New Haitian social movements: Alternative modernities, (trans)local nationalisms, and solidarity economies

My dissertation is the first project on the Haitian Platform for Advocacy for an Alternative Development- PAPDA, a nation-building coalition founded by activists from varying sectors to coordinate one comprehensive nationalist movement against what they are calling an Occupation. My work not only provides information on this under-theorized popular movement but also situates it within the broader literature on the postcolonial nation-state as well as Latin American and Caribbean social movements. The dissertation analyzes the contentious relationship between local and global discourses and practices of citizenship. Furthermore, the research draws on transnational feminist theory to underline the scattered hegemonies that intersect to produce varied spaces and practices of sovereignty within the Haitian postcolonial nation-state. The dissertation highlights how race and class, gender and sexuality, education and language, and religion have been imagined and co-constituted by Haitian social movements in constructing ‘new’ collective identities that collapse the private and the public, the rural and the urban, the traditional and the modern. My project complements the scholarship on social movements and the postcolonial nation-state and pushes it forward by emphasizing its spatial dimensions. Moreover, the dissertation de-centers the state to underline the movement of capital, goods, resources, and populations that shape the postcolonial experience. I re-define the postcolonial nation-state as a network of local, regional, international, and transnational arrangements between different political agents, including social movement actors. To conduct this interdisciplinary research project, I employed ethnographic methods, discourse and textual analysis, as well as basic mapping and statistical descriptions in order to present a historically-rooted interpretation of individual and organizational negotiations for community-based autonomy and regional development. ^

Factors Influencing Movements and Foraging Ecology of American Alligators (Alligator mississippiensis) in a Dynamic Subtropical Coastal Ecosystem

Top predators can have large effects on community and population dynamics but we still know relatively little about their roles in ecosystems and which biotic and abiotic factors potentially affect their behavioral patterns. Understanding the roles played by top predators is a pressing issue because many top predator populations around the world are declining rapidly yet we do not fully understand what the consequences of their potential extirpation could be for ecosystem structure and function. In addition, individual behavioral specialization is commonplace across many taxa, but studies of its prevalence, causes, and consequences in top predator populations are lacking. In this dissertation I investigated the movement, feeding patterns, and drivers and implications of individual specialization in an American alligator (Alligator mississippiensis) population inhabiting a dynamic subtropical estuary. I found that alligator movement and feeding behaviors in this population were largely regulated by a combination of biotic and abiotic factors that varied seasonally. I also found that the population consisted of individuals that displayed an extremely wide range of movement and feeding behaviors, indicating that individual specialization is potentially an important determinant of the varied roles of alligators in ecosystems. Ultimately, I found that assuming top predator populations consist of individuals that all behave in similar ways in terms of their feeding, movements, and potential roles in ecosystems is likely incorrect. As climate change and ecosystem restoration and conservation activities continue to affect top predator populations worldwide, individuals will likely respond in different and possibly unexpected ways.

A prática do Tai-Chi como nova fronteira terapêutica da fisioterapia na melhoria da capacidade funcional do idoso

Projeto de Graduação apresentado à Universidade Fernando Pessoa como parte dos requisitos para obtenção do grau de Licenciada em Fisioterapia

Spatio-temporal patterns of herbage availability and livestock movements: A cross-border analysis in the Chinese-Mongolian Altay

Due to increasing population and the recent implementation of policies to intensify the use of land and water resources, the transhumant pastoral systems in the Chinese-Mongolian Altay-Dzungarian region are rapidly changing, leading to modifications of herd size, herd composition and spatial distribution of livestock grazing. This may have major consequences for the supply and quality of rangeland biomass. Despite similar topographic settings, the socio-political framework for Chinese and Mongolian pastoralists differs significantly, leading to differences in rangeland utilization. To substantiate these claims, the long-distance transhumance routes, frequency of pasture changes, daily grazing itineraries and size of pastures were recorded by means of GPS tracking of cattle and goats on 1,535 (China) and 1,396 (Mongolia) observation days. The status quo of the main seasonal pastures was captured by measuring the herbage offer and its nutritive value in 869 sampling spots. In the Altay-Dzungarian region, small ruminant herds covered up to 412 km (Mongolia) and grazed on up to nine pastures per year (China). In Mongolia, the herds’ average duration of stay at an individual pasture was longer than in China, particularly in spring and autumn. Herbage allowance at the onset of a grazing period (kg dry matter per sheep unit and day) ranged from 34/17 to 91/95 (China/Mongolia). Comparing crude protein and phosphorous concentrations of herbage, in China, the highest concentrations were measured for spring and summer pastures, whereas in Mongolia, the highest concentrations were determined for autumn and winter pastures. Based on our data, we conclude that regulation of animal numbers and access to pastures seemingly maintained pasture productivity in China, especially at high altitudes. However, this policy may prohibit flexible adaptation to sudden environmental constraints. In contrast, high stocking densities and grazing of pastures before flowering of herbaceous plants negatively affected rangeland productivity in Mongolia, especially for spring and summer pastures.

Eye movements in children during reading : a review

L’analyse des mouvements des yeux a été très largement utilisée ces dernières années en psychologie de la lecture pour mieux rendre compte des traitements cognitifs sous-jacents. Cependant, cette technique a été jusqu’à présent peu utilisée dans une perspective développementale, pour mieux comprendre les processus d’apprentissage et de la lecture chez les enfants. Ce chapitre présente une brève revue des études qui ont comparé les mouvements des yeux chez les enfants à ceux des adultes. Nous y décrivons dans un premier temps ce qui distingue les patterns oculaires de ces deux populations, et présentons ensuite les résultats d’études tentant d’expliquer ces différences en terme de contraintes oculomotrices, visuelles et linguistiques.

Changes in movements of white seabream (Diplodus sargus) during the reproductive season

It has been hypothesized, based on anecdotal information and reports, that adult white seabream migrate and aggregate during spawning. Because most of the past telemetric studies on this ecologically and commercially important species were short in duration and did not cover the reproductive season, we set out to use longer-term passive acoustic telemetry to test this hypothesis. We found that white seabream expands its home range and increases the frequency of forays during the reproductive season, but found no obvious signs of spawning aggregations. Our results thus provide evidence for short-range behavioral shifts in fish space use related to reproductive activity, and support the notion that small MPAs may be effective in managing reef fish populations by effectively protecting their spawning biomass. (c) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Home range, residency and movements of Diplodus sargus and Diplodus vulgaris in a coastal lagoon: Connectivity between nursery and adult habitats

Acoustic telemetry and standard tag-recapture were used to determine the home range and residency of juveniles and sub-adults of Diplodus sargus and Diplodus vulgaris in the Ria Formosa (Portugal) coastal lagoon. Maximum time between recaptures for the standard tag-recapture method was 128 days for D. sargus and 30 days for D. vulgaris. The majority of the fish were recaptured in the vicinity of the tagging location. Fish tagged with acoustic transmitters had a maximum period of time between first and last detections of 62 days for D. sargus and 260 days for D. vulgaris. Minimum convex polygons areas ranged between 148 024 m(2) and 525 930 m(2) for D. sargus and between 23 786 m(2) and 42134 m(2) for D. vulgaris. Both species presented a high residency index between first and last detections. Two D. sargus tagged with acoustic tags were recaptured by fishermen outside the coastal lagoon at distances of 12 km and 90 km from the tagging position, providing evidence that this species leaves the Ria Formosa during the winter time for the adjacent coastal waters. The results of this study reinforce the importance of Ria Formosa as a nursery for D. sargus and D. vulgaris in the south coast of Portugal. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Residency, movements and habitat use of adult white seabream (Diplodus sargus) between natural and artificial reefs

Artificial reefs are used as management tools for coastal fisheries and ecosystems and the knowledge of habitat use and fish movements around them is necessary to understand their performance and improve their design and location. In this study wild specimens of Diplodus sargus were tagged with acoustic tags and their movements were tracked using passive acoustic telemetry. The monitored area enclosed a natural rocky reef, an adjacent artificial reef (AR) and shallower sandy bottoms. Most of the fish were close to full time residents in the monitored area. Results revealed that D. sargus use the natural reef areas on a more frequent basis than the AR. However, excursions to the adjacent AR and sandy bottoms were frequently detected, essentially during daytime. The use of acoustic telemetry allowed a better understanding of the use of artificial reef structures and its adjacent areas by wild D. sargus providing information that is helpful towards the improvement of AR design and location. (c) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Site fidelity and movements of gilthead sea bream (Sparus aurata) in a coastal lagoon (Ria Formosa, Portugal)

Short-time site fidelity and movements of gilthead sea bream (Sparus aurata) in a coastal lagoon were determined using passive acoustic telemetry. Nine fish, ranging from 20.1 to 32.5 cm total length, were surgically implanted with acoustic transmitters and monitored for up to 179 days. Minimum convex polygon areas ranged from 18,698.6 m(2) to 352,711.9 m(2). Home range sizes were small, with individuals using core areas on a daily basis. However, these core areas shifted within the study site over time towards the opening to the sea. Two different diel behaviors were recorded, with some individuals more active at night and others during day time. Some individuals also demonstrated homing abilities, returning to the capture site after being released more than 4 km away. (C) 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Movements of Diplodus sargus (Sparidae) within a Portuguese coastal Marine Protected Area: Are they really protected?

Mark-recapture tagging and acoustic telemetry were used to study the movements of Diplodus sargus within the Pessegueiro Island no-take Marine Protected Area (MPA), (Portugal) and assess its size adequacy for this species' protection against fishing activities. Therefore, 894 Diplodus sargus were captured and marked with conventional plastic t-bar tags. At the same time, 19 D. sargus were tagged with acoustic transmitters and monitored by 20 automatic acoustic receivers inside the no-take MPA for 60 days. Recapture rate of conventionally tagged specimens was 3.47%, most occurring during subsequent marking campaigns. One individual however was recaptured by recreational fishermen near Faro (ca. 250 km from the tagging location) 6 months after release. Furthermore, three specimens were recaptured in October 2013 near releasing site, one year after being tagged. Regarding acoustic telemetry, 18 specimens were detected by the receivers during most of the study period. To analyse no-take MPA use, the study site was divided into five areas reflecting habitat characteristics, three of which were frequently used by the tagged fish: Exterior, Interior Protected and Interior Exposed areas. Information on no-take protected area use was also analysed according to diel and tidal patterns. Preferred passageways and permanence areas were identified and high site fidelity was confirmed. The interaction between tide and time of day influenced space use patterns, with higher and more variable movements during daytime and neap tides. This no-take MPA proved to be an important refuge and feeding area for this species, encompassing most of the home ranges of tagged specimens. Therefore, it is likely that this no-take MPA is of adequate size to protect D. sargus against fishing activities, thus contributing to its sustainable management in the region.

Neural states in parietal areas during arm reaching

Since the first subdivisions of the brain into macro regions, it has always been thought a priori that, given the heterogeneity of neurons, different areas host specific functions and process unique information in order to generate a behaviour. Moreover, the various sensory inputs coming from different sources (eye, skin, proprioception) flow from one macro area to another, being constantly computed and updated. Therefore, especially for non-contiguous cortical areas, it is not expected to find the same information. From this point of view, it would be inconceivable that the motor and the parietal cortices, diversified by the information encoded and by the anatomical position in the brain, could show very similar neural dynamics. With the present thesis, by analyzing the population activity of parietal areas V6A and PEc with machine learning methods, we argue that a simplified view of the brain organization do not reflect the actual neural processes. We reliably detected a number of neural states that were tightly linked to distinct periods of the task sequence, i.e. the planning and execution of movement and the holding of target as already observed in motor cortices. The states before and after the movement could be further segmented into two states related to different stages of movement planning and arm posture processing. Rather unexpectedly, we found that activity during the movement could be parsed into two states of equal duration temporally linked to the acceleration and deceleration phases of the arm. Our findings suggest that, at least during arm reaching in 3D space, the posterior parietal cortex (PPC) shows low-level population neural dynamics remarkably similar to those found in the motor cortices. In addition, the present findings suggest that computational processes in PPC could be better understood if studied using a dynamical system approach rather than studying a mosaic of single units.

Reaching the unreached: de-mystifying the role of ICT in the process of doctoral research

Information and Communication Technology (ICT) has become a necessary element of academic practice in higher education today. Under normal circumstances, PhD students from all disciplines have to use ICT in some form throughout the process of their research, including the preparation, fieldwork, analysis and writing phases of their studies. Nevertheless, there has been little research to date that explores PhD students’ first-hand experiences of using various ICT to support their research practices. This paper brings together the findings and the key points from a review of significant parts of the existing literature associated with the role played by ICT in the processes PhD students use in doctoral research. The review is based on 27 papers appearing in international peer-reviewed journals published from 2005 to 2014. The study seeks to address the under-researched area in the current literature of how ICT plays a role in the processes of doctoral research. While there are many contributions taking the ‘institutional’ or ‘teaching’ perspectives, papers focusing on ‘student’ perspective, or the viewpoint of engaging ICT in daily study routine, are relatively fewer. As far as research methodology is concerned, this review found that many of the papers that were examined were mostly based on perception data such as surveys or interviews, while actual practice data were rarely present. With their ready access to technologies, PhD students are well positioned to take advantage of a range of technologies in order to carry out their research efficiently (in terms of means to an end) and effectively (in terms of reaching goals within a task). This review reveals that in the literature, this important area is under-represented.

Acquisizione di segnali EEG durante compiti di reaching e decodifica mediante rete neurale convoluzionale

La decodifica dei segnali elettroencefalografici (EEG) consiste nell’analisi del segnale per classificare le azioni o lo stato cognitivo di un soggetto. Questi studi possono permettere di comprendere meglio i correlati neurali alla base del movimento, oltre che avere un’applicazione pratica nelle Brain Computer Interfaces. In questo ambito, di rilievo sono le reti neurali convoluzionali (Convolutional Neural Networks, CNNs), che grazie alle loro elevate performance stanno acquisendo importanza nella decodifica del segnale EEG. In questo elaborato di tesi è stata addestrata una CNN precedentemente proposta in letteratura, EEGNet, per classificare i segnali EEG acquisiti durante movimenti di reaching del braccio dominante, sulla base della posizione del target da raggiungere. I dati sono stati acquisiti su dieci soggetti grazie al protocollo sviluppato in questo lavoro, in cui 5 led disposti su una semicirconferenza rappresentano i target del movimento e l’accensione casuale di un led identifica il target da raggiungere in ciascuna prova. I segnali EEG acquisiti sono stati quindi ricampionati, filtrati e suddivisi in epoche di due secondi attorno all’inizio di ciascun movimento, rimuovendo gli artefatti oculari mediante ICA. La rete è stata valutata in tre task di classificazione, uno a cinque classi (una posizione target per classe) e due a tre classi (raggruppando più posizioni target per classe). Per ogni task, la rete è stata addestrata in cross-validazione utilizzando un approccio within-subject. Con questo approccio sono state addestrate e validate 15 CNNs diverse per ogni soggetto. Infine, è stato calcolato l’F1 score per ciascun task di classificazione, mediando i risultati sui soggetti, per valutare quantitativamente le performance della CNN che sono risultati migliori nel classificare target disposti a destra e a sinistra.

Analisi elettromiografica dei muscoli di arto superiore durante esercizi di reaching

Il presente lavoro di tesi si basa sull’analisi di segnali elettromiografici bipolari superficiali (sEMG) riguardanti movimenti di grasping e di reaching. L’elaborato fa parte del progetto Neurograsp, il cui obiettivo è correlare l’attività muscolare con le zone di attivazione corticale durante movimenti di arto superiore eseguiti da soggetti sani. I soggetti partecipanti eseguono dei movimenti per raggiungere una tra 5 posizioni target differenti, equidistanziate lungo un semicerchio posto davanti al soggetto, e successivamente tornare alla posizione iniziale. Ogni movimento viene ripetuto 10 volte, il target viene deciso in maniera random all’interno dell’acquisizione e ogni acquisizione è effettuata 6 volte. Ogni posizione è identificata da un led e la loro accensione permette di comunicare al soggetto quale posizione raggiungere e quando iniziare il movimento. I segnali di sEMG bipolare sono stati rilevati sui seguenti muscoli dell’arto superiore dominante: bicipite brachiale, tricipite brachiale, estensore del polso e flessore del polso. Queste informazioni sono state utilizzate per analizzare le attività muscolari durante i movimenti, nello specifico per identificare un apprendimento motorio da parte del singolo soggetto. In particolare, si vuole mettere a punto un protocollo di elaborazione dati al fine di valutare se c’è stato un effettivo miglioramento dei movimenti avanzando nelle acquisizioni e se è possibile individuare un pattern comune nell’esecuzione del movimento a una direzione specifica. Nel contesto Neurograsp, le informazioni ricavate da questo studio di tesi, forniscono indicazioni sull’utilità di andare ad individuare risposte di aree corticali relative all’apprendimento muscolare.