Blue carbon and nitrogen sequestration capacity of restored zostera marina meadows in the Arrábida Natural Park

Seagrass meadows are coastal ecosystems situated almost throughout all of the world’s coastlines. They provide important ecosystem services such as coastal protection, nutrient cycling, pathogen reduction and provision of nursery grounds, among others. They share the ability of mangroves and tidal salt marshes to sequester carbon from the atmosphere and water column and to store it into their biomass and into the soil. Moreover, seagrasses enhance nitrogen burial within the sediment, creating a natural filter that improves water quality. Despite the benefits that seagrass meadows provide to human well-being, they are experiencing a global decline due to coastal development and increased water pollution, among other threats. Restoration of seagrass meadows can be a global feasible strategy to mitigate climate change by restoring their role as carbon and nitrogen sinks, compensating anthropogenic CO2 emissions and excessive nitrogen loads, while preserving these important ecosystems. However, information about the effectiveness of these projects on C and N sequestration service recovery is still needed. This study analyzed sediment biogeochemistry and sedimentary organic carbon (OC) and total nitrogen (TN) stocks within natural and open coast restored Zostera marina meadows in the Portuguese coast. The comparison between sites revealed that the amount of OC and TN deposited in the sediment, slightly increased through time although differences between natural and restored sedimentary stocks were not significant. Higher mud percentage was found within the superficial sediment layers of natural meadows pointing out that the simpler structure and higher hydrodynamics conditions of restored meadows, influence deposition of fine sediment. Further research will analyze the causes of variability and establish accurate sediment accretion rates, leading to a more complete evaluation of the restored seagrass meadows in recovering their ecological function as carbon and nitrogen sinks.As ervas marinhas são angiospermas marinhos distribuídos ao longo de águas rasas, de latitudes subárticas a tropicais em todo o mundo, formando extensas pradarias quando as condições são adequadas. Assim como outros ecossistemas costeiros com vegetação, como os mangais e os sapais, as ervas marinhas são um dos ecossistemas mais diversos e produtivos do planeta. Esses ecossistemas suportam uma grande diversidade e são fontes essenciais de alimento para espécies ameaçadas de extinção, como dugongos e tartarugas verdes. Eles fornecem importantes serviços ecossistémicos, como proteção costeira, ciclos de nutrientes, redução de organismos patógenios e habitat para rerodução e desenvolvimento de estados larvares e juvenis, entre outros. Assim como outros habitats costeiros com vegetação (mangais e sapais), as ervas marinhas são conhecidas como ecossistemas de Carbono Azul (BC) devido à sua capacidade de capturar carbono orgânico e armazená-lo no solo, na biomassa viva acima do solo, na biomassa viva abaixo do solo e dentro da biomassa não viva. As condições anóxicas e a diminuição da exposição à erosão nos sedimentos das ervas marinhas permitem um sequestro de carbono mais longo em comparação com os habitats terrestres. Além disso, os baixos níveis de oxigénio aumentam o soterramento de azoto no sedimento, criando um filtro natural que melhora a qualidade da água, removendo as quantidades excessivas de azoto que podem aumentar o risco de proliferação de algas e eutrofização. A estrutura dos prados aumenta a atenuação da corrente e o aprisionamento de partículas, levando à deposição de matéria orgânica produzida dentro e fora do habitat das ervas marinhas. A presença de ervas marinhas promove a sedimentação de sedimentos finos, capazes de reter maiores quantidades de material orgânico e, portanto, de carbono orgânico e azoto. Apesar da tendência de recuperação observada em alguns locais, as ervas marinhas ainda estão diminuindo em muitos lugares devido a eventos climáticos extremos, doenças naturais, danos mecânicos, desenvolvimento costeiro e diminuição da qualidade da água. A deterioração desses importantes habitats pode levar à perda da função de filtro de azoto costeiro, à libertação de carbono anteriormente acumulado no sedimento e reduzir sua capacidade de sequestro. O número de iniciativas que tentam proteger esses ecossistemas tem crescido em todo o mundo e, recentemente, o restauro de prados de ervas marinhas tem sido considerado uma estratégia viável para mitigar as mudanças climáticas, restaurando seu papel como sumidouros de carbono e azoto, compensando as emissões antropogênicas de CO2 e cargas excessivas de azoto. Uma combinação de parâmetros de ervas marinhas externos (número e intensidade de estressores, ambiente físico) e internos (taxa de crescimento, ciclo de reprodução, comprimento da folha) afetam a eficácia da restauração e existe incerteza quanto ao potencial de recuperação da capacidade de sequestro de carbono e nitrogênio. Portanto, evidências sobre os fatores que afetam o restauro de ervas marinhas e sua influência na recuperação dos serviços ecossistêmicos ainda são necessárias. A decorrer desde 2007, o programa Biomares teve como objetivo a recuperação e gestão da biodiversidade do Parque Marinho Professor Luiz Saldanha, uma AMP (Área Marinha Protegida) pertencente ao Parque Natural da Arrábida. Aqui, a Zostera marina estava em declínio desde os anos oitenta e o último prado foi avistado em 2006. O restauro começou em 2007 com transplantes, no entanto, as fortes tempestades durante o inverno de 2009/2010 removeram as plantas do restauro e apenas a maior das manchas plantadas anteriormente, sobreviveu até hoje. Em 2017, foi plantada outra pradaria com origem na Ria Formosa, que é uma lagoa costeira mesotidal localizada 250 km a sul da Arrábida. Situada a 5km do local de restauração está a Ponta do Adoxe, um dos poucos locais em Portugal onde ainda podem ser encontrados os prados da Z. marina, e que também serviu de dadora mas não persistiu, ao contrário da Ria Formosa. O projecto de recuperação de ervas marinhas no Parque Marinho da Arrábida oferece uma excelente oportunidade para estudar como se recuperam os serviços ecossistémicos de Z. marina ao longo do tempo. Este estudo investigou a capacidade dos prados restaurados na Arrábida de recuperarem a sua capacidade de sequestro de carbono azul e azoto. As análises geoquímicas foram realizadas em amostras de sedimento coletadas em prados naturais (doadores e nas proximidades) e aquelas revegetadas há 3 e 10 anos. Todos os parâmetros estudados mostraram valores mais elevados em prados naturais, embora os resultados indiquem que as diferenças na biogeoquímica dos sedimentos entre prados naturais e restaurados diminuem com o tempo. O carbono orgânico sedimentar e os stocks de azoto total estão dentro da gama descrita em estudos anteriores para outros prados de Z. marina, e não mostraram diferenças significativas entre os locais. As taxas de acumulação de sedimentos foram estimadas de maneira qualitativa e não muito rigorosa devido à falta de dados. Pesquisas futuras irão analisar as causas da variabilidade e estabelecer taxas de acúmulação de sedimentos precisas, levando a uma avaliação mais completa dos prados de ervas marinhas restaurados na recuperação de sua função ecológica como sumidouros de carbono e azoto

Testing the Functional Profiles of School Refusal Behavior and Clarifying Their Relationship With School Anxiety

Students with school attendance problems are a diverse and heterogeneous group whose patterns of symptomatology can change over time. This study aims to identify different school refusal behavior profiles and to determine whether these profiles differ from each other based on four situational factors and three response systems of school anxiety across gender. The participants were 1,685 Spanish students (49% female) aged 15–18 years (M = 16.28; SD =0.97). The School Refusal Assessment Scale-Revised (SRAS-R) and the School Anxiety Inventory (SAI) were administered. Latent profile analysis revealed five school refusal behavior profiles: Non-School Refusal Behavior, Mixed School Refusal Behavior, School Refusal Behavior by Positive Reinforcement, Low School Refusal Behavior, and High School Refusal Behavior. The results indicated that High School Refusal Behavior and Mixed School Refusal Behavior groups were the most maladaptive profiles since it obtained the highest mean scores on school anxiety. In contrast, Non-School Refusal and School Refusal Behavior by Positive Reinforcement groups revealed the lowest scores in school anxiety. Non-significant gender-based differences were found, only girls were more represented in the mixed school refusal behavior profile in comparison with boys but with a small effect size. Findings are discussed in relation to the importance of promoting good mental health to prevent school attendance problems in adolescents and younger ages.This research was funded by the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities and Fondos FEDER with the grant number RTI2018-098197-B-I00 awarded to JG-F and the project GV/2019/075 awarded to CG

Relationship between suicidal thinking, anxiety, depression and stress in university students who are victims of cyberbullying

The objective of this study is to analyze the predictive capacity of cybervictimization with regards to suicidal thinking and anxiety, depression and stress in university students. The European Cyberbullying Intervention Project Questionnaire, the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale-21 and the Suicidality Scale were administered to a sample of 1282 university students (594 men and 688 women) aged between 18 and 46 (M = 21.65; SD = 4.25). The results suggest that being a cybervictim increases the probability of suicidal thinking and presenting high levels of anxiety, depression and stress. This study highlights the high prevalence rates of cyberbullying in the university environment and how this issue is associated with emotional problems and suicidal thinking. The identification of these relationships may allow for the development of effective preventive intervention measures to respond to this problem

Reginalidad y fundaciones monásticas en las Coronas de Castilla y de Aragón

En estas páginas nos acercaremos a la actividad desarrollada por las reinas castellanas y aragonesas bajomedievales en materia de fundación, dotación y promoción de instituciones monásticas y conventuales. Queremos plantear algunos estudios de caso, líneas de evolución y expresiones que nos permitan conocer y comprender los usos políticos que canalizaron las iniciativas de algunas reinas –consortes, viudas, regentes o lugartenientes– en materia religiosa. En este campo de reflexión se nos impone el reto de deslindar en los comportamientos de las reinas tanto las modalidades de acción particulares, privadas o personales de las mismas, como las más genuinamente políticas. Afrontamos dos ámbitos políticos y culturales, Coronas de Castilla y de Aragón, cuyas semejanzas y diferencias se dejarán ver en las fuentes disponibles, en las materias y los enfoques abordados

Affective Profiles and Anxiety or Non-Anxiety-Related Reasons for School Refusal Behavior: Latent Profile Analysis in Spanish Adolescents

Little has been studied on the relationship between affect and school problems related with attendance. This study aims to identify different affective profiles and to determine whether these profiles differ from each other based on the four functional conditions of school refusal behavior. Participants comprised 1,816 Spanish adolescents aged 15–18 years (M = 16.39; SD = 1.05). The Positive and Negative Affect Schedule for Children-Short Form and the School Refusal Assessment Scale-Revised for Children (SRAS-R-C) were administered. Latent profile analysis revealed five affective profiles: low affective profile, self-fulfilling profile, low positive affect profile, self-destructive profile, and high affective profile. The self-destructive profile revealed the highest average scores in the first three factors of the SRAS-R-C, whereas the high affective profile reached the highest average score in the fourth factor. On the contrary, the self-fulfilling profile obtained the lowest average scores in the first two factors of the SRAS-R-C, whereas the low affective profile revealed the lowest average scores in the last two factors. Findings suggest the relevance of developing more adaptative affective profiles, such as the self-fulfilling profile, which would contribute to diminishing school attendance problems.This research was funded by the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities and Fondos FEDER with grant number RTI2018-098197-B-I00 awarded to José M. García-Fernández and Project GV/2019/075 awarded to CG

Bibliometric review in Asperger Syndrome: impact in the field of psychology and education

La productividad científica en Síndrome de Asperger (SA) se ha incrementado considerablemente en los últimos años desde distintos campos de la Educación y la Psicología. Incluido dentro de los Trastornos del Espectro del Autismo según el DSM-5, el SA se caracteriza por una alteración en las capacidades de relación social, comunicación y flexibilidad mental. Es objeto del presente estudio ofrecer una revisión del estado actual de la investigación en dicho ámbito e identificar las principales aportaciones científicas. La unidad de análisis se compuso por 1741 documentos extraídos de la Social Science Citation Index y revisados minuciosamente. Los resultados evidenciaron un incremento de la productividad temporal y el interés científico en las áreas de caracterización del SA, comorbilidad y tratamiento. Además, se observó una tendencia a realizar los trabajos en colaboración y un número considerable de autores clasificados como grandes productores por sus niveles de productividad superiores a los diez trabajos. La funcionalidad de esta revisión se encuentra en su valor como material de referencia para futuras líneas de investigación en tanto que abarca la identificación y análisis de los principales campos de estudio en este ámbito.The scientific productivity about Asperger Syndrome has increased dramatically in recent years from various fields of Education and Psychology. Included within the Autism Spectrum Disorder according to the DSM-5, SA is characterized by alterations in social interaction skills, communication, and mental flexibility. The aim of this study is to provide a review of the current state of research in this area and identify major scientific contributions. The unit of analysis was composed of 1741 documents taken from the Social Science Citation Index and thoroughly reviewed. The results showed an increase in temporary productivity and scientific interest in the areas of characterization of Asperger Syndrome, comorbidity and treatment. In addition, a tendency was observed to perform the investigations in collaboration and a considerable number of authors classified as big producers due to their high levels of productivity with more than ten articles. The functionality of this review is its value as a reference for future researches as long as cover the identification and analysis of the main research topics in this field

Predictive Ability of Academic Self-efficacy on Self-concept Dimensions in a Sample of Chilean Adolescents

El objetivo de este estudio fue analizar la capacidad predictiva de la autoeficacia académica sobre las dimensiones del autoconcepto en una muestra de 860 estudiantes chilenos. El análisis de regresión logística reveló que la autoeficacia académica fue un predictor positivo y significativo de las escalas académicas (Matemáticas, Verbal y Académica General), no académicas (Habilidades Físicas, Apariencia Física, Relaciones con el Sexo Opuesto, Relaciones con el Mismo Sexo, Relación con los Padres, Sinceridad- Veracidad), y de la escala de Autoestima, excepto de la escala de Estabilidad Emocional. Esta relación de predicción fue de mayor magnitud con las escalas académicas y autoestima.The aim of this study was to analyze the predictive power of academic self-efficacy on academic self-concept dimensions in a sample of 860 Chilean students. Logistic regression analysis revealed that the academic self-efficacy was a positive and significant predictor of academic scales (Math, Verbal, and General Academic), not academic (Physical Abilities, Physical Appearance, Relationships with the Opposite Sex, Relationships with the Same Sex, Relationship with Parents, Sincerity-Veracity), and Self-Esteem scale, except for the Emotional Stability scale. The predictive value was stronger in the academic dimensions and self-esteem

Positive and negative affect as predictors of social functioning in Spanish children

The aim of this study was to analyze the relationship between affect in its two commonly used theoretical categories, positive affect (PA) and negative affect (NA), and social functioning dimensions (school performance, family relationships, peer relationships and home duties/self-care). The sample comprised 390 students of primary education aged 8–11 years (M = 9.39; SD = 1.15). The short-form of the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule for children (PANAS-C-SF) and the Child and Adolescent Social Adaptive Functioning Scale (CASAFS) were used. Student’s t tests indicated that those reporting high levels on all the social functioning dimensions also reported significantly higher levels of PA than peers who reported low levels; by contrast, students reporting high levels of social functioning reported significantly lower levels of NA than peers who reported low levels. Similarly, logistic regression analyses showed that an increase in PA increased probability of high levels of social functioning, and that an increase in NA decreased the probability of presenting high levels of social functioning dimensions, with the exception of school performance. These results expand the PA and NA relationship with social functioning reported in adults to Spanish children, which is potentially of interest in the fields of Education and Psychology.This research was financed by the Ministry of Economy and Industry and competitiveness (EDU2012-35124) (URL:http://www.mineco.gob.es/portal/site/mineco/) with the project awarded to the sixth author of this paper, the grant for predoctoral researchers from the University of Alicante awarded to the first and fourth authors, respectively (UA FPU, 2015-5995, URL: https://sgitt-otri.ua.es/es/proyectos-publicos/convocatorias-publicas-de-investigacion.html) (UA FPU, 2013-5795, URL: https://sgitt-otri.ua.es/es/proyectos-publicos/convocatorias-publicas-de-investigacion.html) and the VALi+d Program (ACIF/2014/368) (URL: http://aplicaciones.edu.gva.es/poci/es/14_ACIF.htm) grant awarded to the third author

Subtyping of Adolescents with School Refusal Behavior: Exploring Differences Across Profiles in Self-Concept

Not all adolescents with school attendance problems attribute their behavior to the same causes. Knowing the subtypes of students who reject school and their relationship with new variables, such as self-concept, is an unresolved task. This study aimed to identify different school refusal behavior profiles and to determine whether these profiles differed from each other based on the scores of the eleven dimensions of self-concept (Physical appearance, Physical abilities, Parent relations, Same-sex relations, Opposite-sex relations, Honesty, Emotional stability, Self-esteem, Verbal, Math, and General school). The participants were 1315 Spanish students (57.6% male) aged 12–18 years (M = 15.21; SD = 1.74). The School Refusal Assessment Scale-Revised and the Self-Description Questionnaire II-Short Form were administered. A latent class analysis revealed four school refusal behavior profiles: Moderately High School Refusal Behavior, Moderately Low School Refusal Behavior, Mixed School Refusal Behavior and Non-School Refusal Behavior. The results indicated that the Mixed School Refusal Behavior group was the most maladaptive profile and revealed the lowest mean scores on self-concept. In contrast, Non-School Refusal and Moderately Low School Refusal Behavior groups revealed the highest scores in all dimensions of self-concept. Implications for working toward the prevention of school refusal in students with low self-concept are discussed.This research was funded by the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities and Fondos FEDER with the grant number RTI2018-098197-B-I00 awarded to José M. García-Fernández and the project funded by the Generalitat Valenciana with the grant number GV/2019/075 awarded to Carolina Gonzálvez

Perfiles de inteligencia emocional y conducta social en adolescentes españoles

Este trabajo tuvo dos objetivos, por una parte, identificar diferentes perfiles de inteligencia emocional (IE) y, por otra parte, comprobar si entre los perfiles identificados existen diferencias estadísticamente significativas respecto a la conducta social. Participaron 1.071 adolescentes españoles (50,2% chicas) españoles con edades de 14 a 17 años, a los que se les administró la “Escala de inteligencia emocional percibida” (Trait Meta-Mood Scale-24, TMMS-24) y la “Batería de socialización BAS-3”. El análisis de conglomerados identificó cuatro perfiles de IE: un grupo de adolescentes con un perfil de baja IE, un grupo con puntuaciones altas en percepción, un grupo con predominio de elevada regulación emocional y un último grupo de adolescentes con alta IE. Los resultados también indicaron diferencias estadísticamente significativas entre los perfiles en los patrones de comportamiento social, destacando los estudiantes de los grupos con alta IE generalizada y alta puntuación en regulación emocional, los cuales muestran mayores puntuaciones en conductas sociales positivas. Los descubrimientos se discuten en términos de sus implicaciones prácticas con adolescentes españoles.This work had two objectives. First, to identify different profiles of emotional intelligence (EI), and second, to verify the existence of significant statistical differences between the profiles identified in relation to social behavior. The participants were 1071 Spanish adolescents (50.2% girls), ranging in age from 14 to 17 years, who completed the Trait Meta-Mood Scale-24 (TMMS-24) and the Socialization Battery BAS-3. Cluster analysis identified four EI profiles: a group of adolescents with a low EI profile, a group with high scores in perception, a group with predominantly high emotional regulation, and a group of adolescents with high EI. The results also indicated statistically significant differences in the profiles in most of social behaviors. The students from the groups with high general EI scores and high scores in emotional regulation also show higher scores in several positive social behaviors. Findings are discussed in terms of their practical implications for Spanish adolescents.Este trabajo ha sido realizado a través del Proyecto con Ref: EDU2009-10316 perteneciente al Plan Nacional de Investigación Científica, Desarrollo de Innovación Tecnológica del Ministerio de Innovación y Ciencia, y fondos FEDER, concedido al primer autor