Bio-Dis and the Paddle Dissolution Apparatuses Applied to the Release Characterization of Ketoprofen from Hypromellose Matrices

The purposes of this work were: (1) to comparatively evaluate the effects of hypromellose viscosity grade and content on ketoprofen release from matrix tablets, using Bio-Dis and the paddle apparatuses, (2) to investigate the influence of the pH of the dissolution medium on drug release. Furthermore, since direct compression had not shown to be appropriate to obtain the matrices under study, it was also an objective (3) to evaluate the impact of granulation on drug release process. Six formulations of ketoprofen matrix tablets were obtained by compression, with or without previous granulation, varying the content and viscosity grade of hypromellose. Dissolution tests were carried out at a fixed pH, in each experiment, with the paddle method (pH 4.5, 6.0, 6.8, or 7.2), while a pH gradient was used in Bio-Dis (pH 1.2 to 7.2). The higher the hypromellose viscosity grade and content were, the lower the amount of ketoprofen released was in both apparatuses, the content effect being more expressive. Drug dissolution enhanced with the increase of the pH of the medium due to its pH-dependent solubility. Granulation caused an increase in drug dissolution and modified the mechanism of the release process.

Environmental issues and international relations, a new global (dis)order - the role of International Relations in promoting a concerted international system

Is it possible to talk about the rise of a new global (dis)order founded on the challenges posed by environmental issues? Through the review of the state of the art on the subject, this article analyzes the growing importance of the environment, and natural resources in particular, in international relations; and aims to raise awareness among International Relations scholars to the potential positive impact of the development of the discipline in integration with global environmental change studies.

Intervenção do Fisioterapeuta na (dis)função respiratória em Pediatria - da comunidade à agudização

Este seminário pretendeu actualizar o estado da arte na abordagem da (dis)função respiratória da criança, uma vez que, nesta área, o fisioterapeuta amplificou os limites de actuação, para além do modelo biomédico. Num dos extremos encontra-se a intervenção comunitária, cujo modelo propicia a educação e promoção de saúde, privilegiando estratégias que capacitem o cuidador; no outro extremo inclui-se a intervenção do fisioterapeuta nos cuidados intensivos e na agudização da doença. A intervenção do fisioterapeuta centra-se cada vez mais numa abordagem holística, tendo como objectivo não só o tratamento da afecção do sistema que está na base da (dis)função mas também das repercussões fisiológicas, funcionais e sociais para a criança e cuidadores, sendo também responsável pela actuação sobre os factores ambientais. Desta forma, este seminário tornou-se pertinente não só para fisioterapeutas que trabalhem directamente com crianças com patologia cárdio-respiratória, mas também àqueles cujo âmbito de intervenção seja mais direccionado para outras áreas ou condições de saúde, de forma a potenciar o modelo de transporte de O2. De facto, a abordagem da (dis) função respiratória da criança deve estar implícita em qualquer processo de (re)educação, sendo fundamental em casos como a paralisia cerebral, doenças neuromusculares, alterações posturais, doenças auto-imunes, entre outras. Pelas suas importantes repercussões no sistema cárdiorespiratório da criança, torna-se fundamental alertar o fisioterapeuta para um conjunto de estratégias que potenciem a sua intervenção. O seminário pretendeu também ter um carácter multidisciplinar, contando com a presença de preletores nacionais e internacionais, referências nas várias áreas das profissões de saúde.

A festa nazi em Le Roi des Aulnes. De Michel Tournier: eu-foria e dis-foria

Sugerido para estes encontros interdisciplinares, o tema da Festa reenvia-nos para sentimentos de alegria e plenitude, para algo que traz ao quofidiano a abolição do tempo, uma centelha de renovação e etemidade, que podemos denominar de euforia. De acordo com a etimologia, a palavra foria deriva do grego (popeív e significa trazer, levar, carregar, ao passo que o prefixo eu, (et)) da mesma origem, quer dizer bem. Se juntarmos à mesma palavra, foria, o prefixo Ôya, também de origem grega, obteremos, o confrário de euforia, isto é, disforia que significa carregar mal-estar, dificuldade, desgraça. O romance de Michel Tournier, Le Roi des aulnes,^ que, segundo o autor, esteve para ser intitulado La phorie,^ organiza-se em tomo de núcleos temáticos relacionados com o sentido da palavra ^r/úf. No romance, a euforia é definida pela personagem principal como uma festa, «porter avec bonheur», mas a leitura mostra que euforia (eu-foria) e disforia (dis-foria) são dois estados reversíveis, podendo existir em simultâneo, e que a face de um pode ocultar a do outro.

Life (dis)satisfaction and the decision to migrate: Evidence from Central and Eastern Europe

This paper provides empirical evidence of the impact of life satisfaction on the individual intention to migrate. The impacts of individual characteristics and of country macroeconomic variables on the intention to migrate are analyzed jointly. Differently from other studies, we allow for life satisfaction to serve as a mediator between macroeconomic variables and the intention to migrate. Using the Eurobarometer Survey for 27 Central Eastern European (CEE) and Western European (non-CEE) countries, we find that people have a higher intention to migrate when dissatisfied with life. The socio-economic variables and macroeconomic conditions have an effect on the intention to migrate indirectly through life satisfaction. The impact of life satisfaction on the intention to migrate for middle-aged individuals with past experience of migration, low level of education, and with a low or average income from urban areas is higher in CEE countries than in non-CEE countries.

Proportion, (dis)Harmonies, Identities

Number, dimension, geometric constructions, and the relationship between dimensions, proportion, are expressions of harmony and rhythm and considered a source of beauty in the things of nature, like crystals, plants, and animals, but also in human artefacts, as buildings and art in general. This is an old idea, which corresponds to the Pythagorean notion that the world is a harmonious mathematical creation and that in order to attend such harmony, the things we do have to obey the same mathematical laws. Proportion (dis)Harmonies and Identities, aims to promote awareness and reflection on the importance of this issue with the dissemination of researches of various fields of knowledge.

Incumbency (dis)advantage when citizens can propose

This paper analyses the problem that an incumbent faces during the legislature when deciding how to react to citizen proposals such as the outcome of referenda or popular initiatives. We argue that these proposals constitute a potential source of electoral disadvantage when citizens factor in their evaluation of the incumbent his reaction to these proposals. This is because an incumbent politician may jeopardize his re-election by implementing policies close to his preferred ones but unpopular among the electorate. We characterize conditions under which this potential disadvantage becomes in fact an electoral advantage for the incumbent. We find that the choices of the incumbent during the legislature will be closest to citizens policy proposals when the intensity of electoral competition is neither too soft nor too tough. Finally, we use our results to discuss some implications of the use of mechanisms such as referenda and popular assemblies on electoral competition and on the incumbency advantage phenomenon.

Debat sobre la desigualtat sexe/gènere i propostes u(dis)tòpiques: veus de dones

Realitat de les dones que viuen a Girona que tenen en comú, per una banda, la seva condició de dona, i per una altra banda, la de viure en una societat marcada per una diferència sexual i de gènere que es tradueix en desigualtat social. La tipologia de dones és molt diversa i inclou les que treballen a casa, les que treballen fora de casa, les feministes, les que no ho són, etc

How to (dis)solve Nagel's paradox about moral luck and responsibility

Abstract In this paper I defend a solution to the moral luck problem based on what I call "a fair opportunity account of control." I focus on Thomas Nagel's claim that moral luck reveals a paradox, and argue that the apparent paradox emerges only because he assumes that attributions of responsibility require agents to have total control over their actions. I argue that a more modest understanding of what it takes for someone to be a responsible agent-i.e., being capable of doing the right thing for the right reasons-dissolves the paradox and shows that responsibility and luck aren't at odds.