Prevalence of the metabolic syndrome and its components in Brazilian women with polycystic ovary syndrome

SOARES, Elvira Maria Mafaldo et al. Prevalence of the metabolic syndrome and its components in Brazilian women with polycystic ovary syndrome. Fertility and Sterility, v.89, n.3, p.649-655, mar. 2008

Dream characteristics in a Brazilian sample: an online survey focusing on lucid dreaming

During sleep, humans experience the offline images and sensations that we call dreams, which are typically emotional and lacking in rational judgment of their bizarreness. However, during lucid dreaming (LD), subjects know that they are dreaming, and may control oneiric content. Dreaming and LD features have been studied in North Americans, Europeans and Asians, but not among Brazilians, the largest population in Latin America. Here we investigated dreams and LD characteristics in a Brazilian sample (n=3,427; median age=25 years) through an online survey. The subjects reported recalling dreams at least once a week (76%), and that dreams typically depicted actions (93%), known people (92%), sounds/voices (78%), and colored images (76%). The oneiric content was associated with plans for the upcoming days (37%), memories of the previous day (13%), or unrelated to the dreamer (30%). Nightmares usually depicted anxiety/fear (65%), being stalked (48%), or other unpleasant sensations(47%). These data corroborate Freudian notion of day residue in dreams, and suggest that dreams and nightmares are simulations of life situations that are related to our psychobiological integrity. Regarding LD, we observed that 77% of the subjects experienced LD at least once in life (44% up to 10 episodes ever), and for 48% LD subjectively lasted less than 1 min. LD frequency correlated weakly with dream recall frequency (r =0.20,p< 0.01), and LD control was rare (29%). LD occurrence was facilitated when subjects did not need to wake up early (38%), a situation that increases rapid eye movement sleep (REMS) duration, or when subjects were under stress (30%), which increases REMS transitions into waking. These results indicate that LD is relatively ubiquitous but rare, unstable, difficult to control, and facilitated by increases in REMS duration and transitions to wake state. Together with LD incidence in USA, Europe and Asia, our data from Latin America strengthen the notion that LD is a general phenomenon of the human species.

Da Pedra do Rosário ao Pantanal: Espaço e Urbanização no Passo da Pátria (Natal/RN)

The Passo da Pátria is one of the areas of housing in the city of Natal/RN, presents characteristics of insecurity on ways to live and access to goods and services. The project of urbanization called Integrated Project Passo da Pátria implemented since 2002 by the public power wants to change this picture. In Passo da Pátria system of classifications of space operated by the villagers signals to singularities that allows the identification of four pieces: Pedra do Rosário , Passo , Areado and Pantanal . The actions of the Project of Urbanization promote a new socio-space configuration. Our objective is to examine ways of appropriation of space in Passo da Pátria , built by the residents, which included their cultural practices giving symbolic meaning to the four pieces. The methodological procedures consisted of: literature review of the themes of the City, Urban, Segregation socio-space, Space, the Public Policies in urban area and texts on the Passo da Pátria ; desk research and interviews with old residents, recent residents, and these: men, women, young, and leaders of the Passo da Pátria . The evaluation of the data indicates that residents live positively the action of the public power as regards the expansion of urban infrastructure and services. At the same time, negative value of the shares removal of residents and idea of integration for the different pieces that form the Passo da Pátria , for them, these actions desconstroem times, experiences and narratives that are expressed in their relations with the space in which live

Caracterização e composição florística de uma comunidade savânica no Rio Grande do Norte, Brasil : subsídios para a conservação

Studies on Brazilian biodiversity are still very few and can observe the difference of knowledge between the different regions of the country. This affirmation can be verified in the investigation to identify the rare species in Brazil and the key biodiversity areas (ACBs). In that study were identified for Brasil 2.256 rare species and 752 ACBs. The Rio Grande do Norte (RN) was the only Brazilian state that has not been identified any rare species and no ACBs, possibly due to the lack of floristic studies in this state. A particular area was selected for this study: an area of ecological tension with savanna physiognomy in Rio do Fogo, RN. This savanna community is represented in RN in a fragment and immersed in restinga and caatinga and was identified and described only through of radar imagens there are no studies to date in loco . We have prepared the following questions about this community savanna: 1) The region delimited and described by through of radar images by the RADAMBRASIL, 1976, can be associated of the Cerrado, in terms of floristic ?; 2) What is the floristic composition of this area? This area includes rare species, endemic or endangered? 3) What is the geographical and phytogeographical distribution of plant species registered in this area? 4) Those plant species registered are endemic or have affinity with other areas phytoecological Brazilian? To answer these questions we performed a floristic inventory of the August 2007 to September/2009. The results are presented in two chapters (manuscripts). The first chapter, titled "The Savannah Rio Grande do Norte: floristic links with other plant formations in the Northeast and Center-West Brazil" was submitted to the Revista Brasileira de Botância. Chapter 1 discusses the phytogeographical distribution of the species, by comparing floristic studies conducted in the Cerrado, Caatinga and Restinga in the Northeast and Cerrado of the Central Brazil. The analysis of data of this study and compilation with other studies indicated that: i) the record of 94 plant species; ii) of total species, about 64% are associated with the Cerrado, the second specialized bibliography, and about 78% as the List of Species of Flora of Brazil. However, about 73% of total species (94) are also distributed in the Caatinga, the Atlantic forest 64%, the Amazon forest 64%, the Pantanal 15% and the Pampa 12%. Floristically the data show that the community studied is influenced by other floras, has a structure where grasses dominate and also because of his appearance the same savanna then be classified as a Savana gramíneo-lenhosa do tabuleiro . Chapter 2, titled "Considerations on the flora of a savanna community in Rio Grande do Norte, northeastern Brazil: Subsidy key area for conservation" was submitted to the Revista Natureza e Conservação. This has the objective of improve the knowledge of flora of Rio Grande do Norte and to identify possible rare species and consequently increase the key areas of biodiversity in Brazil. The data indicated that: i) of 94 species registered in the study area, 40 were new records for the Rio Grande do Norte state; ii) These citations to unpublished state, Stylosanthes montevidensis Vogel (Fabaceae) and Aristida laevis (Nees) Kunth (Poaceae) are indicated for the first time to the Northeast of Brazil; iii) are registered in the area 24 species endemic to Brazil and 63 non-endemic; iv) Aspilia procumbens Baker (Asteraceae) registered in the area is considered a restricted species and micro endemic Rio Grande do Norte, ie rare species; v) Aspilia procumbens is also cited in the category of critically endangered species and Stilpnopappus cearensis Hubber (Asteraceae) a species vulnerable to extinction. This study shows a new area phytoecological in Rio Grande do Norte and indicates the area's potential to contribute with the sites of global significance for biodiversity conservation, either locally, regionally and nationally. This will certainly contribute to respond some targets set by the Global Strategy for Plant Conservation and the Convention on Biological Diversity such as the inventory of vegetal diversity in a region with little collection, which will provide data that contributes to questions and themes related to biodiversity.