Addressing the social landscape dimensions: the need for reconciling cross scale assessments.

The rural development policy community is calling for new transdisciplinary approaches to convey public preferences into meaningful measures for assessing landscape capacity to provide public goods. Some of the public goods which rural landscapes provide relate to landscape appreciation which reflects people’s preferences for particular features in a given landscape or certain geographic unit. Assessing landscape appreciation can be dealt with at different spatial scales, e.g from the European to the local, however these assessments often rely on different data and methodological approaches (Paracchini et al 2012). At broader spatial scales, a common procedure is to use proxy indicators (mostly environmental indicators), derived from European datasets such as Eurostat or Corine, being those indicators often integrated into composite indexes driving appreciation indirectly, while at the local and regional scales landscape preference surveys are operational thus a straightforward common method used to directly gather data on landscape appreciation (mostly landscape indicators) (Pinto Correia and Carvalho Ribeiro 2012). The problem is not only to gauge whether or not those assessments deliver comparable results but as well to critically analyse how these top down and bottom up approaches can be reconciled in order to comprehensively tackle landscape appreciation in such a way this can inform policy making at different scales of governance. Another issue is that while there is an array of environmental indicators derived at multiple scales of analysis, on the contrary landscape indicators – including the social dimension - are scarce. Differences between environmental indicators and landscape indicators therefore lie in the fact that the latter cannot necessarily be generalized and applied to any context. In fact, the characteristics of different landscapes and the values related to appreciation by people are likely to be different.The work developed throughout this paper addresses this issue as it builds on both conceptual and empirical basis of landscape research in order to comprehensively derive a cross scale set of social landscape indicators for conveying the appreciation people derives from rural agrarian landscapes across the diverse European settings. The work comprises a literature review and subsequent meta-analysis of studies on landscape related subjects that were further assessed and validated. The ways in which to integrate land cover datasets on the data analysis was also explored. Although in different ways, land cover was considered as one promising avenue for devising indicators that bridge agri-environmental and social spheres. An attempt at framing and mapping the results was made by addressing scale issues in order to meaningfully incorporate these results at different levels of governance

Assessing the capacity of landscapes in providing public goods based on the social demand

The goal of this paper is to define, assess and geographically delimitate the public goods related to amenity and recreation provided by the agriculture and agro-forestry land covers in the context of the Alentejo landscape in Southern Portugal. Assessing and mapping the recreational public goods rural landscapes are able to provide can be dealt with at different spatial scales, e.g. from the European to the local scales. However, these assessments often rely on different data and methodological approaches. At broader spatial scales, a common procedure is to use proxy indicators, derived from European datasets such as Euro Stat, being those indicators often integrated into composite indexes deriving recreation through the demand and consumption approaches (e.g. number of beds in touristic areas) , while at the local and regional scales landscape preference surveys are operational thus, a straightforward manner to directly gather data on the most preferred landscape components for recreation, this way focussing on the supply approach. The problem is not only to gauge whether or not those assessments deliver comparable results but as well to critically analyse how these top down and bottom up approaches can be reconciled in order to comprehensively tackle recreation public goods in such a way this can inform policy making at different scales of governance. It is acknowledged that integrated multiscale assessments are inherently more complicated and often more expensive than assessments at single scales but efforts have been made in order to derive a simple and operational frameworks for comprehensively tackle a multiscale assessments. The work developed throughout this paper addresses this issue by identifying, assessing and mapping the areas likely to fulfil different types of recreational needs at the regional scale in Alentejo and further explores ways forward to upscale the results to the European scale

Caracterização petrológica e geoquímica do vulcanismo da Ilha de São Jorge, Açores

Doutoramento em GeociênciasThe island of São Jorge (38º 45’ 24’’ N - 28º 20’ 44’’W and 38º 33’ 00’’ N - 27º 44’ 32’’ W) is one of the nine islands of the Azores Archipelago that is rooted in the Azores Plateau, a wide and complex region which encompasses the triple junction between the American, Eurasia and Nubia plates. São Jorge Island has grown by fissural volcanic activity along fractures with the regional WNW-ESE trend, unveiling the importance of the regional tectonics during volcanic activity. The combination of the volcanostratigraphy (Forjaz & Fernandes, 1975; and Madeira, 1998) with geochronological data evidences that the island developed during two main volcanic phases. The first subaerial phase that occurred between 1.32 and 1.21 Ma ago (Hildenbrand et al. 2008) is recorded on the lava sequence forming the cliff at Fajã de São João, while the second phase started at 757 ka ago, is still active, and edified the rest of the island. This second phase edified the east side of the island that corresponds to Topo Volcanic Complex, in the period between 757 and 543 ka ago, while the west side named Rosais Volcanic Complex, started at 368 ka ago (Hildenbrand et al. 2008) and was still active at 117 ka ago. After the onset of Rosais, volcanic activity migrates to the center of São Jorge edifying Manadas Volcanic Complex. The volcanism on São Jorge is dominantly alkaline, with a narrow lithological composition ranging between the basanites/tefrites through the basaltic trachyandesites, in spite of this the two volcanic phases show distinct mineralogical, petrographic and geochemical characteristics that should be related with different petrogenetic conditions and growth rates of the island. Abstract viii During the first volcanic phase, growth rates are faster (≈3.4 m/ka), the lavas are slightly less alkaline and plagioclase-richer, pointing to the existence of a relative shallow and dynamic magma chamber where fractional crystallization associated with gravitational segregation and accumulation processes, produced the lavas of Fajã de São João sequence. The average growth rates during the second volcanic phase are lower (≈1.9 m/ka) and the lavas are mainly alkaline sodic, with a mineralogy composed by olivine, pyroxene, plagioclase and oxide phenocrysts, in a crystalline groundmass. The lavas are characterized by enrichment in incompatible trace element and light REE, but show differences for close-spaced lavas that unveil, in some cases, slight different degrees of fertilization of the mantle source along the island. These differences might also result from higher degrees of partial melting, as observed in the early stages of Topo and Rosais volcanic complexes, of a mantle source with residual garnet and amphibole, and/or from changing melting conditions of the mantle source as pressure. The subtle geochemical differences of the lavas contrast with the isotopic signatures, obtained from Sr-Nd-Pb-Hf isotopes, that São Jorge Island volcanism exhibit along its volcanic complexes. The lavas from Topo Volcanic Complex and from the submarine flank, i.e. the lavas located east of Ribeira Seca Fault, sample a mantle source with similar isotopic signature that, in terms of lead, overlaps Terceira Island. The lavas from Rosais and Manadas volcanic complexes, the western lavas, sample a mantle source that becomes progressively more distinct towards the west end of the island and that, in terms of lead isotopes, trends towards the isotopic composition of Faial Island. The two isotopic signatures of São Jorge, observed from the combination of lead isotopes with the other three systems, seem to result from the mixing of three distinct end-members. These end-members are (1) the common component related with the Azores Plateau and the MAR, (2) the eastern component with a FOZO signature and possibly related with the Azores plume located beneath Terceira, and (3) the western component, similar to Faial, where the lithosphere could have been entrained by an ancient magmatic liquid, isolated for a period longer than 2Ga. The two trends observed in the island reinforce the idea of small-scale mantle heterogeneities beneath the Azores region, as it has been proposed to explain the isotopic diversity observed in the Archipelago.A ilha de São Jorge (38º 45’ 24’’ N - 28º 20’ 44’’W e 38º 33’ 00’’ N - 27º 44’ 32’’ W) é uma das nove ilhas do Arquipélago dos Açores que integram uma extensa e complexa estrutura, a Plataforma dos Açores, onde convergem as placas Americana, Eurasiática e Núbia que definem a junção tripla dos Açores. A ilha de São Jorge exibe características próprias, dentro do contexto açoriano, que evidenciam um vulcanismo fissural ao longo da direcção WNW-ESE, indicando uma importante interacção entre a actividade tectónica e a actividade vulcânica. A conjunção entre dados de natureza vulcanoestratigráfica (Forjaz & Fernandes, 1975; and Madeira, 1998) e geocronológica, revelam que a formação da ilha deverá ter decorrido fundamentalmente durante duas fases vulcânicas distintas. Durante a primeira fase vulcânica, entre 1,31 e 1,21 Ma (Hildenbrand et al. 2008) ter-se-á formado o empilhamento lávico sobranceiro à Fajã de São João e, há cerca de 757 Ka, provavelmente, iniciou-se a segunda fase vulcânica que foi responsável pela edificação da restante parte da ilha e que se tem mantido activa até aos nossos dias. Durante a segunda fase vulcânica, no período compreendido entre os 757 e 543 ka, terá sido edificado o Complexo Vulcânico do Topo, constituindo a zona este da ilha; enquanto que a parte oeste, englobando o Complexo Vulcânico dos Rosais, deverá ter-se começado a formar à cerca 368 ka e mantido em actividade até, pelo menos, há aproximadamente 117 ka. Depois da edificação do Complexo Vulcânico dos Rosais a actividade Resumo iv vulcânica parece ter migrado para a zona central da ilha o que conduziu à formação do Complexo Vulcânico das Manadas. O vulcanismo em São Jorge é predominantemente alcalino, apresentando uma diversidade litológica que varia entre os basanitos/tefritos e os traquiandesitos basálticos. Apesar deste pequeno espectro litológico, as duas fases vulcânicas apresentam diferentes características mineralógicas, petrográficas e geoquímicas que deverão derivar de distintas condições petrogenéticas e taxas efusivas diversas e, consequentemente, de velocidades de crescimento dos empilhamentos lávicos distintos. Durante a primeira fase vulcânica, em que a velocidade média de crescimento da ilha foi mais elevada (≈3.4 m/ka), as lavas apresentam-se ligeiramente menos alcalinas e mais enriquecidas em plagioclase. Tais factos sugerem a existência de uma câmara magmática, possivelmente, pouco profunda e bastante dinâmica, sob o empilhamento lávico da Fajã de São João, à qual estarão associados processos de cristalização fraccionada, segregação gravítica e acumulação. A velocidade média de crescimento das sequências lávicas, durante a segunda fase vulcânica, foi mais baixa (≈1.9 m/ka) e as lavas apresentam uma composição, maioritariamente, alcalina sódica em que a paragénese é representada por fenocristais de olivina, piroxena, plagioclase e óxidos. As lavas são caracterizadas por um enriquecimento em elementos traço incompatíveis e terras raras leves mas evidenciam, para lavas geograficamente próximas, diferentes níveis de enriquecimento que poderão indicar pequenas heterogeneidades na fonte mantélica. Outros factores a considerar, que eventualmente contribuem para estas assimetrias, poderão ser: (1) a ocorrência de taxas de fusão ligeiramente mais elevadas, como observado nas lavas mais antigas dos complexos vulcânicos do Topo e Rosais; (2) a presença na fonte mantélica de granada e anfíbola residuais e/ou (3) a variação nas condições de fusão da fonte, tais como, a pressão. As subtis diferenças geoquímicas acima referenciadas contrastam com as assinaturas isotópicas obtidas através dos isótopos de Sr-Nd-Pb-Hf, estando claramente impressas nas lavas dos vários complexos vulcânicos da ilha de São Jorge. As lavas do Complexo Vulcânico do Topo e do flanco submarino, i.e. as lavas localizadas a este da falha da Ribeira Seca, amostram uma fonte mantélica com uma assinatura isotópica, que em termos de chumbo é semelhante à ilha Terceira. Por outro lado, as lavas dos complexos vulcânicos dos Rosais e das Manadas, i.e. as lavas do lado oeste de São Jorge, mostram que a Petrologic and Geochemical Characterization of São Jorge Island Volcanism, Azores v fonte mantélica se torna progressivamente mais diferenciada em termos de isótopos de chumbo, sobrepondo-se à assinatura isotópica da ilha do Faial. As duas assinaturas isotópicas de São Jorge, verificada pelos isótopos de chumbo, em conjugação com os outros três sistemas isotópicos (Sr- Nd-Hf), evidenciam a contribuição de três reservatórios/componentes mantélicos para a formação das composições observadas. Estes componentes mantélicos são (1) o Componente Comum, relacionado com a Plataforma dos Açores e a Crista Média Atlântica, (2) o Componente Este, com uma assinatura FOZO e, possivelmente, relacionado com o ponto quente dos Açores localizado sob a ilha Terceira, e (3) o Reservatório Oeste, semelhante ao encontrado sob a ilha do Faial, onde a litosfera poderá ter sido impregnada por um líquido magmático antigo e isolado no manto por mais de 2Ga. Neste contexto, parece poder-se concluir que as duas assinaturas isotópicas observadas reforçam a existência de pequenas heterogeneidades sob a Região dos Açores, como tem sido proposto, por alguns autores, para explicar a diversidade isotópica observada nas ilhas do Arquipélago

Trypanosoma brucei parasites occupy and functionally adapt to the adipose tissue in mice

This work was supported by 55007419 (HHMI) and 2151 (EMBO) to L.M.F., D.P.-N., F.B., and F.G.; FCT fellowships to S.T., F.R.-F., and F.A.-B. (SFRH/BPD/89833/2012, SFRH/BD/51286/2010, and SFRH/BD/80718/2011, respectively); Wellcome Trust grant (093228), MRC MR/M020118/1, and European Community Seventh Framework Programme under grant agreement No. 602773 (Project KINDRED) to S.A.Y. and T.K.S.; and PAI 7/41 (Belspo) and ERC-NANOSYM to J.V.D.A.Trypanosoma brucei is an extracellular parasite that causes sleeping sickness. In mammalian hosts, trypanosomes are thought to exist in two major niches: early in infection, they populate the blood; later, they breach the blood-brain barrier. Working with a well-established mouse model, we discovered that adipose tissue constitutes a third major reservoir for T. brucei. Parasites from adipose tissue, here termed adipose tissue forms (ATFs), can replicate and were capable of infecting a naive animal. ATFs were transcriptionally distinct from bloodstream forms, and the genes upregulated included putative fatty acid β-oxidation enzymes. Consistent with this, ATFs were able to utilize exogenous myristate and form β-oxidation intermediates, suggesting that ATF parasites can use fatty acids as an external carbon source. These findings identify the adipose tissue as a niche for T. brucei during its mammalian life cycle and could potentially explain the weight loss associated with sleeping sickness.Publisher PDFPeer reviewe

Measuring societal awareness of the rural agrarian landscape: indicators and scale issues

The work presented in this report is part of the effort to define the landscape state and diversity indicator in the frame of COM (2006) 508 “Development of agri-environmental indicators for monitoring the integration of environmental concerns into the common agricultural policy”. The Communication classifies the indicators according to their level of development, which, for the landscape indicator is “in need of substantial improvements in order to become fully operational”. For this reason a full re-definition of the indicator has been carried out, following the initial proposal presented in the frame of the IRENA operation (“Indicator Reporting on the Integration of Environmental Concerns into Agricultural Policy”). The new proposal for the landscape state and diversity indicator is structured in three components: the first concerns the degree of naturalness, the second landscape structure, the third the societal appreciation of the rural landscape. While the first two components rely on a strong bulk of existing literature, the development of the methodology has made evident the need for further analysis of the third component, which is based on a newly proposed top-down approach. This report presents an in-depth analysis of such component of the indicator, and the effort to include a social dimension in large scale landscape assessment.JRC.H.4-Monitoring Agricultural Resource

Cardiac autonomic impairment and chronotropic incompetence in fibromyalgia

Abstract\ud \ud \ud \ud Introduction\ud \ud We aimed to gather knowledge on the cardiac autonomic modulation in patients with fibromyalgia (FM) in response to exercise and to investigate whether this population suffers from chronotropic incompetence (CI).\ud \ud \ud \ud Methods\ud \ud Fourteen women with FM (age: 46 ± 3 years; body mass index (BMI): 26.6 ± 1.4 kg/m2) and 14 gender-, BMI- (25.4 ± 1.3 kg/m2), and age-matched (age: 41 ± 4 years) healthy individuals (CTRL) took part in this cross-sectional study. A treadmill cardiorespiratory test was performed and heart-rate (HR) response during exercise was evaluated by the chronotropic reserve. HR recovery (deltaHRR) was defined as the difference between HR at peak exercise and at both first (deltaHRR1) and second (deltaHRR2) minutes after the exercise test.\ud \ud \ud \ud Results\ud \ud FM patients presented lower maximal oxygen consumption (VO2 max) when compared with healthy subjects (22 ± 1 versus CTRL: 32 ± 2 mL/kg/minute, respectively; P < 0.001). Additionally, FM patients presented lower chronotropic reserve (72.5 ± 5 versus CTRL: 106.1 ± 6, P < 0.001), deltaHRR1 (24.5 ± 3 versus CTRL: 32.6 ± 2, P = 0.059) and deltaHRR2 (34.3 ± 4 versus CTRL: 50.8 ± 3, P = 0.002) than their healthy peers. The prevalence of CI was 57.1% among patients with FM.\ud \ud \ud \ud Conclusions\ud \ud Patients with FM who undertook a graded exercise test may present CI and delayed HR recovery, both being indicative of cardiac autonomic impairment and higher risk of cardiovascular events and mortality.This work was supported by the Fundação de Amparo a Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (Grant 2009/51897-5)

Atrial Fibrillation Diagnosis using ECG Records and Self-Report in the Community:Cross-Sectional Analysis from ELSA-Brasil

FUNDAMENTO: A fibrilação ou flutter atrial (FFA) é a arritmia cardíaca sustentada mais comum. Existem poucos dados sobre a epidemiologia da FFA na América do Sul. OBJETIVO: O presente estudo procurou descrever a epidemiologia clínica da FFA e o uso de anticoagulantes na avaliação da linha de base do Estudo Longitudinal da Saúde do Adulto (ELSA-Brasil). MÉTODOS: Foram analisados dados de 13.260 participantes do ELSA-Brasil. A FFA foi definida pelo eletrocardiograma ou por autorrelato. Modelos de regressão logística foram construídos para analisar fatores associados à FFA. Este estudo também analisou se idade e sexo estavam associados ao uso de anticoagulantes para evitar acidente vascular cerebral. O nível de significância foi de 5%. RESULTADOS: A idade mediana foi de 51 anos, e 7.213 (54,4%) participantes eram mulheres. A FFA foi detectada em 333 (2,5%) participantes. O aumento da idade (razão de chances [RC]:1,05; intervalo de confiança de 95% [IC95%]: 1,04-1,07), hipertensão (RC:1,44; IC95%:1,14-1,81) coronariopatia (RC: 5,11; IC95%:3,85–6,79), insuficiência cardíaca (RC:7,37; IC95%:5,00–10,87) e febre reumática (RC:3,38; IC95%:2,28–5,02) foram associadas à FFA. Dos 185 participantes com FFA e pontuação no CHA(2)DS(2)-VASc≥2, apenas 20 (10,8%) usavam anticoagulantes (50,0% entre aqueles com FFA no eletrocardiograma de linha de base). O uso de anticoagulantes nesse grupo foi associado a maior idade (1,8% vs 17,7% naqueles com idade ≤ 54 e ≥ 65 anos, respectivamente; p=0,013). Observou-se uma tendência ao menor uso de anticoagulantes em mulheres (7,1% vs. 16,4% em mulheres e homens, respectivamente; p=0,055). CONCLUSÕES: No recrutamento do ELSA-Brasil, 2,5% dos participantes tinham FFA. O baixo uso de anticoagulantes era comum, o que representa um desafio para os cuidados de saúde nesse cenário

Variabilidade Sazonal e Interanual do Microclima em Área de Floresta no Sudoeste da Amazônia

The Amazon is a recognized global ecosystem, due to its high biodiversity and the magnitude of the mass and energy exchanges performed. In this study it sought to analyze the seasonal and interannual variations of microclimate in a site of tropical forest in southwestern Amazon. For this purpose, net radiation data were used, air temperature, relative humidity and wind speed collected in a micrometeorological tower belonging to the LBA, located in Jaru Biological Reserve, from 2004 to 2010. The results showed that existence of well-defined seasonal patterns was verified, with variations between wet, wet-dry, dry, dry-humid periods for all variables in question. Yet, through analysis of the interannual variations were observed warming of the increment signs and decreased moisture in the locality. This observation, although patchy, deserves special attention, since changes in the microclimate in the Amazon region may have yet unknown consequences.A Amazônia é um ecossistema de reconhecida importância global, devido à sua elevada biodiversidade e a magnitude das trocas de massa e energia por ela realizada. Considerando que as alterações no uso e ocupação do solo na região podem ocasionar mudanças nas condições micrometeorológicas locais, buscou-se com este estudo analisar os aspectos sazonais e variações interanuais do microclima em um sítio de estudos localizado em área de floresta tropical, no sudoeste da Amazônia. Para tanto, foram utilizados dados de saldo de radiação, temperatura do ar, umidade relativa do ar e velocidade do vento coletados em uma torre micrometeorológica pertencente ao Programa LBA, localizada na Reserva Biológica do Jaru, no período de 2004 a 2010. A existência de padrões sazonais bem definidos foi verificada, com variações entre os períodos úmido, úmido-seco, seco e seco-úmido, para todas as variáveis em questão. Ainda, por meio de análises das variações interanuais, foram observados indícios de incremento do aquecimento e diminuição da umidade na localidade. Essa observação, embora pontual, merece especial atenção, visto que modificações no microclima na região Amazônica podem apresentar consequências ainda desconhecidas

Traduzindo os Montes Suábios : tradução comentada do romance Rulaman, de David Friedrich Weinland

O presente artigo é resultado da tradução conjunta do romance Rulaman (1878), de David Friedrich Weinland, iniciada nas disciplinas de Tradução do Alemão II (2020/1) e III (2020/2) e finalizada com o “Grupo de Estudos em Tradução: o romance Rulaman, de David Weinland” (GET-Rulaman), coordenado pela Prof.ª Dra. Erica Foerthmann Schultz. O autor da obra traduzida, David Weinland, possuía extensos conhecimentos científicos nas áreas da Geologia, História e Biologia, o que tornou a tradução da obra infanto-juvenil um desafio não apenas quanto à contextualização histórica de seu vocabulário e à descrição adequada da região alemã em que se passa a história (os Montes Suábios), mas também quanto à padronização técnica de sua terminologia, flertando com tópicos da História da Ciência e exigindo grande pesquisa por parte dos tradutores. Além disso, o romance, escrito para jovens do século XIX, apresenta certos valores, em especial o do eurocentrismo, já não mais compartilhados e inclusive criticados por leitores de nossa época, levantando a questão da tradução sensível a temas como o racismo e o colonialismo. Portanto, objetiva-se aqui apresentar a tradução realizada pelo GET-Rulaman e comentar os desafios enfrentados, as decisões tomadas e as estratégias empregadas pelos tradutores ao longo do processo tradutório através de reflexões, análises e exemplos.Der vorliegende Beitrag entstand aus der gemeinsamen Übersetzung des Romans Rulaman(1878) von David Friedrich Weinland, die in den Fächern Übersetzung aus der deutschen Sprache II (2020/1) und III (2020/2) begonnen und mit der von Frau Prof. Dr. Erica Foerthmann Schultz koordinierten Studiengruppe "Grupo de Estudos em Tradução: o romance Rulaman, de David Weinland" (GET-Rulaman) abgeschlossen wurde. Der Autor des übersetzten Werks, David Weinland, verfügte über ein umfangreiches wissenschaftliches Wissen in den Bereichen Geologie, Geschichtswissenschaft und Biologie, was die Übersetzung des Kinder-und Jugendbuchs zu einer Herausforderung machte, nicht nur in Bezug auf die historische Kontextualisierung des Wortschatzes und die angemessene Beschreibung der deutschen Region, in der die Geschichte spielt (die Schwäbische Alb),sondern auch in Bezug auf die Standardisierung der Terminologie, die mit Themen der Wissenschaftsgeschichte zusammenhängt und den Übersetzern viel Recherche abverlangte. Darüber hinaus vermittelt der Roman, der im 19. Jahrhundert für junge Menschen geschrieben wurde, bestimmte Werte, insbesondere den Eurozentrismus, die von den Lesern unserer Zeit nicht mehr geteilt und sogar kritisiert werden, was die Frage nach einer Übersetzung aufwirft, die für Themen wie Rassismus und Kolonialismus sensibel ist. Daher soll hier die von GET-Rulaman durchgeführte Übersetzung vorgestellt unddie Herausforderungen, Entscheidungen und Strategien, die die Übersetzer während des gesamten Übersetzungsprozesses angewandt haben, anhand von Überlegungen, Analysen und Beispielen erläutert werden