Structuring of Bacterioplankton Diversity in a Large Tropical Bay

Structuring of bacterioplanktonic populations and factors that determine the structuring of specific niche partitions have been demonstrated only for a limited number of colder water environments. In order to better understand the physical chemical and biological parameters that may influence bacterioplankton diversity and abundance, we examined their productivity, abundance and diversity in the second largest Brazilian tropical bay (Guanabara Bay, GB), as well as seawater physical chemical and biological parameters of GB. The inner bay location with higher nutrient input favored higher microbial (including vibrio) growth. Metagenomic analysis revealed a predominance of Gammaproteobacteria in this location, while GB locations with lower nutrient concentration favored Alphaproteobacteria and Flavobacteria. According to the subsystems (SEED) functional analysis, GB has a distinctive metabolic signature, comprising a higher number of sequences in the metabolism of phosphorus and aromatic compounds and a lower number of sequences in the photosynthesis subsystem. The apparent phosphorus limitation appears to influence the GB metagenomic signature of the three locations. Phosphorus is also one of the main factors determining changes in the abundance of planktonic vibrios, suggesting that nutrient limitation can be observed at community (metagenomic) and population levels (total prokaryote and vibrio counts)

Happiness economics

There is enough evidence to be confident that individuals are able and willing to provide a meaningful answer when asked to value on a finite scale their satisfaction with their own lives, a question that psychologists have long and often posed to respondents of large questionnaires. Without taking its limitations and criticisms too lightly, some economists have been using thismeasure of self-reported satisfaction as a proxy for utility so as to contribute to a better understanding of individuals' tastes and hopefully behavior. By means of satisfaction questions we can elicit information on individual likes and dislikes over a large set of relevant issues, such as income, working status and job amenities, the risk of becoming unemployed, inflation, and health status. This information can be used to evaluate existing ideas from a new perspective, understand individual behavior, evaluate and design public policies, study poverty and inequality, and develop a preference based valuation method. In this article I first critically assess the pros and cons of using satisfaction variables, and then discuss its main applications

Desafios da contracepção juvenil: interseções entre gênero, sexualidade e saúde Challenges of youth contraception: intersections between gender, sexuality and health

Este artigo aborda, sob uma perspectiva socioantropológica, os desafios postos aos jovens na gestão da vida afetivo-sexual, no que tange à prevenção de gravidez imprevista. Discute algumas dificuldades por eles encontradas no manejo da contracepção, no decorrer de suas trajetórias afetivo-sexuais, identificando situações propensas à não-utilização de métodos anticonceptivos (MAC). Trata-se de pesquisa qualitativa, cujo material empírico agrupa 73 entrevistas em profundidade, com jovens de ambos os sexos, de 18 a 24 anos de idade, provenientes de três capitais do país (Salvador, Rio de Janeiro e Porto Alegre) e de dois segmentos sociais (popular e médio), que passaram por ao menos um episódio de gravidez na adolescência. A análise temática dos dados reúne elementos afins e recorrentes nas narrativas juvenis, além dos contrastes de gênero e classe social. Os resultados relativos às dificuldades dos jovens de usar continuamente os MAC foram agrupados em eixos temáticos: contexto do relacionamento; relação com a família no que tange à sexualidade; efeitos colaterais dos métodos hormonais; descuido com a contracepção; dificuldades dos serviços de saúde; “falha” dos MAC; forte concepção da paternidade nos segmentos populares; uso de preservativo com parceiras “desconhecidas”; uso de coito interrompido, sem conhecimento do ciclo menstrual da parceira.<br>This paper shows, from a social anthropological perspective, the challenges faced by young people in managing their sexual and affective lives, when it comes to preventing unexpected pregnancy. It aims to discuss some of the difficulties young people have when dealing with contraception along their sexual and affective lives and also to identify circumstances in which they tend not to use contraceptive methods. A qualitative research is presented, in which empirical data consists of 73 in-depth interviews with young people of both sex, with age ranging from 18 to 24, living in three state capitals in Brazil (Salvador, Rio de Janeiro, Porto Alegre), and inserted in two social segments (popular and intermediate), who went through at least one experience of teenage pregnancy. A thematic analysis of data was adopted in order to assemble similar and repeated elements in the testimonies of the young people interviewed as well as to assemble the contrasts of gender and social segments. Results that reveal the difficulties of young people in adopting a continued use of contraceptive methods were listed according to the following themes: relationship context; relationship with the family regarding sexuality; side effects of hormonal anticonceptive methods; negligence with contraception; problems with health services; “failure” of contraceptive methods; a strong sense of fatherhood found in the popular segments; use of condoms with “unknown” female partners; withdrawal with no knowledge of the partner menstrual cycle