Border adjustment mechanisms :Elements for economic, legal, and political analysis

This paper examines, from a multidisciplinary perspective, plausible hypotheses for implementation of border carbon adjustment mechanisms, seen as a complement to strong environmental regulation. It highlights economic, legal, and political difficulties raised by border carbon adjustments. After thoroughly reviewing their economic practicability, it analyses these mechanisms from an International Trade Law perspective, particularly vis-à-vis the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade, sustainable development, and the principle of shared but differentiated responsibilities. It concludes with an assessment of policy-related implications of such mechanisms and outlines, in particular, how border carbon adjustments may be used as an engine of economic and energy transition, for developed and developing countries equally

The development of a virtual learning environment in genetic syndromes

Objetivo: desenvolver um ambiente virtual de aprendizagem (AVA) para alunos do ensino \ud fundamental sobre síndromes genéticas. Método: o AVA, conhecido como Cybertutor, possibilita o \ud aprendizado do aluno pela internet de forma interativa. A metodologia deste estudo foi composta de \ud duas etapas, a de desenvolvimento e a de disponibilização do AVA. O desenvolvimento do conteúdo \ud educacional, gráfico e audiovisual do Cybertutor contou com o auxílio de um geneticista do HRAC/\ud USP e de informações científicas disponibilizadas em livros, artigos, teses e dissertações nacionais \ud e internacionais. O Cybertutor foi disponibilizado na plataforma do Projeto Jovem Doutor (http://www.\ud jovemdoutor.org.br/jdr/) pela equipe técnica da DTM/FMUSP. Resultados: o Cybertutor elaborado\ud possibilitou estruturar o conteúdo educacional, gráfico e audiovisual em tópicos, inserir questões de \ud reforço, lista de discussão e verificar o desempenho dos alunos. Conclusão: o AVA desenvolvido \ud pode ser uma importante ferramenta de educação em saúde em Síndromes Genéticas, abrangendo \ud as mais diversas regiões do país.Purpose: to develop a virtual learning environment (VLE) for elementary school students about \ud genetic syndromes. Method: VLE, known as Cybertutor enables student learning through the Internet \ud interactively. The methodology of this study consisted of two stages, the development and availability \ud of the VLE. The development of educational content, graphic and audiovisual Cybertutor’s counted \ud on the help of a geneticist at the HRAC/USP and scientific information available in books, articles, \ud thesis and national and international dissertations. The Cybertutor was available on the platform of \ud the Young Doctor Project (http://www.jovemdoutor.org.br/jdr/) by the technical staff of DTM/FMUSP. \ud Results: elaborated Cybertutor enabled the structure of educational content, graphics and audiovisual \ud topics, to insert reinforcing issues, mailing list and check the performance of students. Conclusion:\ud the VLE developed can be an important tool for health education in Genetic Syndromes, covering \ud various regions of the country.Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP

Live 3-D stress echo: is beauty also a sign of intelligence?

Background: Last generation 3-D live stress echo has potential for adding "beauty" (seductive display) and also "intelligence" (unique quantitative information) to the robust, albeit qualitative, classic 2-D stress echo based on wall motion analysis. Aim: to assess feasibility of 3-D stress echo. Materials and methods: From May 2005, we enrolled 214 consecutive patients (age=64?11 years; 88 females) routinely screened for suspect coronary artery disease with dipyridamole (0.84 mg/kg in 6\u27) stress echo. Transthoracic echocardiography (2D, 3D and coronary flow reserve, CFR, by pulsed Doppler) was performed with commercially available systems (iE33) using phase array probes (1-5 and 3-8 MHz, S5-S8) and a matrix 3D probe for 3D-Live application. Each data set was analyzed with a dedicated software (3DQ, QLab - Advanced Ultrasound Quantification Software - vs. 4.1 and 4.2, Philips Electronics), including 3D volumes and dissynchrony index (DI), considered as the mean value of standard deviation of maximum time to systolic volume variation. Results: Interpretable 2D data were obtained in all pts (100 % feasibility), CFR data on left anterior descending artery in 185 pts (88 %) and 3D data in 151 pts (70 %). In the 48 pts with negative stress echo (for wall motion criteria) by 2D and 3D, 3D-DI decreased (rest=1.3?.8 vs. stress=.99?.54, p<.001): see figure. In patients with normal resting echo and positive stress echo, 3D-DI increased (rest= 4.5?1.9 vs. stress= 8.3?3.2, p<0.01). Last generation live 3D dipyridamole stress echo still suffers a feasibility gap vs. 2D and Doppler-CFR stress echo, but shows potential for adding substantial "beauty" (convincing display) and perhaps some extra-"intelligence" (quantitative support) to classic stress echo

Liability of a Surgeon for the Extension of an Authorized Operation

Polyunsaturated fatty acids modulate the voltage dependence of several voltage-gated ion channels, thereby being potent modifiers of cellular excitability. Detailed knowledge of this molecular mechanism can be used in designing a new class of small-molecule compounds against hyperexcitability diseases. Here, we show that arginines on one side of the helical K-channel voltage sensor S4 increased the sensitivity to docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), whereas arginines on the opposing side decreased this sensitivity. Glutamates had opposite effects. In addition, a positively charged DHA-like molecule, arachidonyl amine, had opposite effects to the negatively charged DHA. This suggests that S4 rotates to open the channel and that DHA electrostatically affects this rotation. A channel with arginines in positions 356, 359, and 362 was extremely sensitive to DHA: 70 mu M DHA at pH 9.0 increased the current greater than500 times at negative voltages compared with wild type (WT). The small-molecule compound pimaric acid, a novel Shaker channel opener, opened the WT channel. The 356R/359R/362R channel drastically increased this effect, suggesting it to be instrumental in future drug screening

Building air leakage databases in energy conservation policies: analysis of selected initiatives in 4 European countries and the USA

Fulltext is available at http://tightvent.eu/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/TightVentReport03.pdfWe collected information on existing envelope air leakage databases from countries that are involved in the AIVC-TightVent project “Development and applications of building air leakage databases”. This document summarizes the information from five countries: Czech Republic, France, Germany, UK, and USA. Even though our summary is not exhaustive of all existing data on whole-building envelope air leakage, it provides an overview of recent efforts from a number of countries. There are many reasons why different countries are collecting these data. We will summarize their motivations, which drive some of the differences in the types of data being gathered and how the data are analysed. Detailed information from each country is provided at the end of this document in the form of tables

Fetal alcohol spectrum disorders and communication abilities: family case report

Este estudo teve como objetivo caracterizar o perfil de habilidades comunicativas de cinco irmãos com Desordens do Espectro Alcoólico Fetal. O diagnóstico de Desordens do Espectro Alcoólico Fetal foi realizado a partir do histórico gestacional positivo para álcool e identificação de sinais clínicos. A avaliação fonoaudiológica constou da Observação do Comportamento Comunicativo, Escala de Desenvolvimento Comportamental de Gesell e Amatruda, Teste de Vocabulário por Imagens Peabody e avaliação audiológica. Todos os participantes apresentaram alterações nos comportamentos motor grosso, motor delicado, adaptativo, pessoal-social e de linguagem em graus variados. As habilidades comunicativas estavam comprometidas para todos os participantes e S4 apresentava comportamentos autísticos. As Desordens do Espectro Alcoólico Fetal foram confirmadas em S1, S2 e S5 e o diagnóstico de Síndrome Alcoólica Fetal foi confirmado para S3 e S4. Os resultados apresentaram variabilidade no desenvolvimento das habilidades de desenvolvimento dos irmãos com as Desordens do Espectro Alcoólico Fetal. A variabilidade dos achados, principalmente nas habilidades comunicativas e comportamentais, sugere a necessidade de acompanhar crianças com histórico de uso de álcool pela mãe, visto o impacto destas desordens no desenvolvimento global destes indivíduos, com impacto nas atividades de vida diária e escolaridade.The present study had the aim to characterize the communicative abilities profile of five siblings with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders. This diagnosis was carried out based on the positive report of prenatal alcohol exposure and identification of clinical signs. The Speech-Language Pathology evaluation consisted of the Communicative Behavior Observation, the Behavioral Development Scale of Gesell and Amatruda, the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test, and hearing evaluation. Participants presented various degrees of alterations in gross motor, fine motor, adaptative, personal-social and language behaviors. The communicative abilities were altered for all the participants, and S4 presented autistic behaviors. Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders were confirmed in S1, S2 and S5 and the diagnosis of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome was confirmed for S3 and S4. The results showed variability in the development of the studied abilities among the siblings with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders. The variability of the findings, especially in communicative abilities and behavior, suggests the need to follow-up children with reports of alcohol use by the mother, considering the impact of these disorders on these individuals' global development, including daily life activities and schooling

Quality of life is associated with chronic inflammation in schizophrenia: a cross-sectional study

International audienceInflammation may play a crucial role in the pathogenesis of schizophrenia. However, the association between chronic inflammation and health outcomes in schizophrenia remains unclear, particularly for patient-reported outcomes. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between quality of life (QoL) and chronic inflammation assessed using C -Reactive Protein (CRP) in patients with schizophrenia. Two hundred and fifty six patients with schizophrenia were enrolled in this study. After adjusting for key socio-demographic and clinical confounding factors, patients with high levels of CRP (>3.0 mg/l) had a lower QoL than patients with normal CRP levels (OR = 0.97, 95% CI = 0.94-0.99). An investigation of the dimensions of QoL revealed that psychological well-being, physical well-being and sentimental life were the most salient features of QoL associated with CRP. Significant associations were found between lower educational level (OR = 4.15, 95% CI = 1.55-11.07), higher body mass index (OR = 1.16, 95% CI = 1.06-1.28), higher Fagerstrom score (OR = 1.22, 95% CI = 1.01-1.47) and high levels of CRP. After replications with longitudinal approaches, the association between QoL and chronic inflammation may offer interesting interventional prospects to act both on inflammation and QoL in patients with schizophrenia

Reciprocity among teachers from different language and cultural backgrounds A pivotal strategy to develop an interculturally sensitive attitude in education professionals

One of the most crucial competences required to face our modern multicultural society is the capacity to establish a fruitful relationship with otherness, especially when the other is from a different cultural background and when interculturaldialogue seems to be difficult. This implies that education has to provide the young generation with the right instruments to interact with diversity, understand the motivation behind differences in behaviour, thoughts and feelings and learn to govern the emotional dimensions of fear and anxiety towards otherness.In this paper, reciprocity is illustrated in its theoretical frame. In addition to this, its role between education professionals from different cultural backgrounds is investigated through the analysis of data collected after an international seminar. On the basis of this analysis and the scientific literature developed on the construct of reciprocity, it seems reasonable to conceive of it as a strategy togenerate teachers’ intercultural sensitivity and, consequently, their intercultural approach to education.Una delle competenze più important e necessarie per affrontare la nostra moderna società multiculturale è la capacità di stabilire un proficuo rapporto con l'alterità, soprattutto quando l'altro proviene da un diverso background culturale e quando il dialogo interculturale sembra essere difficile. Ciò implica che l'educazione deve fornire alle giovani generazioni gli strumenti adeguati per interagire con la diversità, comprendere le motivazioni alla base delle differenze di comportamento, pensieri e sentimenti, così come imparare a governare le dimensioni emotive di paura e di ansiaverso l'alterità. In questo lavoro, il concetto di reciprocità è illustrato nella sua cornice teorica, puntando a spiegare ulteriormente il ruolo di tale concetto tra i professionisti dell'istruzione provenienti da diversi background culturali. Questo aspetto viene indagato attraverso l'analisi dei dati raccolti dopo un seminario di scambio internazionale fra insegnanti. Sullabase della suddetta analisi bibliografica e successiva evidenza raccolta nell’indagine empirica, sembra ragionevole concepire che l’incidenza sulla sensibilità interculturale degli insegnanti abbia, di conseguenza, impatto sul loro approccio interculturale nellapropria pratica professionale

A class-room with a "view" : Net-based strategies to promote intercultural education

Can the net become a place suitable for promoting intercultural education? Which elements are crucial to achieve this goal? There is strong agreement on the fact that the Internet represents a metaphor for a place or environment that has social significance in identity building processes (Turkle, 1996), as well as being a cultural environment promoting virtual citizenship and virtual communities (Rheingold, 1993) which, in time, can become formal learning communities capable of generating effective learning (Palloff &amp; Pratt, 1999; Rovai, 2002b). Lately, some attention has been paid to the design of an interculturally sensitive virtual learning place, which can promote further intercultural learning (Rollin &amp; Harrap, 2005; Bélisle, 2007; Rutheford &amp; Kerr, 2008). The participated construction of a virtual working/learning space (VWLS) aimed at supporting a project of international cooperation on intercultural education among Turkey, Slovenia and Italy is described in this article. A case study is presented as a springboard for the discussion of net-based strategies to be included within an intercultural approach to education. The project was set up with the aim of showing how a VWLS can give support to dimensions that are the kernel of intercultural education, from the motivation to share one's own cultural identity (constituted by symbols, icons, music, etc.), to collaboration across frontiers. Furthermore, a possible new concept of intercultural education is presented, as the current idea of it needs to be redefined on the basis of the growing networked learning phenomenon. If VWLS becomes meaningful, it will expose participants to an enlarged cultural context, different to but also comprehensive of their own original context. The process of making sense of what is new could impact on a new dimension of intercultural learning which takes place on the net, a place where there are no frontiers and reality is virtual

Exploring venlafaxine pharmacokinetic variability with a phenotyping approach, a multicentric french-swiss study (MARVEL study).

It is well known that the standard doses of a given drug may not have equivalent effects in all patients. To date, the management of depression remains mainly empirical and often poorly evaluated. The development of a personalized medicine in psychiatry may reduce treatment failure, intolerance or resistance, and hence the burden and costs of mood depressive disorders. The Geneva Cocktail Phenotypic approach presents several advantages including the "in vivo" measure of different cytochromes and transporter P-gp activities, their simultaneous determination in a single test, avoiding the influence of variability over time on phenotyping results, the administration of low dose substrates, a limited sampling strategy with an analytical method developed on DBS analysis. The goal of this project is to explore the relationship between the activity of drug-metabolizing enzymes (DME), assessed by a phenotypic approach, and the concentrations of Venlafaxine (VLX) + O-demethyl-venlafaxine (ODV), the efficacy and tolerance of VLX. This study is a multicentre prospective non-randomized open trial. Eligible patients present a major depressive episode, MADRS over or equal to 20, treatment with VLX regardless of the dose during at least 4 weeks. The Phenotype Visit includes VLX and ODV concentration measurement. Following the oral absorption of low doses of omeprazole, midazolam, dextromethorphan, and fexofenadine, drug metabolizing enzymes activity is assessed by specific metabolite/probe concentration ratios from a sample taken 2 h after cocktail administration for CYP2C19, CYP3A4, CYP2D6; and by the determination of the limited area under the curve from the capillary blood samples taken 2-3 and 6 h after cocktail administration for CYP2C19 and P-gp. Two follow-up visits will take place between 25 and 40 days and 50-70 days after inclusion. They include assessment of efficacy, tolerance and observance. Eleven french centres are involved in recruitment, expected to be completed within approximately 2 years with 205 patients. Metabolic ratios are determined in Geneva, Switzerland. By showing an association between drug metabolism and VLX concentrations, efficacy and tolerance, there is a hope that testing drug metabolism pathways with a phenotypical approach would help physicians in selecting and dosing antidepressants. The MARVEL study will provide an important contribution to increasing the knowledge of VLX variability and in optimizing the use of methods of personalized therapy in psychiatric settings. ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02590185 (10/27/2015). This study is currently recruiting participants