Submitted by Lara Oliveira (lara@ufersa.edu.br) on 2017-03-23T20:32:12Z No. of bitstreams: 1 GeovanFSF_DISSERT.pdf: 1277643 bytes, checksum: f685647ba2339041a46307ea0e6319b0 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Vanessa Christiane (referencia@ufersa.edu.br) on 2017-04-13T14:53:41Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 GeovanFSF_DISSERT.pdf: 1277643 bytes, checksum: f685647ba2339041a46307ea0e6319b0 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Vanessa Christiane (referencia@ufersa.edu.br) on 2017-04-13T14:58:01Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 GeovanFSF_DISSERT.pdf: 1277643 bytes, checksum: f685647ba2339041a46307ea0e6319b0 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2017-04-13T14:58:12Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 GeovanFSF_DISSERT.pdf: 1277643 bytes, checksum: f685647ba2339041a46307ea0e6319b0 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2016-02-27 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / The climatic characteristics of the Brazilian Tropical Dry-Forest, the Caatinga in northeastern Brazil, directly influence the activities of bees occurring in this region. Due to future climate warming, some species may change their geographic distribution towards "climate refuge habitats" particularly at higher altitudes. In this study, we investigated the foraging activity of Melipona subnitida (Apidae, Meliponini), a stingless bee species highly adapted to the hot and semiarid climate of the Caatinga. We investigated, whether this bee adjusts its foraging activity to the climatic conditions of the Moist Forest Enclaves at high altitudes located within the Caatinga biome, characterized by lower ambient temperatures and higher rainfall compared to the surrounding lowland regions. For this, we studied the pollen and nectar foraging activity of four colonies of M. subnitida at Martins-RN, which is situated at an altitude of approximately 750 m. Between March and December of 2015, we counted the number of foragers during 5 minutes every half hour (between 05:00-08:00) and hourly (between 09:00-17:30) and registered the ambient temperature. The thermal window of pollen foraging (range of environmental temperatures at which 90% of bees returned to the colony) was between 20 and 31 ° C (range = 11 ° C) and that of nectar foraging between 20 and 31 ° C (range = 11 ° C). The difference between pollen and nectar foraging concerning the thermal window was statistically significant (TMED-Pollen = 23 ° C; TMED-Nectar = 25 ° C; Mann-Whitney Rank-Sum-Test: P <0.001). Our results indicate that M. subnitida is able to adjust its foraging activity to the climatic conditions prevailing at Moist Forest Enclaves, mainly through adjusting its lower temperature threshold to the low ambient temperatures in the morning in this habitat, which are significantly lower than those of lowland Caatinga regions. These results indicate that Moist Forest Enclaves at high altitudes are possible refuge habitats for M. subnitida in view of global warming predicted for the coming decades / As características climáticas da Caatinga influenciam diretamente as atividades desenvolvidas pelas abelhas da região, em cenários de aumento de temperatura algumas espécies podem procurar locais de refúgio para sobreviverem. No presente estudo, foi investigada a atividade de forrageamento de Melipona subnitida (Apidae, Meliponini), uma espécie de abelha sem ferrão altamente adaptada ao clima quente e semiárido da Caatinga, no nordeste brasileiro. Nós investigamos se esta abelha ajusta sua atividade de forrageamento para as condições climáticas dos enclaves de floresta úmida em altitudes elevadas no interior da Caatinga, caracterizadas por temperaturas ambientais reduzidas e precipitação elevada em comparação com as regiões de planície. Para isso, estudamos a atividade de pólen e néctar de quatro colônias de M. subnitida em Martins-RN, município localizado a uma altitude de aproximadamente 750 m. Entre março e dezembro de 2015, nós contamos o número de forrageiras que retornaram durante 5 minutos a cada meia hora (entre 05:00-08:00) e a cada hora (entre 09: 00-17:30) e foi registrada a temperatura ambiental. A janela térmica de pólen (faixa de temperaturas ambiental dentro do qual 90% das forrageiras retornaram para a colônia) foi entre 20 e 31 °C (amplitude = 11 °C), e de néctar entre 20 e 31 °C (amplitude = 11 °C). A diferença entre as forrageiras de pólen e de néctar relacionadas às temperaturas médias de retorno às colônias foi estatisticamente significativa (TMED-Pólen = 23 °C; TMED-Néctar = 25 °C; Mann-Whitney Rank-Sum-Test: P<0,001). Nossos resultados indicam que M. subnitida é capaz de ajustar sua atividade de forrageamento para as condições climáticas dos enclaves de floresta úmida, sincronizando o seu limiar de temperatura mais baixa para as temperaturas baixas da manhã nesse habitat, sendo significativamente inferiores aos das regiões de menor altitude da Caatinga. Estes resultados indicam os brejos de altitude como possível habitat de refúgio para M. subnitida em vista do aquecimento global previsto para as próximas décadas / 2017-03-23

My Thesis posits a novel method of utilizing emerging web semantics, through HTML5 markup; to improve experience of Health Information seekers through a framework for creating functional, tailored Health Information Resource Collections potentially hosted by their own Health Information Support Networks; and based upon long-standing principles of online Information Retrieval. Most such organizations have websites, with links to useful Resources. This research exemplifies how to design and to present the Resource Collections as pathfinders to existing online Health Information, adding context to each link, to directly address the needs of each community served. The research appeals to a Needs Analysis process rooted in Everyday Life Information Seeking research methodologies, especially Participatory Action Research. As a pilot project, the Needs Analysis focuses necessarily on the Spina Bifida & Hydrocephalus community – with which the author of the Thesis is intimately familiar as a person living with Hydrocephalus, making the choice of a Participatory Action Research framework ideal – and enlisted just one National (Canada) and one Regional (British Columbia) Association for the same rationale. Results of the Needs Analysis were used to identify necessary Resources, but also to select familiar web tools and technologies for design of the Resource Collection and Resource Cards. At completion, there is a functional Collection of Spina Bifida & Hydrocephalus Resources for researchers, caregivers, or patients with Spina Bifida and/or Hydrocephalus – not limited to members of any organization, but best suited by design to the two through which analysis was done. / Graduate