Reciprocidade implícita e crescimento na economia global: uma perspectiva estruturalista

This paper discusses some of the structuralist ideas about international coordination and growth in an international system formed by countries whose productive structures and technological capabilities are strongly asymmetric. These ideas are formalized taking as a point of departure the Keynesian Balance-of-Payments constrained growth model with two countries. To this model is added a function (based on the catching up literature) in which the income elasticity of the demand for exports and imports depends on the technology gap. The model allows for discussing the inter-relations between the fiscal and the industrial and technological policies. It also allows for finding the rate of growth of autonomous expenditure in the periphery which ensures that it will use all the foreign exchange it earns in promoting economic growth (the principle of “automatic reciprocity”).structuralist macroeconomics; economic growth; innovation and technologic diffusion

Avaliação da depleção linfóide folicular da Bursa de Fabricius: uma metodologia alternativa utilizando análise digital de imagem e redes neurais artificiais

Fifty Bursa of Fabricius (BF) were examined by conventional optical microscopy and digital images were acquired and processed using Matlab® 6.5 software. The Artificial Neuronal Network (ANN) was generated using Neuroshell® Classifier software and the optical and digital data were compared. The ANN was able to make a comparable classification of digital and optical scores. The use of ANN was able to classify correctly the majority of the follicles, reaching sensibility and specificity of 89% and 96%, respectively. When the follicles were scored and grouped in a binary fashion the sensibility increased to 90% and obtained the maximum value for the specificity of 92%. These results demonstrate that the use of digital image analysis and ANN is a useful tool for the pathological classification of the BF lymphoid depletion. In addition it provides objective results that allow measuring the dimension of the error in the diagnosis and classification therefore making comparison between databases feasible.Cinquenta Bursa de Fabrícius (BF) foram examinadas através de microscopia óptica convencional e imagens digitais foram obtidas e processadas através do software Matlab® 6.5. Redes Neurais Artificiais (ANN) foram geradas com a utilização do software Neuroshell® Classifier, e os dados das análises óptica e digital foram comparados. A ANN classificou corretamente a maioria dos folículos, atingindo sensibilidade e especificidade de 89% e 96%, respectivamente. Quando os folículos foram agrupados de forma binária houve um aumento da sensibilidade para 90% e obteve-se um valor máximo para a especificidade de 92%. Estes resultados demonstram que o uso da análise digital de imagem associada à ANNé uma ferramenta bastante útil para a classificação patológica da depleção linfóide da BF. Além disso, fornece resultados objetivos que permitem medir a dimensão do erro classificatório, tornando possível a comparação entre distintos bancos de dados

From: Larry Roberts (enclosure)

Illegal trafficking of pharmaceutical products by criminal organisations is a global threat for public health. Drugs for erectile dysfunction such as phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitors are the most commonly counterfeited medicines in Europe. The search of possible toxic chemical substances in seized products is needed to provide early warning for public health. Furthermore, the elemental profile of the seized products can be useful in criminal investigations. For the first time an ion beam analysis (IBA) procedure to characterise authentic Viagra® tablets and sildenafil-based illegal products is described. Moreover, results are compared with the ones obtained by instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA) on authentic Viagra® tablets in two reactors. IBA results showed that a combination of particle-induced X-ray emission (PIXE) and secondary ion mass spectrometry using primary ions with energies in the range of several MeV (MeV-SIMS) is a powerful tool to characterise different products in a straightforward manner, allowing discrimination between legal and illegal products. INAA allowed accurate elemental quantification and also showed a great potential for the future implementation of an inter- laboratory classification system

Stimulation of peripheral Kappa opioid receptors inhibits inflammatory hyperalgesia via activation of the PI3Kγ/AKT/nNOS/NO signaling pathway

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>In addition to their central effects, opioids cause peripheral analgesia. There is evidence showing that peripheral activation of kappa opioid receptors (KORs) inhibits inflammatory pain. Moreover, peripheral μ-opioid receptor (MOR) activation are able to direct block PGE₂-induced ongoing hyperalgesia However, this effect was not tested for KOR selective activation. In the present study, the effect of the peripheral activation of KORs on PGE₂-induced ongoing hyperalgesia was investigated. The mechanisms involved were also evaluated.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Local (paw) administration of U50488 (a selective KOR agonist) directly blocked, PGE₂-induced mechanical hyperalgesia in both rats and mice. This effect was reversed by treating animals with L-NMMA or N-propyl-L-arginine (a selective inhibitor of neuronal nitric oxide synthase, nNOS), suggesting involvement of the nNOS/NO pathway. U50488 peripheral effect was also dependent on stimulation of PI3Kγ/AKT because inhibitors of these kinases also reduced peripheral antinociception induced by U50488. Furthermore, U50488 lost its peripheral analgesic effect in PI3Kγ null mice. Observations made in vivo were confirmed after incubation of dorsal root ganglion cultured neurons with U50488 produced an increase in the activation of AKT as evaluated by western blot analyses of its phosphorylated form. Finally, immunofluorescence of DRG neurons revealed that KOR-expressing neurons also express PI3Kγ (≅ 43%).</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The present study indicates that activation of peripheral KORs directly blocks inflammatory hyperalgesia through stimulation of the nNOS/NO signaling pathway which is probably stimulated by PI3Kγ/AKT signaling. This study extends a previously study of our group suggesting that PI3Kγ/AKT/nNOS/NO is an important analgesic pathway in primary nociceptive neurons.</p