323 research outputs found

    Algeria and the Washington consensus: Debtor-creditor relation re-examined

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    Algeria’s experience with liberal economic reforms occurred while the country faced its worst crisis due to the civil conflict between the army and Islamist insurgents. The study of Algeria’s debt relief process, from loan negotiation to the implementation of adjustment packages, is key to understand how the aid received enabled the Algerian authorities to survive the crisis and renew their patronage networks. Focusing on Algerian relation with International Financial Institutions, this paper provides a political analysis of this process. As a result, the creditors’ favour for stabilisation and their political priorities emerge as factors that increased the leverages of the Algerian authorities

    GMUSTA method for numerical simulation of dam break flow on mobile bed

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    River hydrodynamicsUnsteady open channel flow and dam brea

    Fotograffiti: fotolivro como veículo de comunicação

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    PCC (graduação) - Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina. Centro de Comunicação e Expressão. Design.Trata-se do relatório técnico-acadêmico do projeto de Design Editorial desenvolvido para a conclusão do curso de Bacharelado em Design. O produto projetado foi o fotolivro, intitulado “Fotograffiti: Fotolivro como veículo de comunicação”, que registra as fotos de graffitis das cidades de São Paulo e Florianópolis. Para orientar a projetação do produto gráfico-editorial, foi adotada e adapatada a metodologia proposta por Luciano de Castro, que é estruturada em três etapas: (1) Absorção; (2) Constituição, e (3) Produção. Durante o desenvolvimento do projeto para a criação do produto como um fotolivro, buscou-se recursos gráficos para expressar a identidade visual da cena do graffiti em cada cidade, especialmente, por meio das fotos e disposição das mesmas nas páginas. Foram exploradas também práticas diferenciadas de produção gráfica, como impressão em serigrafia e tradicional digital, além do uso de papéis especiais. Um dos objetivos do projeto, é que o contato com o produto propicie uma experiência narrativa fotográfica com contrapontos, estimulando a leitura da obra seguindo uma narrativa fotográfica com tema definido

    EVALUATION OF LIVER PARENCHYMA AND PERFUSION USING DYNAMIC CONTRAST-ENHANCED COMPUTED TOMOGRAPHY AND CONTRAST-ENHANCED ULTRASONOGRAPHY IN CAPTIVE GREEN IGUANAS (IGUANA IGUANA) UNDER GENERAL ANESTHESIA

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    Background: Contrast-enhanced diagnostic imaging techniques are considered useful in veterinary and human medicine to evaluate liver perfusion and focal hepatic lesions. Although hepatic diseases are a common occurrence in reptile medicine, there is no reference to the use of contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) and contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CECT) to evaluate the liver in lizards. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the pattern of change in echogenicity and attenuation of the liver in green iguanas (Iguana iguana) after administration of specific contrast media. Results: An increase in liver echogenicity and density was evident during CEUS and CECT, respectively. In CEUS, the mean \ub1 SD (median; range) peak enhancement was 19.9% \ub1 7.5 (18.3; 11.7-34.6). Time to peak enhancement was 134.0 \ub1 125.1 (68.4; 59.6-364.5) seconds. During CECT, first visualization of the contrast medium was at 3.6 \ub1 0.5 (4; 3-4) seconds in the aorta, 10.7 \ub1 2.2 (10.5; 7-14) seconds in the hepatic arteries, and 15 \ub1 4.5 (14.5; 10-24) seconds in the liver parenchyma. Time to peak was 14.1 \ub1 3.4 (13; 11-21) and 31 \ub1 9.6 (29; 23-45) seconds in the aorta and the liver parenchyma, respectively. Conclusion: CEUS and dynamic CECT are practical means to determine liver hemodynamics in green iguanas. Distribution of contrast medium in iguana differed from mammals. Specific reference ranges of hepatic perfusion for diagnostic evaluation of the liver in iguanas are necessary since the use of mammalian references may lead the clinician to formulate incorrect diagnostic suspicions

    Capacity building efforts for rabies diagnosis in resource-limited countries in Sub-Saharan Africa: a case report of the central veterinary laboratory in Benin (Parakou)

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    Rabies has been listed as a priority zoonotic disease in many African countries and the countdown to reach the goal of eliminating dog-mediated human rabies deaths by 2030 means that disease control measures need to be applied fast. In this context, an essential pillar of any national plan to control rabies is the implementation of reliable diagnostic techniques to ensure the success of field surveillance systems. Although many African countries have received international support for the control of rabies-some countries, like Benin, have not received a similar level of support. Indeed, until 2018, Benin was not able to diagnose rabies and rabies diagnosis in animals as well as humans relied solely on observed clinical symptoms. Although the Central Veterinary Laboratory (CVL) of Parakou had the equipment to implement two recommended tests, the lack of specific reagents and skills prevented the implementation of a rabies diagnostic service. Here we present the joint efforts of the national authorities in Benin, intergovernmental agencies, and non-governmental organizations to assess the strengths and weaknesses of the government's rabies control efforts. We have applied the Stepwise Approach toward Rabies Elimination (SARE) analysis, implemented rabies diagnostic capacities at the CVL of Parakou, characterized strains of rabies virus circulating in Benin, and finally integrated an inter-laboratory comparison program

    FORMAÇÃO DE VÍNCULOS PROFISSIONAIS PARA O TRABALHO EM EQUIPE NA ENFERMAGEM

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    This article resulted from research that aimed to build a strategy of team work in nursing, to promote interpersonal relationships (Professional ties), to reach a therapeutic care committed to users of health services. The methodology is supported by the constructivist current and included the following phases: Interview and observation. After the data analysis these themes emerged: Individual and group position in the micro area of activity; movement of group relationships; communication process; continuing education; professional competence. Strategies for team work in nursing are based on the theoretical foundations of the dynamics of group interplay, providing a new look at the management role of the nurse in the creation and establishment of professional links, in which interpersonal relationships can promote critical, reflective, and participatory praxis.Este artículo es resultado de la investigación que tuvo como objetivo construir una estrategia de trabajo en equipo en enfermería para favorecer las relaciones interpersonales, o sea, los vínculos profesionales, para el alcance de un cuidado terapéutico comprometido con las personas usuarias de los servicios de salud. La metodología tiene respaldo en la corriente constructivista y contó con las siguientes fases: entrevista y observación. Después del análisis de los datos surgieron los temas: posición individual y grupal en el microespacio de actuación; movimiento de las relaciones grupales; proceso de comunicación; educación continuada; competencia profesional. Las estrategias para el trabajo en equipo en enfermería se basan en los fundamentos teóricos de la dinámica de las interrelaciones grupales, determinando una nueva mirada para la función gerencial del enfermero, a partir de la formación y afirmación de los vínculos profesionales que agreguen, en los cuales las relaciones interpersonales puedan favorecer una praxis crítica, reflexiva y participativa.Este artigo é resultado da investigação que teve como objetivo construir uma estratégia de trabalho em equipe na enfermagem, para favorecer as relações interpessoais, ou seja, os vínculos profissionais, para o alcançe de um cuidado terapéutico comprometido com os usuários dos serviços de saúde. A metodologia tem o respaldo na corrente construtivista e conto com as seguintes fases: entrevista e observação. Depois da análise dos dados surgiram os temas: posição individual e grupal no micro espaço de atuação; movimiento das relações grupais; proceso de comunicação; educação continuada; competencia profissional. As estratégias para o trabalho na equipe em enfermagem tem base nos fundamentos teóricos da dinâmica das interrelações grupais, determinando um novo olhar para a função gerencial do enfermeiro, a partir da formação e afirmação dos vínculos profissionais, nos quais as relações interpessoais podem favorecer uma praxis crítica, reflexiva e participativ

    PO-485 Low abundance circulating proteins in giant cell tumours of bone

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    Introduction Circulating low-abundance proteins/fragments generating from tumour cells and tissues, represent the most important source of cancer biomarkers useful for early diagnosis and prognosis. Giant cell tumour of bone (GCT) is a benign neoplasm occurring in the long bone and in the axial skeleton of young adults. Approximately 5% of GCT develop pulmonary metastases. Although many biomarkers have been proposed, identification of circulating low abundance molecules may be useful to predict metastasis with a non invasive method. Material and methods The hydrogel nanoparticles technique followed by mass spectrometry was used to detect low molecular weight serum proteins or protein fragments in serum of 20 GCT patients with different clinical course and in 10 healthy sera used as control. The most representative low-abundant de novo or differentially abundant proteins were submitted to String database in order to define protein-protein interaction network. Cluster analysis was performed to identify prognostic groups of patients with similar abundance of proteins that significantly discriminate between the groups. Results and discussions For the 25 low-abundant de novo or differentially abundant proteins identified, we recognised that the top interconnected pathways included protein activation cascade, wound healing, blood coagulation, cell-substrate adhesion. Proteoma cluster analysis separated metastasis-free from metastatic GCT patients in two well-defined groups where serum levels of signalling transduction mediators and regulators of kinase activity presented a high discriminatory power. Increased expression of proteins STAT5B, GRB2 and OXSR1 was related to a higher probability of metastasis. Conclusion In conclusion, using a no invasive technique, we identified differentially abundant serum biomarkers, also providing prognostic information in patients with GCT of bone. Future studies are ongoing to establish the interplay between these biomarkers in order to fully understand the mechanism involved in tumour development and to focus on the planning of tailored therapies that should be more effective and less toxic

    Optimizing the linearity in high-speed photodiodes

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    Analog photonic links require high-fidelity, high-speed optical-to-electrical conversion for applications such as radio-over-fiber, synchronization at kilometer-scale facilities, and low-noise electronic signal generation. Photodetector nonlinearity is a particularly vexing problem, causing signal distortion and excess noise, especially in systems utilizing ultrashort optical pulses. Here we show that photodetectors designed for high power handling and high linearity can perform optical-to-electrical conversion of ultrashort optical pulses with unprecedented linearity over a large photocurrent range. We also show that the broadband, complex impedance of the circuit following the photodiode modifies the linearity significantly. By externally manipulating the circuit impedance, we extend the detector's linear range to higher photocurrents, with over 50 dB rejection of amplitude-to-phase conversion for photocurrents up to 40 mA. This represents a 1000-fold improvement over state-of-the-art photodiodes and significantly extends the attainable microwave power by a factor of four. As such, we eliminate the long-standing requirement in ultrashort pulse detection of precise tuning of the photodiode's operating parameters (average photocurrent, bias voltage or temperature) to coincide with a nonlinearity minimum. These results should also apply more generally to reduce nonlinear distortion in a range of other microwave photonics applications
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