Iowa Pavement Asset Management Decision-Making Framework & Pavement Treatment Selection Tool for Local Agencies, TR-651, 2015

Most local agencies in Iowa currently make their pavement treatment decisions based on their limited experience due primarily to lack of a systematic decision-making framework and a decision-aid tool. The lack of objective condition assessment data of agency pavements also contributes to this problem. This study developed a systematic pavement treatment selection framework for local agencies to assist them in selecting the most appropriate treatment and to help justify their maintenance and rehabilitation decisions. The framework is based on an extensive literature review of the various pavement treatment techniques in terms of their technical applicability and limitations, meaningful practices of neighboring states, and the results of a survey of local agencies. The treatment selection framework involves three different steps: pavement condition assessment, selection of technically feasible treatments using decision trees, and selection of the most appropriate treatment considering the return-on-investment (ROI) and other non-economic factors. An Excel-based spreadsheet tool that automates the treatment selection framework was also developed, along with a standalone user guide for the tool. The Pavement Treatment Selection Tool (PTST) for Local Agencies allows users to enter the severity and extent levels of existing distresses and then, recommends a set of technically feasible treatments. The tool also evaluates the ROI of each feasible treatment and, if necessary, it can also evaluate the non-economic value of each treatment option to help determine the most appropriate treatment for the pavement. It is expected that the framework and tool will help local agencies improve their pavement asset management practices significantly and make better economic and defensible decisions on pavement treatment selection.

Coneixements, actituds i percepció versus la infecció per Virus del Papil·loma Humà en els professionals d'infermeria : tendències en salut pública

Actualment, s’evidencia una dificultat en el seguiment estricte de les infeccions de transmissió sexual (ITS). A nivell mundial, aquestes causen un problema de Salut Pública (SP) en termes de morbiditat i mortalitat per complicacions i seqüeles que es poden originar si no es diagnostiquen i no es tracten adequadament. Entre les ITS més comunes trobem la provocada pel Virus del Papil·loma Humà (VPH), la principal causant del càncer de cèrvix, entre altres complicacions La família de VPH compta amb més de 150 tipus virals. El coneixement de la situació epidemiològica de la infecció per VPH es veu dificultada per varis aspectes: el caràcter asimptomàtic; l’estigma social; les dificultats diagnòstiques; la falta de homogeneïtat dels sistemes de vigilància amb la infradeclaració de casos. Ens trobem en una inversemblança constant. Les intervencions des de SP, ja sigui a nivell nacional com regional, sónpròpiament enfocades a la prevenció de la malaltia. Paral·lelament, la incidència de les ITS continua amb una tendència ascendent, cosa que provoca una inquietant preocupació. Partint de la problemàtica exposada, el present estudi pretén identificar elsconeixements que tenen els professionals d’infermeria de l’atenció primària en relació a la infecció de transmissió sexual pel virus del papil·loma humà i quina és la seva percepció i actitud sobre l’atenció a l’usuari. Es tractarà d’un estudi multicèntric amb disseny descriptiu transversal. La instrumentació es farà mitjançant una enquesta totalment anònima sobre una mostra aproximada de 115 professionals d’infermeria que durant l’any 2013 que treballen a les àrees bàsiques de salut (ABS) de l’Institut Català de la Salut (ICS) del Gironès. Aquest estudi vol fer visible la necessitat d’incrementar la formació dels professionals d’infermeria en relació a la infecció VPH i el requeriment d’un consell addicional que promogui la salut encaminat a empoderar a la comunitat mitjançant educació per a la salut

IDEAS for Strategic Technology Management: Design of an electronically mediated scenario method

The age-old adage goes that nothing in this world lasts but change, and this generation has indeed seen changes that are unprecedented. Business managers do not have the luxury of going with the flow: they have to plan ahead, to think strategies that will meet the changing conditions, however stormy the weather seems to be. This demand raises the question of whether there is something a manager or planner can do to circumvent the eye of the storm in the future? Intuitively, one can either run on the risk of something happening without preparing, or one can try to prepare oneself. Preparing by planning for each eventuality and contingency would be impractical and prohibitively expensive, so one needs to develop foreknowledge, or foresight past the horizon of the present and the immediate future. The research mission in this study is to support strategic technology management by designing an effective and efficient scenario method to induce foresight to practicing managers. The design science framework guides this study in developing and evaluating the IDEAS method. The IDEAS method is an electronically mediated scenario method that is specifically designed to be an effective and accessible. The design is based on the state-of-the-art in scenario planning, and the product is a technology-based artifact to solve the foresight problem. This study demonstrates the utility, quality and efficacy of the artifact through a multi-method empirical evaluation study, first by experimental testing and secondly through two case studies. The construction of the artifact is rigorously documented as justification knowledge as well as the principles of form and function on the general level, and later through the description and evaluation of instantiations. This design contributes both to practice and foundation of the design. The IDEAS method contributes to the state-of-the-art in scenario planning by offering a light-weight and intuitive scenario method for resource constrained applications. Additionally, the study contributes to the foundations and methods of design by forging a clear design science framework which is followed rigorously. To summarize, the IDEAS method is offered for strategic technology management, with a confident belief that it will enable gaining foresight and aid the users to choose trajectories past the gales of creative destruction and off to a brighter future.

The many faces of strikes : attitudes towards industrial action by labour, management and human resources

Strikes provide a current, fresh but also a seldom-addressed issue to study from economic sciences perspective. This study provides to filling this research gap by trying to identify attitudes towards strikes that can be found inside organizations. The research problem this study then sets out to answer is: “What kinds of attitudes exist inside organizations towards industrial actions and how attitudes vary between labour, management and human resources?” This study has been planned with a view to test how qualitative attitudinal research, as a method, is suited to studying a phenomenon such as strike. At the heart of this research approach lies an assumption linked to rhetoric social psychology, that attitude is a phenomenon that can be identified in argumentation. For this research 10 semi-structured interviews in 4 organizations were conducted utilizing statements and pictures as stimulants for discussion. The material was transcribed and analysed following the two levels, categorical and interpretive, demanded by the chosen method. Altogether five attitudes were discovered; three of them negative, one indifferent and one positive by nature. The negative attitudes of unfairness, failure and personification towards strikes represented the side of strikes that was perhaps the most anticipated, portraying the contradictions between employees and employer. The attitude of ordinariness, which portrayed indifference, and the positive attitude of change however, were more unanticipated findings. They reflect shared understanding and trust between conflict parties. The utilization of qualitative attitudinal approach to study strikes was deemed successful. The results of this study support prior literature on workplace conflicts for example in regards of the definition of conflict and typologies conflicts. In addition the multifaceted nature of strikes can be perceived as one statement supported by this study. It arises in the nature of the attitudes, the diversity of discussion themes during the interviews as well as in the extent of possible theories to apply.

La réglementation des risques associés à la gouvernance des régimes complémentaires de retraite.

Dans un univers financier en turbulence, les régimes de retraite privés gèrent une part importante de l’épargne-retraite des Québécois en conciliant les intérêts divergents de différents acteurs : employeurs, participants actifs, retraités, autres intervenants à la gestion. Considérant la complexité des techniques et des instruments financiers, la gestion des régimes de retraite est devenue, pour les administrateurs de régime, un exercice périlleux. Dans ce contexte, la réglementation des risques associés à la gouvernance des régimes de retraite constitue aujourd’hui un enjeu socio-économique important pour assurer leur pérennité dans notre système de retraite. Le cadre légal et réglementaire applicables aux régimes de retraite découle essentiellement de la Loi sur les régimes complémentaires de retraite et ses règlements ainsi que du Code civil du Québec. En s’appuyant sur des études économiques et financières, cette étude analyse le régime juridique du fonctionnement et de la gouvernance des régimes de retraite par les comités de retraite et propose des améliorations en utilisant une approche fondée sur le risque. À titre préliminaire, pour situer dans le temps la problématique actuelle, cette étude présente l’évolution des régimes de retraite privés de l’origine à nos jours en se concentrant sur les règles affectant leur administration. Ensuite, dans une première partie, le cadre théorique sur lequel s’appuie notre étude est exposé. Les régimes de retraite privés y sont présentés comme un intermédiaire opérant sur les marchés financiers par le biais d’autres intermédiaires : les gestionnaires de portefeuilles, les courtiers en valeurs et les gardiens de valeurs. Il s’applique aux régimes de retraite des principes de gouvernance d’entreprise particuliers fondés sur les risques encourus par l’organisation. Cette partie conduit au développement d’une théorie de l’agence des régimes de retraite privés impliquant notamment des relations fondamentales entre l’employeur, les participants et bénéficiaires et le(s) gestionnaire(s) de portefeuille. Dans la seconde partie, l’environnement légal et réglementaire de la gouvernance applicable des régimes de retraite privés est présenté et la structure incitative des règles analysée à la lumière de travaux économiques théoriques et empiriques. Après avoir expliqué les principaux contrats du régime de retraite, un examen de certains mécanismes légaux est effectué : les devoirs généraux des administrateurs, les règles de composition, le fonctionnement interne et l’obligation de rendre compte. Cette étude permet de proposer une série de recommandations visant à améliorer la gouvernance et le fonctionnement des régimes de retraite privés.

Cost accountancy and cost control in hospitals

It is a fact that there now exists a sound framework of accounting theory to ascertain the working results and the investment status of hospitals. Yet, there is no system of accounting in practice to conduct its activities with utmost efficiency. No attempts have hitherto been made for the continuous improvement in the servics rendered by hospitals. Personal investments in hospitals have made the interaction of business to some extent.Planning, decision making and control assume increasing importance as hospitals grow in size and complexity. Moreover, wise and effective utilisation of resources should be ensured. The importance of cost cannot be overlooked in this context. Cost is the most effective factor in the determination of the prices of hospital services rendered. The important managerial functions have to rely heavily on accurate and timely cost information. More people can be provided with services if no services cost more than what is a must to provide the necessary level of care. The price paid for high cost technology for a few is no technology at all for the many. Hence no pains must be spared in ascertaining, presenting, controlling and reducing costs. An effective system of Cost Accountancy and Cost Control is imperative for the survival of hospitals in the intensely competitive conditions of today. The valuable objective of "better patient care" can be attained only if the management can make use of the various tools and techniques to ascertain, control and reduce each item of cost in hospitals. Constant efforts must be made by the management to continuously improve their services and bring down costs and prices of all hospital services. Cost Accountancy has made its impresssive impact on almost all the spheres of human activities. It is high time a comprehensive Cost Accountancy and Cost Control system be implemented in hospitals. The problem under study thus is the designing of a sound and full-fledged Cost Accountancy and Cost Control system that suits the requirements of hospitals. It is for the first time in India during the evolution of Cost Accountancy that a comprehensive cost system is tried in hospitals.

Architecture and other Architectures: Mapping the Production of Insular Space in the Pearl River Delta (China) and Jakarta (Indonesia)

Globalization is widely regarded as the rise of the borderless world. However in practice, true globalization points rather to a “spatial logic” by which globalization is manifested locally in the shape of insular space. Globalization in this sense is not merely about the creation of physical fragmentation of space but also the creation of social disintegration. This study tries to proof that global processes also create various forms of insular space leading also to specific social implications. In order to examine the problem this study looks at two cases: China’s Pearl River Delta (PRD) and Jakarta in Indonesia. The PRD case reveals three forms of insular space namely the modular, concealed and the hierarchical. The modular points to the form of enclosed factories where workers are vulnerable for human-right violations due to the absent of public control. The concealed refers to the production of insular space by subtle discrimination against certain social groups in urban space. And the hierarchical points to a production of insular space that is formed by an imbalanced population flow. The Jakarta case attempts to show more types of insularity in relation to the complexity of a mega-city which is shaped by a culture of exclusion. Those are dormant and hollow insularity. The dormant refers to the genesis of insular– radical – community from a culture of resistance. The last type, the hollow, points to the process of making a “pseudo community” where sense of community is not really developed as well as weak social relationship with its surrounding. Although global process creates various expressions of territorial insularization, however, this study finds that the “line of flight” is always present, where the border of insularity is crossed. The PRD’s produces vernacular modernization done by peasants which is less likely to be controlled by the politics of insularization. In Jakarta, the culture of insularization causes urban informalities that have no space, neither spatially nor socially; hence their state of ephemerality continues as a tactic of place-making. This study argues that these crossings possess the potential for reconciling venue to defuse the power of insularity.

Evolución de la mortalidad por cáncer de próstata en Colombia: estudio ecológico

Introducción y objetivos: Universalmente se evidencia un aumento en la incidencia de cáncer prostático, consecuencia de una mayor expectativa de vida y del uso del tamizaje con el antígeno prostático específi co. La mortalidad secundaria es variable y constituye un problema de salud pública. El presente estudio busca describir la evolución de la mortalidad por cáncer de próstata en Colombia en el ámbito nacional y regional. Materiales y métodos: Se desarrolló un estudio ecológico mixto, teniendo como grupos de estudio: el país, sus regiones y departamentos, con una serie temporal de 1997 a 2012 para el país, y de 2008 a 2012 para las regiones y departamentos; se incluyeron todas las defunciones relacionadas con el código CIE-10 C61 de la base de estadísticas del Departamento Administrativo Nacional de Estadísticas. Resultados: Se encontró una tasa de mortalidad nacional entre el 8,9 y el 10,9 por cada 100.000 habitantes hombres en la serie temporal. En las regiones pacífica y andina, se encuentran las mayores tasas de mortalidad. Los departamentos del César y Valle concentran las mayores tasas de mortalidad. La tasa estandarizada de mortalidad nacional es similar a otros países de características socioeconómicas semejantes. Conclusiones: La tasa de mortalidad por cáncer de próstata en Colombia ha disminuido en los últimos 4 años. Se deben optimizar las estrategias de atención médica en regiones con predominio de raza negra y población rural, donde las tasas son superiores al promedio.

Application of a support system to the design of wastewater treatment plants

This paper presents a case study that explores the advantages that can be derived from the use of a design support system during the design of wastewater treatment plants (WWTP). With this objective in mind a simplified but plausible WWTP design case study has been generated with KBDS, a computer-based support system that maintains a historical record of the design process. The study shows how, by employing such a historical record, it is possible to: (1) rank different design proposals responding to a design problem; (2) study the influence of changing the weight of the arguments used in the selection of the most adequate proposal; (3) take advantage of keywords to assist the designer in the search of specific items within the historical records; (4) evaluate automatically the compliance of alternative design proposals with respect to the design objectives; (5) verify the validity of previous decisions after the modification of the current constraints or specifications; (6) re-use the design records when upgrading an existing WWTP or when designing similar facilities; (7) generate documentation of the decision making process; and (8) associate a variety of documents as annotations to any component in the design history. The paper also shows one possible future role of design support systems as they outgrow their current reactive role as repositories of historical information and start to proactively support the generation of new knowledge during the design process

Management of industrial wastewater discharges in river basins through agents'argumentation

La gestió de l'aigua residual és una tasca complexa. Hi ha moltes substàncies contaminants conegudes però encara moltes per conèixer, i el seu efecte individual o col·lgectiu és difícil de predir. La identificació i avaluació dels impactes ambientals resultants de la interacció entre els sistemes naturals i socials és un assumpte multicriteri. Els gestors ambientals necessiten eines de suport pels seus diagnòstics per tal de solucionar problemes ambientals. Les contribucions d'aquest treball de recerca són dobles: primer, proposar l'ús d'un enfoc basat en la modelització amb agents per tal de conceptualitzar i integrar tots els elements que estan directament o indirectament involucrats en la gestió de l'aigua residual. Segon, proposar un marc basat en l'argumentació amb l'objectiu de permetre als agents raonar efectivament. La tesi conté alguns exemples reals per tal de mostrar com un marc basat amb agents que argumenten pot suportar diferents interessos i diferents perspectives. Conseqüentment, pot ajudar a construir un diàleg més informat i efectiu i per tant descriure millor les interaccions entre els agents. En aquest document es descriu primer el context estudiat, escalant el problema global de la gestió de la conca fluvial a la gestiódel sistema urbà d'aigües residuals, concretament l'escenari dels abocaments industrials. A continuació, s'analitza el sistema mitjançant la descripció d'agents que interaccionen. Finalment, es descriuen alguns prototips capaços de raonar i deliberar, basats en la lògica no monòtona i en un llenguatge declaratiu (answer set programming). És important remarcar que aquesta tesi enllaça dues disciplines: l'enginyeria ambiental (concretament l'àrea de la gestió de les aigües residuals) i les ciències de la computació (concretament l'àrea de la intel·ligència artificial), contribuint així a la multidisciplinarietat requerida per fer front al problema estudiat. L'enginyeria ambiental ens proporciona el coneixement del domini mentre que les ciències de la computació ens permeten estructurar i especificar aquest coneixement.

A gestão democrática da escola: do legislado ao instituído. Um estudo de caso numa escola

RESUMO: O presente trabalho enfoca a gestão da escola, um assunto ainda pouco discutido na realidade educativa cabo-verdiana, mas necessário, principalmente a partir do momento que a legislação se propõe a democratização da gestão da escola. Partindo da importância atribuída pela Ministério de Educação à participação da família e dos demais segmentos da comunidade educativa, expressada e enfatizada no decreto-lei que regula a organização e o funcionamentos dos estabelecimentos do ensino secundário, conjugado com o referencial teórico que sustenta que não basta decretar para que a gestão da escola se torne democrática, questionamos em que medida a gestão democrática, entendida como espaço de partilha de poder e de negociação, vem sendo construída e/ou conquistada, nas escolas secundárias. Perante esta problemática, o presente trabalho tem como finalidade investigar em que medida a gestão democrática proposta no Decreto-Lei nº20/2002 de 19 de Agosto, vem sendo construída ou conquistada no ensino secundário. Encontramos em Barroso, Lima, Patermam, Bordenave, Romão e Gadotti, entre outros, a sustentação teórica para as análises realizadas. Desta forma, a presente investigação insere-se numa abordagem descritivo-analítica. Nessa perspectiva, e em função da metodologia utilizada, estabeleceu-se como campo de pesquisa uma escola secundária pública, onde foram auscultados, por meio de entrevista e questionário, membros do conselho directivo, membros da associação de estudantes, pessoal docente e pais ou encarregados de educação. A realização da pesquisa permitiu perceber que, no contexto analisado, o processo da implementação da gestão democrática carece ainda de um amadurecimento profundo, pois os actores educativos são capazes de verbalizar um discurso articulado sobre o tema, mas não chamam a si a responsabilidade de promover ou criar incentivos efectivos à participação de toda a comunidade educativa no processo decisório e na construção de um projecto educativo comum. ABSTRACT: This work focuses on the democratic self-management of the school, a subject not much discussed in the educational reality of Cabo Verde, although its relevance, especially since the time that the legislation proposes the democratization of the school management. The importance given by the Ministry of Education to the participation of the families and other segments of the educational community is expressed and emphasized in the ordinance that regulates the organization and operation of secondary schools. This fact in conjunction with the theoretical underpinning that it is not enough to enact in order that the school management become democratic, we question the extent in which democratic management, understood as a space of power sharing and negotiation, has been constructed and / or conquered, in secondary schools. Facing that problem, this study aims to investigate in which extent the school democratic management, as proposed by the Decree-Law No. 20/2002 of the 19th August, is being built or conquered in secondary education. The theoretical underpinning for the analysis performed is based in the works of Barroso, Lima, Patermam, Bordenave, Romão and Gadotti, among others. Thus, the present research has a descriptive and analytical approach. From this perspective, and according with the adopted methodology, it was chosen a public high school as the research field, where members of the Board, members of the students association, staff and parents were listened through interviews and surveys. The research allowed us to realize that, in the context examined, the implementation process of a democratic school management still needs to mature. In fact, the educational actors are already able to verbalize an articulate discourse on the subject, but they do not call themselves to take the responsibility of promoting or create incentives for the effective participation of the whole school community in the decision making process or in the building a common educational project.

A especificidade da escolha da profissão de professor de educação física nos estudantes da Faculdade de Educação Física e Desporto da Universidade Lusófona de Humanidades e Tecnologias

RESUMO: O presente estudo pretende distinguir a especificidade das referências dos estudantes dos três ramos da licenciatura de Educação Física da Universidade Lusófona de Humanidades e Tecnologias (ULHT), para a escolha do curso e da profissão de professor de educação física, bem como comparar a especificidade das referências dos estudantes dentro dos cinco anos constituintes da formação inicial. Pretende-se ainda caracterizar as representações dos estudantes de Educação Física e Desporto Escolar (EFDE), a frequentar o 3º ano da Licenciatura e o 1º e 2º ano do Mestrado, sobre as orientações da formação recebida. Juntos dos estudantes do 5º ano, pretende-se caracterizar as representações que estes tiveram sobre o apoio e supervisão dos Orientadores de Estágio, bem como caracterizar a auto-avaliação que realizam sobre os seus resultados profissionais no relacionamento com os alunos, durante o ano de estágio pedagógico. Participaram neste estudo 450 estudantes da Faculdade de Educação Física e Desporto, da Universidade Lusófona de Humanidades e Tecnologias. Tendo por base o estudo “Motivação para a Profissão Docente”, de 1996, do Professor Doutor Saul Neves de Jesus e a metodologia por ele realizada, foi aplicado o mesmo tipo de estudo a outra amostra tentando perceber de que forma é que esta se manifestava, tendo em conta os objectivos delineados. O instrumento utilizado, originalmente construído e aplicado por Jesus (1996), é um inquérito por questionário, composto por 44 itens com resposta em escala tipo likert. De forma a avaliar as problemáticas em estudo, estes itens encontravam-se divididos em quatro dimensões: motivação inicial para a profissão docente, modelo de formação educacional, apoio no estágio pedagógico e resultados profissionais obtidos no ano de estágio pedagógico. Os estudantes do ramo de EDFE mostram estar mais focados nos aspectos nucleares a ter em conta aquando da escolha da profissão de professor de educação física do que os estudantes dos ramos de Exercício e Bem-Estar (EBE) e Treino Desportivo (TD). Dos três ramos em análise, os estudantes de TD são os que mais vincadamente marcam a posição de não quererem ser professores de educação física. Os estudantes de EFDE, a frequentar o 3º e último ano da Licenciatura e o 1º e 2º ano da Mestrado (descritos como 4º e 5º ano), avaliam positivamente o modelo de formação educacional recebido. Dos três anos em análise, são os alunos do 3º ano que obtiveram a média mais alta na pontuação de sete dos onze itens que compunham esta dimensão. Os estudantes do 5º ano têm uma representação bastante positiva acerca do apoio prestado pelos seus orientadores de estágio, bem como realizam uma auto-avaliação bastante positiva no que diz respeito ao relacionamento com os seus alunos e aos objectivos profissionais daí inerentes durante o ano de estágio pedagógico. ABSTRACT: The present study aims to distinguish the specificity of the references of the students in the three branches, of the Physical Education degree on Universidade Lusófona de Humanidades e Tecnologias (ULHT), for choosing the course and the profession of physical education teacher, and to compare the specificity of the references of students within five years of initial constituents. Another objective is to characterize the representations of the students of Physical Education and School Sport (EFDE), to attend the 3rd year of Bachelor and 1st and 2nd year of the Masters on the guidelines of the education received. Have participated in this study 450 students from the Faculty of Physical Education and Sport, of Universidade Lusófona de Humanidades e Tecnologias. Based on the study "Motivation for the Teaching Profession", 1996, by Professor Saul Neves de Jesus and the methodology he performs, we applied the same type of study to another sample trying to understand how this is manifested, taking into account the objectives outlined. The instrument used, originally built and used by Jesus (1996), is a questionnaire composed of 44 items with Likert scale response. In order to assess the problem under study, these items were divided into four dimensions: initial motivation for the teaching profession, type of educational background, support in teaching practice and professional results obtained in the year of teaching practice. Students of the branch EDFE shown to be more focused on core aspects to consider when choosing the profession of physical education teacher compared to students from branches of Exercise and Wellness (SBS) and Sports Training (DT). Of the three branches in analysis, students of TD are the most that distinctly mark the position of not wanting to be physical education teachers. EFDE students, to attend the 3rd and final year of the Bachelor and the 1st and 2nd year of Master (described as 4th and 5th year), positively evaluate the educational model received. Of the three years under review the third grade students are the ones who achieved the highest average score in seven of the eleven items that made up this dimension. Students in fifth grade have a very positive representation about the support provided by their advisors stage and perform a self-assessment very positive with regard to the relationship with their students and professional goals there inherent during stage pedagogical.

Våld på jobbet : Beskrivningar av våld i arbetslivet 1978–2004 i facklig press

Violence at work as a social problem: a study of the media coverage on workplace violence in Swedish trade union journals 1978–2004 The main purpose of this study was to find out the extent of the unions media coverage on workplace violence and the ways in which the topic was framed. The study shows that the reporting of violence in the workplace described in journals is on a stable level during the period 1978–98. However from the year 2000 and onwards, there is a clear increase in the attention. Four categories of workplace violence were used to identify and recognize different types of violence: intrusive-, consumer-, relationship-and organizational violence. This shows that much of the attention over time has shifted from intrusive violence to organizational violence and consumer violence. What seems to have happened is that workplace violence has become more than just robberies and assaults in the retail business. The stereotypical image of the criminal is challenged by non-traditional criminals like nurses, elderly people and companies. Certain groups, e.g. care workers, come to account for an increasing proportion of attention, both as perpetrators and victims of violence. This study is an important step in understanding the increased reports of workplace violence in Sweden.

Estabilidade de agregados de um latossolo vermelho degradado em recuperação com adubos verdes, calcário e gesso

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Environmental cadmium exposure and metabolic responses of the Nile tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus

The contamination of water by metal compounds is a worldwide environmental problem. This study was undertaken to evaluate the impact of short-term cadmium exposure on metabolic patterns of the freshwater fish Oreochromis niloticus. The fish were exposed to 320, 640, 1280 and 2560 mug/l sublethal concentrations of Cd++ (CdCl2) in water for 7 days. The specific activities of the enzymes phosphofructo kinase (PFK-E.C.2.7.1.11.), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH-E.C.1.1.1.27.) and creatine kinase (CK-E.C.2.7.3.2.) were decreased in white muscle after cadmium treatments, indicating decreases in the capacity of glycolysis in this tissue. Cadmium exposure induced increased glucose concentration in white muscle of fish. on the other hand, cadmium exposure at sublethal concentrations increased phosphofructo kinase and LDH in red muscle of fish. Cadmium significantly decreased total protein concentrations in liver and white muscle regardless of tissue glycogen levels. The data suggest that cadmium acts as a stressor, leading to metabolic alterations similar to those observed in starvation. (C) 2001 Elsevier B.V. Ltd. All rights reserved.