Teories de l’imperialisme. Un estat de la qüestió

El propòsit d’aquest treball és presentar i discutir les diferents teories sobre l’anomenat «imperialisme modern», delimitat cronològicament des de finals del segle XIX fins a l’inici de la Primera Guerra Mundial. A més a més, és també l’objectiu d’aquest article mostrar l’evolució de la discussió presentant aquestes teories en ordre cronològic i insistint en com els conceptes «imperialisme» i «colonialisme» han canviat de significat. Les teories marxistes i liberals de principis del segle XX consideraven l’imperialisme un procés fonamentalment econòmic mentre que la teoria sociològica de Schumpeter el veia com un atavisme. Algunes teories després de les guerres mundials han insistit en la importància de parar atenció en els territoris colonitzats i en com la seva relació amb Europa ha afectat la nova forma imperial. Les explicacions més recents n’han destacat aspectes molt diferents, des de la importància sobre com ha permès l’expansió del lliure-comerç fins a l’imperialisme com una perversió del nacionalisme.

Guidelines for irrigation scheduling of banana crop in São Francisco Valley, Brazil. II - Water consumption, crop coefficient, and physiologycal behavior

The water consumption and the crop coefficient of the banana cv. Pacovan were estimated in Petrolina County, northeastern Brazil, in order to establish guidelines to irrigation water management. Evaluations were carried out since planting in January 1999 to the 3rd harvest in September 2001 on a microsprinkler irrigated orchard, with plants spaced in a 3 x 3 m grid. Average daily water consumption was 3.9, 4.0, and 3.3 mm in the 1st, 2nd and 3rd growing seasons, respectively. Crop coefficient values increased from 0.7 (vegetative growth) to 1.1 (flowering). Even with high soil water availability, transpiration was reduced due to high evaporative demand.

Verbrennungen--Von der Bagatelle zur Katastrophe [Burns--from trifle case to mass casualty]

Burn injuries are very frequent, most being trifle cases. Nevertheless every year about 200 patients need to be treated in one of the two specialised Swiss burns centres. Admission criteria are burns > 15% body surface or burns to critical areas (face neck, hands, genitalia, joints) and electrical injuries. The paper reviews the physiophathology of the burn wound which differs depending on the thermal or electrical aetiology. The airway may be threatened due to true inhalation, but also to burns to the face or neck. In major burns >20% body surface in adults, or > 10% in children, fluid resuscitation will be required; oral hydration is generally sufficient by smaller burns. Surgical treatment of 2nd and 3rd degree burns starts within the first 24 days after injury. While complex treatment is generally available in peace time, a major accident such as a disco-fire that can generate hundreds casualties in a few minutes, can threaten our system and force the adoption of triage rules, and simplified treatments. Attitudes to adopt in such conditions are discussed.

Teories sobre l'estat de benestar

El sorgiment de l'estat de benestar al segle passat ha sofert diverses variacions i ha estat subjecte a distintes conceptualitzacions teòriques en vinculació a formes històricament anteriors de control de la pobresa vs. treball assalariat. Aquest i d'altres temes sobre la crisi actual de l'estat de benestar són objecte d'anàlisi en aquest article.

Saccharomyces cerevisiae Grx6 and Grx7 are monothiol glutaredoxins associated with the early secretory pathway

Saccharomyces cerevisiae Grx6 and Grx7 are two monothiol glutaredoxins whose active-site sequences (CSYS and CPYS, respectively) are reminiscent of the CPYC active-site sequence of classical dithiol glutaredoxins. Both proteins contain an N-terminal transmembrane domain which is responsible for their association to membranes of the early secretory pathway vesicles, facing the luminal side. Thus, Grx6 localizes at the endoplasmic reticulum and Golgi compartments, while Grx7 is mostly at the Golgi. Expression of GRX6 is modestly upregulated by several stresses (calcium, sodium, and peroxides) in a manner dependent on the Crz1-calcineurin pathway. Some of these stresses also upregulate GRX7 expression under the control of the Msn2/4 transcription factor. The N glycosylation inhibitor tunicamycin induces the expression of both genes along with protein accumulation. Mutants lacking both glutaredoxins display reduced sensitivity to tunicamycin, although the drug is still able to manifest its inhibitory effect on a reporter glycoprotein. Grx6 and Grx7 have measurable oxidoreductase activity in vivo, which is increased in the presence of tunicamycin. Both glutaredoxins could be responsible for the regulation of the sulfhydryl oxidative state at the oxidant conditions of the early secretory pathway vesicles. However, the differences in location and expression responses against stresses suggest that their functions are not totally overlapping.

Protein oligomers studied by solid-state NMR the case of the full-length nucleoid-associated protein histone-like nucleoid structuring protein

Members of the histone-like nucleoid structuring protein (H-NS) family play roles both as architectural proteins and as modulators of gene expression in Gram-negative bacteria. The H-NS protein participates in modulatory processes that respond to environmental changes in osmolarity, pH, or temperature. H-NS oligomerization is essential for its activity. Structural models of different truncated forms are available. However, high-resolution structural details of full-length H-NS and its DNA-bound state have largely remained elusive. We report on progress in characterizing the biologically active H-NS oligomers with solid-state NMR. We compared uniformly ((13)C,(15)N)-labeled ssNMR preparations of the isolated N-terminal region (H-NS 1-47) and full-length H-NS (H-NS 1-137). In both cases, we obtained ssNMR spectra of good quality and characteristic of well-folded proteins. Analysis of the results of 2D and 3D (13)C-(13)C and (15)N-(13)C correlation experiments conducted at high magnetic field led to assignments of residues located in different topological regions of the free full-length H-NS. These findings confirm that the structure of the N-terminal dimerization domain is conserved in the oligomeric full-length protein. Small changes in the dimerization interface suggested by localized chemical shift variations between solution and solid-state spectra may be relevant for DNA recoginition.

Tipologies ceràmiques i tècniques quantitatives: apunts d"historiografia i procediments

[cas] Si bien los conceptos de «clasificación» y «tipología» han estado vinculados a la Arqueología desde las primeras seriaciones de materiales puramente descriptivas de los primeros anticuarios y diletantes de los siglos XVII-XVIII, no es menos cierto que su desarrollo ulterior durante los siglos XIX y XX madurado al abrigo del marco cientificista del positivismo decimonónico se ha visto estimulado fundamentalmente por dos factores necesarios. En primer lugar, por el permanente debate librado por las diferentes corrientes teórico-metodológicas que incansablemente han ido sacudiendo uno tras otro, en un imparable proceso dialéctico, los sucesivos paradigmas preexistentes. Y en segundo lugar, por el progreso de la tecnología informática, que permitió el procesamiento más rápido y objetivo del cada vez más numeroso y abrumador conjunto de datos generado por la investigación.

Il canone del Novecento letterario italiano in Spagna

The essay offers a thorough analysis on the issue of the reception of XXth Century Italian Literature in Spain. The age af the avant-garde and the late Fifties are signalled as the decisive moments in the affirmation of such influence, whereas the Sixties mark the beginning of a declining phase, which had different outcomes in poetry and in narrative. In defining this complex trajectory, a wide range of cultural indicators have been used (such as: translations; anthologies; militant criticism; the influence upon individual writers or rather upon relevant reading communities etc.), and the limitations imposed by the specific cultural and epistemological expectations, considered in their well determined historical context, have also been observed.

Glutamine and antioxidants in the critically ill patient: a post hoc analysis of a large-scale randomized trial.

BACKGROUND: The recent large randomized controlled trial of glutamine and antioxidant supplementation suggested that high-dose glutamine is associated with increased mortality in critically ill patients with multiorgan failure. The objectives of the present analyses were to reevaluate the effect of supplementation after controlling for baseline covariates and to identify potentially important subgroup effects. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study was a post hoc analysis of a prospective factorial 2 × 2 randomized trial conducted in 40 intensive care units in North America and Europe. In total, 1223 mechanically ventilated adult patients with multiorgan failure were randomized to receive glutamine, antioxidants, both glutamine and antioxidants, or placebo administered separate from artificial nutrition. We compared each of the 3 active treatment arms (glutamine alone, antioxidants alone, and glutamine + antioxidants) with placebo on 28-day mortality. Post hoc, treatment effects were examined within subgroups defined by baseline patient characteristics. Logistic regression was used to estimate treatment effects within subgroups after adjustment for baseline covariates and to identify treatment-by-subgroup interactions (effect modification). RESULTS: The 28-day mortality rates in the placebo, glutamine, antioxidant, and combination arms were 25%, 32%, 29%, and 33%, respectively. After adjusting for prespecified baseline covariates, the adjusted odds ratio of 28-day mortality vs placebo was 1.5 (95% confidence interval, 1.0-2.1, P = .05), 1.2 (0.8-1.8, P = .40), and 1.4 (0.9-2.0, P = .09) for glutamine, antioxidant, and glutamine plus antioxidant arms, respectively. In the post hoc subgroup analysis, both glutamine and antioxidants appeared most harmful in patients with baseline renal dysfunction. No subgroups suggested reduced mortality with supplements. CONCLUSIONS: After adjustment for baseline covariates, early provision of high-dose glutamine administered separately from artificial nutrition was not beneficial and may be associated with increased mortality in critically ill patients with multiorgan failure. For both glutamine and antioxidants, the greatest potential for harm was observed in patients with multiorgan failure that included renal dysfunction upon study enrollment.

Coal deposition in carbonate rich shallow Lacustrine systems: The Calaf and Mequinenza sequences (Oligocene, eastern Ebro Basin, NE Spain)

Two main coal-bearing sequences developed during the Oligocene in the Tertiary Ebro Basin, the Calaf (early Oligocene) and Mequinenza (late Oligocene) coal basins. Coal deposition took place in shallow marsh-swamp-lake complexes which sometimes became closed and evolved under warm climatic conditions with fluctuating humidity. These shallow lacustrine systems are closely interrelated with the terminal parts of the distributive fluvial systems which spread from the tectonically active Ebro basin margins. Laterally extensive lignite-bearing sequences, including rather thin, lenticular autochthonous and/or hypautochthonous coal seams with high ash and sulphur contents, characterized coal deposition in the shallow lacustrine systems. Coal seam geometry, which makes them nearly subeconomic, resulted from the tectonic instability during basin margin evolution and the sometimes closed, arid conditions under which the lacustrine systems evolved. High ash and sulphur contents resulted from the inadequate isolation of peat forming environments from clastic influx and from the very low acidity and sometimes high sulphate contents of the lacustrine waters. Coal exploration in shallow lacustrine sequences similar to those described here must take into account that the spread of coal-forming environments and maxima of coal deposition are usually coincident with lake expansions and retraction or shifting of the terminal fluvial zones interrelated with the lacustrine areas.

Yhteiskuntavastuuraporttien ulkoinen varmentaminen

Tutkimuksen päätavoitteena oli tutkia miten suomalaiset suuret pörssiyritykset ulkoisesti varmentavat yhteiskuntavastuuraporttinsa. Lisäksi tavoitteena oli tutkia miten yritykset arvioivat varmentamisen vaikuttavan raporttien luotettavuuteen. Työn teorian muodosti kansainväliset ja kotimaiset kirjat ja artikkelit. Empiirinen aineisto kerättiin yritysten yhteiskuntavastuuraporteista, yritysten internetsivuilta ja haastatteluilla. Teemahaastatteluja tehtiin neljälle yrityksen edustajalle ja kahdelle tilintarkastusyhteisön ulkoi-selle varmentajalle. Tutkimusmenetelmä oli kvalitatiivinen ja kuvaileva. Yhteiskuntavastuun huomioiminen ja siitä raportoiminen on yleistynyt Suomessa ja maailmalla 2000-luvulla. Yritykset koetaan tänä päivänä merkittäviksi tekijöiksi yhteiskunnassa ja näin ollen yrityksiltä vaaditaan vastuullista ja ehdottoman luotettavaa toimintaa. Vastuun kantamista vaa-ditaan erityisesti kansainvälisiltä yrityksiltä. Sidosryhmät odottavat yritysten yhteiskuntavastuuraporttien tarjoavan luotettavaa tietoa päätöksenteon tueksi. Luotettavuuden ja uskottavuuden lisäämiseksi, jotkut yritykset ovat alkaneet käyttää yhteiskuntavastuuraporttien ulkoista varmennusta. Ulkoisella varmentamisella tarkoitetaan sellaista toimintaa, jossa kolmas riip-pumaton taho varmentaa yrityksen ei-taloudellisen raportin.

Esquisse d'une anthropologie clinique I. Anthropopsychiatrie et anthropologie sémiotique

La psychiatrie (la clinique psychopathologique en général) connaît en ce début de XXIe siècle une situation complexe. Coincée entre naturalisation de l'esprit et constructionnisme social, la possibilité de contribuer à la constitution d'une science autonome qui traite de la souffrance psychique est aujourd'hui problématique. Les nombreux réductionnismes à l'oeuvre, de type nosographique, diagnostique, psychopharmacologique, les concurrences épistémologiques et les dogmatismes des modèles psychothérapeutiques, dessinent un paysage où s'engager à poursuivre la voie d'une psychiatrie spécifiquement humaine et articulée aux sciences naturelles relève de la gageure. C'est le défi de l'anthropologie clinique. Deux articles lui sont consacrés. Dans ce premier article, après avoir fait le constat de certaines impasses qui menacent la psychiatrie contemporaine et rappelé les origines du projet de l'anthropologique clinique, les auteurs présentent les deux démarches qui la fondent, chacune opérant dans un esprit d'interdisciplinarité : l'anthropopsychiatrie de Jacques Schotte et l'anthropologie sémiotique formulée par Jean Lassègue, Victor Rosenthal et Yves-Marie Visetti. Un deuxième article déploiera le potentiel intégratif d'un tel paradigme, constitué sur la base de ces deux démarches conjointes. Psychiatry (psychopathology clinics in general) is in a complex situation at the beginning of 21st century. Wedged between mind naturalization and social constructionism, the possibility of contributing to the establishment of an autonomous science that deals with mental suffering is problematic today. The many nosographic, diagnostic, psychopharmacological reductionisms at work as well as the competing epistemologies and the dogmatisms of psychotherapeutic models draw a challenging landscape for those following the path of a specifically human psychiatry articulated to natural sciences. This is the challenge of clinical anthropology which is presented in two parts. In the first part, after examining several dead ends which threaten contemporary psychiatry and pointing out the origins of the clinical anthropology project, the authors present its two foundational approaches. Each approach driven by a spirit of interdisciplinarity : Jacques Schotte's anthropopsychiatry and the semiotic anthropology as formulated by Jean Lassègue, Victor Rosenthal and Yves-Marie Visetti. A second part will describe the integrative potential of such a paradigm, based on these two joint approaches.

Cost-effectiveness of Tenofovir / Emtricitabine / Efavirenz versus Zidovudine / Lamivudine / Efavirenz as fist-line regimens for the treatment of HIV-infected patients in low-income settings

The Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy (HAART) is the combination of at least three antiretroviral compounds. The combination purpose is to reduce the likelihood of drug resistance. However in the long-term the resistance to the first-line combination occurs and leads to treatment failure. Thus, a second-line and even a third-line regimen are recommended in the long run. [...] [P. 5] The two treatment alternatives under comparison: Tenofovir (300 mg) CO-formulated with Emtricitabine (200 mg) and Efavirenz (600 mg) currently known under the brand name Atripla (R) was introduced in July 2006 in the United States market. The excellent safety profile and ease of use make this combination a perfect first-line regimen in low-income settings. Therefore, this treatment option was recommended in WHO 2006 reviewed guidelines. Unfortunately, Tenofovir and Emtricitabine compounds are still costly and not yet widely available. For a matter of simplification this regimen is referred in this report as "the recent" therapy. Initially, we had in mind to consider the most frequently used first-line regimen in low-income countries (Stavudine / Larnivudme / Nevirapine) as a comparator for this economic evaluation. Unfortunately, according to the literature review results (see Annex 3); there was no data available comparing head to head the effectiveness of this regimen with the recent one. Instead, we selected a less frequently but commonly used first-line regimen in low-income countries as a comparator: Zidovudine, Lamivudine, Efavirenz. This combination has extensive experience in durability, safety and toxicity and seems to be an optimal choice for a first-line regimen according to the clinical trial group 384 team. Furthermore, Zidovudine, one of the compounds of this combination is now recommended as one of the preferred NNRTI [Non Nucleoside Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors] options to be considered by countries instead of Stavudine (the most used NNRTI in limited-income countries). As this combination has been included in the WHO guidelines as a first-line therapy since 2003 when WHO launched the "3 by 5" scaling-up initiative, this combination of drugs is referred in this report as the "old" therapy. Objectives: The primary objective of this economic evaluation is to compare the two first-line HAARTs introduced above, in a low-income setting context. Both of these combinations are recommended by the 2006 WHO guidelines as potential first-line regimens. The secondary objective is to provide a simplified and comprehensible cost-effectiveness modeling tool in order to help policy makers, in resource-limited settings, make decisions about which first-line HAART to fund using the scarce resources available. [P. 6-7]

Quimiluminescência orgânica: alguns experimentos de demonstração para a sala de aula

The generation of "cold light", visible to the human eye, by chemical reactions has attracted the attention of the scientific community since the beginning of this century. Besides the academic interest in the elucidation of the mechanisms of excited state formations, many chemiluminescence reactions have found widespread analytical applications. Moreover, the phenomenon of chemiluminescence can also be used as a tool in undergraduate and college teaching. In this article, we describe several known chemiluminescence demonstrations, which are suitable for school teaching. The main objective of this work is to produce didactic material in Portuguese to stimulate Brazilian secondary and high school teachers to use these experiments in the classroom. The demonstrations include singlet oxygen emission, the luminol reaction, oscillating chemiluminescence and the peroxyoxalate reaction.

Colapso da equipartição da energia

This paper discuss the consequences of the equipartition principle when used to calculate the heat capacity of atoms and molecules, a discussion that appeared at the end of XIX century and beginning of the XX century. Classical molecular thermodynamics prediction of the heat capacity is introduced, followed by a presentation of the degrees of freedom of a system. The historical discussion that appeared at the time, by Dulong, Petit, Maxwell, Boltzmann, Rayleigh and Kelvin is discussed afterwards. The necessity of a new theory is also presented as a direct consequence of the equipartition principle collapse.