Tropical Dry Forest Succession and the Contribution of Lianas to Wood Area Index (WAI)

The transmission and interception of light through the canopy is an important indicator of forest productivity in tropical forest ecosystems, and the amount of light that eventually reaches the forest floor is influenced by its interactions with leaves, branches, fruits, and flowers among many different canopy elements. While most studies of forest canopy light interception focus on leaf area index (LAI), very few studies have examined wood area index (WAI), which may account for a substantial component of light interception in tropical forests. The influence of lianas on the interception of light and their overall contribution to WAI is a potentially important factor, but it is generally overlooked because of its difficulty to assess. In this paper we evaluate the relative contribution that lianas have to the overall WAI and canopy openness as function of successional stage via a latitudinal comparison of sites across the Americas (Mexico, Costa Rica and Brazil). Our results suggest that lianas significantly increase WAI and decreases canopy openness. However, lianas were absent at all of our study sites where canopy openness exceeded 60%. Our data are the first to explicitly document the role of lianas in the estimation of WAI and, overall, they will contribute to better estimations of ecosystem level LAI in tropical environments, where there is a lack of data on WAI

Regresso ao trabalho: vivências conflituantes no exercício do papel parental

Este estudo procurou compreender as experiências das mães que regressam ao trabalho após o término da licença parental, com a finalidade de poder contribuir para a melhoria da qualidade dos cuidados de enfermagem prestados à família nesta etapa de transição no exercício da parentalidade. Foi realizado com recurso ao referencial metodológico da Grounded Theory, com a participação de cinco pais e cinco mães (casais), profissionalmente ativos, com idades compreendidas entre os 26 e 33 anos e com filho nascido de termo e saudável; recolha de dados através de entrevistas semiestruturadas (total de 30 entrevistas), antes e após o reinício da atividade laboral materna. Os resultados explanam a difícil e desafiadora coexistência de papéis desempenhados pela mulher trabalhadora quando se torna mãe e retratam o sofrimento vivido pela mãe por não poder estar constantemente com o filho ao retomar a atividade profissional, finda a licença parental. Desafiam os enfermeiros a dinamizarem estratégias que facilitem e promovam a saúde das mães trabalhadoras, com orientação antecipatória sobre as realidades do retorno ao trabalho no pós-parto

The transition to parenthood: Constructing an explanatory theory with Grounded Theory

A transição para a parentalidade exige profundas transformações e adaptações na vida dos Pais, suscetíveis de provocar desequilíbrio e vulnerabilidade nos próprios e ter implicações no desenvolvimento das crianças. Este estudo procurou compreender como se desenvolve a transição para o exercício da parentalidade durante o primeiro ano de vida da criança. Realizado com Grounded Theory; entrevistas semiestruturadas (total de 75 entrevistas), complementadas com observação, em cinco momentos distintos. Ser pai, ser mãe: um processo em construção na interação é a categoria central do modelo teórico explicativo encontrado, que representa a emergência de uma força que possibilita a transformação pessoal dos Pais, motivada para o cuidado da criança e a renovação de forças necessárias para a luta diária que representa a parentalidade. O estudo amplia a compreensão do fenómeno parentalidade e demonstra a necessidade de refletir sobre as intervenções na prática de cuidados de saúde primários.The transition to parenthood demands deep transformation and adaptation in the parents’ lives. This is likely to cause imbalance and vulnerability to themselves and to have implications in the child’s development. This study aimed to understand how the transition to parenthood unfolds during the child’s first year. Accomplished using the Grounded Theory; semi-structured interviews (total of 75 interviews), complemented with observation (total of 43 visits), at five different moments. Being a father, being a mother: an interaction-based process in the making is the core category of the explanatory theoretical model found. This represents the emergence of a force that enables the parent’s personal transformation, motivated to child care and the restore of the necessary strength for the daily struggle which parenthood represents. The study amplifies the understanding of parenthood as a phenomenon and demonstrates a need to reflect on the interventions in practice at primary health care services.PROTEC 2010-2011, 2011-2012info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Tornar-se pai ou mãe: o desenvolvimento do processo parental

De entre as transições que o sistema familiar enfrenta, a transição para a parentalidade é considerada como uma das mais dramáticas e intensas. Acresce complexificação ao sistema familiar e requer reorganização de identidades e papéis. Este estudo procurou compreender como se desenvolve a transição para o exercício da parentalidade durante o primeiro ano de vida da criança, através do recurso à Grounded Theory e entrevistas semiestruturadas (total de 75), complementadas com observação, em cinco momentos de colheita de dados. A teoria explicativa emergente evidencia o tornar-se pai ou mãe como complexo processo de transformação identitária que ocorre em contínua interação com múltiplos sistemas interrelacionados e sobreleva a temporalidade da condição parental. A metodologia adotada no estudo possibilitou a compreensão da natureza psicossocial do fenómeno parentalidade, produzindo conhecimento que se constitui como ponto de reflexão e sensibilização para a mudança e inovação dos contextos de prática de enfermagem com famílias.PROTEC 2010-2011, 2011-2012info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Reliability of masticatory efficiency with beads and correlation with the muscle activity

TEMA: a avaliação da eficiência mastigatória pela análise colorimétrica com beads, pode ser um método promissor, mas não há relatos sobre a sua confiabilidade. OBJETIVO: investigar a confiabiabilidade das beads para teste de eficiência mastigatória e a correlação com a atividade eletromiográfica dos músculos masseter e temporal anterior. MÉTODO: participaram dezenove sujeitos adultos jovens, nove do gênero masculino e dez do feminino com idades entre dezoito e vinte-oito anos, com dentição completa, sem histórico de desordem temporomandibular, trauma, cirurgia na região de cabeça e pescoço, tratamento ortodôntico ou fonoaudiológico. O teste de eficiência mastigatória foi realizado com beads nas condições: mastigação habitual, mastigação unilateral direita e esquerda, com duração de 20 segundos. Simultaneamente, foi realizada a eletromiografia. A atividade em máxima intercuspidação habitual dos dentes também foi registrada. A quantidade de fucsina liberada após a mastigação foi medida usando o espectrofotômetro Beckman DU-7 UV-Visible (Beckman Inc., Palo Alto, CA, USA). RESULTADOS: houve alta confiabilidade do teste de eficiência mastigatória (r = 0,86, p < 0,01) e correlação significante com a atividade eletromiográfica (r = 0,76, p < 0,01). Também houve correlações positivas quando as provas foram analisadas separadamente. CONCLUSÃO: o teste de eficiência mastigatória realizado com beads mostrou-se um método confiável e correlacionado positivamente à atividade eletromiográfica dos músculos temporal anterior e músculos masseter.BACKGROUND: the use of the colorimetric method with beads to evaluate mastigatory efficiency may be promising, however no report is found about its reliability. AIM: to investigate the reliability of the beads to test masticatory efficiency and its correlation with the electromyographic activities of the anterior temporal and masseter muscles. METHODS: participants of this study were nineteen young adults, nine males and ten females, aged eighteen to twenty-eight years, with full dentition, Angle class I, with no history of temporomandibular disorder, neurological or cognitive deficit, previous or current tumors or traumas in the head and neck region, and orthodontic treatment or orofacial myofunctional therapy. The masticatory efficiency test was performed using beads, fuchsine-containing granules, in the folowing conditions: habitual chewing, right and left unilateral chewing, for 20 seconds. Electromyographic recordings were obtained simultaneously. Also, the maximal clenching was registered. The amount of fuchsin released upon chewing was measured using a Beckman DU-7 UV-Visible Spectrophotometer (Beckman Inc., Palo Alto, CA, USA). RESULTS: high reliability was observed for the masticatory efficiency test (r = 0.86, p < 0.01) and correlation with the electromyographic activities (r = 0.76, p < 0.01). Also, positive and significant correlations were observed when the conditions were separately analyzed. CONCLUSION: the masticatory efficiency test performed with beads proved to be a reliable method and positively correlated to the electromyographic activities of the anterior temporal and masseter muscles

Convertirse en padre y madre: un papel socialmente construido

Enquadramento: Criar uma criança é um desafio de grande responsabilidade pela complexidade de competências e saberes necessários, e exige profundas alterações nos papéis sociais do casal, acompanhadas de necessidades de redefinição/reorganização dos projetos de vida, com padrões de prestação de cuidados que podem influenciar a futura interação pais-criança. Objetivo: Compreender como se desenvolve a transição para o exercício da parentalidade durante os primeiros seis meses de vida da criança. Metodologia: Grounded Theory com a participação de cinco casais. Recolha de dados a partir de entrevistas semiestruturadas. Resultados: Descrevem a categoria encarnando a personagem pai ou mãe, constituída pelas subcategorias: assumindo cuidados no masculino ou feminino, descrevendo-se como pai, descrevendo-se como mãe, vendo a esposa como mãe e vendo o marido como pai. Conclusão: Os pais são levados a uma polarização de papéis de género que define e constrói o significado de ser um bom pai/boa mãe, marido/esposa e homem/mulher. A compreensão destas experiências parentais é fundamental para os enfermeiros poderem apoiar os pais nesta transição.Background: Raising a child is a challenge which demands great responsibility due to the complexity of necessary skills and knowledge, and implies not only deep changes in the couple’s social roles, but also a redefinition/reorganisation of life projects, with caregiving patterns that may influence the future parentschild interaction. Objective: To understand how the transition to parenthood is experienced during the child’s first six months. Methodology: Grounded Theory with the participation of five couples. Data collection based on semi-structured interviews. Results: The results describe the category embodying the father or mother figure, which is composed of the following subcategories: taking on male or female roles as caregivers, describing oneself as a father, describing oneself as a mother, perceiving one’s wife as a mother and perceiving one’s husband as a father. Conclusion: Parents are driven towards a polarisation of gender roles which defines and builds the meaning of being a good father/ good mother, husband/wife and man/woman. Understanding these parental experiences is essential for nurses to be able to support parents during this transition.Marco contextual: Criar a un niño es un desafío de gran responsabilidad, por la complejidad de habilidades y conocimientos necesarios, y exige grandes alteraciones en los papeles sociales de la pareja, que conllevan la necesidad de redefinir/reorganizar los proyectos de vida de acuerdo con patrones de prestación de cuidados que pueden influir en la futura interacción padres-hijo. Objetivo: Comprender cómo se desenvuelve la transición para el ejercicio de la parentalidad durante los primeros seis meses de vida del niño. Metodología: Grounded Theory con la participación de cinco parejas. Recogida de datos a partir de entrevistas semiestructuradas. Resultados: Describen la categoría encarnando el personaje padre o madre, constituida por las subcategorías: asumiendo cuidados en masculino o femenino, describiéndose como padre, describiéndose como madre, viendo a la esposa como madre y viendo al marido como padre. Conclusión: Los padres son llevados a una polarización de papeles y género que define y construye el significado de ser buen padre/buena madre, marido/esposa y hombre/ mujer. La comprensión de estas experiencias parentales es fundamental para que los enfermeros puedan apoyar a los padres en esta transición.PROTEC 2010-2011, 2011-201

Post-Mortem diagnosis of dementia by informant interview.

The diagnosis of normal cognition or dementia in the Brazilian Brain Bank of the Aging Brain Study Group (BBBABSG) has relied on postmortem interview with an informant. Objectives:To ascertain the sensitivity and specificity of postmortem diagnosis based on informant interview compared against the diagnosis established at a memory clinic. Methods:A prospective study was conducted at the BBBABSG and at the Reference Center for Cognitive Disorders (RCCD), a specialized memory clinic of the Hospital das Clínicas, University of São Paulo Medical School. Control subjects and cognitively impaired subjects were referred from the Hospital das Clínicas to the RCCD where subjects and their informants were assessed. The same informant was then interviewed at the BBBABSG. Specialists' panel consensus, in each group, determined the final diagnosis of the case, blind to other center's diagnosis. Data was compared for frequency of diagnostic equivalence. For this study, the diagnosis established at the RCCD was accepted as the gold standard. Sensitivity and specificity were computed. Results:Ninety individuals were included, 45 with dementia and 45 without dementia (26 cognitively normal and 19 cognitively impaired but non-demented). The informant interview at the BBBABSG had a sensitivity of 86.6% and specificity of 84.4% for the diagnosis of dementia, and a sensitivity of 65.3% and specificity of 93.7% for the diagnosis of normal cognition. Conclusions:The informant interview used at the BBBABSG has a high specificity and sensitivity for the diagnosis of dementia as well as a high specificity for the diagnosis of normal cognition

Heroes and villains of world history across cultures

© 2015 Hanke et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are creditedEmergent properties of global political culture were examined using data from the World History Survey (WHS) involving 6,902 university students in 37 countries evaluating 40 figures from world history. Multidimensional scaling and factor analysis techniques found only limited forms of universality in evaluations across Western, Catholic/Orthodox, Muslim, and Asian country clusters. The highest consensus across cultures involved scientific innovators, with Einstein having the most positive evaluation overall. Peaceful humanitarians like Mother Theresa and Gandhi followed. There was much less cross-cultural consistency in the evaluation of negative figures, led by Hitler, Osama bin Laden, and Saddam Hussein. After more traditional empirical methods (e.g., factor analysis) failed to identify meaningful cross-cultural patterns, Latent Profile Analysis (LPA) was used to identify four global representational profiles: Secular and Religious Idealists were overwhelmingly prevalent in Christian countries, and Political Realists were common in Muslim and Asian countries. We discuss possible consequences and interpretations of these different representational profiles.This research was supported by grant RG016-P-10 from the Chiang Ching-Kuo Foundation for International Scholarly Exchange (http://www.cckf.org.tw/). Religion Culture Entropy China Democracy Economic histor

On the Breeds of Cattle—Historic and Current Classifications

Classification of cattle breeds contributes to our understanding of the history of cattle and is essential for an effective conservation of genetic diversity. Here we review the various classifications over the last two centuries and compare the most recent classifications with genetic data. The classifications devised during the 19th to the late 20th century were in line with the Linnaean taxonomy and emphasized cranial or horn morphology. Subsequent classifications were based on coat color, geographic origin or molecular markers. Several theories were developed that linked breed characteristics either to a supposed ancestral aurochs subspecies or to a presumed ethnic origin. Most of the older classifications have now been discarded, but have introduced several Latin terms that are still in use. The most consistent classification was proposed in 1995 by Felius and emphasizes the geographic origin of breeds. This is largely in agreement with the breed clusters indicated by a biochemical and molecular genetic analysis, which reflect either groups of breeds with a common geographic origin or single breeds that have expanded by export and/or crossbreeding. We propose that this information is also relevant for managing the genetic diversity of cattl

Game theory of mind

This paper introduces a model of ‘theory of mind’, namely, how we represent the intentions and goals of others to optimise our mutual interactions. We draw on ideas from optimum control and game theory to provide a ‘game theory of mind’. First, we consider the representations of goals in terms of value functions that are prescribed by utility or rewards. Critically, the joint value functions and ensuing behaviour are optimised recursively, under the assumption that I represent your value function, your representation of mine, your representation of my representation of yours, and so on ad infinitum. However, if we assume that the degree of recursion is bounded, then players need to estimate the opponent's degree of recursion (i.e., sophistication) to respond optimally. This induces a problem of inferring the opponent's sophistication, given behavioural exchanges. We show it is possible to deduce whether players make inferences about each other and quantify their sophistication on the basis of choices in sequential games. This rests on comparing generative models of choices with, and without, inference. Model comparison is demonstrated using simulated and real data from a ‘stag-hunt’. Finally, we note that exactly the same sophisticated behaviour can be achieved by optimising the utility function itself (through prosocial utility), producing unsophisticated but apparently altruistic agents. This may be relevant ethologically in hierarchal game theory and coevolution