Divergent trophic responses to biogeographic and environmental gradients

Following environmental changes, communities disassemble and reassemble in seemingly unpredictable ways. Whether species respond to such changes individualistically or collectively (e.g. as functional groups) is still unclear. To address this question, we used an extensive new dataset for the lake communities in the Azores' archipelago to test whether: 1) individual species respond concordantly within trophic groups; 2) trophic groups respond concordantly to biogeographic and environmental gradients. Spatial concordance in individual species distributions within trophic groups was always greater than expected by chance. In contrast, trophic groups varied non-concordantly along biogeographic and environmental gradients revealing idiosyncratic responses to them. Whether communities respond individualistically to environmental gradients thus depends on the functional resolution of the data. Our study challenges the view that modelling environmental change effects on biodiversity always requires an individualist approach. Instead, it finds support for the longstanding idea that communities might be modelled as a cohort if the functional resolution is appropriate

CONSIDERAÇÕES SOBRE A FORMA TRÁGICA NA TRAGÉDIA E NO ROMANCE: ANTÍGONA E FOGO MORTO COMO A REPRESENTAÇÃO DO CONFLITO INDIVIDUAL E SOCIAL

Este artigo pretende, a partir da interpretação hegeliana da tragédia Antígona, discutir como o elemento trágico pode ser revelador do traço individual e social, naquilo que diz respeito à formação histórica. Na leitura de Hegel, a peça de Sófocles cria um conflito entre a ordem familiar e a esfera pública. A tensão entre a natureza subjetiva e o lastro cultural constrói o trágico, que, para além da tragédia, é apresentado como um modus reflexivo a compor outros gêneros literários, como, por exemplo, a forma romanesca.  No romance, o conflito trágico pode levar a discussão entre o desejo individual e os limites impostos pela sociedade, encerrando uma esfera-paradoxo, na qual princípios e valores excludentes estão simultaneamente presentes. Especificamente em Fogo morto, o trágico configura a fatura do texto, sendo representativo dos destinos das figuras assim como do próprio sistema nacional, marcado por um processo de progresso conservador. Essa comunicação sobre a forma trágica busca afirmar como o teatro e seus elementos tem relação com a cultura a ponto, até mesmo, de influir em outros gêneros literários, tornando-os, ao mesmo tempo, específicos e pertencentes a uma universalidade. A partir da discussão teórica - implementada por Peter Szondi, Raymond Williams e Terry Eagleton - é possível entender que tanto Antígona quanto Fogo Morto revela concepções de trágico comuns à cultura que pertencem, demonstrando que a arte é uma manifestação do mundo sensível, relegando, assim, a possibilidade de ser um mero produto de regras e imitações. DOI: https://doi.org/10.47295/mren.v5i2.118

A RECRIAÇÃO DE MINAS GERAIS EM “LANTERNA MÁGICA”, DE DRUMMOND.

Este estudo busca analisar a relação entre literatura e cidade no poema “Lanterna Mágica”, de Carlos Drummond de Andrade. Pretende-se observar como o método poético é capaz de representar as cidades mineiras, seus costumes e história, ao mesmo tempo em que propõe uma reflexão sobre o espaço social e urbano

Health-related quality of life in patients with venous leg ulcer treated in primary care in Brazil and Portugal

Background Venous ulcers constitute an important public health problem as they can cause disability with consequences for multiple dimensions of quality of life. Objective To describe the quality of life in patients with venous leg ulcer treated in primary care in two cities from Brazil and Portugal. Methods This was a cross-sectional comparative study with a non-probabilistic sample of 171 patients with venous leg ulcers who were treated in primary care in two cities from Brazil and Portugal, namely, Natal and Évora. A form covering sociodemographic and health data and the Medical Outcomes Study 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey were used, and descriptive and inferential analyses were performed. Results Significant differences in age and income were observed between the two samples. Patients with venous leg ulcer from Brazil had lower income and were younger than those from Portugal. Quality of life scores were significantly higher in Portugal for the physical aspects, pain, and social functioning, among domains, and for the physical health dimension and total score of QOL. Conclusion The quality of life was better in Portugal than in Brazil and the differences between the countries need further investigation

Linking like with like: optimising connectivity between environmentally-similar habitats

Habitat fragmentation is one of the greatest threats to biodiversity. To minimise the effect of fragmentation on biodiversity, connectivity between otherwise isolated habitats should be promoted. However, the identification of linkages favouring connectivity is not trivial. Firstly, they compete with other land uses, so they need to be cost-efficient. Secondly, linkages for one species might be barriers for others, so they should effectively account for distinct mobility requirements. Thirdly, detailed information on the auto-ecology of most of the species is lacking, so linkages need being defined based on surrogates. In order to address these challenges we develop a framework that (a) identifies environmentally-similar habitats; (b) identifies environmental barriers (i.e., regions with a very distinct environment from the areas to be linked), and; (c) determines cost-efficient linkages between environmentally-similar habitats, free from environmental barriers. The assumption is that species with similar ecological requirements occupy the same environments, so environmental similarity provides a rationale for the identification of the areas that need to be linked. A variant of the classical minimum Steiner tree problem in graphs is used to address c). We present a heuristic for this problem that is capable of handling large datasets. To illustrate the framework we identify linkages between environmentally-similar protected areas in the Iberian Peninsula. The Natura 2000 network is used as a positive ‘attractor’ of links while the human footprint is used as ‘repellent’ of links.Wecompare the outcomes of our approach with cost-efficient networks linking protected areas that disregard the effect of environmental barriers. As expected, the latter achieved a smaller area covered with linkages, but with barriers that can significantly reduce the permeability of the landscape for the dispersal of some species

What helped and hindered implementation of an intervention package to reduce smoking in pregnancy: process evaluation guided by normalization process theory

Background Smoking in pregnancy causes harm to mother and baby. Despite evidence from trials of what helps women quit, implementation in the real world has been hard to achieve. An evidence-based intervention, babyClear©, involving staff training, universal carbon monoxide monitoring, opt-out referral to smoking cessation services, enhanced follow-up protocols and a risk perception tool was introduced across North East England. This paper presents the results of the qualitative analyses, reporting acceptability of the system changes to staff, as well as aids and hindrances to implementation and normalization of this complex intervention. Methods Process evaluation was used to complement an effectiveness study. Interviews with maternity and smoking cessation services staff and observations of training were undertaken. Normalization Process Theory (NPT) was used to frame the interview guides and analysis. NPT is an empirically-derived theory, developed by sociologists, that uses four concepts to understand the process of routinising new practices. Results Staff interviews took place across eight National Health Service trusts at a time of widespread restructuring in smoking cessation services. Principally interviewees worked in maternity (n = 63) and smoking cessation services (n = 35). Five main themes, identified inductively, influenced the implementation: 1) initial preparedness of the organisations; 2) staff training; 3) managing partnership working; 4) resources; 5) review and planning for sustainability. Conclusions NPT was used to show that the babyClear© package was acceptable to staff in a range of organisations. Illustrated in Themes 1, 2 & 3, staff welcomed ways to approach pregnant women about their smoking, without damaging their professional relationship with them. Predicated on producing individual behaviour change in women, the intervention does this largely through reorganising and standardising healthcare systems that are required to implement best practice guidelines. Changing organisational systems requires belief and commitment from staff, so that they set up and maintain practical adjustments to their practice and are reflective about adapting themselves and the work context as new challenges are encountered. The ongoing challenge is to identify and maintain the elements of the intervention package which are essential for its effectiveness and how to tailor them to local circumstances and resources without compromising its core ingredients.This article presents findings from independent research funded by the NIHR School for Public Health Research (SPHR) ... Fuse is a UK Clinical Research Collaboration (UKCRC) Public Health Research Centre of Excellence. Funding for Fuse from the British Heart Foundation, Cancer Research UK, Economic and Social Research Council, Medical Research Council, the National Institute for Health Research, under the auspices of the UKCRC, is gratefully acknowledged