A GIS based method for soil mapping in Sardinia, Italy: a geomatic approach.

A new project was recently initiated for the realization of the "Land Unit and Soil Capability Map of Sardinia" at a scale of 1:50,000 to support land use planning. In this study, we outline the general structure of the project and the methods used in the activities that have been thus far conducted. A GIS approach was used. We used the soil-landscape paradigm for the prediction of soil classes and their spatial distribution or the prediction of soil properties based on landscape features. The work is divided into two main phases. In the first phase, the available digital data on land cover, geology and topography were processed and classified according to their influence on weathering processes and soil properties. The methods used in the interpretation are based on consolidated and generalized knowledge about the influence of geology, topography and land cover on soil properties. The existing soil data (areal and point data) were collected, reviewed, validated and standardized according to international and national guidelines. Point data considered to be usable were input into a specific database created for the project. Using expert interpretation, all digital data were merged to produce a first draft of the Land Unit Map. During the second phase, this map will be implemented with the existing soil data and verified in the field if also needed with new soil data collection, and the final Land Unit Map will be produced. The Land Unit and Soil Capability Map will be produced by classifying the land units using a reference matching table of land capability classes created for this project.

Abuso sexual crônico: estudo de uma série de casos ocorridos na Infância e na adolescência / Chronic abuse: study of a series of cases occurring in childhood and adolescence

A Organização Mundial de Saúde considera o abuso sexual um dos maiores problemas de saúde pública. Tal agravo atinge crianças e adolescentes muitas vezes silenciosamente e são praticados, usualmente, por pessoas ligadas diretamente às vítimas. Objetivo: descrever as características do abuso crônico em crianças e adolescentes, identificar os fatores de vulnerabilidade associados e avaliar o desfecho dos casos. Métodos: trata-se de uma série de 264 casos em 260 pacientes de 0 a 18 anos, vítimas de violência sexual, sendo 104 casos de abuso crônico, acompanhados no ambulatório de Atendimento a Crianças e Adolescentes Vítimas de Violência (ACAVV), do Hospital Universitário Antônio Pedro, da Universidade Federal Fluminense.Modelos de regressão logística, simples e múltiplos foram utilizados na análise estatística, considerando abuso crônico a variável dependente. Resultados:variáveis relacionadas com os 104 casos de abuso sexual crônico foram crianças (46), residência das vítimas (68) e ambiente intrafamiliar (75). Apesar dosexo feminino prevalente (91/104 casos), meninos tiveram três vezes mais chance de sofrer abuso crônico, tendo as vítimas de outros tipos de maus-tratos duas vezes mais chance de sofrer esse tipo de abuso, e manipulação de genitália, quatro vezes mais chance de acontecer quando comparado com o abuso sexual agudo. Conclusão: características das vítimas de abuso crônico foram crianças entre 6 e 10 anos e as adolescentes, abusadas dentro do ambientefamiliar, ocorrendo a maioria absoluta na residência das vítimas; metade das vítimas teve sexo vaginal com seus agressores. Observou-se que a violência foi cometida por pais e padrastos, sendo associada a outros maus-tratos.

World Health Organization considers sexual abuse one of the greatest health problems publishes. Such grievance reaches children and adolescents many times silently, and are practiced, usually by people linked directly to victims. Objective: to describe the characteristics of chronic abusein children and adolescents, identify vulnerability factors associated with the same and evaluate the outcome of cases attended. Methods it is studying aseries of 264 cases in 260 patients from zero to 18 years, victims of sexual violence, including 104 cases of chronic abuse, as outpatients Care for Children and Adolescents Victims of Violence (ACAVV), of Antonio Pedro University Hospital, at Universidade Federal Fluminense. Logistic regression models,single and multiple, were used in the statistical analysis, considering chronic abuse, the dependent variable. Results: variables related to 104 cases of sexualabuse chronic were kids (46), residence of the victims (68) and family environment (75 cases). Although the prevalent female sex (91/104 cases), boys were three times more likely to suffer chronic abuse, and victims of other types of maltreatment twice as likely to suffer this kind of abuse, and manipulation of genitals four times more likely to happen compared to acute sexual abuse. Conclusion: characteristics of victims of chronic abuse were children, agedbetween six and 10 years and adolescents. The victims were abused within the family environment, where the majority occurred in the victim's residence committed by fathers and step fathers, associated with other types of maltreatment. Importantly, half of the victims had vaginal sex with their aggressors.

Changes of synaptotagmin interaction with t-SNARE proteins in vitro after calcium/calmodulin-dependent phosphorylation.

The regulation of multiple phases of the life cycle of synaptic vesicles is carried out by a complex series of protein-protein interactions. According to the SNARE hypothesis the core of these interactions is a heterotrimeric complex formed by syntaxin, SNAP-25, and VAMP-synaptobrevin. Other proteins interacting with the core of the SNARE complex, such as voltage-activated calcium channels and synaptotagmin (a putative calcium sensor), are considered crucial for the calcium dependence of release and also molecular mediators of synaptic plasticity. Here the interaction of synaptotagmin with SNARE proteins was studied in immunoprecipitated native complexes, and the effects of previous phosphorylation-dephosphorylation on this interaction were analyzed. It is surprising that the interaction of synaptotagmin with syntaxin and SNAP-25 in native complexes was not found to be calcium-dependent. However, previous incubation under dephosphorylating conditions decreased the synaptotagmin-syntaxin interaction. Stimulation of Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II, which endogenously phosphorylates synaptotagmin in synaptic vesicles, increased the interaction of syntaxin and SNAP-25 with synaptotagmin (particularly when measured in the presence of calcium), as well as increasing the binding of the kinase itself. These results suggest that calcium decreases synaptotagmin-t-SNARE interactions after dephosphorylation and increases them after phosphorylation. Overall, these results imply a phosphorylation-dephosphorylation balance in regulation of the synaptotagmin-t-SNARE interaction and suggest a role for protein phosphorylation in the modulation of calcium sensitivity in transmitter release.

Doctor Iago's treatment of Othello.

The article presents Shakespeare's Iago as Hell's master therapist. Illustrated with excerpts from the play, the reader is shown how with consummate psychological skills, Iago bends his victims to his will. Step by step he awakens Othello's jealousy, and makes use of the hero's basic insecurity on account of his blackness. Once Othello has determined to take revenge, Iago makes sure to prevent a "relapse", by slyly administering small doses of doubt and pity. Predictably, Othello violently rejects these suggestions, thus becoming even more rigidly bent on his plan.