Systemic administration of interleukin-1 beta activates select populations of central amygdala afferents

The central nucleus of the amygdala (CeA) is activated robustly by an immune challenge such as the systemic administration of the proinflammatory cytokine interleukin-1beta (IL-1beta). Because IL-1beta is not believed to cross the blood-brain barrier in any significant amount, it is likely that IL-1beta elicits CeA cell recruitment by means of activation of afferents to the CeA. However, although many studies have investigated the origins of afferent inputs to the CeA, we do not know which of these also respond to IL-1beta. Therefore, to identify candidate neurons responsible for the recruitment of CeA cells by an immune challenge, we iontophoretically deposited a retrograde tracer, cholera toxin b-subunit (CTb), into the CeA of rats 7 days before systemic delivery of IL-1beta (1 mug/kg, i.a.). By using combined immunohistochemistry, we then quantified the number of Fos-positive CTb cells in six major regions known to innervate the CeA. These included the medial prefrontal cortex, paraventricular thalamus (PVT), ventral tegmental area, parabrachial nucleus (PB), nucleus tractus solitarius, and ventrolateral medulla. Our results show that after deposit of CTb into the CeA, the majority of double-labeled cells were located in the PB and the PVT, suggesting that CeA cell activation by systemic IL-1beta is likely to arise predominantly from cell bodies located in these regions. These findings may have significant implications in determining the central pathways involved in generating acute central responses to a systemic immune challenge. J. Comp. Neurol. 452:288-296, 2002. (C) 2002 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

??cole Nationale d'Administration Publique: d??velopper les comp??tences des fonctionnaires pour augmenter la capacit?? de L'Etat dans la gestion des politiques publiques

Plus d???une vingtaine d???ann??es d???existence d??di??es ?? la mission de d??velopper les comp??tences des fonctionnaires pour augmenter la capacit?? de l?????tat dans la gestion des politiques publiques fait de l???ENAP un mod??le dans le domaine de la formation. Rattach??e au Minist??re du Plan, du Budget et de la Gestion, l?????cole, d??s sa cr??ation en 1986, a re??ue 245 mille fonctionnaires de tout le pays. En 2007, 26 mille fonctionnaires de l???administration f??d??rale ont attendu un de nos 60 stages offerts.

Brazilian National School of Public Administration

The Brazilian National School of Public Administration (Escola Nacional de Administra????o P??blica ??? ENAP) is a public foundation linked to the Ministry of Planning, Budget and Management. Founded in 1986, its core mission is ???to develop competencies of civil servants in order to enhance government capacity for managing public policies???. To fulfill its mission, a wide program of learning and continued education is offered to public policy managers as well as e-learning and customized courses, in accordance to governmental and institutional strategic objectives. ENAP???s courses are framed according to governmental strategic demands for social inclusion, poverty reduction as well as economic development in order to strengthen the leading South American democracy. The range and diversity of its programs mirrors the challenges of deep changes in the jobs market and the work environment, faced by the current 550,000 federal civil servants and the over 7,000,000 state and municipal civil servants in Brazil, as last counted in 2006.

Security issues during Lula's administration: from the reactive to the assertive approach

Brazil's security agenda during Lula's administration was not homogeneous through the two mandates: the first tenure (2002-2006) revealed a reactive approach towards security topics, while the second one (2006-2010) was more assertive. More specifically, the shift occurred in terms of both its geographical scope - once it incorporated global issues in a more systematic way -, and instruments through which the security agenda was exercised, given the multilateral initiative of Unasur's CDS

Brazilian foreign policy towards South America during the Lula administration: caught between South America and Mercosur

The aim of this article is to analyze Brazil's foreign policy towards the South American region during President Lula's administration. As such, the article intends to highlight two specific dimensions: the extent to which foreign policy during this period has differed from previous periods and the relative importance granted by Brazilian diplomacy to recent cooperation and integration efforts, more specifically the Unasur and Mercosur. The article argues that the Lula administration has behaved differently from its predecessors by prioritizing the building up of Brazilian leadership in South America on several different fronts, especially by strengthening multilateral institutions in the region

Mapping the Obama administration's response to the Arab Spring

When the Arab Spring broke out, the United States was in a quandary over how to handle the crisis in its attempt to balance its moral obligations and ideals without undercutting its strategic interests and those of its close allies. Flaws in US diplomatic approach have contributed to one of the most serious foreign policy crisis for a US administration to date with consequential upheaval and erosion of the US-built balance of power. The reactions and policy responses of the Obama administration highlight the difficulties in grasping with the new reality in the Middle East and in enunciating a policy platform that could combine American interests and values.

Foucault’s Perspective of Performance Appraisal in Public Administration

The main purpose of performance appraisal in organizations is, or should be, to improve the engagement, learning process and progress of the employees and to align individual with team and organizational performance. However, performance appraisal can also be interpreted as an instrument of normalization, discipline and surveillance. This study thus aims to explore and discuss the complex schema of intrinsic and extrinsic objectives of performance appraisal system of the Portuguese public organizations (SIADAP - Performance Evaluation Integrated System). We have developed an exploratory and qualitative case study to capture appraisers and appraises perceptions. The data were analyzed in light of foucauldian theories. According to the qualitative data, namely the discourses of the appraisers and their subordinates, the SIADAP is seen as an instrument of control and dominance that aims to introduce political rationalities, limiting the career progression of the employees. Though some key points of Foucault’s perspective were identified, foucauldian framework revealed some limitations to capture all the complexity inherent to performance appraisal. This study opens new perspectives about the SIADAP and can be of major importance as far as political reflection about performance appraisal in public organizations is concerned.

Contemporary issues in the government and administration of Latin American megacities

This paper is the first to systematically analyze and compare the structures of city governance and administration for seven major cities in Latin America, four of which are megacities (population of over 10 million), and three others are large national capitals. U.S. and U. K. models of city administration are reviewed as baseline models against which differences in Latin American may be explored. Structures of Government in Latin America show several important features and trends: 1) the lack of metropolitan (cross jurisdictional) authority; 2) the existence of strong mayors and weak councils"; 3) high levels of partisanship; 4) overlapping rather than interlocking bureaucracies; 5) pressures towards the privatization of city services, but continuing tension over the desirability of public versus private control; 6) greater fiscal responsibility and autonomy; and 7), a continuing marginalization of public participation in megacity governance.In spite of these features, many cities throughout the region (regardless of whether they are megacity size or national capitals), are actively intensifying their efforts to develop more effective, accountable and democratic governance structures.

The study of public administration in India, the Philippines, Canada and Australia: the universal struggle against epistemic colonization, and toward critical assimilation

The study of public administration has been characterized as a strong international focus, as both governments and scholars have sought to learn from the experience of other societies. While in a perfect world, one would expect a sort of pragmatic universalism, instead, many scholars tend to bring lessons from one country, or from a single cultural reality. This modest contribution lies in showing a series of national experiences rarely brought to the discourse about public administration in Brazil: Canada, Australia, India and the Philippines. Special emphasis will be given to the following: the origins and the development of public administration; the influence of ideology; and the complex tension between global theory and local practices.

Chitosan-alginate microparticulate delivery system for an alternative route of administration of BCG vaccine

Immunisation against M. tuberculosis with current available BCG vaccine lacks efficacy in preventing adult pulmonary tuberculosis. Targeting nasal mucosa is an attractive option for a more effective immunization. The delivery of BCG via the intranasal route involves overcoming barriers such as crossing the physical barrier imposed by the mucus layer and ciliar remotion, cellular uptake and intracellular trafficking by antigen presenting cells. Due to its biodegradable, immunogenic and mucoadhesive properties, chitosan particulate delivery systems can act both as vaccine carrier and adjuvant, improving the elicited immune response. In this study, different combinations of Chitosan/Alginate/TPP microparticles with BCG were produced as vaccine systems. The developed microparticle system successfully modulates BCG surface physicochemical properties and promotes effective intracellular uptake by human macrophage cell lines Preliminary immune responses were evaluated after s.c. and intranasal immunisation of BALB/c mice. BCG vaccination successfully stimulated the segregation of IgG2a and IgG1, where intranasal immunisation with chitosan/alginate particulate system efficiently elicited a more equilibrated cellular/humoral immune response.

Performance assessment in the portuguese public administration

Apresentação realizada na Conferência "Changing Public Sevice in a Changing World" realizada em Budapeste a 24 de Abril de 2009

The portuguese public administration organization

Apresentação realizada no INA por ocasião da visita de uma delegação da República da Sérvia a Portugal.