Strengthening institutions or institutionalising weaknesses? : interactions between aid and institutions in Huíla Province, Angola

This research analyses the interaction between aid interventions and local institutions through which people address needs during crisis. These include state and non- state institutions involved in social assistance and in the delivery of basic services such as healthcare. The study focuses on the case of Angola’s conflict, which lasted from independence in 1975 until 2002. It discusses aid policy and practice during the war and in the post-war context by examining various types of aid interventions and how they unfold on the ground. It shows that during the emergency, humanitarian practice largely ignored or bypassed local institutions. However, strengthening institutional capacity has become an explicit objective of post-conflict aid interventions. This thesis analyses the main types of institution-building interventions that have dominated Angola’s reconstruction period. It shows that these are strongly shaped by the legacy of relief practices on the legitimacy of local institutions, and on the functioning of the aid system. As a result, aid interventions rather than strengthening local institutions, often institutionalise their weaknesses

Influence of seismic activity on the atmospheric electric field in Lisbon (Portugal) from 1955 to 1991

In the present study, we considered the influence of seismic activity on the atmospheric electric field recorded at Portela meteorological station (Lisbon, Portugal) for the period from 1955 to 1991. To this end, an exploratory method was developed, which involved the selection of events for which the distance from the atmospheric electrical field sensor to the earthquake epicenter is smaller than the preparation radius of the event. This enabled the correlation of the atmospheric electric field variations with a quantity S, defined basically as the ratio of the earthquake preparation radius to the distance between the sensor and the event epicenter. The first results show promising perspectives, but clearly a more profound study is required, in which a careful analysis of the weather conditions and other variables, like atmospheric radon levels, must be considered

Persistence in the Banking Industry: Fractional integration and breaks in memory

Certain “spurious long memory” processes mimic the behavior of fractional integration in that the variance of their sample mean behaves like that of a fractionally integrated process of some order D. We show, however, experimentally that a fractional integration test may discriminate between spurious long memory of order D and integration of order D. Further, we suggest a test for the null hypothesis that the order of integration does not change from one subperiod to another. It simply builds on the difference of the estimates from the respective subsamples that are split exogenously. Upon appropriate normalization a limiting standard normal distribution arises. With these methods we tackle the question whether international and sectoral bank equity index returns are fractionally integrated and whether the memory parameters have changed. The daily data are split into three regimes: one pre-crises subsample, a second including the collapse of the Lehman Brothers bank, and a third covering the Euro area sovereign debt crisis. In particular, we provide evidence that both turmoils had differing international effects.Financial support from ECO2011-29751 and ECO2012-33619 projects

Ovine HSP90AA1 Expression Rate Is Affected by Several SNPs at the Promoter under Both Basal and Heat Stress Conditions

The aim of this work was to investigate the association between polymorphisms located at the HSP90AA1 ovine gene promoter and gene expression rate under different environmental conditions, using a mixed model approach. Blood samples from 120 unrelated rams of the Manchega sheep breed were collected at three time points differing in environmental conditions. Rams were selected on the basis of their genotype for the transversion G/C located 660 base pairs upstream the gene transcription initiation site. Animals were also genotyped for another set of 6 SNPs located at the gene promoter. Two SNPs, G/C-660 and A/G-444, were associated with gene overexpression resulting from heat stress. The composed genotype CC-660-AG-444 was the genotype having the highest expression rates with fold changes ranging from 2.2 to 3.0. The genotype AG-522 showed the highest expression levels under control conditions with a fold change of 1.4. Under these conditions, the composed genotype CC-601-TT-524-AG-522-TT-468 is expected to be correlated with higher basal expression of the gene according to genotype frequencies and linkage disequilibrium values. Some putative transcription factors were predicted for binding sites where the SNPs considered are located. Since the expression rate of the gene under alternative environmental conditions seems to depend on the composed genotype of several SNPs located at its promoter, a cooperative regulation of the transcription of the HSP90AA1 gene could be hypothesized. Nevertheless epigenetic regulation mechanisms cannot be discarded. © 2013 Salces-Ortiz et al

Corrigendum: Intrathecal drug delivery: Advances and applications in the management of chronic pain patient.

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Prevalence and progression of chronic kidney disease after a liver transplant: a prospective, real-life, observational, two-year multicenter study

Introduction: chronic kidney disease is a frequent complication after liver transplantation. The use of calcineurin inhibitors is one of the causes of this complication. Current immunsuppression regimens that reduce the use of calcineurin inhibitors may be associated with an improved preservation of renal function. Objective: the study aimed to assess the evolution of renal function after liver transplantation in the current routine clinical practice. Methods: an observational, prospective, multicenter study in adult liver transplant recipients was performed. Two hundred and thirty patients with a good renal function before transplantation were assessed six months post-transplantation (baseline) and every six months until month 30. Results: at baseline, 32% of the patients had a reduction in the glomerular filtration rate below < 60 ml/min/1.73 m2. The mean glomerular filtration rate increased from 72.3 to 75.6 ml/min/1.73 m2 at baseline and month 30 respectively (p < 0.01). The mean serum creatinine levels (mg/dl) decreased from 1.13 to 1.09 (p < 0.01). The percentage of patients with stage 3 chronic kidney disease decreased from 31.7% to 26.4%, whereas the percentage of patients with stage 4 remained unchanged (0.4% at baseline and 0.5% at month 30). No patients progressed to end-stage kidney disease that required dialysis or renal transplantation. Conclusion: in the routine clinical practice, a moderate deterioration of renal function is frequent after liver transplantation. However, advanced chronic kidney disease is infrequent in patients with a good pre-transplant renal function

Intervención enfermera para controlar la transmisibilidad cruzada de microorganismos multirresistentes en un servicio de hospitalización urológico.

Según el “Estudio de prevalencias de infecciones nosocomiales en España” de 2015, las localizaciones urológicas son la cuarta causa de infección hospitalaria, con una prevalencia del 19,72%.Con el fin de disminuir la incidencia de transmisionescruzadas,derivadas delcontacto con profesionalessanitariosy no sanitarios, pacientes, familiares y acompañantes, se propone una intervención enfermera basada en un programa de educación para la salud y dos seminarios de formación continuada. Se han elaborado seis herramientas, dirigidas a erradicar malas prácticas y actuaciones incorrectas, evaluadas a través de indicadores de proceso y de resultados. Tanto el programa educativo como la formación continuada se pueden implantar en otros servicios de hospitalización,con el correspondiente estudio de prevalencia de microorganimos multirresistentes, abriendo nuevas líneas de investigación. According to the “Study of Prevalence of Nosocomial Infections in Spain” 2015, urologic locations are the fourth leading cause of hospital infections, with a prevalence of 19.72%. In order to decrease the incidence of transmissions crusades, arising from the contact with health care and non-health care professionals, patients, family members and their companions, proposes a nurse intervention based on a program of education for health and two seminars of continuous training. Six tools have been developed, aimed at eradicating bad practices and improper practices, evaluated through indicators of process and results. Both the educational program such as continuous training, can be deployed to other hospitalization services with the corresponding study of prevalence of multiresistant microorganimos, opening new lines of research

A Case Study of available methodology for the identification of Vulnerable Ecosystems/Habitats in bottom deep-sea fisheries: Possibilities to apply this method in the NAFO Regulatory Area in order to select Marine Protected Areas

Information is critical to Ecosystem Approach and to research about Vulnerable Marine Ecosystems/Habitats (VME/Hs), fishing impacts on habitats and ad-hoc management measures are high-priority. Therefore, this paper presents the ECOVUL/ARPA Interdisciplinary Approach, a case study of methodology for the identification of VME/Hs in order to advise on conservation measures such as marine protected areas (MPAs). By means of an interactive process involving Conventional Fisheries Science, Geomorphology, Sedimentology and Benthic Ecology, the methodology developed under the ECOVUL/ARPA project, has been useful in order to contribute to define practical criteria to the identification of VME/Hs, to improve the knowledge about VME/Hs distribution and the adverse impacts of bottom trawl fisheries and to produce high quality advice on habitat protection. Applying an interdisciplinary approach, the project identified the deep-water bottom trawl fishery footprint on the Hatton Bank Western slope (NEAFC Regulatory Area), mapped the main fishing grounds and related seabed habitats and studied the interactions between fishing and cold-water corals. This approach was used to suggest, with high level of precision, the spatial limits of an area closed to bottom fishing, as an essential conservation measure to protect the cold-water corals in the framework of the Ecosystem Approach to Fisheries management. We present here the methods used, the main results obtained and discuss on the utility of this approach and the possibilities to apply it in the NAFO Regulatory Area, with the aim to advise on measures for reducing the interactions of bottom fishing with sensitive high-seas habitats and to contribute to implement the UNGA recommendations about habitat conservation

Sentinels of Seabed (SoS) indicator: Assessing benthic habitats condition using typical and sensitive species

Indicators are key tools used to assess the ecological status of the environment for ecosystem based management. Anthropogenic disturbances produce changes to habitat condition, which include modifications in species composition and their functions. Monitoring a group of sentinel species (from a taxonomic and functional point of view) provides useful insights into benthic habitat condition. Here, a new indicator, Sentinels of the Seabed (SoS) is proposed to assess state of benthic habitats using “sentinel” species (species which are characteristic of a habitat and sensitive to a given pressure). The selection of these sentinel species has two stages. First, a ‘typical species set’ is computed using intra-habitat similarity and frequency under reference conditions. Second, the ‘sentinel species set’ is generated by selecting the most sensitive species from the typical species set. This selection is made using specific indexes able to assess species sensitivity to a particular pressure. The SoS indicator method was tested on six case studies and two different pressure types (trawling disturbance and pollution), using data from otter trawl, box-corer and Remote Operate Vehicle images. In each scenario, the SoS indicator was compared to the Shannon-Wiener diversity index, Margalef index and total biomass, being the only metric, which showed the expected significant negative response to pressure in all cases. Our results shows that SoS was highly effective in assessing benthic habitats status under both physical and chemical pressures, regardless of the sampling gear, the habitat, or the case study, showing a great potential to be a useful tool in the management of marine ecosystems.Versión del editor2,69