Development of a reverse genetics system enabling the rescue of recombinant avian influenza virus A/Turkey/England/50-92/91 (H5N1)

We previously described the use of an established reverse genetics system for the generation of recombinant human influenza A viruses from cloned cDNAs. Here, we have assembled a set of plasmids to allow recovery of the avian H5N1 influenza virus A/Turkey/England/50-92/91 entirely from cDNA. This system enables us to introduce mutations or truncations into the cDNAs to create mutant viruses altered specifically in a chosen gene. These mutant viruses can then be used in future pathogenesis studies in chickens and in studies to understand the host range restrictions of avian influenza viruses in humans.

The old metal-poor open cluster ESO 92-SC05: accreted from a dwarf galaxy ?

The study of old open clusters outside the solar circle can bring constraints on formation scenarios of the outer disc. In particular, accretion of dwarf galaxies has been proposed as a likely mechanism in the area. We use BVI photometry for determining fundamental parameters of the faint open cluster ESO 92-SC05. Colour-magnitude diagrams are compared with Padova isochrones, in order to derive age, reddening and distance. We derive a reddening E(B - V) = 0.17, and an old age of similar to 6.0 Gyr. It is one of the rare open clusters known to be older than 5 Gyr. A metallicity of Z similar to 0.004 or [M/H] similar to -0.7 is found. The rather low metallicity suggests that this cluster might be the result of an accretion episode of a dwarf galaxy.

Violação dos princípios constitucionais expressos e seu controle pela lei de improbidade administrativa (Artigo 11, Lei 8.429/92)

A presente monografia tem como finalidade explicar e ressaltar a importância dos princípios constitucionais-administrativos disciplinados pelo artigo 37 da Constituição Federal, que são verdadeiras “cláusulas pétreas”, fazendo com que qualquer norma jurídica que os contrarie, seja submetida a controle jurídico pelos órgãos jurisdicionais. Tem como principal foco a identificação e análise dos atos de improbidade administrativa à luz do princípio da moralidade administrativa e seu controle pela Lei 8.429/92, demonstrando a possível incidência do agente público desonesto, ímprobo, em atos de improbidade administrativa que atentam contra os princípios da Administração Pública (artigo 11, Lei 8.429/92). Frisou-se também que a Lei 8.429/92 constitui marco na administração pública e no combate a corrupção, ante a preocupação cada vez maior com a impunidade dos agentes públicos e com o objetivo de defender a honestidade no exercício da função pública, uma vez que previu que a violação aos princípios administrativos incidiria em improbidade administrativa. Por fim, observou-se que a Lei 8.429/92 trouxe em seu corpo, severas sanções aplicáveis aos agentes públicos que incidem em ato de improbidade por violação aos princípios da Administração Pública (artigo 11), cominando-lhe sanções políticas, civis e administrativas (artigo 12, III) e definindo os sujeitos ativos e passivos desse ato de improbidade.

Public debt sustainability and endogenous seignorage in Brazil: time-series evidence from 1947-92

Using national accounts data for the revenue-GDP and expenditure GDP ratios from 1947 to 1992, we examine two central issues in public finance. First, was the path of public debt sustainable during this period? Second, if debt is sustainable, how has the government historically balanced the budget after hocks to either revenues or expenditures? The results show that (i) public deficit is stationary (bounded asymptotic variance), with the budget in Brazil being balanced almost entirely through changes in taxes, regardless of the cause of the initial imbalance. Expenditures are weakly exogenous, but tax revenues are not;(ii) a rational Brazilian consumer can have a behavior consistent with Ricardian Equivalence (iii) seignorage revenues are critical to restore intertemporal budget equilibrium, since, when we exclude them from total revenues, debt is not sustainable in econometric tests.

Public debt sustainability and endogenous seigniorage in Brazil: time-series evidence from 1947-92: revised version

Using national accounts data for the revenue-GDP and expenditureGDP ratios from 1947 to 1992, we examine three central issues in public finance. First, was the path of public debt sustainable during this period? Second, if debt is sustainable, how has the government historically balanced the budget after shocks to either revenues or expenditures? Third, are expenditures exogenous? The results show that (i) public deficit is stationary (bounded asymptotic variance), with the budget in Brazil being balanced almost entirely through changes in taxes, regardless of the cause of the initial imbalance. Expenditures are weakly exogenous, but tax revenues are not; (ii) the behavior of a rational Brazilian consumer may be consistent with Ricardian Equivalence; (iii) seigniorage revenues are critical to restore intertemporal budget equilibrium, since, when we exclude them from total revenues, debt is not sustainable in econometric tests.

PLANINDEX: 92-001

Contiene resúmenes bibliográficos de documentos sobre planificación y desarrollo en América Latina, recogidos y procesados en el marco del Sistema de Información para la Planificación en América Latina y el Caribe (INFOPLAN).

DOCPAL resúmenes sobre población en América Latina: 92-001

Contiene resúmenes bibliográficos de documentos sobre población y temas relacionados que se producen en América Latina y el Caribe, publicados entre 1981-1985.

O papel das argininas alfa-92 e alfa-141 na regulação das propriedades funcionais de hemoglobinas por íons cloreto

The oxygenation of human Hb (HbA) demands a three state model: two deoxy states To and Tx, free and complexed with anions respectively, and an oxy R state. The regulation between these states is modulated by the presence of anions, such as chloride, that binds to T state. The b inding if chloride, however, remains controversial. The aim of this work is the study of arginines 92a (a1ß2 interface) and 141a (C-terminal) as chloride binding sites. To investigate that, we have studied 92 and 141 site directed mutant species: natural mutants Hb J-Cape-Town (R92Q), desArg (R141Δ), Chesapeake (R92L), and the constructed Chesapeake desArg (R92L,141Δ). We expressed Hbs in Escherichia coli and purified. Through oxygen binding curves we measured affinity and cooperativity, in function of water effect and Bohr effect in presence and absence of chloride. Structural features were obtained through 1H NMR spectroscopy Oxygen binding properties and Bohr effect measured indicated a higher affinity and lower cooperativity in absence and presence of chloride for all mutants. Structural changes represent functional aspects of mutant Hbs, such as a significant rise in affinity or a change in cooperativity. Water activity studies conducted as a function of chloride concentration showed that the only Hb desArg follows the thre state model. The other mutant Hbs do not exhibit the Tx state, a fact confirmed by the number of water molecules bound to each Hb during the deoxy-oxy transition. This behavior suggests that the Arginine 92 site could be responsible for chloride binding to Hb, since oxygenation of 92 mutant Hbs cannot be adjusted by the three state model. However, Bohr effect showed that all mutant Hbs released~1 proton in chloride presence, different from HbA that releases ~2, suggesting a role for 141 arginine in the tertiary and quaternary Bohr effect.

O projeto para o pavilhão brasileiro na expo' 92 em sevilha e a chamada arquitetura paulista

This article discusses the controversy surrounding the winning project of the competition organized by the Brazilian Ministry of Foreign Affairs for the Brazilian pavilion at the Expo'92 in Seville, Spain; the views of architecture critics made at the time of the results, and, their implications for Brazilian architecture. At the beginning of the 90s, this competition was a kind of confrontation of ideas, between the architects who were in favour of a renewal of architecture and those who defended the resumption of national architectural traditions, buildings with large spans, constructed in reinforced concrete. These architects were the heirs of the so called Paulista architecture, which was characterised by the work undertaken from the 60's by important architects such as Vilanova Artigas and Paulo Mendes da Rocha. The modern references adopted by the winning project, from the architects Angelo Bucci, Alvaro Puntoni and José Oswaldo Vilela, sparked controversies because of the difficulty of resuming the teachings of the old modern masters when faced with new times. These controversies were related to the end of the military dictatorship in Brazil and the process of opening markets, and by the relevance of a re-evaluation of the so-called Paulista architecture.

Europe 92 and the Latin American economy

Includes bibliography