Cómo analizar una película: a propósito de La Historia Oficial

Due to its powerful influence as a cultural massive industry, the cinema is one of the most important media used by pedagogues and investigators, as an essential tool to rebel the ideology of a society. However, the one who tries to investigate the philosophic roots of a film, will have to ask himself about the different aspects that take place around the movie, such as the film reception context, its influence and the polemics performed. Bearing in mind the genre to which each film belongs to and the investigator’s followed aims, the use of the Critical analysis, as a study system, is appropriate to locate the film between the creator base and the public. In this way, it is possible to discover the meaning that lies behind the cinematographic work, and its effects. The official story is a movie that shows the different ways in which the political and historical reality representation is don

Tariff discrimination on Brazil's soluble coffee: an economic analysis

This article evaluates the impacts of the imposition of tariffs on the Brazilian soluble coffee mainly by European countries as of the 1990s. More particularly, it verifies whether the imposition of discriminatory trade tariffs by the European Union and of non-discriminatory ones by some Eastern European countries reflects on the international demand for this commodity. For this purpose, dynamic models of global demand for Brazilian soluble coffee were estimated for the 1995-2003 period using data from the International Coffee Organization. Findings suggest that existing tariffs significantly account for the reduction of Brazilian share of soluble in the world market

Design, Synthesis and Architectures of Hybrid Nanomaterials for Therapy and Diagnosis Applications

Hybrid nanomaterials based on inorganic nanoparticles and polymers are highly interesting structures since they combine synergistically the advantageous physical-chemical properties of both inorganic and polymeric components, providing superior functionality to the final material. These unique properties motivate the intensive study of these materials from a multidisciplinary view with the aim of finding novel applications in technological and biomedical fields. Choosing a specific synthetic methodology that allows for control over the surface composition and its architecture, enables not only the examination of the structure/property relationships, but, more importantly, the design of more efficient nanodevices for therapy and diagnosis in nanomedicine. The current review categorizes hybrid nanomaterials into three types of architectures: core-brush, hybrid nanogels, and core- shell. We focus on the analysis of the synthetic approaches that lead to the formation of each type of architecture. Furthermore, most recent advances in therapy and diagnosis applications and some inherent challenges of these materials are herein reviewed

AÇÕES COLETIVAS: DESENVOLVIMENTO PARA ARRANJOS PRODUTIVOS INSERIDOS NO CONTEXTO DO AGRO-NEGÓCIO E TURISMO RURAL

No intuito de se tornarem competitivas, as organizações passaram a desenvolver fortes relacionamentos entre si. O que ocorre são formas de governança baseadas na cooperação e complementaridade, como no caso dos arranjos produtivos. Quanto mais coletividade, maior a possibilidade de eficiência das firmas. Contudo, estas formas são complexas e necessitam ser mais exploradas. Assim, este estudo investigou quais os fatores determinantes para o desenvolvimento de ações coletivas no arranjo produtivo do Vale dos Vinhedos, bem como o impacto dessas ações. Para tanto, realizaram-se entrevistas com figuras-chave do objeto de estudo. Como principais resultados identificaram-se alguns fatores determinantes para o desencadeamento das ações coletivas e ainda evidenciou-se que estas ações tiveram um impacto significativo em termos de vantagens competitivas e desenvolvimento regional para todo o contexto do arranjo.---------------------------------------------The organizations started to develop strong relationships to each other with the intention to became competitive. What happens are governance forms based on cooperation and complementarity, as in the case of the productive arrangements. The more collectivity, larger the possibility of efficiency of the firms. However, these forms are complex and need to be more explored. So, this study investigated which are the decisive factors for the development of collective actions in the productive arrangement of the Vineyards Valley, besides investigating the impact of those actions. For so much, it was took place interviews with key-agents of the study object. As main results it was identified some decisive factors for the development of the collective actions, and also, was still evidenced that these actions had a significant impact in terms of competitive advantages and regional development for the arrangement.Ações Coletivas, Desenvolvimento regional, Arranjo, Collective actions, Regional development, Arrangement, Community/Rural/Urban Development,

Three years field trials to assess the effect of kaolin made particles and copper on olive-fruit fly (B.oleae Gmelin) infestations in Sicily

In most countries of Mediterranean Basin, Bactrocera oleae (Gmel), the olive fruit fly, is the key pest insect on olives. In Sicily this pest causes losses of fruits and a poor quality olive oil. Many researchers have recently carried out some field studies which were based on the use of kaolin and copper against the olive-fruit fly. In the last years these products have been effective several times in reducing olive fly infestation. Kaolin had, also, some important effect in reducing heat-stress in fruit crops and olive-trees. The aim of the present study was to assess the effect of kaolin and copper treatment on olive infestations in Sicily and to evaluate chemical and sensory parameters of oils extracted. For this reason, within 2003-2005, the IX Servizio of Assessorato Regionale Agricoltura e Foreste, selected some olive groves where to carry out trials with kaolin and copper and to realize information and divulgation activities

DIREITOS DE PROPRIEDADE, INVESTIMENTOS E CONFLITOS DE TERRA NO BRASIL

A partir da segunda metade da década de noventa, após a fase de reestruturação e modernização da produção agrícola, as questões econômicas pertinentes aos conflitos de terra no Brasil ganharam maior grau de complexidade em virtude de significativas mudanças institucionais e das incertezas sobre os direitos de propriedade geradas com o aumento das disputas entre proprietários de terras, posseiros, organizações de movimentos sociais, indígenas, quilombolas, ambientalistas e organismos governamentais. Dentro desse contexto sócio-econômico, a presente pesquisa objetivou investigar um tipo específico de conflito fundiário referente ao processo de invasões (ocupações) de terras em propriedades rurais, realizadas por organizações de movimentos sociais. A literatura empírica sobre a relação econômica entre direitos de propriedade e investimento apresenta uma diversidade de resultados e apontamentos que motivaram a investigação do problema no caso das disputas de terra no Estado do Paraná. O atual conflito paranaense tem como importante característica as disputas judiciais entre produtores rurais e movimentos sociais, no qual, os proprietários rurais questionam a legalidade das invasões quanto ao seu caráter reivindicatório pela reforma agrária e pleiteiam o cumprimento imediato dos mandados de reintegração de posse quando da invasão de terra. Por parte dos movimentos, as invasões de terras tornaram-se o principal mecanismo de “pressão” sobre o Instituto Nacional de Colonização e Reforma Agrária (INCRA), para a execução dos processos de desapropriação e assentamentos. Tendo como marco institucional a Medida Provisória nº2027-38/2000 (conhecida como lei “anti-invasão”), mais o relatório de propriedades invadidas da Federação de Agricultura do Estado do Paraná (FAEP), foi desenvolvida uma pesquisa empírica junto aos produtores rurais nas principais áreas de conflitos de terras, compreendendo as invasões ocorridas entre 2000 e 2006. Com base na fundamentação da Nova Economia Institucional e na análise dos resultados da literatura empírica sobre direitos de propriedade de terra e investimentos privados, a presente pesquisa analisou a relação entre o a variável “tempo de invasão” (proxy para a insegurança do direito de propriedade) e “nível de produtividade da terra” (proxy para o investimento), comparando diferentes grupos de produtores e sua produtividade antes e depois da invasão. Como resultado da análise descritiva dos dados primários, a presente pesquisa estabeleceu um conjunto de observações sobre: (i) as propriedades invadidas; (ii) as invasões de terra; (iii) os processos judiciais; e (iv) os efeitos das invasões sobre os investimentos na produção. Como principais resultados, a pesquisa apontou para as seguintes considerações: o tempo de invasão da terra afetou, especialmente, os investimentos das propriedades pecuaristas e invadidas acima de 120 dias (longo prazo de invasão). No caso das propriedades com tempo inferior a 60 dias de invasão (curto prazo), o resultado mais freqüente foi a manutenção dos investimentos na produção; contudo, em casos que ocorreram mais de uma invasão na mesma propriedade, houve queda da produtividade mesmo com um tempo curto de invasão. Para o grupo dos proprietários com tempo de invasão de 60 a 120 dias (médio prazo), os resultados sobre os investimentos foram variados. ----------------------------------------------As of the mid 1990s, after the restructuring and modernization of the agricultural production, economic issues the economic issues impacting on land conflicts have won greater degree of intensity due to significant institutional changes and uncertainties surrounding property right associated with increasing disputes among land owners, squatters, social movements organizations, Indians, Afro-Brazilians (quilombolas), environmentalists and government bodies. Within this socioeconomic framework, this research objective investigates a specific conflict type pertaining to the process of invasions (occupation) of land properties held by organizations of social movements. The wide variety of results in the empirical literature concerning economic relationship between property rights and investment has led to the investigation of this theme, in this case illustrated by the land disputes in the state of Paraná. The important facet of this current conflict concerns the legal disputes between farmers and social movements, in which the landowners questioned the legality of the claim invasion for agrarian reform and compliance with the immediate mandate of reinstatement of possession when there is invasion of land. On the side of the social movements, land invasions have become the main form of pressure over the National Institute of Colonization and Land Reform (INCRA) to speed up expropriation processes and settlements. Having as institutional landmark Provisory Measure nº2027-38/2000 (known as “anti-invasion Law”), associated with the report on properties invaded released by the federation of Agriculture of the State of Paraná (FAEP), empirical research was conducted with rural owners in the main land conflict areas encompassing invasions occurred over 2000 and 2006. Based on the premises of the New Institutional Economics and on the analysis of results of empirical literature on land property rights and private investments, this research examined the relation between the variable “invasion period” (proxy for the property right insecurity) and “land productivity level” (proxy for investment), by comparing two different groups of producers and their productivity before and after the invasion. As a result of the descriptive analysis of primary data, this research established a set of observations on: (i) properties invaded; (ii) land invasions; (iii) legal processes; and (iv) effects of invasions on investments in production. As main results, the research pointed to the following considerations: the time of invasion affected, mainly, investments in cattle properties and invaded over 120 days (long term of invasion). In the case of properties invaded for less than 60 days (short time span after invasion), the most frequent result was the maintenance of investments in production, however in cases where more than one invasion in the same property occurred, there as a decline in productivity even with a short invasion time involved. For the group of owners with a time span after invasion between 60 and 120 days (average time span) results on investments varied.direitos de propriedade, instituições, agropecuária, conflitos de terra, property rights, institutions, agricultural, land conflicts, Land Economics/Use,

Graminex pollen: phenolic pattern, colorimetric analysis and protective effects in immortalized prostate cells (PC3) and rat prostate challenged with LPS

Prostatitis, a general term describing prostate inflammation, is a common disease that could be sustained by bacterial or non-bacterial infectious agents. The efficacy of herbal extracts with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects for blunting the burden of inflammation and oxidative stress, with possible improvements in clinical symptoms, is under investigation. Pollen extracts have been previously reported as promising agents in managing clinical symptoms related to prostatitis. The aim of the present work was to evaluate the protective effects of Graminex pollen (GraminexTM, Deshler, OH, USA), a commercially available product based on standardized pollen extracts, in rat prostate specimens, ex vivo. In this context, we studied the putative mechanism of action of pollen on multiple inflammatory pathways, including the reduction of prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells (NFB), and malondialdehyde (MDA), whose activities were significantly increased by inflammatory stimuli. We characterized by means of chromatographic and colorimetric studies the composition of Graminex pollen to better correlate the activity of pollen on immortalized prostate cells (PC3), and in rat prostate specimens challenged with Escherichia coli lipopolysaccharide (LPS). We found that Graminex pollen was able to reduce radical oxygen species (ROS) production by PC3 cells and MDA, NFB mRNA, and PGE2 levels, in rat prostate specimens. According to our experimental evidence, Graminex pollen appears to be a promising natural product for the management of the inflammatory components in the prostate

A large sample study of spin relaxation and magnetometric sensitivity of paraffin-coated Cs vapor cells

We have manufactured more than 250 nominally identical paraffin-coated Cs vapor cells (28mm inner diameter bulbs) for multi-channel atomic magnetometer applications. We describe our dedicated cell characterization apparatus. For each cell we have determined the intrinsic longitudinal, Γ 01, and transverse, Γ 02, relaxation rates. Our best cell shows Γ 01/2π≈0.5Hz, and Γ 02/2π≈2Hz. We find a strong correlation of both relaxation rates which we explain in terms of reservoir and spin exchange relaxation. For each cell we have determined the optimal combination of rf and laser powers which yield the highest sensitivity to magnetic field changes. Out of all produced cells, 90% are found to have magnetometric sensitivities in the range of 9to 30fT $\sqrt{\mathrm{Hz}}$ . Noise analysis shows that the magnetometers operated with such cells have a sensitivity close to the fundamental photon shot noise limi

Chondroitin Sulfate Tetrasaccharides: Synthesis, Three-Dimensional Structure and Interaction with Midkine

The biological activity of midkine, a cytokine implicated in neuro- and tumourigenesis, is regulated by its binding to glycosaminoglycans (GAGs), such as heparin and chondroitin sulfate (CS). To better understand the molecular recognition of GAG sequences by this growth factor, the interactions between synthetic chondroitin sulfate-like tetrasaccharides and midkine were studied by using different techniques. Firstly, a synthetic approach for the preparation of CS-like oligosaccharides in the sequence GalNAc-GlcA was developed. A fluorescence polarisation competition assay was then employed to analyse the relative binding affinities of the synthetic compounds and revealed that midkine interacted with CS-like tetrasaccharides in the micromolar range. The 3D structure of these tetramers was studied in detail by a combination of NMR spectroscopy experiments and molecular dynamics simulations. Saturation transfer difference (STD) NMR spectroscopy experiments indicate that the CS tetrasaccharides bind to midkine in an extended conformation, with similar saturation effects along the entire sugar chain. These results are compatible with docking studies that suggest an interaction of the tetrasaccharide with midkine in a folded structure. Overall, this study provides valuable information on the interaction between midkine and well-defined, chemically synthesised CS oligosaccharides and these data can be useful for the design of more active compounds that modulate the biological function of this protein.Peer Reviewe