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In order to study the ecophysiological relations that affect the growth of B. decumbens in monocrop (MO) and associated withZ. leucocephala (AS), evaluations of photosynthetic active radiation (PAR), assimilation (A) stomatic conductance (Gs), transpiration (E), relative humidity (RH), water potential (0h), differential of steam pressure (DSP) and leaf area index (LAI) were made in a tropical humid forest zone. The evaluations were made 5,10 and 22 days after grazing under both conditions (MO and AS). The most positive values of 0h (P<0,05) were found in AS, as well as the lowest values of PAR (P<0,05) in all the evaluated dates. RH and DSP did not show differences (P 0,05). The gas exchange parameters (E, Gs and A) showed significantly higher values in MO (P<0,05) in all dates. LAI was higher in MO after 10 and 22 days of evaluation. Due to the limitation of the photosynthetic capacity exerted by the light decrease on the grass, that PAR is concluded to be the most important factor that determine growth and development of B. decumbens in AS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction. Choking phobia (or swallowing phobia) is characterized by a fear of swallowing foods, liquids or pills, sometimes after an episode of choking on food. Methods. Forty-one case reports on swallowing phobia from 1978 to 2005 were studied. Clinical and therapeutic variables of the disorder were studied. Results. It appears to occur more often in females (two-thirds of the cases) and has a high comorbidity with anxiety disorders (panic disorder, 41 %; obsessive conditions, 22 %, and separation anxiety, 15 %). Life-events and eating traumatic antecedents are frequently present (44% and 56% cases, respectively). Cognitive-behavioral treatments have been of proven efficacy, as well as antipanic drugs (alprazolam, lorazepam, bromazepan, imipramine, clomipramine, fluoxetine, paroxetine) with a remission rate of 58.5 %. Gender and treatment differences are also analyzed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Evolutionary psychopathology incorporates psychiatry into biology via theory of evolution, generating new etiological hypothesis for mental disorders. For evolutionary psychopathology emotions are a response system or a genetically programmed, specialized state of functioning, formed by natural selection, that allows us to adapt to the environment, increasing the ability to cope with threats and opportunities. Emotions exert their function by coordinated physiological, psychological and behavioral changes. Many functions have been suggested for low mood or depression, including communicating a need for help, signaling yielding in a hierarchy conflict, fostering disengagement for commitments to unreachable goals, regulating patterns of investment, parallelism with despair phase of separation from mother situation in monkeys, hibernation, etc. Despite other evolutionary models, our model not only tries to explain depression but mania, hypomania and other affective disorders as well. For us, most affective disorders are pathological states (and not adaptive ones), due to dysfunction of an innate precipitating mechanism (IPM). IPM function is to regulate energy and activity levels according to intensity and duration of light (namely IPM-A). This IPM-A is responsible for vegetative, endocrine and behavioral responses that are present in humans and more ancient phylogenetic animals. More recently in the phylogeny, other mechanisms (IPM-AA) have coupled to this IPM-A. In the human being, the precipitating factors of IPM-AA are predominately social. IPM-AA add new responses (such as mood) to the older responses of IPM-A. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]