Private or public? a taxonomy of optimal ownership and management regimes

We develop a theory of public versus private ownership based on value diversion by managers. Government is assumed to face stronger institutional constraints than has been assumed in previous literature. The model which emerges from these assumptions is fexible and has wide application. We provide amapping between the qualitative characteristics of an asset, its main use - including public goods characteristics, and spillovers toother assets values - and the optimal ownership and management regime. The model is applied to single and multiple related assets. We address questions such as; when is it optimal to have one of a pair ofr elated assets public and the other private; when is joint management desirable; and when should a public asset be managed by the owner of a related private asset? We show that while private ownership can be judged optimal in some cases solely on the basis of qualitative information, the optimality of any other ownership and management regimes relies on quantitative analysis. Our results reveal the situations in which policy makers will have difficulty in determining the opimal regime.

Social media crises in the organization: exploring management strategies through cases from France and Brazil

The aim of this Master���s thesis has been to shed light on the response strategies that organizations are implementing when facing a crisis created on or amplified by social media. Since the development of social media in the late 1990s, the interplay between the online and the offline spheres has become more complex, and characterized by dynamics of a new magnitude, as exemplified by the wave of ���Twitter��� Revolutions or the Wikileaks scandal in the mid 2000s, where online behaviors deeply affected an offline reality. The corporate world does not escape to this worldwide phenomenon, and there are more and more examples of organizational reputations destroyed by social media ���fireballs���. As such, this research aims to investigate, through the analysis of six recent cases of corporate crises (2013-2015) from France and Brazil, different strategies currently in use in order to identify examples of good and bad practices for companies to adopt or avoid when facing a social media crisis. The first part of this research is dedicated to a review of the literature on crisis management and social media. From that review, we were able to design a matrix model, the Social Media Crisis Management Matrix, with which we analyzed the response strategies of the six companies we selected. This model allows the conceptualization of social media crises in a multidimensional matrix built to allow the choice, according to four parameters, of the most efficient (that is: which will limit the reputational damage) response strategy. Attribution of responsibility for the crisis to the company by stakeholders, the origin of the crisis (internal or external), the degree of reputational threat, and the emotions conveyed online by stakeholders help companies determining whether to adopt a defensive response, or an accommodative response. The results of the analysis suggest that social media crises are rather manichean objects for they are, unlike their traditional offline counterparts, characterized by emotional involvement and irrationality, and cannot be dealt with traditionally. Thus analyzing the emotions of stakeholders proved to be, in these cases, an accurate thermometer of the seriousness of the crisis, and as such, a better rudder to follow when selecting a response strategy. Consequently, in the cases, companies minimized their reputational damage when responding to their stakeholders in an accommodative way, regardless of the ���objective��� situation, which might be a change of paradigm in crisis management.

Saberes e pr��ticas em experi��ncia de constru����o da sustentabilidade no meio rural nordestino

The purpose of this work is to analyze the knowledge relationships that articulate in projects of maintainable rural development construction for the paraiban semi-arid, analyzing the farmers daily practices and their relationship with the technological practices spread by ONGs. We took as empirical object the rural community of Lajedo de Timba��ba, municipal district of Soledade-PB, located in the very small region of paraiban Curimata��. It is a community where registers one of the first cases of maintainable rural development planning in the state of Para��ba. The analysis was centered on the farmers experiences of life in sustainability experience, trying to understand how they acquire new knowledge and how they interact with them. In methodological terms, it was considered feasible to place the knowledge interaction between the farmers and technicians from ONGs by placing the analysis according to Paulo Freire s questioning (2006): extension or communication? To understand the farmers daily practices, it was resorted to the theoretical contribution by Michel de Certeau (2008) in order to discern a microresistance movement of inversion/rejection/changing by the farmers in relation to their external knowledge. Just from the theoretical point of view and resorting to the imaginary social by Cornelius Castoriadis (1982), it was considered the way of living of the farmers researched, having as reference the experience in the material and symbolic production of their lives. It became indispensable, therefore, not to dissociate the knowledge relationships between farmers and technicians from ONGs from the sustainability concepts, maintainable rural development, and rural extension. The results of the study revealed that the farmers from Lajedo de Timba��ba while dealing with the technological practices proposed by ONGs that work in the community, express those practices from their daily logic, and they constitute them in survival strategies that are inserted in their own idiosyncrasy. It was verified, therefore, that the external knowledge presented by the proposals of sociability alternatives with the droughts in the perspective of maintainable development while placed in the farmers daily relationship, they are judged as advantageous or disadvantageous when they are confronted with their peculiar way of doing their daily work. The technological practices are incorporated, denied, or recreated starting from evaluative criteria related to the preservation of the soil and to the economical and social reproduction of the unit of production of family agriculture

Intercostal nerve mononeuropathy: study of 14 cases

Este trabalho apresenta estudo retrospectivo de 14 pacientes com mononeuropatia de nervo intercostal (MNI), obtidos dentre 5.560 exames eletromiogr��ficos, realizados de janeiro de 1991 at�� junho de 2004, em nosso Hospital Universit��rio. MNI foi encontrada em 14 pacientes, tendo como causas prov��veis interven����es cir��rgicas tor��cicas em 6 (43%), neuropatia por herpes-zoster em 4 (28%), prov��vel neurite de nervo intercostal em 2 (14%), neoplasia pulmonar em 1 (7%) e radiculopatia em 1 (7%). As principais causas de MNI de nosso Servi��o s��o similares ��s da literatura. Os antidepressivos tric��clicos e anticonvulsivantes foram os f��rmacos mais utilizados no controle da dor.

Ambulatory surgery in proctology: retrospective analysis of 1 031 cases

Introduction: The number of ambulatory surgeries accomplished in hospitals, as in private clinics, grows each day, with this increase having been observed principally in the last two decades. In many countries, such as France, ambulatory surgeries have predominated in relation to those in hospitals. Objective: To evaluate retrospectively 1 031 cases of patients operated on in the Ambulatory Surgery Service of CH. in the School of Medicine at Botucatu. Material and method: Retrospectively, 1 031 clinical cases of orificial pathologies operated on in the service were studied, analyzing the distribution by age group, sex, pathologies and postoperative complications. Result: We note predominance of patients aged less than 45 years (56.6%), discrete prevalence of males (51.2%), with hemorrhoidal disease (60%) being the principal affliction, with pain and bleeding being the most frequent complications (3.2%). Conclusions: The results obtained demonstrate that ambulatory procedures in proctology can be accomplished in a safe and systematic manner at low cost with advantages and fewer complications in relation to procedures completed in a hospitalization regime.

Prevalence of deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism in superficial thrombophlebitis of the lower limbs: prospective study of 60 cases

Aim. Superficial thrombophlebitis (ST) ascending the lower limbs is a common disease, which may be associated with deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism (PE). The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of DVT and PE as complications of ascending ST of the lower limbs in the great saphenous vein (GSV) or SSV (SSV) and probable risk factors.Methods. For this study 60 consecutive patients were enrolled with ascending ST of the GSV or SSV, seen between 2000 and 2003 at a public hospital in Botucatu, SP, Brazil. All patients were assessed clinically, by venous Duplex scanning of the lower limbs to confirm ST and test for DVT, and by means of pulmonary scintigraphy to test for PE.Results. In 13 ST cases (21.67%) there was concomitant DVT and 17 ST patients (28.33%) also had PE. Eleven patients had a clinical status suggestive of DVT, but only in eight of these (61.5%), this clinical diagnosis was confirmed. Fourteen patients had a clinical status suggestive of PE, and this diagnosis was confirmed in six cases (35.30%). ST patients who also had DVT and/or PE were given anticoagulant treatment with heparin and warfarin. None of the variables studied was predictive of DVT or PE (P>0.05). However, the presence of varicose veins reduced the risk of patients having DVT (relative risk=9.09; 95%CI:1.75 - 50.00 and P=0.023).Conclusion. The prevalence rates of PE (28.3%) and DVT (21.6%) were elevated in this sample of ascending ST cases, indicating a need for detailed assessment of patients for signs of these complications, including for therapeutic management decision making. [Int Angiol 2009;28:400-8]

Cytogenetic studies of Brazilian pediatric myelodysplastic syndrome cases: challenges and difficulties in a large and emerging country

Myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) and juvenile myelomonocytic leukemia (JMML) are rare hematopoietic stem cell diseases affecting children. Cytogenetics plays an important role in the diagnosis of these diseases. We report here the experience of the Cytogenetic Subcommittee of the Brazilian Cooperative Group on Pediatric Myelodysplastic Syndromes (BCG-MDS-PED). We analyzed 168 cytogenetic studies performed in 23 different cytogenetic centers; 84 of these studies were performed in patients with confirmed MDS (primary MDS, secondary MDS, JMML, and acute myeloid leukemia/MDS+Down syndrome). Clonal abnormalities were found in 36.9% of the MDS cases and cytogenetic studies were important for the detection of constitutional diseases and for differential diagnosis with other myeloid neoplasms. These data show the importance of the Cooperative Group for continuing education in order to avoid a late or wrong diagnosis.

A report of 49 cases of cnidarian envenoming from southeastern Brazilian coastal waters

Forty-nine accidents caused by jellyfish (Cnidaria) were observed during a period of 5 years on the southeastern coast of Brazil. Most of them involved male patients (65.3%), the injured areas being mainly the legs (71.3%) and the trunk (65.3%). Twenty accidents with Chiropsalmus quadrumanus, four with Physalia physalis and 20 with unidentified jellyfish presented intense pain, linear plaques and systemic symptoms. The five cases with Olindias sambaquiensis caused mild pain, round plaques and no systemic symptoms. There are a few reports on accidents caused by jellyfish, in this country, and scarce clinical or epidemiological data are available up to the present moment. (C) 2002 Elsevier B.V. Ltd. All rights reserved.

Primary cutaneous cryptococcosis in Brazil: report of 11 cases in immunocompetent and immunosuppressed patients

Background Primary cutaneous cryptococcosis is an uncommon infectious disease caused by Cryptococcus neoformans or Cryptococcus gattii affecting immunosuppressed as well as immunocompetent patients. It is often misdiagnosed as it may mimic other cutaneous diseases. Materials and methods We report a series of cases diagnosed from 2005 to 2010 in two general hospitals. The diagnosis in all patients was made on the basis of histopathology and culture. Phenoloxidase and canavanine-glycine-bromothymol blue tests were used in order to identify the Cryptococcus species. Systematic investigation ruled out the systemic involvement in every case. Results Eleven patients, 81.8% male, were diagnosed during this study. The immunosuppression status was identified in 54.5% of patients, and all of them were under corticosteroid therapy due to a variable set of diseases. All patients presented with circumscribed lesions on their upper limbs. Most lesions showed an infiltrative or tumoral aspect with up to 40 cm diameter. Fluconazole, up to 400 mg/daily, was the main therapeutic regimen and proved to be efficient. Conclusions Primary cutaneous cryptococcosis has been diagnosed in both immunosuppressed and immunocompetent patients. Its peculiar clinical aspect could facilitate early diagnosis. Culture and biochemical tests should be performed in order to define the species involved.

Oro-genital lichen planus: Report of two cases

Lichen planus is a common mucocutaneous disease. However, lichen planus with concomitant oral and genital involvement is a rare condition that requires multidisciplinary intervention for appropriate diagnosis. In this study, we reported two cases of oro-genital lichen planus in a man and a woman. Analyses of oral and genital lesions were clinically and histopathologically compatible with lichen planus. This description highlights the importance of patients presenting oral lichen planus be routinely required to undergo further medical examination in order to investigate putative genital mucosal involvement. These lesions have the potential to progress to neoplasia. Therefore, medical and dentistry professionals should be aware of this condition. (c) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All fights reserved.

Paracoccidioidomycosis of external genitalia: report of six new cases and review of the literature

BACKGROUND: Paracoccidioidomycosis is a systemic mycosis of dermatological interest due to the frequency of cutaneous and mucosal lesions. The involvement of the external genitalia is extremely rare and few cases have been reported.OBJECTIVE: To study the prevalence of external genitalia lesions in paracoccidioidomycosis patients, identify clinical characteristics and compare with what is observed in the specific literature.METHODS: This is a cross-sectional, descriptive study, with focus on paracoccidioiodomycosis patients with external genitalia lesions. The demographic and clinical aspects of cases were compared with what has been reported so far on LILACS, SciELO e MEDLINE data bases.RESULTS: Data of 483 cases of paracoccidioidomycosis were studied in a 42-year period. Six (1.2%) patients showed specific lesions on external genitalia. Five patients were male with mean age of 47.2 years and all of them presented with the chronic multifocal clinical form. Only one, a 15-year-old female patient was observed who showed a subacute clinical form, juvenile type.CONCLUSIONS: Compromise of the genitourinary tract among paracoccidioidomycosis patients is rare and even rarer when only the external genitalia are considered. As observed in the classical picture of paracoccidioidomycosis patients, the male gender and the chronic multifocal clinical form prevailed in the present study.

SEABATHER'S ERUPTION: A CLINICAL and EPIDEMIOLOGICAL STUDY of 38 CASES IN SANTA CATARINA STATE, BRAZIL

Seabather's eruption (SBE) is an intensely itchy, papule-erythematous dermatitis that occurs predominantly in regions of the body covered by bathing costumes, after exposure to marine water. The planulae larvae of Linuche unguiculata scyphomedusae (thimble jellyfish) are the etiologic agent of the dermatitis, which is frequent in waters of Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico and Florida. The authors report 38 cases of SBE in the State of Santa Catarina (Southern region of Brazil), with emphasis on their clinical and epidemiological aspects, such as profile of victim, topography of the papules and conditions predisposing to the accident.

First Description of a Cluster of Acute/Subacute Paracoccidioidomycosis Cases and Its Association with a Climatic Anomaly

Funda����o de Amparo �� Pesquisa do Estado de S��o Paulo (FAPESP)

Seabather's eruption: report of five cases in southeast region of Brazil

Os autores relatam cinco acidentes de seabather's eruption ou prurido do traje de banho, uma erup����o t��pica associada na maioria das vezes �� ��gua-viva Linuche unguiculata (Cnidaria), que causa um rash p��pulo-eritematoso extremamente pruriginoso em ��reas cobertas por trajes de banho. O quadro cut��neo �� caracter��stico e a erup����o �� comum no Caribe, Fl��rida, M��xico e estados americanos do Golfo. Os casos s��o os primeiros relatados no Brasil e larvas de Linuche unguiculata est��o presentes nas ��guas onde ocorreram os acidentes.