Genotypic Resistance Tests Sequences Reveal the Role of Marginalized Populations in HIV-1 Transmission in Switzerland.

Targeting hard-to-reach/marginalized populations is essential for preventing HIV-transmission. A unique opportunity to identify such populations in Switzerland is provided by a database of all genotypic-resistance-tests from Switzerland, including both sequences from the Swiss HIV Cohort Study (SHCS) and non-cohort sequences. A phylogenetic tree was built using 11,127 SHCS and 2,875 Swiss non-SHCS sequences. Demographics were imputed for non-SHCS patients using a phylogenetic proximity approach. Factors associated with non-cohort outbreaks were determined using logistic regression. Non-B subtype (univariable odds-ratio (OR): 1.9; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.8-2.1), female gender (OR: 1.6; 95% CI: 1.4-1.7), black ethnicity (OR: 1.9; 95% CI: 1.7-2.1) and heterosexual transmission group (OR:1.8; 95% CI: 1.6-2.0), were all associated with underrepresentation in the SHCS. We found 344 purely non-SHCS transmission clusters, however, these outbreaks were small (median 2, maximum 7 patients) with a strong overlap with the SHCS'. 65% of non-SHCS sequences were part of clusters composed of >= 50% SHCS sequences. Our data suggests that marginalized-populations are underrepresented in the SHCS. However, the limited size of outbreaks among non-SHCS patients in-care implies that no major HIV outbreak in Switzerland was missed by the SHCS surveillance. This study demonstrates the potential of sequence data to assess and extend the scope of infectious-disease surveillance.

Certificação da indústria do etanol brasileiro no contexto dos stakeholders

O presente artigo tem como objetivo analisar as discussões entre dois stakeholders, a ÚNICA e o INMETRO sobre o processo de certificação do etanol no Brasil, pontuando seus benefícios e implicações nas áreas sociais, ambientais e econômicas. Para atender a esse objetivo foi realizada pesquisa bibliográfica, documental e entrevista com a ÚNICA e o INMETRO para verificar o processo de certificação do etanol. Os resultados apontam que as empresas brasileiras produtoras de etanol já adotam certificações que abrangem critérios ambientais e sociais de acordo com as exigências dos clientes. Mas o setor produtivo, juntamente com o Estado e outras organizações, vem buscando ações para criar padrões mundiais para o etanol, o que pode facilitar o processo de transformação do produto em uma commodity.

Policy-Oriented Learning Among National Forest Stakeholders in the Pacific Northwest: Changes in Policy Beliefs Since Adoption of the Northwest Forest Plan

Thesis (Master's)--University of Washington, 2016-06

Contribution of MNCs to subsidiary stakeholders

The international business literature has evolved from addressing the question of how MNCs are more efficient organizations for exploiting innovations globally – to the issue of how MNCs are more effective in creating new products, processes and technologies worldwide. However, the question of how MNCs contribute to, and share benefits with, the host country stakeholders has received little attention in the literature. Our research shows that the contribution of MNCs to the subsidiary company and country stakeholders in the form of R&D, exports and royalty earnings is significantly less than expected. Insufficient compensation to local subsidiary stakeholders may undermine the motivation of subsidiary managers to discover new sources of advantage for the MNC. It may also discourage subsidiary country governments from offering incentives to MNCs for inward FDI.