Main competencies to manage complex defence projects

This research adds a comprehensive way of assessing competencies, contrasting with the usual reductionist approach that uses off-the-shelf instruments. The study reveals 27 competencies to manage complex projects based upon a comprehensive analysis of 22 interviews with senior practitioners associated with the most strategic projects from the Brazilian Army. These competencies were divided into 10 groups, namely influencing, communication, team working, cognitive, management, contextual skills, professionalism, project management knowledge, and personal skills and attributes. Surprisingly, both emotional skills and social competencies were not prominent. The results contribute to advance our knowledge by revealing that practitioners involved in complex defence projects value more technical and individual competencies. This study analyses competencies across several complex projects in the defence sector, providing insights to practitioners and expanding the academic debate focused on other industries and single cases. Organisations might use the competencies to recruit, select, and develop human resources involved in complex defence initiatives

Analysis of telomeric repeats and telomerase activity in human colon carcinoma cells with gene amplification

COLO320DM and COLO320HSR are cell lines derived from a human malignant neuroendocrine colon carcinoma. Both lines have a 30–40-fold amplification of a large DNA domain containing the MYC oncogene. By using fluorescence in situ hybridization techniques with a MYC probe, we could demonstrate that MYC amplicons are contained in a large marker chromosome in COLO320HSR cells, in double minutes (dmin) of COLO320DM cells, and in the interstitial regions of 3–4 additional chromosomes in both cell lines. Amplicons in homogeneous staining regions (HSRs) comprise normal MYC genes, while dmin chromosomes contain PVT/MYC chimeras. Although both cell lines showed similar levels of telomerase activity, the telomere length and telomere distribution in chromosomal termini were considerably lower in COLO320DM than in COLO320HSR cells. This indicates that the average telomere length in cancer cells is regulated no only by the rates of telomerase activity but also by some other non-enzymatic mechanisms.Fil: Bolzan, Alejandro Daniel. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata. Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Celular. Provincia de Buenos Aires. Gobernación. Comisión de Investigaciones Científicas. Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Celular. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Celular; ArgentinaFil: Páez, Gerardo L.. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata. Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Celular. Provincia de Buenos Aires. Gobernación. Comisión de Investigaciones Científicas. Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Celular. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Celular; ArgentinaFil: Bianchi, Martha S.. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata. Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Celular. Provincia de Buenos Aires. Gobernación. Comisión de Investigaciones Científicas. Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Celular. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Celular; ArgentinaFil: Bianchi, Nestor. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata. Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Celular. Provincia de Buenos Aires. Gobernación. Comisión de Investigaciones Científicas. Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Celular. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Celular; Argentin

Temporal and spatial variability of snow accumulation in central Greenland

Snow accumulation records from central Greenland are explored to improve the understanding of the accumulation signal in Greenland ice core records. Results from a “forest” of 100 bamboo poles and automated accumulation monitors in the vicinity of Summit as well as shallow cores collected in the Summit and Crete areas are presented. Based on these accumulation data, a regression has been calculated to quantify the signal-to-noise variance ratio of ice core accumulation signals on a variety of temporal (1 week to 2 years) and spatial (20 m to 200 km) scales. Results are consistent with data obtained from year-round automated accumulation measurements deployed at Summit which suggest that it is impossible to obtain regional snow accumulation data with seasonal resolution using four accumulation monitors positioned over a length scale of ∼30 km. Given this understanding of the temporal and spatial dependence of noise in the ice core accumulation signal, the accumulation records from 17 shallow cores are revisited. Each core spans the time period from 1964 to 1983. By combining the accumulation records, the regional snow accumulation record has been obtained for this period. The results show that 9 of the 20 years can be identified as having an accumulation different from the 20 year mean with 99% confidence. The signal-to-noise variance ratio for the average accumulation signal sampled at annual intervals is 5.8±0.5. The averaged accumulation time series may be useful to climate modelers attempting to validate their models with accurate regional hydrologic data sets

Rabies review: immunopathology, clinical aspects and treatment

Among the diseases of viral origin, rabies is unique in its distribution and range of victims since it can afflict all warm-blooded animals. The interaction between the virus and the host population has facilitated the survival of the disease. The rabies virus (RV) has not changed in any significant way and has been capable of taking advantage of conditions suited to the continuance of rabies. Infection by RV is invariably lethal in the absence of protective immune response which, however, can contribute to the pathogenesis of rabies. Proinflammatory cytokines might affect, directly or indirectly, the levels of neurotrophins, growth factors, neurotransmitters and neurotoxins in the brain by activating glia, neurons, and vascular and immune cells. Although understanding of the bases for neuronal dysfunction and neuronal death during RV infection has progressed, no fundamental abnormality has been identified so far

Ocupação de manchas florestais no Pantanal por duas espécies de roedores: Clyomys laticeps e Thrichomys pachyurus.

A fragmentação e a perda de habitat afetam de diferentes maneiras as comunidades biológicas. os efeitos variam muito de espécie para espécie, com algumas sendo extintas enquanto outras são beneficiadas. Tendo em vista o mosaico vegetacional que caracteriza a paisagem no Pantanal, o presente estudo relacionou o tamanho e o isolamento médio das manchas florestais à probabilidade de ocupação por duas espécies de roedores: Clyomys laticeps (Thomas, 1841) e Thrichomys pachyurus (Wagner, 1845)

Separação de nicho entre duas espécies simpátricas de veados do gênero mazama em uma paisagem complexa no Pantanal.

O veado mateiro (Mazama americana) e veado catingueiro (Mazama gouazoubira) são espécies simpátricas no Pantanal. Algumas publicações indicam que há uma considerável sobreposição na dieta destas espécies, assim, como no uso de habitat. Neste trabalho, utilizamos modelagem de ocupação para verificar diferenças no uso de habitats bem como para avaliar se as espécies se evitam. The red brocket (Mazama americana) and the gray brocket (Mazama gouazoubira) deer are sympatric species in the Pantanal. Some publications indicate a considerable diet overlap by these species, as well as in the habitat use. In this study we used occupancy modelling to verify differences in habitat use, as well as to evaluate if these species avoid each other

Características da carcaça e dos componentes não carcaça de cordeiros oriundos de parto simples ou duplo.

Resumo: Um experimento foi conduzido com o objetivo de avaliar as características da carcaça e dos componentes não carcaça de cordeiros nascidos de parto simples ou duplo. Dezesseis cordeiros mestiços Texel × Ile de France, machos não castrados, foram desmamados aos 56 dias de idade e abatidos com aproximadamente 28kg de peso corporal. Imediatamente após o abate, cada componente corporal foi pesado separadamente, sendo as carcaças avaliadas após 24 horas de refrigeração a 2°C. Os cordeiros oriundos de parto simples apresentaram superioridade no peso e nos rendimentos da carcaça, além de maior área de olho de lombo. Por outro lado, proporcionalmente ao peso de corpo vazio, o rúmen é maior em cordeiros nascidos de parto duplo, o que resulta incremento da proporção de conteúdo gastrintestinal ao abate. Os resultados deste estudo indicam que, quando abatidos a um mesmo peso, cordeiros oriundos de parto simples possuem carcaças de melhor qualidade, em comparação a cordeiros nascidos de parto gemelar. [Carcass and non-carcass traits of single and twin lambs]. Abstract: An experiment was conducted to evaluate the carcass and non-carcass traits of single and twin lambs. Sixteen Texel × Ile de France crossbred, non-castrated male lambs were weaned at 56 days of age and slaughtered at 28kg of body weight. Immediately after the slaughter each body component was individually weighed, while carcasses were evaluated after a 24h period of refrigeration at 2°C. Single lambs presented higher values of carcass weight and carcass dressing percentage. Moreover, the Longissimus muscle area was also greater for single lambs. On the other hand, as a proportion of empty body weight, rumen was greater for twin lambs, increasing their gastrointestinal content at slaughter. The results of this study indicated that at a same slaughter weight single lambs have better quality carcasses in comparison with those from twin lambs

Research on the Cultivation of Business English Talents and the Teaching Mode of Business English in Colleges for Nationalities

With the development of society, the strengthening of economic globalization and the deepening of reform and open-up, Business English teaching is attracting more and more attention. But Business English teaching in colleges for nationalities is still facing many problems, hinders the improvement of Business English teaching quality and the development of Business English. Starting from the connotation of Business English, this paper reveals the common problems existing in Business English teaching, analyzes the causes and puts forward some reform measures, in order to cultivate well-educated Business English talents for the ethnic areas

CHARACTERIZATION AND ANTIFUNGAL ACTIVITY OF THE ESSENTIAL OIL OF TAGETES MINUTA FRONT OF THE CRYPTOCOCCUS SPP. ISOLATES FROM THE ENVIRONMENT

Objective: This study evaluated the chemical composition and antifungal activity of the essential oil of inflorescences of Tagetes minuta (EOTM) belonging to the Asteraceae family against Cryptococcus spp. This microorganism is the encapsulated yeast-like and is recognized as an opportunistic fungal pathogen of great clinical importance.Methods: The inflorescences of T. minuta were collected in Itaara/RS, Brazil, in April 2013, and identification of the components was performed by GC-MS. The species of fungi are environmental isolates of Cryptococcus spp. identified by direct examination with India ink, urease test, culture and agar Niger medium canavanine glycine bromothymol blue, and all fungi isolates were confirmed by the use of automated panel MicroScan® Rapid Yeast ID (SIEMENS®). ATCC strains of C. gattii, C. neoformans and C. grubii belonging to the Microbiology Laboratory of the Centro Universitário Franciscano of Santa Maria/RS, Brazil were also used. The antifungal activity of the EOTM was evaluated by microdilution.Results: Most strains of Cryptococcus spp. were sensitive to EOTM even at low concentrations, except when the microorganism in question was Cryptococcus grubii which the essential oil showed a weak antifungal action.Conclusion: The EOTM appears as promising in prospecting for new drugs for the treatment of cryptococcosis.Keywords: Cryptococcosis, Natural products, Antifungal, Marigol