Using presence-absence data to establish reserve selection procedures that are robust to temporal species turnover

Previous studies suggest that a network of nature reserves with maximum efficiency (obtained by selecting the minimum area such that each species is represented once) is likely to be insufficient to maintain species in the network over time. Here, we test the performance of three selection strategies which require presence-absence data, two of them previously proposed (multiple representations and selecting an increasing percentage of each species' range) and a novel one based on selecting the site where each species has exhibited a higher permanence rate in the past. Multiple representations appear to be a safer strategy than selecting a percentage of range because the former gives priority to rarer species while the latter favours the most widespread. The most effective strategy was the one based on the permanence rate, indicating that the robustness of reserve networks can be improved by adopting reserve selection procedures that integrate information about the relative value of sites. This strategy was also very efficient, suggesting that the investment made in the monitoring schemes may be compensated for by a lower cost in reserve acquisition

Solitary and joint online pornography use during the first COVID-19 lockdown in Portugal: Intrapersonal and interpersonal correlates

The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic forced several people into social isolation and research has shown a paradoxical effect on people’s sexual functioning. Some people experienced decreases in sexual desire and sexual satisfaction, whereas others experienced heightened sexual desire and made new additions to their sexual repertoire, including more online pornography use during the lockdown. Yet, studies failed to examine its interpersonal and intrapersonal correlates, distinguish between solitary and joint use, or explore differences between partnered and single people. We examined if changes in solitary or joint online pornography use since the lockdown were associated with sexual functioning, sexual satisfaction, perceived health, and sleep quality. We conducted an online cross-sectional study with convenience sampling in Portugal (N = 303 participants; 56.3% men; Mage = 31.32, SD = 10.55; 70.8% in a relationship) during May and July 2020. Partnered participants who reported increases in solitary online pornography use also reported decreases in their sex life quality. For partnered and single participants, increases in joint online pornography use were associated with increases in sex life quality. Single participants who reported increases in solitary online pornography use also perceived better health and sleep quality, and those who reported increases in joint online pornography use also reported more intimacy with casual partner(s) and better sleep quality. These findings suggest that online pornography was sometimes used as a sexual pleasure tool to connect with a stable or casual partner(s) in a time when social interactions were restricted.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Regulatory focus and perceived safety with casual partners: Implications for perceived risk and casual sex intentions during the COVID-19 pandemic

Motives for security (i.e., prevention focus) or pleasure (i.e., promotion focus) help regulate risk perceptions. Individuals focused on prevention (vs. promotion) tend to be more aware of health risks, more careful in their sexual behaviors, and less likely to take risks with casual partners. However, feeling safer with casual partners seem to mitigate some of these risks. We administered an online survey in English, Spanish, and German at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic to 550 participants who were single (57.6% women). Participants more focused on prevention were less fearful of COVID-19 infection, perceived to be well informed about COVID-19, and retrieved their information from scientific sources. Participants more focused on promotion were more fearful of COVID-19 infection and perceived to be well informed about COVID-19 but retrieved their information from non-scientific sources. These participants also had stronger intentions to have casual sex if they felt safer (vs. less safe) with their casual partners. Our findings show the importance of individual motivations and interpersonal dynamics for risk perception and sexual activity during the pandemic.info:eu-repo/semantics/acceptedVersio

On duality of the noncommutative extension of the Maxwell-Chern-Simons model

We study issues of duality in 3D field theory models over a canonical noncommutative spacetime and obtain the noncommutative extension of the Self-Dual model induced by the Seiberg-Witten map. We apply the dual projection technique to uncover some properties of the noncommutative Maxwell-Chern-Simons theory up to first-order in the noncommutative parameter. A duality between this theory and a model similar to the ordinary self-dual model is estabilished. The correspondence of the basic fields is obtained and the equivalence of algebras and equations of motion are directly verified. We also comment on previous results in this subject.Comment: Revtex, 9 pages, accepted for publication PL

Liquid mixtures involving fluorinated alcohols: The equation of state (p, r, T, x) of (Ethanol + Trifluoroethanol) Experimental and Simulation

Liquid mixtures involving fluorinated alcohols: The equation of state (p, r, T, x) of (Ethanol + Trifluoroethanol) Experimental and Simulation Pedro Duartea, Djêide Rodriguesa, Marcelo Silvaa, Pedro Morgadoa, Luís Martinsa,b and Eduardo J. M. Filipea* aCentro de Química Estrutural, Instituto Superior Técnico, 1049-001 Lisboa, Portugal bCentro de Química de Évora, Universidade de Évora, 7000-671 Évora, Portugal Fluorinated alcohols are substances with unique properties and high technological value in the pharmaceutical and chemical industries. Trifluoroethanol (TFE), in particular, displays a number of unusual properties as a solvent. For example, it dissolves nylon at room temperature and is effectively used as solvent in bioengineering. The presence of the three fluorines atoms gives the alcohol a high ionization constant, strong hydrogen bonding capability and stability at high temperatures. In the pharmaceutical industry, TFE finds use as the major raw material for the production of inhalation anesthetics. Mixtures of TFE and water (known as Fluorinols®) are used as working fluids for Rankine cycle heat engines for terrestrial and space applications, as a result of a unique combination of physical and thermodynamic properties such as high thermal efficiency and excellent turbine expansion characteristics. Environmentally, TFE is a CFC substitute with an acceptable short lifetime and with small ozone depletion potential. Additionally, TFE is known to induce conformational changes in proteins and it is used as a co-solvent to analyze structural features of partially folded states. The (ethanol + TFE) system displays an interesting and peculiar behaviour, combining a negative azeotrope with high positive excess volumes. In this work, liquid mixtures of (ethanol + TFE) were investigated. The densities of the mixtures were measured as a function of composition between 278K and 338K and at pressures up to 700 bar. The corresponding excess volumes as a function of temperature and pressure, the isothermal compressibilities and thermal expansivities were calculated from the experimental results. The mixtures are highly non-ideal with excess volumes ranging from 0.8 - 1.0 cm3mol-1. Finally, molecular dynamic simulations were performed to model and interpret the experimental results. The Trappe force field was used to simulate the (TFE + ethanol) mixtures and calculate the corresponding excess volumes. The simulation results are able to reproduce the correct sign and order of magnitude of the experimental VE without fitting to the experimental data. Furthermore, the simulations suggest the presence of a particular type of hydrogen bridge between ethanol and TFE, that can help to rationalize the experimental results

Impacto do sedimento sobre o desenvolvimento do perifíton no Rio Taquari, Pantanal, MS.

As macrófitas aquáticas são muito abundantes em áreas alagadas como as do Pantanal, e fornecem um vasto substrato para a microbiota, em particular para a comunidade perifítica. Foi avaliado o efeito da deposição de sedimento sobre a comunidade perifítica ao longo de 40km do trecho final do rio Taquari, em 12 estações de amostragem, em setembro de 1998. Foram coletados pecíolos de Eichhornia azurea, raspados e filtrados para análise da biomassa perifítica (clorofila a e peso seco). Foram tomadas amostras de raízes, caules e folhas da macrófita para análise do sedimento aderido. E as características da água também foram estudadas. Do sedimento suspenso analisado, 55% foi depositado até a última estação, e 86% é de origem inorgânica. A transparência da água passou de 27cm a 50cm na última estação de coleta, próxima à foz. A biomassa ficoperifítica aumentou nas últimas estações, sugerindo que próximo da foz a fixação e desenvolvimento dos organismos, principalmente os autotróficos, é beneficiada pela diminuição acentuada do material inorgânico.bitstream/item/37415/1/BP37.pd

Superconducting charge qubits from a microscopic many-body perspective

The quantised Josephson junction equation that underpins the behaviour of charge qubits and other tunnel devices is usually derived through cannonical quantisation of the classical macroscopic Josephson relations. However, this approach may neglect effects due to the fact that the charge qubit consists of a superconducting island of finite size connected to a large superconductor. We show that the well known quantised Josephson equation can be derived directly and simply from a microscopic many-body Hamiltonian. By choosing the appropriate strong coupling limit we produce a highly simplified Hamiltonian that nevertheless allows us to go beyond the mean field limit and predict further finite-size terms in addition to the basic equation.Comment: Accepted for J Phys Condensed Matte