Family Breast Cancer Education: A Model for African American Women

The purpose of this study, funded by the American Cancer Society, was to increase knowledge and understanding, i.e., the willingness and ability to discuss, of breast cancer in southern minority women and their families. A family model of health education guided the research questions. (a) To what extent will an action research intervention increase knowledge about the causes and treatment of breast cancer in minority women? (b) To what extent will an action research intervention increase willingness to talk with family members? The t-test analysis of a 67-item, self- administered survey indicated significant increases in knowledge of cancer and in their willingness to talk with family members about breast cancer. In addition, they reported increases in comfort level about discussing breast cancer as well as willingness to talk with others about their own (possible) positive diagnosis. We infer that increased comfort level and willingness to talk with others has a relationship to increased awareness of breast cancer

Diversidade de Euglossinae (Hymenoptera, Apidae) em dois fragmentos de Mata Atlântica localizados na região urbana de João Pessoa, Paraíba, Brasil Diversity of Euglossinac (Hymenoptera, Apidae) in two Atlantic Forest fragments located in the urban area of João Pessoa, Paraíba, Brazil

<abstract language="eng">The use of fragrances to attract males of Euglossinae bees has been an important tool to increase the knowledge of the group. In the Northeastern of Brazil, studies on euglossine bees are still uncommon, mainly in urban areas. The goals of this study are to identify the Euglossinae species composition, to know the diversity and the community structure of Euglossinae species, verify their preferences for different fragrances and evaluate the phenology of these species, in two Atlantic Forest fragments of the city of João Pessoa, Paraíba state, Brazil. Bees were sampled at 15 days intervals, over the course of one year, from 8:00 to 17:00 hours, through the use of traps baited with seven types of fragrances. In both areas, 1082 individuals belonging to nine species were sampled. None significant difference of diversity and relative abundance of bees between fragments were observed. Eucalyptol was the most attractive fragrance. Bees were more abundant between 8:00 and 9:00 AM. Visits to the fragrances were more frequent from the middle of dry season to the beginning of the rainy season and positively correlated with the monthly mean temperature. Most species of bees visited all the baits over the year, but the number of attracted males was highest in April

Preferência por estratos florestais e por substâncias odoríferas em abelhas Euglossinae (Hymenoptera, Apidae) Stratification and scents baits preferences in Euglossinae bees (Hymenoptera, Apidae)

<abstract language="eng">Euglossinae bees of two areas of Terra Firme forest, near Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil were studied. During one year the collections were done fortnightly, using traps with eight kinds of scent baits. The traps were placed in the understory and in tree crowns. Some species showed a very clear vertical stratification in the forest. The comparison between the strata studied showed that the fauna of one understory is more similar to other than fauna of crowns and the similarity between fauna of understory and fauna of crown of the the two areaswas low. Some species were specialists while most were generalists in their choice of scent baits. Some species varied its preferences during the year

Dinâmica de populações de Euglossina (Hymenoptera, Apidae) em mata ciliar, Urbano Santos, Maranhão, Brasil Population dynamics of Euglossina (Hymenoptera, Apidae) in riparian forest, Urbano Santos, Maranhão, Brazil

Machos de Euglossina foram coletados por meio de iscas-odores de benzoato de benzila, eucaliptol, eugenol, salicilato de metila, vanilina, durante um ano em área de mata ciliar, no município de Urbano Santos, Maranhão. As coletas foram realizadas mensalmente, entre 8 h e 16 h, totalizando 96 horas de amostragem. Foram amostrados 283 indivíduos, 4 gêneros e 16 espécies. Euglossa Latreille, 1802 foi o gênero mais abundante, seguido por Eufriesea Cockerell, 1909, Eulaema Lepeletier, 1841 e Exaerete Hoffmannsegg, 1817. As espécies mais freqüentes foram Euglossa modestior (Dressler, 1982), Euglossa cordata (Linnaeus, 1758), Eulaema cingulata (Fabricius, 1804), Exaerete smaragdina (Guérin-Menéville, 1845), Eulaema nigrita Lepeletier, 1841 e Euglossa gaianii Dressler, 1982. Eucaliptol foi a essência mais atrativa. As maiores freqüências de visitas ocorreram no período da manhã e a maior diversidade de espécies ocorreu no período chuvoso.<br>Males of Euglossina bees were collected in benzil benzoate, eucaliptol, eugenol, methyl salicylate and vanillin scent baits, during one year in a riparian forest area, located in the municipality of Urbano Santos, Maranhão. The collections were carried out monthly, between 8 am and 4 pm, totalling 96 hours of sampling, resulting in 283 individuals, 4 genera and 16 species. Euglossa Latreille, 1802 was the most abundant genus, followed by Eufriesea Cockerell, 1909, Eulaema Lepeletier, 1841 and Exaerete Hoffmannsegg, 1817. The most frequent species were Euglossa modestior (Dressler, 1982), Euglossa cordata (Linnaeus, 1758), Eulaema cingulata (Fabricius, 1804), Exaerete smaragdina (Guérin-Menéville, 1845), Eulaema nigrita Lepeletier, 1841 and Euglossa gaianii (Dressler, 1982). Eucaliptol was the most attractive chemical bait. The highest frequencies of visits were in the morning and the highest diversity of species occurred in the rainy period

Abundance and frugivory of the toco toucan (Ramphastos toco) in a gallery forest in Brazil's Southern Pantanal

Unlike other toucan species, the Toco toucan (Ramphastos toco) - the largest Ramphastidae - usually inhabits dry semi-open areas. This conspicuous canopy frugivore uses a large home range that includes a variety of vegetation types, among which gallery forests are widely cited as important to this species. However, the factors relating to the occurrence of Toco toucans in such habitats are unclear. I studied the abundance of Toco toucans as well as the availability of fleshy fruit in a gallery forest in the southern Pantanal (sub-region of Miranda, Brazil), in order to assess the relationship between these parameters. Also, I examined toucan foraging activity to analyze its relationship with both toucan abundance and fruit availability. The presence of the Toco toucan was more common in the gallery forest from the middle to the end of the dry season and during the middle of the wet season. Toucans foraged for fleshy fruits, mainly Genipa americana, Ficus luschnatiana, and Cecropia pachystachya fruits, feeding mostly on G. americana (by far the favorite food resource) and F. luschnatiana fruits during the dry season, while C. pachystachya fruits were important in the wet season. Toco toucans foraged particularly heavily (> 80% of foraging activity) on G. americana fruits during the latter part of the dry season, when fleshy fruit availability declined sharply. Toco toucan abundance in the gallery forest was associated with the availability of the most commonly consumed fleshy fruits, and also with its foraging activity. This finding suggests that the Toco toucan moved to the gallery forest periodically in response to the availability of abundant food resources, especially the G. americana fruits widely available and exploited during the severely dry season. Therefore, these fruits potentially contribute to Toco toucan persistence in the South Pantanal during the harshest period of the year