Cidadania, políticas de identidade e renovação política: um debate à luz da teoria da justiça de John Rawls

This article aims to analyze the concept of justice in terms of egalitarian liberalism conceived by the english philosopher John Rawls (1921-2002) with brazilian citizenship, identifying in it a non-regular procedural structure that does not obey the lexical order of conquests of universal rights inspired by liberal ideals, mainly because it is a country that very late gave up a slave-like economy. Based on this fact, we present two situations of political action that we attribute as part of the context of social problems in the country and the exercise of citizenship: we highlight the LGBT movement, a population that demands recognition and social rights. Next, we call attention to the trend of political renewal, based on the formation of supra-partisan organizations in recent years, with the intention of oxygenating political activity in a political moment in which public institutions progressively lose credibility and trust of the population.Este artículo tiene como objetivo analizar la concepción de la justicia en términos de liberalismo igualitario concebido por el filósofo inglés John Rawls (1921-2002) con la ciudadanía brasileña, identificando en esto una estructura procesal no regular que no obedece el orden léxico de los logros de los derechos universales inspirado en los ideales liberales, principalmente porque es un país que muy tarde consoló una economía esclava. Partiendo de este hecho, presentamos dos situaciones de acción política que atribuimos como parte del contexto de los problemas sociales en el país y el ejercicio de la ciudadanía: destacamos el movimiento LGBT, una población que exige reconocimiento y derechos sociales. A continuación, llamamos la atención sobre la tendencia de la renovación política, desde la formación de organizaciones suprapartidistas en los últimos años, con la intención de oxigenar la actividad política, en un momento político en el que las instituciones públicas pierden credibilidad y confianza de la población.Este presente artigo objetiva analisar a concepção de justiça nos termos do liberalismo igualitário concebido pelo filósofo inglês John Rawls (1921-2002) com a cidadania brasileira, identificando nesta uma estrutura procedimental não regular, que não obedece a ordem lexical de conquistas de direitos universais inspirados nos ideais liberais, principalmente por se tratar de um país que muito tardiamente abriu mão de uma economia escravocrata. Partindo deste fato, apresentamos duas situações de atuação política que atribuímos como parte do contexto dos problemas sociais no país e o exercício da cidadania: destacamos o movimento LGBT, uma população que demanda por reconhecimento e direitos sociais. Em seguida, chamamos a atenção para a tendência da renovação política, a partir da formação das organizações suprapartidárias nos últimos anos, com a intenção de oxigenar a atividade política, em um momento político no qual as instituições públicas perdem progressivamente a credibilidade e a confiança da população

Ocean currents shape the microbiome of Arctic marine sediments

Prokaryote communities were investigated on the seasonally stratified Alaska Beaufort Shelf (ABS). Water and sediment directly underlying water with origin in the Arctic, Pacific or Atlantic oceans were analyzed by pyrosequencing and length heterogeneity-PCR in conjunction with physicochemical and geographic distance data to determine what features structure ABS microbiomes. Distinct bacterial communities were evident in all water masses. Alphaproteobacteria explained similarity in Arctic surface water and Pacific derived water. Deltaproteobacteria were abundant in Atlantic origin water and drove similarity among samples. Most archaeal sequences in water were related to unclassified marine Euryarchaeota. Sediment communities influenced by Pacific and Atlantic water were distinct from each other and pelagic communities. Firmicutes and Chloroflexi were abundant in sediment, although their distribution varied in Atlantic and Pacific influenced sites. Thermoprotei dominated archaea in Pacific influenced sediments and Methanomicrobia dominated in methane-containing Atlantic influenced sediments. Length heterogeneity-PCR data from this study were analyzed with data from methane-containing sediments in other regions. Pacific influenced ABS sediments clustered with Pacific sites from New Zealand and Chilean coastal margins. Atlantic influenced ABS sediments formed another distinct cluster. Density and salinity were significant structuring features on pelagic communities. Porosity co-varied with benthic community structure across sites and methane did not. This study indicates that the origin of water overlying sediments shapes benthic communities locally and globally and that hydrography exerts greater influence on microbial community structure than the availability of methane

A temporal assessment of nematode community structure and diversity in the rhizosphere of cisgenic Phytophthora infestans-resistant potatoes

This is publication No. 18 produced within the framework of the project Assessing and Monitoring the Impacts of Genetically Modified Plants on Agro-ecosystems (AMIGA), funded by the European Commission in the Framework programme 7. THEME [KBBE.2011.3.5-01].peer-reviewedBackground Nematodes play a key role in soil processes with alterations in the nematode community structure having the potential to considerably influence ecosystem functioning. As a result fluctuations in nematode diversity and/or community structure can be gauged as a ‘barometer’ of a soil’s functional biodiversity. However, a deficit exists in regards to baseline knowledge and on the impact of specific GM crops on soil nematode populations and in particular in regard to the impact of GM potatoes on the diversity of nematode populations in the rhizosphere. The goal of this project was to begin to address this knowledge gap in regards to a GM potato line, cisgenically engineered for resistance to Phytophthora infestans (responsible organism of the Irish potato famine causing late blight disease). For this, a 3 year (2013, 2014, 2015) field experimental study was completed, containing two conventional genotypes (cvs. Desiree and Sarpo Mira) and a cisgenic genotype (cv. Desiree + Rpi-vnt1). Each potato genotype was treated with different disease management strategies (weekly chemical applications and corresponding no spray control). Hence affording the opportunity to investigate the temporal impact of potato genotype, disease management strategy (and their interaction) on the potato rhizosphere nematode community. Results Nematode structure and diversity were measured through established indices, accounts and taxonomy with factors recording a significant effect limited to the climatic conditions across the three seasons of the study and chemical applications associated with the selected disease management strategy. Based on the metrics studied, the cultivation of the cisgenic potato genotype exerted no significant effect (P > 0.05) on nematode community diversity or structure. The disease management treatments led to a reduction of specific trophic groups (e.g. Predacious c–p = 4), which of interest appeared to be counteracted by a potato genotype with vigorous growth phenotype e.g. cv. Sarpo Mira. The fluctuating climates led to disparate conditions, with enrichment conditions (bacterial feeding c–p = 1) dominating during the wet seasons of 2014 and 2015 versus the dry season of 2013 which induced an environmental stress (functional guild c–p = 2) on nematode communities. Conclusions Overall the functional guild indices in comparison to other indices or absolutes values, delivered the most accurate quantitative measurement with which to determine the occurrence of a specific disturbance relative to the cultivation of the studied cisgenic P. infestans-resistant potatoes.European Unio

Geography of non-melanoma skin cancer and ecological associations with environmental risk factors in England.

This is the author's peer reviewed version of the article. Please cite the published, final version which is available via the DOI link in this record.This study investigates the geography of non-melanoma skin cancer (NMSC) in England, and ecological associations with three widespread environmental hazards: radon, arsenic and ultraviolet radiation from the sun.European Regional Development FundEuropean Social Fund Convergence Programme for Cornwall and the Isles of Scill

An international randomised controlled trial to compare TARGeted Intraoperative radioTherapy (TARGIT) with conventional postoperative radiotherapy after breast-conserving surgery for women with early-stage breast cancer (the TARGIT-A trial)

Background: Based on our laboratory work and clinical trials we hypothesised that radiotherapy after lumpectomy for breast cancer could be restricted to the tumour bed. In collaboration with the industry we developed a new radiotherapy device and a new surgical operation for delivering single-dose radiation to the tumour bed – the tissues at highest risk of local recurrence. We named it TARGeted Intraoperative radioTherapy (TARGIT). From 1998 we confirmed its feasibility and safety in pilot studies. Objective: To compare TARGIT within a risk-adapted approach with whole-breast external beam radiotherapy (EBRT) over several weeks. Design: The TARGeted Intraoperative radioTherapy Alone (TARGIT-A) trial was a pragmatic, prospective, international, multicentre, non-inferiority, non-blinded, randomised (1 : 1 ratio) clinical trial. Originally, randomisation occurred before initial lumpectomy (prepathology) and, if allocated TARGIT, the patient received it during the lumpectomy. Subsequently, the postpathology stratum was added in which randomisation occurred after initial lumpectomy, allowing potentially easier logistics and a more stringent case selection, but which needed a reoperation to reopen the wound to give TARGIT as a delayed procedure. The risk-adapted approach meant that, in the experimental arm, if pre-specified unsuspected adverse factors were found postoperatively after receiving TARGIT, EBRT was recommended. Pragmatically, this reflected how TARGIT would be practised in the real world. Setting: Thirty-three centres in 11 countries. Participants: Women who were aged ≥ 45 years with unifocal invasive ductal carcinoma preferably ≤ 3.5 cm in size. Interventions: TARGIT within a risk-adapted approach and whole-breast EBRT. Main outcome measures: The primary outcome measure was absolute difference in local recurrence, with a non-inferiority margin of 2.5%. Secondary outcome measures included toxicity and breast cancer-specific and non-breast-cancer mortality. Results: In total, 3451 patients were recruited between March 2000 and June 2012. The following values are 5-year Kaplan–Meier rates for TARGIT compared with EBRT. There was no statistically significant difference in local recurrence between TARGIT and EBRT. TARGIT was non-inferior to EBRT overall [TARGIT 3.3%, 95% confidence interval (CI) 2.1% to 5.1% vs. EBRT 1.3%, 95% CI 0.7% to 2.5%; p = 0.04; Pnon-inferiority = 0.00000012] and in the prepathology stratum (n = 2298) when TARGIT was given concurrently with lumpectomy (TARGIT 2.1%, 95% CI 1.1% to 4.2% vs. EBRT 1.1%, 95% CI 0.5% to 2.5%; p = 0.31; Pnon-inferiority = 0.0000000013). With delayed TARGIT postpathology (n = 1153), the between-group difference was larger than 2.5% and non-inferiority was not established for this stratum (TARGIT 5.4%, 95% CI 3.0% to 9.7% vs. EBRT 1.7%, 95% CI 0.6% to 4.9%; p = 0.069; Pnon-inferiority = 0.06640]. The local recurrence-free survival was 93.9% (95% CI 90.9% to 95.9%) when TARGIT was given with lumpectomy compared with 92.5% (95% CI 89.7% to 94.6%) for EBRT (p = 0.35). In a planned subgroup analysis, progesterone receptor (PgR) status was found to be the only predictor of outcome: hormone-responsive patients (PgR positive) had similar 5-year local recurrence with TARGIT during lumpectomy (1.4%, 95% CI 0.5% to 3.9%) as with EBRT (1.2%, 95% CI 0.5% to 2.9%; p = 0.77). Grade 3 or 4 radiotherapy toxicity was significantly reduced with TARGIT. Overall, breast cancer mortality was much the same between groups (TARGIT 2.6%, 95% CI 1.5% to 4.3% vs. EBRT 1.9%, 95% CI 1.1% to 3.2%; p = 0.56) but there were significantly fewer non-breast-cancer deaths with TARGIT (1.4%, 95% CI 0.8% to 2.5% vs. 3.5%, 95% CI 2.3% to 5.2%; p = 0.0086), attributable to fewer deaths from cardiovascular causes and other cancers, leading to a trend in reduced overall mortality in the TARGIT arm (3.9%, 95% CI 2.7% to 5.8% vs. 5.3%, 95% CI 3.9% to 7.3%; p = 0.099]. Health economic analyses suggest that TARGIT was statistically significantly less costly than EBRT, produced similar quality-adjusted life-years, had a positive incremental net monetary benefit that was borderline statistically significantly different from zero and had a probability of \u3e 90% of being cost-effective. There appears to be little uncertainty in the point estimates, based on deterministic and probabilistic sensitivity analyses. If TARGIT were given instead of EBRT in suitable patients, it might potentially reduce costs to the health-care providers in the UK by £8–9.1 million each year. This does not include environmental, patient and societal costs. Limitations: The number of local recurrences is small but the number of events for local recurrence-free survival is not as small (TARGIT 57 vs. EBRT 59); occurrence of so few events (\u3c 3.5%) also implies that both treatments are effective and any difference is unlikely to be large. Not all 3451 patients were followed up for 5 years; however, more than the number of patients required to answer the main trial question (n = 585) were followed up for \u3e 5 years. Conclusions: For patients with breast cancer (women who are aged ≥ 45 years with hormone sensitive invasive ductal carcinoma that is up to 3.5 cm in size), TARGIT concurrent with lumpectomy within a risk-adapted approach is as effective as, safer than and less expensive than postoperative EBRT. Future work: The analyses will be repeated with longer follow-up. Although this may not change the primary result, the larger number of events may confirm the effect on overall mortality and allow more detailed subgroup analyses. The TARGeted Intraoperative radioTherapy Boost (TARGIT-B) trial is testing whether or not a tumour bed boost given intraoperatively (TARGIT) boost is superior to a tumour bed boost given as part of postoperative EBRT. Trial registration: Current Controlled Trials ISRCTN34086741 and ClinicalTrials.gov NCT00983684. Funding: University College London Hospitals (UCLH)/University College London (UCL) Comprehensive Biomedical Research Centre, UCLH Charities, Ninewells Cancer Campaign, National Health and Medical Research Council and German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF). From September 2009 this project was funded by the NIHR Health Technology Assessment programme and will be published in full in Health Technology Assessment; Vol. 20, No. 73. See the NIHR Journals Library website for further project information

Varieties of living things: Life at the intersection of lineage and metabolism

publication-status: Publishedtypes: Articl

The inference of gray whale (Eschrichtius robustus) historical population attributes from whole-genome sequences

Commercial whaling caused extensive demographic declines in many great whale species, including gray whales that were extirpated from the Atlantic Ocean and dramatically reduced in the Pacific Ocean. The Eastern Pacific gray whale has recovered since the 1982 ban on commercial whaling, but the Western Pacific gray whale-once considered possibly extinct-consists of only about 200 individuals and is considered critically endangered by some international authorities. Herein, we use whole-genome sequencing to investigate the demographic history of gray whales from the Pacific and use environmental niche modelling to make predictions about future gene flow.Our sequencing efforts and habitat niche modelling indicate that: i) western gray whale effective population sizes have declined since the last glacial maximum; ii) contemporary gray whale genomes, both eastern and western, harbor less autosomal nucleotide diversity than most other marine mammals and megafauna; iii) the extent of inbreeding, as measured by autozygosity, is greater in the Western Pacific than in the Eastern Pacific populations; and iv) future climate change is expected to open new migratory routes for gray whales.Our results indicate that gray whale genomes contain low nucleotide diversity and have been subject to both historical and recent inbreeding. Population sizes over the last million years likely peaked about 25,000 years before present and have declined since then. Our niche modelling suggests that novel migratory routes may develop within the next century and if so this could help retain overall genetic diversity, which is essential for adaption and successful recovery in light of global environmental change and past exploitation

Cortical and cerebellar activation induced by reflexive and voluntary saccades

Reflexive saccades are driven by visual stimulation whereas voluntary saccades require volitional control. Behavioral and lesional studies suggest that there are two separate mechanisms involved in the generation of these two types of saccades. This study investigated differences in cerebral and cerebellar activation between reflexive and self-paced voluntary saccadic eye movements using functional magnetic resonance imaging. In two experiments (whole brain and cerebellum) using the same paradigm, differences in brain activations induced by reflexive and self-paced voluntary saccades were assessed. Direct comparison of the activation patterns showed that the frontal eye fields, parietal eye field, the motion-sensitive area (MT/V5), the precuneus (V6), and the angular and the cingulate gyri were more activated in reflexive saccades than in voluntary saccades. No significant difference in activation was found in the cerebellum. Our results suggest that the alleged separate mechanisms for saccadic control of reflexive and self-paced voluntary are mainly observed in cerebral rather than cerebellar areas

Aplicação de dados gravimétricos de satélite (WGM2012) para a caracterização geofísica-geológica da porção oeste do cráton São Francisco e zona externa da faixa Brasília / Application of satellite gravimetric data (WGM2012) for the geophysical-geological characterization of the western portion of the São Francisco craton and the outer zone of the Brazilian strip

Este trabalho apresenta a caracterização geofísico-geológica da parte norte do Cinturão Dobrado de Brasília e regiões limítrofes, utilizando os dados de gravidade da missão GRACE do satélite e sua respectiva compilação WGM2012. A partir da montagem, correção e processamento do conjunto de dados, alguns produtos foram obtidos como Bouguer Anomaly e eles derivam dos dados de gravidade. O filtro Upward Continuation foi gerado para 40 km e apresentou as fontes dos comprimentos de onda mais longos da região, o que permitiu a delimitação de domínios. Estes domínios mostram que as assinaturas geofísicas são distintas entre o Cratão São Francisco e a Província do Tocantins. Há um aumento no gradiente gravimétrico de oeste para leste, do Cinturão de Brasília (assinatura gravimétrica baixa -132mGal a -97mGal) ao Cráton do São Francisco (assinatura média a alta -75mGal a -36mGal). Na superfície, a região definida pelas assinaturas de baixa anomalia gravimétrica é chamada de Zona Externa da Cinta de Brasília e sua resposta é interpretada como resultante de fontes localizadas no manto e não na crosta, de acordo com as informações dos modelos de refração e densidade sísmica profunda. O Power Spectrum fornece uma estimativa da profundidade do topo das fontes geofísicas da área de estudo. As fontes mais profundas correspondem às respostas do manto superior e podem representar anomalias de maior comprimento de onda na área, onde as profundidades variam abaixo da Zona Externa e do Cratão São Francisco, respectivamente, com cerca de 40 km e 50 km. A análise gravimétrica na área de estudo, a partir de um perfil de direção W-E, integrado com dados sísmicos de refração profunda, mostra contribuições relativas ao manto abaixo desta borda. Portanto, a integração de dados geofísicos de satélite, com a restrição da refração sísmica profunda, e geologia mostra uma forte correlação entre as assinaturas geofísicas profundas e geotectônicas da região. Estas assinaturas gravimétricas contribuem para uma melhor compreensão da crosta e da estrutura do manto superior, além de estarem relacionadas a importantes características geotectônicas. A integração dos dados geofísicos e geológicos mostra uma boa correlação quando comparados com outros trabalhos com o mesmo propósito. Também, quando geofísicos e geotectônicos estão associados, o que destaca a robustez dos dados de satélite para caracterizar assinaturas geofísicas rasas e profundas de estudos regionais

Uso de dados potenciais de satélite (WGM2012 e EMAG2) para caracterização geotectônica do craton do São Francisco e regiões adjacentes / Use of satellite potential field data (WGM2012 and EMAG2) for geotectonic characterization of the São Francisco craton and neighboring regions

Dados potenciais oriundos de compilações de satélite têm sido usados na interpretação geofísica e geológica regional para a identificação, modelagem e dimensionamento de feições com assinaturas geofísicas regionais provenientes de fontes de baixa frequência que podem estar associadas a maiores profundidades. As informações desses dados são úteis para apresentar características da litosfera do Cráton do São Francisco e regiões limítrofes. A utilização desses dados possibilita a avaliação do contexto geotectônico e contribui com o conhecimento crustal da região.  O objetivo desta pesquisa é a interpretação geofísica com cunho geotectônico, de assinaturas gravimétricas e magnéticas presentes no Cráton do São Francisco e a obtenção de suas profundidades relativas na litosfera. Os dados foram compilados do World Gravity Map 2012 (WGM2012) e Earth Magnetic Anomaly Grid 2-arc min (EMAG2), oriundas dos satélites GRACE e CHAMP, respectivamente.  O produto gravimétrico Anomalia Bouguer indica a existência de fontes profundas com mais de 65 km de profundidade e o produto magnético Campo Magnético Anômalo apresenta fontes com profundidades maiores que 45 km, obtidas a partir da aplicação do Matched Filter sobre os dados base.  A remoção do efeito gravimétrico dos sedimentos foi aplicada ao produto Anomalia Bouguer o que permitiu isolar a assinatura gravimétrica dos terrenos tectônicos da área de pesquisa. Essas diferenças são caracterizadas pelo alto gravimétrico (-10 a 20 mGal) na porção que corresponde ao Arco Magmático de Goiás e Maciço de Goiás em contraste com o baixo gravimétrico (-95 a -65 mGal) relacionado à Zona Externa da Faixa Brasília, localizada no limite ocidental do Cráton do São Francisco. O produto também indicou uma região de alto gravimétrico (-35 a 5 mGal) no Cráton, em sua porção mais setentrional, em direção à Província Borborema e ao extremo sul da Bacia do Paranaíba. Os dados potenciais mostram uma feição circular que bordeja as regiões da Zona Externa da Faixa Brasília, Bacia do Paraná, Bacia do Parnaíba e Província Borborema, e pode estar relacionada ao limite da paleo placa Sanfraciscana, mais antiga e fria que os terrenos adjacentes, consequentemente caracterizada com assinaturas de baixas amplitudes gravimétricas (-128 a -50 mGal).  As informações gravimétricas e magnéticas são complementares para a descrição dos terrenos tectônicos da região. Assim, os dados potenciais de satélite possibilitam a obtenção de informações de fontes profundas, localizadas na base da litosfera, que trazem contribuições ao conhecimento geotectônico