Middle East and the global oil pricing system

this book explains how the Middle East became a new geographical base point for petroleum transactions, and the hub of the global pricing system. The sudden discovery of several Middle East giant oilfields (1943-1947) along with the disclosure of the region’s reserves potential, turned the global pricing equilibrium harder to sustain. Given the potential petroleum reserves in the Persian Gulf, 1950 constituted the breakthrough moment for the consolidation of a global oil pricing system that interlinked Middle East production centers in the Eastern hemisphere with the American and Caribbean oilfields in the Western hemisphere.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

The anxiety of abundance: William Stanley Jevons and coal scarcity in the nineteenth century

WOS:000321225400005 (Nº de Acesso Web of Science)Right from the outset, the adoption of mechanical machinery, railways, steamships and long distance communications was accompanied by growing concerns about the possibility of running out of coal. This article examines three main issues: firstly, what triggered the scarcity fear, given that the historical period was one of rising prosperity with no foreseeable shortages in sight; secondly, what actually went wrong with the coal supply vision given so many of the forecasts associated with the scarcity thesis were not borne out by reality; and thirdly, by what means did the nineteenth century coal debate shape environmental thinking and provide crucial concepts that have persisted through to the present (the rebound effect, probable reserves and environmental limits to growth). A close look is taken of the work of William Stanley Jevons, whose ideas became a milestone in the debate on the depletion of natural resources. The overall conclusion points out that the looming uncertainty of the 1860s and 1870s paved the way for new probabilistic assessments of mineral patrimony

Borders and transit countries: The re-territorialization of Middle East pipelines

Following the discovery of vast oil reserves in the Persian Gulf region, the Middle East became the main hub for the expansion and development of western pipeline technology. Contrary to the borderless world described in some accounts of globalization, what is observed after 1956 is the establishment of hard political borders, directly under the oversight of national governments, for pipeline deployment with minimal boundary crossings. In the Middle East, this minimal permeability of frontiers entailed fewer risks compared with the uncertainties arising from having to cross several countries: the sovereign state thus seemed the best container for oil transportation. The conclusion puts forward the concept of re-territorialization to explain the multi-level changes that took place, entailing shifts in geography, in business structures and in international relations.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Policía sin ciencia: la investigación criminal en Portugal: 1880-1936

Este artículo examina el nacimiento de la policía criminal en Portugal, en el contexto de las tradiciones científicas dominantes que hacían énfasis en los rasgos biológicos del criminal en tanto que individuo, tipo humano o grupo social. Aunque los médicos, antropólogos físicos y abogados anunciaron la llegada de una nueva era de poder informado por la ciencia y racionalidad estatal, en la batalla contra el crimen esas intenciones discursivas quedaron muy atrás de las prácticas realmente utilizadas por la policía criminal. La Ciencia en Acción era un pretexto para disputas en el seno de diferentes cuerpos de la administración y llevó a conflictos de jurisdicción con procedimientos inadecuados para la identificación criminal por medios como el análisis de huellas dactilares, archivos antropométricos e investigación forense. Así, el discurso de la racionalidad y la vigilancia fue un argumento para mantener las prácticas y poderes tradicionales de la policía

A estatística do corpo: antropologia física e antropometria na alvorada do século XX

Neste artigo procede-se à análise das diferentes tradições científicas da antropometria portuguesa, elucidando o aparecimento de uma estatística do corpo que permite, nos finais do século XIX, fixar as imagens do criminoso-tipo, do criminoso-indíviduo e do criminoso-grupo. O conceito de esvaziamento dos saberes é de seguida introduzido para dar conta do modo de assimilação destes conhecimentos por parte do estado e da transformação de concepções teóricas em procedimentos utilitários e burocráticos. Graças a esse esvaziamento dos saberes, a antropometria deixa de registar as diferenças dos criminosos para passar a descrever a igualdade civil dos cidadãos

Obtention and characterization of microcrystalline cellulose from industrial melon residues following a biorefinery approach

Residual melon by-products were explored for the first time as a bioresource of microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) obtention. Two alkaline extraction methods were employed, the traditional (4.5% NaOH, 2 h, 80 °C) and a thermo-alkaline in the autoclave (2% NaOH, 1 h, 100 °C), obtaining a yield of MCC ranging from 4.76 to 9.15% and 2.32 to 3.29%, respectively. The final MCCs were characterized for their chemical groups by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), crystallinity with X-ray diffraction, and morphology analyzed by scanning electron microscope (SEM). FTIR spectra showed that the traditional protocol allows for a more effective hemicellulose and lignin removal from the melon residues than the thermo-alkaline process. The degree of crystallinity of MCC ranged from 51.51 to 61.94% and 54.80 to 55.07% for the thermo-alkaline and traditional processes, respectively. The peaks detected in X-ray diffraction patterns indicated the presence of Type I cellulose. SEM analysis revealed microcrystals with rough surfaces and great porosity, which could remark their high-water absorption capacity and drug-carrier capacities. Thus, these findings could respond to the need to valorize industrial melon by-products as raw materials for MCC obtention with potential applications as biodegradable materials.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Genetic variability and natural selection at the ligand domain of the Duffy binding protein in Brazilian Plasmodium vivax populations.

Background. Plasmodium vivax malaria is a major public health challenge in Latin America, Asia and Oceania, with 130-435 million clinical cases per year worldwide. Invasion of host blood cells by P. vivax mainly depends on a type I membrane protein called Duffy binding protein (PvDBP). The erythrocyte-binding motif of PvDBP is a 170 amino-acid stretch located in its cysteine-rich region II (PvDBPII), which is the most variable segment of the protein. Methods. To test whether diversifying natural selection has shaped the nucleotide diversity of PvDBPII in Brazilian populations, this region was sequenced in 122 isolates from six different geographic areas. A Bayesian method was applied to test for the action of natural selection under a population genetic model that incorporates recombination. The analysis was integrated with a structural model of PvDBPII, and T- and B-cell epitopes were localized on the 3-D structure. Results. The results suggest that: (i) recombination plays an important role in determining the haplotype structure of PvDBPII, and (ii) PvDBPII appears to contain neutrally evolving codons as well as codons evolving under natural selection. Diversifying selection preferentially acts on sites identified as epitopes, particularly on amino acid residues 417, 419, and 424, which show strong linkage disequilibrium. Conclusions. This study shows that some polymorphisms of PvDBPII are present near the erythrocyte-binding domain and might serve to elude antibodies that inhibit cell invasion. Therefore, these polymorphisms should be taken into account when designing vaccines aimed at eliciting antibodies to inhibit erythrocyte invasion

Genotoxic agents promote the nuclear accumulation of annexin A2: role of annexin A2 in mitigating DNA damage

Annexin A2 is an abundant cellular protein that is mainly localized in the cytoplasm and plasma membrane, however a small population has been found in the nucleus, suggesting a nuclear function for the protein. Annexin A2 possesses a nuclear export sequence (NES) and inhibition of the NES is sufficient to cause nuclear accumulation. Here we show that annexin A2 accumulates in the nucleus in response to genotoxic agents including gamma-radiation, UV radiation, etoposide and chromium VI and that this event is mediated by the nuclear export sequence of annexin A2. Nuclear accumulation of annexin A2 is blocked by the antioxidant agent N-acetyl cysteine (NAC) and stimulated by hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), suggesting that this is a reactive oxygen species dependent event. In response to genotoxic agents, cells depleted of annexin A2 show enhanced phospho-histone H2AX and p53 levels, increased numbers of p53-binding protein 1 nuclear foci and increased levels of nuclear 8-oxo-2'-deoxyguanine, suggesting that annexin A2 plays a role in protecting DNA from damage. This is the first report showing the nuclear translocation of annexin A2 in response to genotoxic agents and its role in mitigating DNA damage.Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC); European Union [PCOFUND-GA-2009-246542]; Foundation for Science and Technology of Portugal; Beatrice Hunter Cancer Research Institute; Terry Fox Foundationinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Endophytic capacity of entomopathogenic fungi in a pasture grass and their potential to control the Spittlebug Mahanarva spectabilis (Hemiptera: Cercopidae).

Pests in pastures have compromised the production of biomass for feeding livestock herds. Many strategies have been applied to sustainably solve this problem. One viable and innovative technique is the delivery of entomopathogenic fungi through endophytes. Therefore, this study aimed to (i) evaluate the endophytic capacity of two entomopathogenic fungi, Fusarium multiceps UFMGCB 11443 and Metarhizium anisopliae UFMGCB 11444, in Urochloa brizantha [(Hochst. ex A. Rich.) Stapf] (Poaceae) cultivar ‘Marundu’) via foliar inoculation or seed treatment, and (ii) measure their efficiency in controlling Mahanarva spectabilis Distant, 1909 (Hemiptera: Cercopidae) in U. brizantha. In the greenhouse, the fungi colonized the tissues of U. brizantha plants when inoculated via foliar spraying or seed treatment. The fungi F. multiceps and M. anisopliae caused 88% and 97.1% epizootic effects via seed inoculation, respectively, and 100% epizootic effects via foliar inoculation. In the field, the lowest fungal dose of 0.5 kg/ha had the same effect as a fourfold greater dose, with a >86% decrease in insect pest infestation observed. In summary, the fungi F. multiceps and M. anisopliae have endophytic effects and can effectively control M. spectabilis in U. brizantha pastures