<p>This study was performed to better understand the physiological responses of the cricket <em>Acheta domesticus</em> to dietary restriction and nutritional geometry (relative nutritional balance). Dietary restriction in crickets decreases the growth rate, survivorship, maturation mass and delays maturation, but it has the benefit of increasing their maximum longevity. Measurements of maturation mass, maturation age and longevity were obtained and used to calculate adult duration, growth rate and survivorship. This experiment combined both dietary restriction and nutritional geometry. Treatments were dietary restricted and provided with one of three macronutrients: lipid, carbohydrate or protein. The macronutrients were predicted to modulate the effects of dietary restriction while still producing an increase in maximum longevity. The lifetime restricted males and females obtained the highest maximum longevity of all treatments. The females of the carbohydrate treatment experienced significant increases in survivorship when compared to the lifetime restricted treatment. The males of the carbohydrate treatment achieved the second highest maximum longevity as well as a significant increase in longevity when compared to the lipid and protein males. A significantly earlier maturation age was obtained by the carbohydrate males when compared to the lifetime restricted treatment. The protein females had a significantly higher maximum longevity than the control treatment. The lipid treatment had an extremely low survivorship, a decreased adult duration as well as a low maturation mass. In summary, carbohydrates decreased the maturation age and increased the survivorship of the female crickets and increased the longevity of the male crickets. The protein treatment did not obtain the expected increases in growth rates or maturation mass associated with high protein diets. Therefore, different high protein diets should be tested in conjunction with the carbohydrate diet, in order to offset the negative effects of dietary restriction.</p> / Master of Science (MSc)

No / Human aging involves a gradual decrease in cellular integrity that contributes to multiple complex disorders such as neurodegenerative disorders, cancer, diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases. Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) play a key role in discovering genetic variations that may contribute towards disease vulnerability. However, mostly disease-associated SNPs lie within non-coding part of the genome; majority of the variants are also present in linkage disequilibrium (LD) with the genome-wide significant SNPs (GWAS lead SNPs). Overall 600 SNPs were analyzed, out of which 291 returned RegulomeDB scores of 1-6. It was observed that just 4 out of those 291 SNPs show strong evidence of regulatory effects (RegulomeDB score < 3), while none of them includes any GWAS lead SNP. Nevertheless, this study demonstrates that by combining ENCODE project data along with GWAS reported information will provide important insights on the impact of a genetic variant-moving from GWAS towards understanding disease pathways. It is noteworthy that both genome-wide significant SNPs as well as the SNPs in LD must be considered for future studies; this may prove to be crucial in deciphering the potential regulatory elements involved in complex disorders and aging in particular.

Thesis (MPhil (Philosophy))--University of Stellenbosch, 2006. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Every individual has a mental image of what a ‘good’ life entails. Whether this idea of a good life is based on hedonist, preference satisfaction or ideal theories, or a combination of these theories, it forms the underlying framework that indicates and measures how well or how poorly we are doing. The smaller the discrepancy between these suppositions we nurture and our real circumstances, the greater the degree of wellbeing and satisfaction we experience. This satisfaction with our lives can be indicated on objective and subjective scales, and these serve as a direct reflection of our quality of life. In addition to self experienced quality of life, quality of life is also seen as the aim of health care. However, as the World Health Organization (WHO) sketches an almost utopian view of health, the field is deemed to be so wide that it includes man in his totality. This state of total psychological, physical and social welfare is further seen as a primary or basic necessity to which everyone is entitled. Human welfare, or quality of life, viewed from a healthcare perspective, serves as the criterion for substantiating, informing and guiding health care. Not only are choices regarding the type and degree of intervention in the therapeutic situation guided by this, but quality of life is also regarded as the single cut-off point for determining whether continued existence would be better or worse than not existing at all. A further outcome of quality of life is the use of QALYs (quality-adjusted life years) and TTO (Time trade-off). These instruments are designed to determine the net efficiency of therapeutic intervention by combining two dimensions, namely quality and quantity of life. Quality of life and [healthy] lifespan are therefore combined in a single framework of value assessment, and this framework is applied as the main criterion for allocating limited resources. This application of quality of life has been adjusted to serve as the main measure for determining the value of a life. In this study quality of life will critically be investigated with the focus on self experienced quality of life; quality of life as the aim of health care; and quality of life as the determining factor to place a value on a human life. The study indicates that the concept of quality of life had to undergo a natural and unavoidable development and expansion to keep pace with the changed medical ethos of our times. The writer indicates that the transformation of quality of life as the aim of healthcare to quality of life as the factor for determining the value of a life is currently ethically unacceptable in its application. Finally, a more acceptable development that includes referred competition and social responsibility is suggested.

La thèse examine les liens entre la vision pluraliste de la science et l’éthique de la médecine tibétaine et les nouvelles pratiques en médecine occidentale, soit la longévité et la recherche sur la génétique amélioratrice. Elle cherche à cerner l’apport que la médecine tibétaine peut apporter aux recherches occidentales sur la longévité et la génétique humaine amélioratrice. Elle traite donc d’un enjeu social clé et du débat qui s’y rattache. La découverte et la description sont centrales à la méthodologie et informent l’analyse. Nous avons examiné dans un premier temps, les travaux de recherche sur la longévité reliée à la génétique amélioratrice (mémoire et muscles). Nous nous sommes penchés également sur les fondements de la médecine tibétaine en tant que système intégré. Pour ce faire, nous avons traité des notions telles que la santé, l’identité, la perfection et l’immortalité. Notre cadre conceptuel repose sur la théorie bouddhiste de l’interdépendance qui se caractérise par la formulation de catégories qui ensuite sont synthétisées dans l’essence; les deux niveaux d’interprétation de la théorie sont décrits en détail avant de passer à une comparaison avec la notion de complexité occidentale. La médecine tibétaine de fait présente un système où l’éthique et la science sont intégrées et se prête bien à une comparaison avec la vision pluraliste de la science à partir d’une perspective éthique/bioéthique. Les commentaires recueillis auprès des experts nous ont permis de cerner comment la science, l’éthique et l’amélioration de la longévité sont définies au sein des deux paradigmes de l’Est et de l’Ouest. Nos résultats montrent six points qui se dégagent au terme de cette recherche permettent de jeter un pont sur la vision pluraliste de ces paradigmes. Ceux-ci transcendent les points de vue doctrinaux individuels de religions ainsi que du monde scientifique occidental. Plus que tout, ils laissent entrevoir un cadre de références novatrices qui contribuera à la prise de décision à l’égard de questionnements bioéthiques. / This thesis identified and examined the links between the pluralist vision of Western science and the ethical studies of Tibetan medicine, and sought to determine how the bridging of pluralistic visions with Tibetan medicine might contribute to Western research on longevity and human genetic enhancement. The investigation focused on the current debate in these latter two fields. Discovery and description were central to the methodology and informed the analysis. Initially, we examined the research on longevity related to human genetic enhancement (memory and muscle), which addresses the limitation of the physical body, and explored its ramifications through such concepts as healthism, identity, perfection and immortality. Then examining the foundation of Tibetan medicine as an integrated system, we contrasted contemporary longevity research with the Eastern model, in which individual existence and experience escape limitations. We further addressed brain science research and the Tibetan medicine continuum, the unique quality of the latter being that the mind is used as a tool and is philosophically linked with Buddhism. Finally, utilizing the Buddhist conceptual framework of the interdependent theory, which is characterized by formulating categories of phenomena that are then synthesized into their essence, the theory’s two levels of the interpretation of phenomenal reality were described in detail before moving to a comparison with notions of Western complexity. Tibetan medicine employs an integrated system in which ethics and science are interwoven, providing the base for a comparison with the pluralist vision of science from an ethics/bioethics perspective. The insights gathered from interviews with experts in various fields highlighted how science, ethics and longevity enhancement can be addressed within these two paradigms. The research findings led to six points that bridge both the Eastern and Western paradigms by transcending the doctrinal standpoints of individual religions, ethical systems and sciences, and laying the basis for an innovative framework by providing concrete reference elements for decision-making in regard to bioethical questionings.

Plusieurs études ont démontré l’impact de divers facteurs sur l’espérance de vie, dont les caractéristiques liées à l’environnement dans l’enfance et à l’âge adulte. L’objectif principal de ce mémoire est de déterminer si l’exposition à une épidémie durant la période fœtale ou pendant la première année de vie a un impact sur la survie après 40 ans pour les Québécois nés entre 1885 et 1901. Durant cette période, nous avons relevé des épidémies de variole et de scarlatine, ainsi qu’une pandémie de grippe, la grippe russe. L’influence d’autres facteurs sur l’âge au décès est également étudiée, celle du sexe, de l’année et de la saison de naissance, du lieu de résidence à la naissance (urbain ou rural) et des régions d’habitation dans l’enfance et à l’âge adulte. Les données sur les Canadiens français nés au Québec à la fin du XIXe siècle, soit l’échantillon de 5% des ménages du recensement canadien de 1901 (Sager 2001) recueilli par le Canadian Families Project, jumelées aux dates de décès à partir de l’index des décès de 1926 à 1996 de l’Institut de la statistique du Québec (ISQ) et de la Société de généalogie du Québec (Pilon-Marien et al. 2009; Gagnon et Bohnert 2012) ont été analysées. Plus spécifiquement, nous avons effectué une analyse descriptive de la population étudiée, puis une analyse multivariée à l’aide de modèles de Cox et de modèles de Gompertz. Il en résulte qu’une exposition à une épidémie avant l’âge d’un an augmente significativement le risque de décéder après l’âge de 40 ans. L’exposition pendant la période fœtale a également un effet négatif sur la longévité, toutefois cet effet n’est pas significatif dans les modèles fournissant le meilleur ajustement aux données. Enfin, une naissance pendant une épidémie, donc une exposition in utero et durant la première année de vie n’a pas d’impact négatif significatif sur l’âge au décès pour ceux qui survivent jusqu’à 40 ans. / Numerous studies have shown the effects on longevity of early life and adult conditions. The purpose of our study is to analyze the impact of exposure to an epidemic disease during the fetal stage or the first year of life on survival after age 40 for people born in Quebec between 1885 and 1901. During this period, we identified epidemics of smallpox and scarlet fever, and the Russian influenza pandemic. The effects on age at death of other environmental conditions have been studied such as the sex, the season of birth and the year of birth, the urban-rural status at birth, the region of residence in early life and the region of residence at death. The dataset used in this study is based on the 5 percent sample of the 1901 Canadian Census, gathered by the Canadian Family Project (Sager 2001). Individuals were matched to their deaths records through the Quebec Consolidated Deaths Index from the Société de Généalogie du Québec and the Index des décès from the Institut de la statistique du Québec (Pilon-Marien and al. 2009). A descriptive analysis of the population studied has been done and a statistical analysis with Cox models and Gompertz models was made. We observe that individuals who were exposed to an epidemic disease during their first year of life had an increased mortality after age 40. In utero exposure to an epidemic hints at an increase of mortality after age 40 but the effect is not significant. Also, a birth during a pandemic, and therefore exposure both in utero and in the first year, apparently has no significant negatives impacts on longevity.

在醫療科技與衛生技術飛快地進步下，死亡率不斷改善所帶來不確定產生的長壽風險，已經成為世界各國重視的議題之一，為了因應長壽風險所帶來的衝擊，壽險公司與退休基金發展出多種避險策略，商品內自然避險為其中一種。 本文以淨值免疫和現金流免疫的方法來探討商品內自然避險的效果，發現因為長壽風險造成錯誤定價的緣故，在被保人邁向高年齡時，壽險商品因死亡率改善的效果與一般預期有明顯出入，造成商品保單期間末期自然避險效果消失，本文定義此現象為“壽險反轉效果”，本文並進一步探討其生成原因與解決方法，發現其與亡率改善以及生存曲線矩形化的現象有關，本文接著探討台灣的生存曲線矩形化現象，以釐清“壽險反轉效果”的發生原因。 / Thanks to the improvement of technology and medicine, mortality rate has been improved but also triggered the uncertainty of longevity risk, making longevity risk an important issue around the world. In order to decrease longevity risk, the insurers and pension funds has developed several hedging strategies. Natural internally hedging is one of the common hedging strategies. Some of the insurance products share the concept of Natural internally hedging, such as endowment. The advantage of Natural internally hedging is that it helps the insurer to avoid basis risks and lower the management costs and expenses. However, it fails to be adjustable by varies of the unexpected mortality rate. This thesis will discuss and analyze the trend of cash flow of life insurance and annuity, aiming at establishing principles for insurance product design, which are designated to hedge longevity risk by the offset of the value of life insurance and annuity. During the research, this thesis found that the longevity risk can’t be hedged because the impact of “The reversion of Life product”. The following parts of this thesis discussed the reason why “The reversion of Life product” happened and how to solve it.

O objetivo desta tese foi identificar, analisar e sintetizar evidências científicas quanto à eficácia do Tratamento Convencional (TC) e do Tratamento Restaurador Atraumático (ART) em molares decíduos considerando os parâmetros de longevidade, custo, aceitabilidade e desfechos reportados pelo paciente. Este volume apresenta um compilado de uma revisão sistemática e dois ensaios clínicos randomizados orientados pelas recomendações PRISMA, CONSORT-PRO e CHEERS. Realizamos uma revisão sistemática, cuja pesquisa bibliográfica buscou por desfechos reportados pelo paciente (PROs) em relação a tratamentos restauradores na dentição decídua em estudos prospectivos indexados no PubMed, Scopus e OpenGrey até fevereiro de 2018. Meta-análise de Comparação de Tratamento Misto foi realizada considerando os resultados dos estudos revisados. Devido à incompatibilidade de dados, apenas dor, ansiedade e a qualidade de vida relacionada à saúde bucal (QVRSB) foram analisados estatisticamente. Adicionalmente, delineamos um ensaio clínico de não inferioridade randomizado por cluster cujo desfecho primário foi a longevidade do TC e do ART em cavidadades oclusais e oclusoproximais de molares decíduos após 24 meses de acompanhamento. Como desfechos secundários, foram avaliados a aceitabilidade, representada pelo desconforto auto relatado e cooperação dos participantes, e a custo-eficácia. Crianças entre 3 e 6 anos apresentando pelo menos uma cavidade oclusal ou oclusoproximal em molares decíduos foram randomizadas entre os grupos convencional (TC) com resina composta sob isolamento absoluto após anestesia local ou o ART. Em ambos os grupos foi realizada remoção parcial de tecido cariado. O estudo foi desenvolvido em um trailer odontológico localizado no interior de uma escola municipal de Barueri/SP. Imediatamente após cada sessão restauradora, foi mensurado o desconforto auto relatado pelo participante e o comportamento pelo operador através da Escala Facial de Wong-Baker e escala de 5 pontos, respectivamente. As restaurações oclusais e oclusoproximais foram avaliadas após 6, 12, 18 e 24 meses segundo o critério de Frencken et al. 1998 e de Roeleveld et al. 2006. Os custos profissional e do procedimento, subdividido em custos variável e do material de consumo, foram considerados para estimar o custo incremental dos tratamentos. Regressão de Poisson em análise de multinível, Regressão de Cox com fragilidade compartilhada e regressão de Bootstrap foram utilizadas para testar o desconforto e cooperação, a sobrevida e o custo entre os tratamentos e outras variáveis independentes. O nível de significância foi ajustado em 5%. Tratamentos restauradores que utilizam agentes quimicomecânicos ou apenas instrumentos manuais para remoção de tecido cariado, como o ART, resultaram em menores índices de ansiedade e menor tendência em provocar dor em crianças do que tratamentos que utilizam instrumentos rotatórios e/ou anestesia. A QVRSB não foi influenciada pelos tratamentos restauradores nem diferiu entre os grupos. Por outro lado, o TC e o ART apresentaram baixa taxa de desconforto e alto índice de cooperação sem diferença estatisticamente significante entre eles. Ambos os tratamentos apresentaram sobrevida semelhante nas cavidades oclusais após 24 meses de acompanhamento, porém o custo do ART foi menor, demonstrando ser a opção mais custo-eficaz. Em relação às restaurações oclusoproximais, apesar do desempenho do TC ser superior ao ART, ele apresentou maior custo. Pode-se concluir que ansiedade e dor estão diretamente relacionados com tratamentos restauradores mais invasivos. Por outro lado, o TC e o ART apresentaram desconforto, cooperação e custo-eficácia semelhantes no tratamento de molares decíduos. Palavras-chave: Restauração dentária permanente. Dente decíduo. Longevidade. Custos e análises de custo. Medidas de resultados relatados pelo paciente. Ensaio clínico. Revisão. Odontopediatria. / The aim of this thesis was to identify, analyze and synthesize scientific evidences regarding the efficacy of conventional treatment (CT) and Atraumatic Restorative Treatment (ART) in primary molars considering the parameters of longevity, cost, acceptability and patient reported outcomes. This volume presents a compilation of a systematic review and two randomized clinical trials guided by the PRISMA, CONSORT-PRO and CHEERS recommendations. We performed a systematic review whose literature search included outcomes reported by the pediatric patient (PROs) related to restorative treatments in the primary dentition in prospective studies indexed in PubMed, Scopus and OpenGrey until February 2018. Mixed Treatment Comparison analysis was performed considering the results of the reviewed studies. Due to data incompatibility, only pain, anxiety and oral health related to quality of life (OHRQoL) were analyzed statistically. Additionally, we designed a cluster randomized non-inferiority clinical trial whose primary outcome was the longevity of occlusal and occlusoproximal ART and TC restorations in primary molars after 24 months of follow-up. As secondary outcomes, acceptability, represented by self-reported discomfort and participant cooperation, and cost-efficacy were assessed. Children between 3 and 6 years old presenting at least one occlusal or occlusoproximal cavity in primary molars were randomized between the conventional group (TC) with composite resin under rubber dam isolation after local anesthesia or ART. Partial removal of carious tissue was performed in both groups. The study was carried out in a dental trailer located inside a municipal school in Barueri/SP. Immediately after each restorative session, self-reported discomfort and participant cooperation were measure through the Wong-Baker Facial Scale and a 5-point scale, respectively. The occlusal and occlusoproximal restorations were evaluated after 6, 12, 18 and 24 months according to the criteria of Frencken et al. 1998 and Roeleveld et al. 2006. The professional and procedural costs, subdivided into variable and material of consumption\' costs, were considered to estimate treatments\' incremental cost. Poisson regression in multilevel analysis, Cox regression with shared fragility and Bootstrap regression were used to test discomfort and cooperation, survival and cost between treatments and among others independent variables. The level of significance was set at 5%. Restorative treatments using chemomechanical agents or only manual instruments, such as ART, were related to lower anxiety rates and less tendency to provoke pain in children compared to treatments using rotary instruments and/or anesthesia. OHRQoL was not influenced by restorative treatments nor differed between groups. On the other hand, CT and ART presented low rate of discomfort and a high cooperation with no statistically significant difference between them. Both treatments presented similar survival rates in occlusal restorations after 24 months of follow-up, but the ART cost was lower, proving to be the most cost-effective option. Regarding occlusoproximal restorations, although CT performance was superior to ART, it presented a higher cost. It can be concluded that anxiety and pain are directly related to more invasive restorative treatments. Differently, CT and ART have similar discomfort, cooperation and cost-efficacy in the treatment of primary molars.

Ao longo dos últimos 20 anos, o modelo de concessão de serviço público no Brasil, tem evoluído consideravelmente, com destaque para o setor elétrico, e especialmente o segmento de transmissão de energia elétrica. O arcabouço normativo vigente tem buscado garantir a prestação adequada do serviço mediante a avaliação de desempenho do serviço prestado, por empresas públicas ou privadas, numa visão da qualidade do produto e da continuidade ou disponibilidade do serviço para o usuário. Concomitantemente, surgiu e desenvolveu-se rápida e globalmente, o conceito de sustentabilidade, no qual o desenvolvimento sustentável deve satisfazer as necessidades da geração atual, sem que se comprometam as necessidades das gerações futuras (World Comission on Environment and Development WCED), compreendendo essencialmente as três dimensões econômica, social e ambiental (conceito de Triple Bottom Line 3BL), permitindo a captura do impacto das atividades das empresas e organizações por meio de indicadores definidos para cada uma das três dimensões. Ainda, nesse contexto, desenvolveu-se as novas técnicas de planejamento estratégico e de gestão de desempenho, baseados em indicadores, com destaque para a Teoria das Partes Interessadas (Stakeholders). Adicionalmente, os diversos métodos de avaliação econômica e de demonstração contábil das empresas também realizaram um movimento de convergência internacional, principalmente, para aplicação de análise de risco e de avaliação do valor adicionado, com uso do fluxo de caixa dos benefícios esperados, incluído o período da perpetuidade ou valor residual/terminal; e de padrões contábeis internacionais (a IFRIC 12), que altera a estrutura de composição do ativo, uma vez que a norma não permite o reconhecimento da infraestrutura relacionada à concessão no ativo imobilizado das concessionárias, prática atualmente comum no Brasil. Nesse contexto, o presente trabalho propõe a formulação de um novo indicador para a prestação do serviço público de transmissão de energia elétrica, a partir das informações sistematizadas nos Procedimentos de Rede do Operador Nacional do Sistema Elétrico (ONS) referentes aos diversos indicadores de desempenho apurados para a operação e manutenção da transmissão de energia elétrica, visando facilitar o acompanhamento da gestão dos ativos físicos, quanto aos requisitos contratuais de atualidade e conservação do serviço adequado, mediante a avaliação da perda ou ganho na expectativa de vida útil dos componentes ou das funções de transmissão, a partir de uma idade determinada, ou seja, indicador de longevidade dos ativos físicos da concessão de transmissão de energia elétrica. Além disso, este mesmo indicador de longevidade pode ser usado na avaliação do valor de perpetuidade (estimativa do valor terminal) de empresas, quer pelo método tradicional de projeção dos fluxos de caixa descontado da perpetuidade ou pela simples abordagem comparativa da expectativa de vida útil ao final do período de concessão dos prestadores do serviço público. / Over the past 20 years, the model of public service concessions in Brazil, has evolved considerably, especially in the electricity sector, and the transmission segment of electricity. The existing regulatory framework has sought to ensure the proper provision of the service through the performance evaluation of the service provided by public or private, in view of product quality and continuity of service or availability to the user. Concomitantly, emerged and developed rapidly and globally, the concept of sustainability, in which \"sustainable development should meet the needs of present generation without compromising the needs of future generations\" (World Commission on Environment and Development - WCED) comprising essentially three economic, social and environmental (concept of Triple Bottom Line - 3BL), allowing you to capture the impact of corporate activities and organizations by means of indicators defined for each of the three dimensions. Still, in this context, new techniques of strategic planning and performance management were developed, based on indicators, notably the Theory of Stakeholders. Additionally, the various methods of economic evaluation and financial statement of companies have also made a movement of international convergence, especially for application of risk analysis and assessment of value added, using the cash flow of the expected benefits, including the period perpetuity or the residual value or terminal value, and international accounting standards (IFRIC 12), which alters the structure of asset composition, since the standard does not permit the recognition of infrastructure related to the granting of fixed assets in utilities, currently common practice in Brazil. In this context, this paper proposes the formulation of a new indicator for the provision of public electric power transmission, from the systematic information in the Grid Procedures of the Operador Nacional do Sistema Elétrico (ONS) for the different performance indicators established for the operation and maintenance of electric power transmission, to facilitate monitoring of the management of physical assets, the contractual requirements of current conservation and appropriate service, by assessing the loss or gain in life expectancy of the components or the functions transmission, from a certain age, ie, an indicator of longevity of the physical assets of the granting of electric power transmission. Furthermore, this same indicator of longevity can be used in assessing the value of perpetuity (estimated terminal value) of companies or by the traditional method of projection of cash flows discounted perpetuity or for the simple approach of comparative life expectancy of the end of the concession of public service providers.

Submitted by admin tede (tede@pucgoias.edu.br) on 2017-06-29T13:12:29Z No. of bitstreams: 1 GEORTHON SILVA AMORIM.pdf: 1250997 bytes, checksum: 2f4bf03439dff8f97c87967c63015499 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2017-06-29T13:12:29Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 GEORTHON SILVA AMORIM.pdf: 1250997 bytes, checksum: 2f4bf03439dff8f97c87967c63015499 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2017-04-26 / Throughout the whole cultural process, as new human being tendencies and needs emerge, changes and transformations occur. This context of changes brings fresh thoughts about all studies and their development. Therefore, when studying the body as a physical and cultural performance representation, as well as the body as a balance between what is inside and outside its own materiality, it seems important to understand the action of the Physical Education professional and anticipate the professional expansion that encompasses this science and the need to study such transformations in a historical process. This research shows us that what influences the relationship between individuals and Physical Activity is the promotion of a culture, not only of awareness, but of effective practice, with the use of all possible Physical Education intervention tools upon the society. We have observed the need to offer an adequate qualification to the Physical Education professionals to enable them to act in the formation of these individuals, providing them with a contemporary view of social, economical and cultural aspects of our society, as well as the principle of interdisciplinary and continuous training, allowing them to understand the complexity of our profession. In this emerging scenario, more and more "quick" and incisive words become more valuable than others which express positive values, recognized and associated with good and attractive things for a wide range of the population. That is why, for example, words such as "well-being", "health", "physical activity", "longevity", "physical fitness", "ability to work" and "employability" have become part of our lives. We can also emphasize the lack of knowledge towards the concept of physical performance and its functional applicability among Physical Education professionals, exploring the history of the body associated to the discussion of cultural performance and well-being. We have propose for this study, aligning within the time and the historical process of evolution of the society, to compile the records of the presence of physical activity practices, listing its tendencies and needs. As we expand the study of the concepts that refer to the relationship between physical fitness and health as a world priority, we create this new cultural paradigm that we must offer to society a cultural idea that physical performance is tied to the human archetype in Contemporary society, providing a chance to improve health, work capacity, wellbeing and cultural aspects. The definition of culture as the human set of material or immaterial achievements leads us to characterize it as a basic foundation of History. And it is through cultural heritage that individuals can communicate with each other, not only through language, but also through forms of behavior and cultural performances, here represented by the study of Contemporary Physical Performances. / Em todo o processo cultural, de acordo com o surgimento de novas tendências e necessidades do ser humano, ocorrem mudanças e transformações. Este contexto de mudanças traz reflexões sobre os estudos e seu desenvolvimento. Assim ao estudar o corpo como representação de performance física e cultural, bem como o próprio corpo como um equilíbrio entre o que está dentro e fora de sua materialidade, parece-nos importante para compreender a ação do profissional de Educação Física e antever a expansão profissional que abrange está ciência, com a necessidade de se estudar tais transformações em um processo histórico. Desta forma, observamos com esta pesquisa que o fator que interfere na relação dos indivíduos com a atividade física é a promoção de uma cultura não só de conscientização, mas de formação com prática efetiva e utilização de todas as ferramentas possíveis de intervenção da Educação Física junto à sociedade. Observamos a necessidade de oferecer uma qualificação profissional adequada ao professor de Educação Física para atuar na formação destes indivíduos, proporcionando a ele uma visão contemporânea dos fatores sociais, econômicos e culturais de nossa sociedade, bem como o princípio da interdisciplinidade e da formação contínua, compreendendo a complexidade que envolve nossa profissão. Neste cenário emergente, se adquire cada vez mais valor as palavras mais “rápidas” e incisivas do que as outras que expressam valores positivos, reconhecidos e associados a coisas boas e atraentes para uma ampla faixa da população. E esta é a razão que, por exemplo, palavras como “bem-estar”, “saúde”, “atividade física”, “longevidade”, “aptidão física”, “capacidade para o trabalho” e “empregabilidade” se tornaram parte de nossas vidas. Pode-se também ressaltar a inexistência do conhecimento do conceito de performance física e sua aplicabilidade funcional junto aos profissionais de Educação Física, explorando a temática da história do corpo associando à discussão de performance cultural e bem-estar. Propomos para este estudo, alinhando dentro do tempo e do processo histórico de evolução da sociedade, compilar os registros da presença da prática das atividades físicas relacionando suas tendências e necessidades. Ao aprofundarmos os estudos dos conceitos que se referem à relação entre aptidão física e saúde como uma prioridade mundial, é que formatamos este novo paradigma cultural onde concluímos que para tal devemos oferecer à sociedade uma cultura em que a performance física estará atrelada ao arquétipo humano na sociedade contemporânea, propiciando assim, uma chance de melhorar a saúde, a capacidade para o trabalho, o bem-estar e a cultura de um povo. A definição de cultura como o conjunto de realizações humanas, materiais ou imateriais leva-nos a caracterizá-la como um fundamento básico da História. E é por meio da herança cultural que os indivíduos podem se comunicar uns com os outros, não apenas por meio da linguagem, mas também por formas de comportamento e suas performances culturais aqui representadas pelo estudo das Performances Físicas no Contemporâneo.

Les falaises sont les derniers écosystèmes vierges de la zone tempérée. Elles représentent un réservoir de biodiversité et un refuge pour de nombreuses espèces végétales et peuvent abriter des espèces longévives. Dans le bassin méditerranéen, la rareté des populations anciennes et naturelles et même celle d’arbres isolés qui atteignent des âges importants s’explique par l’existence d’une pression anthropique forte depuis environ 10 000 ans. Pourtant, dans les gorges de l’Ardèche (sud de la France), des populations de Juniperus phoenicea en falaise présentent toutes les classes d’âges y compris des individus millénaires. Les falaises abritent de façon régulière des vieux arbres qui peuvent être identifiés à l’aide de critères morphologiques visuels. Néanmoins, les parois rocheuses imposent aux arbres qui s’y développent des contraintes importantes liées à la verticalité et à la compacité du substrat. Le sol y est absent ou très réduit et cela entraîne un apport en eau et en nutriments qui peut également être limité. De plus, la verticalité du milieu entraîne de nombreuses chutes de pierres qui blessent ou tuent les arbres. Les genévriers de Phénicie qui colonisent ces milieux très contraignants, répondent à cette pression par un très faible taux de croissance, une mortalité partielle de l’appareil aérien et du cambium, des caractéristiques morphologiques foliaires adaptées à la sécheresse, une capacité à utiliser l’eau des brouillards et des petites pluies qui mouillent uniquement le feuillage et ils possèdent également des communautés de champignons mycorhiziens à arbuscules adaptées à ce milieu et ce tout en pouvant atteindre des longévités exceptionnelles. / The cliffs are the last virgin ecosystems of the temperate zone. They represent a reservoir of biodiversity and a refuge for many plant and animal species and can harbor long-lived species. In the Mediterranean basin, the scarcity of old and natural forest populations and even that of isolated trees reaching great ages is explained by the existence of a strong anthropogenic pressure for about 10 000 years. However, in the gorges of the Ardèche (southern France), populations of Juniperus phoenicea in cliffs present all age classes including millennial individuals. Beyond this, the cliffs regularly shelter old trees that can be identified using visual morphological criteria. Nevertheless, the rock walls impose important stresses on the trees which develop therein due to the verticality and the compactness of the substrate. The soil is absent or very reduced and this leads to a supply of water and nutrients which can also be limited. Moreover, the verticality of the environment causes many rockfalls that injure or kill the trees. Juniperus phoenicea which colonize these very restrictive habitat respond to the pressure of such a medium by a very low growth rate, a partial mortality of the aerial system and the cambium, the leaf morphological characteristics adapted to the drought, the ability to use water from mists and small rains that only wet the foliage, and they also have arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal community adapted to this environment, while at the same time achieving exceptional longevity.