História de mediadores: a implantação do Programa de Aquisição de Alimentos em Mirandiba / PE, Brasil

História de mediadores: la implantación del Programa de Adquisición de Alimentos (PAA) en Mirandiba/PE, Brasil   Story of mediators: the implementation of the Food Acquisition Program (PAA) in Mirandiba/PE, Brasil   Resumo: No Brasil, o Programa de Aquisição de Alimentos (PAA) – política pública de compra dos produtos da agriculta familiar para o abastecimento de entidades públicas e civis – concretiza-se localmente em projetos circunscritos e contingentes, mediados por atores posicionados entre os governos e as comunidades rurais. Podemos indagar se as intervenções desses mediadores no Brasil rural manifestam formas de governança mais participativas, democráticas, ou uma sutil reconfiguração de práticas de “governança tradicional”, verticalizadas, individualizadas e clientelistas. Essa etnografia apresenta um estudo de caso de lideranças de uma ONG local que contribuíram para implantar o PAA no município de Mirandiba (Sertão de Pernambuco). Palavras-chaves: mediador; política pública; agricultura familiar; desenvolvimento rural.   Resumen: En Brasil, el Programa de Adquisición de Alimentos (PAA)- política pública de compra de los productos de la agricultura familiar para el abastecimiento de entidades públicas y civiles- se centra localmente en proyectos circunscritos y contingentes, mediados por actores posicionados entre los gobiernos y las comunidades rurales. Podemos indagar si las intervenciones de estos mediadores en el Brasil rural manifiestan formas de gobernanza más participativas, democráticas, o una sutil reconfiguración de formas de “gobernanza tradicional”, verticalizadas, individualizadas y clientelares. Esta etnografía presente un estudio de caso de líderes de una ONG local que contribuyeron para implantar el PAA en el municipio de Mirandiba (Interior de Pernambuco). Palabras clave: Mediador, política pública, agricultura familiar, desarrollo rural.   Abstract: In Brazil, the Food Acquisition Program (Programa de Aquisição de Alimentos – PAA) – public policy which aims at buying family farming products for the supply of public institutions and civil society – locally materializes into temporary and contingent projects, implemented by actors positioned between governments and rural communities. We may wonder whether the actions of these mediators in rural Brazil represent kinds of more participative, democratic governancies or a subtle reconfiguration of traditional, vertical, individual and clientelist practices. This ethnography presents a study case of local NGO leaders who contributed to deploy the PAA in the town of Mirandiba (Sertão de Pernambuco). Keywords : Mediator, pulic policy, family farm, rural development

Supporting a Multi-formalism Model Driven Development Process with Model Transformation, a TOPCASED implementation

International audienceThe ASSERT (Automated proof based System and Software Engineering for Real-Time Applications) European Integrated Project (IST-FP6-004033, http://www.assert-project.net/) defined and experimented a multi formalism Model Driven Engineering (MDE) process, enforcing an approach with separated specification and refinement of functional and non-functional properties.• Functional specification, design and development is based on UML profiles to support AADL concepts [2] and behavioural specification.• Real time Architecture properties are based on extensions targeting Ravenscar Computing execution Model (RCM see [6]) constraints upon component interface and ports.• Model transformation is supporting correctness preserving rules towards a Virtual Machine execution environment or a verification dedicated environment.A tool chain called IDEA (Integrated Development Environment for ASSERT) supporting the process was developed by the CS ASSERT team on top of the Eclipse/TOPCASED environment allowing:• Integrated use of several formalisms in a development life-cycle (UML, AADL, IF[4]) .• Model transformation from UML to IF, AADL to RCM and RCM to Ada• Automated code generationThe approach experimented allows combined use of best suited formalisms and features for MDE developments. The TOPCASED tool proved to be a unique integrated toolset for prototyping UML and meta models supporting tools.The main feedback gained from applying the notations and approach on small to medium case studies is that UML profiling is not scalable, and that use of several Domain Specific Languages (DSL) seems far more suitable. Semantic clashes can be limited by raising the abstraction level, and by partitioning properties for verification

Geochronological and geochemical characterization of magmatic-hydrothermal events within the Southern Variscan external domain (Ce'vennes area, France)

International audienceGeochronological, mineralogical, and geochemical analyses have been focussed on the Mont-Loze're- Borne plutonic complex and surrounding rocks (Ce'vennes, French Massif Central) in which B-W-Sn and As-Au-Sb mineralization is encountered. Two main results are highlighted: (1) the existence of a 301-306 Ma magmatohydrothermal event unrelated to the emplacement of the Pont-de-Montvert-Borne plutonic body at 316 Ma; (2) the magmatic and hydrothermal features are strongly associated, both in time and in space, thus demonstrating an intimate connection between mineralizing processes and magmatism in this part of the French Massif Central. We also show that mineralization and associated hydrothermal occurrences do not correspond to a simple and single geochemical signature and that a contamination model must be invoked in order to account for the complexity of isotopic results. This study demonstrates that the application of the O and H isotopic signatures as tracers of the source and nature of fluids in an orogenic context requires some specific care. Finally, a model of the tectonic-magmatic- hydrothermal evolution of the study area is suggested in which we discuss two alternative scenarios. The first one implies the existence of two different hydrothermal/ mineralizing events (Bo-W-Sn and As-Au-Sb ones). The second one suggests the same source for all hydrothermal and mineralized structures

Water transfer and crack regimes in nano-colloidal gels

International audienceDirect observations of the surface and shape of model nano-colloidal gels associated with measurements of the spatial distribution of water content during drying show that air starts to significantly penetrate the sample when the material stops shrinking. We show that whether the material fractures or not during desiccation, as air penetrates the porous body, the water saturation decreases but remains almost homogeneous throughout the sample. This air-invasion is at the origin of another type of fracture due to capillary effects; these results provide a new insight in the liquid dynamics at the nano-scale. PACS number(s): 47.56.+r, 68.03.Fg, 81.40.N

Making the Implicit Explicit: A Look Inside the Implicit Discount Rate

International audienceImplicit discount rates (IDRs) are employed in energy models to capture household investment decisions, yet the factors behind the IDR and their respective implications for policy-making usually remain blurred and fractional. The proposed comprehensive framework distinguishes three broad categories of factors underlying the IDR for household adoption of energy-efficient technologies (EETs): preferences (notably over time, risk, loss, debt, and the environment), predictable (ir)rational behavior (bounded rationality, rational inattention, behavioral biases), and external barriers to energy efficiency. Existing empirical findings suggest that the factors underlying the IDRs that differ across household characteristics and technologies should be accounted for in energy models. Furthermore, the framework allows for a fresh look at the interplay of IDRs and policies. We argue that a simple observation of high IDRs (or observing correlations between IDRs and socio-economic characteristics) does not provide guidance for policy-making since the underlying sources cannot be identified. Instead, we propose that some of the factors underlying the IDR - notably external barriers - can be changed (through directed policy interventions) whereas other factors - notably preferences and predictable (ir)rational behavior - are innate and can only be taken into account (through reactive policy interventions)

Chronic pneumonia with Pseudomonas aeruginosa and impaired alveolar fluid clearance

BACKGROUND: While the functional consequences of acute pulmonary infections are widely documented, few studies focused on chronic pneumonia. We evaluated the consequences of chronic Pseudomonas lung infection on alveolar function. METHODS: P. aeruginosa, included in agar beads, was instilled intratracheally in Sprague Dawley rats. Analysis was performed from day 2 to 21, a control group received only sterile agar beads. Alveolar-capillary barrier permeability, lung liquid clearance (LLC) and distal alveolar fluid clearance (DAFC) were measured using a vascular ((131)I-Albumin) and an alveolar tracer ((125)I-Albumin). RESULTS: The increase in permeability and LLC peaked on the second day, to return to baseline on the fifth. DAFC increased independently of TNF-α or endogenous catecholamine production. Despite the persistence of the pathogen within the alveoli, DAFC returned to baseline on the 5(th )day. Stimulation with terbutaline failed to increase DAFC. Eradication of the pathogen with ceftazidime did not restore DAFC response. CONCLUSIONS: From these results, we observe an adequate initial alveolar response to increased permeability with an increase of DAFC. However, DAFC increase does not persist after the 5(th )day and remains unresponsive to stimulation. This impairment of DAFC may partly explain the higher susceptibility of chronically infected patients to subsequent lung injury

The opportunistic pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa activates the DNA double-strand break signaling and repair pathway in infected cells.

International audienceHighly hazardous DNA double-strand breaks can be induced in eukaryotic cells by a number of agents including pathogenic bacterial strains. We have investigated the genotoxic potential of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, an opportunistic pathogen causing devastating nosocomial infections in cystic fibrosis or immunocompromised patients. Our data revealed that infection of immune or epithelial cells by P. aeruginosa triggered DNA strand breaks and phosphorylation of histone H2AX (γH2AX), a marker of DNA double-strand breaks. Moreover, it induced formation of discrete nuclear repair foci similar to gamma-irradiation-induced foci, and containing γH2AX and 53BP1, an adaptor protein mediating the DNA-damage response pathway. Gene deletion, mutagenesis, and complementation in P. aeruginosa identified ExoS bacterial toxin as the major factor involved in γH2AX induction. Chemical inhibition of several kinases known to phosphorylate H2AX demonstrated that Ataxia Telangiectasia Mutated (ATM) was the principal kinase in P. aeruginosa-induced H2AX phosphorylation. Finally, infection led to ATM kinase activation by an auto-phosphorylation mechanism. Together, these data show for the first time that infection by P. aeruginosa activates the DNA double-strand break repair machinery of the host cells. This novel information sheds new light on the consequences of P. aeruginosa infection in mammalian cells. As pathogenic Escherichia coli or carcinogenic Helicobacter pylori can alter genome integrity through DNA double-strand breaks, leading to chromosomal instability and eventually cancer, our findings highlight possible new routes for further investigations of P. aeruginosa in cancer biology and they identify ATM as a potential target molecule for drug design

Couplage des transferts de chaleur par convection, chaleur sensible et latente dans un système solaire intégré

Les besoins en chauffage et climatisation ont été fortement réduits dans les constructions dites passives (label PassivHaus en Allemagne ou Minergie en Suisse). Un des moyens d'améliorer encore les performances énergétiques de l'enveloppe est de développer des enveloppes hybrides, utilisées pour la protection, l'isolation, comme capteur d'énergie, capable de la stocker et de la distribuer tout autour de l'enveloppe. Une cellule test a été construite à l'échelle 1:1 et est présentée ici. Il s'agit d'une enceinte de 40m3 délimitée par une enveloppe entièrement ventilée et intégrant des matériaux à changement de phase (MCP). La comparaison des résultats expérimentaux et numériques obtenus grâce à l'outil de simulation développé dans l'environnement TRNSys montre une bonne concordance du modèle pour des configurations en convection forcée. Des améliorations restent à apporter en convection naturelle ainsi que sur les dynamiques de transition de phase des MCP

Monitoring hepatitis C virus treatment rates in an Opioid Treatment Program : A longitudinal study

Direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) are recommended for the treatment of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in patients treated with methadone or buprenorphine. To assess HCV treatment rates in an Opioid Treatment Program (OTP). This longitudinal study included 501 patients (81.4% men, median age: 45 years; interquartile range: 39-50 years) enrolled in an OTP between October 2015 and September 2017. Patients were followed until September 2019. Data on socio-demographics, substance use, HCV infection, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection and laboratory parameters were collected at entry. We analyzed medical records to evaluate HCV treatment. Kaplan-Meier methods and Cox regression models were used to analyze the DAA treatment uptake and to identify treatment predictors. Prevalence of HCV and HIV infection was 70% and 34%, respectively. Among anti-HCV-positive (n = 336) patients, 47.2%, 41.3%, and 31.9% used alcohol, cannabis, and cocaine, respectively. HCV-RNA tests were positive in 233 (69.3%) patients. Twentyeight patients (8.3%) cleared the infection, and 59/308 (19.1%) had received interferon-based treatment regimens before 2015. Among 249 patients eligible, 111 (44.6%) received DAAs. Treatment rates significantly increased over time from 7.8/100 person-years (p-y) (95%CI: 5.0-12.3) in 2015 to 18.9/100 p-y (95%CI: 11.7-30.3) in 2019. In a multivariate analysis, patients with HIV co-infection were twice as likely to receive DAAs (HR = 1.94, 95%CI: 1.21-3.12) than patients with HCV mono-infection. Current drug use was an independent risk factor for not receiving treatment against infection (HR = 0.48, 95%CI: 0.29-0.80). HCV treatment is evolving in patients with HCV-HIV co-infection. Ongoing drug use while in an OTP might negatively impact the readiness to treat infection