Sustainable urban agriculture: a sustainable adaptation strategy for the City of Cape Town? : Practices and views on sustainable urban agriculture and climate change in Cape Town

This work explores the narratives associated with the benefits of sustainable urban agriculture areas in terms of adaptation to climate change in the Cape Town Metropolitan Area, South Africa. Urbanization and climate change are stressing urban areas in developing countries. Therefore, finding a development path towards "sustainable adaptation" remains a critical matter for humanity. Adaptation is sustainable only if it takes into consideration climate risks, while maximizing both social justice and environmental integrity. Urban agriculture is defined in this dissertation as the urban and peri-urban locations where agricultural practices, either the production of crops, livestock, or fish, utilize urban resources for the purpose of selling and consuming these goods produced locally, supporting the urban economy and providing a supply of food for urban citizens. Sustainable urban agriculture encompasses urban agricultural areas operating towards the satisfaction of human food, the preservation of environmental resources, the economic viability of agriculture and the enhancement of the quality of life of farmers, farm workers, and society. This research reviews the practices and views of urban agriculture stakeholders in Cape Town on sustainable urban agriculture to determine if the practices of urban agriculture could be a part of a sustainable adaptation strategy. The methods used to answer this question included a systematic review of studies on urban agriculture worldwide since 1980, and a review of the urban agriculture and adaptation to climate change policies which are implemented at the metropolitan level, all supported and tested through interviews with key informants. Non-Government Organization (NGO)-based community farming initiatives such as Oranjezicht City Farm, Abalimi Bezekhaya or the ERF 81, independent farmers, municipal and provincial government representatives were interviewed. A critical discourse analysis method was utilized to analyze the findings. The study found that the narratives at the metropolitan level, including the policies and the views of governmental representatives, remains focused on the food security contribution whereas the practitioners' narrative expressed an interest in the economic opportunities and social benefits that sustainable urban agriculture can bring, as stated by the literature on sustainable urban agriculture. The key practitioners and NGOs narratives suggest that sustainable urban agriculture is contributing to the adaptive capacity of the farmers as they are using practices such as permaculture or organic farming, which allow them to cope with the impacts of climate variability and climate change. If sustainable farming practices were emphasized instead of farming practices towards small-scale, home-based activity to improve households' food security, the adaptation framework at the municipal and provincial level would be aligned with practitioners and NGOs narratives and would contribute to the sustainable adaptation capacity of the city. The recent shift within the City of Cape Town towards the broad concept of resilience could bridge the gap between current policy and practices, and informants' narratives, but it remains too soon for this to be tested. This study concludes suggesting that the analysis of the informants' and literature's narratives on sustainable urban agriculture express potential to contribute to climate change adaptation and the reduction of vulnerability in Cape Town but alignment between policy and practitioners' needs, wants and actions needs to take place

Analyse des motivations et attentes du public envers les Musées en Suisse: pistes de changements pour le Musée Gruérien

Ce travail naît d’un mandat du musée gruérien (Bulle) qui se demandait comment augmenter le nombre de ses visiteur

Ronald Dworkin’s Criticism of Pragmatism

This is an article about ROnald Dworkin.

Os efeitos de um programa de ensino de autogestão em pacientes com sequelas de AVE: revisão bibliográfica

Projeto de Graduação apresentado à Universidade Fernando Pessoa como parte dos requisitos para obtenção do grau de Licenciada em FisioterapiaResumo: Introdução: A reabilitação em pacientes após sequelas de AVE é importante para minimizar as incapacidades funcionais. Assim, vários estudos têm utilizados o programa de ensino de autogestão sobre pacientes com sequelas de AVE. Objetivo: Avaliar os efeitos de um programa de ensino de autogestão em pacientes com sequelas de AVE. Metodologia: Foi realizada uma pesquisa computorizada com palavras-chaves nas bases de dados PubMed e PEDro e no motor de busca B-on de modo a encontrar artigos publicados na última década, randomizados controlados, publicados em inglês, e que abordassem o tema da autogestão na recuperação dos paciente com AVE. Foram excluídos estudos sem texto integral disponível e artigos duplicados. Resultados: Foram selecionados cinco artigos randomizados controlados com qualidade de metodologia de 6,8 na escala de PEDro. Conclusão: Os resultados análisados mostram que parece existir benefícios na reabilitação com um programa de ensino de autogestão em pacientes com sequelas de AVE, pelo que poderá ser um ferramenta terapêutica a aplicar em programa de fisioterapia.Introduction: Rehabilitation in patients following stroke sequelae is important to minimize functional disabilities. Thus, several studies have used the Self-Management Program on patients with stroke sequelae. Aim: To evaluate the effects of a Self-Management Program in patients with stroke sequelae. Methodology: A computerized search with keywords in databases of PubMed, PEDro and B-on, in order to find articles published in the last decade, randomized controlled trials, published in English and that addressed of the Self-Management Program in the recovery of stroke. Results: Five randomized controlled articles with a methodology quality of 6.8 were selected on the PEDro scale. Conclusion: The analyse results show that there are benefits in the rehabilitation with Self-Management Program in patients with stroke sequelae.N/

Os efeitos de um programa de ensino de autogestão em pacientes com sequelas de AVE: revisão bibliográfica

Projeto de Graduação apresentado à Universidade Fernando Pessoa como parte dos requisitos para obtenção do grau de Licenciada em FisioterapiaResumo: Introdução: A reabilitação em pacientes após sequelas de AVE é importante para minimizar as incapacidades funcionais. Assim, vários estudos têm utilizados o programa de ensino de autogestão sobre pacientes com sequelas de AVE. Objetivo: Avaliar os efeitos de um programa de ensino de autogestão em pacientes com sequelas de AVE. Metodologia: Foi realizada uma pesquisa computorizada com palavras-chaves nas bases de dados PubMed e PEDro e no motor de busca B-on de modo a encontrar artigos publicados na última década, randomizados controlados, publicados em inglês, e que abordassem o tema da autogestão na recuperação dos paciente com AVE. Foram excluídos estudos sem texto integral disponível e artigos duplicados. Resultados: Foram selecionados cinco artigos randomizados controlados com qualidade de metodologia de 6,8 na escala de PEDro. Conclusão: Os resultados análisados mostram que parece existir benefícios na reabilitação com um programa de ensino de autogestão em pacientes com sequelas de AVE, pelo que poderá ser um ferramenta terapêutica a aplicar em programa de fisioterapia.Introduction: Rehabilitation in patients following stroke sequelae is important to minimize functional disabilities. Thus, several studies have used the Self-Management Program on patients with stroke sequelae. Aim: To evaluate the effects of a Self-Management Program in patients with stroke sequelae. Methodology: A computerized search with keywords in databases of PubMed, PEDro and B-on, in order to find articles published in the last decade, randomized controlled trials, published in English and that addressed of the Self-Management Program in the recovery of stroke. Results: Five randomized controlled articles with a methodology quality of 6.8 were selected on the PEDro scale. Conclusion: The analyse results show that there are benefits in the rehabilitation with Self-Management Program in patients with stroke sequelae.N/

Vers une méthode de maîtrise des risques dans l'informatisation de l'aide au handicap

National audienceDe nombreux projets visent à améliorer la situation de handicap en utilisant des technologies informatiques. Cela va des interfaces homme-machine pour les polyhandicapés à des outils de gestion des activités pour l'autonomie des autistes en passant par des logiciels d'assistance pour les troubles bipolaires. Cependant, si ces approches sont intéressantes et offrent souvent de bons résultats, les risques d'une assistance informatique dédiée pour le patient, le personnel soignant et l'entourage sont peu pris en considération. En effet, les travaux portent souvent sur les gains et les améliorations obtenus d'un point de vue de l'autonomie mais pas d'un point de vue plus global en terme de rééducation ou d'évolution de la pathologie du patient. Les gains sont souvent en terme d'allègement du suivi médical, social et familial, mais ils ne sont pas envisagés globalement et manquent d'une vision systémique seule à même d'évaluer l'amélioration de l'autonomie et les risques liés à une assistance informatique. Par ailleurs, cette vision se doit de prendre en compte tant les modifications de la place du handicapé au sein de la société que les modifications de celle-ci autour de ces enjeux. Cet article caractérise les risques lors d'une assistance informatique pour des handicaps moteurs et mentaux. Il classifie les approches d'assistance, la nature des risques rencontrés au regard du contexte d'encadrement thérapeutique et définit une méthode pour évaluer et prévenir ces risques. Il propose ainsi un cadre conceptuel d'évaluation globale des risques et des impacts afin de faciliter les expérimentations, l'analyse de ces risques et définir les meilleures pratiques permettant de les contrôler

Concevoir une ressource numérique de formation dans l'enseignement supérieur : quels acteurs pour quelles formes de coopération ?

International audienceCette communication porte sur l’analyse de différentes formes de coopération à l’œuvre dans la conception de trois ressources numériques dans l’enseignement supérieur. Nous analysons les formes de coopération d’une pluralité d’acteurs, aux statuts et fonctions divers. Pour garantir l’utilité et l’utilisabilité des ressources créées, ils sont sollicités différemment, en fonction de leurs compétences, à des moments différents du processus. Nous montrons comment sont pris en compte les utilisateurs finaux lors de la conception de ces ressources et les conditions potentielles de facilitation d’un mode de conception participatif

Mission Marmara. Campagne 2008

Mission archéologique en Turquie (Bithynie) appuyée par le Ministère des affaires étrangères français. 2008 : Poursuite des prospections : 1. du versant N de l'Olympe/Uludağ à l'est de Bursa ; 2. des contreforts orientaux de l'Olympe/Uludağ ; 3. des contreforts SO de l'Olympe/Uludağ autour de Keles ; 4. des contreforts NO de l'Olympe/Uludağ ; 5. de la côte au Nord

Characterization of oviduct epithelial spheroids for the study of embryo-maternal communication in cattle

Most in vitro models of oviduct epithelial cells (OEC) used thus far to gain insights into embryo-maternal communication induce cell dedifferentiation or are technically challenging. Moreover, although the presence of developing embryos has been shown to alter gene expression in OEC, the effect of embryos on OEC physiology remains largely unknown. Here, we propose a model based on bovine oviduct epithelial spheroids (OES) with specific shape and diameter (100-200 μm) criteria. The aims of this study were to i) determine the appropriate culture conditions of bovine OES cultured in suspension by evaluating their morphology, total cell number, viability, and activity of ciliated cells; ii) monitor gene expression in OES at the time of their formation (day 0) and over the 10 days of culture; and iii) test whether the vicinity of developing embryos affects OES quality criteria. On day 10, the proportions of vesicle-shaped OES (V-OES) were higher in M199/500 (500 μl of HEPES-buffered TCM-199) and synthetic oviduct fluid (SOF)/25 (25-μL droplet of SOF medium under mineral oil) than in M199/25 (25-μL droplet of M199 under mineral oil). The proportion of viable cells in V-OES was not affected by culture conditions and remained high (>80%) through day 10. The total number of cells per V-OES decreased over time except in SOF/25, while the proportions of ciliated cells increased over time in M199/500 but decreased in M199/25 and SOF/25. The movement amplitude of OES in suspension decreased over time under all culture conditions. Moreover, the gene expression of ANXA1, ESR1, HSPA8, and HSPA1A in OES remained stable during culture, while that of PGR and OVGP1 decreased from day 0 to day 10. Last, the co-culture of developing embryos with OES in SOF/25 increased the rates of blastocysts on days 7 and 8 compared to embryos cultured alone, and increased the proportion of V-OES compared to OES cultured alone. In conclusion, M199/500 and SOF/25 provided the optimal conditions for the long-time culture of OES. The supporting effect of OES on embryo development and of developing embryos on OES morphology was evidenced for the first time. Altogether, these results point OES as an easy-to-use, standardizable, and physiological model to study embryo-maternal interactions in cattle