Regulating intimate relationships in the European polity: same-sex unions and policy convergence

Since 1989, twenty-three European countries have implemented same-sex union (SSU) laws. We argue that the political processes leading to the adoption of these policies have been shaped by international influences such as policy harmonization, elite lesson-drawing and most importantly by social learning fostered within transnational networks. We examine SSU policies in four West European countries—Germany, Austria, Belgium, and Spain—to illustrate how these international influences and transnational networks have shaped SSU policy outcomes, and argue that the workings of these networks resemble those of the “velvet triangle” policy communities identified by gender scholars

Il controllo creditorio tramite covenants

Il controllo creditorio è oggi un fenomeno largamente diffuso nella prassi negoziale dei rapporti tra imprese e istituti creditizi. In particolare, e da un punto di vista prettamente civilistico, riveste un significativo interesse la figura dell’attività di eterodirezione esercitata da istituti bancari (nella veste di soggetti creditori) sulla base di specifiche clausole (covenants), contenute nei contratti di finanziamento stipulati con imprese (in crisi) tipicamente organizzate in forma di sosietà per azioni. Pertanto, l’analisi si soffermerà dapprima in una descrizione empirica dei tratti tipici di tale fenomeno, al fine anche di delimitarne il concreto spazio di applicazione. Ne seguirà un tentativo di inquadramento come fattispecie atipica di attività di eterodirezione societaria, nella quale si perseguono obbiettivi imprenditoriali strumentali ad un rapporto di scambio. Coerentemente, verrà infine argomentata la sottoposizione della presente fattispecie, quantomeno tendenziale, ad una disciplina equivalente a quelle già previste e sancite dal legislatore per le fattispecie tipiche di attività di eterodirezione societaria

Recent transmission clustering of HIV-1 C and CRF17_BF strains characterized by NNRTI-related mutations among newly diagnosed men in central Italy

Increased evidence of relevant HIV-1 epidemic transmission in European countries is being reported, with an increased circulation of non-B-subtypes. Here, we present two recent HIV-1 non-B transmission clusters characterized by NNRTI-related amino-acidic mutations among newly diagnosed HIV-1 infected men, living in Rome (Central-Italy)

Estudo de caso: ensino-aprendizagem a distância para curso de graduação presencial / Case study: distance teaching-learning for a presential undergraduate degree

O objetivo deste trabalho é apresentar os resultados da experiência de ministrar a distância uma disciplina em Gerenciamento de Projetos, para cursos presenciais de graduação da Universidade de Brasília. O conteúdo de gestão de projetos é apresentado em forma de exposição dialogada, durante as aulas são discutidos estudos de caso relacionados a diversos temas e realizadas atividades individuais e, como trabalho final, a elaboração de um Plano de Gerenciamento do Projeto em energias alternativas. A disciplina foi ministrada na modalidade a distância, utilizando a ferramenta GoToMeetingque é um software de videoconferência eOpenProj que é um software de gestão de projetos.Todo o material usado nas aulas era disponibilizado via plataforma Aprender, que é um Ambiente Virtual de Aprendizagem concebido para apoiar os professores e alunos nas atividades de ensino e aprendizagem as disciplinas da UnB. No último mês de aula, para melhor rendimento, foram realizados atendimentos por grupos, tanto nos horários de aula quanto em outros dias e horários. No final do curso os alunos responderam um questionário contendo 15 questões, com objetivo de avaliar a disciplina eletiva em Gerenciamento de Projetos, ministrada a distância. A partir dos resultados, foram levantados pontos de melhorias, como por exemplo, avaliar mais rapidamente as atividades realizadas e dar devolutiva aos alunos, fazendo com que o conteúdo possa ser entendido com clareza e melhor consolidado, melhoria implementada na turma do primeiro semestre de 2018. A disponibilidade do professor, tanto durante as aulas como extra-aula é um ponto a ser mantido e sempre aperfeiçoado, pois foi reconhecido positivamente pelos alunos

Prevalence of resistance mutations related to integrase inhibitor S/GSK1349572 in HIV-1 subtype B raltegravir-naive and -treated patients

Objectives To compare the frequency of previously in vitro-selected integrase mutations (T124A, T124A/S153F, S153Y, T124A/S153Y and L101I/T124A/S153Y) conferring resistance to S/GSK1349572 between HIV-1 subtype B integrase inhibitor (INI)-naive and raltegravir-treated patients. Methods Integrase sequences from 650 INI-naive patients and 84 raltegravir-treated patients were analysed. Results The T124A mutation alone and the combination T124A/L101I were more frequent in raltegravir-failing patients than in INI-naive patients (39.3% versus 24.5%, respectively, P = 0.005 for T124A and 20.2% versus 10.0%, respectively, P = 0.008 for T124A/L101I). The S153Y/F mutations were not detected in any integrase sequence (except for S153F alone, only detected in one INI-naive patient). Conclusions T124A and T124A/L101I, more frequent in raltegravir-treated patients, could have some effect on raltegravir response and their presence could play a role in the selection of other mutations conferring S/GSK1349572 resistance. The impact of raltegravir-mediated changes such as these on the virological response to S/GSK1349572 should be studied further

Comparative replication capacity of raltegravir-resistant strains and antiviral activity of the new-generation integrase inhibitor dolutegravir in human primary macrophages and lymphocytes

To evaluate the replication capacity and phenotypic susceptibility to dolutegravir and raltegravir of wild-type and raltegravir-resistant HIV-1 strains in several cellular systems

Virological response and resistance profile in highly treatment-experienced HIV-1-infected patients switching to dolutegravir plus boosted darunavir in clinical practice

Objectives: We evaluated the virological response and resistance profile in combined antiretroviral therapy (cART)-experienced HIV-1-infected patients starting a dual therapy with dolutegravir (DTG) and boosted darunavir (bDRV) for the first time. Methods: Survival analyses were used to evaluate virological success (VS) and virological rebound (VR) in viraemic and virologically suppressed patients, respectively. Major resistance mutations (MRMs) and genotypic susceptibility score (GSS) were evaluated at baseline and after switch. Results: Overall, 130 patients [62 (47.7%) viraemic; 68 (52.3%) virologically suppressed] were retrospectively analysed. At the moment of switch, 81.5% accumulated one or more MRM [protease inhibitor (PI), 35.7%; nucleoside(t)ide reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NRTI), 77.5%; non-NRTI, 69.0%; integrase inhibitor (INI), 10.1%), but 77.7% harboured strains fully susceptible to DTG + bDRV. In viraemic patients, the overall probability of VS by 12 months of treatment was 91.7%. In virologically suppressed patients, the overall probability of VR was 10.5% by 24 months after therapy start. Patients with previous time under virological suppression ≤ 6 months showed a higher VR probability compared with others (37.5% vs. 6.7%, P < 0.002). Among 13 non-responding patients for whom a genotypic resistance test result at failure was available, only two (15.4%) accumulated further resistance in integrase (Y143C/H/R; S147G and N155H) and protease (V32I, L33F, I54L). Conclusions: In highly treatment-experienced patients, the use of dual therapy based on DTG + bDRV appears to be a very good regimen for switch therapy, with a high rate of virological control in both viraemic and virologically suppressed patients. Among non-responding patients, the selection of further resistance is a rare event