A critical analysis of the ubiquity of linear local-regional richness relationships

Synthesis Despite theoretical criticisms, the ubiquity of linear relationships between local and regional species richness has long been used to justify it as a valid framework to conclude that local communities are not saturated with species. However, we reanalyzed published studies with a new unbiased method and found no prevalence of linear relationships and more than 40% of misclassifications, including textbook examples. We thus conclude that the prevailing argument in favor of associating a valid ecological interpretation to local-regional species richness plots, its ubiquity, is not sustained, and that ecologists could use for instance metacommunity theory to make inference on the strength of local and regional processes. Identifying the relative importance of regional and local processes to local species diversity is a central issue to many questions in basic and applied ecology. One widely-used method is to plot local species richness against its regional richness to infer whether regional or local processes determine local diversity. However, this method increases the tendency to find regional prevalence as suggested by a recent simulation. We reanalyzed studies in the literature with an unbiased method and found no prevalence of either regional or local processes. In addition, almost 40% of the studies and 50% of the ecology textbook examples using the traditional method were misclassified. Our findings reinforce the need of alternative, novel tools identified by for instance metacommunity theory to go beyond the studies of local-regional relationships in the ecological literature that focus on the interdependence of regional and local processes.© 2013 The Authors. Oikos © 2013 Nordic Society Oikos.

When less is better: Insights from the product mix dilemma from the Theory of Constraints perspective

Perhaps due to its origins in a production scheduling software called Optimised Production Technology (OPT), plus the idea of focusing on system constraints, many believe that the Theory of Constraints (TOC) has a vocation for optimal solutions. Those who assess TOC according to this perspective indicate that it guarantees an optimal solution only in certain circumstances. In opposition to this view and founded on a numeric example of a production mix problem, this paper shows, by means of TOC assumptions, why the TOC should not be compared to methods intended to seek optimal or the best solutions, but rather sufficiently good solutions, possible in non-deterministic environments. Moreover, we extend the range of relevant literature on product mix decision by introducing a heuristic based on the uniquely identified work that aims at achieving feasible solutions according to the TOC point of view. The heuristic proposed is tested on 100 production mix problems and the results are compared with the responses obtained with the use of Integer Linear Programming. The results show that the heuristic gives good results on average, but performance falls sharply in some situations. © 2013 Copyright Taylor and Francis Group, LLC.

A concepção de criança e desenvolvimento infantil e a coleção Biblioteca de Educação: uma análise das obras escritas pelos psicólogos funcionalistas franco-genebrinos e por Lourenço Filho

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

A formação da escuta: subjetividade e política

Pós-graduação em Educação - IBRC

Formação continuada de professores: uma análise crítica sobre as perspectivas oficiais de capacitação docente

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

O significado atribuído por licenciandos ao currículo de Biologia numa perspectiva CTSA

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Aspectos formativos da experiência com questões sociocientíficas no ensino de ciências sob uma perspectiva crítica

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Traços impressionistas nos contos de Menalton Braff

Pós-graduação em Estudos Literários - FCLAR

Sobre a filosofia da mente de John Searle

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Um estudo genealófico das críticas proferidas à razão versus a esfera pública em Habermas

Pós-graduação em Filosofia - FFC

Teoria quântica do campo escalar real com autoacoplamento quártico - simulações de Monte Carlo na rede com um algoritmo worm

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Formação do profissional de educação física no contexto das atividades físicas de aventura na natureza

Pós-graduação em Ciências da Motricidade - IBRC

Os pressupostos do debate intelectual entre Floresta Fernandes e Guerreiro Ramos: duas versões de teoria crítica da sociedade brasileira?

Pós-graduação em Ciências Sociais - FFC

A motivação do aprendiz para a aprendizagem escolar: a perspectiva histórico-cultural

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Política pública e avaliação: o Saresp e seus impactos na prática profissional docente

Pós-graduação em Serviço Social - FCHS