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RUSSELL, Bertrand. On Denoting. In Mind, vol. 14, no. 56, Oct. 1905. Oxford: Oxford University Press, pp. 479-493.

Abstract

The turn of the 20th century is notorious by the effervescent philosophical contributions to the development of a formal language applied to natural language. Contributions that today are considered the basis of fields as diverse as Logic, Philosophy of Language and Linguistics.  Published in 1905 by the British logician, philosopher and mathematician Bertrand Russell, this essay belongs to this tradition. It offers a paradigmatic solution to the problem of denoting phrases and its meaning. In contrast to the previous theories of Meinong and Frege, Russell proposes that a denoting phrase – here understood as an expression that can serve as the grammatical subject of a sentence – has no meaning in itself, but every proposition in which it occurs has a meaning. More, a meaning that implicates the truth or falsehood of a proposition depending on the level of occurrence (primary or secondary) of the denotation. This approach tries to overcome some difficulties of formal representation usually attributed to denoting phrases that denote an inexistent object (e.g. “the present King of France is bald), an ambiguous object (e.g. “I met a man”) or an object with presumed uniqueness and identity (e.g. “X was the father of Charles II”). In order to verify the capabilities of its theory, Russell states and solves three logical puzzles considering the distinct logical roles of proper names, definite descriptions and indefinite descriptions – an original insight of the article when it was published. Despite Russell’s own doubts about the consequences of his theory, it seemed clear at that time the very great importance of the study of denoting phrases in Logic, Mathematics and also Theory of Knowledge. More than a century later, an even more valid perception.

Keywords

denoting phrases; formal language; natural language; logical role; proper names; descriptions

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The tripartite synapse: roles for gliotransmission in health and disease

Michael M. Halassa, Tommaso Fellin and Philip G. Haydon

Abstract

Astrocytes are one of the glial cells, some particular cells in the Central Nervous System that help neurons to work properly. For much time, Astrocytes were assumed as just a helper to the synaptic transmission, but for the past decade researches have demonstrated that in additional of being a supporter of neuronal activity by releasing gliotransmitters (glutamate, d-serine and ATP) astrocytes are in fact understood as a protagonist in the brain. We review and discuss the scientific breakthroughs about the roles of astrocytes and the gliotransmission introducing the concept of tripartite synapse which refers to the complex formed by dendrites, axons and astrocytes where the phenom of the synapse occurs with the activity of the gliotransmitters. Through gene expression methods and astrocytes membrane protein expression measures we evaluate the effects of the gliotransmission alterations in the neuronal functions. Finally, we demonstrate the roles of gliotransmission variations in Central Nervous System’s diseases like schizophrenia and epilepsy, acknowledging that astrocytes are crucial elements in the brain. Thus, we provide evidence that points to astrocytes as a promising drug target in therapeutic treatments for schizophrenia and epilepsy.

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Activity 3 - Abstract - Marília S. dos Santos

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Activity 3 - Abstract - Marília S. dos Santos

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O processo the acidificação dos oceanos e sua influência sobre os corais

The procedure of ocean acidification is given by the absorption of gas CO2 emitted by men’s actions since the Industrial Revolution. The rise of these emissions has promoted the increase of medium temperature of the ocean surface, a decrease of the ocean’s water pH and affected the growth of coral reefs. This last one has a major impact on environmental balance, as coral is the base of the marine ecosystem. With that being said, the purpose of this article was to study the effects of ocean acidification on coral reefs and verify the hypothesis of having a decrease in the water’s pH. For this research, it was analyzed the amount of salinity, the total alkalinity and the concentration of CO2 from three different points of São Paulo’s littoral. The data analysis was made using de CO2 calc software and concluded that the concentration of gas dissolved in the water of the three locals was above the ideal level, causing a decrease in the water’s pH and therefore acidification of the ocean, affecting corals and causing its bleaching. These results impact in a severe way in marine balance and may cause impacts on global order, but also such as economic order, as coral reefs are the habitat for a giant amount of species and a source of income for tourism and fishing.

Keywords: coral bleaching; CO2; medium temperature; increase of pH; salinity; alkalinity.

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Cyanobacteria harmful algal bloom events (CyanoHABs) can produce natural toxins that risk ecosystems and human health worldwide. Nevertheless, the potential risk of many cyanobacterial metabolites remains unknown. To date, only the microcystins class has been studied intensively to produce a magnitude of evidence on toxicity and exposure concentrations, leading to their inclusion in risk management and water quality regulations. However, cyanobacteria produce an incredible diversity of cyanopeptides beyond the class of microcystins that have received little or no attention regarding their potential human and ecological risk. Information about exposure concentrations in surface waters, co-occurrence and synergy, and toxic effects of cyanopeptides are still poorly explored. The present study aims to identify the metabolic profile of environmental cyanobacterial biomass collected in a Brazilian eutrophic reservoir through LC-MS-based metabolomics and to correlate the presence of different cyanopeptides with the acute toxicity - of extracts and fractions - observed against the microcrustacean A. salina using the web-based platforms NP Analyst and Data Fusion-based Discovery (DAFdiscovery). The metabolomics revealed the presence of four different cyanopeptides classes: microcystins, microgynins, aeruginosins, and cyanopeptolines. The bioinformatics tools show that not only microcystins are responsible for the toxicity observed. Compounds of cyanopeptolines class showed high bioactivity correlation scores in both tools, sometimes even higher than those attributed to microcystins. The presented results shed light on the urgent need to evaluate further the (eco)toxicological risks of the different classes of cyanopeptides found in environmental blooms, considering their potential for exposure and synergistic action between them. The present work also shows the possibility of doing a risk assessment using a less time-and-reagent-consuming approach through LC-MS/MS-based metabolomics and bioinformatics tools.

Keywords: cyanopeptides, risk assessment, MS-based metabolomics, bioactivity assay

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Lobbies and the USMCA: the role of interest groups in the negotiation of Chapter 14 of the New NAFTA

The renegotiation and replacement of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) fulfilled one of the main campaign promises made by former president of the United States Donald Trump. In this research effort, we intend to analyze the process that gave rise to NAFTA’s substitute, the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA). The investment provisions of the new agreement, found in its chapter 14, drastically reduced the level of protection offered to foreign investors. Yet, in contrast to the initial proposal by the Trump administration, some degree of protection is maintained to investors involved in covered government contracts, including the access to investor-State dispute settlement (ISDS). By force of law, the negotiation of trade and investment agreements by the US government involves a broad process of consultation with economic and social sectors. The advisory system attached to the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) comprises 25 advisory trade committees that express the views of the interest groups affected by each economic agreement. We analyzed a corpus consisting of 40 documents that includes committees’ reports, addenda attached to them, and testimonies presented outside the official mechanism produced during the negotiation of the USMCA. By analyzing these sources, it was possible to identify a clear influence of proposals from interest groups, among which the National Manufacturers Association stands out, in maintaining some level of protection for foreign investment. In addition to shedding light on the process of negotiating economic agreements, the results demonstrate the influence of lobbies in the formulation of US foreign economic policy.

Keywords: United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement; North American Free Trade Agreement; Interest Groups; Investment.

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Saturday, 25th of March, 2023.

Dear Ms Simone, I hope this letter finds you well.

My name is Marília, I am twenty-one years old and I am contacting you due to the announcement of the course on Reading and Writing that LEUSP is offering in association with AUCANI.

As a student of the University of São Paulo, I received the notification about the course by email and I got interested when I realized that this was a preparatory for proficiency tests such as IELTS and TOEFL. Achieving a good grade in these exams is my main goal, since I would like to be accepted in an exchange program that USP offers with European universities.

In addition, I am a student of teaching degree in mathematics and today it was published many selecting processes for exchange programs in Europe for my area of knowledge, and this encouraged me, even more, to apply to this Reading and Writing course.

Regarding my experience with the English language, I have studied for approximately 6 years and a half in Cultura Inglesa, from the basics until the advanced English course. I have a great domain of idiom, especially concerning reading and speaking, but sometimes I have great difficulty with listening, particularly when I need to listen to music or when the speaker uses a laboured vocabulary. This is also one of the reasons that I expect to improve when doing the course.

Finally, my expectations for this course are high. I would like to learn how to produce a good and convincing text about any subject that may be asked to discuss. Also, I hope to improve my vocabulary, learn more formal and specific words and construct better essays. I don’t believe that there is anything that I would not wish to study, as I reckon that everything that I learn can be useful in the test’s time.

Considering all that, I have sent my application and I would be honoured if it was accepted. I am eagerly awaiting your response.

Yours sincerely, Marília.

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Dear Ms. Kawashima,

My name is Gabriel, and I am writing to you to introduce myself and complain about my experiences in research and with English language.

As we discussed in the last class, I am a Master’s student in Political Science at University of São Paulo, researching about ‘militant democracy’, which is a Germany doctrine developed by Karl Loewenstein before the Second Great War, with a focus on Brazil, specially after the election of the ex-President Jair Messias Bolsonaro in 2018. What I am looking in my thesis is to comprehend how our institutions, specially judiciary’s one, tried to apply the concept and adopted the measures against enemies of democracy.

Besides that, I would like to inform you that my experience with English language is limited. I did two years of English course in 2016 and 2017, and I attempted to an intensive course in University of Georgia, during the covid-19 pandemic period, for two months. I think with these experiences I could learn more about the language and improve more my vocabulary and accent. But, even with these experiences, I feel like I need to practice more the language, specially to improve my writing skills.

With all of these in mind, I see this course as an opportunity to practice more my English and to improve my writing. Maybe, with your tips, I can improve my knowledge and even apply for a proficiency exam as TOEFL. I hope this would be a good opportunity.

I am looking forward to work with you in class. Thank you for your time.

Your sincerely,

Gabriel Pinho.

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Dear Ms. Kawashima and classmates,

My name is Davi de Souza,

I am writing this letter in order to introduce myself, to talk about my research area and to apply for the Writing and Reading Class.

I am a undergraduated student in Biological Sciences at Institute of Biosciences, in University of São Paulo. I study the genic expression of the gene ApoE, in humans, in a project of Scientific Iniciation. This gene is related to lipids metabolism into the cells and it is been associated to beta-amiloide protein acumulation into the Central Nervous System. This acumulation is associated with the Alzheimer disease, been show a straight relationship between the protein levels and the disease development.

I have started to learning and practicing english since my 15 years old, by myself. I used to watch many video classes in YouTube, and practicing in free apps like Duolingo and Babbel. But it was only in the first year of the graduation, in 2019, i have started to read a lot in english. Then, i have been dealing with the difficult task of reading scientific articles and i realize that reading is a point i have to improve a lot.

Sometimes i spend so many time to read and really understand a text. Beyond that, i am beginning my researching carreer, so i do have to be able to write properly. So, my expectations for this class is to strengthen these weak points, as well as prepare for proficiency exams. I hope enjoy the class and contribute for the classmates learning somehow.

I would like you to consider my application. I would be so honored to join the class.

yours sincerely,

Davi de Souza

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The criminalization of the practice of the interdiction of indigenous life in Brazil, known as "indigenous infanticide", is one of the themes that currently best represents the conflict between cultural diversity and the protection of fundamental human rights, such as the right to life. It is necessary to reconstruct the predominant field of meaning in which human rights have been socially constructed throughout western modern history by denaturalizing its a-historical and universalist character. Therefore, the present study aims to contrast the Western-modern notion of person with the different Amerindian notions of person and to demonstrate its impact on the legislative debate in Brazil. The results show that, being a locus of tension within human rights, intercultural debate conforms a symbolic field of disputes over the hegemony of human rights. Based on the results, the conclusion gives evidence to characterize the symbolic power of human rights as a universal coercive imposition of Western particular values.

Keywords: Infanticide. Human rights. Person. Symbolic field. Symbolic power.

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Dear teacher Simone and colleagues,

I would like to introduce myself to you, so we can know each other.

My name is Aline and I am twenty-seven years old. Currently, I am studying Languages and Literature (Portuguese and Spanish) at the Faculty of Philosophy, Languages and Literature and Human Sciences (FFLCH) of the University of São Paulo. I also have an undergraduate degree in International Relations.

I will finish my second undergraduate in July of this year and I want to continue my studies with a Masters's degree, maybe in Linguistics, which is something I enjoy learning and being in contact with.

Since 2014, I have been working in different areas, such as Finance Department, Sustainability and Social Responsibility Department, and also Educacional System. Nowadays, I am working in Digital Marketing as a content producer. My expertise is to create, especially writing content, and my last job was in a Financial company as Marketing Analyst.

I study English since I was a little girl, all by myself, but I went to an English school for one year when I was fifteen years old. It helped me in a certain way, but I never felt confident to speak and produce any content in English, so I decided to study by myself since then. So, I am studying at AUCANI’s course because I intended to enter in Masters’s and also take de IELTS test, so it is important for me to practice all the skills, and also to learn about the techniques of producing English content. That is why I am here and I would like to enjoy and learn as much as I can during the course.

Thank you for your time reading this.

Best wishes to you all,

Aline Bütikofer

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Dear Sir or Madam,

I am writing to you regarding to verify the possibility for a discount for publishing in this journal. I am a Phd candidate from University of São Paulo, in Brazil, in which resources for scientific purpose have been scarce in recent years.

The paper I am submitting describes the development of a web app written in Python to noise mapping in urban area using shapefiles of QuantumGIS software. We believe that this open-source application could contribute with research that have not access to paid softwares.

Thank you for considering my application. I would be honored to have the opportunity to submit the paper with discount to this journal.

Best regards,

Nara Peixoto.

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Dear Ms. Kawashima,

As we discussed in the first class, I am writing to you in order to introduce myself and apply for the Reading and Writing course.

I am an undergraduate Philosophy student at the University of São Paulo and a master’s student in Legal Reasoning at the National University of the Littoral, in Argentina.

I also have two previous degrees, in Law and Journalism. Though, I have worked for the last eight years as a screenwriter, developing from television series to authorial feature films. Maybe a bunch of fields disconnected from each other, but with a common ground: writing.

I learned English mostly in the primary school and by taking some private classes. During my previous career as a journalist, I was used to conduct interviews in English on a weekly basis.

But since then I have no longer practiced as often as I should. Yet, my current studies make me deal with tons of complex English reading. So I feel it is time to improve this set of skills.

I hope this course will help me achieve this goal, considering I am interested in a study period abroad.  An opportunity to learn news language tools and strategies.

Thank you in advance for considering my application.

I am looking forward from hearing from you soon.

Your sincerely,

Andres Julian Vera

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Activity one - Formal letter

Dear Professor,

My name is Rhuana Médice, and I am a Ph.D. student at the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences at USP. I am really interested in the Writing and Reading English Course.

I already have an English background (TOEFL B1), but my writing skill could be stronger.

I am in the last year of my Ph.D., and that course could help me better write the papers and essays that I need to finish my course.

So, I would like you to consider my registration. I am available to attend any of the classes 1, 2, or 4.

Looking forward to hearing from you,

Rhuana V Médice

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Dear Ms. Kawashima and colleagues,

I write to you in order to introduce myself to the group and to let you know a little bit more about my background.
I am a PhD student at the Institute of International Relations where I develop research on foreign investment protection treaties and their effects on the countries who sign them.
My parents enrolled me in English classes when I was in 8th grade and I became a teaching assistant when I was 15. I also worked as an English teacher in schools such as CCAA and CNA. Music, literature and video games also helped me learning the language.
I hope in this course I will be able to refine and develop my English skills so I will make my best in proficiency tests. I hope a good grade will improve my chances of being selected for a study period abroad.
I am confident I will find a stimulating environment in our classes and hope to see you soon.
Yours sincerely,

Lucas Amorim

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Dear Teacher Simone and colleagues,

As we discussed in class, I am writing to share some things about myself so you can get to know me better. I am sure that this assignment is a great opportunity to exercise our English in a creative way and learn from each other's writing.

My name is Luiza, I am 18 years-old and I am majoring in Portuguese and English. I study at FFLCH and am really excited about the opportunities USP has to offer in many ways.

I have always had English classes at school, but they were not very good and would only happen once a week. For that reason, my father found that it would be better if I took extra classes at a language school, and so I did for nine years. Yet, I have not really practiced English for two years now, which makes me feel like my previous knowledge is slipping away. That said, I hope I can learn new things and refresh the old ones in our lessons. Plus, I intend to take proficiency tests some time in the future, and that is an extra reason to take these classes.

I think this environment is going to be excellent to achieve all of my purposes, since all the students seem to be totally interested in getting better at English. If anyone feels like they have something to add to my expectations, please feel free to comment on Padlet. I am looking forward to seeing everybody again.

Your sincerely,

Luiza.

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Dear Sir or Madam,

I am writing to express my interest in applying for the English course offered by AUCANI. As a PhD candidate, I have been researching educational data using machine learning techniques. I am from the Computer Science PostGraduate Program at IME-USP. My undergraduate course was in physics at IFUSP.

My primary motivation for applying to this English course is to enhance my proficiency in the language, particularly in writing. As a researcher, I believe that it is essential to be able to communicate effectively in English to collaborate with researchers from different parts of the world. Furthermore, I wish to improve my writing and speaking skills.

My experience with English began when I started playing video games (with instructions not translated to portuguese). I further developed my skills during my master's degree in physics when I had to write and read articles about my research area, Air Pollution. I am looking for some improvement, and I am committed to enhancing my writing skills further.

I am confident that the English course offered by AUCANI will help me with my goals.

Thank you for considering my application. I would be honored to have the opportunity to attend this English course.

Sincerely,

Thiago Gomes Verissimo

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Dear Sir or Madam,

I am writing to apply for the course of Reading and Writing offered by AUCANI. With pleausure, I introduce myself and explain my motivations for the course.

I am currently a Phd candidate in Philosophy and Theory of Law at the University of São Paulo, interested in carrying out a research internship in an UK university. Therefore, a high score in the proficiency exams is required.

I have studied English in language schools and have taken proficiency exams, which are currently not valid.

Attending the course would allow me to improve my skills in reading and writing, as well as specifically better prepare me for the exams.

Thank you for considering my application. I am looking forward from hearing from you soon.

Yours faithfully,
Cassiano Ribas.

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Dear colleagues

As we discussed in the last class, I would like to introduce myself. I am a master's student from School of Pharmaceutical Sciences of University of São Paulo at the Physiopathology and toxicology program. My research is about the New Psychoactive Substances, in especially Synthetic cannabinoids in herbal blends, I realize my experiments at the Superintendence of Scientific Police of São Paulo, analyzing drugs directly apprehended by the police.

My experience with English began in my last year of graduation before apply for the master, because I should have a proficiency certificate in English to make my enrolment. Thus, I entered in a regular course in my city and started to see films and series in English, as also to read and written some articles involving my research.

I am interested in this course because before finish the year I would like apply for doctorate, but I will need a high level in the proficiency certificate and for this to do a much more expensive test, needing to prepare myself very well before. Then, I want to improve my skills to can read and write with quality and security.

I hope to finish the course being able to communicate better as well as express my ideas as well as know other methods to study English for academic purposes.

Your sincerely

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Dear Colleagues

It is with great satisfaction that I write to you aiming to introduce myself and my purpose in the course.

I am Paula Lima, Ph.D. student in nutrition in public health at School of Public Health, University of São Paulo. My Ph.D. research aims to evaluate the association between circulating microRNA, cardiometabolic biomarkers, and diet.

Based on the high relevance of language in science, I have studied English since 2015, which was when I started my master's degree. From that, my learning has been built through classes, watching movies and videos on YouTube, reading books, and conversations with native speakers.

As the main part of Ph.D. work involves writing and reading scientific papers, I saw this course as an opportunity to improve my English skills. My focus is to expand my knowledge of the language to better describe my doctoral results, learn new expressions and grammatical rules, and avoid wear out expressions. In this way, I hope to finish this course more prepared for my future in the research field.

Looking forward to hearing from you.

Best wishes,

Paula Lima.

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Dear Sir,

I am writing to you with regard to possible doctoral interniship (three months).  My research focus is Facility Management.  My purpose is develop to a conceptual model for museums.  I am currently affiliated to the University of São Paulo, Brazil.

What are the requirements for you to accept me?

What are the university's requirements to receive foreign students?

Which museums could welcome me for FM studies?

Thank you for your time.

I am waiting for your response.

Your sincerely,
Marcus Vinicius Rosário da Silva

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Welcome to Reading & Writing 2023.1