O papel da memória nas ramificações da cultura em Theodor W. Adorno e Walter Benjamin

A memória foi uma temática importante dentro das reflexões da Escola de Frankfurt. O objetivo do presente trabalho é esmiuçar as considerações de Theodor W. Adorno em torno do papel da articulação do passado na vida cotidiana e das suas materializações na cultura, bem como comparar essa linha de pensamento com a de Walter Benjamin, outro teórico que se debruçou demoradamente sobre este tema. Compararemos a forma como os dois autores focalizam a memória, bem como o papel que cada um deles atribui à cultura enquanto materialização do decorrido. Os dois autores forneceram respostas diferentes para a pergunta “o que significa elaborar o passado”. São justamente as aproximações e os afastamentos entre um e outro o que procuraremos estudar neste trabalho.

Livre-arbítrio e a relação mente e cérebro em Benjamin Libet

My purpose is to reflect critically on how Benjamin Libet interprets his experiments, which are focused primarily on the question of free will. These experiments have often been considered as scientific evidence against free will, to the extent that they would have shown that the intention and will result from conscious brain processes, which are unconscious and precedents. But that is not the position of Libet, which distinguishes intention and conscious will, arguing that only the first results from previous and unconscious brain processes, while the second is autonomous and able to act causally on brain. Thus, Libet choose to ignore the suggestion of its initial experiments, that is, that all mental events result of specific brain processes. I argue that Libet ignores it because he is not able to understand how mental events, being essentially separated and at the same time the result of brain activity, could act causally on the brain.

Synchaeta jollyae (Shiel & Koste) (Rotifera, Synchaetidae): an overlooked species or a newcomer in Neotropical freshwaters?

Populations of Synchaeta jollyae (Shiel & Koste, 1993) (Rotifera), a species recently recorded for the first time in Brazil and South America, were analyzed in reservoirs in Southeast Brazil. Sampling was carried out monthly from August 2006 to July 2007 at Furnas Reservoir in the Rio Grande basin, state of Minas Gerais, and in four cascade reservoirs in the Tiete River basin (Barra Bonita, Bariri, Ibitinga and Nova Avanhandava) state of Sao Paulo, in June and September 2008 and in January and May 2009. Synchaeta jollyae occurred in most samples and periods. From the results obtained it is evident that S. jollyae occurs in water bodies of varied trophic status but reaches larger populations in eutrophic water bodies and during lower temperature periods. The greatest densities of S. jollyae were found in the eutrophic Bariri Reservoir, on the Tiete River, during the winter. Mann-Whitney test confirmed the significant difference between the population densities in periods of high and low temperatures, with populations reaching higher densities at lower temperatures. It is not yet possible to tell whether S. jollyae is a widely distributed species that has been overlooked in previous plankton studies in South America. Wherever these populations of S. jollyae might have originated, it appears to be a species well established and adapted to a wide range of conditions in the Neotropics.

The skull of the Upper Cretaceous snake Dinilysia patagonica Smith-Woodward, 1901, and its phylogenetic position revisited

The cranial anatomy of Dinilysia patagonica, a terrestrial snake from the Upper Cretaceous of Argentina, is redescribed and illustrated, based on high-resolution X-ray computed tomography and better preparations made on previously known specimens, including the holotype. Previously unreported characters reinforce the intriguing mosaic nature of the skull of Dinilysia, with a suite of plesiomorphic and apomorphic characters with respect to extant snakes. Newly recognized plesiomorphies are the absence of the medial vertical flange of the nasal, lateral position of the prefrontal, lizard-like contact between vomer and palatine, floor of the recessus scalae tympani formed by the basioccipital, posterolateral corners of the basisphenoid strongly ventrolaterally projected, and absence of a medial parietal pillar separating the telencephalon and mesencephalon, amongst others. We also reinterpreted the structures forming the otic region of Dinilysia, confirming the presence of a crista circumfenestralis, which represents an important derived ophidian synapomorphy. Both plesiomorphic and apomorphic traits of Dinilysia are treated in detail and illustrated accordingly. Results of a phylogenetic analysis support a basal position of Dinilysia, as the sister-taxon to all extant snakes. The fossil taxa Yurlunggur, Haasiophis, Eupodophis, Pachyrhachis, and Wonambi appear as derived snakes nested within the extant clade Alethinophidia, as stem-taxa to the crown-clade Macrostomata. The hypothesis of a sister-group relationship between Dinilysia and Najash rionegrina, as suggested by some authors, is rejected by the results of our analysis.

Efeito da azadiractina sobre Chaetosiphon fragaefolli (Cockerell, 1901) (Hemiptera: Aphididae) na cultura do morangueiro

O pulgão-verde Chaetosiphon fragaefolli é o principal inseto-praga da cultura do morangueiro. Neste trabalho, foi avaliado o efeito da azadiractina para o controle do inseto em laboratório e casa de vegetação. Os tratamentos avaliados foram a azadiractina (Azamax®, 100; 200 e 300 ml.100L-1) comparado com o tiametoxam (Actara 250 WG®, 10 g.100L-1), lambda-cialotrina (Karate Zeon 50 CS®, 80 ml.100L-1) e uma testemunha (água). Os produtos foram pulverizados sobre plantas de morangueiro da cultivar Aromas infestadas artificialmente em casa de vegetação. A azadiractina foi equivalente a lambda-cialotrina e ao tiametoxam no controle de C. fragaefolii desde que realizada uma segunda pulverização sete dias após a primeira. A persistência biológica dos inseticidas lambda-cialotrina e tiametoxam foi superior a 28 dias, com um controle de 75% da população de pulgões, enquanto azadiractina apresentou menor persistência biológica, controlando 70% da população por sete dias.

Concienciación y educación ambiental en Canarias : los inicios del conservacionismo en las islas, a partir de las campañas a favor del arbolado de Francisco González Diaz, 1901-1936

Programa de doctorado en Análisis geográfico y ordenación territorial

Analisi e traduzione di "The family law" di Benjamin Law

The aim of this dissertation is to propose a translation from English into Italian of The Family Law, an autobiographical novel written by Benjamin Law, an Australian author of Cantonese origins. The present dissertation is divided into four chapters. The first chapter presents the author of the book, by providing his biography; in addition, the chapter contains an overview of the Australia immigration problem, which is an important issue in the book due to the fact that the author’s parents had moved from Hong Kong to Caloundra, Australia. The second chapter presents the book The Family Law, by focusing on its main themes and by paying special attention to the description of the characters; furthermore, it analyses the plot of the chapters which I decided to translate, and provides a selection of Italian publishers which might be interested in publishing the book. The third chapter consists of my translation of the chapters I selected. The final chapter analyses the strategies I adopted while translating and examines some of the problematic issues that I encountered during the translation process, in particular at the level of morphosyntax, lexicon, cultural references, and style.

The effects of dynamic loading on the intervertebral disc

Loading is important to maintain the balance of matrix turnover in the intervertebral disc (IVD). Daily cyclic diurnal assists in the transport of large soluble factors across the IVD and its surrounding circulation and applies direct and indirect stimulus to disc cells. Acute mechanical injury and accumulated overloading, however, could induce disc degeneration. Recently, there is more information available on how cyclic loading, especially axial compression and hydrostatic pressure, affects IVD cell biology. This review summarises recent studies on the response of the IVD and stem cells to applied cyclic compression and hydrostatic pressure. These studies investigate the possible role of loading in the initiation and progression of disc degeneration as well as quantifying a physiological loading condition for the study of disc degeneration biological therapy. Subsequently, a possible physiological/beneficial loading range is proposed. This physiological/beneficial loading could provide insight into how to design loading regimes in specific system for the testing of various biological therapies such as cell therapy, chemical therapy or tissue engineering constructs to achieve a better final outcome. In addition, the parameter space of 'physiological' loading may also be an important factor for the differentiation of stem cells towards most ideally 'discogenic' cells for tissue engineering purpose.

Erratum to: The effects of dynamic loading on the intervertebral disc

Erratum to: Eur Spine J DOI 10.1007/s00586-011-1827-1 In the original article ‘‘Acknowledgments’’ was missing. The Acknowledgment is given below: Acknowledgments This project was supported by the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNF # 310030-127586/1) and the Department for Orthopedic Research, Insel University Hospital, Bern, Switzerland.