Agency, Values, and Well-Being: A Human Development Model

This paper argues that feelings of agency are linked to human well-being through a sequence of adaptive mechanisms that promote human development, once existential conditions become permissive. In the first part, we elaborate on the evolutionary logic of this model and outline why an evolutionary perspective is helpful to understand changes in values that give feelings of agency greater weight in shaping human well-being. In the second part, we test the key links in this model with data from the World Values Surveys using ecological regressions and multi-level models, covering some 80 societies worldwide. Empirically, we demonstrate evidence for the following sequence: (1) in response to widening opportunities of life, people place stronger emphasis on emancipative values, (2) in response to a stronger emphasis on emancipative values, feelings of agency gain greater weight in shaping people’s life satisfaction, (3) in response to a greater impact of agency feelings on life satisfaction, the level of life satisfaction itself rises. Further analyses show that this model is culturally universal because taking into account the strength of a society’s western tradition does not render insignificant these adaptive linkages. Precisely because of its universality, this is indeed a ‘human’ development model in a most general sense

Journeys from quantum optics to quantum technology

Sir Peter Knight is a pioneer in quantum optics which has now grown to an important branch of modern physics to study the foundations and applications of quantum physics. He is leading an effort to develop new technologies from quantum mechanics. In this collection of essays, we recall the time we were working with him as a postdoc or a PhD student and look at how the time with him has influenced our research

Processos de democracia direta: sim ou não? Os argumentos clássicos à luz da teoria e da prática

Regularmente surgem controvérsias sobre os processos de democracia direta, dos quais os mecanismos mais frequentes são a iniciativa popular, o plebiscito e o referendo. Por um lado, há autores que defendem a posição de que essas instituições tornam o jogo político mais lento, caro, confuso e ilegítimo; outros defendem a posição contrária e argumentam que processos de democracia direta são fundamentais para os cidadãos e a qualidade da democracia. O presente estudo analisa esse tema em torno de sete questões, baseadas em considerações teóricas e pesquisas empíricas: 1. A questão entre o minimalismo e o maximalismo democrático; 2. A concorrência entre maioria e minoria; 3. A concorrência entre as instituições representativas e os processos de democracia direta; 4. A questão da competência dos cidadãos; 5. A questão dos efeitos colaterais dos processos de democracia direta; 6. A questão do tamanho do eleitorado; 7. A questão dos custos dos processos de democracia direta. As sete questões são analisadas a partir de uma revisão bibliográfica que considera tanto fontes nacionais como internacionais. O estudo mostra que os processos de democracia direta podem ser um complemento para as instituições representativas em um sistema democrático. O bom desempenho dos plebiscitos, referendos e iniciativas populares depende tanto da regulamentação destes como também do desempenho das outras instituições políticas e da situação socioeconômica de um país. O estudo permite ampliar e aprofundar o debate sobre processos de democracia direta no Brasil

Rationale, study design, and analysis plan of the Alveolar Recruitment for ARDS Trial (ART): Study protocol for a randomized controlled trial

Background: Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is associated with high in-hospital mortality. Alveolar recruitment followed by ventilation at optimal titrated PEEP may reduce ventilator-induced lung injury and improve oxygenation in patients with ARDS, but the effects on mortality and other clinical outcomes remain unknown. This article reports the rationale, study design, and analysis plan of the Alveolar Recruitment for ARDS Trial (ART). Methods/Design: ART is a pragmatic, multicenter, randomized (concealed), controlled trial, which aims to determine if maximum stepwise alveolar recruitment associated with PEEP titration is able to increase 28-day survival in patients with ARDS compared to conventional treatment (ARDSNet strategy). We will enroll adult patients with ARDS of less than 72 h duration. The intervention group will receive an alveolar recruitment maneuver, with stepwise increases of PEEP achieving 45 cmH(2)O and peak pressure of 60 cmH2O, followed by ventilation with optimal PEEP titrated according to the static compliance of the respiratory system. In the control group, mechanical ventilation will follow a conventional protocol (ARDSNet). In both groups, we will use controlled volume mode with low tidal volumes (4 to 6 mL/kg of predicted body weight) and targeting plateau pressure <= 30 cmH2O. The primary outcome is 28-day survival, and the secondary outcomes are: length of ICU stay; length of hospital stay; pneumothorax requiring chest tube during first 7 days; barotrauma during first 7 days; mechanical ventilation-free days from days 1 to 28; ICU, in-hospital, and 6-month survival. ART is an event-guided trial planned to last until 520 events (deaths within 28 days) are observed. These events allow detection of a hazard ratio of 0.75, with 90% power and two-tailed type I error of 5%. All analysis will follow the intention-to-treat principle. Discussion: If the ART strategy with maximum recruitment and PEEP titration improves 28-day survival, this will represent a notable advance to the care of ARDS patients. Conversely, if the ART strategy is similar or inferior to the current evidence-based strategy (ARDSNet), this should also change current practice as many institutions routinely employ recruitment maneuvers and set PEEP levels according to some titration method.Hospital do Coracao (HCor) as part of the Program 'Hospitais de Excelencia a Servico do SUS (PROADI-SUS)'Brazilian Ministry of Healt

Catálogo Taxonômico da Fauna do Brasil: setting the baseline knowledge on the animal diversity in Brazil

The limited temporal completeness and taxonomic accuracy of species lists, made available in a traditional manner in scientific publications, has always represented a problem. These lists are invariably limited to a few taxonomic groups and do not represent up-to-date knowledge of all species and classifications. In this context, the Brazilian megadiverse fauna is no exception, and the Catálogo Taxonômico da Fauna do Brasil (CTFB) (http://fauna.jbrj.gov.br/), made public in 2015, represents a database on biodiversity anchored on a list of valid and expertly recognized scientific names of animals in Brazil. The CTFB is updated in near real time by a team of more than 800 specialists. By January 1, 2024, the CTFB compiled 133,691 nominal species, with 125,138 that were considered valid. Most of the valid species were arthropods (82.3%, with more than 102,000 species) and chordates (7.69%, with over 11,000 species). These taxa were followed by a cluster composed of Mollusca (3,567 species), Platyhelminthes (2,292 species), Annelida (1,833 species), and Nematoda (1,447 species). All remaining groups had less than 1,000 species reported in Brazil, with Cnidaria (831 species), Porifera (628 species), Rotifera (606 species), and Bryozoa (520 species) representing those with more than 500 species. Analysis of the CTFB database can facilitate and direct efforts towards the discovery of new species in Brazil, but it is also fundamental in providing the best available list of valid nominal species to users, including those in science, health, conservation efforts, and any initiative involving animals. The importance of the CTFB is evidenced by the elevated number of citations in the scientific literature in diverse areas of biology, law, anthropology, education, forensic science, and veterinary science, among others

Morphological deformities in the osseous structure in spotted sorubim Pseudoplatystoma coruscans (agassiz & spix, 1829) with vitamin c deficiency

A vitamina C é essencial para dietas de peixe porque muitas espécies não conseguem sintetizá-la. Esta vitamina é necessária par a formação de cartilagem e matriz óssea. Além disso, age como antioxidante e melhora as resposta do sistema imunológico. O presente trabalho investigou os efeitos da suplementação de vitamina C em dietas para alevinos de pintado (Pseudoplatystoma corruscans) pela incidência de deformidades na estrutura óssea e cartilaginosa. O ascorbil polifosfato (AP) foi utilizado como fonte de vitamina C em dietas para alevinos de pintado durante o período de três meses. Seis dietas foram formuladas: uma dieta controle (0 mg de vitamina C / kg) e cinco dietas 500, 1.000, 1.500, 2.000 e 2.500 mg de AP / kg. Os peixes alimentados sem suplementação de vitamina C apresentaram deformidades óssea na cabeça e mandíbula e fragilidade de nadadeiras. Assim, a dieta de 500 mg de AP/kg foi suficiente para prevenir a ocorrência de deformidades, e a ausência desta vitamina prejudica o desenvolvimento ósseo de juvenis de pintados.Vitamin C is essential for fish diets because many species cannot syntethize it. This vitamin is needed for bone and cartilage formation. Moreover, it acts as antioxidant and improve the immunological system. The present work investigated the effects of vitamin C diet supplementation to spotted sorubim (Pseudoplatystoma coruscans) fingerlings by frequency of bone and cartilage deformation. Ascorbyl poliphosphate (AP) was used as source of vitamin C in the diets for spotted sorubim fingerlings during three months. Six diets were formulated: one diet control (0 mg/kg of vitamin C) and 500, 1,000, 1,500, 2,000 and 2,500 mg AP/kg diets. Fishes fed without vitamin C supplementation presented bone deformation in head and jaws, and fin fragilities. Thus, 500 mg AP/kg diet was enough to prevent deformation and the lack of vitamin C supplementation worsening the development of fingerlings