Monitoring the salt marsh vegetation and flora of the Baixo Vouga Lagunar (Ria of Aveiro, Portugal)

El carácter transicional de la Ría de Aveiro le confiere una riqueza florística singular, integrando comunidades vegetales típicas de las regiones Eurosiberiana y Mediterránea. La implantación del Proyecto Desenvolvimento Agrícola do Vouga (PDAV) va a provocar una modificación de las tasas de encharcamiento y una reducción gradual de la salinidad, factores ecológicos determinantes para muchas de las comunidades halófilas y helofíticas. El presente trabajo pretende contribuir a un mejor conocimiento de la tipología de la vegetación local, que sirva como base para desarrollar un programa de monitorización adecuado que detecte las alteraciones en los patrones espacio- temporales de la vegetación de los sistemas húmedos. Teniendo como objetivo seleccionar los puntos de muestreo donde instalar las parcelas permanentes de monitorización, se realizó una caracterización de la flora y la vegetación a través de trece transectos utilizando una aproximación simplificada al método de Braun- Blanquet. Una vez identificados los tipos de vegetación - en función de su composición florística, corología y ecología - fueron seleccionados al azar inventarios representativos de cada tipo, en los que han sido instaladas dichas parcelas.The transitional biogeographic character of the Ria de Aveiro lagoon area confers it a singular floristic richness, integrating plant communities typical for the Eurosiberian as well as Mediterranean Region. The implementation of the Agricultural Development Plan of the Lower Vouga area (PDAV) in the near future is expected to result in noticeable changes in the tidal submersion regime and a gradual reduction of salinity levels, which are determining ecological factors for many of the halophytic and helophytic plant communities. The present work pretends to contribute to a better knowledge of the local vegetation types and, thereby, to the implementation of an adequate monitoring programme for detecting changes in the spatio-temporal vegetation patterns of the wetlands. With the objective to select the locations for the installation of permanent quadrats, the vegetation of the wetlands was described along 13 transects using a simplified Braun-Blanquet approach. A total of 24 local vegetation types were recognised, 23 of which were selected for the current monitoring programme

Motivational analysis comparing three contexts of physical activity

El estudio analizó las diferencias motivacionales entre estudiantes de educación física, deportistas y practicantes de ejercicio físico no competitivo. Además, examinó el poder de predicción del clima motivacional percibido y de los tipos de motivación sobre la propensión a la experiencia autotélica en los tres contextos. Se utilizaron tres muestras diferentes: 895 estudiantes de educación física, 413 deportistas y 727 practicantes de ejercicio físico no competitivo. El análisis de regresión mostró que el clima tarea y la motivación intrínseca predijeron positivamente y de forma significativa la experiencia autotélica en los tres contextos, de ahí la importancia de fomentar este tipo de clima motivacional. No obstante, los resultados han mostrado diferencias motivacionales entre los contextos de educación física, deporte competitivo y ejercicio físico no competitivo. Los resultados son discutidos en relación al diferente carácter competitivo/lúdico y voluntariedad/obligatoriedad que rodea a la práctica física en cada uno de los contextos comparados en este estudioThe study analyzed the motivational differences between physical education students, athletes and non-competitive exercisers. Furthermore, the predictive power of perceived motivational climate and types of motivation on the autotelic experience propensity in the three contexts was examined. Three different samples were used: 895 physical education students, 413 athletes and 727 non-competitive exercisers. Regression analysis showed that task-involving climate and intrinsic motivation positively and significantly predicted the autotelic experience in the three contexts, hence the importance of promoting this type of motivational climate. However, the results revealed that there were motivational differences between the contexts of physical education, competitive sports and non-competitive exercise. The results are discussed in relation to the different features (e.g. competitive, recreational, voluntary or obligatory) surrounding the physical activity in each of the contexts compared in this studyLa realización de este trabajo fue posible gracias al proyecto de investigación "Evaluación y análisis comparativo de factores motivacionales relacionados con la adherencia a la práctica en diferentes contextos físico-deportivos: Educación física, deporte de competición y actividad física no competitiva" (Ref. DEP2007-73201-C03/ACTI), financiado por el Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación de Españ

Adaptación y validación de la CBAS para la observación de climas motivacionales

El objetivo principal del estudio fue adaptar y validar el Coaching Behavior Assessment System (CBAS; Smith, Smoll y Hunt, 1977) para evaluar el clima motivacional que transmite el entrenador. La muestra empleada estuvo compuesta por un único monitor de actividad física dirigida, que trabajaba en el Servicio de Deportes de una universidad pública, tenía 27años y dos años de experiencia. En primer lugar, se realizó un análisis del contenido de la CBAS por expertos, que propusieron la inclusión de nuevos ítems. En segundo lugar, se llevó a cabo el proceso de entrenamiento de cuatro observadores para evaluar con la adaptación creada de la CBAS. A continuación, los cuatro investigadores realizaron seis observaciones sistemáticas al mismo monitor durante diferentes sesiones elegidas al azar y se calculóel índice de concordancia. Los resultados del análisis de la fiabilidad entre los observadores mostraron valores superiores al 90 %, llegando a alcanzar en la última observación el 98,9 %. Se discuten los resultados en base a la importancia de tener una herramienta que nos facilite evaluar el clima motivacional que genera un entrenador a través de la observación sistemática

Eosinophilic Panniculitis and Insect Bite-Like Eruption in a Patient with Chronic Lymphocytic Leukaemia: A Spectrum of the Same Entity

Background. Eosinophilic dermatosis of hematologic disorders is a reactive process that may cause a variety of clinical manifestations. Methods. We report a patient who had outbreaks of skin lesions since the onset of chronic lymphocytic leukaemia. Results. The cutaneous eruptions began as eosinophilic panniculitis and after changed to insect bite-like lesions. Conclusion. We think that eosinophilic panniculitis and insect bite-like lesions may be part of the spectrum of the same entity in patients with hematologic disorders

Underdiagnosis and prognosis of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease after percutaneous coronary intervention: a prospective study

Background: Retrospective studies based on clinical data and without spirometric confirmation suggest a poorer prognosis of patients with ischemic heart disease (IHD) and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) following percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). The impact of undiagnosed COPD in these patients is unknown. We aimed to evaluate the prognostic impact of COPD – previously or newly diagnosed – in patients with IHD treated with PCI. Methods: Patients with IHD confirmed by PCI were consecutively included. After PCI they underwent forced spirometry and evaluation for cardiovascular risk factors. All-cause mortality, new cardiovascular events, and their combined endpoint were analyzed. Results: A total of 133 patients (78%) male, with a mean (SD) age of 63 (10.12) years were included. Of these, 33 (24.8%) met the spirometric criteria for COPD, of whom 81.8% were undiagnosed. IHD patients with COPD were older, had more coronary vessels affected, and a greater history of previous myocardial infarction. Median follow-up was 934 days (interquartile range [25%–75%]: 546–1,160). COPD patients had greater mortality (P=0.008; hazard ratio [HR]: 8.85; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.76–44.47) and number of cardiovascular events (P=0.024; HR: 1.87; 95% CI: 1.04–3.33), even those without a previous diagnosis of COPD (P=0.01; HR: 1.78; 95% CI: 1.12–2.83). These differences remained after adjustment for sex, age, number of coronary vessels affected, and previous myocardial infarction (P=0.025; HR: 1.83; 95% CI: 1.08–3.1)The CATEPOC study was supported in part by Menarini Spai

SnoopCGH: software for visualizing comparative genomic hybridization data

Summary: Array-based comparative genomic hybridization (CGH) technology is used to discover and validate genomic structural variation, including copy number variants, insertions, deletions and other structural variants (SVs). The visualization and summarization of the array CGH data outputs, potentially across many samples, is an important process in the identification and analysis of SVs. We have developed a software tool for SV analysis using data from array CGH technologies, which is also amenable to short-read sequence data

Beyond relationalism in peacebuilding

This conclusion notes the rise of relationalism in theorizing peacebuilding and the advantages of this approach as evident in the contributions to this special issue. Nevertheless, it cautions against such a move and in particular, some of the ontological and epistemological consequences of the relational turn as evident in recent poststructuralism, postcolonial approaches and practice theory. It contrasts this with the critical realist approach – whose relationalism has been ignored by the current turn – allowing both relationalism and a belief in objectivity and preference for certain knowledge claims

Pediatric Parapneumonic Empyema, Spain

Increased incidence is principally due to highly invasive nonvaccine serotypes of pneumococci, especially serotype 1

Comorbidity and Sex-Related Differences in Mortality in Oxygen-Dependent Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

Background: It is not known why survival differs between men and women in oxygen-dependent chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The present study evaluates differences in comorbidity between men and women, and tests the hypothesis that comorbidity contributes to sex-related differences in mortality in oxygen-dependent COPD. Methods: National prospective study of patients aged 50 years or older, starting long-term oxygen therapy (LTOT) for COPD in Sweden between 1992 and 2008. Comorbidities were obtained from the Swedish Hospital Discharge Register. Sex-related differences in comorbidity were estimated using logistic regression, adjusting for age, smoking status and year of inclusion. The effect of comorbidity on overall mortality and the interaction between comorbidity and sex were evaluated using Cox regression, adjusting for age, sex, Pa O2 breathing air, FEV 1, smoking history and year of inclusion. Results: In total, 8,712 patients (55 % women) were included and 6,729 patients died during the study period. No patient was lost to follow-up. Compared with women, men had significantly more arrhythmia, cancer, ischemic heart disease and renal failure, and less hypertension, mental disorders, osteoporosis and rheumatoid arthritis (P,0.05 for all odds ratios). Comorbidity was an independent predictor of mortality, and the effect was similar for the sexes. Women had lower mortality, which remained unchanged even after adjusting for comorbidity; hazard ratio 0.73 (95 % confidence interval, 0.68–0.77; P,0.001)