Impact of the economic crisis on human resources for health policies in Southern EU countries

Background The economic and financial crisis which started in the European Union in 2008 affected some countries more than others. Cyprus, Greece, and Portugal had to receive emergency financial aid from the so-called Troika (International Monetary Fund, Central European Bank, European Commission) and consequently were imposed severe austerity measures. All sectors were affected, including health. This paper focuses on the effects of the crisis on the health workforce, which represents the largest share of expenditures in the sector, and on policy responses from these three governments to measures ‘imposed' by the Troika. Methods A systematic search of peer-reviewed and grey literature, and key sources such as government websites was performed. Interviews with key informants were also conducted. Country data and information served to assess policy responses and their effects on the availability, accessibility, acceptability and quality of human resources for health. Results Countries responded to the crisis and to the conditions set by lenders by reducing or freezing salaries and benefits, by cutting on recruitment and even dismissing personnel, by increasing workloads, and by introducing other cost containment measures. The three countries do not seem to have used the crisis as an opportunity to make efficiency gains and thereby improve the performance of their health workforce. Conclusions This paper is included in the Workshop because it discusses policy responses to a major economic shock by governments facing external constraints, which at the same time limited their capacity for action and provided opportunities for reforminfo:eu-repo/semantics/acceptedVersio

Molecular characterization of larval anisakid nematodes from marine fishes of Madeira by a PCR-based approach, with evidence for a new species

One-hundred and fifteen anisakid larvae from 3 different fish hosts, Aphanopus carbo, Scomber japonicus, and Trachurus picturatus, caught in Madeiran waters, were identified by PCR-RFLP. Three distinct species were identified in A. carbo, namely Anisakis simplex sensu stricto, Anisakis pegreffii, and Anisakis ziphidarum; 5 in S. japonicus, i.e., A. simplex s.s., A. pegreffii, Anisakis physeteris, Anisakis typica, and A. ziphidarum; and 3 in T. picturatus, i.e., A. simplex s.s., A. pegreffii, and A. typica. Anisakis simplex s.s. was the most frequent species in both A. carbo and S. japonicus (54% and 23.5%, respectively). Anisakis pegreffii and A. physeteris occurred with a frequency of 20.6% in S. japonicus, whereas in T. picturatus the most frequent species was A. typica (41.9%), followed by A. simplex s.s. (32.3%). Furthermore, A. carbo and S. japonicus were infected by an apparently undescribed taxon, provisionally named Anisakis sp. A. Based on estimations of the genetic distance, this new taxon seems to be more similar to A. ziphidarum (0.0335) than to other species of the genus

Processing of conductive filled polymers using microinjection

Polystyrene granules were coated by sputtering with an innovative film of stainless steel obtaining this way a composite. To compare results it was necessary to prepare two different composites, mixing polymer granules with steel fibers mechanically in a drum. Microinjection molding is a processing technique that allowed obtaining a representative sample of each composite. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) allowed the characterization of the coating thickness while the dispersion and distribution of metal particles were analyzed by optical microscopy in polarized light. Results showed a uniform thickness of the coating and good dispersion of the reinforcements in the matrix. Electrical and mechanical properties of the composites were characterized by measuring the electrical resistivity and flexural tests. Considerable values of conductivity were exhibited in composites with carbon nanotubes and a slight increase in the modulus of the polymers due to reinforcement incorporation was noticed

Social Solidarity and the Ontological Foundations of Exclusionary Nationalism: Durkheim and Levinas on the Historical Manifestations of Authoritarian Populism

This paper seeks to explore the dynamics of contemporary authoritarian populism from a historical perspective, relying on the approaches of Durkheim’s experimental sociology and Levinas’s ethical phenomenology. By reading the works of these two thinkers in concert, a pathology is exposed within this particular form of politics in that the State must necessarily close itself off to the critique of exteriority. Our reading of Durkheim explores the social pathology of nationalism while our reading of Levinas demonstrates the philosophical dimension of this pathology as the inevitable outcome of any philosophical thinking which privileges ontology above all else. The way these thinkers address these themes can serve as a guide as we attempt to overcome the same pathology today in various forms of authoritarian populism that adopt the same mentalities and methods utilized by past forms of this corrupted idealism

CONFLITO Agrário e Esvaziamento Populacional: a Disputa do Contestado Pelo Espírito Santo e Minas Gerais (1930-1970)

Nas primeiras décadas do séc. XX as frentes de colonização mineira e capixaba se facearam nos arredores da Serra dos Aimorés, ávidas por darem inicio à ocupação das fartas extensões de terras da região. Ao se expandir a fronteira agrícola de Minas Gerais abriu passagem por densas e inóspitas matas, indo além da incontínua orografia que delimitava sua borda oeste. Rumou em direção ao mar e defrontou-se com a vaga humana que caminhava em sentido oposto. Com suas fronteiras ainda imprecisas naquela região, os governos dos estados do Espírito Santo e de Minas Gerais, sob argumentos antagônicos, arvoravam jurisdição sobre o imenso território, litigando exaustivamente nos tribunais enquanto grandes levas de migrantes em busca de terras devolutas e alheios às disputas políticas e judiciais impulsionavam uma abrupta ocupação da zona contestada. A enorme distância dos centros urbanos, as dificuldades de acesso e a precária e incipiente estrutura político-social que caracterizaram a dura vida dos primeiros habitantes daquele território não inibiu um rápido e singular crescimento populacional entre os anos de 1930 a 1960, período em que as taxas de crescimento demográfico da Serra dos Aimorés superaram significativamente as registradas nas demais regiões do país. A existência de jurisdições conflitantes levou à zona contestada a sobreposição de autoridades, enfraquecendo a presença do próprio poder público na região e marcando de forma ainda mais particular o duro cotidiano de seus habitantes. Onde havia várias autoridades nenhuma se impunha, prevalecendo a lei do mais forte, o que vitimou especialmente os migrantes que para lá haviam rumado em busca de terras para subsistência de suas famílias. Neste contexto, fraudes, ameaças, abusos e agressões foram cometidos tanto por jagunços a mando de poderosos latifundiários quanto por agentes do estado atuando contra os pequenos lavradores que se apossearam de terras na zona contestada. O clima de insegurança repercutiu significativamente no processo de ocupação da região, influenciando nas décadas seguintes o surgimento de um êxodo rural igualmente sem paralelo em nossa historiografia regional. Palavras-chave: Espírito Santo, Minas Gerais, Zona Contestada, violência crescimento populacional, êxodo rural

Assessment of the Italian version of the Internet Disorder Scale (IDS-15)

Much research has focused on the validation of psychometric tools assessing Internet addiction. One of the newest measures is the Internet Disorder Scale (IDS-15) based on the modified IGD criteria outlined in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5). This study aimed at investigating the psychometric properties of the Italian version of the IDS-15 by examining the construct and the concurrent and the criterion-related validity and by identifying the taxonomy and the patterns of Internet users. A sample of 471 participants (Mage = 24.72 years, SD = 8.66; 256 males) was recruited from secondary schools, universities, and gaming halls. Confirmatory factor analyses supported the four-dimensional second-order structure and the three levels of the measurement invariance across gender. The reliability and the validity of the scale were confirmed, and the LPAs provided four classes of Internet users on the basis of the scores obtained in all four dimensions of the scale. The psychometric robustness of the Italian version of the IDS-15 was clearly demonstrated. Cross-cultural research should expand and generalize the present findings

A case of pediatric paraparesis secondary to an idiopathic acute transverse myelitis

Introduction: Acute transverse myelitis (ATM) refers to a frequently idiopathic, segmental spinal cord inflammation. It is a rare condition, in particular in children, and not previously reported in a family retinitis pigmentosa (RP) clinical setting. Case Report: An 11-year-old previously healthy girl, with a family history of RP, presented with a subacute flaccid paraparesis, with bilateral, up to the fourth dorsal level, mixed sensory hypoesthesia and autonomic dysfunction. Brain and spinal cord magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed an extensive, T2-hyperintense, non-contrast enhancing lesion from the second to fifth dorsal levels. Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and lab studies were normal, as the ophthalmologic observation. Treated with high-dose corticosteroids and intensive physical therapy,a significant recovery could be seen. Conclusion:Early pharmacological and physical treatment is fundamental and may indeed change the prognosis of this disease ATM. The family history of RP, although probably incidental, brings nevertheless the issue of a possible etiological contribution, or pathologic common pathways

Electronic Properties and Charge Transfer of Topologically Protected States in Hybrid Bismuthene Layers

We have performed first-principles calculations of electronic and dielectric properties of single-layer bismuth (bismuthene) adsorbed with −COOH groups. We show that in a high coverage regime, the Bi–COOH hybrid structure is a two-dimensional topological insulator with protected edge Dirac states. The adsorption process of −COOH induces a planar configuration to the initially pristine buckled bismuthene. We claim that the stability of these planar structures mainly stems from strain induced by the adsorption of the −COOH organic group, but it is also related to ligand–ligand interactions. Furthermore, we demonstrate that many-body corrections are crucial to obtain a proper description of the electronic and dielectric properties of the investigated hybrid systems. Analysis of the charge density shows that the role of this organic group is not only to stabilize the layer but also to functionalize it, which is very important for future applications such as sensing and biomolecules immobilization, as well as in electronic spintronic and even optical devices