Structural Analysis of the Formal and Informal Jobs in the Brazilian Economy

The reorganization of the Brazilian economy, in the globalization process, has brought out changes in its productive structure, and, consequently, changes in the job market. These changes had impact on the employment at the sectoral level, with great concerns related to the labor relations and to the growing unemployment rates. In the 1990s, the change in the focus of the development strategy, from a closed protected economy to an open economy with monetary control, has originated deep changes in the labor market. The number of employed persons in the primary and secondary sector was reduced, while in the tertiary sector there was an increase in the number of jobs, but not enough to absorb all the employees released from the previous two sectors. Besides the reduction in the capability of the economy to create new jobs, the last decade of the previous century has also showed an increase in the number of informal jobs. The share of informal jobs in the Brazilian economy was around 52% in 2003. In this way, the question of employment generated by the economic sectors, in number and quality, has become a crucial issue. The goal of this work is to study the characteristics and the evolution of the occupied persons, and to relate it with the formal and informal job market, as well as the economy productive structure, using for that input-output matrices constructed for the Brazilian economy. The main results show that there was a reduction in the capacity of the economy to generate employment for every million of Reais produced in a given sector. The data also shows that despite the ratio of informal workers in the economy being superior to the workers in the formality, the formal sector was responsible for about 60% of the jobs generated in the period of analysis.

Parkinson's disease : experimental in vitro model validation and the potential role of cofilin-1 in the pathophysiological mechanisms

The dopaminergic neurodegeneration in the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNpc) is responsible for the marked motor impairment observed in Parkinson's disease (PD). However, the molecular mechanisms underlying this are not completely understood. Since by the time of diagnosis, 50-70% of the dopaminergic neurons of the nigrostriatal pathway have already been degenerated, it is difficult to investigate the early-stage events of disease pathogenesis. Due to inaccessibility of the human brain to study initial pathogenic mechanisms of the disease, experimental models have been developed in an attempt to elucidate PD etiology and its progression. Nevertheless, PD models are a controversial issue in neuroscience research since it is challenging to mimic human neuronal complexity. Therefore, the lack of optimal models that recreate disease pathology is one of the causes of failure of clinical trials that have attempted to find new/better PD therapies. Taking this in consideration, the development of more suitable models is necessary to improve our knowledge regarding PD etiological mechanisms. Additionally, the understanding of the advantages and disadvantages of models already established would also be beneficial for PD research, which our group addressed by reviewing this subject. Considering this, we chose SH-SY5Y cells as a PD model for our studies. To investigate the initial stages of PD-induced neurodegeneration, our work focused in the role of cofilin-1, a protein involved in mitochondrial dysfunction caused by oxidant-induced-apoptosis, which are two pathogenic processes strongly related to PD. Hence, in the thesis, we aimed to validate the use of retinoic-acid-(RA)-differentiated SH-SY5Y cells as an in vitro model and use it to investigate the potential role of cofilin-1 in the initial molecular and cellular mechanisms of PD. Although SH-SY5Y cells are widely used in PD research, their major drawback is their lack of important neuronal features, such as low levels of proliferation and stellate morphology. On the other hand, SH-SY5Y cells can acquire a neuronal phenotype when treated with differentiation agents such as RA. Since several protocols have been described, the consequence of which may be the discrepancies observed among studies regarding neuronal and dopaminergic features. In Chapter I, we aimed to validate a RA-differentiation protocol for SH-SY5Y cells previously established by our research group, focusing upon characterization of neuronal features and its subsequent response to 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA), a toxin widely used to induce dopaminergic degeneration. RA-differentiated SH-SY5Y cells have low proliferative rates, a pronounced neuronal morphology and high expression of genes related to synapse vesicle cycle, dopamine synthesis/degradation, and dopamine transporter (DAT). After exploring phenotypic differences between these two models, we verified that RA-differentiated cells were more sensitive to 6-OHDA toxicity than undifferentiated cells, which could be related to an increase of DAT immunocontent. Many lines of evidence have showed that DAT is responsible for 6-OHDA uptake in vivo. Once inside the neuron, 6-OHDA underwent auto-oxidation causing a significant increase in oxidative stress. However, toxin uptake is not an essential step in undifferentiated SH-SY5Y cells, as auto-oxidation occurs extracellularly. We showed here, for the first time, that RA-differentiated SH-SY5Y cells can mimic, at least in part, an important mechanism of the 6-OHDA-induced cell death found in previous in vivo studies. Hence, the cellular model established by our research group presents essential neuronal features, being a suitable model for PD research. In Chapter II, RA-differentiated SH-SY5Y cells were used as cellular model to investigate disease molecular mechanisms, focusing upon cofilin-1. Our previous data have shown that oxidation of non-phosphorylate (activated) cofilin-1 leads to mitochondrial dysfunction and cell death induced by apoptosis in tumour cells. Here we found that cofilin-1 played a role in early stages of neuronal apoptosis induced by 6-OHDA in our cellular model since cofilin-1 mitochondrial translocation precedes organelle dysfunction. Overexpression of wild type CFL1 resulted in increased sensitivity of SH-SY5Y cells to 6-OHDA-induced neuronal cell death. Furthermore, overexpression of non-oxidizable CFL1 containing Cys-to-Ala mutations (positions 39, 80 and 139) increased neuronal resistance to this toxin, suggesting that oxidation is an important step in 6-OHDA toxicity. Follow-up experiments were performed in order to evaluate clinically whether cofilin-1 pathway proteins content is altered in PD post mortem human brain. Our findings showed a significant decrease in p-cofilin-1/cofilin-1 ratio in PD patients, which indicates an increase in the amount of activated cofilin-1 available for oxidation. Moreover, through principal component analysis, the immunodetection of cofilin-1 pathway proteins were able to discriminate controls and PD individuals during the early-stage of neuropathological changings. Hence, we demonstrated, for the first time, a possible role for cofilin-1 in PD pathogenesis and its potential use as biomarker. Taken together, our data showed that RA-differentiated SH-SY5Y cells present terminally-differentiated dopaminergic neuron features, that are essential to mimic dopaminergic neurons. By using this cellular model and post mortem brain tissue, we also demonstrated a possible role for cofilin-1 in early steps of the neurodegeneration process found in PD, which it could impact drug and biomarker discovery researches

Employment and familiar agriculture agribusiness in the Brazilian economy: an interregional Leontief-Miyazawa model approach

The agricultural sector has great importance in the socio-economic development. Its development throughout history has enabled the emergence of other activities and therefore new jobs. Furthermore, the importance of the agribusiness can be evidence for its share of about 30% in the total Brazilian GDP and its importance in generating jobs. To study this sector in more detail, the agricultural sector was broken down into two sectors: Familiar and Non-Familiar Agriculture Agribusiness. The goal of this paper is to study how the productive structure and the income distribution in the Brazilian economy have had an impact over employment generation and income sectors in the Familiar and Non-Familiar Agriculture Agribusiness in 2002. This paper uses as a theoretical basis the Leontief-Miyazawa approach considering the differences between sectors and the 27 Brazilian statesEmployment, Leontief-Miyazawa, familiar and agribusiness agriculture

I docenti tutot nell'insegnamento congiunto della musica: prospettive ed esperienze

In the Portuguese school system, form tutors (FTs) are an intermediate education management structure. The form tutor is responsible for a position of coordination and orientation with a «threefold function»: a relationship with students, relationship with the student’s family and relationship with other class teachers. The joint teaching of music is a part of the educational system in basic education. It is optional and provides musical and instrumental training to students who are interested in taking it. In order to achieve this, there is a system, subject to protocols, between general education schools and schools specializing in teaching music. There is also the position of FT in specialized schools and it also includes a «threefold function». However, these FTs have the additional role of representing music teachers at the class council, which is held at the general education school. Thus, in these cases, both FTs have a fourth joint area, between the music school and the general education school, which makes the relationship between them even more complex. This paper is based on the analysis of empirical data obtained from the testimonies of FTs regarding their representations and experiences in leadership and the coordination of teachers among schools in which there is a joint teaching system. The aim of collecting narratives is to look into some of the main challenges and confrontations related to leadership issues, which we assume to be the focus of those who have the role of form tutor in that specific context.Nel sistema scolastico portoghese, i registi di classe (RC) rappresentano una struttura intermedia di gestione. Il regista di classe è responsabile di una posizione di coordinamento e di orientamento con una triplice funzione: il rapporto con gli studenti; il rapporto con la famiglia dello studente e il rapporto con gli altri insegnanti di classe. L’insegnamento congiunto di musica è una parte del sistema educativo di istruzione di base. È un insegnamento opzionale e consta di corsi di formazione musicale e strumentale per gli studenti che sono interessati a frequentarlo. Per raggiungere questo obiettivo c’è un sistema, soggetto a protocolli, tra le scuole di istruzione generale e le scuole specializzate in insegnamento della musica. C’è anche la posizione di RC in scuole specializzate e comprende anch’essa una triplice funzione. Tuttavia, questi RC hanno il ruolo aggiuntivo di rappresentare gli insegnanti di musica presso il consiglio di classe che si tiene presso la scuola di istruzione generale. Così, in questi casi, i cosiddetti RC hanno una quarta area comune, tra la scuola di musica e la scuola di istruzione generale, che rende ancora più complesso il rapporto tra le aree. L’articolo si basa sull’analisi dei dati empirici ottenuti dalle testimonianze fornite dagli RC per quanto riguarda le loro idee sulla leadership e le loro esperienze di leadership e di coordinamento degli insegnanti tra le scuole in cui vi è un sistema di insegnamento congiunto. L’obiettivo del raccogliere racconti è quello di esaminare alcune delle principali sfide poste dal tema della leadership, che assumiamo essere il centro dell’attenzione per coloro che hanno il ruolo di RC, in quel contesto specifico.(undefined

School rankings in Portugal : exploring some of their effects

No presente artigo reflectimos sobre alguns dos efeitos da publicação dos rankings na acção organizacional dos actores educativos da escola pública, nomeadamente em Portugal. Tendo em consideração que os efeitos dos rankings podem não ser lineares nem uniformes (PINTO, 2009), procuramos problematizar se os referidos rankings induzem efeitos de quase-mercado educacional. Para o desenvolvimento desta discussão, tomamos por base um estudo por nós realizado (no ano lectivo 2006/2007), junto de professores, dirigentes escolares, alunos e pais de uma escola localizada numa cidade do Douro Litoral. O quadro teórico-conceptual que sustenta a interpretação dos dados obtidos provém de diferentes abordagens conceptuais, embora de forma articulada. Por um lado, mobiliza-se conceitos da sociologia da educação crítica e, por outro, da sociologia das organizações educativas. A partir daqui, podemos afirmar que os rankings, ainda que não de modo exclusivo, contribuem para a emergência de processos de selecção social e académica dos alunos e de concorrência entre escolas; neste último caso, ganha expressão situações que classificamos como estratégias de promoção da escola e de fabricações (BALL, 2002). Práticas essas que enquadramos na imagem de escola enquanto organização de tipo organicista.In this article we have taken into account some of the effects of the publishing of the rankings on the organizational action of the public school educational actors, namely in Portugal. Bearing in mind the fact that the effects of the rankings may neither be lineal nor uniform (PINTO, 2009), we attempt to question whether the referred rankings produce educational quasi-market effects. To further this discussion, we based ourselves on a study (during the school year 2006/2007) conducted by us on teachers, school administration, students and parents in a school in a city belonging to the area of Douro Litoral. The theoretical-conceptual frame that supports the interpretation of the gathered data comes from different conceptual points of view, although in an articulated form. Both sociological concepts of the critical education and sociological concepts of Sociology of the educational institutions are called upon. Based on the interpretation of the gathered data, we came to a conclusion that, although not exclusively, the rankings contribute to the emergence of processes of social and academic selection of students and competition among schools; as for the latter case, situations stand out that we classify as school image promotion and fabrication (BALL, 2002). We encase those behaviours in the school image while an institution of organicist type

Neoliberal logics and new roles of parents in public schools: reflexions based on some investigations

In different parts of the world the reforms that are labeled as neoliberal have stimulated a redefinition of the parents' roles in the field of public education. Within this context, among the different steps adopted, we should like to highlight the publication of school rankings according to students' grades in national exams, which are designated as ranking of schools and parents' free choice of school. In theory, this redefinition of the role of parents, as consumers, raises new challenges and opportunities, but, simultaneously, it might result in a new form of reproduction of social and cultural inequalities that are present across the public school, as several authors have alerted (Ball, 1995). With this situation in mind, we seek, in this communication, to realize a review of works that look into empirical investigation on the new power that is bestowed on parents. Specifically, we reflect upon the issue of whether the results obtained point to a strengthening of the inequalities between parents of different social and cultural groups in their exercise of the new power that is attributed to them in their participation in the public school. To realize this work, we seek to develop an analysis of the content of several investigations carried out in different contexts, in order to identify the following categories: scope of the investigation, groups of parents involved in the investigation, techniques of information gathering, synthesis of the comparison between the results of these works, to obtain a global overview of the (in)ability of certain groups of parents to exercise their new power.info:eu-repo/semantics/acceptedVersio

A política em Hannah Arendt: ambiente, lugar por excelência do fenómeno político

Tese de mestrado,Filosofia da Natureza e do Ambiente, apresentada à Faculdade de Letras da Universidade de Lisboa, 2008“O que estamos a fazer?” – questão que se coloca após tomarmos consciência que vivemos em colisão com o sistema ecológico do planeta. A mesma questão impôs-se a Hannah Arendt quando, na vivência dos tempos sombrios do século XX, verificou que a humanidade vivia em conflito consigo própria. Arendt é uma pensadora do começo. Neste contexto, e porque a crise ambiental é uma questão pública e política que se impõe, com Arendt procurámos o sentido das duas categorias, visando resgatar uma nova cidadania consciente da sua pertença ao mundos natural e humano, a partir da qual encontre uma via de recuperação dos mesmos. Assim, tendo por base a análise arendtiana da tripla dimensão da vita activa, labor, trabalho e acção, interpretámos o pensamento de Arendt sob duas perspectivas: na vertente política, porque encerra em si a possibilidade do novo e convoca a participação de todos, e na vertente ambiental, enquanto contexto promotor da acção política. Ambas revelam uma pensadora pioneira na interpretação da sociedade de risco e comprovam que a asfixia do planeta não é indiferente à crise civilizacional. The Human Condition (1958) é o livro de referência, embora toda a obra concorra para a tese que propomos: o Ambiente como lugar, por excelência, do fenómeno político. O cinema, enquanto arte política, tem aqui espaço. Surge através da interpretação dos filmes Notre Musique de Godard (2004) e An Inconvenient Truth de Al Gore (2006), que confirmam a actualidade do pensamento arendtiano e consolidam a nossa reflexão. Embora em contextos diferentes, estes autores partilham com Arendt o apelo ao regresso ao mundo e à Terra através da acção pública e política. Apelo que reforçamos.ABSTRACT:“What are we doing?” – a question that we ask after we become conscience that we live in collision with the planet’s ecological system. The same question was faced by Hannah Arendt when, in the XX century dark times, she realized that mankind was living in conflict with itself. Arendt is a thinker of beginnings. In this context, and because the environmental crisis is a public and political question in existence at this time, with Arendt we look for the meaning of these categories, to create a new citizenship conscience of the sense of belonging to the planet and man’s world, and by this sense of belonging recognizes the way to recuperate these. In this way, based on the analysis of the triple dimension of vita activa – labor, work, action – we look at Arendt’ works in two lights: in the political context, because it contains the possibility of the new and it requests the participation of all; and in the environmental context, while a promoter of the political action. Both reflect a pioneer thinker of society at risk and prove that the planet’s asphyxiation is not indifferent to the civilization crisis. The Human Condition (1958) is our reference to the thesis proposed: the environment as the place where the political phenomena could occur. Cinema, although a political art, has its own place in this thesis. It is displayed here in two current movies, Notre Musique from Godard (2004) e An Inconvenient Truth from Al Gore (2006), that confirms the actuality of Arendt’ thinking and consolidates our reflection. Although in different contexts, these authors share, with Arendt, the appeal to return to the planet and man’s world through political and public action. We share the same call

O Uso de revistas eletrónicas por professores / investigadores de uma Faculdade de Engenharia

Nesta era da informação em que o campo da tecnologia da informação e comunicação prevalece, as revistas científicas em formato eletrónico são um canal de informação cada vez mais utilizado pelos investigadores, uma vez que permite a comparação dos resultados a nível internacional o que possibilita um melhor desenvolvimento da Ciência. Este trabalho focou-se principalmente no uso de periódicos eletrónicos por professores / investigadores dos departamentos de Engenharia Química e Engenharia Informática da Faculdade de Engenharia do Porto, Portugal. Neste estudo, foi utilizado um inquérito por questionário para caracterizar os níveis de acesso a revistas eletrónicas por esta comunidade. Os resultados mostram que existem diferentes formas de pesquisar e utilizar a informação científica, nestes departamentos, nomeadamente em termos de frequência de acesso, número de artigos consultados, uso de bases de dados e preferências relativas à modalidade de publicação.In this information era, where the field of information technology and communication prevail, scientific journals in electronic format are an information channel increasingly used by researchers, since they allow the comparison of results at an international level which makes possible to best develop Science. This research was mainly focused on the study of the use of electronic journals by teachers/researchers from Chemical and Informatics Departments of the Faculty of Engineering of Porto, Portugal. In this study a survey was used in order to characterize the levels of access of electronic journals by this community. Results show that there are different ways of seeking and using scientific information namely in terms of frequency of access, number of articles consulted, use of databases and preference of publishing mode

National input-output table of Brazil

This paper reports on the basic information about the Brazilian input-output tables. First part presents the history of constructing I-O tables in Brazil, starting from the non-official table of 1959. The second part illustrates some basic features of the last table with the reference year of 2005. It also articulates the issues concerning the integration of the table into 2005 BRICS International Input-Output Table.Brazil; Input-Output; Tables

The hegemon’s outside option: mega-regional trade agreements and United States trade policy

The United States is facing growing challenges to the advancement of its interests in the World Trade Organization. The assertiveness of emerging countries in advancing their interests in the Doha Round made the achievement of a deal almost impossible. Slow progress is being made (the Trade Facilitation Agreement, for example), but no broad and significant trade deal has been reached so far. There are ongoing suggestions that the Doha round should be abandoned for good. The TPP and TTIP represented two shots the United States has taken to advance its trade interests outside the scope of the WTO, escaping possible challenges imposed by emerging countries. The irony behind this is that the trade regime in force was created by the United States at the height of its hegemony. The questions driving this paper are: Is this option for trade agreements related to American hegemonic decline? And to what extent does this option weaken the weaken the multilateral trade regime embodied in the WTO? There is a brief discussion about the future of this strategy under Trump’s presidency, who has a different stance regarding regional trade agreements.     Recebido em: maio/2018.Aprovado em: janeiro/2019