Nuclear Weapons in Regional Contexts: The Cases of Argentina and Brazil

South America is a region which is free from nuclear weapons. However, this was not an inevitable development from the relationships among its countries. Indeed, regional rivalries between Brazil and Argentina, with military implications for both countries, lasted a long time. After WWII these countries took part in the race to obtain nuclear technologies and nuclear ambitions were part of the game. In the mid 1980s, the end of military dictatorships and the successful establishing of democratic institutions put an end to the race. Thus regional and national interests in addition to the establishment of democracies in Latin America have been responsible for the building of trust between the two countries. Meaningful international initiatives are once again needed in the framework of worldwide cooperation. This cooperation is better developed when democratic regimes are in place.Comment: 16 pages, 2 figures. Paper to be published in Contemporanea, Montevideo. An earlier and short version of this paper was presented at the international conference An Open World: Science, Technology and Society in the Light of Niels Bohr's Thoughts, held in Copenhagen 4-6 December 201

Utilização do modelo ZAE/FAO para a estimativa da produtividade do sorgo em Alagoas.

O manejo adequado, como a escolha da época de plantio ou o uso da irrigação, permite o maior aproveitamento dos recursos hídricos disponíveis no ambiente. Pode-se estimar a produtividade agrícola da cultura do sorgo através de modelos, desde que calibrados, permitindo variar os manejos. Dessa forma é possível conhecer a resposta da cultura à disponibilidade hídrica de cada local e sua variação ao longo do ano. Assim o objetivo do trabalho foi calibrar o modelo ZAE, estimar a produtividade e avaliar quais as épocas de plantio com menor risco para a cultura do sorgo no Estado de Alagoas. Para calibração do modelo ZAE/FAO foram utilizados dados provenientes do Programa de Melhoramento Genético de Sorgo do Nordeste na região de Araripina ? PE, após a calibração foram simulados os cenários para as cidades de Água Branca, Arapiraca, Palmeira dos Índios e Porto de Pedras, em Alagoas, baseados na época de plantio (a cada 10 dias) x CAD do solo (30, 40 e 65 mm) X sistema de plantio (sequeiro). O modelo apresentou ótimo ajuste, com R2 = 0,87; índice de Wilmont (d) = 0,94; índice de confiabilidade (IC) de 0,87. As produtividades variaram de 1,8 a 1,9 Mg ha-¹, em Água Branca, de 3,7 a 4,1 Mg ha-¹ em Arapiraca, 1,9 a 2,0 Mg ha-¹ em Palmeira dos Índios, 2,2 a 2,3 Mg ha-¹ em Porto de Pedras, no mês de plantio mais produtivo

Brazilian sedimentary zeolite use in agriculture.

Zeolites are hydrated crystalline aluminosilicate minerals of alkaline and alkaline earth metals, structured in rigid three dimension nets, organized by AlO4 and SiO4 tetrahedral and are of natural occurrence. This report describes the characterization and application of the Brazilian zeolitic sedimentary rock as a release fertilizer and soil conditioner. The characterization of the head samples showed that it is composed of the zeolite stilbite intermixed with a smectitic clay mineral, and quartz. A low-cost quartz separation technique was established. Enrichment of concentrated natural zeolite was carried out: zeolite + KNO3, zeolite + K2HPO4 and zeolite + H3PO4 + apatite and the concentrated zeolite. These materials were tested with Rangpur lime rootstock and an experiment was also carried out with successive crops grown on the same substrate: lettuce, tomato, rice, and Andropogon grass. The results indicated that N, P and K enriched zeolite was an adequate slow-release source of nutrients to plants. Other green house and field experiments with concentrated zeolite applied with urea showed reduction of losses of ammonia by volatilization and improved in N use efficiency by maize. Concentrated zeolite also increased water retention and the available water capacity of a sand soil

Agrobacterium-mediated genetic transformation of a tropical elite maize line.

ABSTRACT: The efficiency of maize transformation mediated by Agrobacterium tumefaciens is influenced by various factors. The aim of this study was to test the effect of different concentrations of N6 salts (50% ? half strength, and 100% - full strength) in the infection and cocultivation media on genetic transformation efficiency of the L3 tropical elite maize line. Immature embryos were transformed via A. tumefaciens harboring the binary vector pTF102 containing the genes uidA and BAR under control of the CaMV35S promoter. The efficiency of the transgenic events produced was 3% for full strength and 1.1% for half strength N6 salts. Although under a lower concentration of salts, GUS expression was stronger; under this concentration, regeneration was less efficient. Thus, the results showed that the presence of 100% N6 salts in the infection and cocultivation media favored genetic transformation of the L3 maize inbred line mediated by A. tumefaciens

Biologia de Anastrepha fraterculus (Diptera: Tephritidae) em frutos de Campomanesia xanthocarpa.

O objetivo do presente trabalho foi avaliar, em condições controladas, os parâmetros biológicos de A. fraterculus em frutos de guabiroba Campomanesia xanthocarpa

Serological Monitoring Of A Toxoplasma Infection After Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation.

We report a primary response to Toxoplasma gondii following a hematopoietic stem cell transplantation in a patient with multiple myeloma. The primary response to T. gondii was supported by IgM, IgG and IgA seroconversion. The patient was promptly treated and there were no complications related to toxoplasmosis in the subsequent months.52225-