Falência é fracasso ? O caso da Associação dos Produtores Alternativos de Ouro Preto do Oeste, Rondônia, Brasil

The paper studies the bankruptcy of the Alternative Producers Association (APA) in Ouro Preto do Oeste, State of Rondônia, Brazil, by identifying the relations between the territory actors and analyzing their own interpretive frame. After a brief history of the Integrated Colonization Project (PIC) in Ouro Preto do Oeste, we describe the social origin of the settlers, their political culture and social capital as well as the logic of the institutions engaged in the projects' management. The relations between the different institutional actors are presented as a connection of multilevel social-ecological systems (local, regional, national and international). The paper intends to show the discrepancy between the mere economic logic of the supporting institutions and the APA producers' aspirations. Our conclusion is that the bankruptcy may have been caused by two interconnected factors: the lack of trust of APA's farmers towards agricultural support agencies (Comissão Executiva do Plano da Lavoura Cacaueira, Agência de Defesa Sanitária Agrosilvopastoril do Estado de Rondônia, Empresa de Assistência Técnica e Extensão Rural) and the failure of the State and the Municipality to act in the multi-level network above mentioned, which could have been a mediator amongst the different aspirations. Finally, our paper discusses the notion of _failure' associated to bankruptcy

Classification of compression bandages: Practical aspects

BACKGROUND Compression bandages appear to be simple medical devices. However, there is a lack of agreement over their classification and confusion over the use of important terms such as elastic, inelastic, and stiffness. OBJECTIVES The objectives were to propose terms to describe both simple and complex compression bandage systems and to offer classification based on in vivo measurements of subbandage pressure and stiffness. METHODS A consensus meeting of experts including members from medical professions and from companies producing compression products discussed a proposal that was sent out beforehand and agreed on by the authors after correction. RESULTSPressure, layers, components, and elastic properties (P-LA-C-E) are the important characteristics of compression bandages. Based on simple in vivo measurements, pressure ranges and elastic properties of different bandage systems can be described. Descriptions of composite bandages should also report the number of layers of bandage material applied to the leg and the components that have been used to create the final bandage system. CONCLUSION Future descriptions of compression bandages should include the subbandage pressure range measured in the medial gaiter area, the number of layers, and a specification of the bandage components and of the elastic property (stiffness) of the final bandage