Glossary of molecular biology and clinical molecular biology. Part II: Laboratory methodologies

This document represents the second part of a glossary on molecular biology. In particular, the main laboratory techniques for molecular biology are be described. Indeed, recent technological advances made available a number of technologies featured by higher accuracy and sensitivity that are becoming commonly used in routine molecular diagnostics. Aiming to support less experienced readers, the terms related to the main molecular biology techniques are listed herein. For each term the corresponding English version is reported (see also the complete list, both in Italian and in English alphabetical order, reported in the Appendix). In addition, for some of the terms, a link to articles published in Biochimica Clinica, where they have been used, is reported

Sexualidade e política na cultura contemporânea: o reconhecimento social e jurídico do casal homossexual Sexuality and politics in contemporary culture: social and legal recognition for gay couples

Este trabalho tem como objetivo analisar os principais dispositivos de discurso que estabelecem fronteiras e hierarquias entre práticas sexuais. Pretende-se analisar em que medida a utilização de alguns conceitos da Psicanálise, da Antropologia e do Direito são evocados para definir fronteiras entre sexualidades normais e desviantes. Para isto, serão destacadas: a construção, por aqueles discursos, do dispositivo "diferença sexual" (de hierarquia entre os sexos e de exclusão da homossexualidade) e a noção de "ordem procriativa" (atualizadora de um modelo biológico de filiação). A partir dessas premissas, nota-se que a tríade heterossexualidade-casamento-filiação permanece como a única referência possível para pensar a cultura ou a sociedade, sendo que a visibilidade ou o reconhecimento civil do laço afetivo e sexual homossexual se transforma numa ameaça de apagamento de fronteiras ou de transgressões de limites.<br>This study aims to analyze the main discursive devices that establish borders and hierarchies among sexual practices. The objective is to analyze to what extent the utilization of certain concepts from psychoanalysis, anthropology, and law are invoked to define borders between normal and deviant sexualities. The following points are highlighted: the construction, by these discourses, of the "sexual difference" device (hierarchy between the sexes and exclusion of homosexuality) and the notion of "procreative order" (updating a biological model of filiation). Based on these premises, one notes that the heterosexuality-marriage-filiation triad remains as the only possible reference to conceive of culture or society, while the visibility or civil recognition of homosexual affective and sexual ties threatens to erase borders or transgress limits

The PaCS Debates: From 'le retour a la barbarie' to 'le droit d'etre ceux que l'on est'

This paper seeks to analyse the ways in which the partnership legislation introduced through the French parliament in 1999 (Pacte civil de solidarit&eacute;) has brought in its wake a re-examination of contemporary models of Republicanism and citizenship. Viewed by some as a threat to social cohesion (for Philippe de Villiers, for instance, the PaCS represented 'le retour &agrave; la barbarie'), for others the PaCS represents a means to examine, but also to strengthen, the 'elasticity' (Gunther, 2009) of the Republic, thus illustrating its ability to adapt to social and political change. Through analysis of the evolution of definitions of key terms in the PaCS debates, this paper charts the ways in which the partnership legislation can be seen to offer a practical, political and social means for a queering of citizenship in the contemporary Republic with its roots in the realm of sexual citizenship, but a reach that extends far beyond it