Informação e conhecimento na nova ordem mundial

Este artigo discute o papel da informação e do conhecimento na nova ordem mundial. O foco central é o advento e a difusão da denominada economia da informação e do conhecimento, a qual vem induzindo novas atividades, conceitos de competitividade, estratégias organizacionais e formatos institucionais (que influenciam empresas, centros de ensino e pesquisa, governos etc. e até os próprios indivíduos) e exigindo novas capacitações

Reflexiones sobre el diseño industrial

1.- Introducción. 2.- El concepto de diseño industrial: 2.1.- Planteamiento. 2.2.- La definición legal de diseño: A.- Concepto legal de diseño. B.- Los productos en los que puede hacerse sensible al diseño. C.- Delimitación frente al diseño artístico y frente a la invención protegible como modelo de utilidad. 3.- El sistema de protección: 3.1.- Planteamiento de la cuestión. 3.2.- Análisis de las distintas opciones. 3.3.- La Directiva y la opción de la Ley española del Diseño: el sistema de la acumulación restringida.El presente estudio analiza el concepto de diseño industrial y sus posibles sistemas de protección. Entre otras cuestiones de interés que se abordan, se encuentra la del concepto legal de diseño y la delimitación del mismo frente al diseño artístico y frente a la invención protegible como modelo de utilidad. Asimismo se analizan las distintas opciones para la protección del diseño industrial y, al respecto, la Directiva y la opción de la Ley española del Diseño, que acoge el sistema de la acumulación restringida.The article analyzes the concept of industrial design and the several systems for its protection. Among other important questions, the article focuses on the legal concept of design and the differences with the art designs and the utility model. Also, the different systems for protecting industrial designs are debated, considering the Directive and the option followed by the Spanish law of design, which establishes the system of the restrictive accumulation

Reflexiones sobre el diseño industrial

1.- Introducción. 2.- El concepto de diseño industrial: 2.1.- Planteamiento. 2.2.- La definición legal de diseño: A.- Concepto legal de diseño. B.- Los productos en los que puede hacerse sensible al diseño. C.- Delimitación frente al diseño artístico y frente a la invención protegible como modelo de utilidad. 3.- El sistema de protección: 3.1.- Planteamiento de la cuestión. 3.2.- Análisis de las distintas opciones. 3.3.- La Directiva y la opción de la Ley española del Diseño: el sistema de la acumulación restringida.El presente estudio analiza el concepto de diseño industrial y sus posibles sistemas de protección. Entre otras cuestiones de interés que se abordan, se encuentra la del concepto legal de diseño y la delimitación del mismo frente al diseño artístico y frente a la invención protegible como modelo de utilidad. Asimismo se analizan las distintas opciones para la protección del diseño industrial y, al respecto, la Directiva y la opción de la Ley española del Diseño, que acoge el sistema de la acumulación restringida.The article analyzes the concept of industrial design and the several systems for its protection. Among other important questions, the article focuses on the legal concept of design and the differences with the art designs and the utility model. Also, the different systems for protecting industrial designs are debated, considering the Directive and the option followed by the Spanish law of design, which establishes the system of the restrictive accumulation

Arranjos e sistemas produtivos locais na indústria brasileira

O texto discute o impacto das profundas alterações que ocorrem na economia mundial e na brasileira em arranjos e sistemas produtivos locais selecionados no Brasil. O texto baseia- se em estudos de casos que fazem parte de projeto de pesquisa coordenado pelos autores, e se preocupa em entender como tais mudanças afetam arranjos e sistemas produtivos locais sob a hipótese de que: (1) as análises a níveis maiores de agregação (como por exemplo setores industriais) são insuficientes para o entendimento mais preciso dos processos associados à mudança paradigmática em andamento; (2) a análise de firmas individuais pode ser muito enriquecida ao se focalizar as formas de interação entre estas e outros atores relevantes, tanto no que se refere ao processo produtivo quanto ao inovativo. O texto mostra que os impactos têm sido diferenciados e sugere que a política industrial e tecnológica brasileira deveria se concentrar nas especificidades locais.

Cannabinoid CB₂ Receptor Modulation by the Transcription Factor NRF2 is Specific in Microglial Cells

Nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (NRF2) is a pleiotropic transcription factor that has neuroprotective and anti-inflammatory effects, regulating more than 250 genes. As NRF2, cannabinoid receptor type 2 (CB2) is also implicated in the preservation of neurons against glia-driven inflammation. To this concern, little is known about the regulation pathways implicated in CB2 receptor expression. In this study, we analyze whether NRF2 could modulate the transcription of CB2 in neuronal and microglial cells. Bioinformatics analysis revealed an antioxidant response element in the promoter sequence of the CB2 receptor gene. Further analysis by chemical and genetic manipulations of this transcription factor demonstrated that NRF2 is not able to modulate the expression of CB2 in neurons. On the other hand, at the level of microglia, the expression of CB2 is NRF2-dependent. These results are related to the differential levels of expression of both genes regarding the brain cell type. Since modulation of CB2 receptor signaling may represent a promising therapeutic target with minimal psychotropic effects that can be used to modulate endocannabinoid-based therapeutic approaches and to reduce neurodegeneration, our findings will contribute to disclose the potential of CB2 as a novel target for treating different pathologies.This work was supported by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (Grants Refs. SAF2016-76520-R to ILB and BFU2016-75973-R to MDG)

Mice Lacking Endoglin in Macrophages Show an Impaired Immune Response

Endoglin is an auxiliary receptor for members of the TGF-β superfamily and plays an important role in the homeostasis of the vessel wall. Mutations in endoglin gene (ENG) or in the closely related TGF-β receptor type I ACVRL1/ALK1 are responsible for a rare dominant vascular dysplasia, the Hereditary Hemorrhagic Telangiectasia (HHT), or Rendu-Osler-Weber syndrome. Endoglin is also expressed in human macrophages, but its role in macrophage function remains unknown. In this work, we show that endoglin expression is triggered during the monocyte-macrophage differentiation process, both in vitro and during the in vivo differentiation of blood monocytes recruited to foci of inflammation in wild-type C57BL/6 mice. To analyze the role of endoglin in macrophages in vivo, an endoglin myeloid lineage specific knock-out mouse line (Engfl/flLysMCre) was generated. These mice show a predisposition to develop spontaneous infections by opportunistic bacteria. Engfl/flLysMCre mice also display increased survival following LPS-induced peritonitis, suggesting a delayed immune response. Phagocytic activity is impaired in peritoneal macrophages, altering one of the main functions of macrophages which contributes to the initiation of the immune response. We also observed altered expression of TGF-β1 target genes in endoglin deficient peritoneal macrophages. Overall, the altered immune activity of endoglin deficient macrophages could help to explain the higher rate of infectious diseases seen in HHT1 patientsThis work was funded by: Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad of Spain (SAF2011- 23475 to LMB; SAF2013-43421-R and SAF2010-19222 to CB; and Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER), and FEDER funds. CIBERER is an initiative of the Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII) of SPAIN supported by FEDER fund

Cannabinoid receptor CB2 ablation protects against TAU induced neurodegeneration.

Tauopathies are a group of neurodegenerative diseases characterized by the alteration/aggregation of TAU protein, for which there is still no effective treatment. Therefore, new pharmacological targets are being sought, such as elements of the endocannabinoid system (ECS). We analysed the occurrence of changes in the ECS in tauopathies and their implication in the pathogenesis. By integrating gene expression analysis, immunofluorescence, genetic and adeno-associated virus expressing TAU mouse models, we found a TAU-dependent increase in CB2 receptor expression in hippocampal neurons, that occurs as an early event in the pathology and was maintained until late stages. These changes were accompanied by alterations in the endocannabinoid metabolism. Remarkably, CB2 ablation in mice protects from neurodegeneration induced by hTAU P301L overexpression, corroborated at the level of cognitive behaviour, synaptic plasticity, and aggregates of insoluble TAU. At the level of neuroinflammation, the absence of CB2 did not produce significant changes in concordance with a possible neuronal location rather than its classic glial expression in these models. These findings were corroborated in post-mortem samples of patients with Alzheimer’s disease, the most common tauopathy. Our results show that neurons with accumulated TAU induce the expression of the CB2 receptor, which enhances neurodegeneration. These results are important for our understanding of disease mechanisms, providing a novel therapeutic strategy to be investigated in tauopathiespost-print8580 K