FDI and Trade in Portugal: a gravity analysis

This study investigates the relation between the stock of foreign direct investment (FDI) and the geographical pattern of trade flows in the Portuguese economy. The gravity model is applied to bilateral trade between Portugal and OECD countries plus Brazil from 1998 to 2000. The stock of inward FDI is positively related to trade suggesting the existence of complementary between the two. This effect is stronger on exports than on imports resulting in a positive impact on trade balance. It is also found that the stock of outward FDI has no significant relation either with Portuguese exports or imports. Finally, FDI helps to explain the above “normal” exports to the EU and the below “normal” imports from Candidate Countries.International Trade, Foreign Direct Investment, Gravity Model.

Reaccion en cadena de polimerasa en tiempo real cuantitativa (qPCR) para el diagnostico de tuberculosis pulmonar en esputo de pacientes con VIH/sida

Objetivo: Evaluar la Reacción en Cadena de Polimerasa en tiempo real cuantitativa (qPCR) para el diagnóstico de tuberculosis pulmonar (TBP) en esputo de pacientes con sida y sospecha clínica de TBP. Método: Se trata de un estudio prospectivo para evaluación de precisión de prueba diagnóstica, realizado en 140 muestras de esputo provenientes de 140 pacientes con sida y sospecha clínica de TBP atendidos en dos hospitales de referencia para atención VIH/sida en Recife-PE, Brasil. Se utilizó el cultivo en medios Löwenstein-Jensen y 7H9 como estándar de oro. Resultados: De las 140 muestras de esputo, 47 (33,6%) fueron positivas por el estándar de oro. La qPCR fue positiva en 42 (30%) de los pacientes. En apenas un (0.71%) caso no correspondió con el cultivo. La sensibilidad, especificidad y precisión de la qPCR fueron 87,2%, 98,9% y 95% respectivamente. De las 42 qPCR positivas en 39 (93%) el CT (threshold cycle) fue igual o inferior a 37. Conclusión: La qPCR realizada en muestra de esputo de pacientes con sida demostró sensibilidad, especificidad y precisión satisfactoria, pudiendo ser recomendada como método de diagnóstico de TBP.Objective: To assess quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (q-PCR) for the sputum smear diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) in patients living with HIV/AIDS with a clinical suspicion of PTB. Method: This is a prospective study to assess the accuracy of a diagnostic test, conducted on 140 sputum specimens from 140 patients living with HIV/AIDS with a clinical suspicion of PTB, attended at two referral hospitals for people living with HIV/AIDS in the city of Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil. A Löwenstein-Jensen medium culture and 7H9 broth were used as gold standard. Results: Of the 140 sputum samples, 47 (33.6%) were positive with the gold standard. q-PCR was positive in 42 (30%) of the 140 patients. Only one (0.71%) did not correspond to the culture. The sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of the q-PCR were 87.2%, 98.9% and 95% respectively. In 39 (93%) of the 42 q-PCR positive cases, the CT (threshold cycle) was equal to or less than 37. Conclusion: q-PCR performed on sputum smears from patients living with HIV/AIDS demonstrated satisfactory sensitivity, specificity and accuracy, and may therefore be recommended as a method for diagnosing PTB

Continuous production of hydroxyapatite/sericin composites: and in vitro validation for skin regeneration

info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

NKCC1-Deficiency Results in Abnormal Proliferation of Neural Progenitor Cells of the Lateral Ganglionic Eminence

Peer reviewe

Olhar-se e Tocar-se, Olhar e Tocar, Ser Olhado e Ser Tocado: subversão das categorias binárias em "Mulher no Espelho", de Helena Parente Cunha e "Las Ninfas a Veces Sonríen", de Ana Clavel

Mulher no Espelho (HELENA PARENTE CUNHA 1985) and Las Ninfas a Veces Sonríen (ANA CLAVEL, 2013), are works that, despite having great thematic and formal differences, in addition to belonging to specific socio-historical contexts, contain significant affinities that allow a fruitful comparative reading. First, by the fact that both literary works fragment the narrative as well as the autobiographical subject, pillars of the autobiographical fiction, a literary subgenre which these novels simultaneously adopt and subvert. Secondly, for the central position episodes of autoeroticism occupy in both narratives, events which are either accompanied or preceded by self-contemplative scenes in front of the mirror, occurrences which I interpret as allegories of the fragmentation of the subject and the narrative form mentioned above. That said, in this work I argue that the perspective presented in the scenes of autoeroticism in front of the mirror is exemplary of the consequent duplication/multiplication of the subject and the narrative, contaminating the entire story and destabilizing not only a possible unique writing but also a unique reading, ending up also affecting the reader.Mulher no Espelho (HELENA PARENTE CUNHA, 1985) e Las Ninfas a Veces Sonríen (ANA CLAVEL, 2013) são obras que, apesar de apresentarem grandes diferenças temáticas e formais e pertencerem a contextos sócio-históricos particulares, contêm afinidades significativas que permitem uma frutífera leitura comparativa. Primeiramente, pelo fato de que ambas fragmentam tanto a narrativa quanto o sujeito autobiográfico, pilares da ficção autobiográfica, subgênero literário o qual esses romances adotam ao mesmo tempo que subvertem. Em segundo lugar, pelo destaque que ambas as narrativas dão aos episódios de autoerotismo, os quais vêm ora acompanhados de ora precedidos por cenas autocontemplativas em frente ao espelho, cenas as quais interpreto aqui como alegorias da fragmentação do sujeito e da forma narrativa mencionada acima. Dito isso, nesse trabalho defende-se o ideia de que a perspectiva apresentada nas cenas de autoerotismo frente ao espelho é exemplar da consequente duplicação/multiplicação do sujeito e da narrativa, contaminando todo o relato e desestabilizando não só uma possível escrita única como também uma leitura única, acabando, assim, por afetar também o leitor

Spectacle, biopower, performativity: a cluster of regulatory powers in action in Joe Wright’s “Nosedive”

By employing the episode “Nosedive” by Joe Wright as the object of study, this article aims to demonstrate how the concepts of spectacle, biopower and gender performativity form a causal chain, with the society of the spectacle presenting itself as a favorable sociocultural context for the practice of biopower, which, in turn, would reinforce gender-specific technologies of power, thereby stiffening and restricting the possibilities for expression of dissident gender identities. When carried out on the materiality of the body, these control and surveillance strategies become intertwined, forming a cluster of regulatory powers that are difficult to differentiate

The development of occupational science outside the anglophone sphere: enacting global collaboration

También publicado en español.[Abstract] The emergence of occupational science in non-English speaking countries is frequently hampered by diverse barriers to global collaboration, knowledge dissemination, and inclusion in international dialogue. Epistemological, cultural, and institutional resources may explain these barriers, yet these have not been explored within the discipline. This paper discusses three main issues and three priorities for action put forward by participants during sessions held at two separate, international occupational science conferences. The sessions aimed to engage the audience in critical reflexivity and dialogue around the challenges present when non-English speaking countries attempt to develop occupational science scholarship and possible ways to support global collaboration. To stimulate discussion, we used a participatory methodology, ‘Metaplan’. The sessions included a statements exercise, reflections presented by the authors, individual reflexivity, and small group debate. The findings are structured as a reflexive dialogue where participants’ voices, theory, and the authors’ reflections are interwoven to enrich discussion of the issues participants identified and priorities for action. This paper contributes to decolonizing the development of occupational science and promoting an international dialogue that is open to diverse worldviews, by drawing attention to the visible and invisible barriers that limit collaboration and inclusion of the diverse ways in which occupation is understood and enacted worldwid