A Polarization Approach for Understanding Online Conflicts in Times of Pandemic: A Brazilian Case Study

As society becomes digitalized, online social networks tend to be primary places for debate but can turn into a battlefield for imposing conflicting narratives. Automating the identification of online conflicts is a challenge due to difficulties in defining antagonist communities and controversial discussions. Here, we propose a polarization approach for understanding Twitter conflicts in Brazil during the COVID-19 pandemic, where a small group of polarizers influences a larger group of polarizees according to their ideological leaning. Polarizers are automatically identified by centrality metrics in following, retweet, and reply networks, and manually labeled as leftists, rightists, or undefined. We collected and analyzed the polarization of 21 potentially conflicted political events in Brazil. Our results show that polarizers adequately represent the polarization of events, the traditional media is giving way to a new breed of tweeters, and retweet and reply play different roles within a conflict that reflects their polarization level

Dynamics of Conflicts on the Twitter Social Network: a case study on the use of chloroquine in Brazil

Concerns about the advances of the COVID-19 epidemic have sparked many debates around the world. One such discussion revolved around the use of the drug called chloroquine, initially thought to be effective in reducing the mortality rate of the infection. Particularly in Brazil, even after new studies pointed to the drug\u27s ineffectiveness, the federal government kept the recommendation of this drug as an official treatment. The publication of an official authorization of the use of chloroquine on Twitter sparked an intense debate on social media with arguments against and in favor. This paper studies the dynamics of interactions among different user groups around this discussion, relying on network science and topic modeling analyses. Our results highlight two distinct behaviors in Twitter interaction networks, where retweets serve as positive reinforcements within information bubbles and replies act as a space of direct debate. Also, discussions are seeded by public figures, but regular users carry on the debate per se. The topic modeling analyses revealed three observable user groups in this debate: strong supporters of the Brazilian government, progressive opposition to this government, and moderate users that oppose to this specific topic but do not reject the government agenda as a whole

High extinction risk and limited habitat connectivity of Muñoa's pampas cat, an endemic felid of the Uruguayan Savanna ecoregion

Muñoa´s pampas cat (recently proposed to be a distinct species, Leopardus munoai) is a small felid that is endemic to the Uruguayan Savanna ecoregion (encompassing southern Brazil, north-eastern Argentina and Uruguay). Previous studies have suggested that it is threatened, but its conservation assessment has been hampered by the scarcity of data on its ecology, including spatial distribution, population size, and connectivity. To address these issues, we developed current spatial distribution models and used them to: (i) identify the environmental variables affecting L. munoai habitat suitability; (ii) generate estimates of population size to assess its conservation status based on IUCN criteria; (iii) estimate habitat suitability in protected areas; (iv) identify potential paths of connectivity among protected areas and sites of confirmed occurrence; and (v) assess the proportion of the estimated connectivity paths that overlap with threatened areas (based on future threat projections). Our results indicated higher habitat suitability in the central area of the species? distribution. All estimates (based on different demographic assumptions) indicated that L. munoai should be categorized in one of the IUCN threatened categories. Worryingly, several estimates indicated that it may be Critically Endangered. Only 0.73 % of its high-suitability landscape is presently protected, and connectivity among most protected areas and occurrence records was low. Additionally, areas with estimated connectivity among occurrence records mostly overlapped with regions with a high level of future habitat loss threat (92.46 %), highlighting the urgent need for an international approach to ensure the long-term survival of this elusive felid.Fil: Tirelli, Flávia P.. Pontificia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul; Brasil. University of Oxford; Reino Unido. Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul; Brasil. Instituto Pró-Carnívoros; BrasilFil: Trigo, Tatiane C.. Instituto Pró-Carnívoros; Brasil. Secretariat of Environment and Infrastructure, Department of Biodiversity, Mammalogy Sector, Museum of Natural Sciences; BrasilFil: Queirolo, Diego. Universidad de la República; UruguayFil: Kasper, Carlos Benhur. Universidade Federal do Pampa; BrasilFil: Bou, Nadia. Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas "Clemente Estable"; UruguayFil: Peters, Felipe. Instituto Pró-Carnívoros; BrasilFil: Mazim, Fábio D.. Instituto Pró-Carnívoros; BrasilFil: Martínez Lanfranco, Juan Andrés. University of Alberta; CanadáFil: González, Enrique M.. National Museum of Natural History, Mammalogy Section; UruguayFil: Espinosa, Caroline. Universidade Federal do Rio Grande; BrasilFil: Favarini, Mariana. Instituto Pró-Carnívoros; BrasilFil: Gonçalves da Silva, Lucas. University of Brasília; BrasilFil: Macdonald, David W.. University of Oxford; Reino UnidoFil: Lucherini, Mauro. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Bahía Blanca. Instituto de Ciencias Biológicas y Biomédicas del Sur. Universidad Nacional del Sur. Departamento de Biología, Bioquímica y Farmacia. Instituto de Ciencias Biológicas y Biomédicas del Sur; ArgentinaFil: Eizirik, Eduardo. Instituto Pró-Carnívoros; Brasi

NEOTROPICAL XENARTHRANS: a data set of occurrence of xenarthran species in the Neotropics

Xenarthrans—anteaters, sloths, and armadillos—have essential functions for ecosystem maintenance, such as insect control and nutrient cycling, playing key roles as ecosystem engineers. Because of habitat loss and fragmentation, hunting pressure, and conflicts with domestic dogs, these species have been threatened locally, regionally, or even across their full distribution ranges. The Neotropics harbor 21 species of armadillos, 10 anteaters, and 6 sloths. Our data set includes the families Chlamyphoridae (13), Dasypodidae (7), Myrmecophagidae (3), Bradypodidae (4), and Megalonychidae (2). We have no occurrence data on Dasypus pilosus (Dasypodidae). Regarding Cyclopedidae, until recently, only one species was recognized, but new genetic studies have revealed that the group is represented by seven species. In this data paper, we compiled a total of 42,528 records of 31 species, represented by occurrence and quantitative data, totaling 24,847 unique georeferenced records. The geographic range is from the southern United States, Mexico, and Caribbean countries at the northern portion of the Neotropics, to the austral distribution in Argentina, Paraguay, Chile, and Uruguay. Regarding anteaters, Myrmecophaga tridactyla has the most records (n = 5,941), and Cyclopes sp. have the fewest (n = 240). The armadillo species with the most data is Dasypus novemcinctus (n = 11,588), and the fewest data are recorded for Calyptophractus retusus (n = 33). With regard to sloth species, Bradypus variegatus has the most records (n = 962), and Bradypus pygmaeus has the fewest (n = 12). Our main objective with Neotropical Xenarthrans is to make occurrence and quantitative data available to facilitate more ecological research, particularly if we integrate the xenarthran data with other data sets of Neotropical Series that will become available very soon (i.e., Neotropical Carnivores, Neotropical Invasive Mammals, and Neotropical Hunters and Dogs). Therefore, studies on trophic cascades, hunting pressure, habitat loss, fragmentation effects, species invasion, and climate change effects will be possible with the Neotropical Xenarthrans data set. Please cite this data paper when using its data in publications. We also request that researchers and teachers inform us of how they are using these data