The University and its libraries: Reactions and resistance to scientific publishers

This paper addresses the relationship of copyright and the right of universities on scientific production. Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) are causing many changes in the system of scientific communication, such as the creation of Institutional Repositories that aim to gather scientific production in digital format. The University needs quicker ways of spreading academic production and many questions are emerging due to contexts such as the Open Access movement. Thus, this paper questions the positioning of Universities, especially Public Universities, which despite having policies related to intellectual property to protect the transferring forms of research results to society; many times do not have a positioning or a mechanism that regulates the self-deposit of scientific production in these Institutional Repositories. In order to develop this paper, the following issues are addressed: lack of interest of the University in storing scientific production; reports on the relationship of the library with scientific publishing houses; the participation of faculty members and students in supporting the Free Access movement; and initiatives aimed at greater flexibility of copyright to the context of scientific production. In order to follow the development of these issues at international level, it was opted for qualitative research with non-participating direct observation to carry out the identification and description of copyright policy of important publishers from the ROMEO SHERPA site; therefore, it can be observed that there are changes regarding the publishers' flexibility before self-archiving of authors in open access institutional repositories in their universities. Given this scenario, we presente reflections and considerations that involve the progress and mainly the integration of the University and its faculty members; the institution should recommend and guide its faculty members not to transfer their copyrights, but to defend their right of copy to Institutional Repositories along with Publishing Houses.

The University and its libraries: reactions and resistance to scientific publishers

This paper addresses the relationship of copyright and the right of universities on scientific production. Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) are causing many changes in the system of scientific communication, such as the creation of Institutional Repositories that aim to gather scientific production in digital format. The University needs quicker ways of spreading academic production and many questions are emerging due to contexts such as the Open Access movement. Thus, this paper questions the positioning of Universities, especially Public Universities, which despite having policies related to intellectual property to protect the transferring forms of research results to society; many times do not have a positioning or a mechanism that regulates the self-deposit of scientific production in these Institutional Repositories. In order to develop this paper, the following issues are addressed: lack of interest of the University in storing scientific production; reports on the relationship of the library with scientific publishing houses; the participation of faculty members and students in supporting the Free Access movement; and initiatives aimed at greater flexibility of copyright to the context of scientific production. In order to follow the development of these issues at international level, it was opted for qualitative research with non-participating direct observation to carry out the identification and description of copyright policy of important publishers from the ROMEO SHERPA site; therefore, it can be observed that there are changes regarding the publishers' flexibility before self-archiving of authors in open access institutional repositories in their universities. Given this scenario, we presente reflections and considerations that involve the progress and mainly the integration of the University and its faculty members; the institution should recommend and guide its faculty members not to transfer their copyrights, but to defend their right of copy to Institutional Repositories along with Publishing Houses.

Langmuir and Langmuir-Blodgett films containing a porphyrin-ruthenium complex

The fabrication of supramolecular structures from the tetraruthenated porphyrin-containing phosphines, {TPyP[RuCl3(dppb)](4)}, RuTPyP, is demonstrated with Langmuir and Langmuir-Blodgett films. The surface pressure-molecular area isotherms (pi-A) point to an edge-on arrangement for the RuTPyP molecules in the condensed state. Weak aggregation in the Langmuir films was indicated by non-zero surface potentials at large areas per molecule and a slight red shift in the ultraviolet-visible absorption spectrum in comparison to the spectrum in solution. Further aggregation occurs in the Z-type Lang muir-Blodgett films, which was confirmed with ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy of the deposited films. Fourier transform infrared and Raman spectroscopic data for powder and Langmuir-Blodgett films indicate that the RuTPyP molecules are chemically stable in Langmuir-Blodgett films regardless of the contact with water during film fabrication. The nanostructured nature of the Langmuir-Blodgett films was manifested in cyclic voltammetry due to the high sensitivity of the metallic centers in RuTPyR Electrodes modified with Langmuir-Blodgett films exhibit an anodic peak at 100 mV and a cathodic peak at 7 mV, which is assigned to RuIII/RuII redox processes. Furthermore, Langmuir-Blodgett films from RuTPyP showed electrocatalytic activity for oxidation of benzyl alcohol, illustrated by a large shift of 100 mV in the anodic peak at 400 mV, while electropolymerized and cast films of the same compound displayed smaller and no activities, respectively.

Preparation and structural characterization of vulcanized natural rubber nanocomposites containing nickel-zinc ferrite nanopowders

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Molecular architecture of thin films fabricated via physical vapor deposition and containing a poly(azo)urethane

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Fast dynamics in the optical storage with Langmuir-Blodgett films of a diazocrown ether molecule

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Molecular architecture and electrical properties in evaporated films of cobalt phthalocyanine

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Sensor array made with nanostructured films to detect a phenothiazine compound

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Pathogenesis II: Fungal responses to host responses: interaction of host cells with fungi

Most of our knowledge concerning the virulence determinants of pathogenic fungi comes from the infected host, mainly from animal models and more recently from in vitro studies with cell cultures. The fungi usually present intra- and/or extracellular host-parasite interfaces, with the parasitism phenomenon dependent on complementary surface molecules. Among living organisms, this has been characterized as a cohabitation event, where the fungus is able to recognize specific host tissues acting as an attractant, creating stable conditions for its survival. Several fungi pathogenic for humans and animals have evolved special strategies to deliver elements to their cellular targets that may be relevant to their pathogenicity. Most of these pathogens express surface factors that mediate binding to host cells either directly or indirectly, in the latter case binding to host adhesion components such as extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins, which act as 'interlinking' molecules. The entry of the pathogen into the host cell is initiated by fungal adherence to the cell surface, which generates an uptake signal that may induce its cytoplasmic internalization. Once this is accomplished, some fungi are able to alter the host cytoskeletal architecture, as manifested by a rearrangement of microtubule and microfilament proteins, and this can also induce epithelial host cells to become apoptotic. It is possible that fungal pathogens induce modulation of different host cell pathways in order to evade host defences and to foster their own proliferation. For a number of pathogens, the ability to bind ECM glycoproteins, the capability of internalization and the induction of apoptosis are considered important factors in virulence. Furthermore, specific recognition between fungal parasites and their host cell targets may be mediated by the interaction of carbohydrate-binding proteins, e.g., lectins on the surface of one type of cell, probably a parasite, that combine with complementary sugars on the surface of host-cell. These interactions supply precise models to study putative adhesins and receptor-containing molecules in the context of the fungus-host interface. The recognition of the host molecules by fungi such as Aspergillus fumigatus, Paracoccidioides brasiliensis and Histoplasma capsulatum, and their molecular mechanisms of adhesion and invasion, are reviewed in this paper.

Development of praziquantel-loaded PLGA nanoparticles and evaluation of intestinal permeation by the everted gut Sac model

Praziquantel has been shown to be highly effective against all known species of Schistosoma infecting humans. Spherical nanoparticles made of poly(D,L-lactide-co-glycolide) acid with controlled size were designed as drug carriers. Praziquantel, a hydrophobic drug, was entrapped into the polymeric nanoparticles with 30% (w/w) of theoretical loading. The nanoparticles size was approximately of 350 nm with 66% of encapsulation efficiency. The everted gut sac model shows to be efficient to evaluate the drug permeation through the intestinal membrane. The results show that free praziquantel presents 4-fold times more permeation than praziquantel-loaded PLGA nanoparticles and physical mixture. For this drug, in special, this result can be interesting, since the nanoparticulate system can behave as a drug reservoir and/or to have a more localized effect in intestinal membrane for a prolonged period of time, since great amounts of parasites can be usually found in the mesenteric veins.

IgE antibody response to the main antigenic component of Paracoccidioides brasiliensis in patients with paracoccidioidomycosis

Paracoccidioidomycosis (PCM) has two main clinical presentations, a chronic form (CF) and an acute, more severe form (AF). The AF is associated with a more marked dysfunction of the patient's immune response, and a distinct anti-Paracoccidioides brasiliensis immunoglobulin (Ig)A and IgG antibody subclass expression, compared with that seen in the CF. In this study we investigated the presence of IgE antibodies against the main P. brasiliensis antigen (a 43-kDa molecule) in the serum of PCM patients using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. We found that 100% of the AF patients (n = 16) produced IgE antibodies, mostly at high levels, whereas only 9 (27%) out of 33 CF patients produced this isotype. Interestingly, these nine patients presented higher serological titers on the counter-immunoelectrophoresis assays than did those who did not produce IgE; a finding that suggests that they had a relatively more severe disease. As IgE is a characteristic feature of the AF patients, and switching to a positive IgE response is dependent on interleukin-4, our results support the notion that the relatively more severe impairment of cellular immunity in the AF is probably related to a Th-2 pattern of immune response.

Rheological, Mechanical and Adhesive Properties of Surfactant-Containing Systems Designed as a Potential Platform for Topical Drug Delivery

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Nanoencapsulation and Characterization of Zidovudine on Poly(L-lactide) and Poly(L-lactide)-Poly(ethylene glycol)-Blend Nanoparticles

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Amphotericin B Microemulsion Reduces Toxicity and Maintains the Efficacy as an Antifungal Product

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Structural Properties Induced by the Composition of Biocompatible Phospholipid-Based Microemulsion and Amphotericin B Association

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)