Átomos na integração: a aproximação Brasil-Argentina no campo nuclear e a construção do Mercosul

Este trabalho tenciona ser uma reflexão sobre a importância da aproximação entre o Brasil e a Argentina no campo nuclear, na segunda metade da década de 80 e no início dos anos 90, como fundamento para a construção de um relacionamento novo que suplantou uma rivalidade histórica entre ambos. O processo de aproximação encetado com um propósito aparentemente econômico, tinha uma dimensão estratégica. As repercussões desse esforço iam além dos interesses bilaterais imediatos e se refletiram na busca de uma nova inserção internacional dos dois países, num momento de transformações profundas nos planos interno e internacional. Através do programa de integração Brasil-Argentina (que mais tarde também envolveu o Uruguai) e do MERCOSUL buscou-se estabelecer uma arquitetura político-jurídica, que criou uma realidade que extrapola o campo econômico e projeta-se no terreno político.

A integração bilateral Brasil-Argentina: tecnologia nuclear e Mercosul

O presente trabalho focaliza o complexo processo de integração bilateral Brasil-Argentina, iniciado formalmente na década de 80, desdobrado em sua dupla abrangência: a) cooperação pacífica da tecnologia nuclear; b) constituição de um mercado comum. A evolução desse processo conduziu-se através de ciclos fundamentais: primeira etapa, antecedentes de aproximação; segunda etapa, os decisivos instrumentos da ampla integração; terceira etapa, solidificação de duas bases, uma de nível tecnológico nuclear, pactuando um sistema sui generis de salvaguardas e a vigência do Tratado de Tlatelolco (emendado), e, outra, de nível econômico pelo Tratado de Assunção, instituindo o Mercosul.

Brazil and the nuclear issues in the years of the Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva government (2003-2010)

The present article is an analysis of Brazilian nuclear diplomacy and of the international relevance of the national nuclear program adopted during the two Presidential terms of Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. Particular attention will be given to the Brazilian position in the agreement on nuclear non-proliferation, to the role of mediation between Iran and the nuclear powers, and finally to the national ambitions concerning the industrial and military uses of the nuclear technologies.

PERFORMANCE OF CONVENTIONAL PCRs BASED ON PRIMERS DIRECTED TO NUCLEAR AND MITOCHONDRIAL GENES FOR THE DETECTION AND IDENTIFICATION OF Leishmania spp.

In visceral leishmaniasis, the detection of the agent is of paramount importance to identify reservoirs of infection. Here, we evaluated the diagnostic attributes of PCRs based on primers directed to cytochrome-B (cytB), cytochrome-oxidase-subunit II (coxII), cytochrome-C (cytC), and the minicircle-kDNA. Although PCRs directed to cytB, coxII, cytC were able to detect different species of Leishmania, and the nucleotide sequence of their amplicons allowed the unequivocal differentiation of species, the analytical and diagnostic sensitivity of these PCRs were much lower than the analytical and diagnostic sensitivity of the kDNA-PCR. Among the 73 seropositive animals, the asymptomatic dogs had spleen and bone marrow samples collected and tested; only two animals were positive by PCRs based on cytB, coxII, and cytC, whereas 18 were positive by the kDNA-PCR. Considering the kDNA-PCR results, six dogs had positive spleen and bone marrow samples, eight dogs had positive bone marrow results but negative results in spleen samples and, in four dogs, the reverse situation occurred. We concluded that PCRs based on cytB, coxII, and cytC can be useful tools to identify Leishmania species when used in combination with automated sequencing. The discordance between the results of the kDNA-PCR in bone marrow and spleen samples may indicate that conventional PCR lacks sensitivity for the detection of infected dogs. Thus, primers based on the kDNA should be preferred for the screening of infected dogs.

How effective is dog culling in controlling zoonotic visceral leishmaniasis? a critical evaluation of the science, politics and ethics behind this public health policy

INTRODUCTION: Zoonotic kala-azar, a lethal disease caused by protozoa of the genus Leishmania is considered out of control in parts of the world, particularly in Brazil, where transmission has spread to cities throughout most of the territory and mortality presents an increasing trend. Although a highly debatable measure, the Brazilian government regularly culls seropositive dogs to control the disease. Since control is failing, critical analysis concerning the actions focused on the canine reservoir was conducted. METHODS: In a review of the literature, a historical perspective focusing mainly on comparisons between the successful Chinese and Soviet strategies and the Brazilian approach is presented. In addition, analyses of the principal studies regarding the role of dogs as risk factors to humans and of the main intervention studies regarding the efficacy of the dog killing strategy were undertaken. Brazilian political reaction to a recently published systematic review that concluded that the dog culling program lacked efficiency and its effect on public policy were also reviewed. RESULTS: No firm evidence of the risk conferred by the presence of dogs to humans was verified; on the contrary, a lack of scientific support for the policy of killing dogs was confirmed. A bias for distorting scientific data towards maintaining the policy of culling animals was observed. CONCLUSIONS: Since there is no evidence that dog culling diminishes visceral leishmaniasis transmission, it should be abandoned as a control measure. Ethical considerations have been raised regarding distorting scientific results and the killing of animals despite minimal or absent scientific evidence

Ressonância nuclear magnética no diagnóstico de pseudoaneurisma de ventrículo esquerdo. Antigo problema, nova opção

Paciente feminina, 67 anos, internada por infarto agudo do miocárdio de parede lateral, com edema agudo de pulmão e evolução para choque cardiogênico nas primeiras horas. Ecocardiograma transesofágico e ressonância nuclear magnética confirmaram o diagnóstico de pseudoaneurisma de ventrículo esquerdo. A paciente foi submetida a tratamento cirúrgico com sucesso.