Desencontro Ou "malencontro"? Os Biotecnólogos Brasileiros Em Face Da Sócio E Da Biodiversidade

This essay puts into question the role played by biotechnologists in Brazil. It argues that indigenous and traditional peoples, environmentalists and also the civil society should be taken into consideration. If priorities of techno-science and market are the only ones to prevail, it's already time to think abstract the "collateral damage".7849573°.Relatório Nacional sobre Diteitos Humanos no Brasil - 2002-2005. São Paulo: Núcleo de Estudos da Violència. Universidade de São Paulo, 2007, p. 348Quatro décadas de destruição na Amazônia. Texto escrito para o seminário internacional Ensaios Amazônicos, organizado por Eduardo Viveiros de Castro e Laymert Garcia dos Santos, e promovido pelo Instituto Goethe e o SESC Paulista, em São Paulo, de Sa 10 de dezembro de 2006a ser publicado com a contribuição dos outros palestrantes em 2008 pela Cosac NaifyBeck, U., (1992) Risk society - towards a new modernity, , Londres: SageB. Adam, U. Beck, U. e J. Van Loon (orgs.). The risk society and beyond: critical issues for social theory. Londres: Sage, 2000;Van Loon, J., (2002) Risk and technological culture, , International Library of Sociology. Londres/Nova York: RoutledgeMartins, H., (1996) Technology, the risk society and post-history, , Lisboa: Instituto Superior de Ciencias Sociais e PolíticasRisco, incerteza e escatologia - Reflexões sobre o experimentum mundi tecnológico em curso. Episteme, ano 1, no 1, Lisboa, Centro de Estudos de Epistemologia e História das Ciências e das Técnicas, dez. 1997-jan. 1998;Aceleração, progresso e experimentum humanum In: H. Martins e J. L. Garcia (orgs..). Dilemas da civilização tecnológica. Lisboa: Imprensa das Ciências Sociais, 2003, pp. 1-61;Virilio, P., Velocidade e política (1996) São Paulo: Estação LiberdadeComo ficou evidente para qualquer observador das Conferências das Partes da Convenção sobre Diversidade Biológica ao longo dos anos 1990Bastaria enumerar aqui seis pontos do último relatório da FAO, celebrado pela imprensa brasileira como prova de que os alimentos transgênicos são seguros somente porque se afirma que eles poderiam ajudar a resolver o problema da fome no mundo: 1. Maior esforço em pesquisa é necessário, porque muito poucos OGMs foram avaliados em seus impactos ecológicos em regiões tropicais. 2. Marcos regulatórios devem ser reforçados e racionalizados para assegurar que o meio ambiente e a saúde pública sejam protegidos e que os procedimentos sejam transparentes, previsiveis e baseados na ciência. 3. A estratégia de manejo inclui evitar as cultura s transgêenicas em seus centros de diversidade ou onde houver espécies selvagens relacionadas ou estabelecer zonas-tampão entre as culturas. 4. Há consenso que a liberacão no meio ambiente dos OGMs deve ser comparadaCarlos, F., de Souza Filho, M., O renascer dos povos indigenas para o direito (1999) Curitiba: Juruá, p. 181. , 2a- edEmum artigo interessantissimo, Ingrid Saru escreve, Contrariando a lógica, não é exatamente sobre biossegurança o debate que se dá neste momentoemtorno d́o Projeto Nacional de Biossegurança, aprovado na Cámara há três meses, eagora transformado em obscuro objeto de disputa em tramitação no Senado, é outro o x do problema, São, porém, os aspectos de natureza econômica embutidos na lei que, desde a etapa do debate na lei Câmara, fizeram, doconfronto de interesses uma disputa tipica de um autêntico Fla x Flu. A polémica reúne setores aliados do agronegócio e de pesquisadores da area da genética molecular que trabalham no desenvolvimenro de organismos transgênicos contra os ambientafistas. Basicamente, e em poucas palavras, por que o Plano Nacional de Biossegurança preserva o aspecto que é fundamental para oO veto às pesquisas foi introduzido à última bora porocasião davotação do projeto de lei de biossegurança na Câmara dos Deputados, em 5 de fevereiro de 2004. Incluído para atender aos interesses das bancadas evangélica e catȯlica, recebeu fortes criticas da comunidade cientifica. O artigo 5° do projeto aprovado na Cǎmara diz o seguinte: É vedado: I qualquer procedimento de engenharia genetica em organismos vivos ou o manejo in vitro de DNA/RNA na rural ou recombinante, realizado em desacordo com as normas previstas nesta LeiII, manipulação genetica e em células germinais humanas e em embriǒes humanosIII, clonagern humana para fins reprodurivosIV, produč-tiao de embriôes humanos destinados a servir como material biológico disnivelV, intervenção em material genético humano in vivo, exceto se aprovado pEm suas considerações finais sobre a questão das plantas transgènicas no Brasil, Carmen Luiza Cabtal Marinho escreve, a respeito da CTNBio: Até hoje não foi elaborada a Política Nacional de Biossegurança, uma das atribuições da CTNBio, conforme determinou a Lei de Biossegurança [de 1995]Carece-se de instruçães normativas concernentes, entre outros aspectos, à fiscalização, aos recursos financeiros e humanos necessários, bern como às dimensões aceitáveis das áreas para liberação experimental. Entretanto, mesmo na ausencia de diretrizes claras, foram concedidas liberações com OGMs no meio ambiente, em áreas cuja extensãovaria de 0,006 ail o hectares para um, mesmo transgênico e com idéntica finalidade. É impossível deduzir quais critérios cientificos justificariam tal disparidade. Decisões igualmente irresponsáveis encontram-se nas vátias liberações de experimentos para Tins de demonstração chegando uma mesma concessão a contemplar mais de quarenta diferentes fazendas particulares. Desse cenário caótico emerge uma total desconexão entre o trabalho das ..Em 17 de fevereiro de 2004, sociedades e entidades científicas brasileiras endereçaram aos sendores uma Carta Aberta relativa ao projetp de lei de biossegurança, na qual se pronunciam sobre quatro pontos: 1. Que a Comissão Těcnica Nacional de Biossegurança seja a única e definitiva instância para julgar a natureza científica da matéria e que o parecer da CNTBio seja vinculante tanto para as atividades de pesquisa quanto para as de comercialização. 2. Que a CTNBio seja a única de definitiva instáncia para julgar a segurança dos produtos de ci-ciencia e da tecnologia no Brasil, cabendo ao Conselho Nacional de Biossegurança opinar sobre a pertínência socioeconômica da permissão de comercialização. 3. Que sejam convalidados os atos já praticados pela CTNBio desde 1995 atéCf. Carta de cientistas teve assinaturas forjadas, Folha de S. Paulo, 4 de março de 2004, e Sociedade Brasileira de C&T de Alimentos também não assinou documento sobre projeto de lei de Biossegurança, JC e-mail 2477, 5 de março de 2004, retransmitido pela rede eletrônica Ghente, da Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de JaneiroCf. lista de discussão na rede eletrónica Ghente, 5 de maio de 200

In vitro dissolution study in predicting oral absorption of drugs containing paracetamol using an electronic tongue

The bioavailability of drugs is essential for the therapeutic efficacy of medicines, and it is therefore essential to conduct dissolution studies of drugs. The electronic tongue has been demonstrating potential usefulness in this area. Objectives: Verify the potential of electronic tongue in the analysis of paracetamol in different drugs; verify the ability to cross-sensitivity sensors in dissolution studies; selecting a lipidic polymer membrane electrode with good performance in monitoring of samples dissolution. Methods: Four samples of medicines containing 500mg of Paracetamol: unbranded uncoated pill, branded uncoated pill, unbranded coated pill and branded coated pill have been used. We used a dissolution medium simulating the gastric fasting conditions. The polymer membranes were formed by mixing: 4 lipidic additives, 5 plasticizers and polymer polyvinyl chloride. After stabilization of the potential signals from all electrodes, each sample was placed in a metal tube in contact with the dissolution medium. The experiment ended when the tablet was fully dissolved. The assays were repeated three times for each sample. Results: Yielded consistent dissolution profiles between repetitions of the same sample for some 40 tested sensors, including the 34 sensor which showed a similar behavior for both formulations. The uncoated pills obtained a dissolution profile of quick release (30’-unbranded; 25’-branded). The lengthy dissolutions resulted in different dissolution profiles between repetitions of the same sample of coated pills and capsules. Conclusions: The dissolution profile of drugs containing acetaminophen was followed through 40 potentiometric sensors having cross-sensitivity is selected sensor 34, which allow obtaining reproducible results.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

The Ecotoxicity of Pyrimethanil for Aquatic Biota

Via the application of agrochemicals, farmers currently guarantee high productivity of fruit and vegetable crops. However, pest reduction using excessive amounts of such chemicals has a negative effect on aquatic organisms. The spray-drift, leaching, run-off or accidental spills occurring during or after application has become a serious and increasing problem for aquatic ecosystems. Pyrimethanil (PYR) is one of the most used fungicides. Such increase has heightened the interest in studying the potential risk and influence of PYR on the environment. In this chapter information on the PYR environmental risks for aquatic organisms was divided into three different approaches: (i) assessment of toxic effects of the pure active ingredient or the commercial formulation on primary producers, (ii) assessment of toxic effects of the pure active ingredient and PYR formulation on aquatic animals, and (iii) estimation of the role of PYR as an environmental disturber by triggering avoidance response. The available data provide evidences that PYR is potentially toxic for many aquatic species, affecting survival, reproduction, feeding, growth, and that it can disturb the environmental quality with no direct effect at the individual level by inducing organisms to migrate to less impacted areas

A multibiomarker approach highlights effects induced by the human pharmaceutical gemfibrozil to gilthead seabream Sparus aurata

Lipid regulators are among the most prescribed human pharmaceuticals worldwide. Gemfibrozil, which belongs to this class of pharmaceuticals, is one of the most frequently encountered in the aquatic environment. However, there is limited information concerning the mechanisms involved in gemfibrozil effects to aquatic organisms, particularly to marine organisms. Based on this knowledge gap, the current study aimed to assess biochemical and behavioral effects following a sublethal exposure to gemfibrozil (1.5, 15, 150, 1500 and 15,000 μg L-1) in the estuarine/marine fish Sparus aurata. After the exposure to 1.5 μg L-1 of gemfibrozil, fish had reduced ability to swim against a water flow and increased lipid peroxidation in the liver. At concentrations between 15-15,000 μg L-1, the activities of some enzymes involved in antioxidant defense were induced, appearing to be sufficient to prevent oxidative damage. Depending on the organ, different responses to gemfibrozil were displayed, with enzymes like catalase being more stimulated in gills, whereas glutathione peroxidase was more activated in liver. Although there were no obvious concentration-response relationships, the integrated biomarker response version 2 (IBRv2) analysis revealed that the highest concentrations of gemfibrozil (between 150-15,000 μg L-1) caused more alterations. All the tested concentrations of gemfibrozil induced effects in S. aurata, in terms of behavior and/or oxidative stress responses. Oxidative damage was found at a concentration that is considered environmentally relevant, suggesting a potential of this pharmaceutical to impact fish populations.This research was supported through the COMPETE – Operational Competitiveness Program and National Funds through FCT – Foundation for Science and Technology, under the project “NANOAu – Effects of Gold Nanoparticles to Aquatic Organisms” (FCT PTDC/MAR-EST/3399/2012) (FCOMP-01-0124-FEDER-029435), through FCT/MCTES through national funds (PIDDAC), the cofounding by FEDER, within the PT2020 Partnership Agreement and Compete 2020 to CESAM (UID/AMB/50017 – POCI-01-0145-FEDER-007638) and UID/QUI/50006/2013. A. Barreto has a doctoral fellowship from FCT (SFRH/BD/97624/2013); L. G. Luis had a fellowship from FCT (BI/UI88/6881/2014). MO has financial support of the program Investigator FCT, co-funded by the Human Potential Operational Programme and European Social Fund (IF/00335(2015).info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Partial characterization and anticoagulant activity of a heterofucan from the brown seaweed Padina gymnospora

The brown algae Padina gymnospora contain different fucans. Powdered algae were submitted to proteolysis with the proteolytic enzyme maxataze. The first extract of the algae was constituted of polysaccharides contaminated with lipids, phenols, etc. Fractionation of the fucans with increasing concentrations of acetone produced fractions with different proportions of fucose, xylose, uronic acid, galactose, and sulfate. One of the fractions, precipitated with 50% acetone (v/v), contained an 18-kDa heterofucan (PF1), which was further purified by gel-permeation chromatography on Sephadex G-75 using 0.2 M acetic acid as eluent and characterized by agarose gel electrophoresis in 0.05 M 1,3 diaminopropane/acetate buffer at pH 9.0, methylation and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Structural analysis indicates that this fucan has a central core consisting mainly of 3-ß-D-glucuronic acid 1-> or 4-ß-D-glucuronic acid 1 ->, substituted at C-2 with alpha-L-fucose or ß-D-xylose. Sulfate groups were only detected at C-3 of 4-alpha-L-fucose 1-> units. The anticoagulant activity of the PF1 (only 2.5-fold lesser than low molecular weight heparin) estimated by activated partial thromboplastin time was completely abolished upon desulfation by solvolysis in dimethyl sulfoxide, indicating that 3-O-sulfation at C-3 of 4-alpha-L-fucose 1-> units is responsible for the anticoagulant activity of the polymer.Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte Departamento de Bioquímica Laboratório de GlicobiologiaUniversidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte Departamento de Bioquímica Laboratório de Biotecnologia de Polímeros NaturaisUniversidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP) Escola Paulista de Medicina Departamento de BioquímicaUNIFESP, EPM, Depto. de BioquímicaSciEL

Effects and bioaccumulation of gold nanoparticles in the gilthead seabream (Sparus aurata) – Single and combined exposures with gemfibrozil

Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) are found in a wide range of applications and therefore expected to present increasing levels in the environment. There is however limited knowledge concerning the potential toxicity of AuNPs as well as their combined effects with other pollutants. Hence, the present study aimed to investigate the effects of AuNPs alone and combined with the pharmaceutical gemfibrozil (GEM) on different biological responses (behaviour, neurotransmission, biotransformation and oxidative stress) in one of the most consumed fish in southern Europe, the seabream Sparus aurata. Fish were exposed for 96 h to waterborne 40 nm AuNPs with two coatings - citrate and polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP), alone or combined with GEM. Antioxidant defences were induced in liver and gills upon both AuNPs exposure. Decreased swimming performance (1600 μg.L-1) and oxidative damage in gills (4 and 80 μg.L-1) were observed following exposure to polyvinylpyrrolidone coated gold nanoparticles (PVP-AuNPs). Generally, accumulation of gold in fish tissues and deleterious effects in S. aurata were higher for PVP-AuNPs than for cAuNPs exposures. Although AuNPs and GEM combined effects in gills were generally low, in liver, they were higher than the predicted. The accumulation and effects of AuNPs showed to be dependent on the size, coating, surface charge and aggregation/agglomeration state of nanoparticles. Additionally, it was tissue' specific and dependent on the presence of other contaminants. Although, gold intake by humans is expected to not exceed the estimated tolerable daily intake, it is highly recommended to keep it on track due to the increasing use of AuNPs.This research was supported through the COMPETE – Operational Competitiveness Program and national funds through FCT – Foundation for Science and Technology, under the project “NANOAu – Effects of Gold Nanoparticles to Aquatic Organisms” (FCT PTDC/MAR-EST/3399/2012) (FCOMP-01-0124-FEDER-029435), through FCT/MCTES through national funds (PIDDAC) and the cofounding by FEDER, within the PT2020 Partnership Agreement and Compete 2020 to CESAM (UID/AMB/50017 – POCI-01-0145-FEDER-007638). A. Barreto has a doctoral fellowship from FCT (SFRH/BD/97624/2013); L. G. Luis had a fellowship from FCT (BI/UI88/6881/2014). MO has financial support of the program Investigator FCT, co-funded by the Human Potential Operational Programme and European Social Fund (IF/00335(2015).info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Use of the electronic tongue as a tool for the characterization of Melipona scutellaris Latreille honey

This study aimed to characterize honey of Melipona scutellaris regarding its physicochemical parameters using the electronic tongue (e-tongue) technique combined with the multivariate statistical analysis for honey differentiation. Physicochemical parameters were evaluated following official methods of chemical analyses. A potentiometric electronic tongue with 16 cross-sensitivity sensors was used for the analysis. The Principal Component Analysis and the Cluster Analysis distinguished two groups for the sample set in the evaluation of physicochemical parameters, similar to results found using the electronic tongue. We verified a correlation greater than 0.70 between the profile of potentiometric signals and values of pH, ashes, electrical conductivity, HMF, diastase activity, reducing sugars, and apparent sucrose. The combined use of the electronic tongue with the statistical analysis showed the similarity between samples through the formation of two groups of the sample set. The electronic tongue may be used as a complement to traditional techniques of analyses to determine honey physicochemical parameters, constituting a promising tool in association with the multivariate statistical analysis.This study was financed in part by the “Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior - Brasil” (CAPES) - Finance Code 001 and by the “Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado da Bahia” (FAPESB) - under grant PAM0004/2014. We thank “Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico” (CNPq) for the scholarship granted to CALC (No. 305885/2017-0).info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Measuring the elements of the optical density matrix

Most methods for experimentally reconstructing the quantum state of light involve determining a quasiprobability distribution such as the Wigner function. In this paper we present a scheme for measuring individual density matrix elements in the photon number state representation. Remarkably, the scheme is simple, involving two beam splitters and a reference field in a coherent state.Comment: 6 pages and 1 figur

Quantum phase gate with a selective interaction

We present a proposal for implementing quantum phase gates using selective interactions. We analize selectivity and the possibility to implement these gates in two particular systems, namely, trapped ions and Cavity QED.Comment: Four pages of TEX file and two EPS figures. Submitted for publicatio

Dynamics of Brane-World Cosmological Models

We show that generically the initial singularity is isotropic in spatially homogeneous cosmological models in the brane-world scenario. We then argue that it is plausible that the initial singularity is isotropic in typical brane world cosmological models. Therefore, brane cosmology naturally gives rise to a set of initial data that provide the conditions for inflation to subsequently take place, thereby solving the initial conditions problem and leading to a self--consistent and viable cosmology.Comment: Final version. To appear in Physical Revie