82 results on '"Veríssimo, D"'
Search Results
2. Societal extinction of species
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Jarić, I, Roll, U, Bonaiuto, M, Brook, BW, Courchamp, F, Firth, JA, Gaston, KJ, Heger, T, Jeschke, JM, Ladle, RJ, Meinard, Y, Roberts, DL, Sherren, K, Soga, M, Soriano-Redondo, A, Veríssimo, D, Verissimo, D, and Correia, RA
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memory ,Conservation of Natural Resources ,education and marketing ,Policy ,collective attention ,experience ,conservation ,Anthropogenic Effects ,Biodiversity ,Extinction, Biological ,Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics - Abstract
The ongoing global biodiversity crisis not only involves biological extinctions, but also the loss of experience and the gradual fading of cultural knowledge and collective memory of species. We refer to this phenomenon as 'societal extinction of species' and apply it to both extinct and extant taxa. We describe the underlying concepts as well as the mechanisms and factors that affect this process, discuss its main implications, and identify mitigation measures. Societal extinction is cognitively intractable, but it is tied to biological extinction and thus has important consequences for conservation policy and management. It affects societal perceptions of the severity of anthropogenic impacts and of true extinction rates, erodes societal support for conservation efforts, and causes the loss of cultural heritage.
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- 2022
3. Making more effective use of human behavioural science in conservation interventions
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Balmford, A, Bradbury, RB, Bauer, JM, Broad, S, Burgess, G, Burgman, M, Byerly, H, Clayton, S, Espelosin, D, Ferraro, PJ, Fisher, B, Garnett, EE, Jones, JPG, Marteau, TM, Otieno, M, Polasky, S, Ricketts, TH, Sandbrook, C, Sullivan-Wiley, K, Trevelyan, R, van der Linden, S, Veríssimo, D, Nielsen, KS, Balmford, Andrew [0000-0002-0144-3589], Garnett, Emma [0000-0002-1664-9029], Marteau, Theresa [0000-0003-3025-1129], Sandbrook, Chris [0000-0002-9938-4934], and Apollo - University of Cambridge Repository
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Behavioural science ,Conservation interventions ,Interdisciplinarity ,Behaviour change ,Nudging - Abstract
Conservation is predominantly an exercise in trying to change human behaviour – whether that of consumers whose choices drive unsustainable resource use, of land managers clearing natural habitats, or of policymakers failing to deliver on environmental commitments. Yet conservation research and practice have made only limited use of recent advances in behavioural science, including more novel behaviour change interventions. Instead conservationists mostly still rely on traditional behaviour change interventions – education, regulation and material incentivisation – largely without applying recent insights from behavioural science about how to improve such approaches. This paper explores how behavioural science could be more widely and powerfully applied in biodiversity conservation. We consider the diverse cast of actors involved in conservation problems and the resulting breadth of behaviour change that conservationists might want to achieve. Drawing on health research, we present a catalogue of types of interventions for changing behaviour, considering both novel, standalone interventions and the enhancement of more traditional conservation interventions. We outline a framework for setting priorities amongst interventions based on their likely impact, using ideas developed for climate change mitigation. We caution that, despite its promise, behavioural science is not a silver bullet for conservation. The effects of interventions aimed at changing behaviour can be modest, temporary, and context-dependent in ways that are as-yet poorly understood. We therefore close with a call for interventions to be tested and the findings widely disseminated to enable researchers and practitioners to build a much-needed evidence base on the effectiveness and limitations of these tools.
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- 2021
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4. Efficacy of dental floss impregnated with chlorhexidine on reduction of supragingival biofilm: a randomized controlled trial
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Muniz, F WMG, Sena, K S, de Oliveira, C C, Veríssimo, D M, Carvalho, R S, and Martins, R S
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- 2015
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5. Investigating the international and pan-African trade in giraffe parts and derivatives
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Dunn, M.E., Ruppert, K, Glikman, J.A., O'connor, D., Fennesy, S., Fennesy, J., and Veríssimo, D.
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CITES, expert surveys, literature review, poaching, trophy hunting, wildlife trade - Abstract
Three of the four newly distinguished giraffe species are in significant decline. Concern over the species' threat status prompted a proposal to list the giraffe, which is still recognized as a single species by the IUCN, in Appendix II of the Convention on International Trade of Endangered Species (CITES). However, there is a distinct lack of quantitative data and research on the scale, extent and purpose of both illegal and legal hunting, and the use and/or trading of giraffe and their parts. As a first step towards addressing these knowledge gaps, we conducted a literature review as well as a specialist survey regarding the use and trade of giraffe. We found that the dynamics of legal and illegal trade and the use of giraffe parts vary throughout Africa, ranging from local consumption to cross border and international trade, and from ornamental adornment to medicinal and consumption use. While the CITES listing of giraffe provides a mechanism through which international trade can be monitored, our findings suggest that the majority of illegal hunting currently occurs domestically and only within certain giraffe populations. This article is the first step towards understanding the drivers and managing the associated impacts of unsustainable and illegal giraffe use and trade.
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- 2021
6. Anthropomorphized species as tools for conservation: utility beyond prosocial, intelligent and suffering species
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Root-Bernstein, M., Douglas, L., Smith, A., and Veríssimo, D.
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- 2013
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7. Declaração de Ética do Marketing Social
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Kubacki, K, Eagle, L, French, J, Mintz, J, Musumba, D, Paullier, IB, Veríssimo, D, and Ward, D
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Ética ,Marketing social ,Mudança de comportamento - Abstract
A International Social Marketing Association (iSMA)2 adoptou esta Declaração de Ética do Marketing Social para apoiar a conduta ética dos profissionais de marketing social, incluindo os praticantes, académicos e estudantes, em todas as áreas das suas actividades profissionais. A Declaração tem como objectivo promover um consciente empenho com diversas questões éticas que surgem no trabalho de marketing social. Como marketers sociais temos o dever de observar os mais altos padrões de conduta pessoal e profissional. Idealmente, os programas e projectos de mudança de comportamento, que buscam influenciar pessoas e comunidades, devem ser desenvolvidos e fornecidos de maneira a demonstrar que quaisquer potenciais preocupações éticas foram identificadas, consideradas e concretizadas. Reconhecemos que os marketers sociais, trabalhando com diferentes problemas e contextos sociais, enfrentam uma diversificada gama de questões éticas. Assim sendo, os princípios estabelecidos neste documento foram elaborados de forma sucinta, mas também suficientemente genérica, para poderem criar uma narrativa ética comum e uma fundamentação partilhadas por todos os profissionais de marketing social, identificando possíveis áreas de preocupação ética e considerando as necessárias acções de mitigação.
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- 2020
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8. Declaración ética del Mercadeo Social
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Kubacki, K, Eagle, L, French, J, Mintz, J, Musumba, D, Paullier, IB, Veríssimo, D, and Ward, D
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Mercadeo Social ,Ética ,Marketing Social - Abstract
La Asociación Internacional de Marketing Social (iSMA) adopta esta “Declaración ética del Mercadeo Social” para apoyar la conducta ética de los profesionales del mercadeo social, incluyendo practicantes, académicos y estudiantes, en todas las áreas de sus actividades profesionales. La declaración tiene la intención de promover un compromiso consciente con diversos temas éticos que surgen en el trabajo del mercadeo social. Como practicantes del mercadeo social tenemos el deber de velar por los más altos estándares de conducta tanto personal como profesional. Los programas y proyectos de cambio de comportamiento que buscan influenciar a los individuos y las comunidades, idealmente deben ser desarrollados y entregados de tal manera que demuestra que cualquier potencial inquietud ética ha sido identificada, considerada y debidamente abordada. Reconocemos que los especialistas en mercadeo social, que trabajan en diferentes problemas y contextos sociales, enfrentan una amplia gama de problemas éticos. Por lo tanto, los principios establecidos en este documento se han desarrollado para ser sucintos pero también lo suficientemente genéricos como para ser capaces de crear una narrativa ética común y una base compartida para todos los que practican el mercadeo social, al identificar las áreas potenciales de preocupación ética y considerar qué acciones de mitigación son necesarias. En noviembre de 2018, se estableció un grupo de trabajo para dirigir este trabajo en nombre de iSMA, incluido Krzysztof Kubacki (presidente), Diogo Verissimo (representante de la Asociación Internacional de Marketing Social), Jim Mintz (representante de la Asociación de Marketing Social de América del Norte), Dave Ward (Representante de la Asociación de Mercadeo Social del Noroeste Pacífico), Lynne Eagle (representante de la Asociación Australiana de Mercadeo Social), Jeff French (representante de la Asociación Europea de Mercadeo Social), Inés Besada Paullier (representante de la Asociación Latinoamericana de Mercadeo Social) y Duncan Musumba (representante de la Asociación Africana de Mercadeo Social).  
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- 2020
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9. Social Marketing Statement of Ethics
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Kubacki, K, Eagle, L, French, J, Mintz, J, Musumba, D, Paullier, IB, Veríssimo, D, and Ward, D
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Ethics ,Social Marketing ,Behaviour change - Abstract
The International Social Marketing Association (iSMA) adopted this Social Marketing Statement of Ethics to support the ethical conduct of social marketing professionals, including practitioners, scholars and students, in all areas of their professional activities. The statement is intended to promote conscious engagement with diverse ethical issues arising in social marketing work. As social marketers we have a duty to observe the highest standards of personal and professional conduct. Behaviour change programmes and projects that seek to influence individuals and communities ideally should be developed and delivered in a way that demonstrates that any potential ethical concerns have been identified, considered and addressed. We recognise that social marketers working across different social issues and contexts face a diverse range of ethical issues, therefore the principles set out in this paper have been developed to be succinct but also generic enough to be capable of creating a common ethical narrative and shared foundation for all social marketers, identifying potential areas of ethical concern and consider what mitigating actions are necessary. In November 2018 a working group was established to lead this work on behalf of iSMA, including Krzysztof Kubacki (chair), Diogo Veríssimo (International Social Marketing Association representative), Jim Mintz (Social Marketing Association of North America representative), Dave Ward (Pacific Northwest Social Marketing Association representative), Lynne Eagle (Australia Association of Social Marketing representative), Jeff French (European Social Marketing Association representative), Inés Besada Paullier (Latin American Social Marketing Association representative) and Duncan Musumba (African Social Marketing Association representative).
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- 2020
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10. The effect of knowledge, species aesthetic appeal, familiarity and conservation need on willingness to donate
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Lundberg, P., primary, Vainio, A., additional, MacMillan, D. C., additional, Smith, R. J., additional, Veríssimo, D., additional, and Arponen, A., additional
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- 2019
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11. Measuring the impact of an entertainment-education intervention to reduce demand for bushmeat
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Veríssimo, D., primary, Schmid, C., additional, Kimario, F. F., additional, and Eves, H. E., additional
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- 2018
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12. Efficacy of dental floss impregnated with chlorhexidine on reduction of supragingival biofilm: a randomized controlled trial
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Muniz, Francisco Wilker Mustafa Gomes, Sena, K. S., Oliveira, Camila Carvalho de, Veríssimo, D. M. Veríssimo, Carvalho, Rosimary Sousa, and Martins, R. S.
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Índice de Placa Dentária ,Clorexidina ,Placa Dentária ,Biofilmes - Abstract
Background: The use of a toothbrush has a limited ability to control the dental biofilm in interproximal areas. Therefore, specialized devices, such as dental floss, may be useful for these specific areas. Objective: This study aimed to investigate the efficacy of dental floss impregnated with 5% chlorhexidine gluconate on the reduction of the supragingival biofilm. Methods: This research was parallel, single-blind, controlled and randomized, and contained a sample of thirty dental students from the Faculty of Pharmacy, Dentistry and Nursing of the Federal University of Cear a, Brazil, who were divided equally into three groups. The negative control group (NC) did not utilize any kind of interproximal cleaning; the positive control group (PC) used waxed floss without impregnation twice a day; and the test group (T) used the same dental floss, which was impregnated with 5% chlorhexidine gluconate, twice a day. For all groups, this study lasted for 15 days. The presence of a biofilm was evaluated on four surfaces (mesiobuccal, distobuccal, mesiolingual and distolingual) by the Quigley–Hein Index, resulting in four scores for each tooth. Results: Group T had the lowest plaque scores, showing a significant difference compared to group NC (P < 0.001) and group PC (P < 0.001). Group PC also displayed a significant difference compared to NC (P < 0.001). Conclusion: It was concluded that the use of dental floss impregnated with 5% chlorhexidine gluconate resulted in additional reductions in the supragingival biofilm relative to the results achieved with conventional waxed floss on the anterior teeth of a well-motivated and well-instructed population.
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- 2015
13. Jaguar Panthera onca predation of marine turtles: conflict between flagship species in Tortuguero, Costa Rica
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Veríssimo, D., primary, Jones, D. A., additional, Chaverri, R., additional, and Meyer, S. R., additional
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- 2012
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14. Birds as tourism flagship species: a case study of tropical islands
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Veríssimo, D., primary, Fraser, I., additional, Groombridge, J., additional, Bristol, R., additional, and MacMillan, D. C., additional
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- 2009
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15. Bye, Bye, Cacopardo! Revisiting Factionalism Through the Hunting Scene in Malta
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Campbell, Brian and Veríssimo, Diogo
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- 2018
16. Notes on the conservation status, geographic distribution and ecology of Bothrops muriciensis Ferrarezzi & Freire, 2001 (Serpentes, Viperidae)
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Freitas, M. A., França, D. P. F., Roberta Graboski, Uhlig, V., and Veríssimo, D.
17. Reducing demand for overexploited wildlife products: Lessons from systematic reviews from outside conservation science
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Douglas MacFarlane, Mark J. Hurlstone, Ullrich K. H. Ecker, Paul J Ferraro, Sander van der Linden, Diogo Veríssimo, Anita K. Y. Wan, Gayle Burgess, Frederick Chen, Wayne Hall, Gareth J Hollands, William J Sutherland, Hurlstone, Mark J [0000-0001-9920-6284], Linden, Sander [0000-0002-0269-1744], Veríssimo, Diogo [0000-0002-3519-6782], Sutherland, William J [0000-0002-6498-0437], Apollo - University of Cambridge Repository, Hurlstone, MJ [0000-0001-9920-6284], van der Linden, S [0000-0002-0269-1744], Veríssimo, D [0000-0002-3519-6782], and Sutherland, WJ [0000-0002-6498-0437]
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behavior change ,fear appeals ,mass-media campaigns ,evidence-based interventions ,zoonoses ,overconsumption ,REVIEW ,General Earth and Planetary Sciences ,demand reduction ,biodiversity conservation ,evidence‐based interventions ,illegal wildlife trade ,social norms ,mass‐media campaigns ,REVIEWS ,General Environmental Science - Abstract
Conservationists have long sought to reduce consumer demand for overexploited wildlife products. More recently, health practitioners and others have begun calling for reductions in the wildlife trade to reduce the risk of pandemics. Despite this broadening interest, most wildlife-focused demand reduction campaigns have lacked rigorous evaluations and thus their impacts remain unknown. There is thus an urgent need to review the evidence from beyond conservation science to inform future demand-reduction efforts. We searched for systematic reviews of interventions that aimed to reduce consumer demand for harmful products (e.g., cigarettes and illicit drugs). In total, 41 systematic reviews were assessed, and their data extracted. Mass-media campaigns and incentive programs were, on average, ineffective. While advertising bans, social marketing and location bans were promising, there was insufficient robust evidence to draw firm conclusions. In contrast, the evidence for the effectiveness of risk warnings and appeals to norms was stronger, with some caveats.
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- 2022
18. Understanding author choices in the current conservation publishing landscape.
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Yoh N, Holle MJM, Willis J, Rudd LF, Fraser IM, and Veríssimo D
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Conservation literature addresses a broad spectrum of interdisciplinary questions and benefits. Conservation science benefits most when a diverse range of authors are represented, particularly those from countries where much conservation work is focused. In other disciplines, it is well known that barriers and biases exist in the academic publishing sphere, which can affect research dissemination and an author's career development. We used a discrete choice experiment to determine how 7 journal attributes affect authors' choices of where to publish in conservation. We targeted authors directly by contacting authors published in 18 target journals and indirectly via communication channels for conservation organizations. We only included respondents who had previously published in a conservation-related journal. We used a multinomial logit model and a latent class model to investigate preferences for all respondents and distinct subpopulations. We identified 3 demographic groups across 1038 respondents (older authors from predominantly middle-income countries, younger authors from predominantly middle-income countries, and younger authors from high-income countries) who had published in conservation journals. Each group exhibited different publishing preferences. Only 2 attributes showed a consistent response across groups: cost to publish negatively affected journal choice, including authors in high-income countries, and authors had a consistent preference for double-blind review. Authors from middle-income countries were willing to pay more for society-owned journals, unlike authors from high-income countries. Journals with a broad geographical scope that were open access and that had relatively high impact factors were preferred by 2 of the 3 demographic groups. However, journal scope and open access were more important in dictating journal choice than impact factor. Overall, different demographics had different preferences for journals and were limited in their selection based on attributes such as open access policy. However, the scarcity of respondents from low-income countries (2% of respondents) highlights the pervasive barriers to representation in conservation research. We recommend journals offer double-blind review, reduce or remove open access fees, investigate options for free editorial support, and better acknowledge the value of local-scale single-species studies. Academic societies in particular must reflect on how their journals support conservation and conservation professionals., (© 2024 The Author(s). Conservation Biology published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of Society for Conservation Biology.)
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- 2024
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19. Long-term follow-up of treatment outcomes in Graves' disease and toxic nodular disease.
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Veríssimo D, Pereira B, Vinhais J, Ivo C, Martins AC, E Silva JN, Passos D, Lopes L, de Castro JJ, and Marcelino M
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Purpose: Hyperthyroidism guidelines have not been updated over the past five years, despite numerous data on the subject, and recent studies providing a wide variation in treatment success rates. We aim to compare the effectiveness and safety of treatment modalities in patients with Graves' disease or toxic nodular disease., Methods: Single center retrospective cohort study of Graves' disease and toxic nodular disease patients treated between 1983 and 2023., Results: A total of 411 patients were treated for hyperthyroidism, 245 due to Graves' disease and 166 due to or toxic nodular disease, followed for a median of 7 years. In Graves' disease, 90.2% were treated with antithyroid drugs over 250 cycles, achieving 41.7% cumulative remission. Half of all relapses (50.9%) occurred in the first year, 76.3% in the first three years, and 98.3% within nine years. Treatment periods of 12-24 months showed higher remission and lower relapse rates than longer periods. I-131 was used in 103 cycles with 82.5% remission and 7.1% relapse. A total of 29 thyroidectomies resulted in 100% remission, with no relapse. In toxic nodular disease, surgery was the most frequently used treatment (54.5%), followed by I-131 (37.1%)., Conclusion: Our findings support antithyroid drugs as the preferential first-line treatment for Graves' disease, allowing for euthyroidism with minimal adverse effects. Given the propensity for relapse, we suggest a rigorous monitoring, particularly within the first three years. In toxic nodular disease, surgery should be the preferred option, with I-131 being reserved for single adenomas and small goiters., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)
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- 2024
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20. Treatment of metastatic paraganglioma: experience of a single center.
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Veríssimo D, Regala C, Damásio I, Santos S, Donato S, and Leite V
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- Humans, Female, Middle Aged, Retrospective Studies, Male, Adult, Aged, Treatment Outcome, Young Adult, Neoplasm Metastasis, Pheochromocytoma pathology, Pheochromocytoma therapy, Pheochromocytoma secondary, Pheochromocytoma mortality, Paraganglioma therapy, Paraganglioma pathology, Adrenal Gland Neoplasms therapy, Adrenal Gland Neoplasms secondary, Adrenal Gland Neoplasms mortality
- Abstract
Purpose: Data regarding treatment options and their efficacy for metastatic paragangliomas (mPPGL) is limited. This study aims to report a single center experience in treating mPPGL, comparing the efficacy and safety of various treatment approaches., Methods: Retrospective analysis of patients with mPPGL treated at an Endocrinology Department of a cancer institute between January 2000 and October 2022., Results: We analyzed 25 patients with mPPGL, 8 pheochromocytomas and 20 paragangliomas (12% multifocal), followed for a median of 9 [4; 14] years. Surgical approach, aimed at the primary tumor or at debulking of metastases, was the only treatment achieving complete response: 87% in primary tumor and 87.5% with debulking of metastases. These were long-lasting results with a duration of 69 (23.8; 136.8) months in primary tumor removal and 35.1 (15.3; 41) months in metastases debulking. As for other therapeutic approaches, such as radioactive isotopes, tyrosine kinase inhibitors, chemotherapy and external beam radiotherapy, the main outcome was stable disease, with few partial responses. At the last follow-up, 66% of the patients were alive, 15.4% were in remission and 84.6% had stable disease. Median overall survival was 14 years. The 5-year and 10-year survival rates from primary tumor diagnosis were 77.9% and 66.9% respectively, and from metastasis diagnosis were 67.4% and 55.6%, respectively., Conclusion: This is the only European single center analysis addressing outcomes of different therapies in mPGL. The results support surgery as a first-line treatment, being the only approach that may achieve complete response with satisfactory and long-lasting results., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)
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- 2024
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21. Designing celebrity-endorsed behavioral interventions in conservation.
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Olmedo A, Veríssimo D, Challender DWS, Dao HTT, Rubino EC, and Milner-Gulland EJ
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- Humans, Vietnam, Meat, Conservation of Natural Resources methods, Decision Making
- Abstract
The use of celebrity endorsement in environmental conservation interventions aiming to influence human behavior has increased in recent decades. Although good practice in designing, implementing, and evaluating behavioral interventions is outlined in recent publications, guidance on developing conservation interventions with celebrity endorsement remains limited. To fill this gap, we devised a guide for decision-making relating to celebrity-endorsed behavioral interventions based on the behavioral, project design, and celebrity endorsement literatures. The guide advises conducting research to understand the behavior system in question; defining endorser selection models and celebrities based on the research; developing an endorsement strategy with the appropriate communication channels; testing the celebrity, channels, and strategy with the target audience and making adjustments as needed; and, finally, evaluating the intervention after implementation. We applied this strategy to a case study, the aim of which was to design a celebrity-endorsed intervention to reduce consumption of wild meat in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Following our guide, we found that employing evidence-based decision-making substantially enhanced our ability to understand the complexity and potential cost associated with using celebrity endorsements in behavioral interventions., (© 2024 The Author(s). Conservation Biology published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of Society for Conservation Biology.)
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- 2024
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22. Correction: The effectiveness and efficiency of using normative messages to reduce waste: A real world experiment.
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Salazar G, Neves J, Alves V, Silva B, Giger JC, and Veríssimo D
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[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0261734.]., (Copyright: © 2024 Salazar et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.)
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- 2024
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23. Impact on species' online attention when named after celebrities.
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Blake K, Anderson SC, Gleave A, and Veríssimo D
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- Animals, Invertebrates, Mammals, Attention, Conservation of Natural Resources, Endangered Species
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Celebrities can generate substantial attention and influence public interest in species. Using a large-scale examination of publicly available data, we assessed whether species across 6 taxonomic groups received more page views on Wikipedia when the species was named after a celebrity than when it was not. We conducted our analysis for 4 increasingly strict thresholds of how many average daily Wikipedia page views a celebrity had (1, 10, 100, or 1000 views). Overall, we found a high probability (0.96-0.98) that species named after celebrities had more page views than their closest relatives that were not named after celebrities, irrespective of the celebrity threshold. The multiplicative effect on species' page views was larger but more uncertain as celebrity page-view thresholds increased. The range for thresholds of 1 to 1000 was 1.08 (95% credible interval [CI] 1.00-1.18) to 1.76 (95% CI 0.96-2.80), respectively. The hierarchical estimates for the taxa tended to be positive. The strongest effects were for invertebrates, followed by amphibians, reptiles, fish, and mammals, whereas the weakest effect was for birds at lower page-view thresholds. Our results suggest that naming species after celebrities could be particularly significant for those belonging to taxonomic groups that are generally less popular than others (e.g., invertebrates). Celebrities may further influence the effectiveness of this marketing strategy, depending on their likability and connection to the species named after them. Eponyms may serve as a reminder of the disproportionate power dynamics between populations and some namesakes' untenable actions. However, they also provide an opportunity to recognize remarkable individuals and promote equity, inclusivity, and diversity in taxonomic practice. We encourage taxonomists to examine whether naming threatened species after celebrities could affect conservation support, especially for species that are otherwise typically overlooked by the public., (© 2023 The Authors. Conservation Biology published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of Society for Conservation Biology.)
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- 2024
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24. Cost-Effectiveness of Inpatient Continuous Glucose Monitoring.
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Veríssimo D, Pereira BR, Vinhais J, Ivo C, Martins AC, Silva JN, Passos D, Lopes L, Jácome de Castro J, and Marcelino M
- Abstract
Introduction Our department conducted a retrospective cohort study to compare the efficacy of continuous glucose monitoring devices versus capillary blood glucose in the glycemic control of inpatient type 2 diabetes on intensive insulin therapy in a Portuguese hospital. The use of continuous glucose monitoring devices was associated with improved glycemic control, including an increased number of glucose readings within target range and reduced hyperglycemic events, being safe concerning hypoglycemias. This is the cost-effectiveness analysis associated with these results. Aim The primary objective was to compare the cost-effectiveness of achieving glycemic control, defined as the number of patients within glycemic goals, between groups. Secondary endpoints included cost-effectiveness analyses of each time in range goal, and each percentual increment in time in range. Methods We defined each glycemic goal as: "readings within range (70-180 mg/dL) >70%", "readings below range (below 70 mg/dL) <4%", "severe hypoglycemia (below 54 mg/dL) <1%", "readings above range (above 180 mg/dL) <25%", "very high glycemic readings (above 250 mg/dL) <5%". Results Continuous glucose monitoring showed lower median cost per effect for the primary outcome (€11.1 vs. €34.9/patient), with lower cost for readings in range (€7.8 vs. €11.6/patient) and for both readings above range goals ("above 180mg/dL": €7.4 vs. €9.9/patient, and "above 250mg/dL": €6.9 vs. €17.4/patient). Conclusions There are no published data regarding the cost-effectiveness of continuous glucose monitoring devices in inpatient settings. Our results show that continuous glucose monitoring devices were associated with an improved glycemic control, at a lower cost, and endorse the feasibility of incorporating these devices into hospital settings, presenting a favorable cost-effective option compared to capillary blood glucose., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright © 2024, Veríssimo et al.)
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- 2024
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25. Reform wildlife trade in the European Union.
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Cardoso P, Fukushima CS, Maxhelaku A, Poczai P, Porto M, Puksas A, Reino L, Saar I, Stringham O, Toomes A, Vargas T, and Veríssimo D
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- Animals, European Union, Spiders, Animals, Wild, Wildlife Trade legislation & jurisprudence
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- 2024
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26. Flagship events and biodiversity conservation.
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Jarić I, Crowley SL, Veríssimo D, and Jeschke JM
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- Humans, Animals, Animals, Wild, Conservation of Natural Resources, Biodiversity
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Flagship species are a highly effective approach in conservation. We propose the distinct but complementary concept of flagship events: natural or anthropogenic occurrences that attract public attention. Flagship events have high potential value for biodiversity conservation by engaging people with wildlife and helping to garner support for conservation efforts., Competing Interests: Declaration of interests The authors declare no competing interests., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)
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- 2024
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27. Evaluating global interest in biodiversity and conservation.
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de Oliveira Caetano GH, Vardi R, Jarić I, Correia RA, Roll U, and Veríssimo D
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- Animals, Humans, Conservation of Natural Resources methods, Biodiversity, Mammals, Pandemics, COVID-19
- Abstract
The first target of the Convention for Biological Diversity (Aichi target 1) was to increase public awareness of the values of biodiversity and actions needed to conserve it-a key prerequisite for other conservation targets. Monitoring success in achieving this target at a global scale has been difficult; however, increased digitization of human life in recent decades has made it easier to measure people's interests at an unprecedented scale and allows for a more comprehensive evaluation of Aichi target 1 than previously attempted. We used Google search volume data for over a thousand search terms related to different aspects of biodiversity and conservation to evaluate global interest in biodiversity and its conservation. We also investigated the correlation of interest in biodiversity and conservation across countries to variables related to biodiversity, economy, demography, research, education, internet use, and presence of environmental organizations. From 2013 to 2020, global searches for biodiversity components increased, driven mostly by searches for charismatic fauna (59% of searches were for mammal species). Searches for conservation actions, driven mostly by searches for national parks, decreased since 2019, likely due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Economic inequality was negatively correlated with interest in biodiversity and conservation, whereas purchasing power was indirectly positively correlated with higher levels of education and research. Our results suggest partial success toward achieving Aichi target 1 in that interest in biodiversity increased widely, but not for conservation. We suggest that increased outreach and education efforts aimed at neglected aspects of biodiversity and conservation are still needed. Popular topics in biodiversity and conservation could be leveraged to increase awareness of other topics with attention to local socioeconomic contexts., (© 2023 The Authors. Conservation Biology published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of Society for Conservation Biology.)
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- 2023
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28. Continuous Glucose Monitoring vs. Capillary Blood Glucose in Hospitalized Type 2 Diabetes Patients.
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Veríssimo D, Vinhais J, Ivo C, Martins AC, Nunes E Silva J, Passos D, Lopes L, Jácome de Castro J, and Marcelino M
- Abstract
Introduction: The emergence of continuous glucose monitoring devices revolutionized the monitoring of diabetes, allowing real-time measurement of interstitial glucose levels. These devices are especially important for people with diabetes treated with insulin therapy and have been extensively studied in outpatient settings. In hospitalized patients, studies using continuous glucose monitoring have focused mainly on evaluating its accuracy and feasibility, but the results were unclear on whether continuous glucose monitoring was superior to capillary blood glucose in improving glycemic control and further research is needed to support the use of these devices in hospitalized patients with diabetes., Objective: The primary endpoint of this study was to assess the increase in time-in-range (glycemic readings between 100-180 mg/dL) in hospitalized patients with continuous glucose monitoring, compared to capillary blood glucose. The secondary endpoints included the assessment of reductions in hypoglycemia incidence, mean glucose levels, and glucose coefficient of variation. Additionally, we assessed the intervention's impact on reducing the length of hospital stay, mortality rates, and incidence of inpatient infections., Research Design and Methods: This was a retrospective, cohort study of 60 hospitalized patients with type 2 diabetes, divided into two groups of 30 individuals each: an intervention group monitored through continuous glucose monitoring and a control group using capillary blood glucose., Results: Both groups were comparable in terms of demographic and clinical characteristics. Continuous glucose monitoring users had a higher number of readings per day (six vs. four, p < 0.001), in-range readings (53.5% vs. 35%, p = 0.027), fewer above-range readings (25.5% vs. 56.5%, p = 0.003), particularly above 250 mg/dL (5% vs. 27.5%, p = 0.001), with no difference in the percentage of hypoglycemia occurence (1% vs. 0%, p = 0.107). Lower mean glucose (161.9 mg/dL vs. 206.5 mg/dL, p < 0.001) was also observed in this group. No difference was observed in mortality, length of stay, or in infection rate ( p = 1.000, p = 0.455, and p = 0.606, respectively)., Conclusions: This retrospective study supports the use of continuous glucose monitoring in optimizing glycemic control in hospitalized patients with type 2 diabetes on intensive insulin therapy. These findings suggest that continuous glucose monitoring can improve time-in-range and prevent hyperglycemia., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright © 2023, Veríssimo et al.)
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- 2023
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29. The manifold costs of being a non-native English speaker in science.
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Amano T, Ramírez-Castañeda V, Berdejo-Espinola V, Borokini I, Chowdhury S, Golivets M, González-Trujillo JD, Montaño-Centellas F, Paudel K, White RL, and Veríssimo D
- Subjects
- Humans, Surveys and Questionnaires, Language, Linguistics
- Abstract
The use of English as the common language of science represents a major impediment to maximising the contribution of non-native English speakers to science. Yet few studies have quantified the consequences of language barriers on the career development of researchers who are non-native English speakers. By surveying 908 researchers in environmental sciences, this study estimates and compares the amount of effort required to conduct scientific activities in English between researchers from different countries and, thus, different linguistic and economic backgrounds. Our survey demonstrates that non-native English speakers, especially early in their careers, spend more effort than native English speakers in conducting scientific activities, from reading and writing papers and preparing presentations in English, to disseminating research in multiple languages. Language barriers can also cause them not to attend, or give oral presentations at, international conferences conducted in English. We urge scientific communities to recognise and tackle these disadvantages to release the untapped potential of non-native English speakers in science. This study also proposes potential solutions that can be implemented today by individuals, institutions, journals, funders, and conferences. Please see the Supporting information files (S2-S6 Text) for Alternative Language Abstracts and Figs 5 and 6., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright: © 2023 Amano et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.)
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- 2023
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30. Challenges in Management of Concomitant Primary Aldosteronism and Pheochromocytoma.
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Veríssimo D, Vinhais J, Ivo CR, Sousa I, Martins AC, Nunes E Silva J, Lopes L, Passos D, Jácome de Castro J, and Marcelino M
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- Male, Humans, Middle Aged, Positron Emission Tomography Computed Tomography, Adrenalectomy, Pheochromocytoma complications, Pheochromocytoma diagnosis, Pheochromocytoma surgery, Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 complications, Adrenal Gland Neoplasms complications, Adrenal Gland Neoplasms diagnosis, Adrenal Gland Neoplasms surgery, Hypertension diagnosis, Hyperaldosteronism complications, Hyperaldosteronism diagnosis
- Abstract
BACKGROUND Primary aldosteronism and pheochromocytoma are endocrine causes of secondary arterial hypertension. The association of primary aldosteronism and pheochromocytoma is rare and the involved mechanisms are poorly understood. Either there is a coexistence of both diseases or the pheochromocytoma stimulates the production of aldosterone. Since management approaches may differ significantly, it is important to properly diagnose the 2 conditions. We describe concomitant pheochromocytoma and primary aldosteronism in a patient with resistant hypertension, which demanded a challenging and individualized approach. CASE REPORT A 64-year-old man was sent for observation in our department for type 2 diabetes and resistant hypertension. Laboratory work-up suggested a primary aldosteronism and a pheochromocytoma. The abdominal CT (before and after intravenous contrast, with portal and delayed phase acquisitions) revealed an indeterminate right adrenal lesion and 3 nodules in the left adrenal gland: 1 indeterminate and 2 compatible with adenomas. A 18F-FDOPA PET-CT showed increased uptake in the right adrenal gland. The patient underwent a right adrenalectomy and a pheochromocytoma was confirmed. An improvement in glycemic control was observed after surgery but the patient remained hypertensive. A captopril test confirmed the persistence of primary aldosteronism, and he was started on eplerenone, achieving blood pressure control. CONCLUSIONS This case highlights the challenges in diagnosing and treating the simultaneous occurrence of pheochromocytoma and primary aldosteronism. Our main goal was surgical removal of the pheochromocytoma due to the risk of an adrenergic crisis.
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- 2023
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31. Understanding the drivers of expert opinion when classifying species as extinct.
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Roberts DL, Hinsley A, Fiennes S, and Veríssimo D
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- Animals, Extinction, Biological, Mammals, Ecosystem, Fishes, Endangered Species, Biodiversity, Conservation of Natural Resources, Expert Testimony
- Abstract
The criteria as laid out by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List are the gold standard by which the extinction risk of a species is assessed and where appropriate biological extinctions are declared. However, unlike all other categories, the category of extinct lacks a quantitative framework for assigning this category. Given its subjective nature, we surveyed expert assessors working on a diversity of taxa to explore the attributes they used to declare a species extinct. Using a choice experiment approach, we surveyed 674 experts from the IUCN Species Survival Commission specialist groups and taskforces. Data availability, time from the last sighting, detectability, habitat availability, and population decline were all important attributes favored by assessors when inferring extinction. Respondents with red-listing experience assigned more importance to the attributes data availability, time from the last sighting, and detectability when considering a species extinction, whereas those respondents working with well-known taxa gave more importance to the time from the last sighting. Respondents with no red-listing experience and those working with more well-known taxa (i.e., mammals and birds) were overall less likely to consider species extinct. Our findings on the importance assessors place on attributes used to declare a species extinct provide a basis for informing the development of specific criteria for more accurately assessing species extinctions., (© 2022 The Authors. Conservation Biology published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of Society for Conservation Biology.)
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- 2023
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32. Systematic review of conservation interventions to promote voluntary behavior change.
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Thomas-Walters L, McCallum J, Montgomery R, Petros C, Wan AKY, and Veríssimo D
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- Humans, Conservation of Natural Resources, Social Behavior
- Abstract
Understanding human behavior is vital to developing interventions that effectively lead to proenvironmental behavior change, whether the focus is at the individual or societal level. However, interventions in many fields have historically lacked robust forms of evaluation, which makes it hard to be confident that these conservation interventions have successfully helped protect the environment. We conducted a systematic review to assess how effective nonpecuniary and nonregulatory interventions have been in changing environmental behavior. We applied the Office of Health Assessment and Translation systematic review methodology. We started with more than 300,000 papers and reports returned by our search terms and after critical appraisal of quality identified 128 individual studies that merited inclusion in the review. We classified interventions by thematic area, type of intervention, the number of times audiences were exposed to interventions, and the length of time interventions ran. Most studies reported a positive effect (n = 96). The next most common outcome was no effect (n = 28). Few studies reported negative (n = 1) or mixed (n = 3) effects. Education, prompts, and feedback interventions resulted in positive behavior change. Combining multiple interventions was the most effective. Neither exposure duration nor frequency affected the likelihood of desired behavioral change. Comparatively few studies tested the effects of voluntary interventions on non-Western populations (n = 17) or measured actual ecological outcome behavior (n = 1). Similarly, few studies examined conservation devices (e.g., energy-efficient stoves) (n = 9) and demonstrations (e.g., modeling the desired behavior) (n = 5). There is a clear need to both improve the quality of the impact evaluation conducted and the reporting standards for intervention results., (© 2022 The Authors. Conservation Biology published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of Society for Conservation Biology.)
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- 2023
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33. Thyrotropin and body mass index, are they related?
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Ivo CR, Duarte V, Veríssimo D, Silva J, Passos D, Lopes L, Jácome de Castro J, and Marcelino M
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- Adult, Male, Female, Humans, Middle Aged, Aged, Body Mass Index, Cross-Sectional Studies, Thyrotropin, Thyroid Diseases complications
- Abstract
Objectives: It is well recognized that overt thyroid dysfunction is associated with changes in body mass index (BMI). However, there is ongoing debate regarding the influence of thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) on BMI, in euthyroid subjects. The aim of this study is to examine the association of TSH with BMI in an outpatient population without evidence of thyroid disease., Methods: Cross-sectional study conducted in an Endocrinology Department. We identified the latest TSH and BMI measurements in 923 patients from the reference euthyroid population. All patients with positive thyroid autoimmunity and nodules were excluded. We performed a linear regression analysis using SPSSv.025., Results: 923 adult patients were evaluated. 79.4% were males, with a mean age of 67.6 years old. Mean TSH level was 1.78 mIU/L and mean BMI was 29.2 kg/m
2 . A significant negative correlation between serum TSH concentration and BMI was evident (p=0.04; r=-0.067). Statistical significance was lost when performing subgroup analysis, for males and females (p=0.19 and p=0.075), elderly (≥65 years) and non-elderly (p = 0.55 and p = 0.32) and also obese (BMI ≥30 kg/m2 ) and non-obese (p=0.39 and p=0.13) ., Conclusions: The relationship between BMI and TSH is not consensual in the literature. This study included a large cohort sample of euthyroid patients, majority men and with negative autoimmunity. Our results support the hypothesis that variation in thyroid status within the normal range, could have a negative effect on BMI, contrary to most published studies., (© 2022 Walter de Gruyter GmbH, Berlin/Boston.)- Published
- 2022
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34. Societal extinction of species.
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Jarić I, Roll U, Bonaiuto M, Brook BW, Courchamp F, Firth JA, Gaston KJ, Heger T, Jeschke JM, Ladle RJ, Meinard Y, Roberts DL, Sherren K, Soga M, Soriano-Redondo A, Veríssimo D, and Correia RA
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- Anthropogenic Effects, Biodiversity, Policy, Conservation of Natural Resources, Extinction, Biological
- Abstract
The ongoing global biodiversity crisis not only involves biological extinctions, but also the loss of experience and the gradual fading of cultural knowledge and collective memory of species. We refer to this phenomenon as 'societal extinction of species' and apply it to both extinct and extant taxa. We describe the underlying concepts as well as the mechanisms and factors that affect this process, discuss its main implications, and identify mitigation measures. Societal extinction is cognitively intractable, but it is tied to biological extinction and thus has important consequences for conservation policy and management. It affects societal perceptions of the severity of anthropogenic impacts and of true extinction rates, erodes societal support for conservation efforts, and causes the loss of cultural heritage., Competing Interests: Declaration of interests No interests are declared., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)
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- 2022
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35. Evaluating the reliability of media reports for gathering information about illegal wildlife trade seizures.
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Paudel K, Hinsley A, Veríssimo D, and Milner-Gulland E
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- Animals, Wildlife Trade, Crime, Reproducibility of Results, Commerce, Conservation of Natural Resources, Tigers
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Illegal wildlife trade (IWT) is threatening many species across the world. It is important to better understand the scale and characteristics of IWT to inform conservation priorities and actions. However, IWT usually takes place covertly, meaning that the data on species, trade routes and volumes is limited. This means that conservationists often have to rely on publicly available law enforcement reports of seizures as potential indicators of the magnitude and characteristics of IWT. Still, even these data may be difficult to access, leading conservationists to use media reports of seizures instead. This is the case in countries like Nepal, which have limited capacity in data keeping and reporting, and no centralized data management system. Yet reliance on media reports risks introducing further biases, which are rarely acknowledged or discussed. Here we characterize IWT in Nepal by comparing data from three sources of information on IWT between January 2005 and July 2017: seizure reports from three Nepali national daily newspapers, official seizure records for Kathmandu district, and data on additional enforcement efforts against IWT in Nepal. We found a strong positive correlation between the number of official and media-reported seizures over time, but media under-reported seizure numbers, with 78% of seizures going unreported. Seizures of charismatic, protected species were reported more often and seizure reports involving tigers were most likely to be reported (57%). Media reports appeared to be a good indicator of trends and the species being seized but not overall seizure number, with the media largely underestimating total seizure numbers. Therefore, media reports cannot be solely relied upon when it comes to informing conservation decision-making. We recommend that conservationists triangulate different data sources when using seizure data reported in the media to more rigorously characterise IWT., Competing Interests: The authors declare there are no competing interests., (©2022 Paudel et al.)
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- 2022
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36. The effectiveness and efficiency of using normative messages to reduce waste: A real world experiment.
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Salazar G, Neves J, Alves V, Silva B, Giger JC, and Veríssimo D
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- Humans, Portugal, Parks, Recreational, Social Norms, Waste Management
- Abstract
Although they are only home to 16% of the global human population, high-income countries produce approximately one third of the world's waste, the majority of which goes to landfills. To reduce pressure on landfills and natural systems, environmental messaging should focus on reducing consumption. Messages that signal social norms have the potential to influence people to reduce their consumption of comfort goods, such as straws, which are not a necessity for most people. We conducted a randomized field-experiment at a marine park in Portugal to test whether different normative messages reduced visitors' paper straw use when compared to non-normative messages. We found that a message framed around a positive injunctive norm significantly reduced straw use compared to a non-normative message. We estimated that using the message at 17 park concession stands could keep over 27500 straws out of landfills annually and save the park money after two years., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.
- Published
- 2021
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37. Post COVID-19: a solution scan of options for preventing future zoonotic epidemics.
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Petrovan SO, Aldridge DC, Bartlett H, Bladon AJ, Booth H, Broad S, Broom DM, Burgess ND, Cleaveland S, Cunningham AA, Ferri M, Hinsley A, Hua F, Hughes AC, Jones K, Kelly M, Mayes G, Radakovic M, Ugwu CA, Uddin N, Veríssimo D, Walzer C, White TB, Wood JL, and Sutherland WJ
- Subjects
- Animals, Animals, Wild, Humans, Pandemics, SARS-CoV-2, Zoonoses epidemiology, COVID-19
- Abstract
The crisis generated by the emergence and pandemic spread of COVID-19 has thrown into the global spotlight the dangers associated with novel diseases, as well as the key role of animals, especially wild animals, as potential sources of pathogens to humans. There is a widespread demand for a new relationship with wild and domestic animals, including suggested bans on hunting, wildlife trade, wet markets or consumption of wild animals. However, such policies risk ignoring essential elements of the problem as well as alienating and increasing hardship for local communities across the world, and might be unachievable at scale. There is thus a need for a more complex package of policy and practical responses. We undertook a solution scan to identify and collate 161 possible options for reducing the risks of further epidemic disease transmission from animals to humans, including potential further SARS-CoV-2 transmission (original or variants). We include all categories of animals in our responses (i.e. wildlife, captive, unmanaged/feral and domestic livestock and pets) and focus on pathogens (especially viruses) that, once transmitted from animals to humans, could acquire epidemic potential through high rates of human-to-human transmission. This excludes measures to prevent well-known zoonotic diseases, such as rabies, that cannot readily transmit between humans. We focused solutions on societal measures, excluding the development of vaccines and other preventive therapeutic medicine and veterinary medicine options that are discussed elsewhere. We derived our solutions through reading the scientific literature, NGO position papers, and industry guidelines, collating our own experiences, and consulting experts in different fields. Herein, we review the major zoonotic transmission pathways and present an extensive list of options. The potential solutions are organised according to the key stages of the trade chain and encompass solutions that can be applied at the local, regional and international scales. This is a set of options targeted at practitioners and policy makers to encourage careful examination of possible courses of action, validating their impact and documenting outcomes., (© 2021 The Authors. Biological Reviews published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Cambridge Philosophical Society.)
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- 2021
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38. What determines the success and failure of environmental crowdfunding?
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Kubo T, Veríssimo D, Uryu S, Mieno T, and MacMillan D
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- Animals, Knowledge, Probability, Crowdsourcing, Fund Raising
- Abstract
Online crowdfunding can help address the perennial financial shortfalls in environmental conservation and management. Although many online crowdfunding campaigns fail to collect any funds due to not achieving their targets, little is known about what drives success. To address this knowledge gap, we applied a mixed-methods approach to data from 473 successful and failed campaigns hosted on the online crowdfunding platform Readyfor. We found that fundraising performance varied by topic, with campaigns on pet animal management outperforming those focussed on landscape management and sustainable use. We also found that marketing strategies associated with online findability and increased reach through social networks, increased fundraising success. However, the existence of other environmental campaigns running simultaneously, reduced the chance of success, which implies that the selecting popular topics does not always increase the likelihood of success due to increased competition. Wider applications of marketing could enhance the ability of environmental crowdfunding campaigns to raise funds., (© 2021. The Author(s).)
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- 2021
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39. Picturing donations: Do images influence conservation fundraising?
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Salazar G, Neves J, Alves V, Silva B, and Veríssimo D
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- Adolescent, Adult, Animals, Biodiversity, Child, Dolphins physiology, Female, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Organizations, Photography methods, Portugal, Young Adult, Conservation of Natural Resources methods, Fund Raising methods
- Abstract
Many environmental organizations use photographic images to engage donors and supporters. While images play a role in fundraising, visual framing remains understudied in the environmental field. Few real-world experiments have examined which types of images result in higher donations to biodiversity conservation. We examined the role of images in conservation fundraising through a public experiment at Zoomarine, a marine park located in southern Portugal. Zoomarine runs a program called Dolphin Emotions where visitors pay to learn about dolphin biology and to interact with dolphins. We placed a donation box and a large informational poster about the Marine Megafauna Foundation, a conservation partner, in the lounge of the Dolphin Emotions program, which is open to participants and their families. The text on the poster, which solicited donations for the Marine Megafauna Foundation, was held constant, while four different image conditions were tested: dolphins, ocean wildlife, children, and people staring out from the poster (i.e., "watching eyes"). Each image condition was displayed for three days at a time and was on display for at least seven randomly assigned three-day periods over the course of 91 days. 20,944 visitors passed the donation box and the four poster conditions during this time and a total of € 952.40 was collected. The differences in mean donations in € per visitor per 3-day period were not statistically significant, F(3, 25) = 0.745, p = 0.54. Thus, we did not find that different images had a significant influence on donations to conservation. This may be due to our choice of visual frames or to the use of a donation box, which is a passive fundraising channel. Future research should examine how visual framing influences donations in other public settings and should test the influence of other visual frames on philanthropic behavior., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.
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- 2021
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40. Biodiversity conservation as a promising frontier for behavioural science.
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Nielsen KS, Marteau TM, Bauer JM, Bradbury RB, Broad S, Burgess G, Burgman M, Byerly H, Clayton S, Espelosin D, Ferraro PJ, Fisher B, Garnett EE, Jones JPG, Otieno M, Polasky S, Ricketts TH, Trevelyan R, van der Linden S, Veríssimo D, and Balmford A
- Subjects
- Behavioral Research, Humans, Behavioral Sciences, Biodiversity, Conservation of Natural Resources, Ecosystem
- Abstract
Human activities are degrading ecosystems worldwide, posing existential threats for biodiversity and humankind. Slowing and reversing this degradation will require profound and widespread changes to human behaviour. Behavioural scientists are therefore well placed to contribute intellectual leadership in this area. This Perspective aims to stimulate a marked increase in the amount and breadth of behavioural research addressing this challenge. First, we describe the importance of the biodiversity crisis for human and non-human prosperity and the central role of human behaviour in reversing this decline. Next, we discuss key gaps in our understanding of how to achieve behaviour change for biodiversity conservation and suggest how to identify key behaviour changes and actors capable of improving biodiversity outcomes. Finally, we outline the core components for building a robust evidence base and suggest priority research questions for behavioural scientists to explore in opening a new frontier of behavioural science for the benefit of nature and human wellbeing.
- Published
- 2021
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41. Motivations for the use and consumption of wildlife products.
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Thomas-Walters L, Hinsley A, Bergin D, Burgess G, Doughty H, Eppel S, MacFarlane D, Meijer W, Lee TM, Phelps J, Smith RJ, Wan AKY, and Veríssimo D
- Subjects
- Animals, Commerce, Conservation of Natural Resources, Animals, Wild, Motivation
- Abstract
The dominant approach to combating the illegal wildlife trade has traditionally been to restrict the supply of wildlife products. Yet conservationists increasingly recognize the importance of implementing demand-side interventions that target the end consumers in the trade chain. Their aim is to curb the consumption of wildlife or shift consumption to more sustainable alternatives. However, there are still considerable knowledge gaps in understanding of the diversity of consumer motivations in the context of illegal wildlife trade, which includes hundreds of thousands of species, different uses, and diverse contexts. Based on consultation with multiple experts from a diversity of backgrounds, nationalities, and focal taxa, we developed a typology of common motivations held by wildlife consumers that can be used to inform conservation interventions. We identified 5 main motivational categories for wildlife use: experiential, social, functional, financial, and spiritual, each containing subcategories. This framework is intended to facilitate the segmentation of consumers based on psychographics and allow the tailoring of interventions-whether behavior change campaigns, enforcement efforts, or incentive programs-to the specific context in which they will be used. Underlining the importance of consumer research and collaborating with local actors is an important step toward promoting a more systematic approach to the design of demand reduction interventions., (© 2020 The Authors. Conservation Biology published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of Society for Conservation Biology.)
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- 2021
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42. Digital data sources and methods for conservation culturomics.
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Correia RA, Ladle R, Jarić I, Malhado ACM, Mittermeier JC, Roll U, Soriano-Redondo A, Veríssimo D, Fink C, Hausmann A, Guedes-Santos J, Vardi R, and Di Minin E
- Subjects
- Humans, Information Storage and Retrieval, Biodiversity, Conservation of Natural Resources
- Abstract
Ongoing loss of biological diversity is primarily the result of unsustainable human behavior. Thus, the long-term success of biodiversity conservation depends on a thorough understanding of human-nature interactions. Such interactions are ubiquitous but vary greatly in time and space and are difficult to monitor efficiently at large spatial scales. However, the Information Age also provides new opportunities to better understand human-nature interactions because many aspects of daily life are recorded in a variety of digital formats. The emerging field of conservation culturomics aims to take advantage of digital data sources and methods to study human-nature interactions and thus to provide new tools for studying conservation at relevant temporal and spatial scales. Nevertheless, technical challenges associated with the identification, access, and analysis of relevant data hamper the wider adoption of culturomics methods. To help overcome these barriers, we propose a conservation culturomics research framework that addresses data acquisition, analysis, and inherent biases. The main sources of culturomic data include web pages, social media, and other digital platforms from which metrics of content and engagement can be obtained. Obtaining raw data from these platforms is usually desirable but requires careful consideration of how to access, store, and prepare the data for analysis. Methods for data analysis include network approaches to explore connections between topics, time-series analysis for temporal data, and spatial modeling to highlight spatial patterns. Outstanding challenges associated with culturomics research include issues of interdisciplinarity, ethics, data biases, and validation. The practical guidance we offer will help conservation researchers and practitioners identify and obtain the necessary data and carry out appropriate analyses for their specific questions, thus facilitating the wider adoption of culturomics approaches for conservation applications., (© 2021 The Authors. Conservation Biology published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of Society for Conservation Biology.)
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- 2021
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43. Invasion Culturomics and iEcology.
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Jarić I, Bellard C, Correia RA, Courchamp F, Douda K, Essl F, Jeschke JM, Kalinkat G, Kalous L, Lennox RJ, Novoa A, Proulx R, Pyšek P, Soriano-Redondo A, Souza AT, Vardi R, Veríssimo D, and Roll U
- Subjects
- Sequence Analysis, DNA, Biodiversity, Conservation of Natural Resources
- Published
- 2021
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44. Evaluating a large-scale online behaviour change intervention aimed at wildlife product consumers in Singapore.
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Doughty H, Milner-Gulland EJ, Lee JSH, Oliver K, Carrasco LR, and Veríssimo D
- Subjects
- Animals, Humans, Singapore, Antelopes, Consumer Behavior, Endangered Species, Internet, Medicine, Chinese Traditional
- Abstract
Interventions to shift the behaviour of consumers using unsustainable wildlife products are key to threatened species conservation. Whether these interventions are effective is largely unknown due to a dearth of detailed evaluations. We previously conducted a country-level online behaviour change intervention targeting consumers of the Critically Endangered saiga antelope (Saiga tatarica) horn in Singapore. To evaluate intervention impact, we carried out in-person consumer surveys with >2,000 individuals pre- and post-intervention (2017 and 2019), and 93 in-person post-intervention surveys with traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) shopkeepers (2019). The proportion of self-reported high-usage saiga horn consumers in the target audience (Chinese Singaporean women aged 35-59) did not change significantly from pre- to post-intervention (24.4% versus 22.6%). However, post-intervention the target audience was significantly more likely than the non-target audience to accurately recall the intervention message and to report a decrease in saiga horn usage (4% versus 1% reported a behaviour change). Within the target audience, high-usage consumers were significantly more likely than lower-usage consumers to recall the message and report a behaviour change. Across respondents who reported a decrease in saiga horn usage, they cited the intervention message as a specific reason for their behaviour change significantly more than other reasons. Additionally, across all respondents, the belief that saiga is a common species in the wild decreased significantly from pre- to post-intervention. TCM shopkeepers, however, cited factors such as price and availability as the strongest influences on saiga horn sales. In sum, the intervention did significantly influence some consumers but the reduction of high-usage consumer frequency was not significant at the population level. We explore reasons for these findings, including competing consumer influences, characteristics of the intervention, and evaluation timing. This work suggests our intervention approach has potential, and exemplifies a multi-pronged in-person evaluation of an online wildlife trade consumer intervention., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.
- Published
- 2021
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45. Catalyzing sustainable fisheries management through behavior change interventions.
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McDonald G, Wilson M, Veríssimo D, Twohey R, Clemence M, Apistar D, Box S, Butler P, Cadiz FC, Campbell SJ, Cox C, Effron M, Gaines S, Jakub R, Mancao RH, Rojas PT, Tirona RS, and Vianna G
- Subjects
- Animals, Brazil, Fishes, Indonesia, Philippines, Conservation of Natural Resources, Fisheries
- Abstract
Small-scale fisheries are an important livelihood and primary protein source for coastal communities in many of the poorest regions in the world, yet many are overfished and thus require effective and scalable management solutions. Positive ecological and socioeconomic responses to management typically lag behind immediate costs borne by fishers from fishing pressure reductions necessary for fisheries recovery. These short-term costs challenge the long-term success of these interventions. However, social marketing may increase perceptions of management benefits before ecological and socioeconomic benefits are fully realized, driving new social norms and ultimately long-term sustainable behavior change. By conducting underwater visual surveys to quantify ecological conditions and by conducting household surveys with community members to quantify their perceptions of management support and socioeconomic conditions, we assessed the impact of a standardized small-scale fisheries management intervention that was implemented across 41 sites in Brazil, Indonesia, and the Philippines. The intervention combines TURF reserves (community-based territorial use rights for fishing coupled with no-take marine reserves) with locally tailored social-marketing behavior change campaigns. Leveraging data across 22 indicators and 4 survey types, along with data from 3 control sites, we found that ecological and socioeconomic impacts varied and that communities supported the intervention and were already changing their fishing practices. These results suggest that communities were developing new social norms and fishing more sustainably before long-term ecological and socioeconomic benefits of fisheries management materialized., (© 2020 The Authors. Conservation Biology published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of Society for Conservation Biology.)
- Published
- 2020
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46. Ethical considerations when conservation research involves people.
- Author
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Brittain S, Ibbett H, de Lange E, Dorward L, Hoyte S, Marino A, Milner-Gulland EJ, Newth J, Rakotonarivo S, Veríssimo D, and Lewis J
- Subjects
- Humans, Research Personnel, Conservation of Natural Resources, Morals
- Abstract
Social science is becoming increasingly important in conservation, with more studies involving methodologies that collect data from and about people. Conservation science is a normative and applied discipline designed to support and inform management and practice. Poor research practice risks harming participants and, researchers, and can leave negative legacies. Often, those at the forefront of field-based research are early-career researchers, many of whom enter their first research experience ill-prepared for the ethical conundrums they may face. We draw on our own experiences as early-career researchers to illuminate how ethical challenges arise during conservation research that involves human participants. Specifically, we considered ethical review procedures, conflicts of values, and power relations, and devised broad recommendations on how to navigate ethical challenges when they arise during research. In particular, we recommend researchers apply reflexivity (i.e., thinking that allows researchers to recognize the effect researchers have on the research) to help navigate ethical challenges and encourage greater engagement with ethical review processes and the development of ethical guidelines for conservation research that involves human participants. Such guidelines must be accompanied by the integration of rigorous ethical training into conservation education. We believe our experiences are not uncommon and can be avoided and hope to spark discussion to contribute to a more socially just conservation., (© 2020 Society for Conservation Biology.)
- Published
- 2020
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
47. A scoping review into the impact of animal imagery on pro-environmental outcomes.
- Author
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Thomas-Walters L, McNulty C, and Veríssimo D
- Subjects
- Animals, Attitude, Human Activities, Humans, Biodiversity, Conservation of Natural Resources
- Abstract
With the recognition that most global environmental problems are a result of human actions, there is an increasing interest in approaches which have the potential to influence human behaviour. Images have a powerful role in shaping persuasive messages, yet research on the impacts of visual representations of nature is a neglected area in biodiversity conservation. We systematically screened existing studies on the use of animal imagery in conservation, identifying 37 articles. Although there is clear evidence that images of animals can have positive effects on people's attitudes to animals, overall there is currently a dearth of accessible and comparable published data demonstrating the efficacy of animal imagery. Most existing studies are place and context-specific, limiting the generalisable conclusions that can be drawn. Transdisciplinary research is needed to develop a robust understanding of the contextual and cultural factors that affect how animal images can be used effectively for conservation purposes.
- Published
- 2020
- Full Text
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48. Did the movie Finding Dory increase demand for blue tang fish?
- Author
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Veríssimo D, Anderson S, and Tlusty M
- Subjects
- Animals, Animals, Wild, Bayes Theorem, Fishes, Humans, Conservation of Natural Resources, Motion Pictures
- Abstract
Representations of wildlife in television and films have long been hypothesized to shape human-wildlife interactions. A recent example is Pixar's film Finding Dory, which featured a blue tang fish (Paracanthurus hepatus) as the main character and was widely reported in the popular press to have increased the number of such fish in the pet trade. We use Bayesian posterior predictive counterfactual models to evaluate the movie's effect on three metrics of societal behaviour. Although there was an increase in global online searches for the blue tang 2-3 weeks after the movie, we find no substantial evidence for an increase in imports of blue tang fish into the US, or in number of visitors to US aquaria compared to counterfactual expectations. It is vital that an evidence-based discourse is used when communicating potential impacts of popular culture on human-wildlife relationships to avoid loss of credibility and misdirection of conservation resources.
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- 2020
- Full Text
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49. Sentiment analysis as a measure of conservation culture in scientific literature.
- Author
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Lennox RJ, Veríssimo D, Twardek WM, Davis CR, and Jarić I
- Subjects
- Animals, Attitude, Conservation of Natural Resources, Fishes, Sharks, Social Media
- Abstract
Culturomics is emerging as an important field within science, as a way to measure attitudes and beliefs and their dynamics across time and space via quantitative analysis of digitized data from literature, news, film, social media, and more. Sentiment analysis is a culturomics tool that, within the last decade, has provided a means to quantify the polarity of attitudes expressed within various media. Conservation science is a crisis discipline; therefore, accurate and effective communication are paramount. We investigated how conservation scientists communicate their findings through scientific journal articles. We analyzed 15,001 abstracts from articles published from 1998 to 2017 in 6 conservation-focused journals selected based on indexing in scientific databases. Articles were categorized by year, focal taxa, and the conservation status of the focal species. We calculated mean sentiment score for each abstract (mean adjusted z score) based on 4 lexicons (Jockers-Rinker, National Research Council, Bing, and AFINN). We found a significant positive annual trend in the sentiment scores of articles. We also observed a significant trend toward increasing negativity along the spectrum of conservation status categories (i.e., from least concern to extinct). There were some clear differences in the sentiments with which research on different taxa was reported, however. For example, abstracts mentioning lobe finned fishes tended to have high sentiment scores, which could be related to the rediscovery of the coelacanth driving a positive narrative. Contrastingly, abstracts mentioning elasmobranchs had low scores, possibly reflecting the negative sentiment score associated with the word shark. Sentiment analysis has applications in science, especially as it pertains to conservation psychology, and we suggest a new science-based lexicon be developed specifically for the field of conservation., (© 2019 Society for Conservation Biology.)
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- 2020
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50. Correction: Saiga horn user characteristics, motivations, and purchasing behaviour in Singapore.
- Author
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Doughty H, Veríssimo D, Tan RCQ, Lee JSH, Carrasco LR, Oliver K, and Milner-Gulland EJ
- Abstract
[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0222038.].
- Published
- 2019
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
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