Landscape trajectory of natural boreal forest loss as an impediment to green infrastructure.

Loss of natural forests by forest clearcutting has been identified as a critical conservation challenge worldwide. This study addressed forest fragmentation and loss in the context of the establishment of a functional green infrastructure as a spatiotemporally connected landscape-scale network of habitats enhancing biodiversity, favorable conservation status, and ecosystem services. Through retrospective analysis of satellite images, we assessed a 50- to 60-year spatiotemporal clearcutting impact trajectory on natural and near-natural boreal forests across a sizable and representative region from the Gulf of Bothnia to the Scandinavian Mountain Range in northern Fennoscandia. This period broadly covers the whole forest clearcutting period; thus, our approach and results can be applied to comprehensive impact assessment of industrial forest management. The entire study region covers close to 46,000 km2 of forest-dominated landscape in a late phase of transition from a natural or near-natural to a land-use modified state. We found a substantial loss of intact forest, in particular of large, contiguous areas, a spatial polarization of remaining forest on regional scale where the inland has been more severely affected than the mountain and coastal zones, and a pronounced impact on interior forest core areas. Salient results were a decrease in area of the largest intact forest patch from 225,853 to 68,714 ha in the mountain zone and from 257,715 to 38,668 ha in the foothills zone, a decrease from 75% to 38% intact forest in the inland zones, a decrease in largest patch core area (assessed by considering 100-m patch edge disturbance) from 6114 to 351 ha in the coastal zone, and a geographic imbalance in protected forest with an evident predominance in the mountain zone. These results demonstrate profound disturbance of configuration of the natural forest landscape and disrupted connectivity, which challenges the establishment of functional green infrastructure. Our approach supports the identification of forests for expanded protection and conservation-oriented forest landscape restoration.

[Primary care in Sweden]. / La atención primaria en Suecia.

Sweden was one of the first European Union countries that saw the opportunity in the free movement of professionals. First offers for jobs were managed in 2000. Since then, a large number of professionals have taken the opportunity of a decent job and have moved from Spain to Sweden. The Swedish health care model belongs to the group of national health systems. The right to health care is linked to legal citizenship. Health is financed through regional taxes, but there is a compulsory co-payment regardless of the financial situation of the patient. The provision of health care is decentralised at a regional level, and there is a mixture of private and public medical centres. Primary care is similar to that in Spain. Health professionals work as a team with a division of tasks. Like in Spain, waiting lists and coordination between primary and specialised care are a great problem. Patients may register with any public or private primary care centre and hospital provider within their region. Access to diagnostic tests and specialists are restricted to those selected by specialists. Doctors are salaried and their job and salary depend on their experience, professional abilities and regional needs. Medicine is curative. General practitioners are the gateway to the system, but they do not act as gatekeeper. Hospitals offer a number of training post, and the access is through an interview. Continuing medical education is encouraged and financed by the health centre in order to increase its revenues.

Spread of homeopathy in the early nineteenth century: the comparative approach and the cases of Sweden and Brazil / A difusão da homeopatia no início do século XIX: abordagem comparativa e os casos da Suécia e do Brasil

Abstract The comparative approach has been advocated to overcome some flaws inherent to case studies. Here, the spread of homeopathy in the early nineteenth century is addressed through a comparison of the cases of Sweden and Brazil, where homeopathy met diametrically opposed fates. The parameters used for the comparison are the standard for studies on the early spread of homeopathy, such as the concept of the "introducer," and reception by the medical and academic community, the government, and society at large. The results suggest that analysis of contexts, determinants, and the interactions of practitioners and institutions representing different health care approaches, whether dominant or alternative, seems to provide a more accurate picture of different moments in the global history of medicine.

Resumo A abordagem comparativa foi adotada com o intuito de suplantar algumas falhas inerentes aos estudos de caso. Nela, a difusão da homeopatia no início do século XIX é tratada por meio de uma comparação entre casos da Suécia e do Brasil, onde a homeopatia encontrou destinos diametralmente opostos. Os parâmetros usados para a comparação são padrão para estudos sobre o início da expansão da homeopatia, como o conceito de "introdutor", e a aceitação por parte de governo, comunidades médica e acadêmica, e sociedade como um todo. Os resultados sugerem que a análise de contextos, de determinantes, e das interações de médicos e instituições representando diferentes perspectivas de tratamento médico, fossem elas dominantes ou alternativas, parecem oferecer uma análise mais precisa de diferentes momentos da história global da medicina.

Acido, ergo sum: Holger Hydén – the neuroscientist in Cortázar's Hopscotch / Acido, ergo sum: Holger Hydén – o neurocientista em O Jogo da Amarelinha, de Cortázar

The fictional Italian author Morelli is throughout the novel “Hopscotch” (1963) Julio Cortázar's alter ego. This character proposes an unoriginal literary hypothesis in chapter 62. There is an allusion to a particular Swedish that ‘is working on a chemical theory of thought.’ The Swedish neuroscientist under analysis is Holger Hydén (1917-2000), by then professor and chairman of the Department of Histology at the University of Göteborg. Hydén, who was the first to work in neurobiological micromethods, is mentioned by Morelli due to his participation in a symposium held at the end of January 1961, in San Francisco. His pioneering work will never be completely forgotten, because Hydén's neuroscientific legacy lives and will live in Cortázar's “Hopscotch”.

O autor italiano de ficção Morelli atua, no romance “Jogo da Amarelinha” (1963), como o alter ego de Julio Cortázar. Este personagem propõe uma hipótese literária sem originalidade no capítulo 62. Há uma alusão a um sueco em particular que “está trabalhando em uma teoria química do pensamento”. O neurocientista sueco em questão é Holger Hydén (1917-2000), então professor e diretor do Departamento de Histologia da Universidade de Gotemburgo. Hydén, que foi o primeiro no uso de métodos para a microdissecção de neurônios individuais, é mencionado por Morelli devido a sua participação em um simpósio realizado em São Francisco, no final de janeiro de 1961. Seu trabalho pioneiro nunca será esquecido completamente porque seu legado neurocientífico vive e vai viver em “Jogo da Amarelinha”, de Cortázar.

Formando Trabajadores Sociales en Suecia / Forming social workers in Sweden

Este artículo discute cierta contradicción existente entre el contenido de la Educación en Trabajo Social de Suecia y las realidades cambiantes del sistema de bienestar sueco. La integración social de todos los ciudadanos ya no forma parte de las políticas que rigen las actividades de bienestar sueco, sin embargo, este enfoque sigue siendo una premisa en muchos de los contenidos de la educación institucionalizada de los trabajadores sociales en Suecia.

This article discusses a certain contradiction that exists between the contents of the Swedish social work education and the changing realities of the Swedish welfare system. The social integration of all citizens is no longer part of the policies that direct the Swedish welfare activities, however, this approach continues to be taken for granted as a premise in several of the contents of the social workers' institutionalized education in Sweden.