Are We Terribly Different? : A case-study of male and female fiction-writing in English

The aim of this study is to find similarities and differences between male and female fiction-writing. The data has been collected from pupils at an upper secondary school in Central Sweden. They were given an extract from a novel by Bernard MacLaverty and from that they were supposed to continue the story.Theories that have evolved during the last centuries claim that the language use between men and women differ in many aspects. Women, it is said, use a more emotional language than men do, while men use more expletives than women. Likewise, the language is said to differ in the use of adverbs, verbs and adjectives. It has also been claimed that men and women have different topic developments and that women write longer sentences than men.The results of the current study show that most of these claims are false, or at least not true in this specific context. In most cases there is little or no difference between the male writing and the female writing. There are also cases where the opposite is true – for example, the female participants write shorter sentences than the male participants. A general conclusion of the study is that the writing between the two groups are quite similar – or at least that similarities are present to a larger extent than differences.

Media Coverage and Charitable Giving After the 2004 Tsunami

Media coverage of humanitarian crises is widely believed to influence charitable giving, yet this assertion has received little empirical scrutiny. Using Internet donations after the 2004 tsunami as a case study in a tobit framework, we show that media coverage of disasters increases charitable donations, with an additional minute of nightly news coverage increasing donations by 0.036 standard deviations from the mean. We repeat the analysis using instrumental variables in a tobit model to account for endogeneity, and the estimates are unchanged. We also show that the magnitude and sign of media impact vary by news source and relief agency.

Exploring different social media users from the millennials’ generation: a cross-cultural behavioral analysis of brazilian users of Facebook and chinese users of RenRen

With the increasing importance of digital communication and its distinct characteristics, marketing tools and strategies adopted by companies have changed dramatically. Among the many digital marketing tools and new media channels available for marketers, the phenomenon known as social media is one of the most complex and enigmatic. It has a range that still is quite unexplored and deeply transforms the present view on the promotion mix (Mangold & Faulds, 2009). Conversations among users on social media directly affect their perceptions on products, services and brands. But more than that, a wide range of other subjects can also become topics of conversations on social media. Hit songs, sporting events, celebrity news and even natural disasters and politics are topics that often become viral on the web. Thus, companies must grasp that, and in order to become more interesting and relevant, they must take part in these conversations inserting their brands in these online dynamic dialogues. This paper focuses on how these social interactions are manifested in the web in to two distinct cultures, Brazil and China. By understanding the similarities and differences of these cultures, this study helps firms to better adjust its marketing efforts across regions, targeting and positioning themselves, not only geographically and culturally, but also across different web platforms (Facebook and RenRen). By examining how companies should focus their efforts according to each segment in social media, firms can also maximize its results in communication and mitigate risks. The findings suggest that differences in cultural dimensions in these two countries directly affect their virtual social networking behavior in many dimensions (Identity, Presence, Relationships, Reputation, Groups, Conversations and Sharing). Accordingly, marketing efforts must be tailored to each comportment and expectations.

Analysis an development of a prototype based on media wiki and semantic media wiki integrated with a design modeling that allows modeling of organizations based on demo

In a world where organizations are ever more complex the need for the knowledge of the organizational self is a growing necessity. The DEMO methodology sets a goal in achieving the specification of the organizational self capturing the essence of the organization in way independent of its implementation and also coherent, consistent, complete, modular and objective. But having such organization self notion is of little meaning if this notion is not shared by the organization actors. To achieve this goal in a society that has grown attached to technology and where time is of utmost importance, using a tool such as a semantic Wikipedia may be the perfect way of making the information accessible. However, to establish DEMO methodology in such platform there is a need to create bridges between its modeling components and semantic Wikipedia. It’s in that aspect that our thesis focuses, trying to establish and implement, using a study case, the principles of a way of transforming the DEMO methodology diagrams in comprehensive pages on semantic Wikipedia but keeping them as abstract as possible to allow expansibility and generalization to all diagrams without losing any valuable information so that, if that is the wish, those diagrams may be recreated from the semantic pages and make this process a full cycle.

Um estudante cego no curso de licenciatura em musica da ufrn: questões de acessibilidade curricular e física

This work aims to discuss and analyze the process of school inclusion of a blind person in the Bachelor's Degree in Music, at the School of Music at the Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, as well as reflect on the importance of establishing systems of support and to ensure university inclusive process of people with visual impairments. In pursuit to achieve these objectives, this research chose a qualitative methodological approach, the case study, using as procedures for data construction an interview, observation, analysis of documents and photographs. Joined the group of participants in this study, a blind student in the class of 2009.1of the EMUFRN Bachelor's Degree in Music, teachers from two disciplines complied by the student, two classmates, a monitor support in music theory, the course coordinator and school principal, and two other individuals who contributed to the inclusion process in actions not formalized institutionally. The results indicate UFRN proposed initiatives that contribute to inclusion of students with disabilities in this institution, the main one is the creation of the Standing Committee of Support for Students with Special Educational Needs (CAENE), a group that guides administrative sectors, teachers, principals, coordinators and students on the measures needed to enter and remain in quality education for all. Physical accessibility is still under construction at UFRN, and many access and sectors see it being adapted for students with physical or visual disabilities, and those with mobility impairments, have access to various parts of the university, however, as shown in this study, some points need to be reconsidered, as there are several places where the installation of tactile floor does not fully follow the guidelines proposed in the legislation. The proposals for access to the curriculum, mediated by EMUFRN, are actions that propose the inclusion of the blind student, as the existence of an educational monitor to help in the study of music theory, however, we need to rethink these proposals to not became actions of reactive intervention. Assuming a more proactive posture, the EMUFRN will be prepared to receive the diversity of students that expects. The study also points out that the blind student is part of a group of students that are practical musicians, who must work in events and evening shows, and who have little knowledge in music theory, leading, respectively, in low frequency classes and learning difficulties in certain curricular components, which may cause the closing of such components. In this case, the challenge of EMUFRN, considering the inclusive perspective, it is not specifically fit for the academic host a blind student, but to develop an accessibility project curriculum to consider effectively the diversity of all its students, taking into account mainly the economic and cultural conditions. This implies a process of resizing academic practices that be guided for collaborative and coordinated actions involving the various educational actors at EMUFRN and UFRN

Testosterone, androstenedione, cortisol, triiodothyronine and thyroxine hormonal profile in neonate male buffaloes

Basic aspects of the hormonal profile of five hormones were studied in neonate male buffaloes. The level of testosterone (T), androstenedione (A), cortisol (C), triiodothyronine (T3) and thyroxine (T4) were determined during the period of 1-6, 7-8, - 9-12, 24, 48, 72 and 96 hours after parturition, using RIA solid phase technique. All hormones studied presented high levels in the neonate animals. The T and A levels were high in the first 1-6 hours post-partum, being 99.6+/-66.6 and 1,301.4+/-887.7 pg/ml, respectively. The T decreased sharply to basal levels (below the analysis limit of detection) within 24 hours while the A reached the basal level within 48 hours with 348.0+/-279.4pg/ml. The C and T4 levels were also high in the first 24-48 hours, which levels were 5.0+/-3.2 and 11.1+/-2.6 mu g/ml, respectively, decreasing gradually and significantly (P<0.01) until 96 hours post-partum, when they approached the basal levels (1.2+/-1.5 and 7.2+/-2.7 mu g/ml, respectively). The concentration of T3 remained elevated during the entire period of sample collection with little variation (P>0.05), with levels of 328.6+/-130.8 and 294.5+/-134.9ng/dl, respectively during 1-6 hours and 96 hours after parturition.

Gaze pursuit and arm control of adolescent males diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and normal controls: evidence of a dissociation in processing visual information of short and long duration

Three-dimensional kinematic analysis of line of gaze, arm and ball was used to describe the visual and motor behaviour of male adolescents diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The ADHD participants were tested when both on (ADHD-On) and off (ADHD-Off) their medication and compared to age-matched normal controls in a modified table tennis task that required tracking the ball and hitting to cued right and left targets. Long-duration information was provided by a pre-cue, in which the target was illuminated approximately 2 s before the serve, and short-duration information by an early-cue illuminated about 350 ms after the serve, leaving -500 ms to select the target and perform the action. The ADHD groups differed significantly from the control group in both the pre-cue and early-cue conditions in being less accurate, in having a later onset and duration of pursuit tracking, and a higher frequency of gaze on and off the ball. The use of medication significantly reduced the gaze frequency of the ADHD participants, but surprisingly this did not lead to an increase in pursuit tracking, suggesting a barrier was reached beyond which ball flight information could not be processed. The control and ADHD groups did not differ in arm movement onset, duration and velocity in the short-duration early-cue condition; in the long-duration pre-cue condition, however, the ADHD group's movement time onset and arm velocity differed significantly from controls. The results show that the ADHD groups were able to process short-duration information without experiencing adverse effects on their motor behaviour; however, long-duration information contributed to irregular movement control.

Electromyographic study of the trapezius (pars media) and rhomboideus major muscles during respiration

The authors studied the trapezius (pars media) and rhomboideus major muscles during deep inspiration and expiration. The electromyographic records demonstrated that these muscles showed no activity in either phase of breathing.

Electromyographic study of the trapezius (pars media) and rhomboideus major muscles in free movements of the head

The authors studied the trapezius (pars media) and rhomboideus major muscles in movements of flexion, extension, inclination and rotation of the head. The electromyographic records demonstrated that referred muscles are inactive in these different movements.

Electromyographic study of the trapezius (pars media) and rhomboideus major muscles in movements of the arm (part 1)

The participation of the trapezius (pars media) and rhomboideus major muscles in free movements of abduction, adduction, flexion, extension and hyperextension of the arm was studied electromyographically. These muscles were active and synergic in all analysed movements, both acting with intensity that ranged from moderate to very marked.

Electromyographic study of the trapezius (pars media) and rhomboideus major muscles in movements of the arm (part 2)

The participation of the trapezius (pars media) and rhomboideus major muscles were studied electromyographically in movements of lateral and medial rotation (free and against resistance) of the arm. In the majority of cases both muscles were inactive during the performance of the analysed movements. Cases in which only one or both muscles acted in free rotation occurred only at the second half or ending of the movement. Records of electrical potentials during against resistance rotation were due to tensional efforts at the shoulder level.

Histologic and biomechanical evaluation of 2 resorbable-blasting media implant surfaces at early implantation times

This study evaluated 3 implant surfaces in a dog model: (1) resorbable-blasting media + acid-etched (RBMa), alumina-blasting + acid-etching (AB/AE), and AB/AE + RBMa (hybrid). All of the surfaces were minimally rough, and Ca and P were present for the RBMa and hybrid surfaces. Following 2 weeks in vivo, no significant differences were observed for torque, bone-to-implant contact, and bone-area fraction occupied measurements. Newly formed woven bone was observed in proximity with all surfaces.

Estudo da influência da proporção de um mix leite/popa da marcacujá na produção de pó obtido por três diferentes tipos de secagem

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Prevalência de patologias no trato genital de machos bubalinos (Bubalus bubalis) nos estados do Pará, Amapá e baixo Amazonas, Brasil

Distúrbios reprodutivos estão associados a problemas adquiridos (estresse, manejo inadequado e de origem infecciosa), e genéticos (alta consangüinidade existente em alguns rebanhos do Brasil). Embora mostre o grau do potencial de fertilidade do macho, o exame andrológico e, em particular, o teste de funcionalidade, tem sido pouco utilizado, principalmente na seleção dos touros, embora, estes mesmos estudos, mencionem a importância do sêmen para avaliar a eficiência reprodutiva do macho. O objetivo do estudo foi determinar a prevalência de patologias clinicamente notáveis, através de palpação e inspeção e caracterizar o perfil espermático de búfalos criados em sistemas de produção, intensivo e extensivo. O estudo foi realizado em propriedades do Estado do Pará, nos Municípios de Belém, Ipixuna, Mojú, Nova Timbotéua, Paragominas, Santarém Novo e São Caetano de Odivelas, Muaná, Soure, Chaves e Ponta de Pedras. No estado do Amapá, nos Municípios de Cutias, Itaubal, Tartarugalzinho e no Arquipélago do Bailique. Os animais eram criados no sistema intensivo e extensivo, respectivamente. O período do estudo foi de março de 2008 a março de 2009. Foram utilizados 305 touros da raça Murrah, Mediterrânea e mestiços, com idade variando entre 2 a 15 anos, sendo que 160 no Estado do Pará, e 145 no Estado do Amapá. Os dados dos exames clínicos - andrológicos, assim como o espermiograma foram documentados em fichas especiais. A obtenção de sêmen foi realizada pela massagem das ampolas a avaliação física do sêmen contou da cor, aspecto, volume, motilidade, vigor, concentração e a avaliação morfológica e pH. A concentração foi aferida por espectrofotômetro da Central de Biotecnologia Animal (CEBRAN). Para a morfologia espermática foi utilizado o método de Cerovsky. Foram analisadas 200 espermatozóides em microscópio óptico em objetiva de imersão. Para análise estatística, foi empregado o programa estatístico BIOESTAT 5.0, estatísticas descritivas para todas as variáveis estudadas, biometrias testiculares, patologias do sistema reprodutor e características físicas e morfológicas do sêmen, registrando-se as médias, os desvios padrões e a distribuição de freqüências para as características de classes andrológicas. Os dados quantitativos referentes às idades dos touros, biometrias testiculares, avaliações físicas e morfológicas do sêmen foram submetidos à ANOVA, e quando houve efeito significativo pelo teste F, às médias foram comparadas pelo teste de Tukey a 5 % de probabilidade de erro. Dos 305 búfalos, nos animais do Estado do Amapá a media e o desvio padrão da circunferência escrotal foi superior ao do Estado do Pará independente do tipo de manejo. Indiferente de idade e sistemas de criação não foi encontrado nenhuma alteração no pênis. A bolsa escrotal bífida (fenda escrotal) foi a alteração mais prevalente. A maior freqüência de alterações no epidídimo foi epididimite granulomatosa tipo tuberculóide, observada nos animais de criação extensiva no estado do Amapá, com uma tendência aos touros de mais de quatro anos. Entre as alterações do testículo a mais prevalente foi à torção testicular e de causas infecciosa destacamos a ocorrência de casos de orquite interticial crônico ativa, orquite granulomatosa tipo tuberculóide, hipoplasia testicular grau I, hipoplasia testicular grau III associada à orquite tuberculóide e hipoplasia grau II (parcial). Outra observação bem evidente é com relação às percentagens de espermatozóide com defeitos maiores e menores que se apresentam muito altas as recomendadas pelo CBRA. Deste estudo pode-se concluir que os reprodutores criados de forma extensiva apresentam patologias de origem genética e infecciosa muito prevalente.