Two Decades of Developmentalism: Bottlenecks and Plans of State Intervention in Brazil in the Second Half of the Twentieth Century

This work takes as its theme public policies on development. It aims an overall analysis of the most urgent issues of political and economic plans launched in Brazil in the second half of the twentieth century. Specifically, the intention is to discuss the establishment of government policies in combating bottlenecks in the national economy through the Plans. This is an article based on concepts of development and the major general lines of the development plans in this country. Kon’s works (1999) are the fundamental theoretical basis. We notice that Brazil experienced two very different decades, the 1970s and 1980s: the first focused investment for economic growth; the second, turned to fighting inflation. Because of discourses and appointed limits, developmentalism occurred, but no development in the strict sense. Between public debt and inflation addiction, which were parallel in the two mentioned decades, (still) rests the same issue in the country: What is development? What is the country’s development

Schistosoma mansoni Tegument Protein Sm29 Is Able to Induce a Th1-Type of Immune Response and Protection against Parasite Infection

Schistosomiasis is the most important human helminth infection in terms of morbidity and mortality. Although the efforts to develop a vaccine against this disease have experienced failures, a new generation of surface antigens revealed by proteomic studies changed this scenario. Our group has characterized the protein Sm29 described previously as one of the most exposed and expressed antigens in the outer tegument of Schistosoma mansoni. Studies in patients living in endemic areas for schistosomiasis revealed high levels of IgG1 and IgG3 anti-Sm29 in resistant individuals. In this study, confocal microscope analysis showed Sm29 present in the surface of lung-stage schistosoluma and adult worms. Recombinant Sm29, when used as vaccine candidate, induced high levels of protection in mice. This protection was associated with a typical Th1 immune response and reduction of worm burden, liver granulomas and in intestinal eggs. Further, microarray analysis of worms recovered from vaccinated mice showed significant down-regulation of several genes encoding previously characterized vaccine candidates and/or molecules exposed on the surface, suggesting an immune evasion strategy of schistosomes under immune attack. These results demonstrated that Sm29 as one of the important antigens with potential to compose a vaccine against schistosomiasis

Non-coding RNAs in schistosomes: an unexplored world

Non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) were recently given much higher attention due to technical advances in sequencing which expanded the characterization of transcriptomes in different organisms. ncRNAs have different lengths (22 nt to >1, 000 nt) and mechanisms of action that essentially comprise a sophisticated gene expression regulation network. Recent publication of schistosome genomes and transcriptomes has increased the description and characterization of a large number of parasite genes. Here we review the number of predicted genes and the coverage of genomic bases in face of the public ESTs dataset available, including a critical appraisal of the evidence and characterization of ncRNAs in schistosomes. We show expression data for ncRNAs in Schistosoma mansoni. We analyze three different microarray experiment datasets: (1) adult worms' large-scale expression measurements; (2) differentially expressed S. mansoni genes regulated by a human cytokine (TNF-α) in a parasite culture; and (3) a stage-specific expression of ncRNAs. All these data point to ncRNAs involved in different biological processes and physiological responses that suggest functionality of these new players in the parasite's biology. Exploring this world is a challenge for the scientists under a new molecular perspective of host-parasite interactions and parasite development.RNAs não codificadores (ncRNAs) têm sido recentemente objeto de atenção muito maior devido aos avanços técnicos no sequenciamento que expandiram a caracterização dos transcritomas em diferentes organismos. ncRNAs possuem diferentes comprimentos (22 nt a >1.000 nt) e mecanismos de ação que essencialmente compreendem uma sofisticada rede de regulação de expressão gênica. A publicação recente dos genomas e transcritomas dos esquistossomos aumentou a descrição e caracterização de um grande número de genes do parasita. Aqui nós revisamos o número de genes preditos e a cobertura das bases do genoma em face dos ESTs públicos disponíveis, incluindo uma avaliação crítica da evidência e caracterização de ncRNAs em esquistossomos. Nós mostramos dados de expressão de ncRNAs em Schistosoma mansoni. Nós analisamos três conjuntos diferentes de dados de experimentos com microarranjos: (1) medidas de expressão em larga escala de vermes adultos; (2) genes diferencialmente expressos de S. mansoni regulados por uma citocina humana (TNF-α) no parasita em cultura; e (3) expressão estágio-especifica de ncRNAs. Todos estes dados apontam para ncRNAs envolvidos em diferentes processos biológicos e respostas fisiológicas que sugerem funcionalidade destes novos personagens na biologia do parasita. Explorar este mundo é um desafio para os cientistas sob uma nova perspectiva molecular da interação parasita-hospedeiro e do desenvolvimento do parasita.Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)SEtTReNDCoordenacao de Aperfeicoamento de Pessoal de Nivel Superior (CAPES

Comparison of coronary angiography findings in diabetic and non-diabetic women with non-ST-segment-elevation acute coronary syndrome

OBJECTIVE: Compare hemodynamic and angiographic patterns, as well as atherosclerotic lesion morphology, in diabetic and non-diabetic females with unstable angina or non-ST-segment-elevation myocardial infarction (UA/NSTEMI). METHODS: Two interventional cardiologists determined the presence of severe atherosclerotic lesion, defined as those > 70%; plaque morphology, according to the American Heart Association classification; collateral circulation; plus ventricular and aortic pressures. Ejection fraction was calculated by angiography or echocardiography. RESULTS: During eight and a half years, 645 coronary angiographies were performed in women with UA/NSTEMI. In the present study, 593 female patients were assessed (215 diabetic - 36%). This group differed from the non-diabetic in the following aspects: older age (61 ± 10.6 x 58.1 ± 11.4), higher prevalence of postmenopausal women and lower prevalence of the smoking habit. Severe three-vessel disease was significantly more frequent in diabetic patients (28% x 10%), as well as totally occluded vessels: 51 (23%) x 54 (14.3%), p 70%, a morfologia da placa, de acordo com a classificação da American Heart Association, a presença de circulação colateral e as pressões ventriculares e aórticas. A fração de ejeção foi calculada pela angiografia ou pelo ecocardiograma. RESULTADOS: Em oito anos e meio, foram realizados 645 coronariografias em mulheres com AI/IAMSS. Foram analisadas 593 pacientes (215 diabéticas - 36%). Este grupo diferiu das não-diabéticas nos seguintes aspectos: idade mais alta (61 ± 10,6 x 58,1 ± 11,4), prevalência maior de mulheres pós-menopausa e menor prevalência de tabagismo. Lesão grave em três vasos foi significativamente mais freqüente nas pacientes diabéticas (28% x 10%), assim como vasos totalmente ocluídos: 51 (23%) x 54 (14.3%), p < 0.005.Fração de ejeção < 50% foi mais comum nas diabéticas. CONCLUSÃO: Estes achados confirmam o acometimento difuso da doença aterosclerótica em pacientes diabéticas, assim como maior deterioração da função ventricular, que pode estar relacionada ao pior prognóstico dessa população em curto e em longo prazo.Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP)Hospital Santa MarcelinaUNIFESPSciEL

Effect of human TGF-beta on the gene expression profile of Schistosoma mansoni adult worms

Schistosoma mansoni is responsible for schistosomiasis, a parasitic disease that affects 200 million people worldwide. Molecular mechanisms of host-parasite interaction are complex and involve a crosstalk between host signals and parasite receptors. TGF-beta signaling pathway has been shown to play an important role in S. mansoni development and embryogenesis. In particular human (h) TGF-beta has been shown to bind to a S. mansoni receptor, transduce a signal that regulates the expression of a schistosome target gene. Here we describe 381 parasite genes whose expression levels are affected by in vitro treatment with hTGF-beta. Among these differentially expressed genes we highlight genes related to morphology, development and cell cycle that could be players of cytokine effects on the parasite. We confirm by qPCR the expression changes detected with microarrays for 5 out of 7 selected genes. We also highlight a set of non-coding RNAs transcribed from the same loci of protein-coding genes that are differentially expressed upon hTCF-beta treatment. These datasets offer potential targets to be explored in order to understand the molecular mechanisms behind the possible role of hTGF-beta effects on parasite biology. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.Fundacao de Amparo a Pesquisa do Estado de Sao Paulo (FAPESP)Fundacao de Amparo a Pesquisa do Estado de Sao Paulo (FAPESP)NIH [AI 46762]NIHCNPqCNPqNIAIDNIAID [HHSN272201000009I

Changes in cortisol but not in brain-derived neurotrophic factor modulate the association between sleep disturbances and major depression

Sleep disturbance is a symptom consistently found in major depression and is associated with a longer course of illness, reduced response to treatment, increased risk of relapse and recurrence. Chronic insomnia has been associated with changes in cortisol and serum brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) levels, which in turn are also changed in major depression. Here, we evaluated the relationship between sleep quality, salivary cortisol awakening response (CAR), and serum BDNF levels in patients with sleep disturbance and treatment-resistant major depression (n = 18), and in a control group of healthy subjects with good (n = 21) and poor (n = 18) sleep quality. We observed that the patients had the lowest CAR and sleep duration of all three groups and a higher latency to sleep than the healthy volunteers with a good sleep profile. Besides, low CAR was correlated with more severe depressive symptoms and worse sleep quality. There was no difference in serum BDNF levels between groups with distinct sleep quality. Taken together, our results showed a relationship between changes in CAR and in sleep quality in patients with treatment-resistant depression, which were correlated with the severity of disease, suggesting that cortisol could be a physiological link between sleep disturbance and major depression

Land and Water Use Interactions Emerging Trends and Impact on Land-use Changes in the Tungabhadra and Tagus River Basins

The paper provides a comprehensive analysis of the issues, current status and complex interlinkages in land and water management, emerging trends and its impact in two river basins1 - the Tungabhadra sub-basin in India and the Tagus basin in Spain and Portugal. The paper covers a wide range of issues including changing water demands affected by erratic hydrological cycles, frequent fires affecting forests, biodiversity and soil thus influencing the livelihoods of marginal communities. The paper also brings to the forefront the need for integrated water management in view of poor integration across and within sectors. Therefore, an attempt is made to understand the dynamics of rain fed and irrigated farming highlighting the technological and institutional options required for improving water-use efficiency. There is still a long way to go in both the basins before suitable integration can be achieved leading to an effective Integrated Water Resource Management strategy