Hypertension, cardiovascular risk and polymorphisms in genes controlling the cytochrome P450 pathway of arachidonic acid: A sex-specific relation?

Hypertension is a multifactorial disease in which the interplay of genetic and environmental factors that maintain blood pressure stable throughout life is altered. Cytochrome P450 (CYP)-derived metabolites of arachidonic acid such as epoxyeicosatrienoic acids (EETs) and 20-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid (20-HETE), active on vascular tone, endothelial function and renal sodium reapportion, have been identified as candidate mediators in the development of hypertension in several animal models, with remarkable sex-specific effect. Several SNPs, some recognized as functional, in human genes implicated in EETs/20-HETE biosynthesis and metabolism, such as CYP2J2 and CYP4A11, have been tested for association with blood pressure, hypertension and its long-term cardiovascular consequences in different populations, with conflicting results. A sex-specific effect, related to CYP4F2 polymorphisms and expression, has been observed in association studies. This finding indicates that altered 20-HETE bioactivity underlay the excess of hypertension and associated vascular events observed in men with respect to women and is consistent with the results from experimental models. Further epidemiological and mechanistic studies are required to confirm the effect of lipid mediators on blood pressure in humans and define the mechanisms of a putative sex-specific effect

AVALIAÇÃO DOS IMPACTOS ECONÔMICOS DA PRODUÇÃO DE BIODIESEL NO BRASIL

This work aimed to analyze the economical impacts generated by the biodiesel production through the input-output model analysis. Hence, it was defined the basic inputs used for the biodiesel production, especially the soybean oil and the castor oil plant both having a high potential to increase the production in Brazil and the ethanol (alcohol from sugar cane). Henceforth, an evaluation of the biodiesel sector in the input-output matrix of the IBGE (Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics) to the year 1999 was started, considering the technical coefficients of the basic inputs and the biodiesel production. It is expected, after the results of the organization of the Agroindustrial System (SAG), a high impact in the production and employment levels in comparison to the other parts of the economy, represented by the production and employment multipliers in the sectors related to the biodiesel chain.biodiesel, multipliers, economical impacts, input-output analysis.,

Management of carbon credits: a multiple case research

O Protocolo de Quioto foi ratificado em fevereiro de 2005 e, com isso, um mercado que vinha caminhando sem regras formais, contando com o pioneirismo de algumas empresas interessadas em aprender a lidar com essa nova commodity e preocupadas com a sua imagem corporativa, passou de fato às vias da formalidade. Assim, uma vez estabelecido o arcabouço institucional do mercado de Reduções Certificadas de Emissões (RCEs), torna-se interessante estudar, com base na Economia dos Custos de Transação (ECT), como os custos de transação induziram modos alternativos de governança, particularmente os contratos entre empresas proponentes de projetos de Mecanismo de Desenvolvimento Limpo (MDL) e os canais de comercialização constituídos por organizações multilaterais. Para tanto, utilizou-se na pesquisa aqui relatada o método do estudo multicasos para a coleta de informações privadas sobre quatro transações de RCEs, e de seus respectivos contratos, entre empresas brasileiras e uma organização multilateral, o Banco Mundial. Um dos resultados obtidos foi que, diferente das relações via mercado, as empresas brasileiras se beneficiaram - quanto à redução dos custos de transação - da transação deRCEs (via contrato) com o Banco Mundial, já que ele exerce todas as funções de um típico canal de distribuição, exceto a de aquisição dos direitos de propriedade sobre os créditos.El Protocolo de Kyoto fue ratificado en febrero de 2005 y, con ello, un mercado que seguía caminando sin reglas formales y que contaba con la iniciativa de algunas empresas interesadas en aprender a tratar esta nueva commodity y preocupadas por su imagen corporativa, pasó efectivamente a las vías de la formalidad. Así, una vez establecido el marco institucional del mercado de Reducciones Certificadas de Emisiones (RCEs), es interesante estudiar, con base en la Economía de los Costos de Transacción (ECT), cómo los costos de transacción indujeron formas alternativas de gobierno, especialmente los contratos entre las empresas proponentes de proyectos de MDL (Mecanismo de Desarrollo Limpio) y los canales de comercialización constituidos por organizaciones multilaterales. Para tanto, se utilizó en esta investigación el método de estudio de casos múltiples para obtener informaciones privadas sobre cuatro transacciones de RCEs, y sus respectivos contratos, entre empresas brasileñas y una organización multilateral, el Banco Mundial. Uno de los resultados obtenidos señala que, a diferencia de las relaciones vía mercado, las empresas brasileñas se beneficiaron - en cuanto a la reducción de los costos de transacción - de la transacción de RCEs (vía contrato) con el Banco Mundial, puesto que este ejerce todas las funciones de un canal de distribución convencional, excepto la de adquisición de los derechos de propiedad sobre los créditos.The Kyoto Protocol was approved in February 2005 and the carbon market without rules, played by pioneer companies interested in learning by doing and worried about their corporate image, started working towards a formality. As the market of Certified Emissions Reduction (CER) has already established Institutional Environment, it is interesting to study, based on the Transaction Cost Economics (TCE) theory, how the transaction costs induce alternative ways of production, in particular the contracts between private companies, with CDM (Clean Development Mechanism) projects, and the commercialization channels developed by multilateral organizations. For this, the research uses the case studies method to obtain private information about the transactions of CER, and their contracts between Brazilian companies and a multi-lateral organization, the World Bank. A result is that, in contrast with the spot market relationship, the Brazilian CDM projects benefited - in terms of reduction of transaction costs - with the CERs transactions (contracts) involving the World Bank since this bank does all distribution channel functions except the acquisition of CERs property rights

Sistema agroindustrial da cana: cenários e agenda estratégica

O artigo apresenta números recentes do sistema agroindustrial da cana-de-açúcar no Brasil e tendências para o álcool, açúcar e energia. Utilizando a metodologia de análise macroambiental, traz as principais ameaças e oportunidades ao sistema, nas variáveis político-legais (institucionais), econômico-naturais, socioculturais e tecnológicas. Da mesma forma, por meio de uma análise interna, levanta os pontos fortes e fracos em cinco dimensões analíticas: produção, comunicação, logística, capacitação e coordenação. Finaliza, por intermédio do método de planejamento e gestão estratégica de sistemas produtivos (GESis), propondo uma agenda estratégica, com políticas públicas e privadas, para o crescimento contínuo e sustentável deste importante sistema produtivo da economia brasileira e mundial.The article presents data about the sugar cane agribusiness system (AGS) in Brazil, and trends for ethanol, sugar and bioenergy. Making use of the macro environmental (STEP) analysis, it's possible to know opportunities and threats to the whole system, in terms of politic-legal (institutional), economic-environmental, socio-cultural and technological variables. At the same time, through the internal analysis, it can be showed strength and weak points in terms of five analytical dimensions: production, communication, logistics, personal capabilities and coordination. To finish, through the productive system (chain) strategic planning method, it can be generated a strategic agenda, with public and private policies, for the sustainable growth of this important productive system in the Brazilian and global economy

Uma contribuição empírica para geração de métodos de planejamento e gestão

No conhecimento em Administração, não é simples encontrar a discussão sobre como sistematizar uma pesquisa acadêmica para a criação de métodos de gestão (frameworks). Como planejar uma pesquisa exploratória, qualitativa e interdisciplinar, para a geração de métodos de planejamento e gestão, é o foco neste trabalho. A pesquisa bibliográfica (desk research), a análise documental, a grounded theory e o estudo de caso são métodos de pesquisa que podem ser utilizados nos trabalhos que produzem sequências de etapas gerenciais, apesar da importância de muitos outros na pesquisa qualitativa. A contribuição empírica deste trabalho começa com a apresentação de diferentes métodos de gestão, aprovados recentemente em journals e conferências acadêmicas, e que foram construídos sob um método (processo) comum de pensamento. Na sequência, além da discussão de como estruturar uma pesquisa científica para a geração de métodos gerenciais, apresentam-se os processos para publicação (e reconhecimento) dessa linha de trabalho.In the field of management knowledge, it is no simple task to find a discussion on how to systematize an academic research study for the creation of management methods (frameworks). How to plan an exploratory, qualitative and interdisciplinary research study for the generation of planning and management methods is the focus of this paper. Desk research, documental analysis, grounded theory, and case studies are the methods that might be employed by most studies that produce sequences of planning and managerial steps, despite the importance of many other qualitative research methods. The empirical contribution of this work starts with the presentation of different planning and management methods, recently approved in academic journals and conferences, and built under a common method (process) of thought. This is followed not only by a discussion of how to structure scientific research for the generation of planning and management methods, but also by a presentation of the process for publication (and recognition) of this line of research.En el conocimiento en administración, no es tarea sencilla encontrar la discusión sobre cómo sistematizar una investigación académica para crear métodos de gestión (frameworks). Cómo planificar un estudio exploratorio, cualitativo e interdisciplinario para generar métodos de planificación y gestión es el foco en este trabajo. La investigación de la literatura (desk research), el análisis documental, la teoría fundamentada y el estudio de caso son métodos que se pueden utilizar en los estudios que producen secuencias de etapas de gestión, a pesar de la importancia de muchos otros en la investigación cualitativa. La contribución empírica de este trabajo empieza con la presentación de los diferentes métodos de gestión, aprobados recientemente en publicaciones y congresos académicos, y que fueron construidos con base en un método (proceso) común de pensamiento. Posteriormente, además de la discusión sobre cómo estructurar una investigación científica para generar métodos de gestión, se presentan los procesos para publicación (y reconocimiento) de esta línea de trabajo

Ultra-High performance concrete (UHPC) with polypropylene (Pp) and steel Fibres: Investigation on the high temperature behaviour

Ultra-high performance concretes (UHPC) are advanced cement-based materials characterised by superior me-chanical properties with respect to normal and high-strength concretes; however, their dense and compact matrix can facilitate the onset of spalling at high temperatures. This problem is often coped up by adding polypropylene (PP) fibres to the mix design, alone or with other types of fibres; steel fibres enhance the material’s tensile ca-pacity. The paper presents a series of tests on two UHPC types (150 and 180 N/mm2) with PP fibres (0.27% of volume) and variable content of steel fibres (0% to 1.92%), aimed at investigating the residual mechanical properties of the material after high temperature exposure. The experimental results are compared to available research on small UHPC specimens exposed to high temperatures, with dosages in PP fibres from 0.03% to 2%, and in steel fibres from 0 to 3%. The results of this research demonstrate that UHPCs need hybrid fibre rein-forcement (PP +steel) to withstand high temperatures, and that the residual strength increases after 200 ◦C exposure, at all steel fibre dosages; this is in line with literature. Available research also shows that strength loss is possible in hot conditions, as found in the present research, while PP fibres alone do not always prevent the occurrence of spalling in small UHPC sample

Standardization of BCR-ABL1 p210 Monitoring: From Nested to Digital PCR

The introduction of tyrosine kinase inhibitors in 2001 as a targeted anticancer therapy has significantly improved the quality of life and survival of patients with chronic myeloid leukemia. At the same time, with the introduction of tyrosine kinase inhibitors, the need for precise monitoring of the molecular response to therapy has emerged. Starting with a qualitative polymerase chain reaction, followed by the introduction of a quantitative polymerase chain reaction to determine the exact quantity of the transcript of interest-p210 BCR-ABL1, molecular monitoring in patients with chronic myeloid leukemia was internationally standardized. This enabled precise monitoring of the therapeutic response, unification of therapeutic protocols, and comparison of results between different laboratories. This review aims to summarize the steps in the diagnosis and molecular monitoring of p210 BCR-ABL1, as well as to consider the possible future application of a more sophisticated method such as digital polymerase chain reaction

The Lie derivative of spinor fields: theory and applications

Starting from the general concept of a Lie derivative of an arbitrary differentiable map, we develop a systematic theory of Lie differentiation in the framework of reductive G-structures P on a principal bundle Q. It is shown that these structures admit a canonical decomposition of the pull-back vector bundle i_P^*(TQ) = P\times_Q TQ over P. For classical G-structures, i.e. reductive G-subbundles of the linear frame bundle, such a decomposition defines an infinitesimal canonical lift. This lift extends to a prolongation Gamma-structure on P. In this general geometric framework the concept of a Lie derivative of spinor fields is reviewed. On specializing to the case of the Kosmann lift, we recover Kosmann's original definition. We also show that in the case of a reductive G-structure one can introduce a "reductive Lie derivative" with respect to a certain class of generalized infinitesimal automorphisms, and, as an interesting by-product, prove a result due to Bourguignon and Gauduchon in a more general manner. Next, we give a new characterization as well as a generalization of the Killing equation, and propose a geometric reinterpretation of Penrose's Lie derivative of "spinor fields". Finally, we present an important application of the theory of the Lie derivative of spinor fields to the calculus of variations.Comment: 28 pages, 1 figur

1054 Noninvasive Qp/Qs ratio measurement with phase-contrast cine MRI in patients with atrial septal defect: comparison with heart catheterization

The correlation analysis showed a good overlap between measurements (Qp: r = 0.65, p = 0.0004; Qs: r = 0.64, p = 0.0005; Qp/Qs ratio: r = 0.68, p = 0.0002), also confirmed by regression analysis (R2 = 0.42, p < 0.001 for Qp; R2 = 0.41, p = 0.001 for QS; R2 = 0.46, p < 0.001 for Qp/Qs ratio), and by the Bland-Altman statistical analysis for method comparison (see Figure 1). The interobserver variability was low