Esta tese tem por objeto a análise da concessão florestal, instrumento de outorga do uso de florestas públicas em caráter privativo ao particular. Por tratar-se de uma relação jurídica, a análise é detida nos seus elementos componentes, que são basicamente o objeto, partes e regramento jurídico específico, comparando-a com outras espécies de concessão, como a concessão de serviço público e a concessão de uso de bem público. Iniciando-se pelo estudo da tutela jurídica da floresta, uma vez que a concessão florestal também é instrumento de sua proteção, perpassa-se pelo delineamento da concessão e modelos de gestão de florestas públicas em outros países, para se alcançar o ponto principal que é a análise das regras da Lei nº 11.284, de 02 de março de 2006, marco regulatório da gestão de florestas públicas brasileiras. A conclusão procura realçar, dentre outros aspectos, a existência de uma efetiva política pública de gestão das florestas sob o domínio do poder público, erigida sobre o princípio constitucional do desenvolvimento sustentável do meio ambiente. / This thesis focuses on the analysis of the forest concession an instrument which grants the use of public forests for private use. From a legal perspective, the analysis is held in its component parts, which are basically the object, parties and specific legal rules, comparing it to other types of concessions, such as public service concession and authorization of use of public good. The study begins with the legal protection of the forest, given the forest concession is equally a tool of its own protection, and one goes by the concession outline and the management models of public forests in other countries, in order to achieve the main point, which is the analysis of the rules of Law No. 11,284, from 02 March 2006, reglementary limit of public forests management in Brazil. The conclusion seeks to highlight, among other aspects, the existence of an effective public policy for forest management under the control of government, built on the constitutional principle of sustainable development of the environment.

Pera Mutis is a endemic genus of Neotropics, with about 30 species, occurring in Cuba, Central America to southem Brazil. Major concentration of species is on Amazon. This genus has not been subject of a modem revision, and the revision works, are laged, with keys and descriptions difficult to follow. Also have doubts with the correct position on Euphorbiaceae. In this way the objective of this work is to know what species of Pera occur in Amazon, where the species occur, update the specimes identification on herbarium visited, illustrating the amazonian species and makes descriptions and keys. For that it was consulted herbarium of Embrapa Amazônia Oriental (IAN), Instituto de Pesquisa da Amazônia (INPA), Jardim Botânico do Rio de Janeiro (RB), Museu Nacional do Rio de Janeiro (R), Museu Paraense Emílio Goeldi (MG), Universidade de Brasília (UNB), Universidade Federal do Mato Grosso (UFMT). The species of Pera can be dioecious trees or shrubs, rarely monoecious, leaves simple, alternate and exceptionally opposite, with flowers in axillary pseudants, always protected by a involucral bract, and sometimes are confused with a flower-buds. In the Brazilian Amazon ocurr 13 species, which are: P barbinervis (Mart. ex Kl.) Pax et Hoff., P. bicolor (Klotzsch) Müll. Arg., P. benensis Ruby, P. coccinea (Benth.) Müll. Arg., P. distichophylla (Mart.) BailL, P. glabrata (Schott.) BailL, P. heteranthera (Schranck) I. Johnst M., P. membranacea Leal, P. decipiens Müll. Arg., P. lomenlosa (Benth.) Müll. Arg., P. pulchrifolia Ducke, Pera sp. I and Pera sp. II. Three of these are new records from Amazon. Have been excluded 4 taxon that were believed to occur in Brazilian Amazon: P. citriodora BailL, P. heterodoxa Müll. Arg., Pera arbórea Mutis and Pera incisa Leal. And have a proposal of sinonization of Pera fruíescens Leal and P. heteranthera. / O gênero Pera Mutis é endêmico do neotrópico, com aproximadamente 30 espécies, ocorrendo em Cuba, América Central até o sul do Brasil. Sendo que a maior concentração de espécies está na Amazônia. Esse gênero ainda não foi objeto de uma revisão moderna, e os trabalhos de carater revisional encontram-se defasados e com chaves e descrições difíceis de serem seguidas. Além disso apresenta grandes duvidas sobre a sua correta posição taxonômica na familia Euphorbiaceae. Diante disso objetivou-se saber quais são as espécies de Pera que ocorrem na Amazônia, onde as espécies ocorrem, atualizar as identificações nos herbários estudados, ilustrar o material, elaborar descrições e chaves. Para isso consultou os herbários da Embrapa Amazônia Oriental (IAN), Instituto de Pesquisa da Amazônia (INPA), Jardim Botânico do Rio de Janeiro (RB), Museu Nacional do Rio de Janeiro (R), Museu Paraense Emílio Goeldi (MG), Universidade de Brasília (UNB), Universidade Federal do Mato Grosso (UFMT). A espécies de Pera podem ser árvores ou arbustos dióicos, raramente monóicos, de folhas simples, alternas e excepcionalmente opostas, com inflorescências em pseudantos axilares, sempre protegidas por uma bráctea globosas, e as vezes são confundidas com um botão floral. Na Amazônia Brasileira existem 13 espécies, sendo elas: P. barbinervis (Mart. ex Kl.) Pax et Hoff., P. bicolor (Klotzsch) Müll. Arg., P. benensis Ruby, P. coccinea (Benth.) Müll. Arg., P. distichophylla (Mart.) Baill., P. glabrata (Schott.) Baill., P. beteranthera (Schranck) LM. Johnst, P. membranacea Leal, P. decipiens Müll. Arg., P. lomenlosa (Benth.) Müll. Arg., P. pulchrifolia Ducke, Pera sp. I, Pera sp. II. Destas 13 espécies 3 são novas ocorrências para o Pará. Foram excluídos taxon que acreditava-se ocorrer na amazônia brasileira, a saber: P. citriodora Baill., P. heterodoxa Müll. Arg., Pera arbórea Mutis e Pera incisa Leal. É proposta uma sinonimização de Pera fruíescens Leal como P. heteranthera.

No description available.

No description available.

Dissertação apresentada para obtenção do grau de Mestre em Engenharia do Ambiente (Ramo de Tratamento de Águas e Águas Residuais), na Faculdade de Engenharia da Universidade do Porto, sob a orientação dos Professores Doutores Lúcia Santos e Adélio Mendes

Le diabète de type 2 (DT2) progresse dans le monde entier de manière alarmante. Les complications sont graves et les traitements sont souvent inefficaces et donnent beaucoup d'effets indésirables. Le resvératrol (RSV) et la curcumine (Cur), des polyphénols naturels, sont connus pour leurs différentes activités pharmacologiques, y compris antidiabétiques. Les objectifs de cette étude ont été d'évaluer les effets de la combinaison de ces deux polyphénols sur l'amélioration de la tolérance au glucose. Nos résultats montrent que chez des souris soumises à un régime riche en graisse (HFD), le RSV améliore la tolérance au glucose alors que la Cur n'a pas d'effet significatif. De manière surprenante, lorsque les deux polyphénols sont administrés simultanément, la Cur inhibe l'effet du RSV sur l'amélioration de la tolérance au glucose. Pour expliquer cet antagonisme, nous avons évalué l'effet de ces polyphénols associés ou pas sur le métagénome. Nos résultats indiquent que la Cur et le RSV normalisent la flore intestinale altérée par le HFD. Lors d'une association de ces polyphénols, la Cur inhibe aussi l'effet du RSV sur la croissance de certaines espèces bactériennes. Ainsi, la Cur bloque l'effet inhibiteur du RSV sur Alistipes putredinis. Nos données indiquent que ces polyphénols sont en général anti-inflammatoires mais leur association peut être synergique in vitro ou bien, à l'opposé, antagoniste in vivo pour l'expression de certaines cytokines. Afin d'évaluer l'effet physiologique de la modification de la flore intestinale par les polyphénols, nous avons étudié le métabolome. Parallèlement au métagénome, chacun des polyphénols améliore le profil métabolomique altéré par le HFD. Cependant, la Cur s'oppose à l'effet du RSV. Les données de ce travail indiquent que la Cur n'est pas associable au RSV pour améliorer la tolérance au glucose. / Each year, the worldwide impact of type 2 diabetes (T2D) increases significantly. The complications are serious and treatments are often ineffective and provide a lot of side effects. Resveratrol (RSV) and curcumin (Cur) are natural polyphenols known for their different pharmacological activities, including anti-diabetic. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the effects of the combination of these polyphenols on glucose tolerance improvement. Our results show that in animals fed with a high fat diet (HFD), RSV improved glucose tolerance while Cur displayed no significant effect. Surprisingly, when both polyphenols were administered simultaneously, Cur inhibited the effect of RSV on glucose tolerance improvement. To explain this antagonism between both polyphenols on glucose tolerance, we have evaluated the effect of these compounds on the metagenome associated or not. Our results indicate that RSV and Cur normalized gut flora altered by HFD. When Cur and RSV were administrated simultaneously, Cur inhibited the effect of RSV on the growth of some bacterial species. Thus, Cur blocked the inhibitory effect of RSV on Alistipes putredinis. Our data indicate that these polyphenols displayed generally anti-inflammatory effects, but their combination may be either synergistic in vitro or antagonistic in vivo on the expression of some cytokines. To evaluate the physiological effect of the gut flora changes induced by polyphenols, we have drawn a parallel between metagenome and metabolome data. Each of the polyphenols improved by itself the metabolomic profile altered by HFD. However, Cur hindered the effect of RSV. In a whole, this study indicates that combination of Cur with RSV is not successful to further enhance the RSV-induced improvement of glucose tolerance.

Early nineteenth-century Eurocentric perceptions of natural history led to the flora and fauna of Australia being thought of as deficient and inferior compared with those of other lands. By the 1820s, Australia had become known as ???the land of contrarieties???. This, and Eurocentric attitudes to nature in general, influenced the expectations and perceptions of immigrants throughout the century. Yet at the same time there was developing an aesthetic appreciation of the natural history of Australia. This thesis examines the tension between these two perceptions in the popular natural history writing of the nineteenth century, mainly through the writing of five authors ??? George Bennett (1804-1893), Louisa Anne Meredith (1812-1895), Samuel Hannaford (1937-1874), Horace Wheelwright (1815-1865) and Donald Macdonald (1859?-1932). George Bennett was a scientist, who saw Australian plants and animals more as scientific specimens than objects of beauty. Louisa Meredith perceived them in the familiar language of English romantic poetry. Samuel Hannaford used another language, that of popular British natural history writers of the mid-nineteenth century. To Horace Wheelwright, Australian animals were equally valuable to the sportsman???s gun as to the naturalist???s pen. Donald Macdonald was the only one of these major writers to have been born in Australia. Although proud of his British heritage, he rejoiced in the beauty of his native land. His writing demonstrates his joy, and his novel attitude to Australian natural history continued and developed in the present century.

This thesis critically explores the issue of access to biological resources and Indigenous knowledge Historically, biological resources collected and documented, and knowledge associated with their use, have been considered the 'common heritage of mankind' The Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) changed this understanding to tights of states over biological resources, but also gave rise to issues of equity and justice, especially with regard to Indigenous Nations encapsulated within First World states-so-called 'Fourth World Nations', A central concern of Fourth World Peoples is their marginalisation within access negotiations, despite their claims of connate (birth) rights to r esou.r ces and knowledge they identify as their own. Increasing global Indigenous activism over their concerns, has in turn raised an increasingly important policy gap that is becoming recognised in fora and processes with regard to access to biological resources. My thesis addresses this policy gap. I explore some of the complex historical, political and cultural dimensions that led to the emergence and resilience of this policy problem The failure to address the concerns of Indigenous peoples, and Fourth World Nations in particular, is more important and problematic now because of contemporary biotechnological developments and the emergence of bioprospecting. Bioprospecthg refers to the practice of appropriating biological resources, and Indigenous knowledge of those resources, and incorporating them into biopharmaceutical processes. Literature on bioprospecting as a problematic issue for Third World States has been emerging steadily over the last decade under the impact of the commercialisation of biodiversity, which has become big business for biopha.rmaceutical companies. The unique interests and experiences of Fourth World Nations are not recognised within this literature as significantly different to that of the Third World, and of their encapsulating states.. This study has addressed this significant gap by utilising and developing an analytical approach that uses Fourth World theory, synthesised with elements of Foucault's analytics of power. When combined, these two theoretical approaches provide a new and rich under standing of how dominant 'ways of knowing' and 'ways of owning' have been privileged, while other knowledge and ownership systems have been, and continue to be, marginalised, Eoucault's understanding of discursive power as having the capability to be either, or both, dominant and resistant is important to my analysis, as it accommodates the Fourth World as a discursive site of resistance to dominant power. I posit that richer insights are gained through the development and application of this theoretical framework to the issue of fair and equitable access to biological resources, than other approaches offer. I demonstrate the framework's utility by applying it to a case study on bioprospecting in Australia. Important findings have emerged while tracking the activities of Fourth World peoples on the international stage, and their attempts to challenge dominant power/knowledge structures within political institutions For example, participation at the international level has enabled Fomth World peoples to apply pressure on their encapsulating states to accommodate their interests. This has been furthered through forming alliances with, for example, environmentalists, and through the adoption of the language of effective participation within international fora.. Overall, however, the study found that the participation of Eourth World peoples within international, central state and local state policy processes is not always empowering in challenging dominant interests Instead, the more accurate impression is that at this stage of the discursive policy terrain, it may only create an illusion of participation that actually serves to entrench their disempowerment. This places pressule on policy processes to address and resolve this access issue equitably if social turbulence is to subside, justice be served, and certainty provided for all.

This thesis is a comparative study of the life history strategies, and in particular seed germination requirements, in Australian species of the halophyte plant genus Frankenia L. (Frankeniaceae). Frankenia is a cosmopolitan genus that occurs in Mediterranean, semi-arid, and arid regions on distinctive soil types – commonly on saline, sodic or gypseous soils – in habitats such as coastal cliffs, and on the margins of salt lakes, salt-pans and saltmarshes (Summerhayes 1930; Barnsley 1982). The plants are small shrubs or cushion-bushes with pink, white or pale purple flowers, and salt-encrusted recurved leaves. This project investigates germination requirements for Frankenia in relation to seed age, light requirements, temperature preferences, salinity tolerance, and soil characteristics. It also explores two divergent reproductive strategies – notably seed packaging strategies – in relation to environmental variables. Within the 46 currently recognized endemic Australia species, some species have a few ovules per flower and produce only a few larger seeds per fruit, while other species have many ovules per flower and produce many small seeds per fruit. Large-seededness is thought to increase the probability of successful seedling establishment in drought and salt-stressed environments. As both larger- and smaller-seeded species of Frankenia co-occur in close geographical proximity, hypotheses regarding the advantages of large-seededness in stress environments can be tested. By restricting the analysis of seed mass variation to similar habitats and within a single plant genus, it is possible to test ecological correlates that would otherwise be masked by the strong effects of habitat differences and phylogenetic constraints. Overall, larger-seeded Frankenia species were demonstrated to be advantageous for rapid germination after transitory water availability, and for providing resources to seedlings if resources became limiting before their successful establishment. Smaller-seeded species delayed germination until both soil-water availability and cooler temperatures persisted over a longer time period, improving chances of successful establishment for the more slowly growing seedlings that are more reliant on their surroundings for resources. This study produces information on the seed and seedling biology of many Australian species of Frankenia including several that are of conservation significance, e.g. F. crispa with its isolated populations, and the rare and endangered F. plicata. This information is important for the development of conservation management plans for these and other arid zone, halophyte species. In addition, the results of this study are of practical significance in determining the suitability of Frankenia for inclusion in salinity remediation and mine-site rehabilitation projects, and for promoting Frankenia as a drought and salt tolerant garden plant.

<p>Resistance to antimicrobials is an increasing problem in the world of today, and develops faster than man can counter. It is therefore of importance to study metabolic pathways in order to develop new antibiotics, but also to understand how resistance spreads and stabilizes in microbial populations.</p><p>The commensal flora could be an important factor in the spread of antimicrobial resistance, as drugs aimed at other targets also hit the harmless commensal bacteria. If stable resistance develops in such a population, it could seriously impair a later treatment with the same drug. After a treatment with the macrolide clarithromycin, resistance to this antibiotic increased markedly in the untargeted throat flora, and resistance levels did not recede until at least one year later. </p><p>Another example of stable resistance can also be seen in sulfonamide resistant <i>Streptococcus pyogenes</i>. Sequence determinations of the dihydropteroate synthase (<i>dhps</i>) gene conferring this resistance revealed a mosaic organisation implying that the it had been brought there by horizontal transfer. Molecular characterization of this gene showed that the sulfonamide resistance was due to mutations of structurally important amino acids in position 65 and 213.</p><p>The folate synthesis pathway has potential for being exploited further as a drug target. One possible new drug target is hydroxymethyl-dihydropterin pyrophosphokinase (<i>hppk</i>). In the malaria parasite <i>Plasmodium falciparum</i> this enzyme is part of a polyfunctional entity, also encoding <i>dhps</i>. The HPPK part can be separated from DHPS, but that the opposite is not possible. The PfHPPK has two insertions: one also present in other plasmodia, and one apparently unique to <i>P. falciparum</i>. Both are crucial for enzyme activity.</p><p>To further characterize HPPK, we developed a spectrophotometric activity assay and a method to measure substrate channelling of hydroxymethyl-dihydropterin diphosphate.</p>