Beyond Patrimonial Plunder: The Use and Abuse of Coconut Levies in the Philippines

This article re-examines a case of corruption that was perpetuated during a period of authoritarian rule in the Philippines: the subversion of ‘coconut levies’, a tax on coconut production imposed by strongman President Ferdinand Marcos from 1971 to 1982. Literature on the case has formed the basis for locating the political origins of the country’s struggles with long-run economic transformation in terms of the extent of ‘rent- seeking’ and articulations of ‘neo-patrimonialism’ in this middle-income developing economy. The article interrogates how extant analyses of the case have explained associated malign developmental outcomes with reference to institutional design and governance conditions. It forwards a re-interpretation that focuses on the distributional contest underpinning levy mobilisation, including the types of state-engineered privileges contested, and how access to these were politically determined and regulated during and after the Marcos period. This approach, in which developmental possibilities of rent-creating state interventions are not universally denied but considered with reference to configurations of power and structures of political bargaining, will be shown to address limitations of preponderant analyses and bear relevance to developing countries where, because of structural reasons, neo-patrimonialism may be endemic but rent-creating state interventions cannot be discounted as instruments for promoting economic development

A neoproterozoic age for the chromitite and gabbro of the Tapo Ultramafic Massif, Eastern Cordillera, Central Peru, and its tectonic implications

The ultramafic-mafic rocks of the Tapo Complex are exposed in the Eastern Cordillera of the Central Peruvian Andes. This complex is composed of serpentinised peridotites and metabasites with some podiform chromitite lenses and chromite disseminations and overlies the sandstones, conglomerates, and tuffs of the Carboniferous Ambo Group. The metagabbros and amphibolites showa tholeiitic affiliation and a flat REE spider diagram, with a slight LREE depletion and a positive Eu anomaly suggesting magmatic accumulation of plagioclase, in an ocean ridge or ocean island environment. Sm-Nd isotopic analyses were performed on chromite as well as on whole rock from the gabbro. All samples yielded an Sm-Nd isochrone age of718 ± 47 Ma with an initial 143Nd/l44Nd of0.51213 ± 0.00005. The Nd (718 Ma) values calculated for both chromite and gabbro are in close agreement, around 8.0, implying that they were formed at the same time from the same mantelic magma source. Furthermore a K-Ar age on amphibole of 448 ± 26 Ma was obtained, interpreted as the cooling age of a younger orogenic event. These rocks represent slices of oceanic crust (from a dismembered ophiolitic complex), metamorphosed and later overthrust on upper Palaeozoic continental formations

Wernicke Encephalopathy: the importance of the diagnosis

Acta Med Port. 2006 Nov-Dec;19(6):442-5. Epub 2007 May 14. [Wernicke Encephalopathy: the importance of the diagnosis] [Article in Portuguese] Ramos CG, Pereira C. Serviço de Neurorradiologia, Hospital Geral Santo António, Porto, Portugal. Abstract Wernicke Encephalopathy (WE) is a severe neurological disease caused by vitamin B1 (thiamine) deficiency, which is potentially treatable if early diagnosed. This is the clinical case of a young female patient, with renal insufficiency on haemodialysis, who has been submitted to an abdominal surgery. After the intervention, there were difficulties on beginning with enteric nutrition. Some days later she developed gait imbalance. A Brain Magnetic Resonance (MR) was performed and disclosed abnormalities suggestive of WE. After treatment with thiamine, the patient became asymptomatic. Brain MR is crucial for the confirmation of the diagnosis and early detection of WE, as the imagiologic pattern is typical and the clinical diagnosis is frequently difficult to obtain. PMID: 17583600 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]Free Articl

Interferência Do Volume De Calda, Crescimento Dos Frutos E Precipitação Pluviométrica Sobre Os Depósitos Da Pulverização No Período De Controle Da Mancha Preta Dos Citros

Citrus black spot (CBS) caused by Guignardia citricarpa is one of the most serious Brazilian citrus diseases. This study aims to assess the interference of three application volumes in spray deposition citrus fruit, as well as fruit growth and rainfall effects on spray deposit reduction during the CBS control period. The experiment was carried out in a commercial citrus orchard, with sixteen-year-old trees of the Valencia variety, in Mogi Guaçu, São Paulo State, Brazil. The spray volumes were: 3.5 (1333L ha-1), 4.5 (1714L ha-1) and 8.5 (3238L ha-1) litres per tree, sprayed by an airblast sprayer using fungicides at recommended periods for disease control. The spray deposition quantification and residue was done by spectrophotometry using a copper oxychloride tracer. Samples were collected in three height zones of the tree (top, middle and bottom) and placed between trees on line plantation. Spray depositions were significantly smaller in the first application as a consequence of reduced fruit size. The spray losses on average for each day of rainfall ranged from 4.0 to 5.7%. There was no significant difference between application volumes regarding spray deposition on citrus fruit,which makes possible the reduction of application volumes, however, it is necessary to improve spraying techniques for the top zone of the citrus tree. © 2016, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria. All rights reserved.46582583

Optical fiber sensor of partial discharges in high voltage DC experiments

A setup simulating High Voltage DC (HVDC) transformers barriers was developed to demonstrate the effectiveness of an optical fiber (OF) sensor in detecting partial discharges (PD) under these peculiar conditions. Different PD detection techniques were compared: electrical methods, and acoustic methods. Standard piezoelectric sensors (R15i-AST) and the above mentioned OF sensors were used for acoustic detection. The OF sensor was able to detect PD acoustically with a sensitivity better than the other detection methods. The multichannel instrumentation system was tested in real HVDC conditions with the aim of analyzing the behavior of the insulation (mineral oil/pressboard).This work was supported by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation under the Project DPI2009-14628-C03-01 and the scholarship FPI BES-2010-042083 and the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness under the visiting researcher grant EEBB-I-2013-07675. C.G. Azcárraga-Ramos gratefully acknowledges the Instituto de Investigaciones Eléctricas for a study leave and the Mexican Science Council (CONACYT) for financially supporting his graduate studies. PD tests have been made in the High Voltage and Material Engineering Laboratory of the University of Bologna

Studies on age determination and growth pattern of the wedge sole Dicologoglossa cuneata (Moreau, 1881) in the Spanish waters of the Gulf of Cadiz (southwest Iberian Peninsula)

The wedge sole Dicologoglossa cuneata (Moreau, 1881) is a typical coastal soleid which is considered as one of the main target species in the demersal fishery of Spain's southern Atlantic region. This paper presents a study on the growth pattern of wedge sole in the Gulf of Cadiz. Age was determined by observing and analysing whole otoliths (sagittae), thereby obtaining the mean lengths at age for males and females in the year 1993 (from 15-20.9 cm TL and 1-4 years for males; from 15.9-23.6 cm TL and 1-6 years for females). In addition, the growth parameters for both sexes were obtained according to the Von Bertalanffy equation: L∞ = 24 cm, K = 0.343 and t0 = -1.384 for males; L∞ = 27 cm, K = 0.296 and t0 = -1.520 for females (showing growth differences growth between the sexes). These were compared with results reported by other authors for other areas of the species's distribution range. Through the interpretation of the otolith and its edge, a sequence of annual rapid- and slow-growth rings was observed; otoliths with an opaque edge (rapid growth) showed the highest percentages in the period from May to October. Mean otolith diameters for each of the estimated ages were calculated, as well as the body length/otolith diameter relationship: a = -12.631 and b = 61.033 (r² = 0.70).La acedía Dicologoglossa cuneata (Moreau, 1881) es un soleido típicamente costero, considerado como una de las especies objetivo de las pesquerías demersales de la región suratlántica ibérica. En este trabajo se estudia el patrón de crecimiento de la acedía del golfo de Cádiz. La determinación de la edad se realizó mediante la lectura de otolitos enteros (sagitta), obteniéndose las tallas medias por clase de edad para machos y hembras del año 1993 (entre 15 y 20,9 cm de longitud total y de 1 a 4 años para machos; de 15,9 a 23,6 cm de longitud total y de 1 a 6 años para hembras). Por otra parte, se estimaron los parámetros de crecimiento para ambos sexos según la ecuación de Von Bertalanffy: L∞ = 24 cm, K = 0,343 y t0 = -1,384 para machos; L∞ = 27 cm, K = 0,296 y t0 = -1,520 para hembras, presentando ambos sexos un crecimiento diferente. Estos resultados se compararon con los obtenidos por otros autores en otras áreas del rango de distribución de la especie. Mediante la interpretación del otolito y su borde, se observa una sucesión anual de anillos de crecimiento lento, formados durante el periodo invernal, y otros de crecimiento rápido, que muestran los porcentajes más altos en el periodo de mayo a octubre. Se calcularon los diámetros de los anillos para cada una de las edades estimadas, así como la relación longitud total del pez - diámetro del otolito, obteniéndose una ecuación lineal en la que a = -12,631 y b = 61,033 (r² = 0,70).Instituto Español de Oceanografí

Time-space reproductive differences of black hakes, M. polli and M. senegalensis off the NW African Coast

PosterThe named black hake in the Northwest Africa, M. polli and M. senegalensis, are distributed in Saharan, Mauritanian and Senegalese waters, where they are target species of Spanish trawling fleet and by some longliners. The separation of both species is quite difficult in practice, hence they are usually considered as black hake (mixed) in commercial catch statistics. This fact and the considerable deep distribution range of M. polli, results in a marked scarcity of comparative detailed studies about these species. The aim of this work was to analyze detailed biological data, collected during research trawl surveys and scientific observations onboard of commercial trawlers and longilenrs in Mauritanian and Senegalese waters during 2003-2006. By macroscopic analysis of the gonadic stages and the seasonal evolution of gonadosomatic indices (GSI), it has been determined the spawning season of both species. In order to determine the size at first sexual maturity, a logistic model was fitted to the mature fraction by length separated by species, considering different time periods. In other hand, the monthly time series of commercial gonad yields between 1986 and 2006 were split up in the trend and the seasonal components using a X-12 ARIMA routine. The spawning took place during the cold season, from November to February with the strongest signal during December-January for both species, but it occurs quite early in M. senegalensis. Males consistently maturing earlier than females, but there was a little length difference of sexual maturity for the two species. M. senegalensis reached the first maturity (35,4 cm) at slightly lower length than M. polli (37,0 cm) for combined sexes model. The sex ratio was skewed to females in both species. Because these species inhabits into a highly dynamic oceanographic area, and taking in account that recently it has been suggested a strong dependence between the climate-environment proxy NAO and the black hakes adult abundance dynamics, we explored possible deterministic relationships between reproduction features and sexual maturity of both species in phase with NAO index. It was not possible to determine if the difference in length-maturity values with some previous analyses were related with changes in abundance, the environmental forcing, or due to calculus procedures. However there was synchrony between the pronounced negative NAO phase and decreasing amplitude of seasonal peak of gonad yields for both species. Finally, despite of there was a slightly asynchrony in spawning timing among both species, we believe that in general terms it is justified to consider one set of maturity parameter values to perform the assessment procedures.Instituto Español de Oceanografía (IEO

VOÇOROCAMENTO EM MEIO URBANO E PLANEJAMENTO AMBIENTAL UM ESTUDO DE CASO EM TEÓFILO OTONI-MG

A degradação dos solos é preocupante nos solos brasileiros, e são diversos os fatores e parâmetros definidores do processo erosivo. A voçoroca é um risco geológico causado pela degradação dos solos através do processo erosivo de estágio mais avançado, sendo assim, requer um estudo técnico para abordagens específicas. Neste trabalho optamos por realçar os fatores do aparecimento de uma voçoroca entre os Bairros Solidariedade e Barreiros na cidade de Teófilo Otoni – Minas Gerais

Clinical outcomes of patients with acute myeloid leukemia: evaluation of genetic and molecular findings in a real-life setting

sem informação1261518631865sem informaçãosem informaçã

Deconstructing Decoherence

The study of environmentally induced superselection and of the process of decoherence was originally motivated by the search for the emergence of classical behavior out of the quantum substrate, in the macroscopic limit. This limit, and other simplifying assumptions, have allowed the derivation of several simple results characterizing the onset of environmentally induced superselection; but these results are increasingly often regarded as a complete phenomenological characterization of decoherence in any regime. This is not necessarily the case: The examples presented in this paper counteract this impression by violating several of the simple ``rules of thumb''. This is relevant because decoherence is now beginning to be tested experimentally, and one may anticipate that, in at least some of the proposed applications (e.g., quantum computers), only the basic principle of ``monitoring by the environment'' will survive. The phenomenology of decoherence may turn out to be significantly different.Comment: 13 two-column pages, 3 embedded figure