What Causes People to Change Their Opinion About Climate Change?

After a decade of steady growth in the acceptance of the existence of climate change and its anthropogenic causes, opinions have polarized, with almost one-third of Americans, mostly Republicans, denying that the climate is changing or that human activity is responsible. What causes Americans to change their minds on this issue? Using a large panel data set, we examined the impacts of direct experience with weather anomalies, ideology, relative prioritization of environmental conservation in comparison to economic development, and motivated reasoning that adjusts individual opinion to align with others who share one’s party identification. A generalized ordered logit model confirmed the importance of political ideology, party identification, and relative concern about environmental conservation and economic development on attitude change. The effect of party identification strengthened with attentiveness to news and public affairs, consistent with the logic of motivated reasoning. Recent experience with hot summers, warm winters, droughts, and natural disasters had only a minimal impact on attitude change

Avaliação das características hidrogeológicas e hidroquímicas das águas subterrâneas do município de Estrela - RS

O presente trabalho caracteriza hidrogeológica e hidroquímicamente as águas subterrâneas do município de Estrela/RS, investigando a hipótese de que existe variação espacial e temporal de suas características e influência do Rio Taquari nas mesmas. O estudo foi desenvolvido com informações obtidas na plataforma SIAGAS/CPRM, junto à CORSAN/ SURHI e DRH/SEMA e com dados primários de campo, baseados em: (i) levantamento de coordenadas X,Y e Z de poços com GNSS; (ii) medição de níveis estáticos; e (iii) coletas de solo para análises granulométricas e de DRX. Quatro fontes de captação foram identificadas: (i) Sistema Aquífero Captado não Informado (SACNI), (ii) Mistura de Aquíferos (MA), (iii) Aquífero Botucatu (AB) e (iv) Sistema Aquífero Serra Geral II (SASGII). De forma simplificada, dentre os quatro grupos de captação observados, as melhores vazões médias são obtidas no AB. A hipótese da influência do Rio Taquari nas águas de subsuperfície é pouco provável por este ser interpretado como rio efluente na análise dos mapas potenciométricos. Também é possível destacar a existência de variação espacial, possivelmente refletindo a influência de diferentes famílias observadas, com oscilações temporais pouco significativas e interpretadas como naturais. Em geral, as águas são de boa qualidade e o mapa de vulnerabilidade varia de insignificante a baixa, refletindo características dos solos locais.The work presents the hydrogeological and hydrochemical characterization of groundwater from Estrela/RS, evaluating the hypothesis of temporal and space variation of the consumed water and the influence of Taquari River into the aquifers. The research was based on secondary data obtained from SIAGAS/CPRM, CORSAN/SURHI and DRH/SEMA, and on primary data collected during the field activity: (i) GNSS collection of X, Y and Z coordinates of water well ; (ii) measurement of static level of water well; and (iii) soil sampling for granulometric and X Ray Diffraction analysis. The results suggest four groups of water catchment: (i) unidentified catchment aquifer (SACNI); (ii) aquifer mixture (MA); (iii) Botucatu Aquifer (AB); and (iv) Serra Geral II Aquifer System (SASGII). The most important mean flow rate was calculated for AB. The potentiometric maps classify the Taquari River as effluent, denying the hypothesis of its influence in groundwater. In addition, it is interpreted that the space variation may reflect the different water families identified. The hydrochemical time variation is not significant and can be explained by natural fluctuations. By and large, the quality of the consumed water is good and the vulnerability calculated by GODS methodology varies from insignificant to low, reflecting the residual basalt soils

Engineering Proteinase Inihibitor Genes For Plant Defense Against Predators

Small proteinaceous inhibitors (Mr\u3c20,000) of the digestive serine proteinases of animals and microorganisms are found as moderately abundant proteins in storage organs and leaves of many plant genera. The proteins are powerful inhibitors of the digestive enzymes of plant predators and therefore are considered to be part of the array of defensive chemicals of plants. Proteinase inhibitor genes show excellent promise, using DNA technology, to manipulate plant genomes to express these biologically active proteins in order to improve natural defense systems. Members of two unrelated families of serine proteinase inhibitors found in tomato and potato plants, called Inhibitor I (monomer Mr 8000) and Inhibitor II (monomer Mr 12,300), are under both environmental and developmental regulation in different tissues of the plants. Genes coding for wound-inducible Inhibitors I and II have been isolated from both tomato and potato genomes and characterized. Tobacco plants have been transformed with the chimeric genes containing wound-inducible promoters fused with the reporter gene, chloramphenicol acetyl transferase, to assess promoter function and signal transmission. Transacting factors that regulate their expression in response to wounding are also being identified and purified. Intact genes are being employed to transform agriculturally important crop plants to determine their potential usefulness to enhance defensive capabilities of plants against herbivores and pathogens

Beneficial autoimmunity at body surfaces – immune surveillance and rapid type 2 immunity regulate tissue homeostasis and cancer

Epithelial cells line body surface tissues and provide a physicochemical barrier to the external environment. Frequent microbial and non-microbial challenges such as those imposed by mechanical disruption, injury or exposure to noxious environmental substances including chemicals, carcinogens, ultraviolet-irradiation or toxins cause activation of epithelial cells with release of cytokines and chemokines as well as alterations in the expression of cell surface ligands. Such display of epithelial stress is rapidly sensed by tissue resident immunocytes, which can directly interact with self-moieties on epithelial cells and initiate both local and systemic immune responses. Epithelial cells are thus key drivers of immune surveillance at body surface tissues. However, epithelial cells have a propensity to drive type 2 immunity (rather than type 1) upon non-invasive challenge or stress – a type of immunity whose regulation and function still remain enigmatic. Here we review the induction and possible role of type 2 immunity in epithelial tissues and propose that rapid immune surveillance and type 2 immunity are key regulators of tissue homeostasis and carcinogenesis

Uma análise crítica da aplicação do método Janela do Cliente na avaliação da qualidade do Restaurante Universitário

The Costumer Window method has the main function to measure the level of importance and the degree of satisfaction with the products or services provided by the company, being a tool able to identify the weak points and powers of the company. The purpose of this paper is to present a critical analysis of the application of the method the client window in quality evaluation of University Restaurant, from Federal University of Santa Maria – RS (UFSM). The research involved 1,855 users, including students, teachers and administrative staff. The results showed that in the three units of the University Restaurant, most of the items evaluated is in Quadrant A of the Costumer Window, called "competitive force", ie, most of the items is important to the user and are attended of satisfactorily by restaurants. However, some items are in Quadrant D of the Costumer Window, called "competitive vulnerability", these items are important to the user but they are not being attended adequately. The results of this survey were forwarded to the administration of University Restaurant, which can generate subsides for the formulation of proposals to improvements (changes or adaptations) in the assessed attributes.O método da Janela do Cliente tem por principal função medir o nível de importância e o grau de satisfação em relação aos produtos ou serviços prestados pela empresa, sendo uma ferramenta capaz de identificar os pontos falhos e as potências da empresa. O objetivo desse artigo é apresentar uma análise critica da aplicação do método Janela do Cliente na avaliação da qualidade do Restaurante Universitário da Universidade Federal de Santa Maria – RS (UFSM). Participaram da pesquisa, 1.855 usuários, entre alunos, docentes e técnicos administrativos. Os resultados mostraram que, nas três unidades do Restaurante Universitário, a maioria dos itens avaliados encontra-se no Quadrante A da Janela do Cliente, denominado “força competitiva”, ou seja, a maioria dos itens é importante para o usuário e são atendidos de forma satisfatória pelos restaurantes. No entanto, alguns itens encontram-se no Quadrante D da Janela do Cliente, denominado “vulnerabilidade competitiva”, sendo esses itens importantes para o usuário, porém não estão sendo atendidos de forma adequada. Os resultados dessa pesquisa foram encaminhados à administração do Restaurante Universitário, onde poderão gerar subsídios para formulação de propostas que visam melhorias (mudanças ou adaptações) nos atributos avaliados

Satisfação dos usuários de um Restaurante Universitário: adaptação de uma escala a partir da Teoria da Resposta ao Item

The client’s opinion is one of the most accurate way to evaluate the performance of an organization. The university restaurants play an important role in public institutions of undergraduate education, representing the democratization of the university space, contributing to dropout rate reduction, and improving living conditions for the clients. Item response theory has been presenting good performance in different management applications, including customer satisfaction assessment. Thus, the goal of this paper is to create a scale to evaluate the user satisfaction level of the Universidade Federal de Santa Maria (UFSM) restaurant considering the two-parameter logistic model (2PL) and item response theory (IRT). The data were obtained based on a form prepared using the Google Docs program, in a total of 1.855 respondents. A descriptive analysis of the considered data is presented and the 2LM model was fitted. The results show at what level of the satisfaction assessment the clients of the UFSM university restaurant are situated and the interpretation of the levels. The 2PL and IRT are identified as suitable tools for the data analysis.A avaliação da satisfação de clientes é uma das formas mais eficientes de analisar o desempenho de uma organização. Os restaurantes universitários desempenham um papel de destaque nas Instituições Públicas de Ensino Superior, representam a democratização do espaço universitário, contribuem para a redução dos índices de evasão escolar e possibilitam melhores condições de vida para os usuários. A Teoria de resposta ao item vem mostrando um bom desempenho em várias aplicações na área da gestão, inclusive na avaliação do nível de satisfação de clientes.  Nesse sentido, o presente trabalho teve como objetivo criar uma escala para mensurar o nível de satisfação dos usuários do Restaurante Universitário da Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, por meio do Modelo Logístico de Dois Parâmetros (ML2) da Teoria da Resposta ao Item (TRI). Os dados foram obtidos por meio de um formulário elaborado utilizando o aplicativo Google Docs, totalizando 1.855 respondentes. Uma análise descritiva dos dados é apresentada e em seguida o ML2 é ajustado.  Foi possível identificar em que nível da escala de satisfação os usuários do RU da UFSM estão situados, assim como a interpretação desses níveis. Verificamos que o ML2 da TRI foi adequado para a análise proposta

FOLFIRINOX or Gemcitabine-based Chemotherapy for Borderline Resectable and Locally Advanced Pancreatic Cancer: A Multi-institutional, Patient-Level, Meta-analysis and Systematic Review

BACKGROUND Pancreatic cancer often presents as locally advanced (LAPC) or borderline resectable (BRPC). Neoadjuvant systemic therapy is recommended as initial treatment. It is currently unclear what chemotherapy should be preferred for patients with BRPC or LAPC. METHODS We performed a systematic review and multi-institutional meta-analysis of patient-level data regarding the use of initial systemic therapy for BRPC and LAPC. Outcomes were reported separately for tumor entity and by chemotherapy regimen including FOLFIRINOX (FIO) or gemcitabine-based. RESULTS A total of 23 studies comprising 2930 patients were analyzed for overall survival (OS) calculated from the beginning of systemic treatment. OS for patients with BRPC was 22.0 months with FIO, 16.9 months with gemcitabine/nab-paclitaxel (Gem/nab), 21.6 months with gemcitabine/cisplatin or oxaliplatin or docetaxel or capecitabine (GemX), and 10 months with gemcitabine monotherapy (Gem-mono) (p < 0.0001). In patients with LAPC, OS also was higher with FIO (17.1 months) compared with Gem/nab (12.5 months), GemX (12.3 months), and Gem-mono (9.4 months; p < 0.0001). This difference was driven by the patients who did not undergo surgery, where FIO was superior to other regimens. The resection rates for patients with BRPC were 0.55 for gemcitabine-based chemotherapy and 0.53 with FIO. In patients with LAPC, resection rates were 0.19 with Gemcitabine and 0.28 with FIO. In resected patients, OS for patients with BRPC was 32.9 months with FIO and not different compared to Gem/nab, (28.6 months, p = 0.285), GemX (38.8 months, p = 0.1), or Gem-mono (23.1 months, p = 0.083). A similar trend was observed in resected patients converted from LAPC. CONCLUSIONS In patients with BRPC or LAPC, primary treatment with FOLFIRINOX compared with Gemcitabine-based chemotherapy appears to provide a survival benefit for patients that are ultimately unresectable. For patients that undergo surgical resection, outcomes are similar between GEM+ and FOLFIRINOX when delivered in the neoadjuvant setting

Atrial high-rate episodes and stroke prevention.

While the benefit of oral anticoagulants (OACs) for stroke prevention in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) is well established, it is not known whether oral anticoagulation is indicated in patients with atrial high-rate episodes (AHRE) recorded on a cardiac implantable electronic device, sometimes also called subclinical AF, and lasting for at least 6 min in the absence of clinically diagnosed AF. Clinical evidence has shown that short episodes of rapid atrial tachycarrhythmias are often detected in patients presenting with stroke and transient ischaemic attack. Patients with AHRE have a higher likelihood of suffering from subsequent strokes, but their stroke rate seems lower than in patients with diagnosed AF, and not all AHRE episodes correspond to AF. The prognostic and pathological significance of AHRE is not yet fully understood. Clinical trials of OAC therapy are being conducted to determine whether therapeutic intervention would be beneficial to patients experiencing AHRE in terms of reducing the risk of stroke