1,455 research outputs found
Juncus emmanuelis
This species is endemic to a small area in the southwestern Iberian Peninsula, with subpopulations scattered in approximately 16 localities. It is assessed as Endangered (EN B2ab(ii,iii,iv)) because it has an Area of Occupancy (AOO) of less than 500 km2 and shows signs of severe fragmentation due to the ongoing transformation of its specific habitat of sandy soils with an impermeable underlayer in temporary pools, as a result of several ongoing major threats associated with intensive agricultural activities. Based on this information, a continuing decline in the AOO, habitat quality and number of subpopulations has been inferred. Additional research and conservation action is needed for this species
Non-universal results induced by diversity distribution in coupled excitable systems
We consider a system of globally coupled active rotators near the excitable
regime. The system displays a transition to a state of collective firing
induced by disorder. We show that this transition is found generically for any
diversity distribution with well defined moments. Singularly, for the
Lorentzian distribution (widely used in Kuramoto-like systems) the transition
is not present. This warns about the use of Lorentzian distributions to
understand the generic properties of coupled oscillators
Zannichellia contorta
This species is native to southern, central and eastern Spain, with an old record from the Atlas Mountains in northern Morocco requiring confirmation. The species is very sensitive to eutrophication and deterioration of water quality. The Area of Occupancy (AOO) has been estimated to be less than 500 km2 based on confirmed records and knowledge that its habitat is in continuous decline and at least 40% of the known localities have disappeared, especially in southern Spain. Moreover, an ongoing continuing decline in AOO, habitat quality and number of subpopulations of this species due to the increase in nutrients concentration from waters of the streams where it lives, which stops its growth, has been observed. The same process of habitat deterioration is happening in central and eastern Spain. The population of this species is severely fragmented with more than half of its subpopulations being isolated with no exchange possibilities and suspected to have reached no viable levels. It therefore qualifies to be listed in the category Endangered (EN B2ab(ii,iii,iv)) in the Mediterranean region. Resource and habitat protection and site management are needed. Other recommended conservation measures are ex situ conservation, population and distribution research, and habitat and population monitoring
Pancreaticoduodenal transplantation in humans
Whole cadaveric pancreata were transplanted to the pelvic extraperitoneal location in four patients with diabetes who previously had undergone successful cadaveric renal transplantation. One graft was lost within a few hours from venous thrombosis but with patient survival. The other three are providing normal endocrine function after two and a half, 11 and 12 months. The exocrine pancreatic secretions were drained into the recipient jejunum through enteric anastomoses. Because mucosal slough of the graft and duodenum and jejunum in two patients caused a protein losing enteropathy and necessitated reoperations, we now do the pancreatic transplantation with only a blister of graft duodenum large enough for side-to-side enteroenterostomy. The spleen has been transplanted with the pancreas mainly for technical reasons, and this technique should have further trials in spite of the fact that delayed graft splenectomy became necessary in two recipients to treat graft induced hematologic complications
The design and relevance of a computerised therapy program for indigenous MÄori adolescents.
Background: Depression is a major health issue among MÄori indigenous adolescents, yet there has been little investigation into the relevance or effectiveness of psychological treatments for them. Further, consumer views are critical for engagement and adherence to therapy. However, there is little research regarding indigenous communitiesâ opinions about psychological interventions for depression.
Objective: The objective of this study was to conduct semistructured interviews with MÄori (indigenous New Zealand) young people (taitamariki) and their families to find out their opinions of a prototype computerized cognitive behavioral therapy (cCBT) program called Smart, Positive, Active, Realistic, X-factor thoughts (SPARX), a free online computer game intended to help young persons with mild to moderate depression, feeling down, stress or anxiety. The program will teach them how to resolve their issues on their own using Cognitive Behavioural Therapy as psychotherapeutic approach.
Methods: There were seven focus groups on the subject of the design and cultural relevance of SPARX that were held, with a total of 26 participants (19 taitamarki, 7 parents/caregivers, all MÄori). There were five of the groups that were with whÄnau (family groups) (n=14), one group was with MÄori teenage mothers (n=4), and one group was with taitamariki (n=8). The general inductive approach was used to analyze focus group data.
Results: SPARX computerized therapy has good face validity and is seen as potentially effective and appealing for MÄori people. Cultural relevance was viewed as being important for the engagement of MÄori young people with SPARX. WhÄnau are important for young peoplesâ well-being. Participants generated ideas for improving SPARX for MÄori and for the inclusion of whÄnau in its delivery.
Conclusions: SPARX computerized therapy had good face validity for indigenous young people and families. In general, MÄori participants were positive about the SPARX prototype and considered it both appealing and applicable to them. The results of this study were used to refine SPARX prior to it being delivered to taitamariki and non-MÄori young people
Population characteristics of the crab Monodaeus couchii (Crustacea, Brachyura, Xanthidae) in the Western Mediterranean
Spatiotemporal Chaos, Localized Structures and Synchronization in the Vector Complex Ginzburg-Landau Equation
We study the spatiotemporal dynamics, in one and two spatial dimensions, of
two complex fields which are the two components of a vector field satisfying a
vector form of the complex Ginzburg-Landau equation. We find synchronization
and generalized synchronization of the spatiotemporally chaotic dynamics. The
two kinds of synchronization can coexist simultaneously in different regions of
the space, and they are mediated by localized structures. A quantitative
characterization of the degree of synchronization is given in terms of mutual
information measures.Comment: 6 pages, using bifchaos.sty (included). 7 figures. Related material,
including higher quality figures, could be found at
http://www.imedea.uib.es/PhysDept/publicationsDB/date.html . To appear in
International Journal of Bifurcation and Chaos (1999
Phase Synchronization and Polarization Ordering of Globally-Coupled Oscillators
We introduce a prototype model for globally-coupled oscillators in which each
element is given an oscillation frequency and a preferential oscillation
direction (polarization), both randomly distributed. We found two collective
transitions: to phase synchronization and to polarization ordering. Introducing
a global-phase and a polarization order parameters, we show that the transition
to global-phase synchrony is found when the coupling overcomes a critical value
and that polarization order enhancement can not take place before global-phase
synchrony. We develop a self-consistent theory to determine both order
parameters in good agreement with numerical results
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