scholarly journals Ten years from propagule to mature plant of Butia purpurascens Glassman (Arecaceae): an endemic and endangered palm of the Brazilian Cerrado

2022 ◽  
Vol 82 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. Ressel ◽  
F. A. G. Guilherme
Keyword(s):  
Species Conservation ◽  
Recruitment Rate ◽  
High Rate ◽  
Brazilian Cerrado ◽  
Natural Conditions ◽  
Exotic Grasses ◽  
Critically Endangered Species ◽  
Slow Development ◽  
Regional Population ◽  
The Impact

Abstract With occurrence mainly in the southwest Goiás, Butia purpurascens has fruits and leaves widely extracted by the regional population. Coexists with exotic grasses, frequent burnings and cattle’s grazing and trampling. Young individuals are rarely seen. We aim to provide information about propagules, seedling formation and the monitoring of saplings of B. purpurascens until adults in reproductive phase. Fruits were selected, measured and benefited after harvest. Of 6,000 fruits collected 3,112 were discarded for being perforated by Conotrachelus weevils. The experiment divided 2,600 fruits into 13 treatments, distributed in ripe and immature fruits, with and without pulp. In addition, we adopt mechanical and chemical break dormancy mechanisms, different storage periods and seeding depths. After sixteen months of monitoring, the formation of eleven seedlings was obtained without distinction of any treatment. Seedlings and saplings developed slowly, taking two years to emit the first metaphyll. Over time, ten individuals died, most from fungal attack. After ten years, the only surviving palm generated two inflorescences, which produced fruit. The inefficient seedling production and the slow development of saplings, combined with the impact of the extractivism and the high rate of predation of the pyrenes, suggest the low recruitment rate of the species observed, in natural conditions. This type of data is one of the important tools for creating guidelines for the species conservation. Therefore, we suggest considering the reclassification of B. purpurascens as a Critically Endangered species in the Official List of Threatened Brazilian Species of Extinction.

‘An exceedingly simple, little ecosystem’: Devils Hole, endangered species conservation, and scientific environments

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kevin C. Brown
Keyword(s):  
Endangered Species ◽  
Species Conservation ◽  
State Agencies ◽  
Vertebrate Species ◽  
Critically Endangered Species ◽  
The Third ◽  
Devils Hole ◽  
History Of ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Scientific Environment

This article explores the history of the Devils Hole pupfish ( Cyprinodon diabolis ), regarded by scientists as having the smallest range of any vertebrate species in the world, a single 10 × 60 ft pool in the Amargosa Valley of southern Nye County, Nevada, USA. It considers the impact of ‘scientific environments’ on the possibilities for pupfish survival as well as potential human uses of the desert. Scientific environment is defined as the knowledge and conceptualization of the environment produced from particular questions and methods and that influence how a species, habitat or region is managed. Three successive scientific environments have shaped the conservation of the pupfish since the 1890s: the first led by taxonomic analyses of the pupfish, the second by ecological and hydrological investigations of Devils Hole, as well as its surrounding desert, and the third by genetic analysis of pupfish DNA. The science in each era has shaped (and responded to) the way in which federal and state agencies have worked to conserve this critically endangered species. The article contributes to an understanding of how concepts and practices at the heart of ecological sciences develop from, and impact, particular spaces and species.

A PROPOSED EVALUATION PLAN TO ASSESS THE IMPACT OF A YOUTH DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME FACILITATED BY THE STATE INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY AGENCY (SITA) IN RURAL SOUTH AFRICA

2017 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 174-181
Author(s):  
Maura Mbunyuza-deHeer Menlah
Keyword(s):  
Information Technology ◽  
Youth Development ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Secondary Data ◽  
The State ◽  
State Information ◽  
Evaluation Plan ◽  
Lessons Learnt ◽  
Slow Development ◽  
The Impact

This article reports on a proposed evaluation plan that has been developed to assess the work done by the State Information Technology Agency (SITA). The SITA programme was implemented in response to the South African government’s call to improve the lives of the populations in some rural areas through technology. The programme was meant to address slow development in  rural  areas  that  lack  technological  innovations  and  advances.  In  the proposed evaluation plan a review is made of secondary data, deciding how strategic priorities are to be determined, as well as analysis of the rural context environment. The researcher gives an account of how the evaluation strategies are to be piloted and rolled out thereafter. Lessons learnt are recorded and reported upon. A proposed evaluation plan will be developed, based on the lessons learnt in line with the objectives of the project.

Others' participation rate influences an individual's charitable behavior: Others' similarity as a moderator

2017 ◽  
Vol 45 (10) ◽  
pp. 1607-1618 ◽  
Author(s):  
Seung Yun Lee ◽  
Sunho Jung ◽  
Sangdo Oh ◽  
Seong Hoon Park
Keyword(s):  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Participation Rate ◽  
High Rate ◽  
Charitable Behavior ◽  
High Participation ◽  
Negative Effect ◽  
The Impact ◽  
And Diffusion ◽  
High Participation Rate ◽  
Diffusion Of Responsibility

We proposed that a moderator, others' similarity, would determine the impact of high participation rates of others on an individual's charitable behavior, and aimed to show that this moderator would work through the diffusion of responsibility motive. Participants (N = 152 undergraduate students) completed measures of charitable behavior and diffusion of responsibility, after being assigned to 1 of 2 conditions where a set percentage of other students (manipulated as either similar undergraduate students or dissimilar graduate students) were stated to have already donated to a charitable campaign (high contribution condition = 70% participation, low contribution condition = 30% participation). Our results showed that the high participation rate of others increased an individual's charitable behavior when the others in question were similar to that individual, but not when the others were dissimilar. In addition, the high rate of participation by others increased the diffusion of responsibility motive when the others in question were dissimilar to that individual, leading to a negative effect on that individual's charitable behavior.

scholarly journals Peculiarities of Neurostimulation by Intense Nanosecond Pulsed Electric Fields: How to Avoid Firing in Peripheral Nerve Fibers

2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (13) ◽  
pp. 7051
Author(s):  
Vitalii Kim ◽  
Emily Gudvangen ◽  
Oleg Kondratiev ◽  
Luis Redondo ◽  
Shu Xiao ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Side Effects ◽  
Electric Fields ◽  
Pulsed Electric Fields ◽  
Opposite Polarity ◽  
Nerve Fibers ◽  
High Rate ◽  
Excitation Threshold ◽  
Compound Action Potentials ◽  
Supramaximal Stimulation ◽  
The Impact

Intense pulsed electric fields (PEF) are a novel modality for the efficient and targeted ablation of tumors by electroporation. The major adverse side effects of PEF therapies are strong involuntary muscle contractions and pain. Nanosecond-range PEF (nsPEF) are less efficient at neurostimulation and can be employed to minimize such side effects. We quantified the impact of the electrode configuration, PEF strength (up to 20 kV/cm), repetition rate (up to 3 MHz), bi- and triphasic pulse shapes, and pulse duration (down to 10 ns) on eliciting compound action potentials (CAPs) in nerve fibers. The excitation thresholds for single unipolar but not bipolar stimuli followed the classic strength–duration dependence. The addition of the opposite polarity phase for nsPEF increased the excitation threshold, with symmetrical bipolar nsPEF being the least efficient. Stimulation by nsPEF bursts decreased the excitation threshold as a power function above a critical duty cycle of 0.1%. The threshold reduction was much weaker for symmetrical bipolar nsPEF. Supramaximal stimulation by high-rate nsPEF bursts elicited only a single CAP as long as the burst duration did not exceed the nerve refractory period. Such brief bursts of bipolar nsPEF could be the best choice to minimize neuromuscular stimulation in ablation therapies.

scholarly journals The High-Rate Sealed MRPC to Promote Pollutant Exchange in Gas Gaps: Status on the Development and Observations

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (11) ◽  
pp. 4722
Author(s):  
Botan Wang ◽  
Xiaolong Chen ◽  
Yi Wang ◽  
Dong Han ◽  
Baohong Guo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gas Flow ◽  
High Rate ◽  
Stable Operation ◽  
Beam Test ◽  
High Luminosity ◽  
Rate Test ◽  
3D Printed ◽  
Resistive Plate Chambers ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Current Behavior

This work reports the latest observations on the behavior of two Multigap Resistive Plate Chambers (MRPC) under wide high-luminosity exposures, which motivate the development and in-beam test of the sealed MRPC prototype assembled with low-resistive glass. The operation currently being monitored, together with previous simulation results, shows the impact of gas pollution caused by avalanches in gas gaps, and the necessity to shrink the gas-streaming volume. With the lateral edge of the detector sealed by a 3D-printed frame, a reduced gas-streaming volume of ~170 mL has been achieved for a direct gas flow to the active area. A high-rate test of the sealed MRPC prototype shows that, ensuring a 97% efficiency and 70 ps time resolution, the sealed design results in a stable operation current behavior at a counting rate of 3–5 kHz/cm2. The sealed MRPC will become a potential solution for future high luminosity applications.

scholarly journals The Impact of an Inactivated Hepatitis A Vaccine with One Dose in Brazil: A Retrospective Time-Series

Vaccines ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 407
Author(s):  
Ana Luiza Bierrenbach ◽  
Yoonyoung Choi ◽  
Paula de Mendonça Batista ◽  
Fernando Brandão Serra ◽  
Cintia Irene Parellada ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Time Series ◽  
Time Series Analysis ◽  
Hepatitis A ◽  
National Level ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
High Rate ◽  
Series Analysis ◽  
Annual Reduction ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Vaccination Period

Background: In 2014, a recommended one-dose of inactivated hepatitis A vaccine was included in the Brazilian National Immunization Program targeting children 12–24 months. This decision addressed the low to intermediate endemicity status of hepatitis A across Brazil and the high rate of infection in children and adolescents between 5 and 19 years old. The aim of the study was to conduct a time-series analysis on hepatitis A incidence across age groups and to assess the hepatitis A distribution throughout Brazilian geographic regions. Methods: An interrupted time-series analysis was performed to assess hepatitis A incidence rates before (2010–2013) and after (2015–2018) hepatitis A vaccine program implementation. The time-series analysis was stratified by age groups while a secondary analysis examined geographic distribution of hepatitis A cases. Results: Overall incidence of hepatitis A decreased from 3.19/100.000 in the pre-vaccine period to 0.87/100.000 (p = 0.022) post-vaccine introduction. Incidence rate reduction was higher among children aged 1-4 years old, with an annual reduction of 67.6% in the post-vaccination period against a 7.7% annual reduction in the pre-vaccination period (p < 0.001). Between 2015 and 2018, the vaccination program prevented 14,468 hepatitis A cases. Conclusion: Our study highlighted the positive impact of a recommended one-dose inactivated hepatitis A vaccine for 1–4-years-old in controlling hepatitis A at national level.

scholarly journals Exploring the effectiveness of a COVID-19 contact tracing app using an agent-based model

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jonatan Almagor ◽  
Stefano Picascia
Keyword(s):  
High Rate ◽  
Contact Tracing ◽  
Agent Based Model ◽  
Agent Based ◽  
The Social ◽  
Behavioural Factors ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Different Levels ◽  
User Rate

AbstractA contact-tracing strategy has been deemed necessary to contain the spread of COVID-19 following the relaxation of lockdown measures. Using an agent-based model, we explore one of the technology-based strategies proposed, a contact-tracing smartphone app. The model simulates the spread of COVID-19 in a population of agents on an urban scale. Agents are heterogeneous in their characteristics and are linked in a multi-layered network representing the social structure—including households, friendships, employment and schools. We explore the interplay of various adoption rates of the contact-tracing app, different levels of testing capacity, and behavioural factors to assess the impact on the epidemic. Results suggest that a contact tracing app can contribute substantially to reducing infection rates in the population when accompanied by a sufficient testing capacity or when the testing policy prioritises symptomatic cases. As user rate increases, prevalence of infection decreases. With that, when symptomatic cases are not prioritised for testing, a high rate of app users can generate an extensive increase in the demand for testing, which, if not met with adequate supply, may render the app counterproductive. This points to the crucial role of an efficient testing policy and the necessity to upscale testing capacity.

The impact of habitat fragmentation on the ecology of xenarthrans (Mammalia) in the Brazilian Cerrado

2012 ◽  
Vol 28 (2) ◽  
pp. 259-269 ◽  
Author(s):  
Barbara Zimbres ◽  
Mariana M. Furtado ◽  
Anah T. A. Jácomo ◽  
Leandro Silveira ◽  
Rahel Sollmann ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Habitat Fragmentation ◽  
Brazilian Cerrado ◽  
The Impact

Efficacy of a password-protected pill-dispensing device to enhance disposal of unused opioids after cancer surgery.

2021 ◽  
Vol 39 (28_suppl) ◽  
pp. 264-264
Author(s):  
Jacob Cogan ◽  
Melissa Kate Accordino ◽  
Melissa Parsons Beauchemin ◽  
Sophie Ulene ◽  
Elena B. Elkin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Pain Control ◽  
Cancer Surgery ◽  
High Rate ◽  
Smartphone App ◽  
Opioid Use ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Health Crisis ◽  
Patient Reported ◽  
After Cancer ◽  
The Impact

264 Background: Opioid misuse is a public health crisis. Initial opioid exposures often occur post-operatively, and 10% of opioid-naïve patients who undergo cancer surgery subsequently become long-term opioid users. It has been shown that 70% of opioids prescribed post-operatively go unused, but only 9% of unused pills are disposed appropriately, which increases the risk of unintended use. We evaluated the impact of an inexpensive, password-protected dispensing device with mail return capacity on retrieval of unused pills after cancer surgery. Methods: Adult patients scheduled for major cancer-related surgery were eligible. Enrolled patients received opioid prescriptions in a password-protected, pill-dispensing device (Addinex) from a specialty pharmacy. The mechanical device links to a smartphone app, which provides passwords on a prescriber-defined schedule. Patients request a password when they are in pain, enter the password into the device and receive a pill if the prescribed time has elapsed. The smartphone app provides clinical guidance based on patient-reported pain levels, and suggests tapering strategies. Patients are instructed to return the device in a DEA-approved mailer when opioid use is no longer required for pain control. Unused pills are destroyed upon receipt. The primary objective was to determine the feasibility of device return, defined as > 50% of patients with device return. We also explored patterns of device use, patient reported outcomes, and device satisfaction via surveys and semi-structured interviews. Results: Between October, 2020 and April, 2021, 13 patients completed the study; 4 patients are currently enrolled. Among the initial 13 patients, 7 underwent abdominal hysterectomy, 4 underwent mastectomy and 2 underwent cutaneous tumor resections. The majority of these patients (n = 10, 77%) returned the device, and more than half (n = 7, 54%) returned the device within 6 weeks of surgery. Only a minority of patients (n = 5, 38%) used the device to obtain opioids; most (n = 8, 62%) used no opioids at home, and all of these patients returned the device and the unused pills. Of 11 patients who participated in semi-structured interviews, most (n = 7, 64%) said they felt safer having opioids in the device instead of a regular pill bottle. Among device users, the majority (n = 4, 80%) reported an overall positive experience. All non-users reported having no opioid requirement for pain control. Conclusions: Our early findings suggest that use of an inexpensive, password-protected, pill-dispensing device to assist with opioid dispensing and return is feasible, with a high rate of device and unused opioid return to the pharmacy. This strategy may be effective for reducing opioid diversion. Analyses and recruitment are ongoing to evaluate the benefits of reducing post-operative opioid consumption.

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