Before Landing: How Do New European Emigrants Prepare Their Departure and Imagine Their Destinations?

In migration studies, the preparation for the departure of people who decide to migrate has seldom been addressed as a distinct topic. This article aims at investigating how European migrants who moved or plan to move to another European country prepare their departure. It analyses stories of migrants who move from Italy, Spain, Romania, and Bulgaria. More specifically, attention is focused on departure preparation in order to investigate what migrants do before they depart and how the free mobility of work is perceived by Europeans and applied to their migration plans. Different from general statements about European integration and belonging or about obstacles to intra-EU mobility, the analysis of what individuals do in order to get ready to leave their country of origin provides a very realistic idea of how people perceive European Union and the mobility within it

Malaria in children of Tshimbulu (Western Kasai, Democratic Republic of the Congo): epidemiological data and accuracy of diagnostic assays applied in a limited resource setting

BACKGROUND: The literature data on malaria in Western Kasai, DRC, are limited and inadequate. A recent molecular survey there has detected Plasmodium ovale and Plasmodium malariae as mixed infections with Plasmodium falciparum. In Tshimbulu, Western Kasai, during a humanitarian initiative designed to provide children with free preventive screening and to reduce the local high malaria death rate, accurate species identification was performed, in order to collect unambiguous epidemiological data and to evaluate the reliability of locally applied diagnostics. METHODS: Finger pricks provided fresh blood for microscopic analysis (MA), for rapid diagnostic test (RDT) and for molecular diagnostics (MD). MA and RDT were first performed by the local team and then a re-interpretation of the results (on the same slides and on RDT's taken pictures) was conducted in Italy, where MD were performed. RESULTS: The analysis was conducted on 306 children; RDT found 80.9 % as P. falciparum-positive (37.4 % as two-band positive, P. falciparum single infection). MA identified a further four children as positive to P. falciparum and six co-infections with P. ovale. The second RDT evaluation confirmed a similar infection rate (78.2 %) but interpreted as two-band positive a significantly higher share of tests (56.8 %). MA confirmed 80.0 % of the children as malaria positive and, in addition to P. falciparum, identified P. malariae (13.8 %), P. vivax (3.4 %) and P. ovale (2.4 %), and detected Babesia microti in 19 smears. MD confirmed all of the species found (Babesia microti included), classified as mono-infection with P. falciparum a rate of spots comparable to MA revision, and identified all P. ovale as Plasmodium ovale wallikeri. The RDT used locally proved 93.1 % sensitive and 92.1 % specific for P. falciparum. CONCLUSIONS: The malaria prevalence among the children and the presence of four Plasmodium species, highlighted in this study, identified a sanitary issue which proved to be more alarming than expected, as it was worsened by the unpredictable presence of P. vivax and Babesia microti (never before reported in DRC). Each diagnostic tool showed its point of weakness. Therefore, the most correct approach is by the combined use of different, locally available, diagnostic tools

Juizados Especiais Criminais e Medidas Alternativas: notas para uma etnografia da prestação de serviços à comunidade

Este artigo é uma reflexão sobre algumas das potencialidades metodológicas que venho analisando a propósito da pesquisa de doutoramento “Pacificar sem punir: para uma análise do modelo de Justiça Consensual”. A opção pela abordagem antropológica de um tema explorado, predominantemente, do ponto de vista jurídico e sociológico fez-me refletir sobre os “ganhos” que a perspectiva etnográfica pode trazer quando se trata de verificar os significados de punição que transitam em espaços instituciona..

Factors affecting butterfly use of filter strips in Southwest Minnesota

The value of agricultural conservation practices for wildlife, especially invertebrates, has not been thoroughly explored. One common practice, designed to reduce sedimentation and nutrient loads caused by runoff into streams, is the planting of filter strips. Filter strips are areas of herbaceous vegetation planted between agricultural fields and streams. In 2002 and 2003, we studied the butterfly community in filter strips of a variety of widths and vegetative compositions. We used transect surveys to quantify butterfly abundance and diversity and measured vegetative variables in conjunction with each butterfly survey round. We found overall butterfly diversity (H\u27) and abundance of habitat-sensitive butterflies to be positively correlated with filter strip width. Using stepwise regression, we found that the best models to explain butterfly abundance and the species richness of disturbance-tolerant butterflies include the coverage of forbs and the number of ramets in bloom in the strips, and indicate positive relationships between forbs and the butterfly community (R2=0.33, R2=0.07, respectively). The model that best explained richness of habitat-sensitive butterflies includes vegetation height and density, and is expressed as a positive relationship (R2=0.07). The planting of forbs in filter strips is rare, but may be useful for providing food sources to butterflies. More research on demographic parameters such as reproductive success and mortality is needed to assess whether filter strips represent additional habitat for butterflies or possible sinks

Study of the concentration of lycopene for ultrafiltration from watermelon juice (Citrullus vulgaris Schard)

Orientador: Nelson Horacio Pezoa GarciaDissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Faculdade de Engenharia de AlimentosMestradoMestre em Engenharia de Alimento

Transparência e accountability em serviços públicos digitais

Dissertação (mestrado)—Universidade de Brasília, Faculdade de Economia, Administração, Contabilidade e Gestão de Políticas Públicas, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Administração, Mestrado Profissional em Administração Pública, 2020.O avanço tecnológico vem introduzindo um novo tipo de racionalização no setor público pelo uso das modernas tecnologias de informação e comunicação (TICs), acarretando mudanças em políticas públicas, processos e funções. Cada vez mais os serviços públicos têm sido disponibilizados no meio digital, aumentando a dependência do cidadão em relação aos seus resultados. Ocorre que os resultados e decisões oriundos de sistemas ou processos automatizados são pouco transparentes e dificultam eventual contestação em caso de resultados indevidos. A transparência e accountability de sistemas e algoritmos tem por finalidade proteger o usuário contra resultados indesejáveis ou prejudiciais e assegurar a aplicação das leis ao meio digital. Assim, o objetivo do estudo é verificar a transparência e accountability proporcionada ao cidadão em serviços públicos digitais (eserviços) oferecidos pela Administração Pública Federal brasileira. Adotando uma abordagem qualitativa, a pesquisa avaliou três serviços públicos digitais brasileiros (ComprasNet, Sisu e Naturalizar-se) a fim de avaliar o tratamento que tais serviços vêm dispensando à transparência e accountability. As avaliações foram conduzidas por meio de entrevistas realizadas com gestores de cada sistema, seguindo roteiro de avaliação criado em fase piloto, devidamente validado por juízes, à luz do teste de coeficiente de validação de conteúdo - CVC. As entrevistas foram estudadas pelo método de análise de conteúdo com o apoio de estatísticas textuais. Os elementos colhidos na pesquisa permitiram a construção de um modelo de avaliação de transparência e accountability em serviços públicos digitais composto por 8 dimensões (acessibilidade; consciência; acesso e reparação; accountability; explicação; origem dos dados, privacidade e justiça; auditoria; validação, precisão e teste) e 35 itens de análise. As evidências encontradas na pesquisa demonstram uma preocupação do poder público em oferecer um serviço digital mais célere e eficiente, sem proporcionar mecanismos de transparência e accountability adequados. Os resultados indicam obstáculos técnicos e econômicos (aumento do custo e complexidade) para a promoção da consciência do usuário quanto aos passos seguidos por um serviço público digital. Os resultados obtidos e os procedimentos adotados nessa pesquisa são relevantes para a prática dos gestores públicos que desejam avaliar a transparência e accountability de serviços públicos digitais. As dimensões e itens de análise utilizados permitem esquadrinhar a transparência em serviços públicos digitais proporcionando a reaplicação futura e consequente comparação com outros serviços. A contribuição teórica pode ser creditada à combinação inédita dos critérios estudados a fim de se estudar a transparência de um serviço público digital, com vistas à promoção da accountability.Technological advances have been introducing a new type of rationalization in the public sector through the use of modern information and communication technologies (ICTs), leading to changes in public policies, processes and functions. Increasingly, public services have been made available in the digital environment, increasing the citizen's dependence on their results. Results and decisions coming from automated systems or processes are not very transparent and hard to challenge in case of undue results. The transparency and accountability of the system and algorithms aims to protect the user against undesirable or harmful results and to ensure the application of laws to the digital environment. Thus, the objective of the study is to verify the transparency and accountability provided to the citizen in digital public services (e-services) offered by the Brazilian Federal Public Administration. Adopting a qualitative approach, the research evaluated three Brazilian digital public services (ComprasNet, Sisu and Naturalizar-se) in order to evaluate the treatment that these services have been giving to transparency and accountability. The evaluations were conducted through interviews with managers of each system, following an evaluation script created in a pilot phase, validated by judges, in light of the content validation coefficient test - CVC. The interviews were studied using the content analysis method with the support of textual statistics. The elements collected in the research allowed the construction of a model for assessing transparency and accountability in digital public services composed of 8 dimensions (accessibility; awareness; access and repair; accountability; explanation; data source, privacy and justice; audit; validation, accuracy and testing) and 35 items of analysis. The evidence found in the research demonstrates a concern of the public authorities in offering a faster and more efficient digital service, without providing adequate transparency and accountability mechanisms. The results indicate technical and economic obstacles (increased cost and complexity) to promote the user's awareness of the steps followed by a digital public service. The results obtained and the procedures adopted in this research are relevant to the practice of public managers who wish to assess the transparency and accountability of digital public services. The dimensions and items of analysis make it possible to scan transparency in digital public services, providing future reapplication and consequent comparison with other services. The theoretical contribution can be credited to the unprecedented combination of the studied criteria in order to study the transparency of a digital public service, with a view to promoting accountability

Expressão imuno-histoquímica do p16 e sua relação com o papilomavírus humano em carcinomas de cabeça e pescoço

Dissertação (mestrado)—Universidade de Brasília, Faculdade de Ciências da Saúde, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências da Saúde, 2012.O Papilomavírus Humano (HPV) está relacionado à patogênese de vários tipos de câncer, e uma associação causal entre o HPV e o câncer de cabeça e pescoço tem sido estabelecida recentemente. A infecção pelo HPV de alto risco está frequentemente associada à superexpressão da p16, uma proteína envolvida no controle do ciclo celular e utilizada como biomarcador para os eventos iniciais da carcinogênese. O objetivo deste estudo foi analisar a expressão da p16 em carcinoma espinocelular de cabeça e pescoço e sua relação com o HPV. A amostra analisada foi composta por tecidos de biópsias emblocados em parafina de casos de carcinoma espinocelular de boca e orofaringe, e um grupo controle de hiperplasia fibrosa. Todos os casos foram avaliados para expressão de p16 pela técnica imuno- histoquímica e para detecção do HPV pela reação de polimerização em cadeia (PCR). Nos casos de carcinoma, analisou-se a expressão de p16 na região do tumor e no epitélio adjacente, bem como no epitélio dos casos controle. Os dados clínicos e demográficos foram obtidos de arquivos médicos. 25% dos casos de câncer de boca e 35,7% de orofaringe foram positivos para p16. O epitélio adjacente mostrou 38,5% positividade para p16 em câncer de boca e 45,5% para orofaringe. O grupo controle apresentou positividade em 30% dos casos. Observou-se relação entre a morfologia queratinizante e a ausência de expressão de p16. A relação descrita na literatura entre superexpressão de p16 e presença de HPV não foi encontrada, pois nenhum caso foi HPV-positivo. ______________________________________________________________________________ ABSTRACTThe Human Papillomavirus (HPV) has been linked to the pathogenesis of several types of cancer, and a causal association between HPV and head and neck cancer has been recently established. Proteins involved in cell cycle control are used as biomarkers to changes in the cycle and early events of arcinogenesis. The purpose of this study was to analyze the expression of the p16 protein in head and neck squamous cell carcinomas and its relationship with HPV. Paraffin-embedded biopsy tissues from patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) and oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC) comprised the sample analyzed. A control group comprised biopsies diagnosed with fibrous hyperplasia. They were evaluated for p16 immunohistochemical expression in tumor tissue and adjacent epithelium and for the presence of HPV through DNA extraction and Nested PCR. Demographic data were obtained from medical records. Results: 25% of OSCC cases and 35.7% of OPSCC were positive for p16. The adjacent epithelium showed 61% of p16 OSCC positive and 45% in OPSCC. Control group presents positivity in 30% of cases. No patients presented HPV. The study showed that the low p16 expression in the tumor area indicates that this gene is inactivated in carcinogenesis. We did not find relationship between p16 and HPV, since no cases were HPV-positive

ASSOCIATION OF DIETARY SUPPLEMENTS AND MENTAL TRAINING WITH PERFORMANCE IN ROAD RACES

This study aimed to describe the psychological and nutritional aspects of runners and identify the association of mental training and dietary supplements with performance in road races. For this, a cross-sectional study was performed with 560 recreational runners, who participated in 2014 or 2015 Unicamp Running. The participants answered a Google Docs questionnaire about personal, emotional and nutritional aspects. A sub-sample of 302 runners was monitored using chip technology to identify the running time in 5 km and 10 km. The main motivations for the run were to improve health (73%), well-being (62,5%) and quality of life (57%). Approximately 34% consumed dietary supplements, among which 70.5% consumed proteins and 40.2% carbohydrates. The main motivations for this consumption were increased competitiveness (62.1%) and health (46.3%). There was no association between the consumption of dietary supplements and performance in road races. The participants who did mental training presented 2.5 to 2.3 times higher chance of better performance compared to the participants who did not do mental training (p=0.020 and 0.039, respectively). We hypothesized that dietary supplementation without nutritional follow-up does not offer sporting advantage and that mental training is associated with better performance in recreational runners. Article visualizations

Postural stability and plantar pressure parameters in healthy subjects: variability, correlation analysis and differences under open and closed eye conditions

Introduction: The “postural control system” acts through biomechanical strategies and functional neuromuscular adaptations to maintain body balance under static and dynamic conditions. Postural stability and body weight distribution can be affected by external sensory inputs, such as different visual stimuli. Little information is available about the influence of visual receptors on stabilometric and plantar pressure parameters. The aim of this study was to analyze variability, correlations, and changes in these parameters under open- (OE) and closed-eye (CE) conditions.Methods: A total of 31 stabilometric and plantar pressure parameters were acquired in 20 young and healthy adults during baropodometric examination performed in bipedal standing under both visual conditions. Variability of parameters was evaluated via the coefficient of variation, correlation analysis via Pearson’s R2, and statistical differences via the Wilcoxon test.Results: High intra-subject repeatability was found for all plantar pressure parameters and CoP-speed (CV < 40%) under OE and CE conditions, while CoP-sway area (CoPsa) and length surface function (LSF) showed larger variability (CV > 50%). Mean and peak pressures at midfoot and total foot loads showed the least number of significant correlations with other parameters under both visual conditions, whereas the arch-index and rearfoot loads showed the largest number of significant correlations. The limb side significantly affected most plantar pressure parameters. A trend of larger LSF and lower CoPsa and mean and peak pressures at the right forefoot was found under the CE condition.Discussion: The present study provides a deeper insight into the associations between postural stability and foot load. Interesting postural adaptations, particularly with respect to different visual stimuli, the effect of the dominant side, and the specific role of the midfoot in balance control were highlighted

A centrality measure for quantifying spread on weighted, directed networks

While many centrality measures for complex networks have been proposed, relatively few have been developed specifically for weighted, directed (WD) networks. Here we propose a centrality measure for spread (of information, pathogens, etc.) through WD networks based on the independent cascade model (ICM). While deriving exact results for the ICM requires Monte Carlo simulations, we show that our centrality measure (Viral Centrality) provides excellent approximation to ICM results for networks in which the weighted strength of cycles is not too large. We show this can be quantified with the leading eigenvalue of the weighted adjacency matrix, and we show that Viral Centrality outperforms other common centrality measures in both simulated and empirical WD networks.Comment: 3 figure