Diversidad de expectativas de los extensionistas rurales Latinoamericanos sobre la Psicología / Diversity of expectations of Latin American rural extensionists of Psychology / Diversidade de expectativas dos extensionistas rurais da América Latina sobre a Psicologia

Resumen La psicología posee potencialidad para contribuir con la extensión rural. Sin embargo, las características de su rol, así como las necesidades específicas en diversos países aún no han sido clarificadas. Buscando analizar de manera diferencial las expectativas que extensionistas rurales latinoamericanos de 12 países tienen sobre la psicología, se realizó una encuesta. De los 654 extensionistas encuestados, 585 consideraron que la psicología podría contribuir a su trabajo. Se concluye que las expectativas en los diferentes países son diversas, aunque poseen elementos compartidos. Existen dos tipos de expectativas: aquellas como la gestión de grupos y procesos participativos con productores y la capacitación y asesoramiento de extensionistas, que pueden ser utilizadas para guiar el trabajo de los psicólogos; y aquellas que tienden a poner a los productores en el lugar de objetos de intervención y no de sujetos de cambio, las cuales necesitan ser puestas en discusión junto con los extensionistas.

Abstract Psychology has potential to contribute to rural extension. Nonetheless, the characteristics of its role, as well as the specific needs in different countries have not been yet clarified. Thus, aiming at analyzing Latin American rural extensionists' differential expectations of psychology in 12 countries, a survey was conducted. Of 654 surveyed extensionists, 585 considered psychology could contribute to their work. Expectations from psychology in the different countries are diverse, despite the fact some of them are shared. There are two different types of expectations: those such as the management of farmers' groups and participatory processes, and the training and advising of extensionists, which can be used to guide psychologists' practices; and those that place farmers in the position of objects of psychologists' interventions and not of subjects of transformation, which has to be put up for discussion with extensionists.

Resumo A psicologia tem a potencialidade de contribuir com a extensão rural. Não obstante, as características de seu papel, assim como as necessidades específicas em diversos países, ainda não têm sido esclarecidas. Procurando analisar de maneira diferencial as expectativas que os extensionistas rurais de 12 países latinoamericanos têm sobre a psicologia, a enquete foi implementada. Dos 654 extensionistas rurais enquetados, 585 disseram que a psicologia poderia contribuir com seu trabalho. Conclui-se que as expectativas nos diferentes países são diversas, mas têm elementos compartilhados. Existem dois tipos de expectativas: aquelas como a gestão de grupos e processos participativos com os agricultores e a capacitação e o assessoramento dos extensionistas, as quais podem ser utilizadas para guiar os trabalhos dos psicólogos; e aquelas que tendem a pôr aos agricultores no lugar de objetos de intervenção e não de sujeitos de transformação, as quais têm que ser postas em discussão junto aos extensionistas.

HERSCHEL/SCORE, imaging the solar corona in visible and EUV light: CCD camera characterization.

The HERSCHEL (helium resonant scattering in the corona and heliosphere) experiment is a rocket mission that was successfully launched last September from White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico, USA. HERSCHEL was conceived to investigate the solar corona in the extreme UV (EUV) and in the visible broadband polarized brightness and provided, for the first time, a global map of helium in the solar environment. The HERSCHEL payload consisted of a telescope, HERSCHEL EUV Imaging Telescope (HEIT), and two coronagraphs, HECOR (helium coronagraph) and SCORE (sounding coronagraph experiment). The SCORE instrument was designed and developed mainly by Italian research institutes and it is an imaging coronagraph to observe the solar corona from 1.4 to 4 solar radii. SCORE has two detectors for the EUV lines at 121.6 nm (HI) and 30.4 nm (HeII) and the visible broadband polarized brightness. The SCORE UV detector is an intensified CCD with a microchannel plate coupled to a CCD through a fiber-optic bundle. The SCORE visible light detector is a frame-transfer CCD coupled to a polarimeter based on a liquid crystal variable retarder plate. The SCORE coronagraph is described together with the performances of the cameras for imaging the solar corona.

[Calcium dobesilate, hemorheology, fibrinolysis and endothelium. New perspectives on the prevention of diabetic microangiopathy. Clinical pharmacological study]. / Dobesilato di calcio, emoreologia, fibrinolisi ed endotelio. Nuove prospettive nella prevenzione della microangiopatia diabetica. Studio di farmacologia clinica.

The authors report the results of a double-blind cross-over study on calcium dobesilate in which two groups of eight recent-onset type-II diabetics were treated either p.o. (1 g once daily) or i.v. (500 mg in 100 ml of physiological saline) with calcium dobesilate or with placebo. During oral administration of the drug, blood rheology and total fibrinolytic capacity were assessed by calculating euglobulin lysis time. In view of the evidence for a viscosity-lowering action of the drug (which had already been found in "long-term" studies) and of potentiation of fibrinolytic activity, intravenous treatment was started with the object of elucidating the possible mechanisms of action, evaluating at the same time other parameters concerning the functional fibrinolytic pathways. It has thus been possible to ascertain that the drug has "rheologic" activity, interferes with the function of endothelial cells by stimulating the release of tissue plasminogen activator and thus increases fibrinolytic activity while not interfering with the clotting function and not altering platelet beta-thromboglobulin secretion. These findings appear to confirm the possibilities for therapeutic use of calcium dobesilate which is thought to act on a variety of pathogenetic mechanisms involved in diabetic microangiopathy.

New in vivo model to assess venous endothelial cell functions. Effect of defibrotide.

In the past few years there has been increasing interest in the role of the vascular endothelium as an active modulator of biological responses. Endothelial cells exert antithrombotic activity by the release of prostacyclin [23] and adenine nucleotides [16], the availability on the cell surface of heparin-like substances [3], and thrombomodulin-mediated activation of protein C [8]. In addition, endothelium is involved in the regulation of fibrinolysis by releasing soluble factors, such as tissue plasminogen activator (tPA; [10]) and plasminogen activator inhibitor (PAI; [22, 11]), as well as in the control of vascular responsiveness by the production of smooth muscle relaxing and contracting factors. Endothelial cells have also been shown to synthesize and to express procoagulant activities [18]. Many data on endothelial cell functions has been obtained from two experimental models, namely endothelial cell cultures and perfused segments of animal and human vessels. Both are subject to methodological criticism since they only represent in part in vivo conditions, and the necessary experimental manipulations and laboratory procedures greatly modify the naturally occurring cellular functions. In order to overcome such difficulties as far as possible, a new in vivo model has been employed to provide easily assessable and reliable data on the properties of endothelial cells in man. A venous segment was isolated functionally by cannulating a dorsal vein in the hand and a cubital vein in the same arm. Changes observed ex vivo in blood from the cubital vein following infusion into the hand vein of an active drug, can mainly be attributed to its local effect on the venous wall. At the same time, a cubital vein in the other arm was cannulated in order to provide information to distinguish systemic from regional effects.