Some Effects of IMF Lending Programs in the MENA Countries

The goal of this paper is to examine whether IMF lending programs in the MENA region lead international lenders to perceive lower lending risks and generate moral hazard as reflected in a shift in the maturity composition of international debt toward long-term debt flows. We find that IMF credit in general generated moral hazard in MENA after the IMF large-scale rescue package to Mexico

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The majority of artisanal or small-scale mining operations for the benefit of gold make use of hazardous chemicals such as mercury and cyanide during the stages of enrichment of the gold ore. These substances are mostly released in the working environment of the artisanal miner contaminating the soil, air and bodies of water. Therefore these environmental problems originated due to these practices, it must be in the duty of the professionals involved in this sector, to develop environmentally friendly technological alternatives in the recovery of gold. The research stage of this thesis consists in the recovery of gold by the method of "agglomeration with coal and oil", technique to which it has not yet been given its due importance until today. It can be a great help for the country's artisanal mining, which has many problems because there are no simple and efficient alternative technologies to replace the use of mercury and cyanide. It will be demonstrated that the method is feasible for the recovery of gold when associated with sulphides and thus obtaining an "ecological" end product, resulting in a reduction in environmental impact and above all have a low operating cost process.TesisLa mayoría de las operaciones mineras de manera artesanal o a pequeña escala, en beneficio del oro, hacen uso de químicos peligrosos tales como el mercurio y el cianuro durante las etapas de enriquecimiento del mineral aurífero. Estas sustancias mencionadas son en su mayoría liberados en el entorno laboral del minero artesanal contaminando el suelo, aire y cuerpos de agua. Por lo tanto, estos problemas ambientales originados debido a estas prácticas, tiene que estar en el deber de los profesionales implicados en este sector, en desarrollar alternativas tecnológicas amigables con el medio ambiente en la recuperación del oro. La etapa de investigación, de la presente tesis, consiste en la recuperación de oro mediante el método de “aglomeración con carbón y aceite”, técnica a la cual aún no se le ha dado su debida importancia hasta hoy. Pudiendo ser de gran ayuda para la minería artesanal del país, la cual pasa por muchos problemas por no contar con alternativas tecnologías sencillas y eficientes que puedan reemplazar al uso de mercurio y cianuro. Se demostrará que el método es factible en cuanto a la recuperación de oro cuando está asociado a sulfuros y así obtener un producto final “ecológico”, trayendo como consecuencia la disminución del impacto ambiental y sobre todo tener un proceso de bajo costo de operación

A 3D multi-scale skeletal muscle model to predict active and passive responses. Application to intra-abdominal pressure prediction

Computational models have been used extensively to study the behavior of skeletal muscle structures, however few of these models are able to evaluate their 3D active response using as input experimental measurements such as electromyography. Hence, improving the activation mechanisms in simulation models can provide interesting and useful achievements in this field. Therefore, the purpose of this paper was to develop a multi-scale chemo-mechanical material model to consider the active behavior of skeletal muscle in 3D geometries. The model was used to investigate the response of abdominal muscles which represent a challenging scenario due to their complex geometry and anatomical conditions. Realistic muscle geometries and other tissues of the human abdomen, including transverse abdominis (TA), internal oblique (IO), external oblique (EO), rectus abdominis (RA), rectus sheath (RSH), linea alba (LA) and aponeurosis (APO) were considered. Since the geometry of these tissues was obtained from magnetic resonance images, an iterative algorithm was implemented to find the initial stress state that achieve the equilibrium of them with the intra-abdominal pressure. In order to investigate the functionality of the proposed model, the increase of intra-abdominal pressure was calculated during cough in the supine position while the Ca2+ signal for activating the muscles was set in regard to experimentally recorded electrical activity from previous studies. The amount of intra-abdominal pressure calculated by the model is consistent with reported experimental results. This model can serve as a virtual laboratory to analyze the role of the abdominal wall components in different conditions, such as the performance of meshes used for repairing hernia defects

Desarrollo psicomotor en los niños/as de 1° y 2° año de EGB del COMIL 10 Abdón Calderón y Ángel de la Guarda del sector de La Recoleta del Distrito Metropolitano de Quito

Analizar las prácticas pedagógicas aplicadas por los docentes de Cultura Física para desarrollar la condición psicomotriz y las nociones básicas en los niños/as de 1° y 2° Año de EGB de las unidades de estudio.La presente investigación tiene como finalidad diagnosticar los factores asociados a la deficiencia de la condición motriz en los niños/as de 1° y 2° año. La base teórica se refiere a los procesos madurativos, leyes del aprendizaje, y modelo constructivista. Para explicar el problema motivo de investigación se aplicó el test de valoración motor de Ozeretsky, con la finalidad de medir el desarrollo de la condición motriz valorando las destrezas de puntería, saltabilidad, control nervioso, equilibrio, coordinación fina, coordinación gruesa a los niños/as, encuestas a los docentes de aula y de cultura física. Se propone un manual didáctico de aprendizaje motor orientado a los docentes de cultura física, basado en ejercicios y juegos para desarrollar diferentes áreas motrices

"Da (in)certeza do desporto à afirmação na profissão: a história de um professor estagiário"

Para a conclusão do Mestrado em Ensino de Educação Física nos Ensinos Básico e Secundário, da Faculdade de Desporto da Universidade do Porto, é necessário completar um Estágio Profissional. Ao longo do segundo ano de formação, realizei o estágio na Escola Básica e Secundária Rodrigues de Freitas, na cidade do Porto, onde tive a oportunidade de ensinar alunos de diferentes níveis de escolaridade, nomeadamente alunos do 2º ciclo e alunos do ensino secundário. A elaboração deste relatório permite a partilha das experiências e das conquistas vivenciadas na qualidade de Professor Estagiário, numa escola de referência a nível distrital, pela agregação de alunos de diferentes contextos sociais da cidade do Porto e também pelo facto de ser uma escola polo de ensino especializado a alunos com necessidades educativas especiais como a cegueira e baixa visão. Esta dissertação traduz uma reflexão pessoal enquadrada numa perspetiva profissional da prática de ensino, baseada no trabalho prático realizada ao longo do ano letivo. Na conclusão desta análise são feitas considerações pertinentes ao exercício da profissão. Foi na sequência do estágio profissional que surgiu a necessidade de perceber a importância, para os alunos, da prática desportiva fora do contexto escolar e a sua influência na disciplina de Educação Física.For the completion of the masters degree in physical education in primary and secondary levels at the college of sports in the University of Porto, it is necessary to complete a professional internship. During the second year of training, I completed the internship at the "Escola Básica e Secundária Rodrigues de Freitas" in Porto, where I had the opportunity to teach students at different levels of education, from second grade to high school students. This report is a record of experiences and achievements as a trainee teacher in a reputable school in the district of Porto with the particularity of comprising of an amalgamation of students from different social backgrounds and special needs such as blindness and impaired vision. This dissertation is a personal reflection from a professional perspective based on practical work carried throughout the academic year. Significant considerations relevant to the exercise of the profession are made as part of the analysis of the study. The professional internship raised the question of understanding the importance of sports outside the school context and its influence on the physical education classes. KEYWORDS

Revista Ciudad Vaga, Ediciones 12, 13 y 14. Laboratorio de Creación Periodística.

En esta etapa del proyecto Ciudad Vaga realizó las ediciones 12,13 y 14 de la revista. La revista Ciudad Vaga es uno de los proyectos de desarrollo del Grupo de Investigación en Periodismo e Información, de la Universidad del Valle. Participaron de su desarrollo y ejecución cerca de 70 personas (entre estudiantes y profesores de la Escuela de Comunicación Social y el Departamento de Diseño de la Facultad de Artes Integradas). Creo y puso en marcha la Plataforma Ciudad Vaga para presentar no sólo las versiones digitales de la revista, sino piezas periodística multi y transmedia, paisajes sonoros y obras radiofónicas, fotografías, videoanimaciones y productos del Observatorio de Fenómenos Emergentes de Información.Para la producción se realizan dos procesos creativos: el primero inicia con la divulgación de una convocatoria abierta a estudiantes y egresados de comunicación social para que propongan temas de trabajo en las temáticas o dossiers propuestos, previamente, por el Comité Editorial. Por otro lado, se inicia en los cursos de Prensa, géneros y lenguajes y Proyecto Editorial un proceso de fundamentación conceptual y producción conectado con las temáticas de la publicación. En el primero proceso, se realiza un análisis de las propuestas de creación, se reformulan las hipótesis de trabajo y se proyectan estilos y tratamientos narrativos acordes con las temáticas. A partir de esa etapa, se inicia un acompañamiento y apoyo en el proceso investigativo. Por su parte, los estudiantes de prensa realizan dos tipos de trabajo. El primer es colectivo: organizados en grupos adelantan una investigación de mediano aliento, la cual desencadenará en una pieza de periodismo de profundidad. El segundo tipo de producción es individual y en ella los alumnos escriben diversas piezas de periodismo con énfasis en descripciones de escenarios, entrevistas, documentos y estudios de la información

Implementación de un módulo de entrenamiento para instrumentación y acondicionamiento de señales emitidas por sensores de temperatura, velocidad, caudal y presión, en el Laboratorio de Control y Manipulación Automática.

Se realizó la implementación de un módulo de entrenamiento para instrumentación y acondicionamiento de las señales emitidas por sensores de temperatura, presión, caudal y velocidad. Para el desarrollo del proyecto se utilizaron sensores industriales, y el software LabVIEW vinculada a una tarjeta NI MyRIO 1900 la cual procesa la información obtenida por los sensores implementados. Para este módulo las señales análogas se configuraron una Pt100 y el transductor de presión por medio de componentes electrónicos los cuales estuvieron dentro del rango de 1 a 5V, siendo este último el voltaje máximo admisible por la tarjeta y para las señales digitales utilizamos el encoder incremental y caudalímetro que generan pulsos en “1” o “0” lógico “encendido” o “apagado” dando como resultado “verdad o negación”. Una vez conectado el módulo con la tarjeta NI MyRIO 1900 se realizó la programación mediante en el software LabVIEW y con las lecturas obtenidas se procedió a realizar la parametrización y el acondicionamiento de las señales a una presentación fácil de leer, con la finalidad de monitorear el comportamiento de la señal y realizar el control del módulo para instrumentación. Podemos concluir que los sensores utilizados para la elaboración de este módulo tienen una gran aplicación en el campo industrial, por lo que se consideraron las señales emitidas por estos, para obtener resultados con mayor precisión. Se recomienda implementar el acondicionamiento de señales en futuros proyectos de titulación, a su vez se recomienda tener conocimientos básicos para la manipulación de los elementos utilizados en el desarrollo de este proyecto.It carried out the implementation of a training module for instrumentation and conditioning of the signals emitted by temperature, pressure, flow and speed sensors. For the development of the project used industrial sensors and the Lab VIEW software linked to a card NI MyRIO 1900 which processes the information obtained by the implemented sensors. For this module, the analog signals were configured with a Pt100 and the pressure transducer through electronic components which were within the range of 1 to 5V; being the maximum operating voltage according to the card, but for the digital signals applied the incremental encoder and flowmeter that generate electrical pulses in “1" or "0" logical "on" or "off" giving as result: "truth or denial". Once the module was connected to the card NI MyRIO 1900, it made the programming by using LabVIEW software, and then with the readings obtained was possible to make the parametrization, besides the conditioning of the signals for a presentation that is easy to read in order to monitor the behavior of the signal and perform control of the module for instrumentation. It is concluded that the sensors used for the development of this module have a great application in the industrial field; that is why the signals emitted by them were considered to obtain results with greater precision. It is recommended to implement the signal conditioning in future research projects. At the same time, it is recommended to have basic knowledge for the manipulation of the elements used in the development of the present research

Effects of Plyometric Jump Training in Sand or Rigid Surface on Jump-Related Biomechanical Variables and Physical Fitness in Female Volleyball Players

Background: This study aims to assess the effects of 8 weeks of plyometric jump training (PJT) conducted on sand or a rigid court surface on jump-related biomechanical variables and physical fitness in female indoor volleyball players. Methods: Seventeen participants were randomly divided into a sand surface group (SsG, n = 8) and rigid surface group (RsG, n = 9). Both groups completed equal indoor volleyball training routines. Participants were assessed pre and post the 8-week PJT for jump-related biomechanical variables (countermovement jump (CMJ) RSI; drop jump (DJ) reactive strength index (RSI); spike jump (SJ) height; CMJ height; CMJ rate of force development (RFD); CMJ velocity at take-off; DJ height and CMJ peak force), 20 m linear sprint time, t test for change-of-direction sprint (CODs) time, Wingate test peak power (PP), cardiorespiratory endurance, and leg-press one-repetition maximum (1RM). Results: A two-way mixed analysis of variance (group × time) revealed that there was a significant group × time interaction between DJ height (p = 0.035) and CMJ peak force (p = 0.032) in favour of RsG and SsG, respectively. A significant interaction was also observed for cardiorespiratory endurance (p = 0.01) and 1RM (p = 0.002), both favouring the SsG. No other group × time interaction was observed. Conclusions: The type of surface used during PJT induced specific adaptations in terms of jump-related biomechanical variables and physical fitness in female indoor volleyball players. Based on the individual needs of the athletes, practitioners may prescribe one type of surface preferentially over another to maximize the benefits derived from PJT

The clinical presentation and prognostic factors for intrahepatic and extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma in a tertiary care centre

Aliment Pharmacol Ther   31 , 625–633The incidence of cholangiocarcinoma is rising. Accurate predictors of survival at diagnosis are not well defined.To clarify the clinical presentation and prognostic factors of intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma and extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma in a contemporary cohort of patients.Records for consecutive patients at the University of Michigan hospital diagnosed with cholangiocarcinoma between January 2003 and April 2008 were reviewed.In all, 136 patients had cholangiocarcinoma (79 intra- and 57 extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma). Median survival was 27.3 months–25.8 months for intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma and 30.3 months for extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma. Independent predictors of mortality at presentation on multivariate analysis were elevated bilirubin level (HR 1.04, 95%CI 1.01–1.07), CA 19-9 levels >100 U/mL (HR 1.90, 95%CI 1.17–3.08) and stage of disease (HR 1.51, 95%CI 1.16–1.96). After adjusting for baseline prognostic factors, surgical therapy was associated with improved survival (HR 0.48; 95% CI 0.26–0.88). There were no significant differences regarding clinical presentation, disease stage ( P  = 0.98), and survival ( P  = 0.51) between intra- and extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma.Survival for cholangiocarcinoma remains poor with no significant difference in outcomes between intra- and extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma. Stage of disease, bilirubin level and CA 19-9 level are important prognostic factors at presentation. Surgical therapy provides similar efficacy for both tumours when adjusted for other prognostic variables.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/79101/1/j.1365-2036.2009.04218.x.pd

Climate trends and extremes in the Indus River Basin, Pakistan: implications for agricultural production

ABSTRACT: Historical and future projected changes in climatic patterns over the largest irrigated basin in the world, the Indus River Basin (IRB), threaten agricultural production and food security in Pakistan, in particular for vulnerable farming communities. To build a more detailed understanding of the impacts of climate change on agricultures in the IRB, the present study analyzes (1) observed trends in average temperature, precipitation and related extreme indicators, as well as seasonal shifts over a recent historical period (1997-2016); and (2) statistically downscaled future projections (up to 2100) from a set of climate models in conjunction with crop-specific information for the four main crops of the IRB: wheat, cotton, rice and sugarcane. Key findings show an increasing trend of about over 0.1ºC/year in observed minimum temperature across the study area over the historical period, but no significant trend in maximum temperature. Historical precipitation shows a positive annual increase driven mainly by changes in August and September. Future projections highlight continued warming resulting in critical heat thresholds for the four crops analyzed being increasingly exceeded into the future, in particular in the Kharif season. Concurrently, inter-annual rainfall variability is projected to increase up to 10-20% by the end of the 21st century, augmenting uncertainty of water availability in the basin. These findings provide insight into the nature of recent climatic shifts in the IRB and emphasize the importance of using climate impact assessments to develop targeted investments and efficient adaptation measures to ensure resilience of agriculture in Pakistan into the futur