The Evolution Of Trade Policy On Gmos In Europe

The European Union has a reputation for holding strict genetically modified (GM) safety standards. Yet, there seems to be some dispute about it being a barrier to trade. There are political questions about how public engagement is interconnected with trade negotiations in regards to genetically modified organisms and biosafety standards. The concept of biosafety, as outlined in the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety to the Convention on Biological Diversity, is interpreted as “…the need to protect human health and the environment from the possible adverse effects of the products of modern biotechnology”. Thus, the question being researched and discussed is: how has EU regulatory and trade policy on biosafety and GMOs evolved in the early 2000s? Public engagement on genetically modified organisms (GMOs) policies in Europe, is a topic worth researching because GMO biosafety (the prevention of large-scale loss of biological integrity, focusing both on ecology and human health) is a sensitive topic for consumers, government, trade negotiations, transnational corporations and biotech companies. Examining the European Union’s stance on GMO regulations and how public engagement has shaped trade negotiations regarding the controversial topic of genetically modified organisms and biosafety standards through the analysis of laws, directives and regulations is imperative. Specifically, the regulatory regime for genetically modified organisms consists of provisions which grant the public formal rights of participation. Participatory approaches both to science policy and regulation so far have been proposed mainly to prevent technocracy, improve democratic accountability, and encourage dialogue between scientists, policymakers, and the public. Growing anti-GM opinions in Europe have forced a change in the European Union’s policy on GMO authorizations and led to a de facto moratorium in late 1998 on new GMO approvals and imports. In fact, public participation in the evolution and implementation of a national biosafety system may be the most significant factor in determining the level of public confidence in risk assessment and management of GMOs. This is important to understand because it has led to the shift in European policy that provoked the first major international trade conflict over GMO safety policies. The relationship between trade and genetically modified organisms is difficult to separate because the biotech industry drives companies to lobby for rules which create strong incentives towards market access. Moreover, the degree of policy freedom attainable to state decision-makers regarding biotechnology tends to be confined by international rules responsive to the needs of GM exporters

Managerial accountability reforms in the context of the Greek public sector. Patterns of continuity and change, in organisational life : the case of the Hellenic Railway Organisation (OSE)

The present study aims to depict the continuity and change in the patterns of interaction and accountability in the Hellenic Railway Organisation (OSE), as these are influenced by the application of managerial accountability reform, in the context of the Greek public sector. In particularly the present study focuses upon the effects on inner organisational patterns of interaction and accountability from the use of strategic and operational plans, in the effort of the Greek State to keep the company’s executive officer accountable for his/her decisions and actions. Critical to the present analysis is the role of the European Union in the reformation process in the Greek railway industry. Structuration Theory was used to provide a theoretical framework to guide the empirical research. In the course of the thesis it emerges that the power of subordinates to control the reformation process and to hold superordinates accountable for their actions and decisions was critical to the creation of meaningful and accountable relations between organisational actors and their outer organisational context. The dialectic of control is seen by the present study as the key factor that allows an organisational system to maintain a level of managerial and operational independence from elements of the institutional environment, with contradictory and conflicting interests, which aim to influence managerial and operational strategies. Managerial and operational independence of organisational systems, from their institutional environment, is seen as a precondition in order for organisational actors to develop relationships of trust and responsibility and to re-rationalise and modernise the patterns of organisational action and accountability. The inability of the OSE to efficiently apply its modernisation project is seen as the outcome of organisational actors’ inability to maintain a level of independence from the institutional environment and to formulate meaningful and accountable relationships. For that reason operational plans and performance objectives have failed to be coupled in the ongoing relationship between organisational actors in the OSE and their institutional environment. The disaggregation of the OSE into a holding company and company’s current dreadful financial and operational conditions are seen as the unintended consequences of the organisational action

Published papers in biomedicine from Argentina: data on clinical research

El objetivo de este trabajo fue obtener datos cuantitativos sobre la investigación clínica en la Argentina. Para esto consultamos la base MEDLINE de la Biblioteca Nacional de los EE.UU. que contiene más de 18 millones de referencias en revistas científicas y donde son listadas 5400 publicaciones en 39 idiomas. En el 2009, casi 850 000 trabajos fueron citados en MEDLINE y la Argentina contribuyó con el 0.33% y de ellos 90% en inglés. El número de trabajos publicados en castellano ha ido disminuyendo en los últimos años, un hecho que también se observa en otros idiomas como el alemán, francés, portugués, entre otros. Utilizando las herramientas que provee MEDLINE buscamos trabajos que podrían ser catalogados como de investigación clínica. Para esto acotamos la búsqueda con la palabra "patient" en el texto" y "hospital" en la dirección de los autores. A lo largo de los últimos 10 años, el 16% de los trabajos publicados desde la Argentina contienen la palabra "patient" y esto se reduce a la mitad si se exige que los trabajos hayan sido realizados en un hospital. El número de trabajos en castellano con estas restricciones es aún menor. El aumento en los artículos enviados desde la Argentina ha seguido la curva ascendente del total de trabajos en MEDLINE y este crecimiento ha sido a expensas de la investigación básica, ya que el porcentaje de trabajos clínicos se ha mantenido constante. En conclusión, este trabajo intenta aportar una información que no tenemos respecto a los trabajos de biomedicina en la Argentina.The aim of this paper was to provide quantitative data about clinical investigation in Argentina. We searched MEDLINE which is the U.S. National Library of Medicine's bibliographic database that contains more than 18 million references to journal articles in life sciences; 5400 journals in 39 languages are listed. In 2009 almost 850 000 papers were cited in MEDLINE and Argentina provided 0.33% of them, 90% of these in English. The number of papers published in Spanish is diminishing every year and similar results are observed with the German, French and other languages. Using the tools provided by MEDLINE we searched for papers that could be classified as clinical. We restricted our search to the word "patients" in the text and "hospital" in the address provided by the authors. Along the last 10 years, from 2000 to 2009, about 16% of the papers published from Argentina contain the word "patient" and this percentage is reduced to half if we combine the word "patient" with the word "hospital" in the address. If we search for papers written in Spanish with these two restrictions the number is much lower. The number of articles from Argentina followed the upward trend in the total of articles cited in MEDLINE in the last 10 years. This local increase was due to basic investigation papers because the percentage of clinical articles was relatively constant during these years. In conclusion, these data provide a survey of an area with scanty quantitative information.Fil: Kotsias, Basilio Aristides. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Medicina. Instituto de Investigaciones Médicas; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Cientificas y Tecnicas. Oficina de Coordinacion Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de Investigaciones Medicas; Argentin

Amiloride sensitive sodium channels (ENaC) and their regulation by proteases

El ENaC es un canal que permite el movimiento de Na+ desde el líquido luminal hacia las células en numerosos epitelios reabsortivos y también en otros tejidos como la placenta. ENaC juega un papel crucial en la homeostasis de los electrolitos y volumen de líquido extracelular. Es regulado por numerosas hormonas, incluyendo la aldosterona y bloqueado por el diurético amiloride. El ENaC está formado por tres subunidades homólogas α, β y γ que forman el poro por el cual se mueven los iones Na+. Dos factores regulan la actividad del ENaC. 1) el número de canales insertos en la membrana celular y 2) la probabilidad de apertura o tiempo en que se encuentra abierto el canal. El número de canales es el resultado de un balance entre su síntesis y degradación. La probabilidad de apertura depende de la proteólisis de zonas específicas de las subunidades α y γ por múltiples proteasas dentro de la célula y en el espacio extracelular. Entre las proteasas más estudiadas se encuentran la furina, prostasina, elastasa, plasmina y tripsina. Existen sustancias endógenas que bloquean la actividad de estas proteasas como la aprotinina, la bikunina y la nexina-1 y la expresión de las proteasas y sus inhibidores es regulada a su vez por la aldosterona, la tasa de movimiento de Na y el TFGβ. En este trabajo presentamos algunos ejemplos de esta regulación y su potencial papel en condiciones normales y en ciertas enfermedades como la fibrosis quística, renales e hipertensión.ENaC is a channel that mediates entry of Na+ from the luminal fluid into the cells in many reabsorbing epithelia and it is also expressed in human placenta. ENaC is crucial in the control of electrolyte and extracellular volume homeostasis. ENaC is regulated by several hormones, including aldosterone and blocked by amiloride and its analogs. ENaC channels are composed by three homologous subunits, α, β and γ that form the pore where Na ions are transported. Two factors regulate the activity of ENaC channels: 1) the number of channels inserted in the membrane and 2) the open probability of the channels or time that the channel is open. The number of channels is the result of a balance between the synthesis and degradation of ENaC channels. The open probability depends on the proteolysis of specific segments in the α and γ subunits of ENaC by multiple proteases inside of the cell or in the extracellular space. Among the most studied proteases are furin, prostasin, elastase, plasmin and trypsin. There are endogenous substances that block the activity of these proteases such as aprotinin, bikunin and nexin-1 and the expression of both, proteases and their inhibitors are controlled by the rate of Na+ movement, aldosterone and TFG-β levels. In this work we present some examples of this regulation and the potential role that this process may play under normal and pathological conditions such as cystic fibrosis, kidney diseases and hypertension.Fil: Galizia, Luciano. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Medicina. Instituto de Investigaciones Médicas; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Ojea, Alejandro. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Medicina. Instituto de Investigaciones Médicas; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Kotsias, Basilio Aristides. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Medicina. Instituto de Investigaciones Médicas; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentin

High throughput glycomics workflows: application to cancer cell lines

Protein glycosylation has profound implications in a wide range of molecular and biological processes occurring in cancer, where specific changes in the glycan structures have shown to be associated with the development and progression of the disease paving the way for the development of new clinical biomarkers as well as providing specific targets for therapeutic intervention, patient stratification and personalized medicine. Protein glycosylation is also critical for the development of biopharmaceuticals, as even minor shifts in manufacturing procedures can substantially impact the bioactivity, safety, and efficacy of therapeutic proteins. Although a variety of mass spectrometric and chromatographic methods are available for the identification and characterization of glycans from complex sample mixtures, the lack of standardized protocols across platforms often results in inconsistent results, making data integration and comparison challenging. Furthermore, most of the current technology for the study of intact glycans would not be suitable for the rapid analysis of large sample sets, mainly due to limitations in sample throughput. The scope of this thesis is to establish standardized, high-throughput glycomics technologies for the quantitative analysis of protein N- and O-glycosylation and improve current methodologies in order to facilitate the characterization of intact oligosaccharides from in vitro established model systems.European Commission, Horizon 2020 GlyCoCan programme (grant agreement number 676421) Ludger Ltd.LUMC / Geneeskund

Lithium and its relation with the epithelial sodium channel and aquaporin-2

Desde hace más de cuarenta años que el litio es usado para el tratamiento de la enfermedad bipolar; recientes estudios sugieren también su utilidad en el trastorno cognitivo mínimo tipo amnésico. El litio es filtrado en el glomérulo y un 65-75% del mismo es reabsorbido en el túbulo contorneado proximal y en el asa ascendente de Henle por el transportador Na+, K+, 2Cl- y vía paracelular. Una pequeña fracción del litio entra en las células principales del túbulo colector por medio del canal epitelial de sodio sensible al amiloride (ENaC) localizado en la membrana apical de la célula. Luego de 10- 20 años de tratamiento con litio los enfermos pueden desarrollar poliuria, acidosis tubular e insuficiencia renal crónica que puede terminar en una forma de diabetes que no responde a la arginina vasopresina llamada diabetes insípida nefrogénica. Se cree que estas fallas renales son consecuencias de una reducción en el número de moléculas de acuaporina 2 en la membrana apical. Las causas para esto son complejas. El litio es un poderoso inhibidor de la isoforma beta de la enzima glicógeno sintetasa quinasa y esto está asociado a una menor actividad de la adenilato ciclasa que lleva a una disminución en la concentración intracelular de cAMP. Esto finalmente interferiría con la síntesis de nuevas moléculas de acuaporina 2 y con el tráfico de ellas desde la zona subapical de la célula hacia la membrana celular, causando la disminución en la reabsorción de agua en la parte distal del nefrón.For more than 40 years lithium has been used to treat bipolar disorder and recent trials suggest a potential efficacy also in the treatment of the amnestic mild cognitive impairment. Lithium is filtered by the glomerulus and 65% - 75% of the filtered amount is reabsorbed along the proximal tubule and in the thick ascending limb of Henle's loop by the Na+, K+, 2Cl- transporter and via paracellular. A small fraction of lithium is reabsorbed in the collecting duct's principal cells through the epithelial Na channel (ENaC) located on the apical side of the cells. Polyuria, renal tubular acidosis and chronic renal failure are the most frequent adverse effects of lithium after 10-20 years of treatment and these alterations can reach to a vasopressin nonresponding form of diabetes insipidus entity called nephrogenic diabetes insipidus. It is believed that the molecular mechanisms of these renal changes are related to a reduction in the number of aquaporin-2 inserted in the apical membrane of the cells. The causes of this are complex. Lithium is a powerful inhibitor of the enzyme glycogen synthase kinase 3β and this is associated with a lower activity of adenylate cyclase with a reduction in the cAMP levels inside of the cells. The latter may interfere with the synthesis of aquaporin-2 and also with the traffic of these molecules from the subapical site to membrane promoting the impairment of water reabsorption in the distal part of the kidney.Fil: Galizia, Luciano. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Cientificas y Tecnicas. Oficina de Coordinacion Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de Investigaciones Medicas; Argentina. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Medicina. Instituto de Investigaciones Médicas; ArgentinaFil: Marino, Gabriela Inés. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Cientificas y Tecnicas. Oficina de Coordinacion Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de Investigaciones Medicas; Argentina. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Medicina. Instituto de Investigaciones Médicas; ArgentinaFil: Kotsias, Basilio Aristides. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Cientificas y Tecnicas. Oficina de Coordinacion Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de Investigaciones Medicas; Argentina. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Medicina. Instituto de Investigaciones Médicas; Argentin

Estudio in vitro e in vivo de una cepa recombinante de Herpesvirus bovino 1 (BoHV-1deltagEbetagal)

Bovine herpesvirus 1 is an alfaherpesvirus that infects cattle producing respiratory, genital and reproductive disease. It is a neurotropic virus that establishes latency in sensory ganglia, and\nviral reexcretion after reactivation of latent infections is responsible for the perpetuation of the\nagent in the field. In our country, seroprevalence can reach 80% and vaccination is the strategy used to control this disease. A recombinant virus was developed in our laboratory to be used as a marker vaccine, from BoHV-1.1 strain Los Angeles (LA) through allelic replacement of the gene encoding glycoprotein E by the lac z gene, named BoHV-1?gE?gal. Genomic characterization of BoHV-1?gE?gal strain verified the absence of changes in the\ngE gene flanking regions, and specifically identified the sites where allelic exchange occurred. The RFLP study showed that this strain has a different pattern than expected, indicating changes in certain restriction sites. The study of the in vitro behavior established that this strain is less\nefficient in producing infectious viral particles as well as in viral dispersion when compared to the\nparental or other gE gene deleted strains, both in the mechanism of cell-to-cell spread and in the\nrelease of infectious viral particles into the extracellular medium. BoHV-1?gE?gal virus is\nattenuated in the natural host, and this attenuation is greater than that described for other gE gene deleted strains, albeit immunogenic, it is not excreted nor produces clinical disease after intranasal infection, and does not establish a latent infection or is reactivated experimentally. The experience of BoHV-1 viral infection and the methodology developed in this work applied to the analysis of samples from infected animals are a valuable tool for studying the\npathogenesis of genetically modified viruses, recombinant virus and field isolates. On the other\nhand, it is a contribution to the knowledge of parental BoHV-1 LA strain which is used in viral\nchallenge experiences. The results of this thesis work, taken together with the history of immunogenicity, protection against viral challenge and safety of BoHV-1?gE?gal strain and the increasing global trend towards the use of live marker vaccines in controlling diseases caused by BoHV-1, indicate that BoHV-1?gE?gal strain could be incorporated as a live immunogen in vaccination schemes of future BoHV-1 control and eradication plans in our country without risk of\ncausing illness, latency or virus spread to other animals, therefore reducing the incidence of bovine respiratory disease.\nFil: Kotsias, Fiorella. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias. Buenos Aires, ArgentinaFil: Kotsias, Fiorella. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria. Centro de Investigaciones en Ciencias Veterinarias y Agronómicas. Instituto de Virología. Castelar, ArgentinaEl herpesvirus bovino 1 es un alfaherpesvirus que infecta al ganado bovino produciendo cuadros clínicos respiratorios, genitales y/o reproductivos. Es un virus neurotrópico que establece latencia en ganglios sensoriales, y la reexcreción viral luego de la reactivación de la infección\nlatente es responsable de la perpetuación del agente en los rodeos. En nuestro país la seroprevalencia puede alcanzar el 80% y la vacunación es la estrategia utilizada para el control de\nla enfermedad. En nuestro laboratorio se desarrolló, a partir de la cepa BoHV-1.1 Los Angeles (LA), un virus recombinante mediante el reemplazo alélico del gen que codifica para la\nglicoproteina E por el gen lac z, denominada BoHV-1?gE?gal, para su utilización como vacuna\nmarcadora. La caracterización genómica de la cepa BoHV-1?gE?gal verificó la ausencia de cambios en las regiones flanqueantes al gen gE y permitió identificar específicamente los sitios donde ocurrió\nel intercambio alélico. El estudio de RFLP mostró que esta cepa posee un patrón diferente al esperado, indicando modificaciones en ciertos sitios de restricción. El estudio del comportamiento\nin vitro mostró que esta cepa es menos eficiente en la producción de partículas virales infectivas\nasí como en la dispersión viral respecto a la cepa parental BoHV-1 LA y a otras cepas gE-, tanto en\nel mecanismo de pasaje célula a célula como en el de liberación de partículas virales infectivas al\nmedio extracelular. El virus BoHV-1?gE?gal se encuentra atenuado en su virulencia en el\nhospedador natural, y esta atenuación es mayor que la descripta para otras cepas gE-, ya que si bien induce una respuesta inmune humoral sérica y de mucosas, no se excreta ni produce enfermedad clínica luego de la infección intranasal, así como tampoco establece una infección latente ni se reactiva experimentalmente.\nLa experiencia de infección viral con BoHV-1 y la metodología desarrollada en este trabajo aplicada al análisis de muestras provenientes de animales infectados constituyen una valiosa herramienta para el estudio de la patogenia de virus genéticamente modificados, virus\nrecombinantes y aislamientos de campo. Por otro lado, resulta una contribución al conocimiento de la cepa parental BoHV-1 LA que se utiliza en las experiencias de desafío viral. Los resultados de\neste trabajo de Tesis, conjuntamente con los antecedentes de inmunogenicidad, protección frente al desafío viral e inocuidad de la cepa BoHV-1?gE?gal, sumado a la creciente tendencia mundial en el uso de vacunas marcadoras vivas en el control de la enfermedad causada por BoHV-1, indican que la cepa BoHV-1?gE?gal podría incorporarse como inmunógeno vivo en los esquemas de\nvacunación de futuros planes de control y erradicación de BoHV-1 en nuestro país sin riesgos de\nproducir enfermedad, latencia o diseminarse a otros animales, reduciendo la incidencia de\nenfermedad respiratoria bovina

CFTR and ENaC functions in cystic fibrosis

La fibrosis quística se debe a la ausencia o defecto del canal transmembrana regulador de la fibrosis quística (CFTR), un canal de cloruro codificado en el gen cftr que juega un papel clave en la homeostasis del agua e iones. El CFTR es activado por el AMPc y se localiza en las membranas apicales y basolaterales de las vías aéreas, intestino y glándulas exocrinas. Una de sus funciones primarias en los pulmones es mantener la capa de líquido superficial a través de su función de canal y regular el canal epitelial de sodio sensible al amiloride (ENaC). Se han identificado más de 1900 mutaciones en el gen cftr. La enfermedad se caracteriza por secreciones viscosas en las glándulas exocrinas y por niveles elevados de cloruro de sodio en el sudor. En la fibrosis quística el CFTR no funciona y el ENaC está desregulado; el resultado es un aumento en la reabsorción de sodio y agua con la formación de un líquido viscoso. En las glándulas sudoríparas tanto el Na+ como el Cl- se retienen en el lumen causando una pérdida de electrolitos durante la sudoración y el NaCl se elimina al sudor. Así, los niveles elevados de NaCl son la base del test del sudor inducido por pilocarpina, un método de diagnóstico para la enfermedad. En esta revisión se discuten los movimientos de Cl- y Na+ en las glándulas sudoríparas y pulmón así como el papel del ENaC en la patogénesis de la enfermedad.Cystic fibrosis is caused by dysfunction or lack of the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR), a chloride channel that has a key role in maintaining ion and water homoeostasis in different tissues. CFTR is a cyclic AMP-activated Cl- channel found in the apical and basal plasma membrane of airway, intestinal, and exocrine epithelial cells. One of CFTR's primary roles in the lungs is to maintain homoeostasis of the airway surface liquid layer through its function as a chloride channel and its regulation of the epithelial sodium channel ENaC. More than 1900 CFTR mutations have been identified in the cftr gene. The disease is characterized by viscous secretions of the exocrine glands in multiple organs and elevated levels of sweat sodium chloride. In cystic fibrosis, salt and fluid absorption is prevented by the loss of CFTR and ENaC is not appropriately regulated, resulting in increased fluid and sodium resorption from the airways and formation of a contracted viscous surface liquid layer. In the sweat glands both Na+ and Cl- ions are retained in the lumen, causing significant loss of electrolytes during sweating. Thus, elevated sweat NaCl concentration is the basis of the classic pilocarpine-induced sweat test as a diagnostic feature of the disease. Here we discuss the ion movement of Cl- and Na+ ions in two tissues, sweat glands and in the air surface as well as the role of ENaC in the pathogenesis of cystic fibrosis.Fil: Palma, Alejandra Graciela. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Medicina. Instituto de Investigaciones Médicas; ArgentinaFil: Kotsias, Basilio Aristides. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Medicina. Instituto de Investigaciones Médicas; ArgentinaFil: Marino, Gabriela Inés. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Medicina. Instituto de Investigaciones Médicas; Argentin

Πολιτική φιλοσοφία και ιδεολογική εργαλειοποίηση του αθλητισμού υψηλού επιπέδου στην κομμουνιστική κίνα.

Η επίκαιρη 24η Χειμερινή Ολυμπιάδα του Πεκίνου, το διπλωματικό μποϋκοτάζ ορισμένων χωρών σ ’αυτήν, καθώς και η προηγηθείσα εξαφάνιση, εντός της χώρας της, της κινέζας τενίστριας Πενγκ Σουάι φέρνει και πάλι στο προσκήνιο το σημαντικό ρόλο που ασκεί η πολιτική στα αθλητικά τεκταινόμενα και αναδεικνύει το ερώτημα της παρούσας πτυχιακής εργασίας που αφορά το αν και κατά πόσο εργαλειοποιείται ο αθλητισμός υψηλού επιπέδου από το καθεστώς της Λαϊκής Δημοκρατίας της Κίνας. Απώτερος στόχος είναι η ανάδειξη των ποικίλων σκοπιμοτήτων αυτής της εργαλειοποίησης του αθλητισμού. Μέσα σε αυτό το πλαίσιο θα συζητηθούν, ακολουθώντας μια χρονολογική πορεία -1949 έως σήμερα- ιστορικής αφήγησης αλλά και πολιτικό-φιλοσοφικής ανάλυσης σε σχέση με την επίδραση που άσκησαν ως προς την πιθανή εργαλειοποίηση του αθλητισμού, ζητήματα όπως: ο ρόλος του αθλητισμού κατά την ίδρυση της κομμουνιστικής Κίνας και η αντίστοιχη «αθλητική διπλωματία» που βοήθησε στην διεθνή αναγνώριση του νέου αυτού κράτους, ο ρόλος της προπαγάνδας μέσω της τέχνης, η σχέση της λεγόμενης «πολιτιστικής επανάστασης» και του αθλητισμού, η καίρια συμβολή συγκεκριμένων αθλημάτων όπως το βόλεϊ και το μπάσκετ, καθώς και το κομβικό ιστορικά σημείο της διοργάνωσης των Ολυμπιακών Αγώνων από την Κίνα. Η ερευνά μας θα ενισχύσει την πεποίθηση ότι στην κομμουνιστική Κίνα, όπου επικράτησαν ιδιαίτερες ιστορικό-πολιτιστικές συνθήκες και υπήρχε έλλειψη, ιδίως στο παρελθόν, άλλων διεξόδων προβολής του συγκεκριμένου πολιτικού καθεστώτος, η διατήρηση και ενίσχυση με κάθε μέσο του υφιστάμενου πολιτικού Status Quo είναι η απόλυτη προτεραιότητα! Μια προτεραιότητα που επισκιάζει όμως ατομικά δικαιώματα και παραδοσιακά ολυμπιακά ιδεώδη και αναγάγει τον πρωταθλητισμό σε ένα «εργαλείο» διαιώνισης της.The current 24th Beijing Winter Olympics, the diplomatic boycott of some countries regarding this event, as well as the recent disappearance, within her own country, of the Chinese female tennis player Peng Shui, bring to the fore again the important role that politics plays in sports and highlights the core issue of the present dissertation on whether and to what extent high-level sport is instrumentalized by the regime of the People's Republic of China. The ultimate goal of this thesis is to accentuate the diverse expediencies of this “tooling of sport”. In this context, following a chronological course of historical narrative -1949 to date- but also a political and philosophical analysis in relation to the impact they had on the possible instrumentalization of sport, several issues will be discussed: the role of sport in the early stage of communist China and the corresponding “diplomacy of sports" that helped this new state to be internationally recognized, the role of state propaganda through art, the relationship between the so-called "cultural revolution" and sport, the key role of specific sports such as volleyball and basketball, as well as the crucial historical moment of the organization of the Olympic Games from China. Our research will reinforce the belief that in communist China, where particular historical & cultural conditions have been prevailed leading -especially in the past- to the lack of other ways of promoting the dominant political regime, the maintenance and the strengthening by any means of the existing political Status Quo is the absolute priority! A priority that, however, overshadows individual rights and traditional Olympic ideals and reduces high-level sports to a "tool" for its perpetuation

Genomic characterization of canine circovirus associated with fatal disease in dogs in South America

Canine circovirus (CanineCV) was detected, together with canine parvovirus (CPV), in samples from an outbreak of fatal gastroenteritis in dogs in Argentina. We obtained the full-length genome of this recently discovered virus by overlapping PCR, designated strain UBA-Baires. Sequence analysis revealed a highly conserved genome but also showed several unique mutations in amino acids from the capsid protein that have not been previously reported. Phylogenetic analysis shows that this strain is more closely related to European strains than to viruses detected in North America or Asia. Although the pathogenic role of CanineCV in dogs is still unclear, this study highlights the importance of CanineCV as a coinfecting virus in disease development. To our knowledge, this is the first report of the involvement of CanineCV in severe clinical disease in dogs in South America. Our results expand our information on the geographical extent of this virus and contribute to the understanding of its role in disease.Fil: Kotsias, Fiorella. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Unidad Ejecutora de Investigaciones en Producción Animal. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias. Unidad Ejecutora de Investigaciones en Producción Animal; Argentina. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria. Centro de Investigación En Ciencias Veterinarias y Gastronómicas. Instituto de Virología E Innovaciones Tecnológicas. - Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Instituto de Virología e Innovaciones Tecnológicas; ArgentinaFil: Bucafusco, Danilo. Instituto Nacional de Tecnologia Agropecuaria. Centro de Investigacion En Ciencias Veterinarias y Agronomicas. Instituto de Virologia E Innovaciones Tecnologicas. - Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Cientificas y Tecnicas. Oficina de Coordinacion Administrativa Pque. Centenario. Instituto de Virologia E Innovaciones Tecnologicas.; ArgentinaFil: Nuñez, Denise Anabel. Instituto Nacional de Tecnologia Agropecuaria. Centro de Investigacion En Ciencias Veterinarias y Agronomicas. Instituto de Virologia E Innovaciones Tecnologicas. - Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Cientificas y Tecnicas. Oficina de Coordinacion Administrativa Pque. Centenario. Instituto de Virologia E Innovaciones Tecnologicas.; ArgentinaFil: Lago Borisovsky, Lucía Antonella. Instituto Nacional de Tecnologia Agropecuaria. Centro de Investigacion En Ciencias Veterinarias y Agronomicas. Instituto de Virologia E Innovaciones Tecnologicas. - Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Cientificas y Tecnicas. Oficina de Coordinacion Administrativa Pque. Centenario. Instituto de Virologia E Innovaciones Tecnologicas.; ArgentinaFil: Rodriguez, Mariana. No especifíca;Fil: Bratanich, Ana Cristina. Instituto Nacional de Tecnologia Agropecuaria. Centro de Investigacion En Ciencias Veterinarias y Agronomicas. Instituto de Virologia E Innovaciones Tecnologicas. - Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Cientificas y Tecnicas. Oficina de Coordinacion Administrativa Pque. Centenario. Instituto de Virologia E Innovaciones Tecnologicas.; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Unidad Ejecutora de Investigaciones en Producción Animal. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias. Unidad Ejecutora de Investigaciones en Producción Animal; Argentin