A busca por uma política nacional dos biocombustíveis como tutela do direito fundamental ao meio ambiente : acautelamento e avaliação de riscos

The work is to demonstrate the scope of modern-day major regulatory provisions and the policies implemented to adoption of biofuels in the national energy matrix. The adoption of biofuels as an alternative to fossil fuels, is based on the realization of the fundamental right to an ecologically balanced environment mitigating hazards and environmental hazards arising from a postmodern society. However, the change in the Brazilian energy matrix observe the precepts of certain environmental principles to essentially environmental preservation The proposed Environmental rule of law is founded on the realization of the right (duty) key to an ecologically balanced environment for sustainable development. Thus, it is up to the State, in addition to considering the dangers and risks fruits of government decisions, present the possible instruments to mitigate the irreversible environmental damage to the environment. The management of environmental risks present in the ideals of an Environmental rule of law, plays an important role in the preservation and economic development, using, therefore, of acautelatórios legal instruments, such as environmental licensing and the ecological-economic zoning, measures adopted in the light of the principles of precaution and preservation. The adoption of research in the environmental field, improvement and development of environmental technology, building a system to observe ecological changes, imposition of environmental policy objectives to be achieved in the medium and long term and systematization of organizations plan a protection policy environmental, are essential measures to control possible environmental risks and damage guided by the aforementioned environmental principles. Thus, it will be used the inductive method of approach, starting from the analysis of the new perspective of Environmental rule of law and the implementation of biofuels in the context of a post-modern society, marked by uncertainty and the risk of damage, from the study of the principles of caution, maintaining and cautionary measures in mitigating the hazards and potential risks.

As relações de interação e integração entre cérebro, corpo-propriamente-dito e meio-ambiente na constituição da mente consciente

This dissertation will be marked by our proposal to hold a theoretical perspective to the classical mind-body problem, and more precisely for the defense of the idea that consciousness (or conscious mind) emerges from the interaction and integration relationships between body proper, brain and environment. This purpose will lead us to assume an alternative position with respect to the more traditional perspectives to the mind-body problem, ie an alternative perspective not only in relation to the dualistics forms of mind-body, but also in regards to the reductive physicalists, which usually reduces mind to brain. Aiming to support a position that both avoid the idea that mind and body are distinct substances and the theory that the brain explains the consciousness in its totality, we will dedicate an important part of this work to explain how the structure of consciousness depends significantly of the body proper and the bodily information mechanisms as well as the environment and the physiological mechanisms through which we place ourselves in space, in front of us and the other bodies (organic and inorganic). Given that the relationship between brain, body and environment involves different mental levels — from the most primitive and unconscious mental mechanisms until conscious and sophisticated levels — we will proceed to the task of assuming a model to explain in what sense these levels contribute to that our instincts and the most sophisticated dimensions of our mental life are part of the one and the same process, which is why we will structure our argument from the ideia that mind, self, and consciousness are the different hierarchical levels which make up the totality of our psychic life and therefore organic one. Imbued with this conceptual approach, we will advance to the focus of this work, namely the reasons that will lead us to give a prominent role to the body proper and the environment in the constitution of the conscious mind, or even the reasons that will lead us to defend the thesis according to which we are embodied and situated, as well as the reasons that will lead us to reject the theoretical positions that dichotomize man and world. In order to support the thesis that we are embodied and situated, and therefore with the purpose of overcoming the theoretical paradigms that dichotomize consciousness and world, we will turn out to the authors and the perspectives we believe to be more successful in this endeavor, including the phenomenological approaches to bodily self-consciousness, the enactivists perspectives and the researches dedicated to mapping the interaction and integration relationships between brain, body and environment. To achieve our goals, the dissertation will be divided into two chapters: the first chapter will emphasize in what way the structuring of consciousness depends on the body proper and the environment, while in the second chapter we will resort to the phenomenological dimensions of bodily self-consciousness, emphasizing the bodily information channels that provide us the immediate certainty, in a first person perspective, that the self is bodily in a non-metaphorical sense.

Infecções por enterobacteriaceae resistente aos carbapenêmicos em hospital de ensino: epidemiologia e caracterização molecular

Introduction: The production of KPC (Klebsiella pneumoniae carbapenemase) has become an important mechanism of carbapenem-resistance among Enterobacteriaceae strains. In Brazil, KPC is already widespread and its incidence has increased significantly, reducing treatment options. The “perfect storm” combination of the absence of new drug developmentand the emergence of multidrug-resistant strains resulted in the need for the use of older drugs, with greater toxicity, such as polymyxins. Aims: To determine the occurrence of carbapenemase-producing strains in carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae isolated from patients with nosocomial infection/colonization during September/2014 to August/2015, to determine the risk factors associated with 30-day- mortality and the impact of inappropriate therapy. Materials and Methods: We performed a case control study to assess the risk factors (comorbidities, invasive procedures and inappropriate antimicrobial therapy) associated with 30-day-mortality, considering the first episode of infection in 111 patients. The resistance genes blaKPC, blaIMP, blaVIM and blaNDM-1 were detected by polymerase chain reaction technique. Molecular typing of the strains involved in the outbreak was performed by pulsed field gel electrophoresis technique. The polymyxin resistance was confirmed by the microdilution broth method. Results: 188 episodes of carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae infections/colonizations were detected; of these, 122 strains were recovered from the hospital laboratory. The presence of blaKPC gene were confirmed in the majority (74.59%) of these isolates. It was not found the presence of blaIMP , blaVIM and blaNDM-1 genes. K. pneumoniae was the most frequent microorganism (77,13%), primarily responsible for urinary tract infections (21,38%) and infections from patients of the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) (61,38%). Multivariate statistical analysis showed as predictors independently associated with mortality: dialysis and bloodstream infection. The Kaplan-Meier curve showed a lower probability of survival in the group of patients receiving antibiotic therapy inappropriately. Antimicrobial use in adult ICU varied during the study period, but positive correlation between increased incidence of strains and the consumption was not observed. In May and July 2015, the occurrence rates of carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae KPC-producing per 1000 patient-days were higher than the control limit established, confirming two outbreaks, the first caused by colistin-susceptible KPC-producing K. pneumoniae isolates, with a polyclonal profile and the second by a dominant clone of colistin-resistant (≥ 32 μg/mL) KPC-producing K. pneumoniae. The cross transmission between patients became clear by the temporal and spatial relationships observed in the second outbreak, since some patients occupied the same bed, showing problems in hand hygiene adherence among healthcare workers and inadequate terminal disinfection of environment. The outbreak was contained when the ICU was closed to new admissions. Conclusions: The study showed an endemicity of K. pneumoniae KPC-producing in adult ICU, progressing to an epidemic monoclonal expansion, resulted by a very high antibiotic consumption of carbapenems and polymyxins and facilitated by failures in control measures the unit.

Análise do perfil imunológico e citohistológico durante a transmissão vertical de Trypanosoma cruzi em diferentes estágios da infecção experimental

Trypanosma cruzi is the causative agent of Chagas disease. This trypanosomiasis has become a global public health problem due to migration of Latin Americans to non-endemic countries. In Latin America with the succesful implementation of control domiciliated vector infestation and blood transfusion, the importance of congenital transmission has recently increased. Considering the tight regulation of immune system during gestation, we aimed to investigate the changes in the immune system caused by T.cruzi infection in the gestation outcome. T cruzi G and Y strain were used to infect female BALB/c mice before or after mating with non-infected male mice. The presence of vaginal plug was used as indicative of mating. Females were euthanized 8 days after confirmation of vaginal plug. We used three female control groups, only infected, only infected and non-infected and non-pregnant females. Two groups were infected before mating and other two were infected 4 days after confirmation of vaginal plug. The uterus and spleen were collected to immunochemistry, qPCR, immunofluorescence and cytokine analysis. Our results showed that despite the MMP’s identification being similarly among groups, T.cruzi higher virulent strain can impaire gestation outcome prior mating; the infection also increased cytokines like IFN-γ, IL-1β and IL-4; and leucocytes in uterine environment was altered, responding locally to systemic changes caused by T.cruzi infection. In conclusion this work suggests that T.cruzi infection can impaire gestation outcome and local response to sistemic infection was able to control the infection allowing pregnancy development in some conditions.

Respostas ecofisiológicas de Cybistax antisyphilitica Mart. (Ipê verde) em função das alterações na intensidade de luz

Light varies widely in both time and space in forest formation of “Bioma Cerrado”. Cybistax antisyphilitica occurs in areas typical of this biome, such as cerrado sensu stricto, “cerradões”, and altered areas. The aim of this study was to understand the morphological and physiological responses of C. antisyphilitica to alterations in light intensity. Juvenile plants (5 month of age) were taken to a fragment of semideciduous forest in Uberlândia-MG, and were divided into three treatments: 50 were maintained under the canopy (UC) 20 were kept in small gap (SG) and 20 were maintained under in full sun (FS). The daily courses of chlorophyll a fluorescence were made at the beginning, middle and end of dry season in 2015. At the end of the experiment measurements of chlorophyll content, gas exchange and growth were made. The plants showed dynamic photoinhibition as exhibited by reductions on Fv/Fm close to midday at the end of the dry season. Regarding the effective quantum yield (ΔF/Fm'), plants under FS showed reduced values that coincided with the higher values of electron transport rates (ETR). Plants under FS showed higher values of net CO2 assimilation rates, stomatal conductance, transpiration rates, water use efficiency and chlorophyll content compared to plants under UC. The stem diameter, dry mass of leaves and stem, total dry mass and relative growth rate were higher in plants under FS than plants under UC. On the other hand, plants under UC showed superior values of height, specific leaf area and leaf area ratio. Our results indicate that C. antisyphilitica has plasticity to survive in the contrasting light environments of the semideciduous forests, but this species was able to growth better under full sun conditions.

Manipulação gênica do protozoário Neospora caninum como ferramenta para o estudo das interações parasito-hospedeiro

Neospora caninum is an obligate intracellular parasite classified in the phylum Apicomplexa, characterized by the presence of the apical complex composed by micronemes proteins, rhoptries and dense granules, used by parasite during the adhesion and invasion process of the host cell. This is the mean event in infection pathogenesis generated by N. caninum and other parasites from the phylum Apicomplexa, promoting influence in the parasite biology and the interface between the parasite and its host. Therefore, molecular tools have been developed in order to identify and characterize these possible virulence factors. Thus, the present study sought to establish a specific system of genetic manipulation of N. caninum, searching for the improvement of the genetics manipulation of this parasite. So, we developed genetically depleted N. caninum to Rop9 rhoptry using the pU6-Universal CRISPR-Cas9 plasmid of T. gondii modified by the insertion of Ku80. The Rop9 depleted parasite showed important during initial phase of invasion and replication of the parasite, however it was not characterized as a potential virulence fator for N. caninum. Furthermore, T. gondii proteins were expressed in N. caninum by the use of specific vectors for this parasite, showing an heterologous system for the study of Toxoplasma proteins, due to the fact that Gra15 or Gra24 of type II T. gondii and Rop16 of type I T. gondii were expressed in N. caninum tachyzoites in a stable way and keept its biological phenotype, as already presented the former parasite, that naturaly expresses these proteins. In addition, it was observed that N. caninum induced an inflammasome activation through NLRP3, ASC and Caspase-1. IL-1R/MyD88 demonstrated an indirect pathway in the control of parasite replication. Furthermore, it was observed that this activation is dependent of the potassium efflux and that different strains of N. caninum keep this activation profile. However, T. gondii strains block this activation, making necessary a prior signal in order to active the inflamosome pathway. Type I T. gondii Rop16 was identified as responsible for blocking this activation, in a dependent way to the STAT3 activation. Therefore, the development of molecular tools and their application in N. caninum may prove to be useful to identify and characterize virulent factors involved in the pathogenesis by these two protozoans.