Exchange rate policies, patterns of specialization and economic development : theory and evidence in developing countries

The objectives of this paper are twofold. First, it intends to provide theoretical elements toanalyze the relation between real exchange rates and economic development. Our mainhypothesis is very much in line with the Dutch disease literature, and states that competitivecurrencies contribute to the existence and maintenance of the manufacturing sector in theeconomy. This, in turn, brings about higher growth rates in the long run, given the existenceof increasing returns in the industrial sector, and its importance in generating technologicalchange and increasing productivity in the overall economy. The second objective of this paperis empirical. It intends to analyze examples of successful exchange rate policies, such as Chileand Indonesia in the eighties, as a benchmark for comparison with countries where currencyovervaluation has taken place, such as Brazil. In the latter case, the local currency is beinginflated by large capital inflows, due to high domestic interest rates and to a boom in demandand prices of commodities in the international markets. It will be argued that the industrialsector bears most of the burden when the currency appreciates, and that Brazil risks at deindustrializationif there are no changes in the exchange rate regime

Pacifist approaches to conflict resolution: an overview of pragmatic pacifism

This article explores pragmatic pacifist approaches to conflict resolution, i.e. the aspects that justify pacifist norms based on its strategic effectiveness and not on actors’ belief systems. The article initially proposes a conceptualisation of pacifism and non-violence, seeking to show how these concepts interrelate and how they integrate in the field of conflict resolution. From this conceptual basis, the article focuses on the examination of pragmatic pacifist approaches, highlighting their theoretical base, their techniques and methods of action, as well as the major future challenges of research agendas on the theme

Pacifist approaches to conflict resolution: an overview of the principled pacifism

This article explores pacifist approaches to conflict resolution based on principles, justifying the pacifist standard grounded in actors' belief systems (spiritual and ethical principles). This article gives a brief overview of the history of the main traditions that shape the debate on pacifism and non-violence, highlighting the central references of principled pacifism (Mahatma Ghandi and Martin Luther King) and its main techniques and methods of conflict resolution

The role of empathy in food literacy initiatives in schools

Abstract. The multidisciplinary research on empathy, commonly agreed to be the ability to take another person’s perspective, has come a long way in the attempt to describe and understand its wide scope of action. This master’s thesis intends to explore the role of empathy in food literacy initiatives in the observed case studies, specifically in their attempt to foster prosocial food choices. Food literacy is part of a larger paradigm which intends not only to educate people about healthy eating, but providing both critical and functional knowledge regarding food-related decisions. As this thesis’ focus is to understand the role of empathy in promoting prosocial food choices, food literacy inside the school environment was utilised as the channel. In order to understand the role of empathy in food literacy at school phenomenon in practice, this thesis’ methodological approach was a multiple case study, which brought together 3 food literacy initiatives in 3 very diverse school scenarios: the Food Literacy course in Britannia Secondary School in Canada, the Landless Workers Movement Itinerant School in Brazil and the Fairtrade Schools in the United Kingdom. The adopted data analysis method was an inductive content analysis of the cases official releases, other relevant documents and two open-ended interviews. The conclusion is that the role of empathy in food literacy initiatives in schools are three: expanding affiliation, betting on the collective and biosphere consciousness. This thesis did not test the causal relationship of empathy in food literacy and food choices, but utilised a combination of literature on empathy and food consumption as well as case studies to justify its positions in the findings

Soil Fungi in Sustainable Agriculture

Project EXCALIBUR funded from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Program under grant agreement No. 817946EU project SUSTAINABLE, EU grant agreement no. 101007702Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de Minas Gerais (FAPEMIG), grant number APQ-02351-23Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq), grant number 407793/2021-

A Pós-Graduação brasileira: evolução e principais desafios no ambiente de cenários prospectivos.

O presente artigo tem por objetivo analisar a evolução da Pós-Graduação brasileira, desde a sua criação até os dias atuais, com base nos trabalhos desenvolvidos pelos órgãos de fomento CAPES (MEC) e CNPq (MCTI)1, identificando as variáveis mais importantes e suas perspectivas no ambiente de Cenários Prospectivos. Destaca-se, também que, hoje, o país passa pelo período de maior amplitude e importância da pós-graduação, segmento que caminha para possuir alta qualificação nacional e internacional. O estudo apóia-se na revisão bibliográfica e no exame documental, para o resgate da história da pós-graduação brasileira e seus principais desafios, substanciado em uma análise envolvendo variáveis portadoras de futuro desse ambiente, buscando através da metodologia de cenários prospectivos, estabelecer estratégias favoráveis à continuidade dessas boas práticas no futuro

Occult hypoperfusion is associated with increased mortality in hemodynamically stable, high-risk, surgical patients

BACKGROUND: Our aim was to examine whether serial blood lactate levels could be used as predictors of outcome. METHODS: We prospectively studied 44 high-risk, hemodynamically stable, surgical patients. Blood lactate values, mean arterial pressure, heart rate and urine output were obtained at patient admission to the study, at 12, 24 and 48 hours. RESULTS: The nonsurvivors (n = 7) had similar blood lactate levels initially (3.1 ± 2.3 mmol/l versus 2.2 ± 1.0 mmol/l, P = not significant [NS]), but had higher levels after 12 hours (2.9 ± 1.7 mmol/l versus 1.6 ± 0.9 mmol/l, P = 0.012), after 24 hours (2.1 ± 0.6 mmol/l versus 1.5 ± 0.7 mmol/l, P = NS) and after 48 hours (2.7 ± 1.8 mmol/l versus 1.9 ± 1.4 mmol/l, P = NS) as compared with the survivors (n = 37). Arterial bicarbonate concentrations increased significantly in survivors and were higher than in nonsurvivors after 24 hours (22.9 ± 5.2 mEq/l versus 16.7 ± 3.9 mEq/l, P = 0.01) and after 48 hours (23.1 ± 4.1 mEq/l versus 17.6 ± 7.1 mEq/l, P = NS). The PaO(2)/FiO(2 )ratio was higher in survivors initially (334 ± 121 mmHg versus 241 ± 133 mmHg, P = 0.03) and remained elevated for 48 hours. There were no significant differences in mean arterial pressure, heart rate, and arterial blood oxygenation at any time between survivors and nonsurvivors. The intensive care unit stay (40 ± 42 hours versus 142 ± 143 hours, P < 0.001) and the hospital stay (12 ± 11 days versus 24 ± 17 days, P = 0.022) were longer for nonsurvivors than for survivors. The Simplified Acute Physiology Score II score was higher for nonsurvivors than for survivors (34 ± 9 versus 25 ± 14, P = NS). The urine output was slightly lower in the nonsurvivor group (P = NS). The areas under the receiving operating characteristic curves were larger for initial values of Simplified Acute Physiology Score II and blood lactate for predicting death. CONCLUSION: Elevated blood lactate levels are associated with a higher mortality rate and postoperative complications in hemodynamically stable surgical patients

H-theorem and trend to equilibrium of chemically reacting mixture of gases

The trend to equilibrium of a quaternary mixture of monatomic gases undergoing a reversible reaction of bimolecular type is studied in a quite rigorous mathematical picture within the framework of Boltzmann equation extended to chemically reacting mixture of gases. The H-theorem and entropy inequality allow to prove two main results under the assumption of uniformly boundedness and equicontinuity of the distribution functions. One of the results establishes the tendency of a reacting mixture to evolve to an equilibrium state as time becomes large. The other states that the solution of the Boltzmann equation for chemically reacting mixture of gases converges in strong L1-sense to its equilibrium solution.Universidade Nova de Lisboa. Centro de Matemática(CMA-UNL)Brazilian Research Council (CNPq)Universidade do Minho. Centro de Matemática(CMat)Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT) - PTDC/MAT/68615/200

A segurança internacional nos estudos de estratégia e na teoria da securitização: uma abordagem comparativa ilustrada pelo caso da crise nuclear iraniana

Este artigo propõe uma análise comparativa entre as conceções de segurança dentro dos estudos estratégicos e da teoria da securitização, ilustrada pelo caso da crise nuclear iraniana. Ao confrontar essas diferentes abordagens à segurança, o artigo tem quatro objetivos: em primeiro lugar, examinar de que modo cada abordagem enxerga os problemas de segurança; em segundo lugar, analisar como elas funcionam como ferramenta de análise; em terceiro lugar, identificar as suas afinidades e diferenças; e finalmente, verificar até que ponto é possível algum diálogo entre elas.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio