The Nagoya Protocol on the use of genetic resources : one embodiment of an endless discussion

O objetivo deste artigo é destacar o processo de negociação do Protocolo de Nagoya sobre a utilização dos recursos genéticos, adotado em outubro de 2010. Ao abordar os mitos e realidades associados à exploração da biodiversidade em uma perspectiva mais ampla, busca-se discutir como e por que os argumentos utilizados por países desenvolvidos e em desenvolvimento foram finalmente conciliados, resultando em um novo quadro jurídico internacional. O artigo demonstra em que medida este Protocolo permite aplicar o disposto na Convenção sobre a Diversidade Biológica de forma coerente à legislação internacional pertinente (por exemplo, referente à propriedade intelectual). Também pretende avaliar se o protocolo permitirá reduzir a sempre existente lacuna entre os conceitos jurídicos construídos pela «biodiplomacia» e as necessidades reais e práticas de cientistas e empresas. Por último, procura estimar o impacto deste documento e sua aplicação sobre as estruturas já existentes, com foco na experiência brasileira

Competências coletivas e formação em condução de veículos de socorro num contexto de especialização de bombeiros sapadores em França

O presente estudo foi realizado a pedido de uma escola departamental de combate ao incêndio e socorro de bombeiros sapadores em França. Desenvolvido com base nas abordagens da ergonomia e da didática profissional, trata-se aqui de realizar uma análise da atividade de condução de dois veículos em situações de emergência, no sentido de melhorar a formação em condução num contexto de especialização de motoristas. A partir de entrevistas, de filmagens de saídas do piquete e de autoconfrontações, mostramos que se trata de uma atividade coletiva multidimensional e identificamos diferentes estratégias de condução, que são organizadas pelo conceito pragmático de fluidez de condução. Estas estratégias podem então ser utilizadas para servir o duplo objetivo de uma saída de piquete em situação de emergência: chegar o mais rápido possível ao local da ocorrência evitando incidentes no caminho. Os resultados destacam as limitações da formação atual e as armadilhas que surgem na especialização dos motoristas.El presente estudio se realizó a petición de una escuela departamental de lucha contra incendios y socorro de bomberos en Francia. Desarrollado sobre la base de los enfoques de la ergonomía y de la didáctica profesional, se llevó a cabo un análisis de la actividad de conducción de dos vehículos, en situaciones de emergencia, para mejorar la formación en conducción en un contexto de especialización de conductores. A través de entrevistas, grabaciones vídeo de salidas de equipos de primera intervención y de auto-confrontaciones, mostramos que se trata de una actividad colectiva multidimensional e identificamos diferentes estrategias de conducción, que están organizadas por el concepto pragmático de fluidez de conducción. Estas estrategias se pueden utilizar para responder al doble propósito de una salida de equipos de primera intervención en situaciones de emergencia: llegar lo más pronto posible al lugar del siniestro, evitando incidentes en la ruta. Los resultados destacan las limitaciones de la formación actual y las trampas que surgen en la especialización de los conductores.L’étude présentée a été réalisée à la demande d’une école départementale d’incendie et de secours des sapeurs-pompiers en France. Sur la base d’approches développées en ergonomie et didactique professionnelle, il s’agit de mener une analyse de l’activité de conduite de deux engins en situation d’urgence, en vue d’améliorer la formation à la conduite dispensée dans un contexte de spécialisation des conducteurs. A partir d’entretiens, de films de départs en intervention et d’autoconfrontations, nous montrons qu’il s’agit d’une activité collective multidimensionnelle et nous identifions différentes stratégies de conduite, qui sont organisées par le concept pragmatique de fluidité de la conduite. Ces stratégies permettent alors de répondre au double objectif d’un départ en intervention : arriver le plus vite possible sur le lieu du sinistre tout en évitant tout incident routier. L’ensemble de ces résultats souligne les limites de la formation actuelle ainsi que les écueils de la spécialisation des conducteurs.This study was requested by a departmental firefighting and rescue school for firefighters in France. Based on ergonomics and professional didactics approaches, the aim is to analyze the activity of driving two emergency vehicles so to improve the training in the drivers’ specialization context. Based on interviews, observation recordings of emergency departures and self-confrontations, we showed that it is a collective, multidimensional activity and we identified different driving strategies, organized according to the pragmatic concept of “fluidity of traffic”. These strategies may then be used to serve the dual-purpose of a standby patrol service when called for an emergency: to arrive on site as fast as possible and to avoid every road incident. The findings highlight the limits of the current training program and the traps that come along the drivers’ specialization

Early Steps of a Thymic Tumor in SV40 Transgenic Mice: Hyperplasia of Medullary Epithelial Cells and Increased Mature Thymocyte Numbers Disturb Thymic Export

Bone marrow progenitors migrate to the thymus, where they proliferate and differentiate into immunologically competent T cells. In this report we show that mice transgenic for SV40 T and t antigens under the control of the L-pyruvate kinase promoter develop, in a first step, thymic hyperplasia of both thymocytes and epithelial cells. Morphological studies (histology, immunohistolabeling and electron microscopy) revealed modifications of the thymic microenvironment and gradual expansion of medullary epithelial cells in 1 month-old mice, taking over the cortical region. Then, a thymic carcinoma develops. Two-color labeling of frozen sections identified the transgene in medullary epithelial cells. Flow cytometry analysis demonstrated a marked increase in mature CD4+ and CD8+ thymocytes in adult mice (39±10×106 in transgenic mice and 12±5×106 in age-matched controls). Furthermore, thymocyte export was disturbed

Timing and chronicity of maternal depression symptoms and children's verbal abilities

ObjectiveTo test the associations between the timing and chronicity of maternal depression symptoms (MDS)and children’s long-term verbal abilities.Study designParticipants were 1073 mother-child pairs from a population-based birth cohort in Canada. MDSwere assessed at ages 5 months, 1.5, 3.5, and 5 years using the Center for Epidemiologic Studies DepressionScale. Verbal abilities were measured at 5, 6, and 10 years using the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test-Revised(PPVT-R). Multiple linear regression models were used to estimate the association between timing (early: 5 monthsand/or 1.5 years vs late 3.5 and/or 5 years) and chronicity (5 months, 1.5, 3.5, and 5 years) of exposure to el-evated MDS and children’s mean PPVT-R scores.ResultsChildren exposed to chronic MDS had lower PPVT-R scores than children never exposed (mean differ-ence=9.04 [95% CI=2.28-15.80]), exposed early (10.08 [3.33-16.86]) and exposed late (8.69 [1.85-15.53]). Therewere no significant differences between scores of children in the early compared with the late exposure group. Weadjusted for mother-child interactions, family functioning, socioeconomic status, PPVT-R administration language,child’s birth order, and maternal IQ, psychopathology, education, native language, age at birth of child, and par-enting practices. Maternal IQ, (h2=0.028), native language (h2=0.009), and MDS (h2=0.007) were the main pre-dictors of children’s verbal abilities.ConclusionsExposure to chronic MDS in early childhood is associated with lower levels of verbal abilities inmiddle childhood. Further research is needed in larger community samples to test the association between MDSand children’s long-term language skills

Dissolution-precipitation-driven upward migration of a salt crust

Salt crusts forming at the surface of a porous medium can dynamically evolve with crust displacements leading to the formations of domes and blisters or simply to the upward migration of the crust. However, the mechanisms explaining the displacements are unclear. It has been conjectured that they could be related to dissolution precipitation phenomena and/or to mechanical effects associated with the concept of crystallization pressure. We present a simple experiment where the crust upward migration is significant and can be entirely explained from the consideration of dissolution-precipitation phenomena. Equations governing the crust displacement are derived, leading to quite good agreement with the experimental results