Os desafios para a reestruturação do complexo agroindustrial canavieiro do Centro-Sul

This article analyzes the changes in the structure and trade of sugar and alcohol production at Center-South region of Brazil in the 90s. The data demonstrate that this sector showed a process of great product differentiation and modernization in their plants over the past 10 years. It is not just a 'Sugarcane Complex' given the enormous diversity of production units, mix of products and forms of commercialization which are related to this sector. Since the de-regulation, specific and heterogeneous segments appeared. We propose that the difficulties faced for a possible implementation of a whole intervention policy has occurred in the former period. Finally, an agenda of public policies is proposed addressing the needs for competitiveness, environmental preservation and creation of jobs.sugar and alcoohol market structure, self-regulation, industrial policy

Signalomics: Diversity and Methods of Analysis of Systemic Signals in Plants

We provide a brief definition and history of signals, pointing out how differences in body plan between plants and animals require fundamentally different signaling mechanisms, and then list the diversity of chemical and physical signals along with their pathways of transmission, providing details on molecular signals and focusing on the phloem and xylem as being the main conduits for (rapid) systemic signaling. The two major electrical (action potentials and variation potentials) as well as hydraulic signals are then described. The latter part of the chapter deals with methods of analysis of molecular signals, including accessing the phloem and identifying the array of gene products transported therein. A description is provided of the modern methods used in metabolomics and phenotyping to analyze the metabolic consequences of signal action. Conventional techniques for analyzing electrical and hydraulic signals and their ionic components using electrodes are then furnished. Finally we describe novel techniques developed recently in the animal field using fluorescence to monitor real-time changes in membrane potential, which could be adapted for plants to open up new vistas in our understanding of electrical signals in plants

Risk to pollinators from anthropogenic electro-magnetic radiation (EMR): evidence and knowledge gaps

Worldwide urbanisation and use of mobile and wireless technologies (5G, Internet of Things) is leading to the proliferation of anthropogenic electromagnetic radiation (EMR) and campaigning voices continue to call for the risk to human health and wildlife to be recognised. Pollinators provide many benefits to nature and humankind, but face multiple anthropogenic threats. Here, we assess whether artificial light at night (ALAN) and anthropogenic radiofrequency electromagnetic radiation (AREMR), such as used in wireless technologies (4G, 5G) or emitted from power lines, represent an additional and growing threat to pollinators. A lack of high quality scientific studies means that knowledge of the risk to pollinators from anthropogenic EMR is either inconclusive, unresolved, or only partly established. A handful of studies provide evidence that ALAN can alter pollinator communities, pollination and fruit set. Laboratory experiments provide some, albeit variable, evidence that the honey bee Apis mellifera and other invertebrates can detect EMR, potentially using it for orientation or navigation, but they do not provide evidence that AREMR affects insect behaviour in ecosystems. Scientifically robust evidence of AREMR impacts on abundance or diversity of pollinators (or other invertebrates) are limited to a single study reporting positive and negative effects depending on the pollinator group and geographical location. Therefore, whether anthropogenic EMR (ALAN or AREMR) poses a significant threat to insect pollinators and the benefits they provide to ecosystems and humanity remains to be established

Intercellular Communication in Plants: Evidence for an EMF-Generated Signal that Evokes Local and Systemic Transcriptional Responses in Tomato

Exposing the oldest leaf of a tomato plant to a short (10 min), low-amplitude (5 V.m−1), high-frequency (900 MHz) electromagnetic field evoked a rapid (15 min) and systemic accumulation of the stress-related transcript LebZIP-1 in the exposed leaf and in the distant, terminal leaf that is protected from EMF radiation. The accumulation was prevented by calcium counteracting drugs both locally and systemically. It was also prevented, but only in the distant tissue, in the ABA tomato mutant Sitiens or in wild-type tomato grown in the presence of the ABA synthesis inhibitor naproxen

On the invariance under area preserving diffeomorphisms of noncommutative Yang-Mills theory in two dimensions

We present an investigation on the invariance properties of noncommutative Yang-Mills theory in two dimensions under area preserving diffeomorphisms. Stimulated by recent remarks by Ambjorn, Dubin and Makeenko who found a breaking of such an invariance, we confirm both on a fairly general ground and by means of perturbative analytical and numerical calculations that indeed invariance under area preserving diffeomorphisms is lost. However a remnant survives, namely invariance under linear unimodular tranformations.Comment: LaTeX JHEP style, 16 pages, 2 figure

Where has all the message gone?

We provide a brief history of polyribosomes, ergosomes, prosomes, informosomes, maternal mRNA, stored mRNA, and RNP particles. Even though most published research focuses on total mRNA rather than polysomal mRNA and often assumes they are synonymous – i.e., if a functional mRNA is present, it must be translated – results from our laboratories comparing polysomal RNA and total mRNA in a range of “normal” issues show that some transcripts are almost totally absent from polysomes while others are almost entirely associated with polysomes. We describe a recent model from yeast showing various destinies for polysomal mRNA once it has been released from polysomes. The main points we want to emphasize are; a) when mRNA leaves polysomes to go to prosomes, P-bodies, stress granules, etc., it is not necessarily destined for degradation – it can be re-utilized; b) “normal” tissue, not just seeds and stressed tissue, contains functional non-polysomal mRNA; c) association of mRNA with different classes of polysomes affects their sub-cellular location and translatability; and d) drawbacks, misinterpretations, and false hopes arise from analysis of total mRNA rather than polysomal mRNA and from presuming that all polysomes are “created equal”

Informação tecnológica sobre cana-de-açúcar na internet.

O Brasil é o maior produtor mundial de cana-de-açúcar e de etanol1. A cana-de-açúcar é a maior fonte de energia renovável do País, com 15,9% de participação na matriz energética atual, superando pela primeira vez a oferta de energia hidrelétrica (14,8%), considerando-se o etanol combustível e a cogeração de eletricidade a partir do bagaço2. Sua área plantada passa de 7 milhões de hectares; e sua produção gira em torno de 490 milhões de toneladas na safra 2007/083

How do patient characteristics influence informal payments for inpatient and outpatient health care in Albania: Results of logit and OLS models using Albanian LSMS 2005

Abstract Background Informal payments for health care are common in most former communist countries. This paper explores the demand side of these payments in Albania. By using data from the Living Standard Measurement Survey 2005 we control for individual determinants of informal payments in inpatient and outpatient health care. We use these results to explain the main factors contributing to the occurrence and extent of informal payments in Albania. Methods Using multivariate methods (logit and OLS) we test three models to explain informal payments: the cultural, economic and governance model. The results of logit models are presented here as odds ratios (OR) and results from OLS models as regression coefficients (RC). Results Our findings suggest differences in determinants of informal payments in inpatient and outpatient care. Generally our results show that informal payments are dependent on certain characteristics of patients, including age, area of residence, education, health status and health insurance. However, they are less dependent on income, suggesting homogeneity of payments across income categories. Conclusions We have found more evidence for the validity of governance and economic models than for the cultural model.</p

Cold atom Clocks and Applications

This paper describes advances in microwave frequency standards using laser-cooled atoms at BNM-SYRTE. First, recent improvements of the $^{133}$Cs and $^{87}$Rb atomic fountains are described. Thanks to the routine use of a cryogenic sapphire oscillator as an ultra-stable local frequency reference, a fountain frequency instability of $1.6\times 10^{-14}\tau^{-1/2}$ where $\tau$ is the measurement time in seconds is measured. The second advance is a powerful method to control the frequency shift due to cold collisions. These two advances lead to a frequency stability of $2\times 10^{-16}$ at $50,000s for the first time for primary standards. In addition, these clocks realize the SI second with an accuracy of$7\times 10^{-16}$, one order of magnitude below that of uncooled devices. In a second part, we describe tests of possible variations of fundamental constants using$^{87}$Rb and$^{133}$Cs fountains. Finally we give an update on the cold atom space clock PHARAO developed in collaboration with CNES. This clock is one of the main instruments of the ACES/ESA mission which is scheduled to fly on board the International Space Station in 2008, enabling a new generation of relativity tests.Comment: 30 pages, 11 figure