A FRONTEIRA TERRESTRE DE UM IMPÉRIO MARÍTIMO

A geopolítica costumeira do Império Britânico era baseada na teoria do poder marítimo, segunda a qual o poder de um estado deriva de seu controle do mar. Nesse esquema de dominação, a importância da Índia residia basicamente em fornecer ótimos pontos de apoio para os navios da marinha britânica em suas longas jornadas até os confins marítimos do império. Contudo a visão revolucionária de Halford Mackinder do sistema-mundo alterou a concepção do equilíbrio de poder no mundo e a percepção de ameaça ao Império Britânico, incluindo o Vice-Reino da Índia. A reação britânica foi demarcar e organizar a fronteira noroeste da Índia. Ao mesmo tempo a tecnologia ferroviária permitia uma mobilidade sem precedentes dos russos pela Ásia. O resultado foi uma espécie de guerra fria conhecida como Grande Jogo, travado em meio a fronteiras indefinidas na região

O Estado-tampão: Nova Geopolítica ou Novas Fronteiras?

Lord Curzon fue geógrafo y virrey de la India. Él estaba, por lo tanto, en una posición privilegiada para aplicar sus ideas geopolíticas. Su conferencia sobre las fronteras dada en 1907 en Oxford es su contribución más relevante. En la cual, Curzon distingue entre fronteras naturales y fronteras artificiales, categoría en que incluye el Estado-Tapón. Pero, a medida que el Estado-Nación, siendo la máxima fuerza política, cede a la formación de grandes grupos de estados, el Estado-Tapón como una forma de frontera entre estados rivales pierde la razón de ser. Dos grupos antagónicos se destacan actualmente: Atlantismo y Eurasianismo. Un tercer grupo, el Meridionalismo, podría formarse para servir de tapón entre ellos.Lorde Curzon era geógrafo e Vice-Rei da Índia. Estava, portanto, numa posição privilegiada para aplicar suas ideias geopolíticas. Sua conferência sobre as fronteiras dada em 1907 em Oxford é sua contribuição mais relevante. Nela, Curzon distingue entre fronteiras naturais e artificiais, categoria em que inclui o Estado-Tampão. Contudo, à medida que o Estado-Nação como máxima força política cede à formação de grandes blocos de estados, o Estado-Tampão como fronteira entre poderes rivais perde a razão de ser. Dois blocos antagônicos se destacam atualmente: Atlantismo e Eurasianismo. Um terceiro bloco, o Meridionalismo, poderia ser formado para servir de tampão entre eles

Élisée Reclus e os Novos Mundos do Capitalismo

Ao longo de sua vida, o geógrafo francês Élisée Reclus fez importantes viagens para o seu conhecimento da Terra. Uma dessas viagens foi para a Louisiana, estado norte-americano em que fixou residência para trabalhar numa típica fazenda sulista. Os detalhes dessa sua passagem pelo sul dos EUA podem ser conhecidos através das cartas que trocou com seus familiares reunidas na obra A Voyage to New Orleans. Durante esse período de vida nos EUA, Reclus pôde fazer argutas observações sobre as transformações em curso que a sociedade americana passava, e daí extrair importantes lições sobre como o Novo Mundo se constituiria. O Novo mundo era um novo espaço a ser colonizado pelos homens, que, construindo uma nova sociedade a partir do zero, não teria os mesmos vícios, preconceitos e arcaísmos do Velho Mundo, podendo, então, erigir novos sistemas econômicos e políticos sem a resistência das velhas elites dominantes. Assim, Reclus testemunhou nas Américas a passagem do feudalismo para o capitalismo, e do monarquismo para o republicanismo. Essas lições aprendidas teriam posteriormente impacto na formação das filosofias da história e da política no pensamento reclusiano, expressas em obras como A Evolução, a Revolução, e o Ideal Anarquista, e a Terra e seus Habitantes. Com base no aporte conceitual desenvolvido ao longo da discussão, este trabalho tenta identificar onde estaria o Novo Mundo do século XXI, e como ele deve se constituir.Over his years’ life, the French geographer Élisée Reclus did important voyages for his knowledge of the Earth. One of these voyages was to Louisiana, an American state in that he set himself to work in a typical Southern farmland. The details of his passage by the Southern United States can be known through the letters he exchanged with his relatives gathered in the book A Voyage to New Orleans. During his life time in USA, Reclus can did subtle observations about the going transformations that American society was suffering, and then to extract important lessons about how the New World would constitute itself. The New World was a space to be settled by humans, which building a society from the ground, it would not have the same vicious, prejudices and archaism of the Old World, so it could to rise new economical and political systems without to face resistance from old ruling classes. Thus, Reclus has witnessed in Americas the transition from feudalism to capitalism, and from monarchy to republic. These learned lessons would have later an impact in the formation of the philosophies of history and of politics in the Reclusian thinking, expressed in works as The Evolution, the Revolution and the Anarchist Ideal, and Earth and his Inhabitants. Based in the concepts developed along the discussion, this paper tries to identify where are the new worlds in 21th century, and how it shall constitute itself.A lo largo de su vida, el geógrafo francés Élisée Reclus hizo importantes viajes para su conocimiento de la Tierra. Una de esas viajes fue para Louisiana, un estado americano en que él se estableció para trabajar en una típica hacienda sureña. Los detalles de esa su pasaje por el sur del EEUU pueden ser conocidos a través de las cartas que cambió con su familiares reunidas en el libro A Voyage to New Orleans. Durante ese periodo de vida en los EEUU, Reclus pudo hacer observaciones perspicaces sobre las transformaciones en curso que la sociedad americana pasaba, y entonces extraer importantes liciones sobre como el Nuevo Mundo se constituiría. El Nuevo Mundo era un espacio a ser colonizado por los hombres, que construyendo una nueva sociedad a partir del cero, no tenería los mismos vicios, preconceptos, y arcaísmos del Viejo Mundo, pudendo, entonces, erigir nuevos sistemas económicos e políticos sin la resistencia de las viejas elites dominantes. Así, Reclus ha testimoniado en las Américas la pasaje del feudalismo para el capitalismo, y de la monarquía para la república. Esas liciones aprendidas tenían después impacto en la formación de las filosofías de la historia y de la política en el pensamiento reclusiano, expresado en libros como La Evolución, la Revolución, y el Ideal Anarquista, y la Tierra y sus Habitantes. Basado en el aporte conceptual desarrollado a lo largo de la discusión, este artículo tienta identificar donde estaría el Nuevo Mundo del siglo XXI, y como él debe constituirse

Cell wall proteome of sugarcane stems: comparison of a destructive and a non-destructive extraction method showed differences in glycoside hydrolases and peroxidases

Abstract\ud \ud Background\ud Sugarcane has been used as the main crop for ethanol production for more than 40 years in Brazil. Recently, the production of bioethanol from bagasse and straw, also called second generation (2G) ethanol, became a reality with the first commercial plants started in the USA and Brazil. However, the industrial processes still need to be improved to generate a low cost fuel. One possibility is the remodeling of cell walls, by means of genetic improvement or transgenesis, in order to make the bagasse more accessible to hydrolytic enzymes. We aimed at characterizing the cell wall proteome of young sugarcane culms, to identify proteins involved in cell wall biogenesis. Proteins were extracted from the cell walls of 2-month-old culms using two protocols, non-destructive by vacuum infiltration vs destructive. The proteins were identified by mass spectrometry and bioinformatics.\ud \ud \ud Results\ud A predicted signal peptide was found in 84 different proteins, called cell wall proteins (CWPs). As expected, the non-destructive method showed a lower percentage of proteins predicted to be intracellular than the destructive one (33 % vs 44 %). About 19 % of CWPs were identified with both methods, whilst the infiltration protocol could lead to the identification of 75 % more CWPs. In both cases, the most populated protein functional classes were those of proteins related to lipid metabolism and oxido-reductases. Curiously, a single glycoside hydrolase (GH) was identified using the non-destructive method whereas 10 GHs were found with the destructive one. Quantitative data analysis allowed the identification of the most abundant proteins.\ud \ud \ud Conclusions\ud The results highlighted the importance of using different protocols to extract proteins from cell walls to expand the coverage of the cell wall proteome. Ten GHs were indicated as possible targets for further studies in order to obtain cell walls less recalcitrant to deconstruction. Therefore, this work contributed to two goals: enlarge the coverage of the sugarcane cell wall proteome, and provide target proteins that could be used in future research to facilitate 2G ethanol production

Geopolitics and geoideology of the India: analysis of the ideas of India and its political impact over the time

Esta dissertação tem como objetivo analisar a geopolítica da Índia. Para isso dividiu-se o objeto de análise em duas variáveis: geoideologia e geoestratégia. À geoideologia corresponde a visão que se tinha do território da Índia. À geoestratégia, as ações praticadas para o manejo desse território. A periodização feita seguia aquela comumente utilizada pelos historiadores, o qual distingue três períodos históricos, conforme a religião dominante: hindu, islâmico, e colonial britânico (secular). A Índia moderna é herdeira e fruto dessas geoideologias. Analisou-se a partir daí o impacto que essas ideologias tiveram na política pós-independência, distinguindo-se entre dois períodos: Índia independente e Índia pós-Guerra Fria. A geopolítica selecionada foi aquela produzida pelos principais autores de cada período. E na ausência de autor de destaque, analisou-se a geopolítica praticada pelos governos do período em questão. Por exemplo, no período védico, britânico e independente optou-se pelos pensamentos de Kautilya, Lorde Curzon e Jawaharlal Nehru respectivamente como referência teórica. Já nos períodos islâmico e pós-Guerra Fria, escolheu-se os governos de Akbar, o Grande, e de Narendra Modi, respectivamente.This dissertation has as goal to analyse the Indias geopolitics. For this, the analysis object was divided in two variable: geo-ideology and geo-strategic. Geo-ideology corresponds to the view that it had of Indias territory. Geo-strategic corresponds to the actions practiced for the handle of this territory. The periodization adopted follows that usually utilized by historians, which distinguishes three historical periods, in accord to dominant religion: Hindu, Islamic, and British (Secular). The modern India is inheritor and product of these ideologies. Thereafter it was analyzed the impact that these ideologies have in the post-independence politics, distinguishing in two periods: independent India and post-Cold War India. The selected geopolitics was that produced by the main authors of each period. In absence of a main author, it was analyzed the geopolitics practiced by the governments of that period. For example, in the Vedic, British and independent India periods the option was by the thinking of Kautilya, Lord Curzon and Jawaharlal Nehru respectively. In other hand, in the Islamic and post-Cold War India periods the choose was by the government of Akbar, the Great, and Narendra Modi respectively

Oceanopolítica na Índia: uma peregrinação ao mar

A dependência cada vez maior de petróleo importado por mar, bem como o aumento da presença chinesa na região do Oceano Índico, fizeram com que a Índia voltasse seus olhos também para o mar. Esse interesse tornou-se mais claro na iniciativa diplomática do Sagar Yatra. A projeção da Índia no Índico soa como um destino natural dadas a proeminência da Península Hindostânica nesta bacia e a rica história marítima construída na Antiguidade. Essa rica rede de rotas comerciais marítimas movidas pelo clima de monção é resgatada agora pelo Projeto Mausam. Este artigo analisa a oceanopolítica do governo Modi. O referencial teórico é fornecido pelo historiador K. M. Panikkar. Como fonte, utilizamos todo material disponível ao nosso alcance, tais como livros, revistas, ou sítios. Palavras-chave: Índia; Oceano Índico; Sagar Yatra; Projeto Mausam._________________________________________________________________India’s oceanopolitics: a pilgrimage to the seaABSTRACTThe increasing dependence of sea-imported oil, as well as the rising of Chinese presence in the Indian Ocean region, did India to back out her eyes also toward the sea. This interest become clearer in the diplomatic initiative called Sagar Yatra. The India’s projection in Indian Ocean sounds like a natural destiny due to the prominent position of Hindustanic Peninsula in the basin and the rich maritime history build in Antiquity. This old rich sea trade’s net fueled by monsoon’s climate is recovered now by the Mausam Project. This paper analyses the oceanpolitics of Modi government. The theorical references are supplied by the historian K. M. Panikkar. As source, we utilize all reachable material, such as books, magazines, or web sites. Key words: India; Indian Ocean; Sagar Yatra; Mausam Project

Hard metal lung disease: a case series

ABSTRACT Objective: To describe diagnostic and treatment aspects of hard metal lung disease (HMLD) and to review the current literature on the topic. Methods: This was a retrospective study based on the medical records of patients treated at the Occupational Respiratory Diseases Clinic of the Instituto do Coração, in the city of São Paulo, Brazil, between 2010 and 2013. Results: Of 320 patients treated during the study period, 5 (1.56%) were diagnosed with HMLD. All of those 5 patients were male (mean age, 42.0 ± 13.6 years; mean duration of exposure to hard metals, 11.4 ± 8.0 years). Occupational histories were taken, after which the patients underwent clinical evaluation, chest HRCT, pulmonary function tests, bronchoscopy, BAL, and lung biopsy. Restrictive lung disease was found in all subjects. The most common chest HRCT finding was ground glass opacities (in 80%). In 4 patients, BALF revealed multinucleated giant cells. In 3 patients, lung biopsy revealed giant cell interstitial pneumonia. One patient was diagnosed with desquamative interstitial pneumonia associated with cellular bronchiolitis, and another was diagnosed with a hypersensitivity pneumonitis pattern. All patients were withdrawn from exposure and treated with corticosteroid. Clinical improvement occurred in 2 patients, whereas the disease progressed in 3. Conclusions: Although HMLD is a rare entity, it should always be included in the differential diagnosis of respiratory dysfunction in workers with a high occupational risk of exposure to hard metal particles. A relevant history (clinical and occupational) accompanied by chest HRCT and BAL findings suggestive of the disease might be sufficient for the diagnosis

What's in a Name? Effect of Breed Perceptions & Labeling on Attractiveness, Adoptions & Length of Stay for Pit-Bull-Type Dogs.

Previous research has indicated that certain breeds of dogs stay longer in shelters than others. However, exactly how breed perception and identification influences potential adopters' decisions remains unclear. Current dog breed identification practices in animal shelters are often based upon information supplied by the relinquishing owner, or staff determination based on the dog's phenotype. However, discrepancies have been found between breed identification as typically assessed by welfare agencies and the outcome of DNA analysis. In Study 1, the perceived behavioral and adoptability characteristics of a pit-bull-type dog were compared with those of a Labrador Retriever and Border Collie. How the addition of a human handler influenced those perceptions was also assessed. In Study 2, lengths of stay and perceived attractiveness of dogs that were labeled as pit bull breeds were compared to dogs that were phenotypically similar but were labeled as another breed at an animal shelter. The latter dogs were called "lookalikes." In Study 3, we compared perceived attractiveness in video recordings of pit-bull-type dogs and lookalikes with and without breed labels. Lastly, data from an animal shelter that ceased applying breed labeling on kennels were analyzed, and lengths of stay and outcomes for all dog breeds, including pit bulls, before and after the change in labeling practice were compared. In total, these findings suggest that breed labeling influences potential adopters' perceptions and decision-making. Given the inherent complexity of breed assignment based on morphology coupled with negative breed perceptions, removing breed labels is a relatively low-cost strategy that will likely improve outcomes for dogs in animal shelters

Experimental NMR and MS study of benzoylguanidines. Investigation of E/Z isomerism

Molecules containing the guanidinic nuclei possess several pharmacological applications, and knowing the preferred isomers of a potential drug is important to understand the way it operates pharmacologically. Benzoylguanidines were synthesized in satisfactory to good yields and characterized by NMR, Electrospray Ionization Mass Spectrometry (ESI-MS) and Fourrier Transform InfraRed Spectroscopy techniques (FTIR). E/Z isomerism of the guanidines was studied and confirmed by NMR analysis in solution (1H-13C Heteronuclear Single Quantum Coherence (HSQC) and Heteronuclear Multiple-Bond Correlation (HMBC), 1H-15N HMBC, 1H- 1H Correlation Spectroscopy (COSY) and Nuclear Overhauser Effect Spectroscopy (NOESY) experiments) at low temperatures. Compounds with p-Cl and p-Br aniline moiety exist mainly as Z isomer with a small proportion of E isomer, whereas compounds with p-NO2 moiety showed a decrease in proportion of isomer Z. The results are important for the application of these molecules as enzymatic inhibitors. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd