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Background: Oruro is a mining city in the Bolivian highlands. Most of its citizens are exposed to polymetalic cocktails. This study aims to determine whether the neuropsychological development of one year-old children can be associated with 1) polymetalic exposures and/or 2) growth patterns. Methods: The thesis builds from data collected by the ToxBol multidisciplinary project. The health task was centred on the follow-up of a birth-cohort that set to evaluate child development. Children were examined at 11 and 12 months of age using the Bayley Scale of Infant Development (BSID). Results: 1) Analyses revealed no high concentrations of metals in the blood of pregnant women. 2) No neuropsychological anomalies were observed in association with metal concentrations or growth patterns. 3) A positive association was observed between low lead values in blood and the neuropsychological development of children. 4) During the first 6 months of life, growth rate was negatively associated with weight at birth and positively associated with the BMI at 12 months of age. Conclusion: Although heavy metallic pollution was demonstrated by environmental studies, unexpected low levels of exposure were registered from pregnant women. Neither the level of exposure to metals nor the growth patterns appear to have an impact on child neuropsychological development. We argue that the positive effect that was observed in association to lead might be caused by factors such as diet. / Antecedentes: Oruro es una ciudad minera del altiplano boliviano. Muchos de sus habitantes están expuestos a un cóctel polimetálico. El objetivo principal es el de determinar si existe una asociación entre desarrollo neuropsicológico de los niños de un año y 1) la exposición polimetálica y/o 2) los patrones de crecimiento. Métodos: Esta tesis está basada en los datos recogidos del Proyecto multidisciplinario ToxBol. Se realizó el seguimiento de una cohorte de niños para evaluar su desarrollo. Para evaluar el desarrollo neuropsicológico de los niños se utilizaron las escalas de Bayley de desarrollo infantil (BSID). Resultados: 1) No se observaron altas concentraciones de metales en sangre de las mujeres embarazadas. 2) No se observaron anormalidades neuropsicológicas en relación con concentraciones de metales o patrones de crecimiento. 3) Se observó una asociación positiva entre exposiciones bajas de plomo y el desarrollo neuropsicológico del niño al año de vida. 4) La velocidad de crecimiento, desde el nacimiento hasta los 6 meses, se asoció negativamente con el peso al nacer y positivamente con el BMI a los 12 meses. Conclusión: A diferencia de lo demostrado en otros estudios epidemiológicos, se observó una inesperada baja exposición. No se observó una relación entre el grado de exposición a metales- o los patrones de crecimiento -y el desarrollo neuropsicológico del niño. El efecto positivo del plomo creemos que se debe a otros factores como la dieta. / Antecedents: Oruro es una ciutat minera del altiplà Bolivià. La població es troba es contacte amb fonts de contaminación polimetàlica. L’objectiu principal es el de determinar si existeix una associació entre el desenvolupament neuropsicològic dels nens d’un any i 1) la exposició polimetálica i/o 2) patrons de creixement. Mètodes: Esta tesi està basada en dades del Projecte multidisciplinari ToxBol. La tasca de salut es va centrar en el seguiment del desenvolupament d’una cohort de nens. El desenvolupament neuropsicològic infantil es va avaluar amb les escales de Baley de Desenvolupament infantil (BSID). Resultats: 1) No es van observar concentracions altes de metalls en sang de les dones embarassades. 2) No es va observar anormalitats neuropsicològiques en realció amb les concentracions de metalls o patrons de creixement. 3) Es va observar una associació positiva entre concentracions baixes de plom en sang i el desenvolupament neuropsicològic dels nens d’un any. 4) La velocitat de creixement, des del naixement fins els 6 mesos, es va associar negativament amb el pes al néixer i positivament amb el BMI als 12 mesos. Conclusió: A diferencia del que esperàvem, es van registrar baixes concentracions de metalls a les dones embarassades. Tampoc s’observa una relació entre el grau d’exposició a metalls, o patrons de creixement, i el desenvolupament neuropsicològic del nens. El efecte positiu que observem del plom, pensem que es deu a altres factors com la dieta.

This study is a qualitative evaluation of generated and nongenerated publicity using Unisa as a case study over a period of six months. The qualitative data were quantified through the use of content analysis. The study takes as its point of departure the importance of an integrated marketing communication approach. It indicates how an integrated marketing communication approach can secure that an organisation's publicity efforts contribute effectively to its marketing objectives. In addition, it indicates that an organisation can also deal with nongenerated, negative publicity much more effectively within such an approach. This study establishes that because Unisa did not adopt an integrated marketing communication approach, it had a detrimental effect on its efforts to generate publicity as well as on its efforts to deal with negative publicity. These findings are discussed in terms of specific criteria for generated and nongenerated publicity within an integrated marketing communication approach. / Communication Science / M. A. (Communication)

Made available in DSpace on 2011-05-04T12:36:29Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2009 / O estado nutricional tem sido relacionado à condição de saúde de diversos grupos populacionais. No processo de envelhecimento existem fatores que afetam a alimentação e nutrição do idoso repercutindo diretamente no estado nutricional. Estudos no mundo e no Brasil tem evidenciado elevadas prevalências de agravos nutricionais na população idosa. A presente dissertação analisa dados de um inquérito, realizado em 2006, em uma amostra de 995 indivíduos de 60 anos ou mais, de ambos os sexos, usuários do Programa de Saúde da Família de Vitória, Espírito Santo. Foram analisadas variáveis demográficas, socioeconômicas e antropométricas. Efetuou-se a análise descritiva dessas variáveis e foram exploradas as relações entre as variáveis independentes e o estado nutricional, por razões de prevalência. A análise multivariada foi efetuada através da regressão de Poisson. Foram encontradas prevalências elevadas de sobrepeso (46,4 por cento) e, em menor grau, de baixo peso (12,7 por cento). Não ter renda própria (RP=1,47; IC 95 por cento 1,16-1,87) e não realizar caminhada regularmente (RP=1,26; IC 95 por cento 1,09-1,45) mostraram-se associadas com o sobrepeso. Quanto ao baixo peso, não ter renda própria (RP=2,16; IC 95 por cento 1,19-3,93) e não contar com a ajuda de pessoas que não moram na mesma casa (RP=1,56; IC 95 por cento 0,97-2,51) estiveram associadas com obaixo peso. Assim, os achados desse estudo apontam a necessidade de implementação de programas de geração e transferência de renda para idosos e de intervenções que promovam a alimentação saudável, assim como atividades físicas direcionada para idosos.

Evaluation et amélioration des capacités motrices d’enfants infirmes moteurs cérébraux congolais âgés de 6 à 15 ansTHESE de Félicien M’LEMBAKANI T’HENGUA (Lic. Agr. Ed. Phys.)Laboratoire de Neurophysiologie et de Biomécanique du Mouvement. Faculté des Sciences de la MotricitéUNIVERSITE LIBRE DE BRUXELLES (U. L. B.)RESUMEAu cours de ce travail nous avons mesuré les capacités psychomotrices potentielles chez des enfants IMC congolais à Kinshasa dans deux Centre de Rééducation (CRHP et CREBD) et dans le Complexe Scolaire du Mont Amba (UNIKIN) en vue de proposer des programmes adaptés de prise en charge pour améliorer leurs capacités et aptitudes motrices et comportementales. Ceci dans le but aussi d’améliorer leur intégration scolaire et ainsi parvenir à une meilleure immersion familiale et sociétale. Proposer des solutions en ces matières permettrait de faire face à la situation actuelle et ensuite de proposer des solutions relatives aux deux problèmes majeurs des enfants IMC en RDC :- (1) les déficiences motrices dues à des lésions cérébrales irréversibles, - (2) les mépris, totales exclusions, rejet et abandons dont ces enfants sont continuellement victimes de la part des familles et de la société congolaise. Pour parvenir à ces objectifs, nous avons d’abord testés à l’aide de l’échelle de développement psychomoteur de Lincoln-Oseretsky (LOMDS) 160 garçons et filles choisis de façon aléatoire parmi une population de 640 enfants dont 80 IMCs et 80 contrôles. Pour la suite de l’étude et afin d’évaluer les effets d’un entraînement de 9 mois aux activités physiques adaptées (APA), ces deux groupes ont été scindés chacun en deux sous-groupes de 40 sujets, un groupe participant à l’entraînement APA et l’autre servant de contrôle. Avant l’expérimentation APA, un important déficit moteur et psychologique a été mis en évidence chez les 80 enfants IMC par rapport aux 80 enfants contrôles du même âge. Nous n’avons pas observé de différence significative entre les genres. Nos résultats par rapport à la pratique régulière des APA sont importants :les enfants IMC et ainsi que les contrôles qui ont suivi les APA ont nettement amélioré leurs performances finales. Ceci signifie clairement que les aptitudes physiques, et cognitives de ces enfants ont été nettement améliorées. De plus, nous avons démontré, avant les APA, l’absence de relation entre l’âge des enfants IMC et le score au test LOMDS, alors que cette relation existe bien chez les enfants contrôles. De façon inattendue, après les 9 mois d’entraînement cette relation entre l’âge des enfants IMC et le score a pu être démontrée. A l’opposé de ces résultats positifs les scores au sein des groupes n’ayant pas participé aux APA n’ont pas évolués durant cette période de 9 mois. En conclusion, cette thèse démontre qu’un entraînement par les APA des enfants IMC conduit à une amélioration significative de leur aptitude motrice et cognitive. Ces résultats balaient toutes les opinions mystico-religieuses en cours en RDC selon lesquelles les enfants IMC congolais seraient inaptes à tout effort mental, à l’apprentissage et donc à une insertion familiale et sociale / Doctorat en Sciences de la motricité / info:eu-repo/semantics/nonPublished

Introducción: La circunferencia de cuello (CCu) es una medida útil para evaluar riesgo de enfermedades crónicas no transmisibles. El objetivo fue determinar la correlación y establecer los mejores puntos de corte que correspondan entre CCu e Índice de Masa Corporal (IMC) y Circunferencia de Cintura (CCi). Métodos: Se utilizó la base de datos de Perú del Estudio Latinoamericano de Nutrición y Salud (ELANS). Se evaluó por sexo: (i) la correlación de Pearson entre CCu e IMC y CCi, (ii) la Sensibilidad (Se) y Especificidad (Sp) para sobrepeso y obesidad (IMC) y para obesidad central (CCi), con el Índice de Youden. Resultados: Se encontró correlación fuerte por sexo entre CCu y CCi (hombres: r=0,81 y mujeres: r=0,80) y moderada entre CCu e IMC (r=0,80 y r=0,76 respectivamente). El punto de corte para definir sobrepeso/obesidad por CCu (IMC≥25.0 kg/m2) en hombres fue 36,95 cm y en mujeres 32,85 cm (Se: 81% y 78%; Sp: 77% y 88%, respectivamente), para obesidad (IMC≥30.0 kg/m2) fue 39,15 cm para hombres y 33.85 cm para mujeres (Se: 92% y 88%; Sp: de 84% y 73%, respectivamente) y para obesidad central fue 38,65 cm en hombres y 32,75 cm para mujeres (Se: 80% y 77%; Sp: de 89% y 89%, respectivamente). Conclusión: Se encontró una correlación fuerte entre CCu y CCi y moderada entre CCu e IMC. La CCu es una medida práctica y poco invasiva. Podría ser usada en salud pública para identificar riesgo de enfermedades crónicas no transmisibles. / Background: Neck circumference (NC) is being used lately to identify the risk of chronic noncommunicable diseases. The aim of this study was to determine the correlation and establish the best cut-off points that correspond between NC and Body Mass Index (BMI) and Waist Circumference (WC). Methods: Data were obtained from the Latin American Study of Nutrition and Health (ELANS). The following were evaluated by sex: (i) Pearson's correlation between NC and BMI and WC, (ii) Sensitivity (Se) and Specificity (Sp) for overweight and obesity (BMI) and for central obesity (WC), with the Index of Youden. Results: A strong correlation by sex was found between NC and WC (men: r = 0.81 and women: r = 0.80, respectively) and a moderate correlation between NC and BMI (r = 0.80 and r = 0.76 respectively). The cutoff points to define overweight /obesity by NC (BMI≥25.0 kg / m2) in men was 36.95 cm and in women 32.85 cm (Se: 81% and 78%; Sp: 77% and 88%, respectively) and for obesity (BMI≥30.0 kg / m2) it was 39.15 cm for men and 33.85 cm for women (Se: 92% and 88%; Sp: 84% and 73%, respectively). For central obesity, the cutoff points is 38.65 cm for men and 32.75 cm for women (Se: 80% and 77%; Sp: 89% and 89%, respectively). Conclusion: A strong correlation was found between NC and WC and a moderate one between NC and BMI. The NC is a practical and minimally invasive measure that could be used in public health to identify the risk of chronic non-communicable diseases. / Tesis

With potential of increased efficiency and a broader range of services, inter-municipal cooperation is often presented as a universal solution to public welfare challenges. Today, all Swedish municipalities are involved in inter-municipal cooperation in various policy areas. However, little is known about the municipalities’ capacity to coordinate their cooperation arrangements in the complex network of institutions and overlapping territories that characterise the regional level of governance. Building on the institutional collective action framework and the concept of governance capacity, this study examines how the municipalities’ capacity for regional coordination of upper secondary education in the city region of Örebro County varies depending on the institutional structures, the opportunities for cooperation and the social capital that embed the inter-municipal arrangements. The empirical study is based on a mixed method approach; where a qualitative content analysis of public documents is combined with interviews of representatives from different inter-municipal arrangements in Örebro County. By analysing how inter-municipal cooperation on upper secondary education has emerged and developed in Örebro County, this study shows how the municipalities have established institutions at two different levels. In Örebro County, regional networks and contracts operate in parallel with local agreements and municipal associations with delegated authority – only including a few municipalities in the city region. Several of the cooperation arrangements also include actors from the private sector and different levels of governance. The emergence of these inter-municipal cooperation arrangements can be interpreted as an institutional outcome of the municipalities' intrinsic motives to ensure a wide range of education to their local citizens as well as the need to secure the supply of skills and workforce in private and public sector. But it can also be interpreted as a strategy for the smaller municipalities to ensure their influence and governance capacity in the city region – which has a built- in power asymmetry linked to the municipalities’ heterogeneity. The emergence of the cooperation arrangements also illustrates a path dependent development, where the municipalities’ historical collaboration tradition determines which institutions that emerge and to which degree social capital can be established. Particularly noteworthy in the emergence of the inter-municipal cooperation in Örebro County is the presence of government, which manifests itself through conditional financing of the inter-municipal cooperation arrangements. Thus, within one and the same geographical city region, and within one and the same policy area, there is an overlap of different inter-municipal collaborative arrangements and functional regions, which has emerged in a symbiosis of both horizontal and vertical relations. As a result, the regionalisation that the municipalities create “bottom up”, through voluntary cooperation, work in parallel with the regionalisation that is created “top down”, through formal regional institutions.

The master thesis analyses electrical conductivity of lead-free solder joints. The test method design for monitoring the electrical conductivity of the soldered joint is described in the practical part. Simulated BGA package with four pin (BGA4) is used for experiments. Tested PCBs are subjected to isothermal aging and current load. During isothermal aging is measured electrical conductivity and optical microscope is used for intermetallic layer (IMC) growth observation. Two types of surface finish (OSP and ENIG) are used for tests and three diameters of solder terminal balls (solder alloy SAC405). The influence of the ratio area connection / solder volume (ratio S / V) on lead-free solder joints conductivity was evaluated.

Introduction: Le mélanome est le type de cancer de la peau le plus fréquent et les métastases du système nerveux central en sont une complication fréquente et grave. Les cellules de mélanome interagissent avec une grande variété de types de cellules dans le microenvironnement tumoral (MET), ce qui peut entraîner des effets pro- ou antitumoral. Plusieurs voies immunosuppressives ont été récemment découvertes comme des cibles médicamenteuses prometteuses, notamment la voie de l'adénosine. L'adénosine extracellulaire s'accumule dans le MET suite à l'hydrolyse de l'ATP par les ectonucléotidases CD39 et CD73. Les principaux régulateurs de la voie de l'adénosine sont CD39, CD73, et les récepteurs A2a et A2b. Matériel et Méthodes: Pour caractériser spatialement le MET des métastases cérébrales du mélanome (MCM), nous avons quantifié l'expression de 35 marqueurs protéiques à l'aide du time of flight (CyTOF) Imaging Mass Cytometry (IMC) dans 21 MCM, et segmenté et classé plus de 130 000 cellules. Ensuite, pour évaluer les effets du ciblage du récepteur A2b et du CD73 dans la voie de l'adénosine sur le développement du mélanome, nous avons utilisé les tests de prolifération IncuCyte et MTS pour évaluer la prolifération des cellules de mélanome. Résultats: Dans notre ensemble de données, les caractéristiques immunitaires du MET étaient hétérogènes dans tous les échantillons et le type de cellule le plus courant après les cellules cancéreuses du mélanome était les macrophages dérivés de la moelle osseuse (MDMO). Les échantillons à propagation leptoméningée avaient significativement moins de neutrophiles, de MDMO de type M1, d'autres cellules T et plus de cellules cancéreuses dans leur microenvironnement. Nous avons observé que la stimulation du récepteur A2b a un effet antiprolifératif sur les cellules cancéreuses du mélanome. Conclusion: Cette recherche met en évidence le rôle du MET dans la progression du mélanome et l'importance du MET comme base pour le développement de nouvelles thérapies pour les patients atteints de cancer. / Background: Melanoma is the most frequent type of skin cancer and metastasis to the central nervous system is a common and serious complication of it. Melanoma cells interact with a wide variety of cell types in the tumor microenvironment (TME) which can lead to tumor-promoting or tumor suppressive effects. Several immunosuppressive pathways have emerged as promising drug targets, including the adenosine pathway. The extracellular adenosine accumulates in the TME as the result of ATP hydrolysis by the ectonucleotidases CD39 and CD73. Key regulators of the adenosine pathway are CD39, CD73, A2a and A2b receptor. Methods: To spatially characterize the TME of melanoma brain metastases (MBM), we quantified the expression of 35 protein markers using time of flight (CyTOF) Imaging Mass Cytometry (IMC) in 21 MBMs, and segmented and classified over 130 000 cells. Then, to evaluate the effects of targeting the A2b receptor and CD73 in the adenosine pathway on the development of melanoma, we used the IncuCyte and MTS proliferation assays to assess the proliferation of melanoma cells. Results: In our dataset, the immune landscape of the TME was heterogeneous across all samples and the most common cell type after melanoma cancer cells were bone marrow derived macrophages (BMDM). Samples with leptomeningeal spread had significantly less neutrophils, M1-like BMDM, T other cells and more cancer cells in their microenvironment. We observed that stimulation of the A2b receptor has an antiproliferative effect on melanoma cancer cells. Conclusion: This research highlights the role of the TME in the progression of melanoma and the importance of the TME as grounds for development of new therapies for cancer patients.

Social Work / D.Phil. (Social Work)