Testing remotely-sensed predictors of meso-carnivore habitat use in Mediterranean ecosystems

Context: The legacy of human use of Mediterranean ecosystems results in spatial and temporal heterogeneity of resources for wildlife. Understanding wildlife use of these ecosystems may be improved by including information on ecosystem type, structure, and function extracted from remote sensing data. Objectives: To assess whether we can improve our understanding of wildlife-habitat use by including information on ecosystem type, structure and function. Methods: We tested whether remote sensing derived descriptors of ecosystem type, structure (tree cover and patch size) and function (productivity and stress) determine the habitat of stone martens (Martes foina), common genets (Genetta genetta), and European badgers (Meles meles) in southern Portugal. We linked radio-tracking data from five stone martens, five genets and eight badgers with aerial photography, and some spectra-selectivity to classify vegetation, its structure, productivity and drought stress. Results: Statistically-derived generalized linear mixed regression models using combinations of remotely sensed descriptors of ecosystem type, structure and function, performed better than single ecosystem type descriptors. Conclusion: Inclusion of information on ecosystem functioning in predictive models of habitat use is more informative than ecosystem type alone, suggesting functional relationships between wildlife and their habitat. However, inclusion of both ecosystem type and function maybe limited to finer spatial resolutions. Our results illustrate the untapped potential of remote sensing to provide detailed descriptors of habitat at adequate spatial scales, now that they are freely available and are systematically collected over space and time. This information adds useful insights on wildlife-habitat relationships under changing patterns of land use and climate

Drivers of wood mouse body condition in Mediterranean agroforestry landscapes

Agriculture and pastureland for cattle grazing are common land uses in Mediterranean landscapes. These activities significantly alter the habitat conditions, affecting the body conditions of wild communities, especially those with low vagility, such as small mammals. We aimed to evaluate how cattle grazing and the habitat composition affected the body condition of the wood mouse Apodemus sylvaticus in a southern Mediterranean agroforestry system using the Scale Mass Index (SMI) as an indicator of individuals condition. To assess variation in body condition, wood mice were live-trapped in a gradient of grazed sites with different stocking intensities, as well in sites excluded to grazing at different time periods (1998, 2004, and 2008). Wood mice body conditions were influenced by both microhabitat and macrohabitat drivers, with sex-biased patterns, while for the females, only the shrub species had an influence (a microhabitat variable); for the males, both the shrub species and the undercover density (and specifically their interaction) were the important drivers (microhabitat and macrohabitat variables). Unexpectedly, the physical condition variation detected between periods was not directly proportional to the exclusion period, but rather, a certain degree of similarity was found between the different sites (sites excluded since 2004 paired with grazed sites). These results suggest that the presence of food and shelter are determinants to the wood mouse’s physical condition: for females, securing food sources enhance the body condition, while for males, the degree of cover, and consequently refuge against predators, seems to be determinant. These results reinforce the need for sustainable landscape management to assure the maintenance of habitat heterogeneity.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Uso de imunocaptura para o isolamento de bactérias do ambiente.

Obtenção do soro. Imunocaptura. Procedimentos para imunocaptura. Preparo das amostras. Amostras de plantas.bitstream/CNPAB-2010/32965/1/doc198.pd

Multi-purpose and Multi-source Energy Management System for Biomedical Implants

AbstractThis paper describes a multi-purpose energy management system that can harvest energy from a multitude of power sources. In order to suffice power needs of a smart hip prosthesis, a prototype was built considering the use of two types of power sources: energy harvesting micro-power generators for intermittent implant electronics powering; wireless energy, by means of an activation system, responsible for, when needed, continuously powering the implant electronics and also configuring its mode of operation. Intermittently or continuously, it is now possible to energize more power demanding systems as the ones that uses a RF transceiver. The smart hip prosthesis can now become a wireless body sensor network node using LR-WPAN protocols such as Bluetooth low energy as is intended in this work. Preliminary results proved that is possible to energize a Bluetooth low energy module, for over 100 s, solely using the stored energy produced by one of the micro-power generators

Evidence for entanglement at high temperatures in an engineered molecular magnet

The molecular compound [Fe$_{2}$($\mu_{2}$-oxo)(C$_{3}$H$_{4}$N$_{2}$)$_{6}$(C$_{2}$O$_{4}$)$_{2}$] was designed and synthesized for the first time and its structure was determined using single-crystal X-ray diffraction. The magnetic susceptibility of this compound was measured from 2 to 300 K. The analysis of the susceptibility data using protocols developed for other spin singlet ground-state systems indicates that the quantum entanglement would remain at temperatures up to 732 K, significantly above the highest entanglement temperature reported to date. The large gap between the ground state and the first-excited state (282 K) suggests that the spin system may be somewhat immune to decohering mechanisms. Our measurements strongly suggest that molecular magnets are promising candidate platforms for quantum information processing

Avaliação de progênies de Eucalyptus crebra no norte do Estado de Goiás.

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Spin crossover transition driven by pressure: Barocaloric applications

This article describes a mean-field theoretical model for Spin-Crossover (SCO) materials and explores its implications. It is based on a simple Hamiltonian that yields the high spin molar fraction as a function of temperature and pressure, as well as a temperature-pressure phase diagram for the SCO transition. In order to test the model, we apply it to the giant Barocaloric Effect (BCE) of the SCO material [FeL$_2$][BF$_4$]$_2$ and comprehensively analyse its behavior. We found that optical phonons are responsible for 92\% of the total barocaloric entropy change. DFT calculations show that these optical phonons are mainly assigned to the low frequencies modes of vibration ($<400$ cm$^{-1}$), being associated to the Fe coordination.Comment: 6 figure

Mental illness of the oldest, nutritional status and arterial hypertension

Changes in nutritional status and high blood pressure are very common in elderly with mental disorders. Currently, the interest in knowing associated factors to those variables is to prevent morbidity and mortality risk. The study aim was to evaluate the relationship between mental disorders, nutritional status and blood pressure. It´s a cross-sectional study in a sample of 99 elderly living in community that had a psychiatric emergency episode. Data were collected from the initial evaluation form (IE). Results show multiple pathologies, cognitive deficits, high blood pressure and change in body mass index (BMI). Conclusion: In most of the sample BMI is associated with several co morbidities and co-exists with a temporal disorientation and arterial hypertension. Prevention is the key to maintaining health and well-being.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Mental illness and comorbidities, aspects of initial evaluation

Mental Illness is a public problem in western societies. Recent reports say that the most frequent conditions of psychiatric hospitalization are related to elderly, over 65 years old, diagnosed with dementia, other organic disorders and depression. And we are seeing increasingly in episodes of urgency, consumption of psychoactive drugs, which can foster the emergence of other comorbidities. The aim of this study was to characterize from a socio-demographic, clinical and functional point of view, older people who staged an emergency episode in a psychiatric hospital. This is a cross-sectional, descriptive and correlational study. The sample consisted of 99 elderly people involved in a psychiatric emergency episode in the biennium 2013/2014 and data were collected from the initial evaluation form (IE). Results: People with dementia have more associated diseases than others with other mental Illnesses. Some are at higher risk for potential episodes of falls and loss of functionality and associated factors. Conclusion. More cognitive and functional impairment, evidenced in the functional dependency cycle. The quality of care in later age, requires a multidimensional and interdisciplinary approach. Initial assessment must be complete and holistic in order to give the best care.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio