**7. Conclusions**

Our study demonstrated that animated bubble charts can facilitate detection of change points and trends. More specifically, we emphasized that such charts have the following advantages:


Furthermore, we showed that our Excel-based software solutions are very flexible in three respects:


In summary, our results demonstrate that animation can simultaneously reduce visual fragmentation and perceptual interference.

#### **8. Acknowledgements**

The authors are grateful to the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA) and its Department for Research Cooperation (SAREC), and the Faculty of Science (FOS) at the National University of Laos (NUOL) for providing financial support and facilities for this research. We are also grateful to the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, the Swedish Meteorological and Hydrological Institute, and the Czech Hydrometeorological Institute for supplying environmental data.

#### **9. References**


The GGobi website. http://www.ggobi.org/ [12 July 2011]

The Gapminder website. http://www.gapminder.org/ [12 July 2011]

The Google website.

338 Environmental Monitoring

analysis and then animating a score chart in which the observations are plotted in a

Our study demonstrated that animated bubble charts can facilitate detection of change points and trends. More specifically, we emphasized that such charts have the following

i. the analyst can inspect the shape and size of a highlighted point cloud while the

ii. bubble charts in which the entire dataset is allowed to form a static background put the

iii. animations are time-saving procedures that can readily create a good overview of

Furthermore, we showed that our Excel-based software solutions are very flexible in three

i. an arbitrary numerical or string variable can be used to determine the order in which

ii. any Excel tool can be used to modify the design of the bubble chart prior to the

iii. multidimensional data can be scrutinized by first performing a principal components analysis and then animating a score chart in which the observations are plotted in a

In summary, our results demonstrate that animation can simultaneously reduce visual

The authors are grateful to the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA) and its Department for Research Cooperation (SAREC), and the Faculty of Science (FOS) at the National University of Laos (NUOL) for providing financial support and facilities for this research. We are also grateful to the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, the Swedish Meteorological and Hydrological Institute, and the Czech

Asimov D. The grand tour: A tool for viewing multidimensional data. *SIAM. Journal of* 

Bartram LR. *Enhancing information visualization with motion.* PhD Thesis, School of Computer

Becker RA, Cleveland WS, Wilks AR. Dynamic graphics for data analysis. *Statistical Science*

Becker RA, Cleveland WS. Brushing scatterplots. *Technometrics* 1987; 29:127-142.

coordinate system determined by the first two eigenvectors.

previous point cloud is still fresh in memory;

high-lighted subset into a wider perspective;

different subsets of data are highlighted;

fragmentation and perceptual interference.

coordinate system determined by the first two eigenvectors.

Hydrometeorological Institute for supplying environmental data.

*Science and Statistical Computing* 1985; 6:128–143.

Science, Simon Fraser University, 2001.

**7. Conclusions** 

complex datasets.

animation;

**8. Acknowledgements** 

**9. References** 

1987; 2:355-396.

advantages:

respects:


 http://www.abs.gov.au/websitedbs/d3310114.nsf/home/Population%20Pyramid %20-%20Australia [12 July 2011]

**20** 

 *Brazil* 

**Environmental Monitoring of** 

**Opportunistic Protozoa in Rivers and Lakes:** 

**Relevance to Public Health in the Neotropics** 

Carlos Eduardo Anunciação2 and Marco Tulio Antonio García-Zapata1 *1Instituto de Patologia Tropical e Saúde Pública (IPTSP), Núcleo de Pesquisas em Agentes* 

*2Laboratório de Diagnóstico Genético e Molecular, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas II,* 

Water is a natural resource of vital importance to living beings, but due to anthropic action several microorganisms are disseminated into aquatic environments. In developing countries, over one billion people do not have access to clean, properly treated water and approximately three billion people do not have access to adequate sanitary facilities (Kraszewski et al., 2001) This scenery is probably a consequence of the increased environmental degradation, depletion of water resources, and constant contamination of bodies of water with wastewater and industrial effluents (Pedro & Germano, 2001), causing microorganisms from soil, faeces, decomposing organic matter, and other pollutant sources

Goiania, the capital of the state of Goiás, located in the Midwestern Region of Brazil, has ca. 1.221.654 inhabitants and is considered a regional metropolis, among the major Brazilian cities that receive a large number of migrants (Alves & Chaveiro 2007). As a result, the city faces problems of disorderly and unsustainable urban growth with a consequent increase in superficial waste, which is a continuous source of contamination of water

The current sources of public water supply for the city of Goiania, the Meia Ponte river basin and its tributary river João Leite, are constantly submitted to degradation processes due to anthropic action, such as agriculture, intensive livestock production, and urbanization. And although all the water supplies of Goiânia come from this basin (52% from the Joa˜o Leite River and 48% from the Meia Ponte River), this municipality is its

Among the microorganisms that contaminate the aquatic environment, special attention should be given to opportunistic protozoa, such as Coccidea (*Cryptosporidium parvum*, *Isospora belli*, *Sarcocystis* sp., and *Cyclospora* sp.) and Microsporidia that infect the

**1. Introduction** 

to spread into water.

largest polluter (Silva et al., 2010).

courses.

Sônia de Fátima Oliveira Santos1,2, Hugo Delleon da Silva1,2,

*Emergentes e Re-emergentes, Universidade Federal de Goiás* 

*Universidade Federal de Goiás* 

