Effects of a large irrigation reservoir on aquatic and riparian plants: a history of survival and loss

Dammed rivers have unnatural stream flows, disrupted sediment dynamics, and rearranged geomorphologic settings. Consequently, fluvial biota experiences disturbed functioning in the novel ecosystems. The case study is the large irrigation reservoir Alqueva in Guadiana River, Southern Iberia. The study area was divided into three zones: upstream and downstream of the dam and reservoir. For each zone, species composition and land use and land cover (LULC) were compared before and after the Alqueva Dam implementation. Data consist of aquatic and riparian flora composition obtained from 46 surveys and the area (%) of 12 classes of LULC obtained in 90 riverine sampling units through the analysis of historical and contemporary imagery. There was an overall decrease of several endemic species and on the riparian shrublands and aquatic stands, although di erences in the proportion of functional groups were not significant. Nevertheless, compositional diversity shows a significant decline in the upstream zone while landscape diversity shows an accentuated reduction in the reservoir area and downstream of the dam, which is likely related to the loss of the rocky habitats of the ‘old’ Guadiana River and the homogenization of the riverscape due to the irrigation intensification. The mitigation of these critical changes should be site-specific and should rely on the knowledge of the interactions between surrounding lands, ecological, biogeomorphologic, and hydrological components of the fluvial ecosystemsinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Fandom, culture, and videogames: analysing what makes a successful videogame franchise through Final Fantasy

This study intends to validate the importance of discussing media in the modern world by exploring how the concepts of media, fandoms and culture are related, why fandoms exist and the power of media over culture. The object of study is videogames, and more specifically the videogame franchise ‘Final Fantasy’, There is also focus in understanding their appeal over other types of media, the history and evolution of videogames and the history and business model of Square Enix, the company behind ‘Final Fantasy’ products. Additionally, object of study includes how corporate practices and decisions affect the franchise, the evolution of the franchise throughout the years and what makes it a successful videogame franchise, taking into account all the previous information. In order to achieve its purpose, the methodology used was based on qualitative methods of investigation. Document research about the topic at hand, from bibliography, ludography, and other pre-existing materials was gathered and triangulated with an online questionnaire. The information gathered from 85 participants was analysed and it was possible to conclude how the target audience for Final Fantasy experiences the games and the fandom, how it perceives cultural elements and how do they feel about corporate decisions as frequent customers, as well as their opinions on the importance of discussing media

Signs of Trauma in an Adult Parietal Bone Exhumed from a Portuguese Prehistoric Collective Burial

A fragment of parietal bone from an adult individual of unknown sex exhumed from the collective burial of Praia da Samarra (Sintra, Portugal), dated to the end of the Neolithic, presents signs of different types of trauma. These include thinning of the skull vault and incisions marks. Differential diagnoses for these alterations are discussed: for the first one, depressed skull factures is the most likely cause. For the incisions, trepanation (more probable) and trauma due to a sharp force are proposed. These hypotheses are also discussed in terms of other similar findings from coeval Portuguese collective burials

Bivalence and the challenge of truth-value gaps

This thesis is concerned with the challenge truth-value gaps pose to the principle of bivalence. The central question addressed is: are truth-value gaps counterexamples to bivalence and is the supposition of counterexamples coherent? My aim is to examine putative cases of truth-value gaps against an argument by Timothy Williamson, which shows that the supposition of counterexamples to bivalence is contradictory. The upshot of his argument is that either problematic utterances say nothing, or they cannot be neither true nor false. I start by identifying truth-bearers: an utterance, for instance, is a truth-bearer if it says that something is the case. Truth-bearers are evaluable items, with truth- and falsity-conditions statable in corresponding instances of schemas for truth and falsehood. A genuine case of a truth-value gap should be an utterance that is neither true nor false but says something to be the case. But it is inconsistent to accept the schemas for truth and falsehood and the existence of genuine cases of truth-value gaps. Secondly, I expound Williamson’s argument, which explores this inconsistency, and I identify two kinds of strategy to disarm his argument: those that preserve the schemas for truth and falsehood, and those that do not. Neither strategy is found to be persuasive. Thirdly, I argue that cases of reference failure causing truth-value gaps illustrate the upshot of Williamson’s argument. Fourthly, I examine Scott Soames’s account of liar sentences as counterexamples to bivalence. Soames adopts a strategy of the first kind to avoid contradictions. I argue that his solution allows some contradictions to be true, and that he fails to show that liar sentences are truth-bearers. Finally, I examine Charles Travis’s case for isostheneia: an equal balancing of reasons to evaluate a statement as true or as false, in which case a statement is neither. Travis avoids contradictions by adopting a strategy of the second kind. I argue that the schemas for truth and falsehood are immune to Travis’s objections, and that isostheneia fails to identify evaluable items. The cases examined confirm that utterances that are neither true nor false say nothing. My claim is thus that truth-value gaps are not counterexamples to bivalence

Relationships between the perceived quality of life and the personality styles measured with the The Millon Index of Personality Styles Revised (MIPS-R)

This exploratory study aims to determine whether the personality styles measured with the Portuguese adaptation of Millon Index of Personality Styles Revised, MIPS-R affect the perceived quality of life. The MIPS-R is a theory-based inventory that measures 24 personality styles in normally functioning adults. Life satisfaction was measured with the Portuguese version of the Quality of Life Inventory, QOLI (Fagulha, Duarte & Miranda, 2000). It refers to a person’s subjective evaluation of the degree to which his/her most important needs, goals and wishes have been fulfilled. This study was carried out with a sample of 43 college students, 36 females (age mean = 19,7; SD = 3,1) and 7 males (age mean = 27,4; SD = 11,4). Based on the participants’ overall life satisfaction score three groups were defined: (1) Low/Very Low quality of life, (2) Average quality of life, (3) High quality of life. Discriminant Factor Analysis (DFA) and the Kruskal-Wallis Test were used to identify the styles that most differentiate these groups and to compare each style in the groups. The Other-Nurturing style is the one that best differentiates the groups. DFA results will be further exploited. Considering the Kruskal-Wallis Test, differences are observed in the Pleasure-Enhancing (p=.006), the Actively Modifying (p=.002), the Gregarious/Outgoing (p=.012), the Passively Accommodating (p=.027), the Asocial/Withdrawing (p=.036), the Unconventional/Dissenting (p=.041) and in the Dissatisfied/Complaining (p=.019) styles. Multiple comparisons were used to compare these styles in the groups. The authors believe that the discussion of these results will provide a better understanding of the MIPS-R.Instituto de Psicologia das Relações Humana

Influence of habitat structure on the fish prey consumption by largemouth bass, Micropterus salmoides, in experimental tanks

The largemouth bass, Micropterus salmoides, was introduced into the Iberian Peninsula in the 50's and has developed important populations in systems naturally lacking native piscivores. As a consequence, the displacement of native cyprinids has been associated with its predatory behaviour, particularly in reservoirs. In order to study the capture rate of largemouth bass in relation to an Iberian native cyprinid, Squalius alburnoides, and also to pumpkinseed, Lepomis gibbosus -another exotic species introduced to Iberia that is able to coexist sucessfully with bass in Iberian systems-tanks were used to simulate the absence of structure, and the presence of vegetation struture and bottom structure. The number of fish captured by largemouth bass were influenced by both structure and prey effects, as well as by their interaction. The bottom and vegetation structure reduced the number of pumpkinseed captured when compared with the absence of structure, whereas only the vegetation reduced the number of Squalius alburnoides captured. Neither the pumpkinseed nor the cyprind were eaten more frequently by largemouth bass in the absence of structure or in the vegetation structure, but the cyprinid was eaten more frequently in the bottom structure.El black bass, Micropterus salmoides, fue introducido en la Península Ibérica en los años 50 y ha desarrollado importantes poblaciones en sistemas naturalmente carentes de ictiófagos nativos. Como consecuencia, el aparente desplazamiento de los ciprínidos nativos ha sido asociado con su comportamiento predador, particularmente en embalses. Con el objetivo de estudiar la captura del black bass sobre un ciprínido ibérico nativo, el calandino, Squalius alburnoides y sobre el pez sol, Lepomis gibbosus -otra especie exótica introducida en Iberia que es capaz de coexistir con éxito con el black bass en los sistemas ibéricos- se utilizaron tanques simulando tres situaciones: ausencia de estructuras, estructuras vegetales y estructuras de ladrillos. Se comprobó que el número de peces capturados por el black bass estaba influenciado por el efecto de las estructuras y de las presas, así como por su interacción. Las estructuras vegetales y de ladrillo provocaban una reducción en el número de pez sol capturadas en comparación con la ausencia de tales estructuras, mientras que instalando sólo estructuras vegetales el número de calandinos, Squalius alburnoides, capturados disminuía. El black bass no capturó ninguna de las dos especies en mayor número en ausencia de estructuras o en estructuras vegetales, pero capturó el calandino más frecuentemente en presencia de estructuras de ladrillo

A case of cycloid psychotic disorder

Based on a case of an acute and transient psychotic disorder with full recovery between recurrences, the authors remind the concept of cycloid psychoses. This diagnosis has been neglected in modern psychiatry and in the current nosological systems. However, the cycloid psychoses concept may offer an alternative diagnosis for some psychotic disorders in spite of the need of more studies to improve the understanding of its etiology and treatment

Natural variability of lotic Mediterranean ecosystems or wildfire perturbations: who will win?

This study evaluates the impacts of wildfires in lotic Mediterranean ecosystems. It was carried out at Monchique ridge after big wildfires occurred during 2002 and 2003. Deferential impacts were evaluated comparing historical results obtained before the wildfires (1999 and 2001), with the post fire ones (2006 and 2007). Physical and chemical parameters of the water, habitat morphology, diatoms, macrophytes, macroinvertebrates and fishes were evaluated at 10 collecting places, before and after wildfires. High recovering rates were observed to the vegetation, but it is still possible to found fire impacts over macrophytes and river morphology. Wildfires, contributed to canopy decrease and, consequently to the growth of plants that usually are controlled by shadow. As a result, vegetation biodiversity tend to increase. River banks tend also to be invaded by terrestrial plants. Higher post fires recover rates were observed to the more aquatic communities (diatoms, macroinvertebrates and fishes). For those communities, comparing spring situations before and after the fires no substantial differences were observed. Sometimes differences between consecutive years are even higher. So it can be concluded that magnitude of wildfire impacts is less than the natural inter-annual variability of Mediterranean rivers. Long-term effects of forest fires, resulting from large woody debries, were also detected by morphological alterations, like debries dams. Habitat diversity increase and impacts on aquatic communities are expected