Marine organisms: an alternative source of potentially valuable natural products

This paper recalls the outcoming of marine natural products research and reviews a selection of marirne bioactive metabolites in current use together with promising trends in marine pharmacology.

Emissions distribution in post-Kyoto international negotiations: a policy

An abundant scientific literature about climate change economics points out that the future participation of developing countries in international environmental policies will depend on their amount of pay offs inside and outside specific agreements. These studies are aimed at analyzing coalitions stability typically through a game theoretical approach. Though these contributions represent a corner stone in the research field investigating future plausible international coalitions and the reasons behind the difficulties incurred over time to implement emissions stabilizing actions, they cannot disentangle satisfactorily the role that equality play in inducing poor regions to tackle global warming. If we focus on the Stern Review findings stressing that climate change will generate heavy damages and policy actions will be costly in a finite time horizon, we understand why there is a great incentive to free ride in order to exploit benefits from emissions reduction efforts of others. The reluctance of poor countries in joining international agreements is mainly supported by historical responsibility of rich regions in generating atmospheric carbon concentration, whereas rich countries claim that emissions stabilizing policies will be effective only when developing countries will join them.Scholars recently outline that a perceived fairness in the distribution of emissions would facilitate a wide spread participation in international agreements. In this paper we overview the literature about distributional aspects of emissions by focusing on those contributions investigating past trends of emissions distribution through empirical data and future trajectories through simulations obtained by integrated assessment models. We will explain methodologies used to elaborate data and the link between real data and those coming from simulations. Results from this strand of research will be interpreted in order to discuss future negotiations for post Kyoto agreements that will be the focus of the next. Conference of the Parties in Copenhagen at the end of 2009. A particular attention will be devoted to the role that technological change will play in affecting the distribution of emissions over time and to how spillovers and experience diffusion could influence equality issues and future outcomes of policy negotiations.

Durcissement des lois sociales et santé des migrants forcés: trois ans après (a Loi sur l'asile (LAsi) [Social policy hardening and forced immigrant's health: 3 years after the Asylum Law (LAsi)'s introduction].

In the canton de Vaud, General Practioners (GPs) caring for asylum seekers under the "aide d'urgence" regime can ask for an adaptation of their housing conditions, by filling out a specific form and addressing it to the medical commission responsible for advising the EVAM (the housing institution for asylum seekers) on these issues. The forms addressed to the commission are indicative of a worrisome state of health in this population, especially for mental health. More than 70% report at least one psychiatric diagnosis. Most frequent are anxiety and depressive disorders, as well as many posttraumatic stress disorders, associated with traumatic events both in the country of origin and in Switzerland. Adapting the housing conditions, based on vulnerabilities that the GP has specifically documented, may contribute to improve the health of the most vulnerable asylum seekers.

First report of the genera Macvicaria Gibson & Bray, 1982, Pachycreadium Manter, 1954 and Saturnius manter, 1969 (Trematoda: Digenea), in brazilian marine fishes

Macvicaria crassigula (Linton, 1910) (Opecoelidae) is referred from the intestine of Micropogonias furnieri and from Stellifer rastrifer; and from Stellifer rastrifer, and Saturnius maurepasi Overstreet, 1977 (Bunocotylidae) from the stomach of Mugil liza. This is the first report of these species in Brazil, and a new host records are presented.

New host records and localities of some Monogenea from brazilian marine fishes with scanning electron microscopy of Bicotylophora trachinoti (Mac Callum, 1921)

Bicotylophora trachinoti (Mac Callum, 1921) from Trachinotus carolinus L.; Pseudanthocotyloides heterocotyle (Van Beneden, 1871) from Cetengraulis edentulus (Cuvier), and Decapterus punctatus (Cuvier), new host records; Pseudomazocraes selene Hargis, 1957 from Selene vomer (L.) and Caranx latus Agassiz, new host record, are reported for the first time in Brazil from the coast of Rio de Janeiro State. The marine fishes Diplectrum sp. and Pomatomus saltatrix (L.) are respectively new host records for Pseudotagia cupida (Hargis, 1956) and Macrovalvitrema sinaloense Caballero & Bravo Hollis, 1955. Measurements, original figures and photos in scanning electron microscopy of B. trachinoti are presented. The egg with filaments is reffered for the first time in the genus Pseudanthocotyloides.

On some family related parasites (Nematoda, Cucullanidae) from the marine fish Paralonchurus brasiliensis (Steindachner, 1875) (Pisces, Ostraciidae)

Dichelyne (Cucullanellus) elongatus (Tornquist, 1931) Petter, 1974 and Cucullanus pulcherrimus Barreto, 1918, from Paralonchurus brasiliensis (Steind., 1875) are redescribed and two specimens of Dichelyne (Cucullanellus) sp. are also reported in this host, despite lack of previously, was again identified in Brazil since its original description and posterior illustration. The present findings represent also a new host record for the referred genera: Dichelyne Jagerskiold, 1902 and Cucullanus Mueller, 1777. D. (C.) elongatus is also referred in Brazil for the first time.

Comparative allometry growth of some marine fish digenetic trematodes

Allometric growth variation was compared for Plagioporus idoneus, Lepocreadium pegorchis, Opecoeloides furcatus, Bacciger israelensis, Aphanurus stossichi and Parahurleytrema trachinoti collected from East Mediterranean fishes. The pharynx, the oral and the ventral sucker diameters always showed a negative allometry. The other parameters tested were variable with the species. We study the effects of some environmental factors: the influence of the host species is analysed in Plagioporus idoneous, wich parasitizes Oblada melanura, Diplodus sargus and D. vulgaris and in Lepocreadium pegorchis, wich parasitizes Pagellus erythrinus, Lithognathus mormyrus and Spicara smaris; the influence of the microhabitat and the intensity of infection is analysed in Bacciger israelensis and Aphanurus stossichi, both parasites of Boops boops. We report significant differences with the host species, for the allometric growth of the testes; the effect of the microhabitat was revealed by the hindbody allometric value; no significant difference was detected in relation with the intensity of infection.

Public policy for entrepreneurship and innovation: impact in managed and entrepreneurial economies

Many of the most advanced economies of the world have undergone significant transformation in the last few decades. Globalization and technological changes, especially developments in information technologies, have helped to stimulate this transformation. These have contributed to changing institutional frameworks in many respects within the economies including adjustments to economic policies. The results of these transformations take many different forms and are manifested in different areas of an economy. At the heart of these changes however, has been the increasingly important role of entrepreneurship in the economy. The transformed ("new") economy stimulates and supports activities in innovation and entrepreneurship and is labelled the entrepreneurial economy. The "old" economy on the other hand restricts such activities and is referred to as the managed economy (Audretsch & Thurik, 2001).