Reestructuración financiera del sistema bancario español

A finales del año 2007 se produjeron una serie de acontecimientos que más tarde, y por efecto del contagio internacional, desembocaron en una de las crisis económico-financieras más determinantes que se recuerdan en España. El presente proyecto tiene como objetivo entender todo el proceso de reestructuración llevado a cabo en los últimos años. Para ello, recoge inicialmente el origen de la crisis económico-financiera, para más tarde hacer referencia a las principales medidas que se han tenido que llevar a cabo para modificar el sistema financiero. Además, explica la última reforma de las Cajas de Ahorro y fundaciones bancarias junto con los cambios que la misma ha generado en el Sistema Financiero y en la Obra Social. Por último, después de analizar lo sucedido años atrás, llega a una serie de conclusiones acerca de la situación actual y futura del nuevo mapa financiero Español.

Educação em saúde no Programa de Saúde da Família de Petrópolis: desafios na prática do enfermeiro

O presente estudo tem objetivo investigar as práticas educativas desenvolvidas por enfermeiros, no interior da Equipe de Saúde da Família. A profissão de Enfermeiro no Brasil foi marcada, desde a sua origem, por ser aquela incumbida das ações de educação em saúde. No processo de trabalho das equipes de saúde da família, estão incluídas ações educativas, que tanto devem interferir no processo saúde- doença como ampliar o controle social em defesa da qualidade de vida. Assim, essas práticas estão presentes no cotidiano dos enfermeiros, sendo importante a reflexão a respeito das mesmas para a construção de uma prática educativa mais consciente. Participaram do estudo 21 enfermeiros do Programa Saúde da Família do município de Petrópolis- RJ. A pesquisa foi realizada pelo método qualitativo. A entrevista semi-estruturada foi utilizada como técnica de coleta de dados, que foram tratados pelo método da análise de conteúdo temática. Foram obtidas cinco categorias empíricas, que demonstraram que no cenário estudado, predominam as práticas educativas em grupo. Nelas, há priorização do trabalho em equipe, sendo que os profissionais mais atuantes são os enfermeiros e os médicos. Em relação aos locais onde são realizados os grupos, poucos postos de saúde dispõem de uma sala específica para a sua realização, sendo então utilizadas escolas, igrejas, clubes e associações de moradores, que nem sempre são considerados adequados. A falta de infra- estrutura e de incentivo por parte dos gestores não impedem a realização das práticas educativas, mas traduzem a falta de valorização das mesmas. A complexidade do trabalho do enfermeiro no Programa de Saúde da Família é reconhecida como um dificultador para o trabalho educativo. A maioria dos entrevistados teve alguma aproximação, prática ou teórica, com a educação em saúde durante sua formação acadêmica. Embora haja predominância do enfoque preventivo, são percebidas aproximações a enfoques mais críticos. Os enfermeiros percebem que o trabalho educativo traz mudanças benéficas às comunidades e aos indivíduos assistidos. Também referem gostar desse trabalho, percebendo-o como integrante do trabalho do enfermeiro e do Programa Saúde da Família. O estudo recomenda a formação e a capacitação dos enfermeiros a respeito das abordagens em educação em saúde, assim como a priorização da educação em saúde por parte desses profissionais. Recomenda também a busca de um relacionamento transdisciplinar entre os membros das equipes. Sugere a realização de pesquisas a respeito de técnicas para a abordagem a grupos educativos, por profissionais de saúde, especialmente por enfermeiros.

Aprendendo o uso das ervas: a trajetória de terapeutas populares

A utilização de ervas e plantas para finalidades terapêuticas é bastante antiga e registrada em várias sociedades. Esta pesquisa procura investigar como se dá o processo de construção e reprodução do conhecimento em medicina popular (particularmente o cuidado com ervas e plantas medicinais) através da história de vida de terapeutas populares pessoas que se tornaram referências em suas comunidades por adquirir, praticar e transmitir esse conhecimento. Tem como objetivos conhecer e compreender o processo de construção do conhecimento sobre plantas medicinais por terapeutas populares do município do Rio de Janeiro; compreender as formas de reprodução deste conhecimento; entender o contexto de relações destes terapeutas com o saber científico. Utilizou-se como opção metodológica a história oral com ênfase na história de vida. Foram entrevistados sete terapeutas populares de diferentes bairros do município. Observou-se que o conhecimento em relação às ervas medicinais não está restrito a um pequeno grupo e limitado a uma forma de transmissão oral. O conhecimento tem se reproduzido, mas também tem se modificado, mesclando-se com outras formas de conhecimento e entremeado por diversas fontes de informação que vão desde a transmissão oral até informações disponíveis na mídia. A principal forma de reprodução do conhecimento parece ser a perpetuação do negócio, que evoca o discurso do tradicional, a natureza das ervas e suas propriedades benéficas e se sustenta por uma rede de informação que se utiliza dos diversos meios de comunicação e uma rede de produção e comércio que garante o sustento econômico dos terapeutas populares. A transformação das práticas de utilização de ervas medicinais em patrimônio cultural ou negócio de família além de garantir a perpetuação do conhecimento, garante um espaço diferente dentro das práticas de cuidado em saúde. As relações dos terapeutas com a medicina oficial não são relações de tensões, embora haja criticas, mas de interposição de sistemas terapêuticos.

Impacto da dieta hiperlipídica contendo óleo de canola ou de soja no desenvolvimento da adiposidade abdominal e estrutura óssea

A baixa relação de ômega-6/ômega-3 esta relacionada com propriedades benéficas para a saúde óssea. No entanto, a dieta rica nestes compostos pode levar a obesidade. Adipócitos e osteoblastos derivam de células progenitoras comuns, e o consumo de óleo de canola pode ter ação adipogênica e osteogênica. Nosso objetivo foi avaliar a adiposidade abdominal, insulina e estrutura óssea em ratos tratados com dieta contendo baixa relação ômega-6/ômega-3, proveniente do óleo de canola. Após desmame, os ratos foram divididos em grupos alimentados com dieta normocalórica: Controle (S) e experimental (C), contendo 7ml/100g de óleo de soja ou de canola e grupos tratados com dieta rica em lipídios: Controle (7S) ou hiperlipídico contendo 19ml/100g de óleo de soja (19S) ou de canola (19C), até completarem 60 dias de idade. Os dados foram significativos com P<0,05. No primeiro modelo, o grupo C apresentou redução de: Massa e área do adipócito intra-abdominal; Colesterol; Insulina; Densidade mineral (DMO) e massa óssea total e na coluna vertebral; Massa do fêmur; Espessura da diáfise; DMO do fêmur e das vértebras lombares e radiodensidade da cabeça do fêmur. No segundo modelo, os grupos 19S e 19C apresentaram maior ingestão calórica, densidade corporal, massa de gordura intra-abdominal, e maior massa e comprimento do fêmur e da coluna lombar. O grupo 19S apresentou maior área e menor número de adipócitos da região retroperitoneal. Glicose e a insulina foram aumentadas no grupo 19C vs. 7S. A tomografia do fêmur revelou maior radiodensidade na região proximal e da coluna lombar, no grupo 19C. Sugerimos que a quantidade e o tipo de lipídio consumido, após o desmame, induzem não somente o desenvolvimento corporal e os depósitos de gordura, além de afetarem a resistência insulínica e a saúde óssea

La Fundación-Empresa

El presente trabajo recoge las principales características de la fundación dentro del marco legal del Derecho español, enfocándose en la figura de la fundación-empresa. Con este análisis se quiere profundizar en la extraña, pero posible relación que poseen el Derecho Mercantil y el Derecho de fundaciones, propio del Derecho Civil, es decir, la relación que se surge entre actividades económicas de los sujetos comerciantes y las actividades no lucrativas propias de las fundaciones. Por eso se ha querido subrayar los conceptos y particularidades de la fundación que blindan el requisito esencial del interés general que han de poseer las fundaciones como fin fundacional, incluso cuando realicen actividades económicas.

Microrganismos endofíticos: potencial de uso como agentes de biocontrole da ferrugem do cafeeiro.

O reino vegetal é colonizado por uma diversidade de microrganismos endofíticos, principalmente bactérias e fungos, os quais estabelecem relações não patogênicas com seus hospedeiros. Quando benéficas tais associações podem estimular o crescimento das plantas, aumentar a resistência a doenças e as condições adversas do ambiente, como estresse hídrico. Relatos dessas características inerentes aos endófitas despertaram o interesse da comunidade científica, que passou a estudar meios de inserir isolados previamente selecionados no sistema de produção agrícola. Assim, nas últimas décadas intensificaram-se os trabalhos buscando microrganismos endofíticos com capacidade de promover o crescimento de culturas agronômicas e de atuar como agentes de biocontrole de fitopatógenos, estudando os possíveis mecanismos envolvidos nessas interações com as plantas, e formas de preservação e de aplicação dos isolados no campo. No presente trabalho 217 bactérias e 17 fungos endofíticos de cafeeiro foram testados em discos de folhas e os de melhor desempenho, em mudas de cafeeiro "Mundo Novo", para o controle de Hemileia vastatrix. As bactérias endofíticas 3F e 119G destacaram-se proporcionando redução da severidade da ferrugem em torno de 85%. Estudando os possíveis mecanismos de controle envolvidos, encontrou-se aumento da atividade de peroxidase em mudas de cafeeiro tratadas com as endófitas em questão. As mesmas bactérias inibiram também a germinação de urediniosporos em testes in vitro. Alguns isolados, porém, aumentaram a suscetibilidade do hospedeiro ao ataque do patógeno.

Cafeína, apetite e sono

Projeto de Pós-Graduação/Dissertação apresentado à Universidade Fernando Pessoa como parte dos requisitos para obtenção do grau de Mestre em Ciências Farmacêuticas

A Fitoterapia no tratamento da obesidade

Projeto de Pós-Graduação/Dissertação apresentado à Universidade Fernando Pessoa como parte dos requisitos para obtenção do grau de Mestre em Ciências Farmacêuticas

Organizational and financial transparency in the website of the foundations: an empirical study for Spain

Transparency in nonprofit sector and foundations, as an element to enhance the confidence of stakeholders in the organization, is a fact shown by several studies in recent decades. Transparency can be considered in various fields and through different channels. In our study we focused on the analysis of the organizational and economic transparency of foundations, shown through the voluntary information on their Website. We review the theoretical previous studies published to put to the foundations within the framework of the social economy. This theoretical framework has focused on accountability that make foundations in relation to its social function and its management, especially since the most recent focus of information transparency across the Website.In this theoretical framework was made an index to quantify the voluntary information which is shown on its website. This index has been developed ad hoc for this study and applied to a group of large corporate foundations.With the application of these data are obtained two kind of results, to a descriptive level and to a inferential level.We analyzed the statistical correlation between economic transparency and organizational transparency offered in the Website through quantified variables by a multiple linear regression. This empirical analysis allows us to draw conclusions about the level of transparency offered by these organizations in relation to their organizational and financial information, as well as explain the relation between them.

Estudio sobre la eficacia del régimen fiscal cooperativo portugués

El ordenamiento jurídico portugués consagra un régimen fiscal especial para el sector cooperativo, basado, al igual que otros ordenamientos como el español o el italiano, en la protección de la mutualidad como forma de organización empresarial especialmente benéfica en el plano social. Para alcanzar ese objetivo, el régimen fiscal cooperativo debe ser selectivo, lo que significa que al legislador se le plantea el reto de establecer criterios para separar, dentro del marco cooperativo, lo que debe ser protegido de lo que no merece protección fiscal. El legislador portugués optó por un modelo basado en dos grupos de ramos cooperativos claramente diferenciados según los beneficios fiscales aplicables, ambos con amplias exenciones fiscales. El presente trabajo no se centra en el contenido de los beneficios aplicables sino en las condiciones que las cooperativas deben reunir para acogerse a esos regímenes fiscales favorables. Estos criterios son: i) una división entre operaciones con socios y operaciones con terceros; ii) una delimitación de las operaciones o actividades cooperativas según estén o no vinculadas con el “fin propio de la cooperativa”; y iii) una estructura prevalentemente mutualista del factor trabajo. Esta fórmula legal tiene su raíz en una legislación de 1929 y se ha mantenido hasta el día de hoy debido en parte a un fenómeno de inercia legislativa. El presente trabajo, basándose en la metodología de la sociología jurídica, asienta en una encuesta dirigida a 64 cooperativas, por la que se buscaba indagar hasta qué punto estos criterios (de acuerdo con los que se seleccionan las cooperativas que pueden acogerse a los regímenes fiscales favorables) cuadran con la realidad cooperativa actual. Como era de esperar, la vetustez del régimen hizo que se encontraran desajustes muy significativos, que reclaman una reforma urgente.

PMMA-co-EHA cements for osteoprotheses

The main purpose of this thesis was to produce new formulations of PMMA-co- EHA and study its feasibility as being an alternative to traditional PMMA bone cements. Thus, were originally produced several co-polymers of PMMA-co-EHA and its mechanical properties and in vitro behaviour were evaluated. The copolymers were obtained by radical polymerization and several formulations were produced by partial replacement of MMA (up to about 50%) for EHA. Overall, the results suggest that the partial replacement of MMA by EHA decreased the modulus of the materials and, consequently, increased its flexibility. Then, PMMA commercial beads were added to PMMA-co-EHA formulations (to get bone cement) and the general properties of the resulting bone cements were evaluated. In general, the results revealed that the partial replacement of MMA by EHA led to beneficial changes in curing parameters (there was a reduction of the peak temperature and an increase of curing/setting time), in the in vitro behaviour (the water capacity increased) and in the mechanical properties (the bending strength increased) of new cements. The in vitro cellular response of new formulations of PMMA-co-EHA was compared with that of traditional PMMA bone cement. To this end, we tested the cell adhesion and proliferation of osteoblast-like MG63 cells and human cells from bone marrow. The results revealed that both types of cells were able to attach and proliferate in both formulations. The only exception was observed for the formulation prepared with the highest percentage of EHA, where a few cells that adhere failed to proliferate. Moreover, it was found that increasing the amount of EHA in cement led to an increasing inhibition of cell growth, especially during the first week of culture. This was related to increased water uptake capacity by the new formulations and consequent release of some of its toxic components. Finally, PMMA commercial beads were partially replaced by HA particles and the influence of this substitution on the curing parameters, the mechanical properties and in vitro behaviour of the resulting composites was also evaluated. Incorporation of HA into the bone cements induced a number of significant changes in its final properties: 1) decrease the peak temperature; 2) increase of curing time, 3) increasing the value of elastic modulus accompanied by decrease of the strength/tension. This last finding was related to poor interfacial adhesion between the various components of the bone cements and a heterogeneous distribution (possible agglomeration) of HA particles.

Portuguese georesources suitability for medical hydrology applications

In Portugal, there is an old tradition in using clayey materials for therapeutic purposes. They are applied in pelotherapy, at several beaches of the Atlantic coast in the form of clay-sea water mixtures (peloids) to treat skin and rheumatic diseases. During many generations, peloids have been applied without scienti c studies that prove their therapeutic validity. In the last decade, the Portuguese scienti c community has become increasingly more interested in assessing the properties that make clayey materials suitable for therapeutic purposes. The abundance of clayey formations and the established practices of medical hydrology in our country turned this interest into a new perspective of application. The studied materials include di erent clays (in age and origin) mainly collected from well-known Mesozoic-Cenozoic formations, in some cases outcropping at beaches where empirical applications occur. This thesis focus in the study of silt-clay fraction (< 63 m).To determine their suitability for therapy, compositional, physicochemical, technological, thermal and rheological properties were assessed. Conventional techniques (XRD, XRF and Sedigraph) were used to assess compositional features of silt-clay fraction. Electron microscopy (SEM, VPSEM, HREM) was used to study the micromorphology and composition of clay fraction (< 2 m). Physicochemical properties (cation exchange and speci c surface) were assessed using the Ammonium Acetate and BET methods. Technological properties (plasticity and abrasivity indices) were assessed using the Atterberg limits and Einlehner abrasion tests. Thermal properties (speci c heat and cooling kinetics) were estimated by DSC analysis and cooling tests. Pharmacotechnical tests (compressibility index, sediment volume and Brook eld viscosity) were used to assess the powder owability as well as the physical stability and viscosity of clay-water dispersions. We selected as suitable Portuguese clays for health applications the samples A-Pe, A-Be2, A-Sd, J-Fr , M-To, C-Lu1, C-Lu2, Pl-Ba, M-Ga and J-Ab because they represent safe materials, with an adequate composition, good technological, physicochemical and thermal properties for application, also presenting an adequate rheology when dispersed in water. Their most relevant characteristics are the high clay minerals content, abundant smectite, illite and kaolinite, and safe hazardous concentrations. They also showed moderate capacity to exchange Ca 2+, high plasticity, low abrasivity, high speci c heat and slow cooling kinetics. They evidenced fair powder owability and good potential to formulate viscous dispersions when stabilized. Because the majority of the assessed characteristics are in accordance with those presented by clays applied in European spas for pelotherapy, we considered this group of clays also suitable for medical hydrology treatments in Portuguese spas.

Volatile terpenoids and C13 norisoprenoids in wines: development of rapid methods of analysis and evaluation of the sesquiterpenoids biological potential

Vitis vinifera L., the most widely cultivated fruit crop in the world, was the starting point for the development of this PhD thesis. This subject was exploited following on two actual trends: i) the development of rapid, simple, and high sensitive methodologies with minimal sample handling; and ii) the valuation of natural products as a source of compounds with potential health benefits. The target group of compounds under study were the volatile terpenoids (mono and sesquiterpenoids) and C13 norisoprenoids, since they may present biological impact, either from the sensorial point of view, as regards to the wine aroma, or by the beneficial properties for the human health. Two novel methodologies for quantification of C13 norisoprenoids in wines were developed. The first methodology, a rapid method, was based on the headspace solid-phase microextraction combined with gas chromatography-quadrupole mass spectrometry operating at selected ion monitoring mode (HS-SPME/GC-qMS-SIM), using GC conditions that allowed obtaining a C13 norisoprenoid volatile signature. It does not require any pre-treatment of the sample, and the C13 norisoprenoid composition of the wine was evaluated based on the chromatographic profile and specific m/z fragments, without complete chromatographic separation of its components. The second methodology, used as reference method, was based on the HS-SPME/GC-qMS-SIM, allowing the GC conditions for an adequate chromatographic resolution of wine components. For quantification purposes, external calibration curves were constructed with β-ionone, with regression coefficient (r2) of 0.9968 (RSD 12.51 %) and 0.9940 (RSD of 1.08 %) for the rapid method and for the reference method, respectively. Low detection limits (1.57 and 1.10 μg L-1) were observed. These methodologies were applied to seventeen white and red table wines. Two vitispirane isomers (158-1529 L-1) and 1,1,6-trimethyl-1,2-dihydronaphthalene (TDN) (6.42-39.45 μg L-1) were quantified. The data obtained for vitispirane isomers and TDN using the two methods were highly correlated (r2 of 0.9756 and 0.9630, respectively). A rapid methodology for the establishment of the varietal volatile profile of Vitis vinifera L. cv. 'Fernão-Pires' (FP) white wines by headspace solid-phase microextraction combined with comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography with time-of-flight mass spectrometry (HS-SPME/GCxGC-TOFMS) was developed. Monovarietal wines from different harvests, Appellations, and producers were analysed. The study was focused on the volatiles that seem to be significant to the varietal character, such as mono and sesquiterpenic compounds, and C13 norisoprenoids. Two-dimensional chromatographic spaces containing the varietal compounds using the m/z fragments 93, 121, 161, 175 and 204 were established as follows: 1tR = 255-575 s, 2tR = 0,424-1,840 s, for monoterpenoids, 1tR = 555-685 s, 2tR = 0,528-0,856 s, for C13 norisoprenoids, and 1tR = 695-950 s, 2tR = 0,520-0,960 s, for sesquiterpenic compounds. For the three chemical groups under study, from a total of 170 compounds, 45 were determined in all wines, allowing defining the "varietal volatile profile" of FP wine. Among these compounds, 15 were detected for the first time in FP wines. This study proposes a HS-SPME/GCxGC-TOFMS based methodology combined with classification-reference sample to be used for rapid assessment of varietal volatile profile of wines. This approach is very useful to eliminate the majority of the non-terpenic and non-C13 norisoprenic compounds, allowing the definition of a two-dimensional chromatographic space containing these compounds, simplifying the data compared to the original data, and reducing the time of analysis. The presence of sesquiterpenic compounds in Vitis vinifera L. related products, to which are assigned several biological properties, prompted us to investigate the antioxidant, antiproliferative and hepatoprotective activities of some sesquiterpenic compounds. Firstly, the antiradical capacity of trans,trans-farnesol, cis-nerolidol, α-humulene and guaiazulene was evaluated using chemical (DPPH• and hydroxyl radicals) and biological (Caco-2 cells) models. Guaiazulene (IC50= 0.73 mM) was the sesquiterpene with higher scavenger capacity against DPPH•, while trans,trans-farnesol (IC50= 1.81 mM) and cis-nerolidol (IC50= 1.48 mM) were more active towards hydroxyl radicals. All compounds, with the exception of α-humulene, at non-cytotoxic levels (≤ 1 mM), were able to protect Caco-2 cells from oxidative stress induced by tert-butyl hydroperoxide. The activity of the compounds under study was also evaluated as antiproliferative agents. Guaiazulene and cis-nerolidol were able to more effectively arrest the cell cycle in the S-phase than trans,trans-farnesol and α-humulene, being the last almost inactive. The relative hepatoprotection effect of fifteen sesquiterpenic compounds, presenting different chemical structures and commonly found in plants and plant-derived foods and beverages, was assessed. Endogenous lipid peroxidation and induced lipid peroxidation with tert-butyl hydroperoxide were evaluated in liver homogenates from Wistar rats. With the exception of α-humulene, all the sesquiterpenic compounds under study (1 mM) were effective in reducing the malonaldehyde levels in both endogenous and induced lipid peroxidation up to 35% and 70%, respectively. The developed 3D-QSAR models, relating the hepatoprotection activity with molecular properties, showed good fit (R2LOO > 0.819) with good prediction power (Q2 > 0.950 and SDEP < 2%) for both models. A network of effects associated with structural and chemical features of sesquiterpenic compounds such as shape, branching, symmetry, and presence of electronegative fragments, can modulate the hepatoprotective activity observed for these compounds. In conclusion, this study allowed the development of rapid and in-depth methods for the assessment of varietal volatile compounds that might have a positive impact on sensorial and health attributes related to Vitis vinifera L. These approaches can be extended to the analysis of other related food matrices, including grapes and musts, among others. In addition, the results of in vitro assays open a perspective for the promising use of the sesquiterpenic compounds, with similar chemical structures such as those studied in the present work, as antioxidants, hepatoprotective and antiproliferative agents, which meets the current challenges related to diseases of modern civilization.

Caracterização química e bioquímica dos frutos de ARBUTUS UNEDO L. e de RUBUS FRUTICOSUS AGG.: contribuição para a sua valorização

Dissertação mest., Agricultura sustentável, Universidade do Algarve, 2007

A proteomic study of the effects of nutrient restriction in utero on postnatal metabolism

It is widely recognized that protein restriction in utero may cause metabolic and endocrine adaptations, which may be of benefit to the neonate on a short-term basis but may cause adverse long-term conditions such as obesity, Type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome, hypertension and cardiovascular diseases. Adequate foetal and early post natal nutrient and energy supply is therefore essential for adult animal health, performance and life span. In this project it was investigated the progressive adaptations of the hepatic proteome in male mink offspring exposed to either a low protein (FL) or an adequate protein (FA) diet in utero fed either on a low protein (LP) or on an adequate (AP) diet from weaning until sexual maturity. Specifically, the aim was to determine the metabolic adaptations at selected phases of the animal’s first annual cycle and establish the metabolic priorities occurring during those phases. The three different morphological stages studied during the first year of development included, end of bone growth at 4 months of age, maximal fat accretion at 6 months of age and sexual maturity at 12 months of age. A reference proteome of mink liver coming from these different animal groups were generated using 2D electrophoresis coupled to MALDI-TOF analysis and the way in which dietary treatment affect their proteome was established. Approximately 330 proteins were detected in the mink liver proteome. A total of 27 comparisons were carried out between all different animal groups which resulted in 20 differentially expressed proteins. An extensive survey was conducted towards the characterization of these proteins including their subcellular localization, the biological processes in which they are involved and their molecular functions. This characterization allowed the identification of proteins in various processes including the glycolysis and fatty acid metabolism. The detailed analysis of the different dietary treatment animal groups was indicative of differences in metabolism and also to changes associated with development in mink.