often correlate with demographic and socioeconomic factors at larger spatial extents, which could confound this inference. We evaluated the effect of meteorological conditions (temperature, solar radiation, air humidity and precipitation) on 292 daily records of cumulative number of confirmed COVID-19 cases across the 27 Brazilian capital cities during the 1st month of the outbreak, while controlling for an indicator of the number of tests, the number of arriving flights, population density, proportion of elderly people and average income. Apart from increasing with time, the number of confirmed cases was mainly related to the number of arriving flights and population density, increasing with both factors. However, after accounting for these effects, the disease was shown to be temperature sensitive: there were more cases in colder cities and days, and cases accumulated faster at lower temperatures. Our best estimate indicates that a 1 °C increase in temperature has been associated with a decrease in confirmed cases of 8%. The quality of the data and unknowns limit the analysis, but the study reveals an urgent need to understand more about the environmental sensitivity of the disease to predict demands on health services in different regions and seasons.

Inspeção sanitária dos manipuladores de alimentos no universo Offshore: protagonismo do enfermeiro no cuidado à saúde / Sanitary inspection of food handlers in the offshore universe: the role of nurses in health care / Inspección sanitaria de los manipuladores de alimentos en el universo offshore: protagonismo del enfermero en el cuidado de la salud

Introdução: O universo offshore para o enfermeiro é um campo que se encontra em evidência frente à demanda nos dias atuais. Uma das particularidades desenvolvidas pelo enfermeiro é a fiscalização dos profissionais envolvidos com alimentação e limpeza, que ao passar por inspeções sanitárias respondem ao órgão responsável pela inspeção, atendendo assim legislações da Marinha do Brasil e órgãos federais como a Agência Nacional de Vigilância Sanitária. Logo, por se tratar da minha área de atuação profissional, levantei esse estudo com o propósito de desenvolver um instrumento facilitador para os enfermeiros na realização da avaliação física e higiênica dos manipuladores de alimentos em forma de uma lista de verificação, onde o enfermeiro tenha os pontos necessários para uma avaliação adequada, clara e sem víeis do estado físico desses trabalhadores. Objetivos: Criar uma lista de verificação das condições sanitárias dos manipuladores de alimentos que atuam em unidade de alimentação e nutrição Offshore após identificação na produção científica da área da saúde, literatura/evidências acerca de inspeção sanitária dos trabalhadores com vistas às boas práticas de manipulação de alimentos Método: Para o desenvolvimento do estudo proposto foi utilizada a abordagem qualitativa, o qual se apresenta como de natureza teórica metodológica e descritiva. A pesquisa metodológica trata de investigações dos métodos de obtenção e organização de dados e condução de pesquisas rigorosas. O estudo foi realizado em três etapas, sendo a primeira etapa composta pela realização de uma revisão integrativa, que permitiu identificar na literatura obras que foram analisadas acerca da temática para dar embasamento ao estudo. Na segunda etapa foi realizado um apanhado de informações nas legislações e obras especialistas na área de exame físico com objetivo de criar padrões para a construção de um instrumento de avaliação física e higiênica. Na terceira etapa ocorreu a compactação dos dados levantados para a criação dos padrões, assim possibilitando a criação do instrumento em forma de cheklist (palavra em inglês, considerada um americanismo que significa lista de verificações), podendo assim com esse instrumento nortear os enfermeiros em suas inspeções sanitárias com os manipuladores de alimentos. Resultados: Foi cirado padrões e construido uma lista de verificação para realização das inspeções sanitárias de manipuladores de alimentos em ambiente offshore. Conclusão: Conclui-se que é notória a necessidade de mais estudos acerca da temática afim de estabelecer e deixar mais claro o papel do enfermeiro em uma área que se encontra em expansão e requer profissionais cada vez mais específicos e com aprimoramento como o universo offshore

Introduction: The offshore universe for the nurse is a field that is in evidence in front of the present demand. One of the peculiarities developed by the nurse is the inspection of the professionals involved with food and cleaning, who, when passing through sanitary inspections; respond to the agency responsible for inspection, thus complying with Brazilian Navy legislation and federal agencies such as the National Sanitary Surveillance Agency. Therefore, because it is my area of professional practice. In view of the above, it was defined as a general objective: To prepare a checklist of the physical and hygienic conditions of food handlers operating in the Offshore food and nutrition, and as specific objectives: To identify in scientific production of the health area, literature / evidence on the evaluation / physical- sanitary conditions of workers with a view to good food handling practices and develop an instrument to evaluate the physical and personal hygiene aspects of workers handling food in a food unit and nutrition in an offshore environment based on the scientific literature. Method: For the development of the proposed study the qualitative approach was used, which is presented as a theoretical methodological and descriptive. The methodological research deals with investigations of methods of obtaining and organizing data and conducting rigorous research. They deal with the development, validation and evaluation of tools and research methods. In the methodological study, it often focuses on the development of new instruments, and the goal is the development of a reliable, accurate and usable instrument that can be applied by other researchers and professionals. This study belongs to any scientific discipline, dealing with complex phenomena such as the behavior or health of individuals, such as occurs in nursing research. Methodological research is considered a strategy that systematically uses existing knowledge to elaborate a new intervention or significant improvement of an existing intervention, or to elaborate or improve an instrument, a device or a method of mediation. Results: The study was carried out in three stages, and the first stage consisted of an integrative review, which allowed the identification in the literature of works that were analyzed about the theme to support the study. In the second stage, a collection of information was made in the legislations and expert works in the area of physical examination with the objective of creating standards for the construction of a physical and hygienic evaluation instrument. In the third stage, the data collected for the creation of the standards were compiled, thus enabling the creation of the instrument in the form of a checklist (English, considered an Americanism that means a checklist), so that with this instrument it can guide nurses in their assessments. Results: It was created standards and built a checklist for conducting sanitary inspections of food handlers in an offshore environment. Conclusion: It is concluded that there is a need for more studies about the subject in order to establish and clarify the role of nurses in an expanding area and require more specific and improved professionals such as the offshore universe

Introducción: El universo offshore para el enfermero es un campo que se encuentra en evidencia frente a la demanda en los días actuales. Una de las particularidades desarrolladas por el enfermero es la fiscalización de los profesionales involucrados con alimentación y limpieza, que al pasar por inspecciones sanitarias responden al órgano responsable de la inspección, atendiendo así legislaciones de la Marina de Brasil y organismos federales como la Agencia Nacional de Vigilancia Sanitaria. Por lo tanto, por tratarse de mi área de actuación profesional, levanté ese estudio con el propósito de desarrollar un instrumento facilitador para los enfermeros en la realización de la evaluación física e higiénica de los manipuladores de alimentos en forma de un lista de comprobación, donde el enfermero tenga los puntos necesarios para una evaluación adecuada, clara y sin víveres del estado físico de esos trabajadores. Objetivos: Crear un lista de comprobación de las condiciones sanitarias de los manipuladores de alimentos que actúan en unidad de alimentación y nutrición Offshore tras identificación en la producción científica del área de la salud, literatura / evidencias acerca de la inspección sanitaria de los trabajadores con miras a buenas prácticas de manipulación de alimentos Método: Para el desarrollo del estudio propuesto se utilizó el abordaje cualitativo, el cual se presenta como de naturaleza teórica metodológica y descriptiva. La investigación metodológica trata de investigaciones de los métodos de obtención y organización de datos y conducción de investigaciones rigurosas. El estudio fue realizado en tres etapas, siendo la primera etapa compuesta por la realización de una revisión integrativa, que permitió identificar en la literatura obras que fueron analizadas acerca de la temática para dar fundamento al estudio. En la segunda etapa se realizó un recopilación de informaciones en las legislaciones y obras especialistas en el área de examen físico con el objetivo de crear patrones para la construcción de un instrumento de evaluación física e higiénica. En la tercera etapa se produjo la compactación de los datos levantados para la creación de los patrones, así posibilitando la creación del instrumento en forma de cheklist (palabra en inglés, considerada un americanismo que significa lista de verificaciones), pudiendo así con ese instrumento orientar a los enfermeros en sus inspecciones sanitarias con los manipuladores de alimentos. Resultados: Se han establecido patrones y se ha construido una lista de verificación para la realización de inspecciones sanitarias de manipuladores de alimentos en ambiente offshore. Conclusión: Se concluye que es notoria la necesidad de más estudios acerca de la temática a fin de establecer y dejar más claro el papel del enfermero en un área que se encuentra en expansión y requiere profesionales cada vez más específicos y con perfeccionamiento como el offshore universo

Water quality of the reservoirs used for irrigation in São José dos Pinhais, Paraná State, Brazil / Qualidade da água de reservatórios utilizados para irrigação em São José dos Pinhais

ABSTRACT: Land use outside its agricultural potential and low vegetation cover in the watershed impair the quality of water used for irrigation and may contribute to the spread of pathogenic coliform bacteria. The objective of this study was to relate the quality of irrigation water with the intensity and type of land use and the rainfall in a vegetable-producing region of São José dos Pinhais, Paraná. Water samples were collected monthly in 2013 from two reservoirs and one preserved source. After collection, the samples were chilled in Styrofoam boxes and transported to the laboratory for analyses of the total and thermotolerant coliforms. Effect of land use was analyzed by probability estimation trees. High land use and weekly above average rainfall increased the probability of thermo tolerant coliforms exceeding the limit allowed under legislation. In regards to thermo tolerant coliforms in the analyzed period, the water from only one reservoir was in accordance with the legislation for the quality of water to irrigate vegetables that are consumed raw. Results of this study are an alert to the local government for the necessity of environmental preservation to maintain the water quality of the county.

RESUMO: O uso do solo fora da sua aptidão agrícola e a pouca cobertura vegetal na bacia hidrográfica prejudicam a qualidade da água utilizada para irrigação, podendo disseminar bactérias patogênicas do grupo coliformes. O objetivo do presente trabalho foi relacionar a qualidade da água de irrigação como uso do solo (intensidade e tipo de uso) e precipitação pluviométrica, em uma região produtora de hortaliças de São José dos Pinhais, Paraná. As coletas ocorreram mensalmente no ano de 2013, em dois reservatórios e uma nascente preservada. Após as coletas, as amostras foram refrigeradas em caixas de isopor e posteriormente procedeu-se às análises de coliformes totais e termotolerantes. Os resultados do efeito do uso do solo foram analisados em árvores de probabilidade. O maior uso do solo e a precipitação pluviométrica semanal acima da média aumentam a probabilidade dos coliformes termotolerantes estarem acima do permitido pela legislação. Para o período analisado e considerando os coliformes termotolerantes, apenas a água de um dos reservatórios estudados está de acordo com a legislação para ser utilizada para irrigação de hortaliças que são consumidas cruas. Os resultados obtidos são um indicativo para o poder público local quanto à necessidade da preservação ambiental e da conservação da qualidade da água na região.

Postural education program for elementary school: a one-year follow-up study / Programa de educação postural para o ensino fundamental: um estudo follow-up de um ano / Programa de educación postural para la escuela primaria: un estudio follow-up de un año

The objective of this study was to verify the short- and long-term effectiveness of the Elementary School Postural Program in the performance, generalization, and perception of daily school activities. The final sample consisted of 61 subjects divided into experimental (14 years ±0.93; ♀=22; ♂=10) and control group (15.38 years ±0.97; ♀=16; ♂=13), all participants attended a Brazilian public school in Porto Alegre, State of Rio Grande do Sul. The postural program included 20 sessions over a 10-week period. In each session, participants discussed and practiced routine actions that typically occurred at schools. Eight other meetings were required for the completion of the pre- and post-tests. The experimental group performed significantly better than the control group in the short-term evaluations, although there were no significant statistical differences in the long-term follow-up evaluations. The children demonstrated a good behavioral response to the postural program; nevertheless, the knowledge had not been completely mastered after a year.

O objetivo deste estudo foi verificar a eficiência em curto e longo prazo da escola postural para o ensino fundamental na performance, generalização e percepção das atividades escolares diárias. A amostra final foi composta de 61 participantes divididos em grupos experimental (14 anos ±0,93; ♀=22; ♂=10) e controle (15,38 anos ±0.97; ♀=16; ♂=13), todos provenientes de uma escola pública de Porto Alegre, RS. O programa postural foi composto de 20 sessões, totalizando 10 semanas. Em cada sessão os participantes do grupo experimental discutiram e praticaram as atividades escolares diárias. Além desses encontros outros 8 foram necessários para a realização dos pré e pós testes. O grupo experimental foi significativamente melhor que o controle nas avaliações em curto prazo, contudo não foi observada diferença significativa na avaliação de longo prazo. As crianças parecem apresentar boa resposta comportamental ao programa, mas esse conhecimento não foi incorporado ao longo de um ano.

El objetivo de este estudio fue verificar la eficiencia en corto y largo plazo del programa de educación postural para la escuela primaria en el rendimiento, generalización y percepción de las actividades escolares diarias. La muestra final consistió en 61 participantes divididos en grupo experimental (14 años±0,93; ♀ = 22; ♂=10) y control (15.38 años±0,97; ♀ = 16; ♂=13), todos de una escuela de Porto Alegre, RS. El programa postural consistió en 20 sesiones durante 10 semanas. En cada sesión, los participantes en el grupo experimental discutieron y practicaron las actividades escolares diarias. Además, otras 8 sesiones fueron requeridas para la realización de los testes. El grupo experimental fue significativamente mejor que el control en corto plazo, pero no en largo plazo. Los niños parecen tener una buena respuesta de comportamiento con el programa postural, pero este conocimiento no se ha sido incorporado más de un año.

Cultivo de Stenachaenium megapotamicum em diferentes regimes de irrigação / Growing Stenachaenium megapotamicum in different irrigation regimes

O uso racional da água para a irrigação de jardins é uma preocupação constante em face de seu desperdício, pois pesquisas têm demonstrado que ela corresponde de 40 a 70% do consumo doméstico. Uma das estratégias empregadas para evitar este desperdício é o plantio de jardins com plantas resistentes à deficiência hídrica. Nesta pesquisa, avaliou-se o crescimento de Stenachaenium megapotamicum, uma planta subarbustiva, com potencial ornamental, nativa da Região do Sul do Brasil, que foi cultivada sob diferentes regimes de irrigação. Foram efetuados dois experimentos: a) na primavera, as plantas foram mantidas sob três turnos de rega: diário, a cada dois dias e a cada três dias; b) no outono/ inverno, as plantas foram mantidas sob quatro turnos de rega: diário, cada cinco, sete e nove dias. Os resultados obtidos demonstraram que S. megapotamicum é uma planta anual de verão adequada para projetos de paisagismo, focando no uso eficiente da água.

Water rational use for garden irrigation is a constant concern in view of it waste, because researches have shown that it corresponds to 40 to 70% of the domestic consumption. One of the strategies employed to avoid this waste is the selection and planting of drought stress resistant plants. This research aimed to evaluate the Stenachaenium megapotamicum growth, a sub shrub plant, with ornamental potential, native from South Brazil, grown under different water regimes. Two experiments were developed: a) during the spring by applying three irrigation frequencies: daily, every other day, and every three days, b) during the fall / winter by applying four irrigation frequencies: daily, five, seven and nine days. Results obtained showed that S. megapotamicum is an adequate annual plant summer for landscape projects focusing in the efficient water use.

Parametrização das equações de Hargreaves & Samani e Angströn-Prescott para estimativa da radiação solar na região de Telêmaco Borba, estado do Paraná / Parameterization of Hargreaves & Samani and Angstrom-Prescott equations to estimate solar radiation in the region of Telemaco Borba, Parana state, Brazil

A estimativa da radiação solar incidente (Rs) por equações matemáticas é útil quando não se dispõe de estações meteorológicas que a registrem. O objetivo do trabalho foi estimar, para os períodos anual, sazonal e mensal, o coeficiente empírico Krs da equação de Hargreaves & Samani e os coeficientes a e b da equação de Angströn-Prescott para estimar a Rs, confrontando valores estimados com valores observados para o município de Telêmaco Borba, Estado do Paraná. Utilizaram-se dados históricos diários (janeiro de 1981 a janeiro de 2011) de temperatura máxima, mínima e média do ar, radiação solar global acumulada, insolação diária e radiação solar incidente no topo da atmosfera (Ra), calculada com metodologia recomendada pela Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations - FAO. Ocorre maior associação entre Rs estimada e observada com valores de Krs anual e sazonal. Os coeficientes a e b apresentaram índices "c" "ótimo" ("c" > 0,85) para estimar Rs nos períodos analisados. Os resultados sugerem que os coeficientes encontrados podem ser utilizados para estimar valores de Rs na região.

The estimation of solar radiation (Rs) by mathematical equations is useful when there are no weather stations that record. The objective of this study was to estimate, for the periods annual, seasonal and monthly, the empirical coefficient Krs of Hargreaves & Samani equation and the coefficients a and b of Angstrom-Prescott equation for estimating Rs, comparing estimated values with observed values for Telemaco Borba, Paraná. Used historical data daily (January 1981 to January 2011) maximum, minimum and average air temperature, cumulative global solar radiation, daily insolation and extraterrestrial radiation (Ra), calculated using a methodology recommended by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations- (FAO). There is greater association between estimated and observed Rs with values of annual and seasonal Krs. The coefficients a and b show indices "c" "great" ("c">0.85) to estimate Rs in the periods analyzed. The results suggest that the coefficients found are used to estimate values of the region.

Transporte do material escolar por escolares da rede municipal de ensino fundamental de Porto Alegre - RS / School supplies transportation for municipal elementary school children in Porto Alegre - RS

Transportar carga é uma ação realizada diariamente por todos os escolares. Mochilas, bolsas, pastas são as formas mais comuns observadas. Alguns desses equipamentos favorecem a manutenção de uma postura adequada, especialmente da coluna vertebral, outros, nem tanto. Além do meio como o material é transportado, seu peso (≥10% do peso corporal) é uma variável que pode interferir no deslocamento do centro de gravidade e na flexão do tronco. A associação de flexão da coluna e transporte de carga pode ser um fator desencadeante de patologias da coluna vertebral. O objetivo deste estudo foi verificar a forma como os escolares da Rede Municipal de Ensino Fundamental de Porto Alegre transportam o material escolar, bem como o peso transportado. Este é um estudo descritivo-exploratório transversal. A amostra foi composta de forma aleatória por 430 escolares, estratificados (faixa etária e sexo) pelas quatro regiões administrativas da cidade. Os participantes foram fotografados com o seu material escolar e foram pesados com e sem esses equipamentos. A diferença de peso serviu para identificar o peso transportado. Observou-se que os participantes utilizam majoritariamente a mochila nas costas com apoio sobre os dois ombros para a realização dessa tarefa, não havendo diferença entre meninos e meninas ou entre as faixas etárias. Esses resultados são equivalentes aos encontrados em estudos realizados com outras populações. Foi observado também que o peso médio do material escolar foi de 5,46% do peso corporal, sendo que 8,5% dos participantes transportavam mais de 10% do peso corporal. Esses resultados são inferiores aos observados em outros estudos com outros grupos. Apesar de valores inferiores aos dados internacionais, ações no âmbito da comunidade escolar devem ser realizadas com o objetivo de propor alternativas para diminuir a prevalência de escolares transportando uma carga que pode ser nociva a sua saúde.

Carrying a load is action taken daily by all students. Backpacks, purses, briefcases are the most common forms observed. Some of these items help to maintain a proper posture, especially the spine, others less so. In addition, its weight (≥ 10% of body weight) is a variable that can interfere with the displacement of the center of gravity and trunk flexion. The association of spinal flexion and heavy load can be a triggering factor for diseases of the spine. The objective of this study was to determine how the students of the Municipal Elementary School in Porto Alegre carry school supplies, as well as the weight carried. This is a cross-sectional descriptive exploratory study. The sample consisted of 430 participants randomly stratified (age and sex) by four administrative regions of the city. The participants were photographed with their school supplies and were weighed with and without the equipment. The weight difference was used to identify the weight carried. It was observed that the participants mainly use the backpack with support on both shoulders to this task, with no difference between boys and girls or between age groups. These results are equivalent to those found in studies of other populations. It was also observed that the average weight of school supplies was 5.46% of body weight, and 8.5% of participants carried over 10% of body weight. These results are lower than those observed in other studies with other groups. Eventhough these results are lower than international data reported, actions within the school community should be conducted in order to propose alternatives to reduce the prevalence of students carrying a load that can be harmful to your health.

Species diversity of edaphic mites (Acari: Oribatida) and effects of topography, soil properties and litter gradients on their qualitative and quantitative composition in 64 km² of forest in Amazonia.

Small-scale spatial distribution of oribatid mites has been investigated in Amazonia. In addition, medium- and large-scale studies are needed to establish the utility of these mites in detecting natural environmental variability, and to distinguish this variability from anthropogenic impacts. We are expanding the knowledge about oribatid mites in a wet upland forest reserve, and investigate whether a standardized and integrated protocol is an efficient way to assess the effects of environmental variables on their qualitative and quantitative composition on a large spatial scale inside an ecological reserve in Central Amazonia, Brazil. Samples for Berlese-Tullgren extraction were taken in 72 plots of 250 × 6 m distributed over 64 km(2). In total 3,182 adult individuals, from 82 species and 79 morphospecies were recorded, expanding the number of species known in the reserve from 149 to 254. Galumna, Rostrozetes and Scheloribates were the most speciose genera, and 57 species were rare. Rostrozetes ovulum, Pergalumna passimpuctata and Archegozetes longisetosus were the most abundant species, and the first two were the most frequent. Species number and abundance were not correlated with clay content, slope, pH and litter quantity. However, Principal Coordinate Analysis indicated that as the percentage of clay content, litter quantity and pH changed, the oribatid mite qualitative and quantitative composition also changed. The standardized protocol effectively captured the diversity, as we collected one of the largest registers of oribatid mites' species for Amazonia. Moreover, biological and ecological data were integrated to capture the effects of environmental variables accounting for their diversity and abundance.

Boa postura: uma preocupação com a estética, a moral ou a saúde? / Buena postura: una preocupación con la estética, la moral o la salud? / Good body posture: an esthetic, moral or health concern?

A intenção neste estudo foi compreender, a partir de um olhar da Antropologia do corpo e da saúde, as motivações daqueles que procuram uma educação postural. Método: A análise das informações foi realizada a partir de 50 entrevistas semiestruturadas realizadas com participantes do programa de extensão “Escola Postural” da ESEF/UFRGS. Resultados: A análise das informações permitiu identificar o argumento principal para justificar o interesse em participar de um programa de educação postural: a vontade de ter boa postura. Conclusão: A importância dada à boa postura demonstrou uma interseção permanente entre saúde, estética e moral.

This study was to comprehend, from a Body and Health Anthropological point of view, the motivations from those who search a postural education program. Method: Fifty semi-structured interviews were analyzed. Results: One main argument was identify to justify their interest in joining a postural education program: the desire to have a good posture. Conclusion: The emphasis given to a good body posture shows a permanent intersection between health, esthetic and moral.

Nuestra intención en este estudio fue comprender, a partir de una mirada hacia la Antropología del cuerpo y de la salud, las motivaciones de aquellos que buscan una educación postural. Método: El con participantes del programa de extensión “Escuela Postural” de la ESEF/UFRGS. Análisis de las informaciones se ha hecho a partir de 50 entrevistas semiestructuradas realizadas. Resultados: El análisis de las informaciones ha permitido identificar un argumento principal para justificar el interés en participar de un programa de educación postural: el deseo de tener una buena postura. Conclusión: La importancia atribuída a la buena postura ha demostrado una intersección permanente entre salud, estética y moral.

Diversidade de espécies dos gêneros de Crematogaster, Gnamptogenys e Pachycondyla (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) e complementaridade dos métodos de coleta durante a estação seca numa estação ecológica no estado do Pará, Brasil / Diversity of species of the genera Crematogaster,Gnamptogenys and Pachycondyla, (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) and complementarity of sampling methods during the dry season in an ecological station in the Brazilian state of Pará

As formigas são muito usadas em programas de inventários e monitoramentos, resultando em grande quantidade de material coletado com vários métodos, limitações financeiras e na falta de taxonomos para vários táxons. Para contribuir na elaboração de protocolos alternativos, analisamos a complementaridade de dois métodos de amostragem na detecção da riqueza de espécies. Em seis parcelas de 1 km² distribuídas em 33.000 ha de floresta primária, investigamos a diversidade e a freqüência das espécies de Crematogaster,Gnamptogenys e Pachycondyla, como parte do protocolo de formigas de serapilheira do Projeto TEAM. Em cada parcela, quatro transectos de 100 m foram instalados. Dez sub-amostras foram efetuadas por transecto, usando extrator de Winkler e armadilha de fosso. Registramos 36 espécies, sendo 15 novos registros para o Pará e 29 para a área de estudo. Dezessete espécies foram comuns aos dois métodos, onze foram capturadas com armadilhas de fosso e oito com Winkler. As proporções de espécies representadas por um indivíduo ("singletons") foram altas para ambos os métodos (> 0,4). Dezenove espécies foram coletadas por apenas um método e três foram representadas por apenas um indivíduo em cada método. A análise de ordenação (escalonamento multidimensional semi-híbrido) revelou diferenças na estrutura das comunidades de formigas obtidas pelos dois métodos de amostragem. Houve um efeito de complementaridade entre os dois métodos para a obtenção de um levantamento mais completo da riqueza de espécies, significando que ambos devem ser usados no protocolo. Outros recursos, como a rarefação e/ou diluição das amostras são recursos a serem avaliados em futuras investigações.

Ants are largely used for monitoring and inventory programs, resulting in great amounts of material sampled with several methodologies, financial limitations and lack of experts to do the taxonomy of many taxa. To contribute for the elaboration of alternative protocols, we analyzed the complementarity of two sampling methods in the detection of species richness. In 6 plots of 1 km² distributed in an area of 33,000 ha of continuous primary forest, in the Brazilian state of Pará, the diversity and the frequency of species of genera Crematogaster,Gnamptogenys and Pachycondyla were investigated, as part of the "Ant methodology Protocol" of the Project TEAM. Using the Winkler extractor and pitfall traps, 10 sub-samples were collected per transect. In each plot, 4 transects of 100 m were installed. We registered 36 species, and 15 are new records for the state, and 29 for the study site. Seventeen species were common to both sampling methods, 11 were captured with pitfall and 8 with Winkler. The proportions of singletons were high for both methods (>0,4). Nineteen species were captured by only one method and three were represented by only one individual in both methods. Ordination analysis (SSH, Semi-Strong Hybrid Multi-Dimensional Scaling) indicated differences in community structure between both sampling methods. There was a complementarity's effect between these two methods in order to obtain a more complete inventory of the species richness, indicating that both must be used in the protocol. Other resources like rarefaction and/or sample dilution must be evaluated in future investigations.

Instrumento para conhecimento da percepção de alunos sobre a postura adotada no ambiente escolar ­ posper / Tool for knowing how students perceive posture in school environment ­ posper / Instrumento para conocimiento de la percepción de alumnos sobre la postura adoptada en el ambiente escolar ­ posper

O surgimento de algias lombares em crianças e adolescentes pode estar associado aos seus hábitos de postura adquiridos no período escolar. O objetivo deste trabalho foi criar um instrumento capaz de identificar a percepção que escolares têm sobre a postura adotada nesse ambiente. Foi criado um questionário com fotos sobre formas de sentar, sentar para escrever, carregar o material escolar e pegar objetos pesados e leves do chão. Após a análise da validade aparente e do resultado da análise intragrupo (r=0,91; p<0,000), conclui-se que o questionário aplicado era válido e fidedigno para a aplicação em uma população de características semelhantes

Occurrence of low back pain in children and teenagers may be due to their postural habits during school time. The objective of this paper is to build a questionnaire capable of identifying the postural perception they have during school activities. A questionnaire was build including photos of sitting down, sitting down for writing, carrying school material, and lifting light and heavy weights from the floor. After the questionnaire face validity was analyzed and the results of the intraclass correlation was found (r=0,91; p=0,000), we concluded that the tool have face validity and reliability for application in a population with similar characteristics

El dolor en las espaldas en niños se puede asociar a sus hábitos de postura adquiridos en la escuela. El objetivo de este trabajo fue crear un instrumento capaz de identificar la percepción que tienen los escolares sobre la postura adoptada en ese ambiente. Se ha creado un cuestionario con fotos sobre maneras de sentar, sentar para escribir, cargar el material escolar y tomar objetos del suelo. Después del análisis de la validad aparente y del resultado del análisis intra clase (r=0,91; p<0,000), se concluyó que el cuestionario era válido y fidedigno para la aplicación en una población con características semejantes

Influência da altura do salto sobre os percentuais do peso corporal aplicados na base de sustentação durante a postura ereta / Influence of heel height on the percentage of body weight applied to the base of support during stance

The main purpose of this research was to verify the influence of the heel height of different styles of shoes upon the percentual of the body weight (BW) applied to both forepart and backpart of the feet on standing up. This is a descriptive study - comparative, whereas II ladies, spontaneously available, bearing the same age, body mass and height of heels have been analysed, such as: (1) -0.9 cm (negative heel); (2) 0.7 cm (no heel); (3) 5 cm, (4) 5.6 cm, (5) 7.5 cm and (6) 9 cm (the last ones positive heel) and the condition of barefooted has been adopted as reference. The percentuals of the body weight applied to the backpart and forepart of the feet, have been quantified through the vertical component (Fy) of the ground reaction force (GRF) from kinetic analysis done with two force plataforms AMTI. For statistical treatment, it was adopted the test ANOVA One way, post hoc de Tukey, the statistical package SPSS (p<0.05). Accordingly to the results obtained, one can observe that the transference of the transference of the BW from the backpart of the foot into the forepart of the foot, was not proportional to the heel heigth of the shoes. In two out of the six heel heigths (5.6 cm and 9 cm) only on the rigth foot there were significant statistical differences. On the left foot, only in one single heel heigth (5.6 cm) it was observed a transference of the percentual of the BW from the backpart of the upholding sipport, considering the ladies who had been evaluated, the four styles of shoes with different heights of heels (-0.9 cm, 0.7 cm, 5 cm and 7.5 cm) can be adapted to either styles, keeping the average percentual Fy, applied to the forepart and the backpart of the foot, on standing up, when compared to a barefooted condition...