Development and Validation of the Social Anomie Brief Scale (SAS10) Against the New Standards Implemented During the COVID-19 Pandemic

"Currently, social anomie is a public health problem worldwide since people show behavior that does not conform to the newly established norms. Faced with this, the aim of the study was to develop and validate the psychometric properties of a short scale to assess social anomie in a sample of 406 adults (48% male and 52% female) between the ages of 18 and 62. Validity was evaluated based on internal structure through confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and reliability through the internal consistency method with the hierarchical omega coefficient. The results indicate that a bi-factor model presents better indexes of adjustment to the data (χ2=62.86; df=25; p=.000; RMSEA=.061 [IC90% .042-.080]; SRMR=.024; CFI=.99; TLI=.99). Furthermore, the bi-factor model presents adequate levels of reliability for the general factor (ωH=.70) and for the affective (ωhs=.32) and behavior (ωhs=.41) dimensions. In conclusion, the study results provide a conceptual and statistical basis for the psychometric development of the SAS-10 scale in subsequent studies.

Improved functionalization of oleic acid-coated iron oxide nanoparticles for biomedical applications

Superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles can providemultiple benefits for biomedical applications in aqueous environments such asmagnetic separation or magnetic resonance imaging. To increase the colloidal stability and allow subsequent reactions, the introduction of hydrophilic functional groups onto the particles’ surface is essential. During this process, the original coating is exchanged by preferably covalently bonded ligands such as trialkoxysilanes. The duration of the silane exchange reaction, which commonly takes more than 24 h, is an important drawback for this approach. In this paper, we present a novel method, which introduces ultrasonication as an energy source to dramatically accelerate this process, resulting in high-quality waterdispersible nanoparticles around 10 nmin size. To prove the generic character, different functional groups were introduced on the surface including polyethylene glycol chains, carboxylic acid, amine, and thiol groups. Their colloidal stability in various aqueous buffer solutions as well as human plasma and serum was investigated to allow implementation in biomedical and sensing applications.status: publishe

Effect of skidder disturbance on commercial tree regeneration in logging gaps in a Bolivian tropical forest

The impact of skidder disturbance on recruitment of commercial tree regeneration within logging gaps was studied using paired scarified and unscarified plots as well as whole-gap surveys of scarified and unscarified areas in a Bolivian tropical humid forest. More than a year following gap creation, variability in the density of regeneration among logging gaps was high, but commercial tree regeneration density tended to be greater in scarified areas than in unscarified areas within gaps for most species. Height growth was also significantly greater for trees in scarified compared to unscarified areas, despite a near doubling of soil compaction in scarified areas. The principal species benefiting from soil disturbance by skidders was Schizolobium amazonicum, which had nearly 10√ó higher density and 2√ó greater height growth in scarified compared to unscarified areas. Although initially devoid of vegetation and litter cover, scarified areas had vegetation and litter cover levels similar to unscarified areas after 7 months. Vegetation cover on scarified areas tended to be dominated by early successional tree species while unscarified areas were dominated by forbs and grasses

Parámetros tecnológicos de la lana de ovinos en razas importadas obtenidas mediante transferencia de embriones, criados bajo las condiciones de la sierra central del Perú

The aim of this study was to determine the technological parameters of the fibre of wool and meat sheep breeds obtained by transfer of embryos imported from Australia and intended for the improvement of sheep herds in the central highlands of Peru. The study was carried out at the Casaracra Experimental Center of the Daniel Alcides Carrión National University, Junín Region, Peru, at 3772 meters above sea level. The breeds were East Friesian, Poll Dorset, Corriedale, Texel, Merino Dohne, and Finnish Landrace. The linear additive model included the factors breed, sex, age and corporal region of sampling, while the interactions were considered residual. An inverse association was found between fibre diameter and crimp curvature (-0.59) and with comfort factor (-0.98); likewise between the crimp curvature with the staple length (-0.43); On the other hand, the association was direct between the comfort factor and crimp curvature (0.55). Females (28.5±0.42 µm), milk teeth (26.4±0.95 µm) and Merino Dohne (18.5±0.45 µm) showed a smaller fibre diameter compared to males, other age groups and breeds, respectively. The Merino Dohne can be implemented in improved medium-fine herds (Finnish Landrace, Corriedale), while the East Friesian, Texel, Poll Dorset and the cross of Texel with Poll Dorset could be introduced in Creole herds.El objetivo del estudio fue determinar los parámetros tecnológicos de la lana de razas ovina de lana y carne obtenidas por transferencia de embriones provenientes de Australia, y destinadas para la mejora de rebaños ovejeros de la sierra central del Perú. El estudio se llevó a cabo en el Centro Experimental Casaracra de la Universidad Nacional Daniel Alcides Carrión, Región Junín, Perú, a 3772 msnm. Las razas fueron East Friesian, Poll Dorset, Corriedale, Texel, Merino Dohne y Finnish Landrace. El modelo aditivo lineal incluyó los factores raza, sexo, edad y región corporal de muestreo como característica propia, mientras que las interacciones fueron consideradas residuales. Se encontró una asociación inversa el diámetro de fibra con la curvatura del rizo (-0.59) y con el factor de confort (-0.98), así como entre la curvatura del rizo con longitud de mecha (-0.43). La asociación fue directa entre el factor de confort con la curvatura del rizo (0.55). Las hembras (28.5±0.42 µm), los dientes de leche (26.4±0.95 µm) y Merino Dohne (18.5±0.45 µm) evidenciaron un menor diámetro de fibra en comparación a los machos, otros grupos etarios y razas, respectivamente. El Merino Dohne puede ser implementado en rebaños mejorados de finura media (Finnish Landrace, Corriedale), mientras el East Friesian, Texel, Poll Dorset y el cruce de Texel con Poll Dorset podrían ser introducidos en rebaños criollos

Silvicultural treatments enhance growth rates of future crop trees in a tropical dry forest

Silvicultural treatments are often needed in selectively logged tropical forest to enhance the growth rates of many commercial tree species and, consequently, for recovering a larger proportion of the initial volume harvested over the next cutting cycle. The available data in the literature suggest, however, that the effect of silvicultural treatments on tree growth is smaller in dry forests than in humid forest tree species. In this study, we analyze the effect of logging and application of additional silvicultural treatments (liana cutting and girdling of competing trees) on the growth rates of future crop trees (FCTs; i.e., trees of current and potentially commercial timber species with adequate form and apparent growth potential). The study was carried out in a tropical dry forest in Bolivia where a set of 21.25-ha plots were monitored for 4 years post-logging. Plots received one of four treatments that varied in intensity of both logging and silvicultural treatments as follows: normal (reduced-impact) logging; normal logging and low-intensity silviculture; increased logging intensity and high-intensity silviculture; and, unlogged controls. The silvicultural treatments applied to FCTs involved liberation from lianas and overtopping trees. Results showed that rates of FCT stem diameter growth increased with light availability, logging intensity, and intensity of silvicultural treatments, and decrease with liana infestation degree. Growth rate increment was larger in the light and intensive silvicultural treatment (22¿27%). Long-lived pioneer species showed the strongest response to intensive silviculture (50% increase) followed by total shade-tolerant species (24%) and partial shade-tolerant species (10%). While reduced-impact logging is often not sufficient to guarantee the sustainability of timber yields, application of silvicultural treatments that substantially enhanced the growth rates of FCTs will help move the management of these forests closer to the goal of sustained yiel