O impacto da crise do socialismo no partido comunista do Brasil, 1988-1992

O artigo analisa o impacto das transformações no Leste Europeu sobre o Partido Comunista do Brasil (PC do B), entre o 7a Congresso Partidario (maio de 1988) e o 8° Congresso (fevereiro de 1992). Esse impacto levou a mudanças no partido, as quais podem ser assim resumidas: crítica moderada a Stalin, mais importante por ser a primeira na história do PC do B (manteve-se, entretanto, a concepção de partido marxista-leninista de vanguarda); abandono da teoria das duas etapas da revolução brasileira; realinhamento político no plano internacional, em apoio a partidos comunistas dentro e fora do poder; pêndulo à esquerda na política interna brasileira.

Gramsci e o moderno príncipe: a teoria do partido nos cadernos do cárcere

Preso em 1926 pelo regime fascista de Mussolini, Antonio Gramsci permaneceu recluso durante 11 anos. Foi durante esse período que o então deputado e secretário-geral do Partido Comunista Italiano escreveu seus Cadernos do Cárcere, um apanhado de escritos marcados pela fragmentação e com passagens consideradas herméticas, cuja interpretação ainda hoje suscita discussões entre os estudiosos de sua obra. A partir dos Cadernos, o cientista social Geraldo Magella Neres analisou a teoria gramsciana, que compara o partido revolucionário ao moderno Príncipe, em referência ao célebre livro de Nicolau Maquiavel, do século XVI. Gramsci vê em ambos a função histórica da construção de uma nova ordem - o príncipe-condottiere como configurador do Estado unificado, embrião político da civilização burguesa, e o partido-príncipe, artífice da hegemonia proletária. Para analisar a formulação gramsciana de partido revolucionário, o autor explora o pensamento do intelectual italiano - que nos Cadernos desenvolve ideias formuladas anteriormente - confrontando-o com as concepções de outros protagonistas do movimento comunista dos anos 1900, como Lênin e Rosa de Luxemburgo. A obra também expõe a evolução das teorias sobre o conceito de partido político na história da civilização ocidental.

O novíssimo Príncipe: Gramsci e a reconstrução da teoria marxista do Partido

It is only in his Prison Notebooks, through the political formula crystallized in the 'Modern Prince', that gramscian theory of the political party reaches its final configuration. Beyond to direct dialogue with the leninian formulations and those subsequently developed by the Communist International, is also noticeable echoes of critical dialogue with elitist sociology of the political party of Robert Michels. Largely, is thanks to this critical and nonsectarian approach that Gramsci could produce one of the most original reflection on the party organization within the Marxist tradition, facing the issues previously neglected of oligarchyzation and bureaucratization of workers' parties, thus providing a possible theoretical overrun for the inevitability of elitist thesis of split between the party leader's core interests and the interests of their social reference. The objective of this work is to restore some contributions of Gramsci to the reconstruction of theory of the revolutionary party today.

Análisis organizacional del partido de la democracia social brasileña en el estado de San Pablo (1988-2006)

The article represents a theoretical and methodological approach to the analysis of organizational dynamics of political parties today, based on a study of the Party of Brazilian Social Democracy (PSDB) in the State of Sao Pãulo (period between 1988 to 2006). It is hypothesized that the structure and the institutional rules of a particular party, or even their election results, are insufficient to explain the inner workings, such as the role of party organization in the electoral system. An approach that articulates the relationship patterns, election results and posts held in the party, identified the factors that explain the political capital that circulated within the party and ensured its organizational dynamics over the period analyzed.

As origens do novo conservadorismo estadunidense em um sistema federativo: Barry Goldwater e a tentativa de coalizão entre tradicionalistas e libertários

A tradição do novo conservadorismo nos EUA foi determinante para a ampliação do debate político durante as últimas décadas, uma vez que, a partir da década de 1950 inseriu e fomentou uma série de ideias que, até então, pareciam excluídas e marginalizadas da discussão política devido ao grande sucesso eleitoral do modelo liberal creditado ao Partido Democrata. Para aprofundar esse debate, o artigo discute a importância da campanha eleitoral de Barry Goldwater, em 1964, e sua relação com a consolidação do movimento conservador no país, compreendendo como a partir dela amarrou-se uma aliança entre variadas correntes que compunham o espectro conservador, o que possibilitou ao Partido Republicano disputar novamente as eleições em um patamar de igualdade com o partido rival. Para realizar essa análise, em um primeiro momento, partimos de uma abordagem sobre o sistema federalista, com o intuito de compreender alguns de seus princípios básicos e sua influência na formação dos EUA como nação. Esse debate serve como base para uma releitura melhor contextualizada em torno de temas presentes na campanha de 1964, principalmente, no que se refere as propostas em torno do papel do Estado e relacionadas ao discurso em defesa dos interesses dos estados e da defesa da Constituição recorrentes no pleito eleitoral estadunidense. Junto a isso, aprofundamos a análise sobre as correntes que compunham o conservadorismo no país, demonstrando como elas, embora fossem muitas vezes antagônicas, se acomodaram em um projeto político conservador.

Psychology and psychoanalysis in Brazil - From cultural syncretism to the collapse of liberal individualism

This paper focuses first on cultural syncretism, used to characterize Brazilian culture. The other aspect of this socially and racially blended culture is the unfinished assimilation of liberalism in politics and the economy, which defines Brazilian society. The increased assimilation and dissemination of psychology may be linked with these in cultural and social aspects. During the military period (1964-1974) the major expansion in university-level studies in psychology contributed ideologically to the dissemination of psychology throughout Brazilian society. This introduced a type of psychology that was related primarily to clinical practice and developed in opposition to social work practice. This paper examines the ideological bases for this conflict between clinical and social work. Criteria for understanding the cultural dissemination of psychoanalysis are then discussed, and it is argued that cultural incorporation of psychoanalysis involves the development of discourse complexes to reflect particular aspects of Brazilian society. The criteria (a non-totalitarian society and the displacement of a magical and religious interpretation of mental disturbance by psychiatric interpretation) are evaluated in relation to the peculiarities of Brazilian syncretism. The paper argues that cultural syncretism and the incomplete assimilation of liberal ideology must be included as criteria in understanding the particular cultural incorporation of psychoanalysis in Brazil.

Explaining standing order reforms in the Camera dei Deputati during the liberal age

How might the continuous changes in the standing orders of the Camera dei Deputati between 1861 and 1922 be explained? To answer this question, the text investigates the political events associated with standing order reforms. Two results are emphasized. On the one hand, and contrary to common views, the study shows that the reforms were not casual or episodic, but resulted from different sets of political pressure, internal or external to the parliamentary ambit. This fact, on the other hand, draws attention to the need to go deeper into the question of the institutional evolution of the liberal parliament, chiefly with regard to relations among institutional actors.

Trypanocidal activity of Brazilian plants against epimastigote forms from Y and Bolivia strains of Trypanosoma cruzi

Chagas disease is one of the main public health problems in Latin America. Since the available treatments for this disease are not effective in providing cure, the screening of potential antiprotozoal agents is essential, mainly of those obtained from natural sources. This study aimed to provide an evaluation of the trypanocidal activity of 92 ethanol extracts from species belonging to the families Annonaceae, Apiaceae, Cucurbitaceae, Lamiaceae, Lauraceae, Moraceae, Nyctaginaceae, and Verbenaceae against the Y and Bolivia strains of Trypanosoma cruzi. Additionally, cytotoxic activity on LLCMK2 fibroblasts was evaluated. Both the trypanocidal activity and cytotoxicity were evaluated using the MTT method, in the following concentrations: 500, 350, 250, and 100 µg/mL. Benznidazole was used for positive control. The best results among the 92 samples evaluated were obtained with ethanol extracts of Ocotea paranapiacabensis (Am93) and Aegiphila lhotzkiana (Am160). Am93 showed trypanocidal activity against epimastigote forms of the Bolivia strain and was moderately toxic to LLCMK2 cells, its Selectivity Index (SI) being 14.56, while Am160 showed moderate trypanocidal activity against the Bolivia strain and moderate toxicicity, its SI being equal to 1.15. The screening of Brazilian plants has indicated the potential effect of ethanol extracts obtained from Ocotea paranapiacabensis and Aegiphila lhotzkiana against Chagas disease.

Ornithodoros peropteryx (Acari: Argasidae) in Bolivia: an argasid tick with a single nymphal stage

By the end of the 1960s, the argasid tick Ornithodoros peropteryx was described from larval specimens collected from the bat Peropteryx macrotis in Colombia. Since its original description, no additional record of O. peropteryx has been reported, and its post-larval stages have remained unknown. During July 2010, 18 larvae were collected from 9 bats (Centronycteris maximiliani), resulting in a mean infestation of 2.0 ± 2.2 ticks per bat (range 1–8). These bats were captured in a farm in northeastern Bolivia close to Guaporé River in the border with Brazil. Morphological examinations of the larvae revealed them to represent the species O. peropteryx. One engorged larva that was kept alive in the laboratory moulted to a nymph after 9 days. Fourteen days after the larval moulting, the nymph moulted to an adult female without taking any blood meal during the nymphal period. This adult female was used for a morphological description of the female stage of O. peropteryx. In addition, the larvae were used for a morphological redescription of this stage. One larva and two legs extirpated from the adult female were submitted to DNA extraction and PCR targeting a fragment of the mitochondrial 16S rDNA gene, which yielded DNA sequences at least 11 % divergent from any available argasid sequence in Genbank. We show that O. peropteryx ontogeny is characterized by a single, non-feeding, nymphal stage. This condition has never been reported for ticks.

Two new species and a review of the inseminating freshwater fish genus Monotocheirodon (Characiformes: Characidae) from Peru and Bolivia

Two new species of inseminating freshwater fishes of the genus Monotocheirodon, family Characidae, are described from Peru. Males and females of both new species have an external, visually obvious urogenital papilla that was not detected in the females in previous studies, with this longer in males, which use it as an inseminating organ. A third inseminating species from Bolivia, Monotocheirodon pearsoni, unstudied in any detail since its original description in 1924, is redescribed. This latter species lacks an inseminating organ. Monotocheirodon is redescribed, its phylogenetic relationships are briefly discussed and it is suggested that it is possibly related to the stevardiin genera Ceratobranchia, Othonocheirodus, and Odontostoechus.

Ornithodoros peropteryx (Acari Argasidae) in Bolivia an argasid tick with a single nymphal stage

By the end of the 1960s, the argasid tick Ornithodoros peropteryx was described from larval specimens collected from the bat Peropteryx macrotis in Colombia. Since its original description, no additional record of O. peropteryx has been reported, and its post-larval stages have remained unknown. During July 2010, 18 larvae were collected from 9 bats (Centronycteris maximiliani), resulting in a mean infestation of 2.0 ± 2.2 ticks per bat (range 1–8). These bats were captured in a farm in northeastern Bolivia close to Guapore´ River in the border with Brazil. Morphological examinations of the larvae revealed them to represent the species O. peropteryx. One engorged larva that was kept alive in the laboratory moulted to a nymph after 9 days. Fourteen days after the larval moulting, the nymph moulted to an adult female without taking any blood meal during the nymphal period. This adult female was used for a morphological description of the female stage of O. peropteryx. In addition, the larvae were used for a morphological redescription of this stage. One larva and two legs extirpated from the adult female were submitted to DNA extraction and PCR targeting a fragment of the mitochondrial 16S rDNA gene, which yielded DNA sequences at least 11 % divergent from any available argasid sequence in Genbank. We show that O. peropteryx ontogeny is characterized by a single, non-feeding, nymphal stage. This condition has never been reported for ticks.