Three dimensions of religious place-making in diaspora

In this article, we explore comparatively how migrant minorities draw from their religious resources to carve out spaces of livelihood in three global cities (Kajang-Kuala Lumpur, Johannesburg and London). We also examine the spatial regimes through which the state and its apparatuses seek to manage the migrants’ presence and (in)visibility within these urban spaces. In particular, we focus on three of the most salient dimensions of migrants’ religious place-making: embodied performance, the spatial management of difference and belonging, and multiple embedding across networked spaces. Although these three dimensions intersect in dynamic, often tensile ways to constitute the fabric of the life world of migrant minorities, we separated them for heuristic purposes, to highlight the richness and texture of religious place-making

Gut microbiota, diet, and chronic diseases: the role played by oxidative stress

The authors gratefully acknowledge the Espirito Santo Research Foundation (FAPES) (Grant CNPq/FAPES No. 24/2018; Termo Outorga 569/2018) and the Brazilian National Council for Research and Development (CNPq) (CNPq Grant Bolsa Produtividade 2015-2019) for the financial support to our research projectS

Evaluación y manejo de primera crisis epiléptica

Epileptic seizures are a common cause of medical consultation in the emergency room and in outpatient settings. The evaluation of the first epileptic seizure is of upmost importance as not all patients presenting with seizures have epilepsy (two or more unprovoked crises separated more than 24 hours; one single crisis with a high risk of recurrence (>60%); or evidence of an epileptic syndrome needing treatment based on the definition by the International League against Epilepsy). On the other hand, not every patient with a first episode should be just observed not offering proper treatment. This decision is based on the risk of recurrence. For that purpose, the American Academy of Neurology (AAN) recommends classifying the first seizures into five groups depending on the risk of recurrence, these groups are: patients with provoked seizures; patients with acute symptomatic seizures; patients with remote symptomatic seizures; first seizure associated with an epileptic syndrome, and first seizure of unknown origin. The AAN guidelines for the management of the first seizure published in 2015 suggests that patients with symptomatic remote seizures (non-evolutive and old cerebral lesions), patients with interictal epileptiform abnormalities, patients with abnormal findings on MRI or CT scan, and patients with nocturnal seizures had a high risk for recurrence (>60%) and should be treated. Current evidence suggests that there is no difference in early or delay treatment for controlling seizures at the long-term.Las crisis epilépticas son una causa frecuente de consulta en la emergencia y en la atención ambulatoria. La evaluación de una primera crisis epiléptica reviste gran trascendencia en este contexto, ya que la ocurrencia de ésta no implica necesariamente el diagnóstico de epilepsia (dos o más crisis no provocadas separadas por más de 24 horas; una crisis única con alto riesgo de recurrencia (>60%); o la evidencia de un síndrome epiléptico – definición de la Liga Internacional para la Lucha Contra la Epilepsia, ILAE) y el tratamiento subsecuente. Por otro lado, no todo paciente con primera crisis debe ser dejado en observación sin recibir el manejo apropiado. Esta decisión está en función del riesgo de recurrencia de crisis. Para ello, la Academia Americana de Neurología (AAN de sus siglas en inglés) recomienda la clasificación de la primera crisis epiléptica en cinco grupos y dependiendo del riesgo de recurrencia de crisis establecido para cada uno de ellos, se tendrá una guía para proceder o no con el tratamiento antiepiléptico. Los grupos son: pacientes con crisis epiléptica provocadas; pacientes con crisis sintomáticas agudas; pacientes con crisis sintomática remotas; primera crisis asociada a síndromes epilépticos; primera crisis de causa desconocida. La guía publicada por AAN en el 2015 para el manejo de primera crisis, sugiere que los pacientes con crisis sintomáticas remotas (lesiones cerebrales pasadas no evolutivas), pacientes con anormalidades epileptiformes interictales; pacientes con estudios de imagen anormales (RMN y TC); y pacientes con crisis nocturnas, tienen un riesgo elevado para recurrencia de crisis (>60%) por lo que deben ser tratadas. La evidencia disponible a la fecha sugiere también que no hay diferencia significativa en el inicio precoz o diferido del tratamiento antiepiléptico para el control de las crisis a largo plazo

Nut production in Bertholletia excelsa across a logged forest mosaic: implications for multiple forest use

Although many examples of multiple-use forest management may be found in tropical smallholder systems, few studies provide empirical support for the integration of selective timber harvesting with non-timber forest product (NTFP) extraction. Brazil nut (Bertholletia excelsa, Lecythidaceae) is one of the world’s most economically-important NTFP species extracted almost entirely from natural forests across the Amazon Basin. An obligate out-crosser, Brazil nut flowers are pollinated by large-bodied bees, a process resulting in a hard round fruit that takes up to 14 months to mature. As many smallholders turn to the financial security provided by timber, Brazil nut fruits are increasingly being harvested in logged forests. We tested the influence of tree and stand-level covariates (distance to nearest cut stump and local logging intensity) on total nut production at the individual tree level in five recently logged Brazil nut concessions covering about 4000 ha of forest in Madre de Dios, Peru. Our field team accompanied Brazil nut harvesters during the traditional harvest period (January-April 2012 and January-April 2013) in order to collect data on fruit production. Three hundred and ninety-nine (approximately 80%) of the 499 trees included in this study were at least 100 m from the nearest cut stump, suggesting that concessionaires avoid logging near adult Brazil nut trees. Yet even for those trees on the edge of logging gaps, distance to nearest cut stump and local logging intensity did not have a statistically significant influence on Brazil nut production at the applied logging intensities (typically 1–2 timber trees removed per ha). In one concession where at least 4 trees ha-1 were removed, however, the logging intensity covariate resulted in a marginally significant (0.09) P value, highlighting a potential risk for a drop in nut production at higher intensities. While we do not suggest that logging activities should be completely avoided in Brazil nut rich forests, when a buffer zone cannot be observed, low logging intensities should be implemented. The sustainability of this integrated management system will ultimately depend on a complex series of socioeconomic and ecological interactions. Yet we submit that our study provides an important initial step in understanding the compatibility of timber harvesting with a high value NTFP, potentially allowing for diversification of forest use strategies in Amazonian Perù

Ethnobotanical knowledge is vastly under-documented in northwestern South America

A main objective of ethnobotany is to document traditional knowledge about plants before it disappears. However, little is known about the coverage of past ethnobotanical studies and thus about how well the existing literature covers the overall traditional knowledge of different human groups. To bridge this gap, we investigated ethnobotanical data-collecting efforts across four countries (Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia), three ecoregions (Amazon, Andes, Chocó), and several human groups (including Amerindians, mestizos, and Afro-Americans). We used palms (Arecaceae) as our model group because of their usefulness and pervasiveness in the ethnobotanical literature. We carried out a large number of field interviews (n = 2201) to determine the coverage and quality of palm ethnobotanical data in the existing ethnobotanical literature (n = 255) published over the past 60 years. In our fieldwork in 68 communities, we collected 87,886 use reports and documented 2262 different palm uses and 140 useful palm species. We demonstrate that traditional knowledge on palm uses is vastly under-documented across ecoregions, countries, and human groups. We suggest that the use of standardized data-collecting protocols in wide-ranging ethnobotanical fieldwork is a promising approach for filling critical information gaps. Our work contributes to the Aichi Biodiversity Targets and emphasizes the need for signatory nations to the Convention on Biological Diversity to respond to these information gaps. Given our findings, we hope to stimulate the formulation of clear plans to systematically document ethnobotanical knowledge in northwestern South America and elsewhere before it vanishesThis study was funded by the European Union, 7th Framework Programme (contract no. 212631), the Russel E. Train Education for Nature Program of the WWF (to NPZ), the Anne S. Chatham fellowship of the Garden Club of America (to NPZ), and the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid travel grants programme (to RCL

Measurement of the cosmic ray spectrum above 4×10184{\times}10^{18} eV using inclined events detected with the Pierre Auger Observatory

A measurement of the cosmic-ray spectrum for energies exceeding $4{\times}10^{18}$ eV is presented, which is based on the analysis of showers with zenith angles greater than $60^{\circ}$ detected with the Pierre Auger Observatory between 1 January 2004 and 31 December 2013. The measured spectrum confirms a flux suppression at the highest energies. Above $5.3{\times}10^{18}$ eV, the "ankle", the flux can be described by a power law $E^{-\gamma}$ with index $\gamma=2.70 \pm 0.02 \,\text{(stat)} \pm 0.1\,\text{(sys)}$ followed by a smooth suppression region. For the energy ($E_\text{s}$) at which the spectral flux has fallen to one-half of its extrapolated value in the absence of suppression, we find $E_\text{s}=(5.12\pm0.25\,\text{(stat)}^{+1.0}_{-1.2}\,\text{(sys)}){\times}10^{19}$ eV.Comment: Replaced with published version. Added journal reference and DO

Understanding different dominance patterns in western Amazonian forests

Dominance of neotropical tree communities by a few species is widely documented, but dominant trees show a variety of distributional patterns still poorly understood. Here, we used 503 forest inventory plots (93,719 individuals ≥2.5 cm diameter, 2609 species) to explore the relationships between local abundance, regional frequency and spatial aggregation of dominant species in four main habitat types in western Amazonia. Although the abundance-occupancy relationship is positive for the full dataset, we found that among dominant Amazonian tree species, there is a strong negative relationship between local abundance and regional frequency and/or spatial aggregation across habitat types. Our findings suggest an ecological trade-off whereby dominant species can be locally abundant (local dominants) or regionally widespread (widespread dominants), but rarely both (oligarchs). Given the importance of dominant species as drivers of diversity and ecosystem functioning, unravelling different dominance patterns is a research priority to direct conservation efforts in Amazonian forests.Publisher PDFPeer reviewe

Energy Estimation of Cosmic Rays with the Engineering Radio Array of the Pierre Auger Observatory

The Auger Engineering Radio Array (AERA) is part of the Pierre Auger Observatory and is used to detect the radio emission of cosmic-ray air showers. These observations are compared to the data of the surface detector stations of the Observatory, which provide well-calibrated information on the cosmic-ray energies and arrival directions. The response of the radio stations in the 30 to 80 MHz regime has been thoroughly calibrated to enable the reconstruction of the incoming electric field. For the latter, the energy deposit per area is determined from the radio pulses at each observer position and is interpolated using a two-dimensional function that takes into account signal asymmetries due to interference between the geomagnetic and charge-excess emission components. The spatial integral over the signal distribution gives a direct measurement of the energy transferred from the primary cosmic ray into radio emission in the AERA frequency range. We measure 15.8 MeV of radiation energy for a 1 EeV air shower arriving perpendicularly to the geomagnetic field. This radiation energy -- corrected for geometrical effects -- is used as a cosmic-ray energy estimator. Performing an absolute energy calibration against the surface-detector information, we observe that this radio-energy estimator scales quadratically with the cosmic-ray energy as expected for coherent emission. We find an energy resolution of the radio reconstruction of 22% for the data set and 17% for a high-quality subset containing only events with at least five radio stations with signal.Comment: Replaced with published version. Added journal reference and DO