Abstract This study focuses on Brazil’s international co-operation in science and technology (S&T), notably technical transfers to the semiarid branch of the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (Embrapa) from the early 1990s onwards. It is based on interviews with Embrapa personnel, as well as literature and documentary reviews. It starts by outlining a conceptual framework. Next, it examines Brazil’s Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) policy, and compares this policy and actual S&T co-operation initiatives in order to establish whether they converge or diverge. The co-operation in question involved a diversified agenda aimed at meeting global demands, encompassing issues such as the green economy, clean and renewable energy, climate change and desertification, species extinction threats, social technologies, and biodiversity. The study shows that international collaboration in the period under review largely conformed with Brazil’s STI policy. However, it identifies some gaps and areas of concern, notably a degree of fragmentation between the macro and micro levels of co-operation, which should be effectively managed if S&T collaboration is to consolidate Brazil’s international role and its geo-political interests.

O artigo discute a cooperação internacional para o desenvolvimento no eixo da Ciência e Tecnologia (C&T), analisando questões cruciais contemporâneas e questões brasileiras específicas. Partindo de contribuições de relevantes autores, o trabalho focaliza os conceitos centrais de ciência, tecnologia e cooperação internacional em C&T, com distintas visões de especialistas em diferentes períodos. Na sequência, aborda tipologias da cooperação internacional, introduzindo uma reflexão sobre a técnica e a natureza humana, e sobre distinções entre “técnica” e “tecnologia”, bem como especificidades dos vetores da cooperação científico-tecnológica e da cooperação técnica. Prosseguindo, o artigo traz um breve histórico da trajetória da cooperação internacional em C&T, notadamente nos momentos demarcados pela Guerra Fria, aporta exemplos concretos e debate dilemas, oportunidades, riscos e desafios, bem como a realidade do Brasil diante deste instrumento da política externa dos governos.

The article discusses international cooperation in science and technology (S&T), analyzing its crucial contemporary issues, as well as Brazilian specific issues. It presents several contributions from relevant scholars and focuses on the concepts of science, technology and international cooperation, its main terminologies and several visions of specialists in different periods. Furthermore, it brings international cooperation typologies and introduces a reflection on technique and the human nature, emphasizing features that distinguish “technique” of “technology” and exploring the vectors of the scientific-technological cooperation and technical cooperation. The paper provides a short historical overview of international cooperation, notably in the moments marked by the Cold War as a dividing line, and by providing concrete examples, it discusses the key issues of international cooperation in S&T in the contemporary world, as well as the reality of Brazil towards this tool of governmental foreign policy.

Pensar cooperação em ciência e tecnologia, C&T, requer pensar antes em cooperação de forma mais ampla, tanto entre indivíduos como entre sociedades e entre territórios de identidade societária, ou Estados-nação, e impõe ainda lançar um olhar sobre a história, para entender suas raízes e seu percurso. Perseguindo esse objetivo, o presente trabalho identifica os fundamentos da cooperação, iniciando com essa conceituação na visão de distintos autores, e ressalta as especificidades que concernem à cooperação em C&T, apresentando as suas primeiras formas de expressão. Prossegue explorando as condições de expansão da Revolução Científica na Europa Ocidental e como esse fenômeno veio a estabelecer dois níveis de produção de conhecimento em escala planetária a partir do século XVI, quais sejam, a ciência dominante ou central e a periférica, cujas características são analisadas. Por fim, o artigo focaliza a concentração mundial da produção do conhecimento e as suas implicações para a busca de novas formas de cooperação que visem a reduzir os desequilíbrios flagrantes na contemporaneidade.

To think of cooperation in science and technology, S&T, requires to think first on cooperation in a broader way, both between individuals as well as societies and territories of societarian identity or a nation, and still requires have a glimpse over history, to understand its roots and ways. Seeking this goal, this peace of work identifies the basics of cooperation, starting up with this conceptualization on the point of view of distinguished authors and highlights the specificities that concerns the cooperation in S&T, presenting its first form of expression. It keeps exploring the conditions of expanding the Scientific Revolution on Western Europe and how this phenomenon has established two levels of production of knowledge throughout the world from the XVI century, whichever is the dominant or central Science and the peripheral Science of which the characteristics are analysed. At last, the article focus on the concentration of production of knowledge and their implication to the search of new ways of cooperation that aims on reducing the imbalances seen in nowadays.

Penser coopération en termes de science et technologie, S&T, présuppose de penser à la coopération de manière plus étendue. Ceci autant entre individus qu'entre société et qu'entre territoires d'identité sociétaires, ou État-nation. Cela impose également un regard sur l'hisoire pour comprendre ses racines et son parcours. Dans cet objectif, cette recherche identifie les fondements de la coopération. Cette étude, selon la conception de différents auteurs, permet de souligner les spécificités relatives à la coopération en S&T et en présente les premières formes d'expression. Elle analyse aussi les conditions d'expansion de la Révolution Scientifique en Europe Occidentale et la manière dont ce phénomène a pu établir deux niveaux de production de la connaissance à l'échelle planétaire, à partir du XVIe siècle, la science dominante ou centrale et la science périphérique dont les caractéristiques sont analysées. Enfin, l'article met l'accent sur la concentration mondiale de la connaissance et ses implications pour la recherche de nouvelles formes de coopération qui visent à réduire les déséquilibres flagrants dans le monde contemporain.

Based on the broader context of globalization as politics, this paper adopts the following assumption: cities through their transnational cooperation networks and economic projects are the expression of a new political actor that has shifted its scale of operations, and have thus partly emancipated themselves from the monopoly of the nation-state in the deployment of transborder public action. In pursuance of developing this assumption, this paper approaches the discussion on municipal paradiplomacy in three parts: firstly, it presents the historical and theoretical background of paradiplomacy in Brazil; secondly, it looks into the empirical reality of several Brazilian municipalities and their international actions; thirdly, it presents a series of critical questions for analyzing cities and their transnational networks as new political actors in the global arena. Empirically, this paper raises key issues related to the multiple ways in which municipalities throughout Brazil develop transnational activities, whereas analytically it aims to provide a better understanding of their soft-border approach, as well as their pragmatic association between a renewed identity in the global scenario and an innovative strategy of local international management.

OBJETIVO: verificar, com o emprego da ultra-sonografia pélvica, a existência de mudanças na genitália interna de meninas com puberdade precoce central submetidas a tratamento com análogo do hormônio liberador de gonadotrofinas (GnRH). MÉTODOS: a ultra-sonografia pélvica foi realizada em 18 meninas com diagnóstico de puberdade precoce central idiopática, antes e três meses após o inicio do tratamento com análogo de GnRH, para avaliar o impacto da terapia na genitália interna feminina. Foram avaliados os volumes uterino e ovariano, o diâmetro longitudinal do útero, a relação entre os diâmetros longitudinais do corpo e colo uterinos, a relação entre os diâmetros ântero-posteriores do corpo e colo uterinos e o eco endometrial. Para a análise estatística foi aplicado o teste de Shapiro-Willks para verificação da normalidade dos dados. Para os dados em que a normalidade foi satisfeita, foi aplicado o teste t de Student. Para os dados cuja distribuição não foi normal aplicou-se o teste não paramétrico (teste do sinal). RESULTADOS: após o tratamento houve redução estatisticamente significante da média dos volumes uterino (de 5,4 para 3,0 cm³, p<0,001) e ovariano (de 2,2 para 1,1 cm³, p=0,004), da média do diâmetro longitudinal do útero (de 4,2 para 3,4 cm, p=0,001) e da média do eco endometrial (de 1,8 para 0,6 mm, p=0,018). CONCLUSÃO: em meninas com puberdade precoce a ultra-sonografia pélvica é útil para avaliar a eficácia do tratamento com análogo de GnRH. Os principais parâmetros de resposta à terapia são as diminuições dos volumes uterino e ovariano, a redução do diâmetro longitudinal do útero e a atrofia ou ausência do eco endometrial.

PURPOSE: to verify, through pelvic ultrasound, the existence of changes in the internal genitalia of girls with central precocious puberty, submitted to treatment with gonadotrophin-releasing hormone (GnRH) analogs. METHODS: pelvic ultrasound was performed in 18 girls with idiopathic central precocious puberty, before and after three months of onset of the treatment with GnRH analogs, to investigate the impact of the therapy on the internal genitalia. Ovarian and uterine volumes, uterine longitudinal length, relation between the longitudinal diameter of the uterine corpus and the uterine cervix, the relation between the anterior-posterior diameter of the uterine corpus and the uterine cervix, and endometrial echogenicity were evaluated. Statistical analysis was performed through Shapiro-Willkis's test, to assess data normality. When normality was present, Student's test t was applied. For data without normality, a non-parametric test (the signal test) was used. RESULTS: after therapy, statistically significant decline of the mean uterine volume (from 5.4 cm³ to 3.0 cm³, p<0.001), of the mean ovarian volume (from 2.2 cm³ to 1.1 cm³, p= 0.004), of the mean uterine longitudinal length (from 4.2cm to 3.4 cm, p=0.001), and of the mean endometrial echogenicity (from 1.8 mm to 0.6 mm, p=0.018) occurred. CONCLUSION: In girls with idiopathic central precocious puberty, pelvic ultrasound is a valid method to assess the efficacy of treatment with GnRH analogs. The main parameters of the therapeutic response were the decrease of uterine and ovarian volume, of uterine longitudinal length, and atrophy or absence of endometrial echogenicity.