Performance of winter pasture species in different integrated crop-livestock systems in lowlands of Southern Brazil.

The introduction of winter forage species in succession to rice cropping in lowlands of Southern Brazil is an option for the productive system diversification..

Two-phase densification of cohesive granular aggregates

When poured into a container, cohesive granular materials form low-density, open granular aggregates. If pressed upon with a ram, these aggregates densify by particle rearrangement. Here we introduce experimental evidence to the effect that particle rearrangement is a spatially heterogeneous phenomenon, which occurs in the form of a phase transformation between two configurational phases of the granular aggregate. We then show that the energy landscape associated with particle rearrangement is consistent with our interpretation of the experimental results. Besides affording insight into the physics of the granular state, our conclusions are relevant to many engineering processes and natural phenomena.Comment: 7 pages, 3 figure

Amino acid transport systems of lysosomes: Possible substitute utility of a surviving transport system for one congenitally defective or absent

Ways in which other transport systems may compensate for one that is genetically defective are considered. Comparisons of the transport systems of organelles (here the lysosome) with the transport system at the plasma membrane has significant implications for chemotherapy.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/44194/1/10540_2005_Article_BF01116456.pd

Activity and Habitat Use of Chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes verus) in the Anthropogenic Landscape of Bossou, Guinea, West Africa

Many primate populations inhabit anthropogenic landscapes. Understanding their long-term ability to persist in such environments and associated real and perceived risks for both primates and people is essential for effective conservation planning. Primates in forest–agricultural mosaics often consume cultivars to supplement their diet, leading to potentially negative encounters with farmers. When crossing roads, primates also face the risk of encounters with people and collision with vehicles. Chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes verus) in Bossou, Guinea, West Africa, face such risks regularly. In this study, we aimed to examine their activity budget across habitat types and the influence of anthropogenic risks associated with cultivated fields, roads, and paths on their foraging behavior in noncultivated habitat. We conducted 6-h morning or afternoon follows daily from April 2012 to March 2013. Chimpanzees preferentially used forest habitat types for traveling and resting and highly disturbed habitat types for socializing. Wild fruit and crop availability influenced seasonal habitat use for foraging. Overall, chimpanzees preferred mature forest for all activities. They showed a significant preference for foraging at >200 m from cultivated fields compared to 0–100 m and 101–200 m, with no effect of habitat type or season, suggesting an influence of associated risk. Nevertheless, the chimpanzees did not actively avoid foraging close to roads and paths. Our study reveals chimpanzee reliance on different habitat types and the influence of human-induced pressures on their activities. Such information is critical for the establishment of effective land use management strategies in anthropogenic landscapes

Satisfação dos usuários dos centros de atenção psicossocial da região Sul do Brasil Satisfacción de los usuarios de los centros de atención psicosocial de la región Sur de Brasil User satisfaction with psychosocial healthcare services, Southern Brazil

OBJETIVO: Avaliar a satisfação dos usuários com o atendimento nos centros de atenção psicossocial. MÉTODOS: O estudo foi realizado em centros de atenção psicossocial dos estados: Paraná, Santa Catarina e Rio Grande do Sul, em 2006. A estratégia de investigação foi dividida em métodos quantitativo e qualitativo. Para avaliação quantitativa foram utilizados dados epidemiológicos do tipo transversal de amostra 1.162 usuários de 30 centros de atenção psicossocial. O instrumento utilizado para avaliar a satisfação dos usuários foi a Escala Brasileira de Avaliação da Satisfação (SATIS-BR), de 1 a 5 pontos. Para avaliação qualitativa foram realizados cinco estudos de caso, utilizando-se metodologia de avaliação de quarta geração. Os dados foram obtidos em observação de campo e entrevistas (entre dez e 13 usuários em cada campo, totalizando 57 usuários) e apresentados aos usuários em oficinas de validação e negociação. RESULTADOS: A escala SATIS-BR indicou avaliação positiva de todos os itens, com média de 4,4 (desvio-padrão, DP=0,4). A comunicação e o relacionamento com a equipe apresentaram média 4,5 (DP=0,5); o acesso a informações a partir da equipe apresentou média 4,8. A satisfação com o serviço apresentou a menor média, com 4,1; as condições gerais de instalação do serviço apresentaram média 3,9. No estudo qualitativo, o tratamento no serviço foi bom e o resultado satisfatório. O reposicionamento do usuário contribuiu para satisfação, assim como o acesso ao atendimento, a ruptura com o isolamento físico e social, o acolhimento de suas demandas e ajuda para organizar a vida. CONCLUSÕES: Os resultados complementares de ambas as estratégias do estudo mostram satisfação dos usuários com o atendimento nos centros estudados.<br>OBJETIVO: Evaluar la satisfacción de los usuarios con la atención en los centros de atención psicosocial. MÉTODOS: El estudio fue realizado en centros de atención psicosocial de los estados del Sur de Brasil: Paraná, Santa Catarina y Rio Grande do Sul, en 2006. La estrategia de investigación fue dividida en métodos cuantitativo y cualitativo. Para evaluación cuantitativa fueron utilizados datos epidemiológicos del tipo transversal de muestra 1.162 usuarios de 30 centros de atención psicosocial. El instrumento utilizado para evaluar la satisfacción de los usuarios fue la Escala Brasilera de Evaluación de la Satisfacción (SATIS-BR), de 1 a 5 puntos. Para evaluación cualitativa fueron realizados cinco estudios de caso, utilizándose metodología de evaluación de cuarta generación. Los datos fueron obtenidos en observación de campo y entrevistas (entre diez y 13 usuarios en cada campo, totalizando 57 usuarios) y presentados a los usuarios en oficinas de validación y negociación. RESULTADOS: La escala SATIS-BR indicó evaluación positiva de todos los ítems, con promedio de 4,4 (desviación-estándar, DP= 0,4). La comunicación y la relación con el equipo presentaron promedio 4,5 (DP= 0,5): el acceso a informaciones a partir del equipo presentó promedio 4,8. La satisfacción con el servicio presentó el menor promedio, con 4,1; las condiciones generales de instalación de servicio presentaron promedio 3,9. En el estudio cualitativo, el tratamiento en el servicio fue bueno y el resultado satisfactorio. La reubicación del usuario contribuyó para satisfacción, así como el acceso a la atención, la ruptura con el aislamiento físico y social, el acogimiento de sus demandas y ayuda para organizar la vida. CONCLUSIONES: Los resultados complementarios de ambas estrategias de estudio muestran satisfacción de los usuarios con la atención en los centros estudiados.<br>OBJECTIVE: To evaluate user satisfaction with psychosocial healthcare services. METHODS: Qualitative and quantitative study conducted in psychosocial healthcare services in the states of Paraná, Santa Catarina and Rio Grande do Sul, Southern Brazil, in 2006. The study combined quantitative and qualitative methods. Quantitative epidemiological data from a cross-sectional study including 1,162 users of 30 psychosocial healthcare services was used. The instrument used to evaluate users' satisfaction was the Brazilian version of the WHO Users' Satisfaction Scale (SATIS-BR), a 1 to 5-point scale. Qualitative data was collected from five case studies using a fourth generation approach. Information was obtained from field observations and interviews (between ten and 13 users in each field, totaling 57 users) and presented to users in validation and negotiation workshops. RESULTS: The SATIS-BR scale showed that users positively evaluated all items, overall mean 4.4 (SD=0.4). Communication and relationship with psychosocial healthcare services staff had mean 4.5 (SD=0.5), and access to information through staff had mean 4.8. Satisfaction with care service was the lowest, mean 4.1, and general service infrastructure had mean 3.9. The qualitative study revealed that, according to users, the quality of treatment provided was good and the outcome was satisfactory. Their new status, better access to services, ending of their physical and social isolation, response to their demands and helping them reorganize their lives - all contributed to users' satisfaction. CONCLUSIONS: The complementary results of both study approaches showed that users are satisfied with care provided at the psychosocial healthcare services studied