Technology-Facilitated Sexual Violence (TFSV) has been a permanent concern in contemporary society. This study aims to provide a global understanding of the TFSV phenomenon in Portuguese context. ...Using quantitative analyses, the rate and prevalence of victimization, victim characteristics, and technology use were examined. An online questionnaire was completed by 500 people (75.8% female) aged 18–70, mostly cisgender (96.2%), and heterosexual (85.8%). The main results point to a high victimization global rate (72%) as well as in the last 12 months (70.8%). There were no significant differences between the sexes except in sexual aggression/coercion, with more females suffering the more severe type of TFSV. However, the gendering of TFSV emerges with specific behaviors. Females tend to be more sexually harassed, only females report non-consensual sexual experiences with someone they met online, and males tend to report receiving offensive content about their gender/sexuality. Younger people tend to report a higher rate of victimization. The regression model with only victim characteristics is more predictive of TFSV victimization, with younger and heterosexual victims as significant predictors. This study argues that the culture of harassment is deeply rooted and finds an easy way to be disseminated in the digital world.
Sexual violence is a phenomenon that negatively impacts the victims' physical and psychological health and well-being. Sex offenders tend not to take responsibility for their actions, have ...difficulties in emotion regulation and impulse control, paraphilias or other disorders, so they are a difficult group to treat. In addition, the available psychological treatment programs tend to have inconsistent and, sometimes, undesirable results. This systematic review aimed to analyse the recidivism rates of sex offenders treated in community settings. According to the PRISMA guidelines, a systematic search in three databases, EBSCOhost, PubMed, and Web of Science, and a manual search was performed. A total of 319 empirical studies using quantitative methodologies were identified, 27 of which were selected for full-text analysis. In the end, 15 studies were included, published between 1996 and 2020. The objectives, intervention approach, instruments used, and the main results and conclusions were extracted from each study. The studies explored different types of sex offenders, such as: violent sex offenders (e.g., rapists), child abusers, and child abusers with pedophilia (and/or other paraphilias). Results showed that most of the programs had a cognitive-behavioral approach (
= 13). Overall, the interventions appear to be effective in reducing recidivism rates, and some of them led to improvements in other outcomes, such as cognitive distortions, accepting responsibility, victim awareness and empathy, emotional regulation, and offense supportive attitudes. Limitations and implications for future studies were discussed.
Domestic violence (DV) remains a significant public health concern and a violation of human rights. The complex challenges faced by professionals who directly engage DV victims, combined with their ...consistent exposure to distressing narratives, have the potential to significantly impact the well-being of these practitioners. This, in turn, can directly influence the quality of the support they provide to victims. The present study aims to explore the psychological impact of working with DV victims on these professionals while simultaneously investigating the coping mechanisms they employ. Twenty-four professionals from DV victim support in Portugal participated in this qualitative research. Through semi-structured interviews and thematic analysis, the study unveils that this line of work can indeed be profoundly impactful, potentially resulting in adverse outcomes such as fatigue, emotional exhaustion, frustration, and difficulties in emotional regulation. Nonetheless, the research also reveals that professionals are capable of developing coping strategies to mitigate the negative impact of their work. This study proposes a set of suggested measures that should not only be adopted by professionals but should also be smoothly incorporated into the strategies of organizations committed to supporting DV victims. Ultimately, by bolstering the welfare of DV professionals, this research strives to enhance the quality of support extended to victims and provide meaningful input for informed policymaking, improved practices, and effective training approaches.
University years are marked by multiple stressors. Consequently, university students often report anxiety symptoms or disorders, but most remain untreated. Internet-delivered cognitive behavioral ...therapy (ICBT) has been proposed as an alternative to address known help-seeking barriers, which were aggravated during the COVID-19 pandemic. This meta-analysis aims to evaluate the efficacy of ICBT for university students with anxiety. A systematic search on three databases, EBSCOhost, PubMed, and Web of Science, and a manual search were performed. Fifteen studies were identified, including a total of 1619 participants. Seven studies evaluated ICBT treatment for both anxiety and depression, three for social anxiety, two for generalized anxiety, while the remaining (k = 3) only targeted anxiety, test anxiety, and comorbidity between anxiety and insomnia. Analyses were performed based on a random-effects model using the metafor package in R. The results indicated that ICBT had a significant and positive effect on university students with anxiety compared to controls at post-test (g = −0.48; 95 % CI: −0.63, −0.27; p < .001, I2 = 67.30 %). Nevertheless, more research is required to determine the intervention components that are more relevant for therapeutic change, how much guidance is required to produce better outcomes, and how patient engagement can be improved.
•University students are vulnerable to mental health issues such as anxiety.•This study examined the efficacy of ICBT for treating anxiety symptoms or disorders among university students.•We included 15 trials, representing a total of 1619 participants.•ICBT interventions were found to be effective on anxiety symptoms/disorders compared to controls.
Portable X-ray fluorescence (pXRF) spectrometers allow rapid detection of soil elements and owing to several advantages have been increasingly used in many environmental samples, soils included. This ...study aimed to: i) evaluate the potential of pXRF for soil profile characterization; ii) use pXRF for investigating soil weathering through elemental contents quantification in sand, silt, and clay fractions; and iii) spatially evaluate elemental composition in the soil profile to assess variation within and between horizons. An Inceptisol from the Brazilian Cerrado was morphologically described and composite samples from the A, B, C, and Cr horizons were collected for physical/chemical characterization. Additional samples were collected from a regular grid (12.5 × 12.5 cm, n = 24) in the soil profile for further analyses with pXRF in the air-dried fine earth (<2 mm), as well as in the sand, silt, and clay fractions, which were also mineralogically characterized by X-ray diffractometry (XRD). Contents of Ca, K, Al, Si, Zn, and Cu decreased with depth. Calcium, K, Ba, Cr, and Rb contents were less abundant in the sand fraction of the Cr horizon, when compared to the A horizon, whereas Si increased from the Cr to A horizon, probably due to the relative residual accumulation of quartz in this fraction in the A horizon, which was supported by XRD analyses. There was a considerable variation of elemental concentrations with depth and within horizons. Elemental composition obtained by pXRF can help in soil genesis studies indicating weathering pathways and is a powerful tool for complementing XRD data. Future studies can evaluate correlations between soil properties and contents of elements that are now easily obtained by pXRF, such as V, Sr, Rb, and Ba.
•First time mineralogy of sand, silt and clay fractions of soil was related to pXRF.•pXRF results have high correspondence to soil mineralogy.•Mineral weathering pathways can be followed with pXRF analysis.•Spatializing elemental contents indicates variability among and within soil horizons.•Rb, V, Ba, Sr can be easily obtained by pXRF and correlated to soil weathering.
We assessed the effectiveness of a protected area (PA) network in representing tree taxonomic and phylogenetic uniqueness in subtropical Atlantic Forests (Rain, Mixed and Seasonal Forests). Using a ...network of plots distributed over ∼95,000 km2 in southern Brazil, we first map the distribution of species richness (SR), beta diversity (BD) and phylogenetic diversity (PD) across the extent of remaining forest in the region. We then tested whether areas of taxonomic and phylogenetic uniqueness are either over- or under-protected based on the existing PA network (3% coverage) and at least 10% coverage, and assessed whether protection is distributed equally for each uniqueness area type. Here, areas of taxonomic uniqueness were defined as those with higher contribution than the mean to the total BD, and areas of phylogenetic uniqueness as those with higher or lower PD than expected by chance given their SR, and sites exhibiting spatial congruence or mismatch between PD and SR. We found a high percentage of representation of both areas of uniqueness across the extent of remaining forest. However, our analyses showed that these areas are poorly and unequally captured by the PA network; they are on average less protected than expected based on at least 10% coverage and have high inequality of protection. Our results suggest that both beta diversity and evolutionary history of angiosperm trees are not adequately protected, and indicate relevant areas to extend the current PA network. We also emphasize the need to consider a multifaceted approach to maximize protection of the Atlantic Forest biodiversity.
Precision agriculture provides detailed information on the spatial variability of soil properties, including nutrient content, allowing for local-specific decision making. Recently, proximal sensors ...have been used to accurately predict soil properties, contributing to reduce costs of conventional wet-chemistry analyses for soil characterization. However, further investigations on this approach in tropical soils are needed. This work aimed to use portable X-ray fluorescence (pXRF) spectrometry data for prediction of exchangeable Ca
2+
and available K
+
and P contents in soils of a highly heterogeneous tropical area and evaluating its practical applications. 90 samples from soil A horizon were collected in a regular grid design, and analyzed through pXRF and for nutrient contents. Such data were split into modeling (63 samples) and validation (27 samples) datasets. Linear regression (LR), polynomial regression (PR), power regression (PwR) and stepwise multiple linear regression (SMLR) were tested for predictions. The models were used to spatially represent nutrient contents across the area and to compare the practical effects of varying regression models. PXRF elemental data provided reliable predictions of exchangeable Ca
2+
and available P via SMLR and PwR, respectively, reaching root mean square errors (RMSE) of 5.66 cmol
c
dm
−3
for Ca
2+
and 9.13 mg dm
−3
for P. Available K
+
predictions were not successful. Different models yielded contrasting maps showing the classes of soil fertility across the area, drawing attention to the importance of testing multiple prediction models and using the best one for precision agriculture. Fusion of data from different proximal sensors may enhance available K
+
predictions.
ABSTRACT Determination of soil properties helps in the correct management of soil fertility. The portable X-ray fluorescence spectrometer (pXRF) has been recently adopted to determine total chemical ...element contents in soils, allowing soil property inferences. However, these studies are still scarce in Brazil and other countries. The objectives of this work were to predict soil properties using pXRF data, comparing stepwise multiple linear regression (SMLR) and random forest (RF) methods, as well as mapping and validating soil properties. 120 soil samples were collected at three depths and submitted to laboratory analyses. pXRF was used in the samples and total element contents were determined. From pXRF data, SMLR and RF were used to predict soil laboratory results, reflecting soil properties, and the models were validated. The best method was used to spatialize soil properties. Using SMLR, models had high values of R² (≥0.8), however the highest accuracy was obtained in RF modeling. Exchangeable Ca, Al, Mg, potential and effective cation exchange capacity, soil organic matter, pH, and base saturation had adequate adjustment and accurate predictions with RF. Eight out of the 10 soil properties predicted by RF using pXRF data had CaO as the most important variable helping predictions, followed by P2O5, Zn and Cr. Maps generated using RF from pXRF data had high accuracy for six soil properties, reaching R2 up to 0.83. pXRF in association with RF can be used to predict soil properties with high accuracy at low cost and time, besides providing variables aiding digital soil mapping.
RESUMO A determinação de atributos do solo auxilia no correto manejo da sua fertilidade. O equipamento portátil de fluorescência de raios-X (pXRF) foi recentemente adotado para determinar o teor total de elementos químicos em solos, permitindo inferências sobre atributos do solo. No entanto, esses estudos ainda são escassos no Brasil e em outros países. Os objetivos deste trabalho foram prever atributos do solo a partir de dados do pXRF, comparando-se os métodos de regressão linear múltipla stepwise (SMLR) e de random forest (RF), além de mapear e validar atributos do solo. 120 amostras de solo foram coletadas em três profundidades e submetidas a análises laboratoriais. Utilizou-se o pXRF para leitura das amostras e determinou-se o teor total de elementos. A partir dos dados do pXRF, foram utilizadas SMLR e RF para predizer resultados laboratoriais, que refletem atributos do solo, e os modelos foram validados. O melhor método foi utilizado para espacializar os atributos do solo. Utilizando SMLR, os modelos apresentaram valores elevados de R² (≥0,8), porém maior acurácia foi obtida na modelagem com RF. A capacidade de troca de cátions potencial e efetiva, matéria orgânica do solo, pH, saturação por bases e teores trocáveis de Ca, Al e Mg apresentaram ajustes adequados e predições acuradas com RF. Dos dez atributos do solo preditos por RF a partir de dados do pXRF, sete apresentavam CaO como a variável mais importante para auxiliar as predições, seguido por P2O5, Zn e Cr. Os mapas gerados a partir de dados do pXRF usando RF apresentaram adequados valores de R² para seis atributos do solo, atingindo R2 de até 0,83. O pXRF em associação com RF pode ser usado para prever atributos do solo com elevada acurácia, com rapidez e a baixo custo, além de proporcionar variáveis que auxiliam o mapeamento digital de solos.
Due to the high perishability of figs, calcium stands out as an important nutrient for orchard management. This study aims to study the pre-harvest applications of calcium chloride in fig orchards. ...The fig trees were sprayed with 0, 0.5, 1.0, 1.5 and 2.0% CaCl2, and fruits were thereafter stored for 0, 7, 14 and 21 d. The variables analysed were the concentration of calcium in leaves and fruits, weight loss, fruit decay, pectinolytic enzyme activity, and physical and chemical attributes of the fruits; CaCl2 sprays enhanced fruit Ca2+ concentration in leaves (14.03%) and fruits (29.3%) and were effective in reducing polygalacturonase and pectin methylesterase activity, weight loss and fruit decay. Pre-treatment with 1% CaCl2 provided fruits with larger diameters, greater firmness, and higher levels of total phenolic compounds in both fruit peel and pulp. The pre-harvest application at 1% CaCl2 showed to be a promising technique in producing high quality fruits and extended storage by approximately 7 to 10 days. These findings may be useful in planning new cultural practices for fig orchards that produce high-quality fruit with desirable characteristics for growers and consumers.
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