New family of potentials with analytical twiston-like solutions

In this letter we present a new approach to find analytical twiston models. The effective two-field model was constructed by a non-trivial combination of two one field systems. In such an approach we successfully build analytical models which are satisfied by a combination of two defect-like solutions, where one is responsible to twist the molecular chain by $180^{\,0}$, while the other implies in a longitudinal movement. Such a longitudinal movement can be fitted to have the size of the distance between adjacent molecular groups. The procedure works nicely and can be used to describe the dynamics of several other molecular chains.Comment: 7 pages, 3 figure

"A house in the woods": values, attitudes and behaviours towards forests

Forests are an important source of resources, but public attitudes towards the forests have rarely been studied. This paper focus on this topic aiming at: (a) describing the attitude towards the forest and its correlates; (b) testing the hierarchic relationship between ecologic values, attitudes and use of the forest; and (c) testing the moderating role of attitudinal ambivalence in the association between attitudes and forest related behaviours. A sample of residents living close to forests was collected (N = 1206). Results show that the attitude towards the forest is quite favourable. More positive attitudes were found in the North, among those working in the forestry and those who live close. Universalistic values are associated with the use of the forest but this relationship was partially mediated by the attitude towards the forest. Finally, attitudinal ambivalence was a predictor of the behaviour, but not a moderator of the attitude behaviour association

Participatory community involvement in planning processes of building project - a social psychological approach

This paper describes a consultancy project aimed at designing and implementing a public participatory process for the planning of two dams in Portugal. This intervention was inspired by a social psychological approach developed by Abrams, Hogg and Marques (2005). The project’s three specific aims were: (1) to change perceptions held by the dam developers: i.e., changing the organizational culture, the dominant attitudes and representations company members had towards the local communities, making them more inclusive; (2) to change knowledge about local actors: i.e., increasing the knowledge about the communities in order to create a more comprehensive understanding of them, and (3) to change organizational procedures, i.e., improving the communication strategies of the company with the communities in order to promote public participation and integrate local interests in the final decision. To address these goals, different methodologies were used (e.g., surveys, interviews, focus groups, participative workshops, observation, training sessions), involving both local communities and practitioners, and favoring interactive formats that allowed freedom of expression that fostered participation. Our experience shows that, on the one hand, the company gained valuable insights from the process, with the communities also benefiting in terms of increased confidence in articulating their interests, on the other.info:eu-repo/semantics/acceptedVersio

Making energy visible: sociopsychological aspects associated with the use of smart meters

This study aims to improve the understanding of the sociopsychological and technological aspects that influence the use of smart meters—innovative electricity meters that provide real-time data on consumption and are instrumental in increasing energy efficiency. Few studies have examined the sociopsychological factors that influence their use. We argue that the Theory of Reasoned Action (TRA), the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), and other specific factors from the social psychology literature, such as perceived procedural justice and risk perception, can help understand what determines the use of smart meters. To empirically examine that, first a quantitative survey was conducted with 515 households with smart meters installed. Results indicate that smart meter use is influenced by subjective norms, perceived utility, health-related risk perception, procedural justice, and time of usage. In a second study, internet blogs discussing smart meters were analyzed. This study corroborated some of the results of the first study and suggested additional factors—such as perceived distributive injustice and loss of control and privacy-related risk perception—that may influence the use of smart meters.info:eu-repo/semantics/acceptedVersio

Association between dietary calcium intake and blood pressure among portuguese children

[Resumo][Abstract

Controle patrimonial (ativo imobilizado) da Embrapa Florestas.

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Local identity as an amplifier: procedural justice, local identity and attitudes towards new dam projects

Local environmental changes are complex processes that are not always easily accepted by the communities. Research has shown that perceived procedural justice is a key variable in understanding these debates. From a perspective based on Social Identity Theory, we hypothesize in this paper that this effect will be particularly stronger for those that have a high degree of place identity, at least in the early stages of such projects. Results based on two large-scale studies conducted on sites where two dams were projected to be built support our hypotheses (Studies 1, N = 248 and Study 2, N = 385), and show that these results stand, even after controlling for demographic factors, perceived trust and expected outcomes of the project for the region. These results are discussed based on the implications they have for project communication and management in early stages of project implementation. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.info:eu-repo/semantics/acceptedVersio

Dynamical reentrance and geometry imposed quantization effects in Nb-AlOx-Nb Josephson junction arrays

In this paper, we report on different phenomena related to the magnetic properties of artificially prepared highly ordered (periodic) two-dimensional Josephson junction arrays (2D-JJA) of both shunted and unshunted Nb-AlOx-Nb tunnel junctions. By employing mutual-inductance measurements and using a high-sensitive bridge, we have thoroughly investigated (both experimentally and theoretically) the temperature and magnetic field dependence of complex AC susceptibility of 2D-JJA. We also demonstrate the use of the scanning SQUID microscope for imaging the local flux distribution within our unshunted arrays