"Estados frágeis" em África: a intervenção externa nos processos de statebuilding e peacebuilding

A classificação de países como "frágeis" ou "falhados" tem tido alguma utilidade para alertar a comunidade internacional para as necessidades específicas de países afectados por conflitos e em crise, mas não parece existir consenso sobre qual o conteúdo desta categoria analítica (o que é?), quais as causas da fragilidade e como se manifestam (como e porquê?), ou em que medida essa fragilidade deve ser o elemento definidor das estratégias de resposta (para que serve?). Isto é tanto mais importante se considerarmos a influência que o discurso internacional sobre Estados frágeis tem actualmente na definição das intervenções e nas políticas de ajuda externa dos principais doadores bilaterais e multilaterais. A investigação permitiu identificar insuficiências significativas na operacionalização e classificação da fragilidade do Estado, questionando a validade e utilidade do conceito para a prossecução de estratégias externas de intervenção. Para além disso, o contexto e conteúdo das intervenções externas de peacebuilding e statebuilding em Estados Frágeis em África revelou a veiculação de modelos estandardizados que incorporam um "consenso de peacebuilding" e que ignoram, em grande medida, as dimensões históricas de poder e de formação do Estado em África. A análise empírica do Estado, ou seja, dos acordos e dinâmicas reais existentes em termos de autoridade e legitimidade em ordens políticas de carácter híbrido, pode trazer pistas importantes para a formulação de novas estratégias de apoio e de intervenção nos países africanos.The categorisation of some countries as "fragile" or "failed" has been somewhat useful to alert the international community to the specific needs of crisis or conflict affected countries, but there seems to be no agreed definition on the content of this analytical category (what is it?), on what are the causes and manifestations of fragility (how and why?), or to what extend should fragility be a defining element of response’ strategies (what is for?). This is of utmost importance giving the influence that the international discourse on fragile states currently has in defining interventions and external aid policies of the major bilateral and multilateral donors. The research identified significant weaknesses in the operationalisation and classification of state fragility, and questioned the validity and usefulness of the concept for the pursuit of external intervention strategies. In addition, the context and content of peacebuilding and statebuilding interventions in African fragile states revealed the transposition of standard models that incorporate a "peacebuilding consensus" and to a large extend tend to ignore the historical dimensions of power and state formation in Africa. An empirical analysis of the state and of the agreements and dynamics that really exist regarding authority and legitimacy in hybrid political orders, can shed light in the elaboration of new support and intervention strategies in African countries

Efeito da temperatura na germinação e na atividade da endo-β-mananase em sementes de gergelim

The effects of temperature on germination and endo-β-mannanase activity in seeds of Sesamum indicum was investigated. The minimum germination temperature (Tmin) lies between 12.8°C and 13.2°C while the maximum temperature (Tmax) is located between 45.5°C and 46°C. Germinabilities are statistically not different from estimated viability (88%) between 18.8°C and 43.2°C. The Mann- Whitney test indicated the interval 31.9°C to 35.1°C as the optimum temperature (Topt) range for germination rate. When seeds incubated at temperatures at or below the Tmin and close to or above the Tmax were transferred to 30°C, those incubated at lower temperatures achieved high germinability. On the other hand, the higher the pre-incubation temperature above Tmax, the lower the germinability achieved near Topt. Seed endosperm cell wall was found to contain mannose as the main monosaccharide. An increase in endo-β-mannanase activity in the micropylar endosperm prior to seed germination was observed only at supra-optimum temperature. _________________________________________________________________________________________________________ RESUMOO efeito da temperatura sobre a germinação e a atividade de endo-β-mananase em sementes de Sesamum indicum foi investigada. A temperatura mínima de germinação (Tmin) está localizada entre 12,8°C e 13,2°C enquanto a temperatura máxima (Tmax) encontra-se entre 45,5°C e 46°C. As germinabilidades (G%) não foram significativamente diferentes da viabilidade estimada (88%) entre 18,8°C e 43,2°C. O teste de Mann-Whitney apontou o intervalo de 31,9°C a 35,1°C como sendo a faixa de temperatura ótima (Tot). Quando sementes incubadas a temperaturas próximas ou abaixo de Tmin e próximas ou acima de Tmax foram transferidas para 30°C, aquelas submetidas a baixas temperaturas atingiram germinabilidade elevada. Por outro lado, quanto maior a temperatura de pre-incubação acima de Tmax, menor a germinabilidade alcançada. O principal monossacarídeo encontrado na parede celular do endosperma das sementes foi manose. Somente em temperatura supra-ótima foi observada elevação na atividade de endo-β-mananase na região micropilar do endosperma anterior à germinação

Conductive electrospun Polyaniline/Polyvinylpyrrolidone nanofibers: Electrical and morphological characterization of new yarns for electronic textiles

UID/CTM/50025/2019Advanced functionalities textiles embedding electronic fibers, yarns and fabrics are a demand for innovative smart cloths. Conductive electrospun membranes and yarns based on polyaniline/polyvinylpyrrolidone (PANI/PVP) were investigated using the chemical modification of PANI instead of using conventional coating processes as in-situ polymerization. PANI was synthesized from the aniline monomer and the influence of the oxidant-to-monomer ratio on electrical conductivity was studied. The optimized conductivity of pellets made with pressed PANI powders was 21 S·cm-1. Yarns were then prepared from the t-Boc-PANI/PVP electrospun membranes followed by PANI protonation to enhance their electrical properties. Using this methodology, electrospun membranes and yarns were produced with electrical conductivities of 1.7 x 10-2 and 4.1 x 10-4 S·cm-1.publishersversionpublishe

Estudos de direito administrativo comparado

- Divulgação dos SUMÁRIOS das obras recentemente incorporadas ao acervo da Biblioteca Ministro Oscar Saraiva do STJ. Em respeito à Lei de Direitos Autorais, não disponibilizamos a obra na íntegra.- Localização na estante: 35 E82d- Organizado por: Emerson Affonso da Costa Moura, Patrícia Ferreira Baptista, Thiago Marrara de Matos

Do bioactive carotenoids contribute to the color of edible mushrooms?

Carotenoids are biologically active phytochemicals present as micro-components in fruits and vegetables, being responsible for their yellow, orange and red colors. The chromatographic behavior and the UV absorption spectrum provided by HPLC-DAD analysis constitute the clues for their identification. Mushrooms are of increasing importance in modern nutrition and medicine, due to the presence of metabolites with pharmacological potential. In this work, samples of wild and commercial mushroom species (Agaricus bisporus, Amanita caesarea, Amanita rubescens, Boletus edulis, Cantharellus cibarius, Fistulina hepatica, Hydnum rufescens, Hygrophorus agathosmus, Pholiota nameko, Pleurotus ostreatus, Russula cyanoxantha, Suillus bellini, Suillus bovinus, Suillus granulatus, Suillus luteus, Tricholoma equestre and Tricholoma portentosum) were screened by HPLC-DAD for the presence of carotenoids. By applying this methodology to 22 samples, comprising either lyophilized or fresh materials, only β-carotene was found and just in C. cibarius species. The occurrence of this pigment in other three of the analyzed species previously described raises some questions about the methodology used.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Penicillamine-Induced Membranous Nephropathy in an Adolescent with Wilson’s Disease

Membranous nephropathy may present in any age group. While it is one of the most common causes of adult nephrotic syndrome, it is a rare histologic entity in the paediatric population. In adults it is more commonly classified as primary or idiopathic. In contrast, among children and adolescents, it is more frequently secondary to systemic disorders or drug exposures. One of the potentially implicated drugs is penicillamine, which has long been used as first-line therapy for symptomatic children with Wilson’s disease. We report a case of an adolescent treated with penicillamine for Wilson’s disease, who presented with overt nephrotic syndrome due to membranous nephropathy. As most of our knowledge about children and adolescents with membranous nephropathy has been based on extrapolations from adult studies, paediatric case reports may provide useful insights. We also aimed to emphasize the importance of proteinuria close monitoring in patients under treatment with penicillamine to allow for timely consideration of the drug withdrawal

Development of a new chitosan hydrogel for wound dressing

Wound healing is a complex process involving an integrated response by many different cell types and growth factors in order to achieve rapid restoration of skin architecture and function. The present study evaluated the applicability of a chitosan hydrogel (CH) as a wound dressing. Scanning electron microscopy analysis was used to characterize CH morphology. Fibroblast cells isolated from rat skin were used to assess the cytotoxicity of the hydrogel. CH was able to promote cell adhesion and proliferation. Cell viability studies showed that the hydrogel and its degradation by-products are noncytotoxic. The evaluation of the applicability of CH in the treatment of dermal burns in Wistar rats was performed by induction of full-thickness transcutaneous dermal wounds. Wound healing was monitored through macroscopic and histological analysis. From macroscopic analysis, the wound beds of the animals treated with CH were considerably smaller than those of the controls. Histological analysis revealed lack of a reactive or a granulomatous inflammatory reaction in skin lesions with CH and the absence of pathological abnormalities in the organs obtained by necropsy, which supported the local and systemic histocompatibility of the biomaterial. The present results suggest that this biomaterial may aid the re-establishment of skin architecture

Os direitos humanos no mundo lusófono: o estado da arte

Este livro constitui a primeira publicação do Observatório Lusófono dos Direitos Humanos da Universidade do Minho (OLDHUM), uma associação sem fins lucrativos, criada em 23 de outubro de 2009, que tem vindo a desenvolver várias iniciativas dirigidas à divulgação da temática dos direitos humanos nos países lusófonos e à formação no domínio dos direitos humanos. Numa destas iniciativas, foi proposto a um conjunto de alunos de mestrado e de doutoramento colaboradores do Observatório que fizessem um ponto de situação do estado da proteção dos direitos humanos em cada um dos Estados membros da Comunidade dos Países de Língua Portuguesa (CPLP), ao tempo ainda sem a Guiné Equatorial, a partir do levantamento e da análise crítica dos relatórios elaborados por observatórios nacionais e internacionais de direitos humanos sobre esses países no período compreendido entre 2008 e 2013. Os resultados desta investigação foram apresentados publicamente numa conferência intitulada Os Direitos Humanos nos Países Lusófonos: O que nos dizem os Observatórios?, realizada na Escola de Direito da Universidade do Minho, no dia 31 de outubro de 2013, e, em versões desenvolvidas e actualizadas, são agora reunidos neste livro