Origin, fate and effects of oil pollution in the marine environment

Includes bibliography

Reconhecimento ético em Hegel à luz do conceito de família

Pós-graduação em Filosofia - FFC

Construção linguístico-computacional de um ontoglossário inglês-português do domínio léxico-conceitual LOVE LIFE

Pós-graduação em Linguística e Língua Portuguesa - FCLAR

Suicídio, da identificação com a mãe morta ao resgate narcísico: um estudo psicanalítico do personagem Richard Brown do filme As horas

O tema desta Dissertação é o suicídio como conseqüência da identificação com a mãe morta. Trata-se de uma pesquisa teórica fundamentada na teoria psicanalítica, que recorre à análise do personagem Richard Brown, do filme As Horas, para ilustrar o argumento teórico de que a revivescência da identificação com a mãe morta pode ser um fator desencadeante do suicídio do melancólico na vida adulta. Inicialmente procura explicitar o conceito de mãe morta, caracterizada como uma mãe que mesmo quando está presente mostra-se ausente nos cuidados e no investimento amoroso ao filho em função de sua depressão. Assim, para a criança, a imagem materna será a de uma mãe sem vida, de uma mãe morta. Mostra a identificação com a mãe morta como saída psíquica para a situação traumática proveniente do desinvestimento amoroso maternal. A criança na relação com esta mãe vive uma catástrofe psíquica chamada por Green de trauma narcisista, o que vai determinar o destino do investimento libidinal, objetal e narcisista do sujeito. Assim sendo, considera-se a melancolia como uma psicopatologia manifestada na vida adulta pelo sujeito subjugado pelo complexo da mãe morta. O estudo da melancolia no texto Luto e Melancolia, de Freud, fornece subsídios para se compreender os processos do mundo interior daqueles que querem dar cabo à sua própria existência. A melancolia evidencia o embate entre o Eu e o Supereu nos papéis de acusado e acusador. Mostra que o Supereu se torna sádico ao cobrar perfeição do Eu masoquista empobrecido narcisicamente pela identificação com a mãe morta. Quando chega às raias do sadismo esse embate leva o Eu, identificado com a mãe morta, a desejar eliminar o objeto mau introjetado numa parte do Eu, para resgatar o seu valor narcísico idealizado. Aponta o suicídio como a saída psíquica encontrada pelo melancólico para livrar-se da identificação com a mãe morta. Conclui que no suicídio os conflitos inconscientes manifestados na vida adulta são revivescências dos conteúdos psíquicos registrados na infância. No caso estudado em questão, a revivescência da identificação com a mãe morta teria sido o fator desencadeante do suicídio de Richard Brown na vida adulta.

Seasonal variation in the fate of seeds under contrasting logging regimes

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

Analysing the fate of nanopesticides in soil and the applicability of regulatory protocols using a polymer-based nanoformulation of atrazine

For the first time, regulatory protocols defined in the OECD guidelines were applied to determine the fate properties of a nanopesticide in two agricultural soils with contrasting characteristics. The nanoformulation studied had no effect on the degradation kinetics of atrazine indicating that (1) the release of atrazine from the polymer nanocarriers occurred rapidly relative to the degradation kinetics (half-lives 36-53 days) and/or that (2) atrazine associated with the nanocarriers was subject to biotic or abiotic degradation. Sorption coefficients, derived from a batch and a centrifugation technique at a realistic soil-to-solution ratio, were higher for the nanoformulated atrazine than for the pure active ingredient. Results indicate that the nanoformulation had an effect on the fate of atrazine. However, since the protocols applied were designed to assess solutes, conclusions about the transport of atrazine loaded onto the nanocarriers should be made extremely cautiously. The centrifugation method applied over time (here over 7 days) appears to be a useful tool to indirectly assess the durability of nanopesticides under realistic soil-to-solution ratios and estimate the period of time during which an influence on the fate of the active ingredient may be expected. More detailed investigations into the bioavailability and durability of nanopesticides are necessary and will require the development of novel methods suitable to address both the "nano" and "organic" characteristics of polymer-based nanopesticides.

Fate of non O157 Shigatoxigenic Escherichia coli in ovine manurecomposting

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

Seedling fate across different habitats: the effects of herbivory and soil fertility

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

History and fate of a small isolated population of Weddell seals at White Island, Antarctica

Weddell seals (Leptonychotes weddellii Lesson) at White Island, Antarctica form a small, completely enclosed, natural population hypothesized to be of recent origin, likely founded by individuals from nearby Erebus Bay. This population constitutes an ideal model to document a founder event and ensuing genetic drift, with implications for conservation. Here we combined historical accounts, census and tagging data since the late 1960s, and genetic data (41 microsatellite loci and mitochondrial DNA sequences) from 84 individuals representing nearly all individuals present between 1990 and 2000 to investigate the history of the founding of the White Island population, document its population dynamics and evaluate possible future threats. We fully resolved parental relationships over three overlapping generations. Cytonuclear disequilibrium among the first generation suggested that it comprised the direct descendants of a founding group. We estimated that the White Island population was founded by a small group of individuals that accessed the island during a brief break in the surrounding sea ice in the mid-1950s, consistent with historical accounts. Direct and indirect methods of calculating effective population size were highly congruent and suggested a minimum founding group consisting of three females and two males. The White Island population showed altered reproductive dynamics compared to Erebus Bay, including highly skewed sex ratio, documented inbred mating events, and the oldest known reproducing Weddell seals. A comparison with the putative source population showed that the White Island population has an effective inbreeding coefficient (Fe) of 0.29. Based on a pedigree analysis including the hypothesized founding group, 86% of the individuals for whom parents were known had inbreeding coefficients ranging 0.09–0.31. This high level of inbreeding was correlated with reduced pup survival. Seals at White Island therefore face the combined effects of low genetic variability, lack of immigration, and inbreeding depression. Ultimately, this study provides evidence of the effects of natural isolation on a large, long-lived vertebrate and can provide clues to the potential effects of anthropogenic- caused isolation of similar taxa.

Kinin-B2 Receptor Activity Determines the Differentiation Fate of Neural Stem Cells

Bradykinin is not only important for inflammation and blood pressure regulation, but also involved in neuromodulation and neuroprotection. Here we describe novel functions for bradykinin and the kinin-B2 receptor (B2BkR) in differentiation of neural stem cells. In the presence of the B2BkR antagonist HOE-140 during rat neurosphere differentiation, neuron-specific beta 3-tubulin and enolase expression was reduced together with an increase in glial protein expression, indicating that bradykinin- induced receptor activity contributes to neurogenesis. In agreement, HOE-140 affected in the same way expression levels of neural markers during neural differentiation of murine P19 and human iPS cells. Kinin-B1 receptor agonists and antagonists did not affect expression levels of neural markers, suggesting that bradykinin-mediated effects are exclusively mediated via B2BkR. Neurogenesis was augmented by bradykinin in the middle and late stages of the differentiation process. Chronic treatment with HOE-140 diminished eNOS and nNOS as well as M1-M4 muscarinic receptor expression and also affected purinergic receptor expression and activity. Neurogenesis, gliogenesis, and neural migration were altered during differentiation of neurospheres isolated from B2BkR knock-out mice. Whole mount in situ hybridization revealed the presence of B2BkR mRNA throughout the nervous system in mouse embryos, and less beta 3-tubulin and more glial proteins were expressed in developing and adult B2BkR knock-out mice brains. As a underlying transcriptional mechanism for neural fate determination, HOE-140 induced up-regulation of Notch1 and Stat3 gene expression. Because pharmacological treatments did not affect cell viability and proliferation, we conclude that bradykinin-induced signaling provides a switch for neural fate determination and specification of neurotransmitter receptor expression.