Diagnostics VIH tardifs en 2009 en Suisse: motivation a un dépistage systématique du VIH [Late diagnoses of HIV infection in 2009 in Switzerland: towards a universal HIV testing?]

Individuals who are unaware of their HIV infection constitute a fragile and a critical population both from a personal and from a community-based point of view: if the infection is diagnosed too late, the outcome can be complicated by AIDS-defining diseases, whose prognosis may remain unfavourable even after the initiation of a potent antiretroviral therapy. These patients contribute to the virus spreading into the community, owing to a high viral load. It is now necessary to recognise the limits of a risk behaviour and disease-driven HIV screening policy. Since 2006, the American guidelines recommend a routine HIV testing for all patients age 13 to 64 years unless they specifically refuse the test (opt-out). In Switzerland, the recommendations remain so far risk-centred.

Why do they separate it or not? Attitudes and behaviors towards organic waste separation

This article shows the results of an exploratory study related to the separation of organic waste in order to offer suggestions for the improvement of waste disposal communication campaigns. The overall objective is to analyze attitude and behavior of those who do and those who do not separate organic waste, related to a specific promotional campaign carried out in two neighborhoods, in the municipality of Badalona (Spain), within the framework of the study of proenvironmental attitudes and behaviors and based on the Psychosocial Four Spheres Model. 1,010 interviews were conducted and data was analyzed using Chi-Squared Automatic Interaction Detector (CHAID). Waste separation behavior was used as a dependent variable. The reasons given to explain why people do or do not separate organic waste and sociodemographic variables, have been introduced as independent variables. In accordance with the Four Spheres Model, results show significant differences in waste separation. Based on the profiles obtained, we find some predictive variables that facilitate the development of communication campaigns according to the requirements of each community.

Why do they separate it or not? Attitudes and behaviors towards organic waste separation

This article shows the results of an exploratory study related to the separation of organic waste in order to offer suggestions for the improvement of waste disposal communication campaigns. The overall objective is to analyze attitude and behavior of those who do and those who do not separate organic waste, related to a specific promotional campaign carried out in two neighborhoods, in the municipality of Badalona (Spain), within the framework of the study of proenvironmental attitudes and behaviors and based on the Psychosocial Four Spheres Model. 1,010 interviews were conducted and data was analyzed using Chi-Squared Automatic Interaction Detector (CHAID). Waste separation behavior was used as a dependent variable. The reasons given to explain why people do or do not separate organic waste and sociodemographic variables, have been introduced as independent variables. In accordance with the Four Spheres Model, results show significant differences in waste separation. Based on the profiles obtained, we find some predictive variables that facilitate the development of communication campaigns according to the requirements of each community.

Elektroniikka - ja sähköromun (SER) kierrätys

Tässä työssä pyrin tarkastelemaan sähkö- ja elektroniikkaromun kierrätystä erityisesti EU - direktiivin mukaisen tuottajavastuun näkökulmasta. Käytettyjen sähkö- ja elektroniikkalaitteiden vuori kasvaa koko ajan kaikkialla Euroopassa. Euroopan parlamentti hyväksyi joulukuussa 2002 kaksi uutta direktiiviä, joilla pyritään lieventämään sähköromuongelmaa. Parlamentin vaatimusten ansiosta unionin jäsenvaltioiden on taattava, että laitteiden valmistajat maksavat omista tuotteistaan syntyvän sähkö- ja elektroniikkalaitejätteen keräys-, käsittely- ja kierrätyskustannukset. Tämä merkitsee esimerkiksi sitä, että kuluttajat voivat viedä vanhat sähkölaitteensa asuinpaikkansa läheisyydessä sijaitseviin maksuttomiin keräyspisteisiin. Myös kuluttajien on otettava vastuu hankkimistaan tuotteista: sähkö- ja elektroniikkalaitejätteen hävittäminen tavallisen kotitalousjätteen seassa tullaan kieltämään.

Deregulation of Railroads and Future Development Scenarios in Europe - Literature Analysis of Privatization Process Taken Place in US, UK and Sweden

Euroopan unionissa päätettiin jo yli vuosikymmen sitten, että rautatieliiketoiminta vapautetaan kilpailulle. Iso-Britanniasta olimäärä tulla esimerkkivaltio tämän prosessin käyttöönotossa. Pääideana oli säännöstelyn keventäminen, jolloin omistuspohja toimialalla laajenee ja rautateiden infrastruktuuri sekä toiminta parantuvat. Infrastruktuuri on määrä olla yhden organisaation hallinnassa ja raiteiden käyttöoikeus on kaikilla lupaehdot täyttävillä operaattoreilla, jotka kilpailevat keskenään matkustajista ja tavararahdeista. Kuitenkin Yhdysvalloissa ja eräissä Latinalaisen Amerikan maissa kilpailu on vapautettu siten, että rautatieyritys omistaa raideinfrastruktuurin, junat, tavarankuljetus- sekä matkustajavaunut. Iso-Britannian yksityistämistä pidettiin aluksi isonaepäonnistumisena: nopealla aikataululla sovellettiin jäykkiä transaktioperusteisia ulkoistamisstrategioita infrastruktuurin kunnossapitoon, jotka lopulta johtivat junien jatkuviin myöhästymisiin ja muutamaan tuhoisaan onnettomuuteen. Liiketoiminnallisessa mielessäkään ei oikein onnistuttu: infrastruktuurista vastaava yritys jouduttiin listaamaan pois Lontoon pörssistä, ja hallituksen oli pakko luoda tukipaketti pahasti velkaantuneen, vain marginaalisien investointien kohteena olleen yrityksen toimintaa varten (vaikka kapasiteettitarvetta oli markkinoilla). Myös rautatieoperaattorit olivat taloudellisessa ahdingossa ja vain määrätietoisten hallituksen laatimien pelastuspakettien avulla ala nousi syvimmästä kriisistään. Tästä huolimatta näiden negatiivisten sivuvaikutusten ohella koko ala pystyi kasvattamaan kysyntää, niin matkustaja- kuin rahtiliikenteenkin osalta. Vähenevän kysynnän trendi, joka alkoi 1970-luvulla, otti käännöksen parempaan. Toinen eurooppalaismaa, jolla on pitkät kokemukset yksityistämisestä, on Ruotsi. Tämä maatapaus on melko konservatiivinen verrattuna tilanteeseen edellisessä; vain rajattu määrä reittejä on avattu kilpailulle ja sopimukset tehdään kerralla pitkäksi aikaa eteenpäin. Ruotsin säännöstelyn purku osoittautui menestykseksi, koska tuottavuus onollut vakaassa kasvussa ja rautateiden markkinaosuus erityisesti matkustajapuolella on noussut merkittävästi, verrattuna muihin kuljetusmuotoihin. Kuitenkin kilpailua on käytännössä vähän tässä maassa ja parempiatuloksia on lupa odottaa, kun vain säännöstelyn purkaminen jatkuu. Viimeinen tutkimuksemme kohteena oleva maa on Yhdysvallat, joka alistutti rautatiet kilpailulle jo 1980-luvun alussa, käyttäen jo edellä mainittua vertikaalista integraatiota; tämä valinta on taas johtanut hyvin erilaisiin tuloksiin. Vaihtoehtoinen rakenteellinen uudistustapa on suosinut rahtivirtoja matkustajiin nähden, ja lopputuloksena tämä tapaus synnytti yrityksiä huolehtimaan toista näistä kahdesta pääasiakasryhmästä. Viimeaikaiset tulokset tästä yksityistämisprosessista ovat olleet hyviä: jäljellejääneiden yritysten voitot ovat kasvaneet, osinkoja ollaan kyetty jakamaan ja osakkeiden arvostus on noussut. Tässä tutkimusraportissa yritämme kolmen maatapauksen kautta esittää, miten yksityistämisprosessi tulee vaikuttamaan Euroopassa, kun kilpailu rautateillä vapautuu. Me käymmeläpi, mikä näistä kolmesta maaesimerkistä on kaikkein todennäköisin jaesitämme ehdotuksia siihen, miten valtiot voisivat välttää ei-haluttuja sivuvaikutuksia. Kolme maaesimerkkiä, ja lopuksi esitetty lyhyt tilastollinen analyysi osoittavat, että rautateillä on tulevaisuuden potentiaalia Euroopassa, ja kilpailun vapauttaminen on avain tämän potentiaalin realisointiin.

Dynamics of Appropriability - Finding a Balance between Efficiency and Strength in the Appropriability Regime

Building and sustaining competitive advantage through the creation of market imperfections is challenging in a constantly changing business environment - particularly since the sources of such advantages are increasingly knowledge-based. Facilitated by improved networks and communication, knowledge spills over to competitors more easily than before,thus creating an appropriability problem: the inability of an innovating firm to utilize its innovations commercially. Consequently, as the importance of intellectual assets increases, their protection also calls for new approaches. Companies have various means of protection at their disposal, and by taking advantage of them they can make intangibles more non-transferable and prevent, or at leastdelay, imitation of their most crucial intellectual assets. However, creating barriers against imitation has another side to it, and the transfer of knowledge in situations requiring knowledge sharing may be unintentionally obstructed. Theaim of this thesis is to increase understanding of how firms can balance knowledge protection and sharing so as to benefit most from their knowledge assets. Thus, knowledge protection is approached through an examination of the appropriability regime of a firm, i.e., the combination of available and effective means ofprotecting innovations, their profitability, and the increased rents due to R&D. A further aim is to provide a broader understanding of the formation and structure of the appropriability regime. The study consists of two parts. The first part introduces the research topic and the overall results of the study, and the second part consists of six complementary research publications covering various appropriability issues. The thesis contributes to the existing literature in several ways. Although there is a wide range of prior research on appropriability issues, a lot of it is restricted either to the study of individual appropriability mechanisms, or to comparing certain features of them. These approaches are combined, and the relevant theoretical concepts are clarified and developed. In addition, the thesis provides empirical evidence of the formation of the appropriability regime, which is consequently presented as an adaptive process. Thus, a framework is provided that better corresponds to the complex reality of the current business environment.

Revegetació de talussos d'una explotació carbonífera mitjançant materials de rebuig

En aquest treball s'avalua la rehabilitació dels talussos d'una explotació minera carbonífera utilitzant materials de rebuig de la pròpia explotació i provinents d'activitats ramaderes (purins de porc) o urbanes (llots de depuradora), en un ambient àrid del Baix Segre. Les variables analitzades foren el tipus i recobriment vegetals, la penetromia i la salinitat del substrat, i la salinitat, els nitrats i els sediments dels efluents. Els resultats indiquen que és possible rehabilitar els runams en aquests medis, assolint recobriments vegetals fins al 50 % sense que se'n derivin efectes ambientals negatius importants. Taxes altes puntuals d'erosió poden controlar-se amb un disseny adient dels talussos. L'aplicació superficial de purí no té efectes antiencrostants. La moderada salinitat dels substrats condiciona l'establiment de vegetació halòfila.

Jätteenpolttolaitosten nykytilasta ja tulevaisuuden näkymistä viidessä Euroopan maassa

Tutkimuksen tavoitteena oli kartoittaa jätteenpolttolaitosten nykytilannetta ja tulevaisuuden näkymiä aina vuoteen 2015 asti viidessä Euroopan maassa (Saksa, Ranska, Iso-Britannia, Espanja ja Italia). Jätteenpoltolla ja jätteenpolttolaitoksella käsitettiin tässä tutkimuksessa kaikki jätteenpolttodirektiivin 2000/76/EY alaisuuteen kuuluva jätteen polttaminen. Tutkimus oli luonteeltaan kvalitatiivista eli laadullista. Tutkimusmenetelmänä käytettiin asiantuntijahaastatteluita. Asiantuntijat olivat useista Euroopan maista ja edustivat eri organisaatioita. Haastattelut toteutettiin puhelimen ja sähköpostin välityksellä. Tutkimuksen johtopäätöksenä oli, että jätteenpoltto on kasvava ala kaikissa tutkimuksen kohdemaissa ja että uusia jätteenpolttolaitoksia tullaan rakentamaan kaikkiin viiteen maahan. Eräänä tärkeimmistä syistä oli ns. kaatopaikkadirektiivin 1999/31/EY asettamat rajoitukset kaatopaikoille vietävän jätteen määrälle. Jätteiden rinnakkaispoltto ja jätteistä jalostettujen polttoaineiden käyttö tunnistettiin tulevaisuuden kannalta merkittäviksi trendeiksi.

Recommandations pour le traitement et la prévention du zona et des douleurs associées chez la personne âgée [Recommendations for treatment and prevention of herpes zoster and associated pain in aged adults].

Initiated within the first 72hours of the rash, prescribing antiviral drugs reduces both acute neuralgia (AN) and later complications and especially postherpetic neuralgia (PHN). But their analgesic as well as preventative effect on AN and PHN is modest. Combination with analgesic drugs is more often needed for pain management. However, the pharmacological management of pain, in the context of old patients' frailty, co-morbidities and often polypharmacy, must be carefully considered. Based on analyses of the evidences from the literature, this review presents the therapeutic options we have at one's disposal and proposes a stepwise management for both AN and PHN specifically designed for aged population.

DAI-DEPUR: an integrated and distributed architecture for wastewater treatment plants supervision

The activated sludge process - the main biological technology usually applied towastewater treatment plants (WWTP) - directly depends on live beings (microorganisms), and therefore on unforeseen changes produced by them. It could be possible to get a good plant operation if the supervisory control system is able to react to the changes and deviations in the system and can take thenecessary actions to restore the system’s performance. These decisions are oftenbased both on physical, chemical, microbiological principles (suitable to bemodelled by conventional control algorithms) and on some knowledge (suitable to be modelled by knowledge-based systems). But one of the key problems in knowledge-based control systems design is the development of an architecture able to manage efficiently the different elements of the process (integrated architecture), to learn from previous cases (spec@c experimental knowledge) and to acquire the domain knowledge (general expert knowledge). These problems increase when the process belongs to an ill-structured domain and is composed of several complex operational units. Therefore, an integrated and distributed AIarchitecture seems to be a good choice. This paper proposes an integrated and distributed supervisory multi-level architecture for the supervision of WWTP, that overcomes some of the main troubles of classical control techniques and those of knowledge-based systems applied to real world systems

Estudo de compostos orgânicos em lixiviado de aterros sanitários por EFS e CG/EM

The main purpose of this work was the qualitative study of organic compounds in landfill leachate. The samples were collected from a sanitary landfill located at Gravataí, a southern Brazilian city, that receive both, industrial and domestic refuse. The samples were submitted to solid phase extraction (SPE) with XAD-4 resin as the stationary phase. The instrumental analysis was performed by Gas Chromatography with a Mass Spectrometry Detector (GC/MSD). The compounds achieved in the SPE extracts were tentatively identified by the GC/MS library. It was found several oxygen and nitrogen compounds like carboxylic acids, ketones, amines and amides. Sulfur compounds and phthalate esters are also identified.

Active sulphide mine tailings impoundments as sources of contaminated drainage: controlling factors, methods of characterisation and geochemical constraints for mitigation

Low quality mine drainage from tailings facilities persists as one of the most significant global environmental concerns related to sulphide mining. Due to the large variation in geological and environmental conditions at mine sites, universal approaches to the management of mine drainage are not always applicable. Instead, site-specific knowledge of the geochemical behaviour of waste materials is required for the design and closure of the facilities. In this thesis, tailings-derived water contamination and factors causing the pollution were investigated in two coeval active sulphide mine sites in Finland: the Hitura Ni mine and the Luikonlahti Cu-Zn-Co-Ni mine and talc processing plant. A hydrogeochemical study was performed to characterise the tailingsderived water pollution at Hitura. Geochemical changes in the Hitura tailings were evaluated with a detailed mineralogical and geochemical investigation (solid-phase speciation, acid mine drainage potential, pore water chemistry) and using a spatial assessment to identify the mechanisms of water contamination. A similar spatial investigation, applying selective extractions, was carried out in the Luikonlahti tailings area for comparative purposes (Hitura low-sulphide tailings vs. Luikonlahti sulphide-rich tailings). At both sites, hydrogeochemistry of tailings seepage waters was further characterised to examine the net results of the processes observed within the impoundments and to identify constraints for water treatment. At Luikonlahti, annual and seasonal variation in effluent quality was evaluated based on a four-year monitoring period. Observations pertinent to future assessment and mine drainage prevention from existing and future tailings facilities were presented based on the results. A combination of hydrogeochemical approaches provided a means to delineate the tailings-derived neutral mine drainage at Hitura. Tailings effluents with elevated Ni, SO₄ ^2- and Fe content had dispersed to the surrounding aquifer through a levelled-out esker and underneath the seepage collection ditches. In future mines, this could be avoided with additional basal liners in tailings impoundments where the permeability of the underlying Quaternary deposits is inadequate, and with sufficiently deep ditches. Based on the studies, extensive sulphide oxidation with subsequent metal release may already initiate during active tailings disposal. The intensity and onset of oxidation depended on e.g. the Fe sulphide content of the tailings, water saturation level, and time of exposure of fresh sulphide grains. Continuous disposal decreased sulphide weathering in the surface of low-sulphide tailings, but oxidation initiated if they were left uncovered after disposal ceased. In the sulphide-rich tailings, delayed burial of the unsaturated tailings had resulted in thick oxidized layers, despite the continuous operation. Sulphide weathering and contaminant release occurred also in the border zones. Based on the results, the prevention of sulphide oxidation should already be considered in the planning of tailings disposal, taking into account the border zones. Moreover, even lowsulphide tailings should be covered without delay after active disposal ceases. The quality of tailings effluents showed wide variation within a single impoundment and between the two different types of tailings facilities assessed. The affecting factors included source materials, the intensity of weathering of tailings and embankment materials along the seepage flow path, inputs from the process waters, the water retention time in tailings, and climatic seasonality. In addition, modifications to the tailings impoundment may markedly change the effluent quality. The wide variation in the tailings effluent quality poses challenges for treatment design. The final decision on water management requires quantification of the spatial and seasonal fluctuation at the site, taking into account changes resulting from the eventual closure of the impoundment. Overall, comprehensive hydrogeochemical mapping was deemed essential in the identification of critical contaminants and their sources at mine sites. Mineralogical analysis, selective extractions, and pore water analysis were a good combination of methods for studying the weathering of tailings and in evaluating metal mobility from the facilities. Selective extractions with visual observations and pH measurements of tailings solids were, nevertheless, adequate in describing the spatial distribution of sulphide oxidation in tailings impoundments. Seepage water chemistry provided additional data on geochemical processes in tailings and was necessary for defining constraints for water treatment.

Transformações biológicas: contribuições e perspectivas

In a moment that amazingly advances are being reached on the development of technologies to obtain high value chemical compounds as polymers, fine chemicals, pharmaceutical industry intermediates and chemical entities, we cannot refuse that a meaningful progress is due to the maturing in knowledge of biological transformations. Biocatalysis and biotransformations are being widespread applied to generate processes and products with incredible success. In this review article we present the main contributions of biotechnology and biological catalytic processes to Chemistry, the most important evolution steps on enzymatic transformations, how it has being applied and which are the perspectives to academic and industrial environments. We also would like to stimulate the community to step out research in biotechnology applicable to chemical and pharmaceutical industries, trying to achieve what we believe to be the ideal layout: integrating chemical transformations, enzymatic conversions and fermentation processes.

The Methods of Possible Joint Treatment of Manure and Sewage Sludge in the Leningrad Region

The nutrient load to the Gulf of Finland has started to increase as a result of the strong economic recovery in agriculture and livestock farming in the Leningrad region. Also sludge produced from municipal wastewater treatment plant of the Leningrad region causes the great impact on the environment, but still the main options for its treatment is disposal on the sludge beds or Landfills. The aim of this study was to evaluate the implementation of possible joint treatment methods of manure form livestock and poultry enterprises and sewage sludge produced from municipal wastewater treatment plants in the Leningrad region. The study is based on published data. The most attention was put on the anaerobic digestion and incineration methods. The manure and sewage sludge generation for the whole Leningrad region and energy potential produced from their treatment were estimated. The calculations showed that total amount of sewage sludge generation is 1 348 000 t/a calculated on wet matter and manure generation is 3 445 000 t/a calculated on wet matter. The potential heat release from anaerobic digestion process and incineration process is 4 880 000 GJ/a and 5 950 000 GJ/a, respectively. Furthermore, the work gives the overview of the general Russian and Finnish legislation concerning manure and sewage sludge treatment. In the Gatchina district it was chosen the WWTP and livestock and poultry enterprises for evaluation of the centralized treatment plant implementation based on anaerobic digestion and incineration methods. The electricity and heat power of plant based on biogas combustion process is 4.3 MW and 7.8 MW, respectively. The electricity and heat power of plant based on manure and sewage sludge incineration process is 3.0 MW and 6.1 MW, respectively.

The Hegel's Vorlesungen über die Philosophie der Religion (1821-1831) sources and critical editions from Marheineke to Jaeschke

In this paper I provide a concise plan about Hegel's Lectures on the Philosophy of Religion critical editions, laying stress on the method followed by editors in order to build a coherent text with the sources at their disposal. The Marheineke's edition (1832) is analysed with special attention since it was the edition that caused the division between a Right and a Left, opening the discussion on speculative theism as a consequence of the difficulty to distinguish the systematic part from the historical one in the reasoning carried out by Hegel.