Meios de comunicação social de massa e a agressividade do espectador de futebol

The mass media have a decisive function in formation of opinion and conduct of population. Among those, the television is a vehicle with great power of spread of information. The objective this study is to analyze the influence of media on occurrences regarding the aggressiveness some participants involved in event soccer, while spectators. The subject's attitude is determined by predominant factors, among them the influences of social and cultural way in that lives, as well as, of the education and sporting influences that it affects. The problem of violence in the sport, in the case of soccer, it cannot be addressed for total responsibility of media. However, collaboration is indispensable, for aspect positive and/or negative, depending on the interest in subject. The models of behavior in television could influence the spectator's behavior for a learning process, for example, the use of the language. Therefore, it is indispensable to rethink the roads of television, their ethical conducts and to discuss the philosophical sense of the crisis. Because, to reject the mass media is to deny the reality and social transformations. The extent of the Physical education, above all in the school, is a fundamental space for the teacher to intermediate the meaning of the sport, in this case, the soccer-spectacle, in social context and their relationships with the media, enlarging the process civilization, so much inside as out of field.

Habitação social em centros urbanos consolidados: análise dialógica desde o percurso do projeto ao uso social: São Paulo (Brasil) e Roma (Itália)

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

Planejamento e gestão na responsabilidade social: desafios para o Serviço Social

Pós-graduação em Serviço Social - FCHS

Effects of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation on clinical, social, and cognitive performance in postpartum depression

Background: This randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind pilot study evaluated the impact of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) on clinical, cognitive, and social performance in women suffering with postpartum depression. Methods: Fourteen patients were randomized to receive 20 sessions of sham rTMS or active 5 Hz rTMS over the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. Psychiatric clinical scales and a neuropsychological battery were applied at baseline (pretreatment), week 4 (end of treatment), and week 6 (follow-up, posttreatment week 2). Results: The active rTMS group showed significant improvement 2 weeks after the end of rTMS treatment (week 6) in Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (P = 0.020), Global Assessment Scale (P = 0.037), Clinical Global Impression (P = 0.047), and Social Adjustment Scale-Self Report-Work at Home (P = 0.020). Conclusion: This study suggests that rTMS has the potential to improve the clinical condition in postpartum depression, while producing marginal gains in social and cognitive function.

Disruption of vitellogenin gene function in adult honeybees by intra-abdominal injection of double-stranded RNA

Abstract Background The ability to manipulate the genetic networks underlying the physiological and behavioural repertoires of the adult honeybee worker (Apis mellifera) is likely to deepen our understanding of issues such as learning and memory generation, ageing, and the regulatory anatomy of social systems in proximate as well as evolutionary terms. Here we assess two methods for probing gene function by RNA interference (RNAi) in adult honeybees. Results The vitellogenin gene was chosen as target because its expression is unlikely to have a phenotypic effect until the adult stage in bees. This allowed us to introduce dsRNA in preblastoderm eggs without affecting gene function during development. Of workers reared from eggs injected with dsRNA derived from a 504 bp stretch of the vitellogenin coding sequence, 15% had strongly reduced levels of vitellogenin mRNA. When dsRNA was introduced by intra-abdominal injection in newly emerged bees, almost all individuals (96 %) showed the mutant phenotype. An RNA-fragment with an apparent size similar to the template dsRNA was still present in this group after 15 days. Conclusion Injection of dsRNA in eggs at the preblastoderm stage seems to allow disruption of gene function in all developmental stages. To dissect gene function in the adult stage, the intra-abdominal injection technique seems superior to egg injection as it gives a much higher penetrance, it is much simpler, and it makes it possible to address genes that are also expressed in the embryonic, larval or pupal stages.

Genes involved in thoracic exoskeleton formation during the pupal-to-adult molt in a social insect model, Apis mellifera

Background: The insect exoskeleton provides shape, waterproofing, and locomotion via attached somatic muscles. The exoskeleton is renewed during molting, a process regulated by ecdysteroid hormones. The holometabolous pupa transforms into an adult during the imaginal molt, when the epidermis synthe3sizes the definitive exoskeleton that then differentiates progressively. An important issue in insect development concerns how the exoskeletal regions are constructed to provide their morphological, physiological and mechanical functions. We used whole-genome oligonucleotide microarrays to screen for genes involved in exoskeletal formation in the honeybee thoracic dorsum. Our analysis included three sampling times during the pupal-to-adult molt, i.e., before, during and after the ecdysteroid-induced apolysis that triggers synthesis of the adult exoskeleton. Results: Gene ontology annotation based on orthologous relationships with Drosophila melanogaster genes placed the honeybee differentially expressed genes (DEGs) into distinct categories of Biological Process and Molecular Function, depending on developmental time, revealing the functional elements required for adult exoskeleton formation. Of the 1,253 unique DEGs, 547 were upregulated in the thoracic dorsum after apolysis, suggesting induction by the ecdysteroid pulse. The upregulated gene set included 20 of the 47 cuticular protein (CP) genes that were previously identified in the honeybee genome, and three novel putative CP genes that do not belong to a known CP family. In situ hybridization showed that two of the novel genes were abundantly expressed in the epidermis during adult exoskeleton formation, strongly implicating them as genuine CP genes. Conserved sequence motifs identified the CP genes as members of the CPR, Tweedle, Apidermin, CPF, CPLCP1 and Analogous-to-Peritrophins families. Furthermore, 28 of the 36 muscle-related DEGs were upregulated during the de novo formation of striated fibers attached to the exoskeleton. A search for cis-regulatory motifs in the 5′-untranslated region of the DEGs revealed potential binding sites for known transcription factors. Construction of a regulatory network showed that various upregulated CP- and muscle-related genes (15 and 21 genes, respectively) share common elements, suggesting co-regulation during thoracic exoskeleton formation. Conclusions: These findings help reveal molecular aspects of rigid thoracic exoskeleton formation during the ecdysteroid-coordinated pupal-to-adult molt in the honeybee.

Social network e capitale sociale degli ex-ospiti di Comunita' Liberta': Drug free e ricaduti a confronto

L'indagine condotta, avvalendosi del paradigma della social network analysis, offre una descrizione delle reti di supporto personale e del capitale sociale di un campione di 80 italiani ex post un trattamento terapeutico residenziale di lungo termine per problemi di tossicodipendenza. Dopo aver identificato i profili delle reti di supporto sociale degli intervistati, si è proceduto, in primis, alla misurazione e comparazione delle ego-centered support networks tra soggetti drug free e ricaduti e, successivamente, all'investigazione delle caratteristiche delle reti e delle forme di capitale sociale – closure e brokerage – che contribuiscono al mantenimento dell'astinenza o al rischio di ricaduta nel post-trattamento. Fattori soggettivi, come la discriminazione pubblica percepita e l'attitudine al lavoro, sono stati inoltre esplorati al fine di investigare la loro correlazione con la condotta di reiterazione nell'uso di sostanze. Dai risultati dello studio emerge che un più basso rischio di ricaduta è positivamente associato ad una maggiore attitudine al lavoro, ad una minore percezione di discriminazione da parte della società, all'avere membri di supporto con un più alto status socio-economico e che mobilitano risorse reputazionali e, infine, all'avere reti più eterogenee nell'occupazione e caratterizzate da più elevati livelli di reciprocità. Inoltre, il capitale sociale di tipo brokerage contribuisce al mantenimento dell'astinenza in quanto garantisce l'accesso del soggetto ad informazioni meno omogenee e la sua esposizione a opportunità più numerose e differenziate. I risultati dello studio, pertanto, dimostrano l'importante ruolo delle personal support networks nel prevenire o ridurre il rischio di ricaduta nel post-trattamento, in linea con precedenti ricerche che suggeriscono la loro incorporazione nei programmi terapeutici per tossicodipendenti.

Social Welfare and Behavioral Public Policies

In this work I discuss several key aspects of welfare economics and policy analysis and I propose two original contributions to the growing field of behavioral public policymaking. After providing a historical perspective of welfare economics and an overview of policy analysis processes in the introductory chapter, in chapter 2 I discuss a debated issue of policymaking, the choice of the social welfare function. I contribute to this debate by proposing an original methodological contribution based on the analysis of the quantitative relationship among different social welfare functional forms commonly used by policy analysts. In chapter 3 I then discuss a behavioral policy to contrast indirect tax evasion based on the use of lotteries. I show that the predictions of my model based on non-expected utility are consistent with observed, and so far unexplained, empirical evidence of the policy success. Finally, in chapter 4 I investigate by mean of a laboratory experiment the effects of social influence on the individual likelihood to engage in altruistic punishment. I show that bystanders’ decision to engage in punishment is influenced by the punishment behavior of their peers and I suggest ways to enact behavioral policies that exploit this finding.

Aggression and its function as a hub mediating host defense against the slavemaking ant Protomognathus americanus

In meiner Dissertation beschäftigte ich mich mit unterschiedlichen Verteidungsstrategien, derenrnEffektivität und Evolution, der Ameisenart Temnothorax longispinosus (“Sklaven”), gegenüberrneinem sozialen Parasiten - der nahverwandten, sklavenhaltenden Art Protomognathusrnamericanus (“Sklavenhalter”). Wir entdeckten eine neue Kategorie der Verteidigungsstrategie,rnwelche es dem Wirten ermöglicht, flexibel auf die nicht vorhersagbaren Angriffe des Parasitenrnzu reagieren. Darüber hinaus erforschten wir, wie die Wirte ihre kollektive Verteidigung an einernVielzahl unterschiedlicher Angreifer anpassen können. Wir konnten feststellen, dass Wirte in derrnLage sind ihre kollektive Verteidigung dem Grad der Bedrohung anzupassen. Dies weist daraufrnhin, dass Selektion die Verteidigung gegen unterschiedliche Typen von Angreifern voneinanderrnunabhängig beeinflussen könnte. In einer dritten Studie belegten wir experimentell, dass diernParasiten die Evolution der Kolonieaggressivität der Wirtsart direkt beeinflussen. Die letztenrnbeiden Publikationen beschäftigten sich mit Sklavenrebellion, einer rätselhaftenrnVerteidigungsstrategie, da noch unklar ist, wie eine Eigenschaft von nicht reproduzierendenrnIndividuen vererbt werden kann. In einer Metaanalyse konnten wir die weite Verbreitung undrnhohe Variabilität dieser Eigenschaft dokumentieren, und fanden Hinweise, dassrnVerwandtenselektion eine mögliche Erklärung für die Evolution dieses Merkmals darstellenrnkönnte.

Caregivers' Social Capital and Satisfaction with their Children's Service Providers

The authors examine children's access to and caregiver's satisfaction with organizations that provide leisure time activities for children on Saturdays. The authors argue that access and satisfaction are a function of familie's financial, cultural and social capital. Using data on 1,036 households in the Phoenix metropolitan area in 2003-04, the authors found that families' financial and cultural capital affected whether or not children participate din activities organized by organizations, but family ties to the organization directly (e.g., either worked there, volunteered, donated) resulted in caregivers being more satisfied with the services. The authors also found that the benefits of network closure (caregivers knowing the parents of other children on site) were greater the riskier the activities of the child (e.g., sports or cheerleading). Contrary to the authors expectations, having family or friends in the area did not affect caregiver's satisfaction with the child's provider.

Breastfeeding and lung function at school age: does maternal asthma modify the effect?

The evidence for an effect of breastfeeding on lung function is conflicting, in particular whether the effect is modified by maternal asthma.

The Influence of the Social and Cultural Environment on a Child's Playing in the First Three Years of Life

The research focused on children's behaviour in playing with objects both independently and in interaction with adults. It was based on studies of 40 Slovene children in 4 age groups (6,12,18 and 24 months) and of 23 Croatian children in 2 age groups (18 and 24 months). All the children were sampled proportionally by their gender and the educational level of their parents (middle and higher). Several coding check lists with satisfactory internal consistency were constructed during the study and used to analyse the video-recorded playing sessions with each child. The basic conclusion reached was that even in early childhood playing behaviour differs significantly between the infants from the two Central European countries. The difference lies not so much in the structure or the content of the playing actions, but in the way in which the infants deal playfully with the objects. This difference appears regardless of the type of object the infants are playing with and even regardless of the playing condition. It can best be described as the difference between the first significant discriminant function activity versus passivity. The Slovene infants were found to be on the active pole and the Croatians on the passive one. Social and gender differences were much less significant than cultural ones in determining the structure, the content and the way of playing. Significant age differences appeared in all three aspects, which was consistent with general trends in infants' psychological development. The group define the Slovene interactive playing style as object oriented, while the Croatian one was largely communicated oriented. Within the experimenter-infant dyads, children of both cultures played at a developmentally more advanced level than they did with their mothers, showing that the mothers were not as successful at reaching the ZPD as were the trained experimenters. In addition, the children of mothers who attributed more cognitive benefit to play played on a more advanced level than those whose mothers attributed more emotional benefit to play. The quality of the object the children were playing with was also significantly related to the structure, content and partly the way of dealing with the objects. Highly-structured objects stimulated complex play and low-structured ones stimulated simple play, regardless of playing conditions. The group concluded that both culture and the quality of the available object have an important impact on young children's play. Through the playing interaction, the infants internalise culturally specific patterns of behaviour and culturally specific meanings. These internalisations become apparent very early in their lives, even in non-social situations. On the other hand, the objects themselves have an impact on the level of infants' play. When they do not provide sufficient perceptive and functional support for a representational action, the infants' play will lag behind their actual developmental capacities.

Fracture in teeth—a diagnostic for inferring bite force and tooth function

Teeth are brittle and highly susceptible to cracking. We propose that observations of such cracking can be used as a diagnostic tool for predicting bite force and inferring tooth function in living and fossil mammals. Laboratory tests on model tooth structures and extracted human teeth in simulated biting identify the principal fracture modes in enamel. Examination of museum specimens reveals the presence of similar fractures in a wide range of vertebrates, suggesting that cracks extended during ingestion or mastication. The use of ‘fracture mechanics’ from materials engineering provides elegant relations for quantifying critical bite forces in terms of characteristic tooth size and enamel thickness. The role of enamel microstructure in determining how cracks initiate and propagate within the enamel (and beyond) is discussed. The picture emerges of teeth as damage-tolerant structures, full of internal weaknesses and defects and yet able to contain the expansion of seemingly precarious cracks and fissures within the enamel shell. How the findings impact on dietary pressures forms an undercurrent of the study.

Primate Craniofacial Function and Biology

Book review: Primate Craniofacial Function and Biology

Cultural capital and social inequality in health

Economic and social resources are known to contribute to the unequal distribution of health outcomes. Culture-related factors such as normative beliefs, knowledge and behaviours have also been shown to be associated with health status. The role and function of cultural resources in the unequal distribution of health is addressed. Drawing on the work of French Sociologist Pierre Bourdieu, the concept of cultural capital for its contribution to the current understanding of social inequalities in health is explored. It is suggested that class related cultural resources interact with economic and social capital in the social structuring of people's health chances and choices. It is concluded that cultural capital is a key element in the behavioural transformation of social inequality into health inequality. New directions for empirical research on the interplay between economic, social and cultural capital are outlined.