Colombia: Sistema general de seguridad social en salud. Estrategia del BID 2011-2014

Esta nota se centra en aportar la información requerida para proponer una ruta que le permita al país enfrentar los principales retos actuales del Sistema general de seguridad social en Colombia reimpulsados por la Sentencia Corte Constitucional T-760 de 2008 (ST-760), la universalización de coberturas y la unificación del paquete básico de salud. Con ese propósito en mente, la nota se ha estructurado de la siguiente manera: una primera sección que describe el modelo de aseguramiento en salud en Colombia; esto es; el Sistema General de Seguridad Social en Salud (SGSSS). La segunda sección describe los logros alcanzados desde que empezó a operar el Sistema, en afiliación, acceso, protección financiera y estado de salud. La tercera sección plantea los retos derivados de la ST-760 y finalmente, delinea las áreas en las cuales el BID podría apoyar al país para responder a esos retos.Política social y protección, Administración pública y definición de políticas, universalización de la salud, protección de la salud, sistema de salud

Impact of discrete corrections in a modular approach for trajectory generation in quadruped robots

Online generation of trajectories in robots is a very complex task that involves the combination of different types of movements, i.e., distinct motor primitives. The later are used to model complex behaviors in robots, such as locomotion in irregular terrain and obstacle avoidance. In this paper, we consider two motor primitives: rhythmic and discrete. We study the effect on the robots’ gaits of superimposing the two motor primitives, considering two distinct types of coupling. Additionally, we simulate two scenarios, where the discrete primitive is inserted in all of the four limbs, or is inserted in ipsilateral pairs of limbs. Numerical results show that amplitude and frequency of the periodic solutions, corresponding to the gaits trot and pace, are almost constant for diffusive and synaptic couplings.CP was supported by Research funded by the European Regional Development Fund through the programme COMPETE and by the Portuguese Government through the FCT Fundacao para a Ciencia e a Tecnologia under the project PEst-C/MAT/UI0144/2011. This work was also funded by FEDER Funding supported by the Operational Program Competitive Factors COMPETE and National Funding supported by the FCT - Portuguese Science Foundation through project PTDC/EEACRO/100655/2008

A new CPG model for the generation of modular trajectories for hexapod robots

Legged robots are often used in a large variety of tasks, in different environments. Nevertheless, due to the large number of degrees-of-freedom to be controlled, online generation of trajectories in these robots is very complex. In this paper, we consider a modular approach to online generation of trajectories, based on biological concepts, namely Central Pattern Generators (CPGs). We introduce a new CPG model for hexapod robots’ rhythms, based in the work of Golubitsky et al (1998). Each neuron/oscillator in the CPG consists of two modules/primitives: rhythmic and discrete. We study the effect on the robots’ gaits of superimposing the two motor primitives, considering two distinct types of coupling.We conclude, from the simulation results, that the amplitude and frequency of periodic solutions, identified with hexapods’ tripod and metachronal gaits, remain constant for the two couplings, after insertion of the discrete part.CP was supported by Research funded by the European Regional Development Fund through the programme COMPETE and by the Portuguese Government through the FCT Fundacao para a Ciencia e a Tecnologia under the project PEst-C/MAT/UI0144/2011. This work was also funded by FEDER Funding supported by the Operational Program Competitive Factors COMPETE and National Funding supported by the FCT - Portuguese Science Foundation through project PTDC/EEACRO/100655/2008

Risk Protection, Service Use, and Health Outcomes Under Colombia’s Health Insurance Program for the Poor

Unexpected medical care spending imposes considerable financial risk on developing country households. Based on managed care models of health insurance in wealthy countries, Colombia’s Régimen Subsidiado is a publicly financed insurance program targeted to the poor, aiming both to provide risk protection and to promote allocative efficiency in the use of medical care. Using a “fuzzy” regression discontinuity design, we find that the program has shielded the poor from some financial risk while increasing the use of traditionally under-utilized preventive services – with measurable health gains.

A modular approach for trajectory generation in biped robots

Robot locomotion has been a major research issue in the last decades. In particular, humanoid robotics has had a major breakthrough. The motivation for this study is that bipedal locomotion is superior to wheeled approaches on real terrain and situations where robots accompany or replace humans. Some examples are, on the development of human assisting device, such as prosthetics, orthotics, and devices for rehabilitation, rescue of wounded troops, help at the office, help as maidens, accompany and assist elderly people, amongst others. Generating trajectories online for these robots is a hard process, that includes different types of movements, i.e., distinct motor primitives. In this paper, we consider two motor primitives: rhythmic and discrete.We study the effect on a bipeds robots’ gaits of inserting the discrete part as an offset of the rhythmic primitive, in synaptic and diffusive couplings. Numerical results show that amplitude and frequency of the periodic solution, corresponding to the gait run are almost constant in all cases studied here.(undefined

The genus Inula and their metabolites : From ethnopharmacological to medicinal uses

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: The genus Inula comprises more than one hundred species widespread in temperate regions of Europe and Asia. Uses of this genus as herbal medicines have been first recorded by the Greek and Roman ancient physicians. In the Chinese Pharmacopoeia, from the 20 Inula spp. distributed in China, three are used as Traditional Chinese medicines, named Tumuxiang, Xuanfuhua and Jinfeicao. These medicines are used as expectorants, antitussives, diaphoretics, antiemetics, and bactericides. Moreover, Inula helenium L. which is mentioned in Minoan, Mycenaean, Egyptian/Assyrian pharmacotherapy and Chilandar Medical Codex, is good to treat neoplasm, wound, freckles and dandruff. Many other Inula spp. are used in Ayurvedic and Tibetan traditional medicinal systems for the treatment of diseases such as bronchitis, diabetes, fever, hypertension and several types of inflammation. This review is a critical evaluation of the published data on the more relevant ethnopharmacological and medicinal uses of Inula spp. and on their metabolites biological activities. This study allows the identification of the ethnopharmacological knowledge of this genus and will provide insight into the emerging pharmacological applications of Inula spp. facilitating the prioritirization of future investigations. The corroboration of the ethnopharmacological applications described in the literature with proved biological activities of Inula spp. secondary metabolites will also be explored.University of Aveiro, Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT, Portugal), the European Union, QREN, FEDER, COMPETE, for funding the Organic Chemistry Research Unit (QOPNA) (project PEst-/QUI/UI0062/2013; FCOMP-01-0124-FEDER-037296). The work was also supported by a grant of UEFISCDI, Romania, PN-II-PT-PCCA-2 no. 134/2012.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

An overview of Salicornia genus : the phytochemical and pharmacological profile

Copyright © 2014 Daya Publishing House.Salicornia L. (Chenopodiaceae) is a genus of annual, apparently leafless halophytic herb that have articulated and succulent stems. The Salicornia species comprise the most salttolerant land plant and frequently occur in saline areas. The use of glasswort as food is referred by the forensic palynology as a reality at least from 550 years ago. Nowadays it is much appreciated as a gourmet product in Europe but particularly in Asian countries, where is used in fresh salads and pickles. Some of the Salicornia species display applications on folk medicine (for treatment of bronchitis, hepatitis and diarrhea) and showed important biological properties such as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, hypoglycemic and cytotoxic activities. The phythochemical studies on this genus reported the presence of fatty acids, sterols, saponins, chlorogenic acid derivatives, alkaloids, flavonoids and other kind of phenolic compounds.The purpose of this review is to highlight the advances in Salicornia genus knowledge by presenting its biological and medicinal applications, phytochemical studies and the relationship between the isolated compounds with the described biological and/or medicinal properties.Thanks are due to the Universities of Aveiro and Azores and also to Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT) and FEDER for funding the Organic Chemistry Research Unit (project PEst-C/QUI/UI0062/2011). The authors also wish to acknowledge generous contribution of José M G Pereira for the original photographs of Salicornia in Aveiro region (Ecomuseu da Troncalhada, 40° 38' 32.32" N, 8° 39' 47.52" W)

Antioxidant activity evaluation from Artemisia gorgonum extracts

XXIII Encontro Nacional da Sociedade Portuguesa de Química. Aveiro, 12-14 de Junho 2013.Artemisia gorgonum (Asteraceae) known as “losna or lorna” is used in Cape Verde in traditional medicine to treat inflammation, fever and gastroenteritis. The antioxidant activity of methanol, 70% ethanol, chloroform-methanol and chloroform extracts from A. gorgonum leaves was evaluated using the DPPH assay and the results presented.Thanks are due to the University of Aveiro, Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT), European Union, QREN, FEDER and COMPETE for funding the QOPNA research unit (project PEst-C/QUI/UI0062/2011), the CICECO (PEst-C/CTM/LA0011/2011-FCT) and CESAM

GC- and UHPLC-MS Profiles as a Tool to Valorizate the Red Alga Asparagopsis armata

Conference Report XVI International Symposium on Marine Natural Products | XI European Conference on Marine Natural Products, 1-5 September 2019, Peniche, Portugal.Asparagopsis armata is considered a biological invader and this red alga is in the last few years one of the worst nightmares for Azores coast biodiversity. So efforts to find an economically valuable application are welcome. In this context biological evaluations of its extracts, such as anti-aging, antioxidant and anticholinesterasic activities, were recently presented [1,2]. Naturally, the knowledge of this species chemical composition is utmost importance not only to find some valuable utilization but also to discovery its mechanisms of defence that can explain its invasive behaviour. In our effort to contribute to this problem solution we establish the GC-MS and UHPLC-MS profiles of both the non-polar and polar extracts. The main compounds in the lipophilic extract were palmitic acid and 1-monopalmitin and brominated compounds dominate both extracts. The detailed results will be presented and discussed in the presentation.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio