Rolados e infiltración de agua en el suelo en la región chaqueña occidental

Roller chopping is widely used in the Chaco region as a means to increase standing forage and accessibility. By modifying vegetation structure, roller-chopping may affect water infiltration in soils, a key attribute of the ecosystem. During 2006-2007 soil water infiltration was assessed using the double ring infiltrometer in four ranches of the western Chaco(EST), in controls and roller-chopped paddocks (TRAT). Data were adjusted to the Kostiakov equation, and the m and k parameters were analyzed using ANOVA with EST and TRAT as independent variables. The coefficient m was not statistically affected, but k was significantly modified by EST (P > F = 0,0001) y EST*TRAT (P > F = 0,0022). Controls showed a larger mean k than the treated paddocks, but in a ranch recently roller-chopped. Results are attributed to the severity and intensity of the roller-chopping and to the post-grazing management, rather than to the mechanical operation itself.El rolado es un tratamiento mecánico muy común en la región chaqueña, destinado a incrementar la oferta de forraje y la accesibilidad. Al modificar la estructura de la vegetación, el rolado puede afectar la infiltración de agua, atributo clave del ciclo del agua. Se evaluó entre 2006 y 2007 la infiltración de agua mediante la técnica del doble anillo en cuatro establecimientos (EST) del Chaco occidental, en potreros rolados y testigos (TRAT). Los datos se ajustaron a la ecuación de Kostiakov, y los parámetros m y k fueron sometidos a un ANVA. No se observaron diferencias significativas en m. El coeficiente k (≈ infiltración inicial) fue significativamente afectado por EST (P > F = 0,0001) y EST*TRAT (P > F = 0,0022). Salvo en un establecimiento recién habilitado, el k promedio fue mayor en los testigos que en el sector rolado. Este resultado se atribuye a la intensidad y severidad del rolado, y al manejo del pastoreo posterior, que incrementó la compactación del suelo, más que al rolado propiamente dicho

The association of adolescents' smoking with the physical activity levels of their friends

Funding Information: This study is part of the SILNE-R project (Enhancing the Effectiveness of Programs and Strategies to Prevent Smoking by Adolescents: A Realist Evaluation Comparing Seven European Countries), which is supported by the European Union‘s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme, under grant agreement 635,056. The funder was not involved and did not have any input in the design, analysis and reporting of this study. Publisher Copyright: © 2023Background: Smoking is inversely related to people's Physical Activity Level (PAL). As the behavior of friends may affect the choices and behavior of adolescents, having friends with a high PAL may potentially protect against adolescent smoking. This study aims to assess whether adolescents' smoking is associated with the PAL of their friends. Methods: SILNE-R survey data of 11.918 adolescents from 55 different schools in 7 European cities was used to determine weekly smoking, individual PAL, PAL of friends, school PAL, and smoking of friends. Multilevel, multivariable logistic regression analysis were used to assess the association between the PAL of friends and weekly smoking. Several socio-demographic variables were included as covariates in the analysis. Results: Our results indicated that 10.8% of the respondents was smoking weekly. Weekly smoking was most common among adolescents whose friends had a PAL of 0–42.0 min per day (14.5%). Respondents were significantly more likely to be smoking weekly if their friends were on average 0–42 min vs. 80–180 min physically active (OR 1.27 [95% CI 1.04–1.55]). This association existed independently of the individual PAL of respondents. Stratification for smoking of friends yielded equal results, although the association appeared to be somewhat stronger for those with smoking friends (OR 1.38 [95% CI 1.06–1.82]). Conclusion: Adolescents are less likely to smoke weekly if they associate with friends who spend >80 min per day on physical activity. Initiatives aimed at the prevention of smoking among adolescents may benefit from organizing group-based physical activity programs.publishersversionpublishe

Have regional inequalities in life expectancy widened within the European Union between 1991 and 2008?

<b>BACKGROUND:</b> Health inequalities have widened within and between many European countries over recent decades, but Europe-wide sub-national trends have been largely overlooked. For regions across the European Union (EU), we assess how geographical inequalities (i.e., between regions) and sociospatial inequalities (i.e., between regions grouped by an area-level measure of average household income) in male and female life expectancy have changed between 1991 and 2008.<p></p> <b>METHODS:</b> Household income, life expectancy at birth and population count data were obtained for 129 regions (level 2 Nomenclature of Statistical Territorial Units, 'NUTS') in 13 European countries with 1991-2008 data (2008 population = 272 million). We assessed temporal changes in the range of life expectancies, for all regions and for Western and Eastern European regions separately.<p></p> <b>RESULTS:</b> Between 1991 and 2008, the geographical range of life expectancies found among European regions remained relatively constant, with the exception of life expectancy among male Eastern Europeans, for whom the range widened by 2.8 years. Sociospatial inequalities in life expectancy (1999-2008 data only) remained constant for all regions combined and for Western Europe, but more than doubled in size for male Eastern Europeans. For female Eastern Europeans, life expectancy was unrelated to regional household income.<p></p> <b>CONCLUSIONS:</b>Regional life-expectancy inequalities in the EU have not narrowed over 2 decades, despite efforts to reduce them. Household income differences across European regions may partly explain these inequalities. As inequalities transcend national borders, reduction efforts may require EU-wide coordination in addition to national efforts.<p></p&gt

Optimizing time-series forecasts for inflation and interest rates using simulation and model averaging

Motivated by economic-theory concepts – the Fisher hypothesis and the theory of the term structure – we consider a small set of simple bivariate closed-loop time-series models for the prediction of price inflation and of long- and short-term interest rates. The set includes vector autoregressions (VAR) in levels and in differences, a cointegrated VAR and a non-linear VAR with threshold cointegration based on data from Germany, Japan, UK and the US. Following a traditional comparative evaluation of predictive accuracy, we subject all structures to a mutual validation using parametric bootstrapping. Ultimately, we utilize the recently developed technique of Mallows model averaging to explore the potential of improving upon the predictions through combinations. While the simulations confirm the traded wisdom that VARs in differences optimize one-step prediction and that error correction helps at larger horizons, the model-averaging experiments point at problems in allotting an adequate penalty for the complexity of candidate models. (Author's abstract

Expressing coherence of musical perception in formal logic

Formal logic can be used for expressing certain aspects of musical coherence. In this paper, a framework is developed which aims at linking. expressions in the formal language to an underlying interpretation in terms of musical images and image transformations. Such an interpretation characterizes truth within a framework of spatio-temporal representations and perception-based musical information processing. The framework provides a way for defining a semantics for the coherence of musical perception

A survey of participants in two internet support groups for people with hair-pulling

BACKGROUND: A substantial number of patients suffering from psychological problems or psychiatric disorders have turned to internet support groups for help. This paper reports on the perceived effectiveness of trichotillomania (TTM) internet support groups for people suffering from hair-pulling. METHODS: A questionnaire was sent via e-mail to all subscribers of two mailing lists devoted to TTM, each of which takes a somewhat different approach to the condition. The questionnaire addressed the possible benefits and problems associated with belonging to a TTM virtual support group. RESULTS: Subscribers had similar demographic features as clinical samples of trichotillomania patients. Subscribers to both internet lists found them helpful in terms of feeling supported and in obtaining information. The different approaches to TTM on the two lists were associated with differences in treatments attempted by participants. CONCLUSION: Internet support groups can potentially contribute to increasing awareness about and knowledge of psychiatric disorders such as TTM, as well as to their management. Nevertheless, additional effort is required to ensure that subscribers are able to make informed, evidence-based decisions

how many and who are affected?

Background: Nicotine dependence during adolescence increases the risk of continuing smoking into adulthood. The magnitude of nicotine dependence among adolescents in the European Union (EU) has not been established. We aimed to estimate the number of nicotine dependent 15-year-old adolescents in the EU, and identify high-risk groups. Methods: The number of nicotine dependent 15-year-olds in the EU was derived combining: (i) total number of 15-year-olds in the EU (2013 Eurostat), (ii) smoking prevalence among 15-year-olds (2013/2014 HBSC survey) and (iii) proportion of nicotine dependent 15-year-olds in six EU countries (2013 SILNE survey). Logistic regression analyses identified high-risk groups in the SILNE dataset. Results: We estimated 172 636 15-year-olds were moderately to highly nicotine dependent (3.2% of all 15 years old; 35.3% of daily smokers). In the total population, risk of nicotine dependence was higher in males, adolescents with poor academic achievement, and those with smoking parents or friends. Among daily smokers, only lower academic achievement and younger age of smoking onset were associated with nicotine dependence. Conclusion: According to our conservative estimates, more than 172 000 15-year-old EU adolescents were nicotine dependent in 2013. Prevention of smoking initiation, especially among adolescents with poor academic performance, is necessary to prevent a similar number of adolescents getting addicted to nicotine each consecutive year.publishersversionpublishe

Detection of Neutral MSSM Higgs Bosons at LEP-II and NLC

We study the possibility of detecting the neutral Higgs bosons predicted in the Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model (h0, H0, A0), with the reactions e+ e- --> b b h0 (H0, A0), using the helicity formalism. We analyze the region of parameter space (m_A0-tan beta) where h0(H0, A0) could be detected in the limit when tan beta is large. The numerical computation is done for the energy which is expected to be available at LEP-II (sqrt{s} = 200 GeV) and for a possible Next Linear e+ e- Collider (sqrt{s}=500 GeV).Comment: To be published in Phys.Rev.