Les bisses et leurs modes d'organisation au XXIe siècle, un modèle de gestion durable ? : étude de cas à Savièse

Le décalage entre la sacralisation du principe du développement durable et la subsistance de pratiques néfastes pour l'environnement et les ressources naturelles ne va pas sans poser un certain nombre de questions sur les raisons qui expliquent cette situation; cela soulève en particulier la question de la définition exacte de ce qui peut et doit être considéré comme une exploitation durable des ressources. Dans ce contexte, ce travail se propose d'évaluer un mode de gestion dont il a été affirmé à plusieurs reprises qu'il s'agissait d'un «modèle de gestion durable»: les modes d'organisation communautaires liés à l'irrigation par les bisses, ces canaux à ciel ouvert très répandus en Valais. Notre approche, qui se situe dans la continuité des travaux sur les Régimes Institutionnels de Ressources (RIR) et repose sur une conception indéniablement forte de la durabilité, propose une grille d'analyse novatrice à travers l'assimilation des réseaux d'irrigation à des complexes multiressourciels composés des ressources eau, infrastructures (bisse) et sol. L'application rigoureuse de cette grille au cas de Savièse permet - en mettant en évidence les lacunes et les incohérences des modes de gestion qui, en 2010, sont mis en place autour du réseau encore partiellement composé de bisses - de démontrer que leur caractère durable ne va pas de soi et nécessite sans aucun doute une analyse au cas par cas.

Creació d'un CD-Live LINUX UOC

Aquesta memòria recull les tasques realitzades per tal d'obtenir un CD que contingui una versió de LINUX personalitzada, amb la utilitat de poder ser utilitzada com a eina bàsica pels alumnes al llarg dels estudis cursats a la UOC. Es tracta d'un CD autoarrencable, cosa que vol dir que es pot executar directament des de qualsevol lector de CD, sense haver-se d'instal·lar permanentment en el disc dur dels PC.

National Audit of the Organisation of Services for Falls and Bone Health of Older People

This report presents the results of the second national audit which examines the organisation of services provided to older people for falls prevention and bone health. Falls and fractures are a common and serious problem affecting older people, with high levels of personal and financial cost. National guidelines, supported by the research evidence, require the provision of integrated services for falls and fracture prevention and treatment. Effective commissioning is needed to produce such high quality services.��This audit was commissioned by the Healthcare Quality Improvement Partnership (HQIP) as part of the second cycle of audits on services for the prevention of falls and fractures in older people. It follows the first organisational audit, performed in 2005, and the clinical audit of 2007. All were audited against specific standards from the National Service Framework for Older People (NSF) and guidance from the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE). Since the first audit, indicators have been added or updated in line with new guidance including that on falls prevention of inpatients following the National Patient Safety Agency (NPSA) report on slips, trips and falls in hospital (2007). For the first time, the audit also looks specifically at falls and fracture prevention in mental healthcare and a sample of care homes.

Public Policy and Ageing in Northern Ireland: Identifying Levers for Change

Public Policy and Ageing in Northern Ireland: Identifying Levers for Change Judith Cross, Policy Officer with the Centre for Ageing Research Development in Ireland (CARDI)��������Introduction Identifying a broad range of key public policy initiatives as they relate to age can facilitate discussion and create new knowledge within and across government to maximise the opportunities afforded by an ageing population. This article looks at how examining the current public policy frameworks in Northern Ireland can present opportunities for those working in this field for the benefit of older people. Good policy formulation needs to be evidence-based, flexible, innovative and look beyond institutional boundaries. Bringing together architects and occupational therapists, for example, has the potential to create better and more effective ways relevant to health, housing, social services and government departments. Traditional assumptions of social policy towards older people have tended to be medically focused with an emphasis on care and dependency. This in turn has consequences for the design and delivery of services for older people. It is important that these assumptions are challenged as changes in thinking and attitudes can lead to a redefinition of ageing, resulting in policies and practices that benefit older people now and in the future. Older people, their voices and experiences, need to be central to these developments. The Centre for Ageing Research and Development in Ireland The Centre for Ageing Research and Development in Ireland (CARDI) (1) is a not for profit organisation developed by leaders from the ageing field across Ireland (North and South) including age sector focused researchers and academics, statutory and voluntary, and is co-chaired by Professor Robert Stout and Professor Davis Coakley. CARDI has been established to provide a mechanism for greater collaboration among age researchers, for wider dissemination of ageing research information and to advance a research agenda relevant to the needs of older people in Ireland, North and South. Operating at a strategic level and in an advisory capacity, CARDI�۪s work focuses on promoting research co-operation across sectors and disciplines and concentrates on influencing the strategic direction of research into older people and ageing in Ireland. It has been strategically positioned around the following four areas: Identifying and establishing ageing research priorities relevant to policy and practice in Ireland, North and South;Promoting greater collaboration and co-operation on ageing research in order to build an ageing research community in Ireland, North and South;Stimulating research in priority areas that can inform policy and practice relating to ageing and older people in Ireland, North and South;Communicating strategic research issues on ageing to raise the profile of ageing research in Ireland, North and South, and its role in informing policy and practice. Context of Ageing in Ireland Ireland �۪s population is ageing. One million people aged 60 and over now live on the island of Ireland. By 2031, it is expected that Northern Ireland�۪s percentage of older people will increase to 28% and the Republic of Ireland�۪s to 23%. The largest increase will be in the older old; the number aged 80+ is expected to triple by the same date. However while life expectancy has increased, it is not clear that life without disability and ill health has increased to the same extent. A growing number of older people may face the combined effects of a decline in physical and mental function, isolation and poverty. Policymakers, service providers and older people alike recognise the need to create a high quality of life for our ageing population. This challenge can be meet by addressing the problems relating to healthy ageing, reducing inequalities in later life and creating services that are shaped by, and appropriate for, older people. Devolution and Structures of Government in Northern Ireland The Agreement (2) reached in the Multi-Party Negotiations in Belfast 1998 established the Northern Ireland Assembly which has full legislative authority for all transferred matters. The majority of social and economic public policy such as; agriculture, arts, education, health, environment and planning is determined by the Northern Ireland Assembly at Stormont. There are 11 Government Departments covering the main areas of responsibility with 108 elected Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLA�۪s). The powers of the Northern Ireland Assembly do not cover ��� reserved�۪ matters or ��� excepted�۪ matters . These are the responsibility of Westminster and include issues such as, tax, social security, policing, justice, defence, immigration and foreign affairs. Northern Ireland has 18 elected Members of Parliament (MP�۪s) to the House of Commons. Public Policy Context in Northern Ireland The economic, social and political consequence of an ageing population is a challenge for policy makers across government. Considering the complex and diverse causal factors that contribute to ageing in Northern Ireland, there are a number of areas of government policy at regional, national and international levels that are likely to impact in this area. International The Madrid International Plan of Action on Ageing (3) and the Research Agenda on Ageing for the 21st Century (4) provide important mechanisms for furthering research into ageing. The United Kingdom has signed up to these. The Madrid International Plan of Action on Ageing commits member states to a systematic review of the Plan of Action through Regional Implementation Strategies. The United Kingdom�۪s Regional Implementation Strategy covers Northern Ireland. National At National level, pension and social security are high on the agenda. The Pensions Act (5) became law in 2007 and links pensions increases with earnings as opposed to prices from 2012. Additional credits for people raising children and caring for older people to boost their pensions were introduced. Some protections are included for those who lost occupational pensions as a result of underfunded schemes being wound up before April 2005. In relation to State Pensions and benefits, this Act will bring changes to state pensions in future. The Act now places the Pension Credit element which is up-rated in line with or above earnings, on a permanent, statutory footing. Regional At regional level there are a number of age related public policy initiatives that have the potential to impact positively on the lives of older people in Northern Ireland. Some are specific to ageing such as the Ageing in an Inclusive Society (6) and others by their nature are cross-cutting such as Lifetime Opportunities: Governments Anti-Poverty Strategy for Northern Ireland (7). The main public policy framework in Northern Ireland is the Programme for Government: Building a Better Future, 2008-2011(PfG) (8) . The PfG, is the overarching high level policy framework for Northern Ireland and provides useful principles for ageing research and public policy in Northern Ireland. The PfG vision is to build a peaceful, fair and prosperous society in Northern Ireland, with respect for the rule of law. A number of Public Service Agreements (PSA) aligned to the PfG confirm key actions that will be taken to support the priorities that the Government aim to achieve over the next three years. For example objective 2 of PSA 7: Making Peoples�۪ Lives Better: Drive a programme across Government to reduce poverty and address inequality and disadvantage, refers to taking forward strategic action to promote social inclusion for older people; and to deliver a strong independent voice for older people. The Office of the First Minister and deputy First Minister (OFMDFM) have recently appointed an Interim Older People�۪s Advocate, Dame Joan Harbison to provide a focus for older peoples issues across Government. Ageing in an Inclusive Society is the cross-departmental strategy for older people in Northern Ireland and was launched in March 2005. It sets out the approach to be taken across Government to promote and support the inclusion of older people. The vision coupled with six strategic objectives form the basis of the action plans accompanying the strategy. The vision is: ���To ensure that age related policies and practices create an enabling environment, which offers everyone the opportunity to make informed choices so that they may pursue healthy, active and positive ageing.�۝ (Ageing in an Inclusive Society, Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister, 2005) Action planning and maintaining momentum across government in relation to this strategy has proved to be slower than anticipated. It is proposed to refresh this Strategy in line with Opportunity Age ��� meeting the challenges of ageing in the 21st Century (9). There are a number of policy levers elsewhere which can also be used to promote the positive aspects of an ageing society. The Investing for Health (10) and A Healthier Future:A 20 Year Vision for Health and Well-being in Northern Ireland (11), seek to ensure that the overall vision for health and wellbeing is achievable and provides a useful framework for ageing policy and research in the health area. These health initiatives have the potential to positively impact on the quality of life of older people and provide a useful framework for improving current policy and practice. In addition to public policy initiatives, the anti-discrimination frameworks in terms of employment in Northern Ireland cover age as well as a range of other grounds. Goods facilitates and services are currently excluded from the Employment Equality (age) Regulations (NI) 2006 (12). Supplementing the anti-discrimination measures, Section 75 of the Northern Ireland Act 1998 (13), unique to Northern Ireland, places a statutory obligation on public authorities in fulfilling their functions to promote equality of opportunity across nine grounds, one of which is age(14). This positive duty has the potential to make a real difference to the lives of older people in Northern Ireland. Those affected by policy decisions must be consulted and their interests taken into account. This provides an opportunity for older people and their representatives to participate in public policy-making, right from the start of the process. Policy and Research Interface ���Ageing research is vital as decisions in relation to policy and practice and resource allocation will be made on the best available information�۝. (CARDI�۪s Strategic Plan 2008-2011) As outlined earlier, CARDI has been established to bridge the gap to ensure that research reaches those involved in making policy decisions. CARDI is stimulating the ageing research agenda in Ireland through a specific research fund that has a policy and practice focus. My work is presently focusing on helping to build a greater awareness of the key policy levers and providing opportunities for those within research and policy to develop closer links. The development of this shared understanding by establishing these links between researchers and policy makers is seen as the best predictor for research utilization. It is important to acknowledge and recognise that researchers and policy makers operate in different institutional, political and cultural contexts. Research however needs to ���resonate�۪ with the contextual factors in which policy makers operate. Conclusions Those working within the public policy field recognise all too often that the development of government policies and initiatives in respect of age does not guarantee that they will result in changes in actual provision of services, despite Government recommendations and commitments. The identification of public policy initiatives as they relate to age has the potential to highlight persistent and entrenched difficulties that social policy has previously failed to address. Furthermore, the identification of these difficulties can maximise the opportunities for progressing these across government. A focus on developing effective and meaningful targets to ensure measurable outcomes in public policy for older people can assist in this. Access to sound, credible and up-to-date evidence will be vital in this respect. As well as a commitment to working across departmental boundaries to effect change. Further details: If you would like to discuss this paper or for further information about CARDI please contact: Judith Cross, Policy Officer, Centre for Ageing Research and Development in Ireland CARDI). t: +44 (0) 28 9069 0066; m: +353 (0) 867 904 171; e: judith@cardi.ie ; or visit our website at: www.cardi.ie References 1) Centre for Ageing Research and Development in Ireland (2008) Strategic Plan 2008-2011. Belfast. CARDI 2) The Agreement: Agreement Reached in the Multi-Party Negotiations. Belfast 1998 3) Madrid International Plan of Action on Ageing. http://www.un.org/ageing/ 4) UN Programme on Ageing (2007) Research Agenda on Ageing for the 21st Century: 2007 Update. New York. New York. UN Programme on Ageing and the International Association of Gerontology and Geriatrics. 5) The Pensions Act 2007 Chapter 22 6) Office of the First Minister and deputy First Minister (2005). Ageing in an Inclusive Society. Belfast. OFMDFM Central Anti-Poverty Unit. 7) Office of the First Minister and deputy First Minister (2005). Lifetime Opportunities: Government�۪s Anti-Poverty and Social Inclusion Strategy for Northern Ireland. Belfast. OFMDFM Central Anti-Poverty Unit. 8) Northern Ireland Executive (2008) Building a Better Future: Programme for Government 2008-2011. Belfast. OFMDFM Economic Policy Unit. 9) Department for Work and Pensions, (2005) Opportunity Age: Meeting the Challenges of Ageing in the 21 st Century. London. DWP. 10) Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety (DHSS&PS) (2002) Investing for Health. Belfast. DHSS&PS. 11) Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety (DHSS&PS) (2005) A Healthier Future:A 20 Year Vision for Health and Well-being in Northern Ireland Belfast. DHSS&PS. �� 12) The Employment Equality (Age) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2006 SR2006 No.261 13) The Northern Ireland Act 1998, Part VII, S75 14) The nine grounds covered under S75 of the Northern Ireland Act are: gender, religion, race, sexual orientation, those with dependents, disability, political opinion, marital status and age.

Highly educated men and women likely to live longer

Life expectancy by educational attainment is a very important indicator of socio-economic inequalities in health. Based on the available data for a selection of EU Member States and Norway, a systematic relationship between educational attainment and mortality can be observed: at any age, life expectancy is less among persons with the lowest educational attainment and increases with educational level.Large differences in life expectancy by educational attainment can be observed among Member States. Moreover, these differences are more pronounced for men than for women.

Procés de creació i personalització d'un CD-Live

Aquest projecte tracta del procés de creació d'un CD-Live (CD autoarrencable) complet amb els requeriments d'un alumne de la UOC, basat en el projecte Metadistros. El procés inclou tres grans apartats: en primer lloc, la configuració de l'equip per a poder crear les metadistribucions d'una manera genèrica; en segon lloc, la instal·lació i la configuració d'un sistema mínim, i, finalment, la personalització d'aquest sistema fins a tenir una distribució adaptada al perfil d'un alumne de la UOC.

Comparison between morphological and staining characteristics of live and dead eggs of Schistosoma mansoni

Schistosoma mansoni eggs are classified, according to morphological characteristics, as follows: viable mature and immature eggs; dead mature and immature eggs, shells and granulomas. The scope of this study was to compare the staining characteristics of different morphological types of eggs in the presence of fluorescent labels and vital dyes, aiming at differentiating live and dead eggs. The eggs were obtained from the intestines of infected mice, and put into saline 0.85%. The fluorescent labels were Hoechst 33258 and Acridine Orange + Ethidium Bromide and vital dyes (Trypan Blue 0.4% and Neutral Red 1%). When labelled with the probe Hoechst 33258, some immature eggs, morphologically considered viable, presented fluorescence (a staining characteristic detected only in dead eggs); mature eggs did not present fluorescence, and the other types of dead eggs, morphologically defined, showed fluorescence. As far as Acridine Orange + Ethidium Bromide are concerned, either the eggs considered to be live, or the dead ones, presented staining with green color, and only the hatched and motionless miracidium was stained with an orange color. Trypan Blue was not able to stain the eggs, considered to be dead but only dead miracidia which had emerged out of the shell. Neutral Red stained both live and dead eggs. Only the fluorescent Hoechst 33258 can be considered a useful tool for differentiation between dead and live eggs.

Analysis of synaptic-like microvesicle exocytosis of B-cells using a live imaging technique.

Pancreatic β-cells play central roles in blood glucose homeostasis. Beside insulin, these cells release neurotransmitters and other signaling molecules stored in synaptic-like microvesicles (SLMVs). We monitored SLMV exocytosis by transfecting a synaptophysin-pHluorin construct and by visualizing the cells by Total Internal Reflection Fluorescence (TIRF) microscopy. SLMV fusion was elicited by 20 mM glucose and by depolarizing K(+) concentrations with kinetics comparable to insulin secretion. SLMV exocytosis was prevented by Tetanus and Botulinum-C neurotoxins indicating that the fusion machinery of these organelles includes VAMP-2/-3 and Syntaxin-1, respectively. Sequential visualization of SLMVs by TIRF and epifluorescence microscopy showed that after fusion the vesicle components are rapidly internalized and the organelles re-acidified. Analysis of single fusion episodes revealed the existence of two categories of events. While under basal conditions transient fusion events prevailed, long-lasting episodes were more frequent upon secretagogue exposure. Our observations unveiled similarities between the mechanism of exocytosis of insulin granules and SLMVs. Thus, diabetic conditions characterized by defective insulin secretion are most probably associated also with inappropriate release of molecules stored in SLMVs. The assessment of the contribution of SLMV exocytosis to the manifestation of the disease will be facilitated by the use of the imaging approach described in this study.

Organisation structurale du noyau et de microtubules de cellules de mammifères observés par cryo-microscopie électronique de sections hydratées

RESUME L'architecture nucléaire ainsi que l'ultrastructure des microtubules ont été abondamment étudiées par des méthodes cytochimiques utilisant des échantillons fixés chimiquement, enrobés dans des résines ou fixés à basse température. Les échantillons fixés à basse température pouvant aussi avoir été substitués, déshydratés et enrobés dans des résines pour la plupart hydrophiles. Ici, nous avons étendu ces études en utilisant la microscopie électronique effectuée sur des sections hydratées (CEMOVIS) permettant d'observer les échantillons dans un état le plus proche de leur état natif. De plus, nous avons effectué de la tomographie électronique sur des sections hydratées (TOVIS) afin d'obtenir une vision tridimensionnelle de : 1) la périphérie du noyau et de la région périchromatinienne et 2) de la lumière des microtubules. Concernant l'architecture nucléaire Nos observations montrent que le nucléole et la chromatine condensée sont facilement visualisés grâce à la texture spécifique qu'ils arborent. Au contraire, la visualisation de domaines nucléaires importants et spécialement ceux qui contiennent des ribonucléoprotéines, est rendue difficile, à cause du faible contraste qui caractérise l'espace interchromatinien. Ceci est essentiellement dû à la quantité d'information présente dans le volume de la section qui semble être superposée, lorsque observée sur des micrographies en deux dimensions. La tomographie nous a permis de mieux visualiser les différentes régions du noyau. Les mottes de chromatine condensée sont décorées à leur périphérie (région périchromatinienne), par nombre de fibrilles et granules. Des tunnels d'espace interchromatinien sont occasionnellement observés en train de traverser des régions de chromatine condensée favorisant l'accès aux pores nucléaires. Enfin, nous avons pu, au niveau d'un pore unique, observer la plupart des structures caractéristiques du complexe de pore nucléaire. Concernant l'ultrastructure des microtubules: Nous avons démontré que la polarité d'un microtubule observé in situ en section transversale, par CEMOVIS, est directement déduite de l'observation de la chiralité de ses protofilaments. Cette chiralité, a été établie précédemment comme étant liée à la morphologie des sous unités de tubuline. La tomographie électronique effectuée sur des sections hydratées, nous a permis d'observer les microtubules dans leur contexte cellulaire avec une résolution suffisante pour visualiser des détails moléculaires, comme les monomères de tubuline. Ainsi, des molécules n'ayant pas encore été caractérisées, ont été observées dans la lumière des microtubules. Ces observations ont été effectuées autant sur des cellules observées en coupe par CEMOVIS que sur des cellules congelées dans leur totalité par immersion dans un bain d'éthane liquide. Enfin, nous avons montré que les microtubules étaient aussi de formidables objets, permettant une meilleure compréhension des artéfacts de coupe occasionnés lors de la préparation des échantillons par CEMOVIS. Les buts des études qui seront menées â la suite de ce travail seront de 1) essayer de localiser des domaines nucléaires spécifiques par des approches cytochimiques avant la congélation des cellules. 2) Appliquer des méthodes de moyennage afin d'obtenir un modèle tridimensionnel de la structure du complexe de pore nucléaire dans son contexte cellulaire. 3) Utiliser des approches biochimiques afin de déterminer la nature exacte des particules qui se trouvent dans la lumière des microtubules. ABSTRACT Nuclear architecture as well as microtubule ultrastructure have been extensively investigated by means of different methods of ultrastructural cytochemistry using chemically fixed and resin embedded samples or following cryofixation, cryosubstitution and embedding into various, especially partially hydrophilic resins. Here, we extend these studies using cryoelectron microscopy of vitreous sections (CEMOVIS) which allows one to observe the specimen as close as possible to its native state. Furthermore, we applied cryoelectron tomography of vitreous sections (TOVIS) in order to obtain athree-dimensional view of: 1) the nuclear periphery, and of the perichromatin region, and 2) the microtubule lumen. Concerning the nuclear architecture: Our observations show that nucleoli and condensed chromatin are well recognisable due to their specific texture. Conversely, the visualisation of other important nuclear domains, especially those containing ribonucleoproteins, is seriously hampered by a generally low contrast of the interchromatin region. This is mainly due to the plethora of information superposed in the volume of the section observed on two-dimensional micrographs. Cryoelectron tomography allowed us to better visualise nuclear regions. Condensed chromatin clumps are decorated on their periphery, the perichromatin region, by numerous fibrils and granules. Tunnels of interchromatin space can occasionally be found as crossing condensed chromatin regions, thus, allowing the access to nuclear pores. Finally, we were able to use TOVIS to directly distinguish most of the nuclear pore complex structures, at the level of a single pore. Concerning the microtubule ultrastructure: We have demonstrated that the polarity of across-sectioned microtubule observed in situ by CEMOVIS wás directly deducible from the visualisation of the tubulin protofiíaments' chirality. This chirality has been established before as related to the shape. of the tubulin subunits. Cryoelectron tomography allowed us to observe microtubules in their cellular context at a resolution sufficient to resolve molecular details such as their tubulin monomers. In this way, uncharacterized molecules were visualised in the microtubule lumen. These observations were made either on samples prepared by CEMOVIS or plunge freezing of whole cells. Finally, we have shown that microtubules are also relevant objects for the understanding of cutting artefacts, when performing CEMOVIS. The goals of our further studies will be to: 1) try to speciifically target different nuclear domains by cytochemical approaches in situ, prior to cryofixation. 2) Apply averaging methods in order to obtain a three-dimensional model of the nuclear pore complex at work, in its cellular context. 3) Use biochemical analysis combined in a second time to immunocytochemical approaches, to determine the exact nature of the microtubule's luminal particles.