Ecological Literacy And Beyond: Problem-based Learning For Future Professionals.

Ecological science contributes to solving a broad range of environmental problems. However, lack of ecological literacy in practice often limits application of this knowledge. In this paper, we highlight a critical but often overlooked demand on ecological literacy: to enable professionals of various careers to apply scientific knowledge when faced with environmental problems. Current university courses on ecology often fail to persuade students that ecological science provides important tools for environmental problem solving. We propose problem-based learning to improve the understanding of ecological science and its usefulness for real-world environmental issues that professionals in careers as diverse as engineering, public health, architecture, social sciences, or management will address. Courses should set clear learning objectives for cognitive skills they expect students to acquire. Thus, professionals in different fields will be enabled to improve environmental decision-making processes and to participate effectively in multidisciplinary work groups charged with tackling environmental issues.

Applications Of Visual Evoked Potentials And Fourier-domain Optical Coherence Tomography In Parkinson's Disease: A Controlled Study.

The goal of this cross-sectional observational study was to quantify the pattern-shift visual evoked potentials (VEP) and the thickness as well as the volume of retinal layers using optical coherence tomography (OCT) across a cohort of Parkinson's disease (PD) patients and age-matched controls. Forty-three PD patients and 38 controls were enrolled. All participants underwent a detailed neurological and ophthalmologic evaluation. Idiopathic PD cases were included. Cases with glaucoma or increased intra-ocular pressure were excluded. Patients were assessed by VEP and high-resolution Fourier-domain OCT, which quantified the inner and outer thicknesses of the retinal layers. VEP latencies and the thicknesses of the retinal layers were the main outcome measures. The mean age, with standard deviation (SD), of the PD patients and controls were 63.1 (7.5) and 62.4 (7.2) years, respectively. The patients were predominantly in the initial Hoehn-Yahr (HY) disease stages (34.8% in stage 1 or 1.5, and 55.8 % in stage 2). The VEP latencies and the thicknesses as well as the volumes of the retinal inner and outer layers of the groups were similar. A negative correlation between the retinal thickness and the age was noted in both groups. The thickness of the retinal nerve fibre layer (RNFL) was 102.7 μm in PD patients vs. 104.2 μm in controls. The thicknesses of retinal layers, VEP, and RNFL of PD patients were similar to those of the controls. Despite the use of a representative cohort of PD patients and high-resolution OCT in this study, further studies are required to establish the validity of using OCT and VEP measurements as the anatomic and functional biomarkers for the evaluation of retinal and visual pathways in PD patients.

Neuronal Ceroid-lipofuscinosis with prominent chorea and without visual manifestations: a case report

A case of neuronal ceroid-lipofuscinosis (NCL) is reported in a 11-year-old girl, whose main symptoms were progressive dementia since the age of 4 years and choreic movements since age 10. Seizures, myoclonus and visual deterioration were absent and optic fundi were normal. A cerebral biopsy disclosed two basic types of stored substance in the cytoplasm of neurons: a) severely balloned nerve cells in cortical layers HI and V contained a non-autofluorescent material, which stained with PAS and Sudan Black B in frozen, but not in paraffin sections; ultrastructurally, these neurons showed abundant corpuscles similar to the membranous cytoplasmic bodies of Tay-Sachs disease and, in smaller amounts, also zebra bodies; b) slightly distended or non-distended neurons in all layers contained lipopigment granules, which were autofluorescent, PAS-positive and sudanophil in both frozen and paraffin sections; their ultrastructure was closely comparable to that of lipofuscin. Similar bodies were found in the swollen segments of axons and in a few astrocytes and endothelial cells. The histochemical and ultrastructural demonstration of large amounts of lipopigments allows a presumptive classification of the case as NCL. However, the presence of involuntary movements, the absence of visual disturbances and the unusual ultrastructural features place the patient into a small heterogeneous group within the NCL. A better classification of such unique instances of the disease must await elucidation of the basic enzymatic defects.

Perfil antropometrico e desempenho fisico-motor de crianças e jovens com deficiencia visual participantes do atletismo nos 1. Jogos Escolares da Confederação Brasileira de Desportos para Cegos

Universidade Estadual de Campinas . Faculdade de Educação Física

Optical And Nonoptical Aids For Reading And Writing In Individuals With Acquired Low Vision.

To evaluate the use of optical and nonoptical aids during reading and writing activities in individuals with acquired low vision. This study was performed using descriptive and cross-sectional surveys. The data collection instrument was created with structured questions that were developed from an exploratory study and a previous test based on interviews, and it evaluated the following variables: personal characteristics, use of optical and nonoptical aids, and activities that required the use of optical and nonoptical aids. The study population included 30 subjects with acquired low vision and visual acuities of 20/200-20/400. Most subjects reported the use of some optical aids (60.0%). Of these 60.0%, the majority (83.3%) cited spectacles as the most widely used optical aid. The majority (63.3%) of subjects also reported the use of nonoptical aids, the most frequent ones being letter magnification (68.4%), followed by bringing the objects closer to the eyes (57.8%). Subjects often used more than one nonoptical aid. The majority of participants reported the use of optical and nonoptical aids during reading activities, highlighting the use of spectacles, magnifying glasses, and letter magnification; however, even after the use of these aids, we found that the subjects often needed to read the text more than once to understand it. During writing activities, all subjects reported the use of optical aids, while most stated that they did not use nonoptical aids for such activities.

Terapia oclusiva em ambliopia: fatores prognósticos

Purpose: Amblyopia is the most common form of visual problem in children and for more than 250 years occlusion therapy is the standard treatment. Thus our purpose is to identify the factors that influence the outcome of amblyopia treatment with occlusion therapy. Methods: We reviewed 169 amblyopic children seen in the outpatient clinic of amblyopia of the Campinas State University, between January 1996 and May 1998. Patients were analyzed regar-ding sex, age at start of treatment (3 groups), affected eye, type of amblyopia (strabismic, anisometropic, visual depri-vation, associated), follow-up, initial visual acuity (light, moderate, severe), compliance with treatment (good, poor) and outcome (fully treated, partially treated, not treated). Results: Compliance was not seen to be significantly related to age at start of treatment (p=0.68) or initial visual acuity (p=0.82). 52.67% of the patients were fully treated while 19.52% were partially treated and 27.81% were not treated. Children recorded as showing good compliance had a significantly better outcome than those with poor complian-ce (p=0.0009). Neither the age at start of treatment (p=0.39) nor the initial visual acuity (p=0.30) were significantly corre-lated with the final outcome. Conclusions: We concluded that the main factor affecting the final outcome of amblyopia treatment is compliance.

Estudo da circulação retrobulbar e do campo visual após dose única oral de citrato de sildenafil (Viagra®)

Purpose: To analyze the effects of 100 mg of sildenafil citrate (Viagra®) on the retrobulbar circulation and visual field. Methods: A double masked, placebo controlled study was conducted in 10 males with a mean age of 27.7 + 5.68 years. The right eye of each volunteer underwent orbital color Doppler imaging and automated perimetry (Humphrey, program 30-2, Full-Threshold Strategy) at 3 occasions: baseline, 1 hour after placebo and 1 hour after 100 mg of sildenafil. The foveal threshold and the mean deviation (MD) were analyzed by automated perimetry on the three occasions. Color Doppler imaging allowed the measurement of the peak systolic velocity (PSV), end diastolic velocity (EDV) and Pourcelot index (PI) in the central retinal artery and ophthalmic artery. Results: The foveal threshold and the mean deviation did not show a significant change following the administration of sildenafil. The ophthalmic artery peak systolic velocity and end diastolic velocity significantly increased after the administration of sildenafil (p<0.001). The hemodynamic parameters in the central retinal artery and the ophthalmic artery PI did not significantly change. Conclusions: Sildefanil citrate increased the blood flow velocities in the ophthalmic artery in normal subjects, with no significant changes in the foveal threshold and mean deviation in the automated perimetry.

Comportamento visual e perfil socioeconômico e demográfico de recém-nascidos prematuros da Maternidade do Hospital das Clínicas de Pernambuco - UFPE

OBJECTIVE: To characterize the behavior of premature newborns in the first year of chronological age. METHODS: This is a cross-sectional descriptive study, bound to a longitudinal study titled: Comparison of visual behavior on the first quarter of year of life of premature nursling born at two maternities of Recife/PE. The sample was composed by 52 premature newborns selected from June, 2007 to June, 2008 from the Maternity of the Federal University of Pernambuco (UFPE). Biological, socioeconomic and demographic data was collected through medical records and interviews with progeny. Newborns were evaluated by the Assessment Guide of Visual Ability in Infants. RESULTS: Most of the newborns were male at a gestational period between 33 weeks and 36 weeks and 6 days, showed a good visual behavior development for the age researched, and most of the families showed good socioeconomical and demographic profile. Besides, it was possible to detect ocular signs in 19% of sample, that were referred to an Ophthalmology Service. CONCLUSION: This study results point out the method like an important key in the early detection and visual screening for premature nursling since the first month of life and it led us to believe that clinical view for occupational therapy intervention must be focused not only on biological risks but also at the influence environment in newborn performance.

Subsidios para uma intervenção motora no contexto da deficiencia visual

Universidade Estadual de Campinas . Faculdade de Educação Física

Orbital apex syndrome due to aspergillosis: case report

We report the case of a 73-year-old female who presented facial numbness and pain in the first division of the trigeminal nerve, ptosis, diplopia and visual loss on the right side for the previous four months. The neurological, radiological and histological examination demonstrated a rare case of invasive fungal aspergillosis of the central nervous system, causing orbital apex syndrome, later transformed in temporal brain abscess. She died ten months later due to respiratory and renal failure in spite of specific antimycotic therapy.

Acute psychotic disorders induced by topiramate: report of two cases

We report on two epileptic patients who developed acute psychosis after the use of topiramate (TPM). One patient exhibited severe psychomotor agitation, heteroaggressiveness, auditory and visual hallucinations as well as severe paranoid and mystic delusions. The other patient had psychomotor agitation, depersonalization, derealization, severe anxiety and deluded that he was losing his memory. Both patients had to be taken to the casualty room. After interruption of TPM in one patient and reduction of dose in the other, a full remission of the psychotic symptoms was obtained without the need of antipsychotic drugs. Clinicians should be aware of the possibility of development of acute psychotic symptoms in patients undergoing TPM treatment.

Levotiroxina e o problema da permutabilidade de drogas de estreito intervalo terapêutico

The exchange of a prescribed drug by other similar, by generic products and even by custom products has become common practice in our country, often ignoring basic tenets of bioequivalence, interchangeability, stability and characteristics of the pharmaceutical compounds. In the case of drugs of narrow therapeutic index, such as levothyroxine, these problems are intensified, putting the effectiveness of treatment and patient health at serious risk. We review the pertinent legislation, emphasizing the characteristics of levothyroxine and adverse effects that limit the interchangeability of the compound.

Ocular findings in Brazilian identical twins with Cohen syndrome: case report

A case of identical male twins with Cohen syndrome who present multiple ophthalmic findings is reported. The patients were identical 16 year-old twin boys who showed down slanting eyelids, mild ptosis, high-grade myopia, small cortical lens opacities, posterior subcapsular cataracts, myotic and corectopic pupils with poor dilation due to focal iris atrophy and retinochoroidal dystrophy. Ophthalmologists must be aware of the ocular and systemic findings of Cohen syndrome in the evaluation of young patients with mental retardation and visual impairment.

Aspecto tumoral da cisticercose intracraniana: abordagem cirúrgica

The cerebral cysticercosis can produce intracranial hypertension by inflammatory obstruction of the basal cysterns or by expansive lesion in the cerebral parenchima or ventricular cavities. In the latter and in tumor cases the clinical picture is very similar and only after surgery can the etiology be determined. We present 11 operated cases of intracranial cysticercosis which presented the clinical picture of an expansive lesion. There were 7 females and 4 males with ages between 4 and 65 years. Nine patients were admitted because of headache, vomiting and visual disturbances suggestive of intracranial hypertension. One patient was admited with lymphocytic meningitis and another with focal seizures following hemiparesis. Five patients presented focal signs and six edema of the papilla. Epileptic manifestations were present in 45.5% of the cases. A plain X-ray films of the skull failed to reveal calcificatons, however signs of chronic hypertension were present in three cases. The electroencephalogram showed slow focal waves in 8 patients The spinal fluid examination revealed lymphocytosis in 4 cases, increased protein content in another 4 and complement fixation for cysticercosis was positive in 2 cases. The expansive lesions were localized by angiograph and ventriculography. In these the location was temporal in 4, frontal in 3, parietal in 2, in the third ventricle in one and in the fourth ventricle in another. At surgery we removed a large cyst from the cerebral parenchyma in six cases. Around the cyst a thick glial reaction was present. In the other cases the cyst was small but fixed to the ventricular trigone and produced dilatation of the inferior horn of the lateral ventricle. In two cases we removed a solitary intraventricular cyst from the third and fourth ventricles. In the two children operated upon there were several small hard cysts involving the cerebral parenchyma which displayed intense gliosis. There were no postoperative complications.

A estimulação da inteligencia corporal cinestesica no contexto na educação fisica escolar

Universidade Estadual de Campinas. Faculdade de Educação Física