32 research outputs found

    Rehabilitating Iraqi Schools According to the Requirements of Social Sustainability

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    Recently, Social Sustainability has gained significant value as it was considered by the late studies as a principal dimension along with the environmental and economic sustainability. And because of, on the other hand, the significant social role of the school for forming the student’s personality, this research is an appeal for rehabilitating and promoting Iraqi Schools according the issue of social sustainability.As there is no evaluation for the Iraqi Schools, the research is dedicated to this problem, aiming to carry out the stated evaluation and define the design treatments needed for the rehabilitation process. To achieve this goal, a theoretical background for the concept of social sustainability, its criteria, the school and its social functions was introduced. From reviewing previous architectural practices and theoretical studies, different design treatments were extracted and structured within the level of the building itself and the outside landscape. The design treatments were, then, applied to rehabilitate a selected standard school model used by the Directorate of Education in Nineveh Governorate. Evaluating the proposed model, the conclusions demonstrated the possibility of rehabilitating the existing Iraqi Schools to hold most indicators of social sustainability

    A internacionalização de empresas portuguesas: estudo de caso

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    Num contexto de globalização, os mercados externos apresentam-se, cada vez mais, como imprescindíveis à sobrevivência das empresas. Com efeito, as oportunidades e ameaças que a globalização envolve são determinantes para que as empresas procurem novas formas de manter e aumentar o seu desempenho e sustentabilidade. A internacionalização assume, por isso, primordial importância para a competitividade das mesmas. Este processo envolve a definição de estratégias operacionais que resultarão em importantes fluxos financeiros, de produtos e de conhecimento para as organizações. Em Portugal e, após a recente crise económica, o tema da internacionalização, sobretudo para as Pequenas e Médias Empresas (PME), tornou-se fundamental para a sua sustentabilidade. O processo de internacionalização é incremental para a grande maioria das empresas portuguesas. O investimento externo surge como efeito de uma experiência de exportação. Considerando que um processo de internacionalização é um processo complexo, envolvendo riscos elevados, o objetivo deste trabalho será estudar o processo de internacionalização de duas empresas portuguesas e uma ibérica. Seguindo uma metodologia qualitativa, assente no estudo de caso, pretende-se perceber o porquê e como decorreu o seu processo de internacionalização, seus objetivos e estratégias envolvidas. Dado que, ao analisar o processo de internacionalização de uma empresa, é importante confrontar modelos teóricos com a prática empresarial, procuraremos confrontar e verificar a validade das teorias e literatura relevantes com os casos em análise. De acordo com os resultados obtidos foi possível concluir que não existe, para as empresas em estudo, um modo de entrada único, existindo recurso à utilização de múltiplos modos de entrada, identificável com o modelo não sequencial. A vontade de crescimento revelou-se como a motivação em comum e mais referida pelas empresas, assim como as barreiras culturais para os principais entraves à internacionalização. Ambas as empresas recorrem a apoios externos, mas com diferentes finalidades e as mesmas revelaram-se ainda ricas na variedade de informações a que nos foi dado acesso.In a context of globalization, external markets are becoming more and more indispensable to the survival of companies. Indeed, the opportunities and threats that globalization entails are crucial for companies to seek new ways to maintain and increase their performance and sustainability. Internationalization is therefore of prime importance for their competitiveness. This process involves the definition of operational strategies that will result in important financial, product and knowledge flows for organizations. In Portugal, and after the recent economic crisis, the theme of internationalization, especially for Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), has become fundamental for its sustainability. The internationalization process is incremental for the great majority of Portuguese companies. External investment is the result of an export experience. Considering that an internationalization process is a complex process, involving high risks, the aim of this work will be to study the internationalization process of two Portuguese companies and one Iberian. Following a qualitative methodology, based on case study, we intend to understand why and how its internationalization process occurred, its goals and the strategies involved. Given that, when analyzing the process of internationalization of a company, it is important to confront theoretical models with business practice, we will try to confront and verify the validity of relevant theories and literature with the cases under analysis. According to the results obtained, it was possible to conclude that for the companies under study there is no single input mode, and there is a use of multiple input modes, identifiable with the non-sequential model. The will to growth has proved to be the common motivation and more mentioned by the companies, as well as the cultural barriers to the main obstacles to internationalization. Both companies rely on external support, but for different purposes and they have proved rich in the variety of information to which we have been granted access

    Guidelines for the use and interpretation of assays for monitoring autophagy (4th edition)

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    Guidelines for the use and interpretation of assays for monitoring autophagy (4th edition)1.

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    In 2008, we published the first set of guidelines for standardizing research in autophagy. Since then, this topic has received increasing attention, and many scientists have entered the field. Our knowledge base and relevant new technologies have also been expanding. Thus, it is important to formulate on a regular basis updated guidelines for monitoring autophagy in different organisms. Despite numerous reviews, there continues to be confusion regarding acceptable methods to evaluate autophagy, especially in multicellular eukaryotes. Here, we present a set of guidelines for investigators to select and interpret methods to examine autophagy and related processes, and for reviewers to provide realistic and reasonable critiques of reports that are focused on these processes. These guidelines are not meant to be a dogmatic set of rules, because the appropriateness of any assay largely depends on the question being asked and the system being used. Moreover, no individual assay is perfect for every situation, calling for the use of multiple techniques to properly monitor autophagy in each experimental setting. Finally, several core components of the autophagy machinery have been implicated in distinct autophagic processes (canonical and noncanonical autophagy), implying that genetic approaches to block autophagy should rely on targeting two or more autophagy-related genes that ideally participate in distinct steps of the pathway. Along similar lines, because multiple proteins involved in autophagy also regulate other cellular pathways including apoptosis, not all of them can be used as a specific marker for bona fide autophagic responses. Here, we critically discuss current methods of assessing autophagy and the information they can, or cannot, provide. Our ultimate goal is to encourage intellectual and technical innovation in the field

    Mortality from gastrointestinal congenital anomalies at 264 hospitals in 74 low-income, middle-income, and high-income countries: a multicentre, international, prospective cohort study

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    Background: Congenital anomalies are the fifth leading cause of mortality in children younger than 5 years globally. Many gastrointestinal congenital anomalies are fatal without timely access to neonatal surgical care, but few studies have been done on these conditions in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs). We compared outcomes of the seven most common gastrointestinal congenital anomalies in low-income, middle-income, and high-income countries globally, and identified factors associated with mortality. // Methods: We did a multicentre, international prospective cohort study of patients younger than 16 years, presenting to hospital for the first time with oesophageal atresia, congenital diaphragmatic hernia, intestinal atresia, gastroschisis, exomphalos, anorectal malformation, and Hirschsprung's disease. Recruitment was of consecutive patients for a minimum of 1 month between October, 2018, and April, 2019. We collected data on patient demographics, clinical status, interventions, and outcomes using the REDCap platform. Patients were followed up for 30 days after primary intervention, or 30 days after admission if they did not receive an intervention. The primary outcome was all-cause, in-hospital mortality for all conditions combined and each condition individually, stratified by country income status. We did a complete case analysis. // Findings: We included 3849 patients with 3975 study conditions (560 with oesophageal atresia, 448 with congenital diaphragmatic hernia, 681 with intestinal atresia, 453 with gastroschisis, 325 with exomphalos, 991 with anorectal malformation, and 517 with Hirschsprung's disease) from 264 hospitals (89 in high-income countries, 166 in middle-income countries, and nine in low-income countries) in 74 countries. Of the 3849 patients, 2231 (58·0%) were male. Median gestational age at birth was 38 weeks (IQR 36–39) and median bodyweight at presentation was 2·8 kg (2·3–3·3). Mortality among all patients was 37 (39·8%) of 93 in low-income countries, 583 (20·4%) of 2860 in middle-income countries, and 50 (5·6%) of 896 in high-income countries (p<0·0001 between all country income groups). Gastroschisis had the greatest difference in mortality between country income strata (nine [90·0%] of ten in low-income countries, 97 [31·9%] of 304 in middle-income countries, and two [1·4%] of 139 in high-income countries; p≤0·0001 between all country income groups). Factors significantly associated with higher mortality for all patients combined included country income status (low-income vs high-income countries, risk ratio 2·78 [95% CI 1·88–4·11], p<0·0001; middle-income vs high-income countries, 2·11 [1·59–2·79], p<0·0001), sepsis at presentation (1·20 [1·04–1·40], p=0·016), higher American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) score at primary intervention (ASA 4–5 vs ASA 1–2, 1·82 [1·40–2·35], p<0·0001; ASA 3 vs ASA 1–2, 1·58, [1·30–1·92], p<0·0001]), surgical safety checklist not used (1·39 [1·02–1·90], p=0·035), and ventilation or parenteral nutrition unavailable when needed (ventilation 1·96, [1·41–2·71], p=0·0001; parenteral nutrition 1·35, [1·05–1·74], p=0·018). Administration of parenteral nutrition (0·61, [0·47–0·79], p=0·0002) and use of a peripherally inserted central catheter (0·65 [0·50–0·86], p=0·0024) or percutaneous central line (0·69 [0·48–1·00], p=0·049) were associated with lower mortality. // Interpretation: Unacceptable differences in mortality exist for gastrointestinal congenital anomalies between low-income, middle-income, and high-income countries. Improving access to quality neonatal surgical care in LMICs will be vital to achieve Sustainable Development Goal 3.2 of ending preventable deaths in neonates and children younger than 5 years by 2030
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