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Purpose: We continue our investigation into the origins of business models and look at how the business models of new firms originate by integrating institutional and restriction theories. Design: Amazon's business models are studied following the deductive and inductive approaches. Inductive: by checking the assumptions and coming to a conclusion, Deductive: by checking the theories and proving the hypothesis. Objective: To find out the competitive digital strategies of Amazon, that could be learned and copied for other organizational applications. Findings/Result: The findings show that there are several consumer complaints and service issues about Amazon's influence, notably in regard to pricing, customer service, in-store staff, and post-purchase support. The paper claims that Amazon's development and profitability have been greatly aided by business strategies combining technology, distribution networks, and customer service. These tactics have also assisted Amazon in differentiating itself from its competitors in the brick-and-mortar and online retail industries. Originality/Value: The business model as well as the SWOT analysis presented may be used by organizations to assess and narrow down their options for a business modeling platform. This case study work is original and would help researchers to do further study accordingly. Paper Type: Case study.

While the technical project describes a deep dive into working with Amazon’s architecture, the STS research paper examines the complex relationship between the military and digital media. The motivation behind my technical project was to modernize old architecture to lessen the burden of changing Amazon’s codebase in the future. In contrast with the U.S. military and their recruitment tactics, my technical project had an explicit goal of being imperceptible to the public and was purely an undertaking for the benefit of developers. Regarding my STS research paper, my motivation was derived from a personal love of video games and specifically society’s reception of video games. The relationship between video games and the U.S. military is perhaps the most unique in the entire video game industry, as the military essentially changed what the intentions behind a virtual experience could be. Investigating the way America’s Army was meticulously crafted to be an entertaining advertisement was an appealing task for me, as was decoding the construction of modern recruitment advertisements. Prior to the completion of my technical capstone project, the checkout page of Amazon.com used an antiquated architecture for selecting eligible delivery options, leading to an inefficient and rigid codebase. The goal was to rebuild the architecture to make the old one obsolete while ensuring that the new workflow for delivery options was completely unnoticeable for the customer. As a member of the Last Mile team at Amazon, I was tasked with leading an effort that had been abandoned the summer prior due to time constraints. The approach involved compartmentalizing operations into two backend components of the new codebase, resulting in a simplified process for generating eligible delivery options and retrieving the frontend structure for said delivery options. The workflow was classified into three parts: retrieval of delivery options, processing of delivery option data, and rendering of delivery options. The project was a success, as the newly remote-rendered delivery option widget seamlessly replaced the old widget without any impact on the end consumer. Shifting focus to the STS research paper, how has the U.S. military utilized the popularity of video games and the gamification of modern warfare to influence recruitment? Over the past decade, the United States military has undergone a transformation in the way it approaches recruitment for Generation Z (Gen Z). The U.S. Army-developed video game series, America’s Army, is no longer the main outlet for recruiters to connect with younger desired audience. Advertisements portraying warfare activities as much more game-like have increased drastically and are seeing better performance in terms of recruitment numbers for Gen Z. The STS framework, Political Technologies, is leveraged in order to provide insight on how exactly the military’s use of digital media has affected the technology of virtual entertainment itself. Examining the military’s utilization of digital media through this framework will further shed light on the direction digital entertainment is heading in general. That is, how video games and various forms of media will be used by different organizations to serve an alternate purpose than to just entertain the target audience. Working on both projects simultaneously provided valuable insights into various aspects of each project that would not have been clear had I worked on them independently. The technical project required me to dive deep into Amazon’s architecture and rebuild an antiquated checkout page, while the STS research examined the relationship between the military and digital media, specifically video games. While they may seem like unrelated projects at first glance, I found that working on both allowed me to gain a broader perspective on the role of technology in society. On the technical side, I learned the importance of modernizing old architecture and making it more efficient for developers. This skill set will undoubtedly be useful for any future projects I work on, and I now have a greater appreciation for work that goes into making a seamless customer experience. On the other hand, my STS research paper allowed me to dive into the complex relationship between the military and digital media, and how it has affected the entertainment industry. By working on both projects simultaneously, I was able to connect the dots and see how technology can be used for different purposes depending on the political intentions behind the technology’s creation. The experience gained from working simultaneously lead to conclusions that I would not have gained had I solely focused on my technical project or STS research paper. Overall, the value of working on both projects simultaneously was in being able to connect the dots between technology and society. I feel that this experience has given me a unique perspective that will undoubtedly benefit me in any future endeavors.

News coverage of noteworthy environmental events is often fleeting, moving from one spectacle to another and rarely retaining global attention. But in August 2019, news of Amazon rainforest fires spread seemingly as quickly as the fires themselves, with sustained global coverage and funding pouring into environmental organizations. Yet Amazon fires regularly occur and fires were simultaneously burning in other important Brazilian biomes, with some causing worse damage. What was it about the 2019 Amazon fires that elicited such a strong and persistent global response? In this paper, we draw on distinctions between slow/immediate (Nixon, 2011) and structural/direct violence (Galtung, 1969) to answer this question. We argue that the Amazon's reputation as a global treasure and its association with climate change and biodiversity through ‘giantness’ (Slater, 2002) meant that the fires’ local spectacular violence became felt as an instant global threat, shifting perceptions of violence from slow to immediate. Moreover, as the identified instigator of the violence, Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro became a sort of ‘bridge’ between structural and direct dimensions of violence, thus making the violence personal. These three dynamics combined to enhance visibility of the Amazon's destruction and its connection to planetary stability, thereby inspiring the 2019 fires’ extraordinary reactions. Through this analysis, the paper contributes to psychological literature on perceptions of ecological crises and to discussions in political ecology/geography concerning violent environments by demonstrating how and why both the slow and structural violence of the global climate and biodiversity crises can be rendered more visible via localized effects.

Amazon is considered the world’s largest bookstore but what kind of books hide on the ‘darkest’ digital shelves? By looking beyond the new titles and best-sellers, this paper finds evidence of a wasteland of titles composed of content-free titles, corrupted reprints, and dangerous misinformation. Changes to publishing in the twenty-first century and the pressure of the market on Amazon can help to explain how this wasteland formed, but this paper also explores how this wasteland provides for specific audiences who live in their own cultural bubbles.

Amazon is considered the world’s largest bookstore but what kind of books hide on the ‘darkest’ digital shelves? By looking beyond the new titles and best-sellers, this paper finds evidence of a wasteland of titles composed of content-free titles, corrupted reprints, and dangerous misinformation. Changes to publishing in the twenty-first century and the pressure of the market on Amazon can help to explain how this wasteland formed, but this paper also explores how this wasteland provides for specific audiences who live in their own cultural bubbles., AmLit, 3, 1 p. 15-35

Background/Purpose: Cloud computing is the buzz word today as it has made its presence felt in many fields, such as business, education, industries, e-commerce to list a few. The concept of cloud storage is the IT service provided on the internet which allows the flexibility of paying for only the actual usage that is in short it is pay as you go. The companies now have the option to rent computing power, storage, and databases from the service provider. This avoids huge financial investment for procuring, operating, and maintaining licensed software, physical data centers and servers. To overcome the challenges in general the storage medium, it is important upgrade to cloud concept. Nowadays, new business language has seen tremendous success by putting their services and data on the internet without relying on any physical devices. There are many service providers who cater this segment. This paper provides an analysis of the company Amazon Web Services which is the major service providers in recent times. Objective: In this case study we focus on the cloud storage services of Amazon Web Service. Design/Methodology/Approach: The related information and details for this case study on Amazon Web Services was obtained from various scholarly articles published in various peer reviewed journals, conferences and company websites. White papers have provided additional information. Findings/Result: The study of this paper focus on the relevance and importance of cloud storage in the present era. The need, requirements and necessity of various services provided by AWS, financial plan, different products of AWS, Leading clients and types of cloud services are discussed. Originality/Value: The study provides a brief overview of Amazon Web Services, nature and manner of various data collection, data management, information about cloud storage and various cloud services of AWS. Paper Type: Case Study on the importance of storage and computation requirements for services on web, various service providers, with special reference to Amazon Web Services.

This paper elucidates the inside of the black box of Amazon's unique research and development (R&D) dynamism that made it the world's top R&D leader by transforming “routine or periodic alterations” into “significant improvement” during the R&D process. This dynamism also succeeded in transforming the COVID-19 pandemic period into a springboard for new innovation, leading to Amazon's notable growth notwithstanding the pandemic. An empirical analysis using a techno-economic approach focusing on Amazon's endeavor to develop a series of advanced digital fashions (ADFs) and online-based luxury brands (neo-luxury) before and during the COVID-19 pandemic was conducted. Amazon became a global apparel leader based on learning orchestration externality through developing a series of ADFs that emerged co-evolution with neo-luxury corresponding to the cultural shift to a new age of meaning. The focal driver of design-driven innovation is meaning, and meaning-seeking innovation emerges as a self-propagating generative function. Amazon has been advancing Amazon Web Services (AWS) as an innovative, advanced composite cloud infrastructure. This infrastructure incorporates a generative function and develops a cloud-based fashion platform by integrating all stakeholders in one place. Given the common key function, the self-propagating generative function, AWS, and neo-luxury resonate and induce co-evolution between them. This co-evolution emerges as growing seamless switching. Thus, a new perspective of innovation toward a non-contact society can be explored. This paper aims to reveal a theoretical and empirical demonstration of this dynamism, which gives rise to insights for pioneering a new frontier beyond current business models toward a non-contact society after the COVID-19 pandemic ends. peerReviewed

Purpose: The internet has concise the world bringing global community to very close. It helps to communicate information in a cheaper, quicker, and simpler form. At present era, the internet enables fashion businesses to reach out to each and every corner of the world without making significant investments. Fashion companies might have their own website to promote and sell their products or they can also exhibit their products on e-commerce and social networking platforms, drawing a larger number of buyers. Fashion houses can use online media to sell their items all over the world at a low cost. The main purpose of this study is to see the development of fashion products through online retailing. The author mainly considered Amazon and Flipkart for the study. Methodology: This qualitative research is based on secondary data. Secondary data is gathered from the research papers published in reputable journals, newspapers, articles. Financial information was collected from the annual reports of Amazon and Flipkart and also census reports. Findings: The major findings of the study are: Male customer expressed a greater desire to purchase fashionable products, there is a healthy competition between both Amazon and Flipkart, Celebrities are being used by Amazon and Flipkart to promote their fashionable products, Flipkart's Recommendation module and Amazon's Stylist assist users to discover more and morefashion and other products similar to the ones they've looked at. It has one of the greatest conversions and contributes significantly to the company's revenue and units. Practical Implication: This study will be helpful to know the different fashionable products offering by the Amazon and Flipkart companies and marketing channels using by these two companies to market their fashion products. Paper Type: Company Case Study

Research that features participation and action orientation, such as participatory action research (PAR), is especially valuable in contexts where there is rapid change, high social inequality, and great uncertainty about the future, which drives stakeholder demands for information to support their goals. The Amazon offers such a context, for it is a region where diverse stakeholders engage in contestation over environmental governance to address issues such as climate change to achieve conservation and sustainable development. Stakeholder mobilization has changed the terms by which research is conducted, from the definition of priority topics to the application of findings. Due to stakeholder mobilization, more and more research in the Amazon is now necessarily participatory, for stakeholders routinely issue demands about how the research will be conducted and for what purpose. In this paper, we provide an overview of several experiences of implementing methods such as PAR by different teams or networks, focusing on the complementary contributions of outside researchers and local stakeholders. The heart of the paper reports on three broad types of experiences focusing on conservation and development in the Amazon: (1) participatory data collection for co-production of knowledge for environmental governance, (2) inclusive environmental monitoring systems, and (3) innovative models of knowledge exchange to facilitate collective action. Within each type, we report multiple experiences with distinct approaches to participation and action in research. These experiences constitute models that can be replicated in other places for broader impact to support conservation and development.

The paper reflects the sufferings of groups forced to migrate to urban spaces in the Amazon, breaking the relations with the land. Analytical categories from two research groups from Brazilian universities were used and reports on the psychological suffering of indigenous people of the Sateré-Mawé/AM and Hixkaryana/AM presented after migration to the city. The collection methodology was ethnography and the analysis categories of socio-historical psychology. Results suggest that the social inequality experienced by indigenous peoples goes through the suffering experienced in the city, characterized as an ethico-political suffering. The conception of health and the category of common have been shown, in paper, like power forms for these peoples to live an urban context. L’article vise à réfléchir sur les souffrances des groupes qui sont contraints de migrer vers les espaces urbains en Amazonie, rompant ainsi les relations avec la terre. Les catégories analytiques de deux groupes de recherche des universités brésiliennes ont été utilisées et des rapports sur la souffrance psychique des indigènes des ethnies Sateré-Mawé/AM et Hixkaryana/AM ont été présentés après la migration vers la ville. La méthodologie de collecte a été l'ethnographie et l'analyse a été faite sous des catégories de la psychologie socio-historique. Les résultats suggèrent que l'inégalité sociale vécue par les peuples indigènes passe par les souffrances vécues dans la ville, étant caractérisée comme une souffrance éthico-politique. La conception de la santé et la catégorie de commun ont été montrées, dans cet article, comme des formes de pouvoir pour que ces peuples vivent dans un contexte urbain. O artigo reflete o sofrimento de grupos forçados a migrar para espaços urbanos da Amazônia, rompendo relações com a terra. Foram utilizadas categorias analíticas de dois grupos de pesquisa de universidades brasileiras e relatos sobre o sofrimento psíquico dos indígenas Sateré-Mawé/AM e Hixkaryana/AM apresentados após a migração para a cidade. A metodologia de coleta foi a etnografia e as categorias de análise foram oriundas da psicologia histórico-social. Os resultados sugerem que a desigualdade social vivenciada pelos povos indígenas perpassa pelo sofrimento vivido na cidade, caracterizado como ético-político. A concepção de saúde e a categoria de comum se mostraram como formas de poder para esses povos viverem um contexto urbano.

Dans cet article, nous faisons l’hypothèse que la révolution de la e-logistique, conséquence d’un nouveau mode de consumérisme favorisé par l’e-commerce et dont la clé de voûte est la livraison à domicile, a retransformé les chaînes d’approvisionnement existantes dont le parcours s’achève désormais au plus près des consommateurs, et a, dans le même temps, accéléré la vitesse globale de circulation des marchandises. Ce processus a à la fois amplifié et aggravé les conséquences sur les conditions de travail qui avaient émergé avec la révolution de la logistique hors-ligne (antérieure au e-commerce) : renforcement du travail intérimaire, affaiblissement des syndicats, racialisation de la main-d’œuvre et abaissement des normes de travail. S’appuyant sur une étude de cas en Californie du Sud, cet article analyse comment la révolution de la e-logistique a conduit à l’extension des chaînes d’approvisionnement, à l’émergence de la logistique du dernier kilomètre et à un glissement du pouvoir qui, des détaillants traditionnels (hors-ligne) vendant leurs marchandises dans des magasins en dur, s’est déplacé vers un modèle logistique de vente en direct au consommateur, créant de nouveaux défis pour les travailleurs des secteurs du stockage, du transport et de la livraison. In this paper, it’s argued that the e-logistics revolution, driven by e-commerce’s product-to-doorstep consumerism, has retransformed existing supply chains by pulling the end point of supply chains closer to consumers, while simultaneously accelerating the overall speed of the movement of goods. This process has both amplified and further deepened the deleterious outcomes for labour associated with the (pre-e-commerce) offline logistics revolution, leading to increased contingency, weakened unions, racialization of labour, and lowered labour standards. This paper utilizes an illustrative case study of Southern California’s logistics sector to explore how the e-logistics revolution has led to the extension of supply chains, the emergence of last mile logistics, and a shift in power from traditional (offline) brick and mortar storefronts to a direct-to-consumer logistics consumer model, creating new challenges for workers in the warehousing, trucking, and courier sectors.

People in the department of Madre de Dios/Peru, the state of Acre/Brazil, and the department of Pando/Bolivia experience similar conflicts over land, land use, and access to resources. At the same time, each conflict reveals distinct characteristics and dynamics, arising from its history, legal regulation, institutional (in-)capacities, and culturally diverse local populations. The aim of this paper is to better understand the main drivers of social-ecological conflicts over land in and around three protected areas in this transboundary region, known as MAP, and to analyze how (environmental) institutions influence these drivers. The paper is based on a literature review and expert interviews; it focuses on conflicts around (1) gold mining in Madre de Dios, (2) extensive cattle ranching in Acre, and (3) access to communal land in Pando. Using theories of conflict research, expanded by a political ecology perspective and insights from stakeholder and expert interviews, we find that the major conflict drivers are (1) land tenure and access to land and natural resources, (2) identity and lifestyle driven transformations, (3) state and market driven agendas, and (4) networked illegal and criminal activities. Through a comparative conflict analysis, we develop four recommendations to strengthen the creation of reflexive institutions that may be able to foster social-ecological resilience in the region: (1) The clarification of responsibilities between governance institutions and their financing; (2) the awareness raising for existing power structures and opening spaces for enhanced local participation; (3) the breaking of corruptive cycles while developing economically, ecologically, and socially sustainable livelihood opportunities; and (4) taking the continuous reproduction of illegal activities into account while clarifying responsibilities, raising awareness, and breaking corruptive cycles. The results of our research therefore not only contribute to a better understanding of conflicts in the MAP region and the wider scientific literature on social-ecological conflicts and governance, but it is also the first paper that identifies entry points and prerequisites for the transformation from reactive to reflexive institutions in Amazonian societies.

The marketing of world literature today is marked by the larger migration of literary culture to Web 2.0. This has gone hand in hand with a reconsignment of influence of orthodox authorities, from established reviewing organs to awards, to the amateur readers congregating on social media platforms, first and foremost on Goodreads, the world’s largest online community for circulating literary recommendations and socialization. The present paper traces this reconsignment of influence by examining the engagement of the Goodreads community with the works that were awarded the Booker Prize or the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction between 2015 and 2019, looking at reader reviews as well as the discussions ensuing from those reviews. As such, the reconsignment of influence is concluded to be regulated by the algorithmic rules of Goodreads and its proprietary platform, Amazon.com.

RESUMO Este trabalho analisa a disputa pela direção moral e intelectual do processo de modernização no Grão-Pará nas décadas de 1870 e 1880, entre a tradição imperial e a política científica. Conservadores e católicos, liberais e republicanos apresentaram os seus projetos políticos de conservação e mudança das estruturas de organização do Estado. Partindo de pesquisa documental e revisão bibliográfica, defendo que havia uma polarização entre tradição e fé versus ciência e razão, que enfrentava a questão da modernidade: as duas trincheiras, cujos papéis na imprensa e na formação da opinião pública eram privilegiados, projetavam, com suas diferenças internas, o progresso e a civilização na região. Concluo que as coordenadas do debate político sobre a civilização da Amazônia oitocentista estavam entre as bençãos de Pio IX, o cetro de um terceiro reinado e as benesses da secularização, da abolição e da federação. ABSTRACT This paper analyzes the dispute regarding the moral and intellectual direction of the modernization process in Grão-Pará in the 1870s and 1880s, between imperial tradition and scientific politics. Conservatives and Catholics, Liberals and Republicans presented their political projects of conservation and change in the structures of state organization. Based on documentary research and literature review, I argue that there was a polarization between tradition and faith versus science and reason, which faced the question of modernity: the two trenches, whose roles in the press and in the formation of public opinion were privileged, projected, with their internal differences, progress, and civilization in the region. I conclude that the coordinates of the political debate on the civilization of nineteenth-century Amazonia lay between the blessings of Pius IX, the scepter of a third reign, and the blessings of secularization, abolition, and federation.

Identifying urban patterns in the cities in the Brazilian Amazon can help to understand the impact of human actions on the environment, to protect local cultures, and secure the cultural heritage of the region. The objective of this study is to produce a classification of intra-urban patterns in Amazonian cities. Concretely, we produce a set of Urban and Socio-Environmental Patterns (USEPs) in the cities of Santarém and Cametá in Pará, Brazilian Amazon. The contributions of this study are as follows: (1) we use a reproducible research framework based on remote sensing data and machine learning techniques; (2) we integrate spatial data from various sources into a cellular grid, separating the variables into environmental, urban morphological, and socioeconomic dimensions; (3) we generate variables specific to the Amazonian context; and (4) we validate these variables by means of a field visit to Cametá and comparison with patterns described in other works. Machine learning-based clustering is useful to identify seven urban patterns in Santarém and eight urban patterns in Cametá. The urban patterns are semantically explainable and are consistent with the existing scientific literature. The paper provides reproducible and open research that uses only open software and publicly available data sources, making the data product and code available for modification and further contributions to spatial data science analysis.

La baisse inattendue de la déforestation au Brésil en 2022 a mis en lumière la complexité des phénomènes de déboisement et la difficulté de la plupart des observateurs à se repérer au milieu de statistiques et de bases de données spatiales reposant sur des méthodologies différentes et appréciant de manière hétérogène les différents types d’atteintes à l’environnement. Dans ce contexte, cet article s’attache à replacer les chiffres récents dans un contexte plus large tant sur le plan spatial (en étendant le regard à l’ensemble de l’Amazonie, au-delà du Brésil) que sur le plan temporel (en regardant le phénomène sur plusieurs décennies) et sur le plan des approches (en présentant plusieurs sources de données). Pour y parvenir nous présentons dans un premier temps les principales données disponibles sur la déforestation, en distinguant leurs caractéristiques et en rappelant la complexité écologique et géographique sous-jacente à l’Amazonie, qui rend possible des approches différentes, dont les résultats peuvent être divergents en apparence. Dans un second temps, nous décrivons les oscillations de la déforestation depuis une trentaine d’années, en nous intéressant d’abord à l’ensemble du bassin amazonien (ou pan-Amazonie) avant de nous focaliser sur l’Amazonie brésilienne. Dans une troisième partie et afin de proposer un panorama complet sur la question, nous évoquons les causes de la déforestation, les principales politiques des États de la région pour y faire face et les conséquences du déboisement à l’échelle locale, régionale et globale. The unexpected fall of deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon in 2022 has shown that deforestation phenomena are complex and that for many observers it is difficult to find their way in statistics and geospatial databases that are produced using different methodologies and distinct definitions of what deforestation is and considering in diverging ways various types of environmental damages. In this context, this paper attempts to replace recent figures in a broader context spatially (considering the whole Amazon region beyond Brazil), temporally (looking at the phenomena since the 1980s) and thematically (presenting several sources of data). To do so, we first present the data that are available to the public about deforestation, distinguishing their (sometimes apparently contradictory) characteristics and underlining the Amazon’s inherent ecological and geographical complexity. In a second part, we describe the history of deforestation since 1985, first at the level of the whole basin (or pan-Amazonia) and then focusing on the Brazilian Amazon. Last, as to complete our panorama of the question of deforestation, we present quickly the causes of deforestation and the principal policies of the governments to face it, as well as the consequences of deforestation at the local, regional and global scales.

Este texto tem como objetivo apresentar uma etnografia sobre as relações de poder e de violência contra povos indígenas do Baixo Amazonas. A partir do caso específico sobre a luta e resistência dos Munduruku e dos Apiaká, no Planalto Santareno, no Baixo Amazonas, estado do Pará, apresento reflexões iniciais sobre o problema dos conflitos, a violência e as disputas territoriais na região, a partir de uma perspectiva processual. Essas reflexões são fruto da interlocução com lideranças Munduruku e Apiaká, mediante entrevistas e observação no trabalho de campo, bem como do levantamento de dados bibliográficos e documentais. O artigo está dividido em três partes e considerações finais. Num primeiro momento, apresento resumidamente o processo de mobilização e a luta do movimento indígena no Baixo Tapajós e no Baixo Amazonas. Na segunda seção do artigo, faço um esboço sobre o tratamento dado pelo poder legislativo local para questões étnicas, tendo como base o caso da criação da “Comissão Especial de Estudos Parlamentares sobre a proliferação de grupos e territórios étnicos no Município de Santarém”. Na terceira seção do texto, apresento as situações violentas e as ameaças que os indígenas vêm enfrentando desde a chegada e expansão do agronegócio no seu território. This paper aims to present an ethnography on power relations and violence against indigenous peoples in the Lower Amazon. Based on a specific case study, which highlights the Munduruku and Apiaká of Santareno Plateau, in the Lower Amazon, state of Pará, I present initial reflections on the conflicts, violence and territorial disputes in this region, from a procedural perspective. These reflections are the result of interactions and discussions with Munduruku and Apiaká leaders, based on interviews and observation made during fieldwork, as a bibliographic review and analysis of documental data. The article is organized into three main sections, in addition to a conclusion. In the first part, I briefly present the process of the struggle and mobilization of the indigenous movement in the Lower Tapajós and Lower Amazon regions. In the second section, I outline the local legislative power given to specific ethnic questions, according to the creation of the “Special Commission for Parliamentary Studies on the proliferation of ethnic groups and territories in the municipality of Santarém”. In the third section, I present the violent situations and the threats facing indigenous people since the arrival and expansion of agribusiness in areas pertaining to their territories.

Land users make decisions in an increasingly dynamic environment. Changes in expectations are driven by market and non-market factors, but research on market related drivers of land use change so far dominates in the literature. This paper examines how political discourses affect deforestation rates in the Brazilian Amazon region. Relying on novel data from Twitter, we present the first causal evidence of political discourse on deforestation. Our analysis relies on municipal level monthly panel data for 2019 with alternative remotely sensed measures of forest loss and vegetation fires as outcome variables. The effect of political discourse on these outcomes is identified using a shift-share regression approach. High exposure to laissez-faire political discourses increases forest loss by 2.3-3%, and fires by 2.2%. Our findings are robust across land tenure regimes, varying levels of policy enforcement, and alternative shift-share measures. Moreover, excluding dry season periods from the analysis does not change the main result. Land use in the Brazilian Amazon is highly sensitive to whether, how, and when authorities communicate their will to enforce environmental policy regulations. ‘Walking the talk’ remains imperative to protect the world’s tropical forests, but this study suggests that policy makers must carefully choose their words while walking.

The growing global demand for soybean production combined with its increased market value could result in a new supercycle for this commodity. For Brazilian agribusiness, there has been an opportunity to increase exports, particularly in soybean production, in recent years, and therefore, soybean production has been expanding more and more across the states of the Brazilian Amazon. Soybean is the most important grain crop among temporary crops in the Brazilian Amazon; in 2019, it reached a value of USD 21.78 billion, using a planted area of 124,947 km2 (about 55% of the planted area). At the same time, overall deforestation increased significantly in recent years: 10,897 km2 in 2019 and 9811 km² in 2020. To study these changes, economic, social, and environmental sustainability indicators were identified and analyzed using a regression model, and changes in the main economic and socio-environmental indicators were observed that identified a strong positive correlation between agricultural GHG emissions and soybean-planted area. The impact on the local population was also analyzed between the years 2000 and 2019, and there was a mismatch between the population growth rate and the growth rate of the harvested area, which resulted in the displacement of the populations to the cities, and identified a strong positive correlation between the unemployment rate for young people and the soybean-planted area. In this context, this paper presents an analysis of the correlation between soy expansion and the main economic indicators and socioenvironmental impacts in the Brazilian Amazon.

Purpose: The provision of a method for thoughtful decision-making is the core purpose of artificial intelligence research and development. The primary goal of artificial intelligence (AI) is to give computers the ability to do intellectual tasks such as making decisions, solving problems, seeing their surroundings, and understanding human communication. Amazon is famous for using robots—roughly 30,000 of them—within its distribution centres. The company has gained mechanical autonomous organisation, which allows the robots to function independently. Kiva in 2012. Retailers can improve their demand estimates, make better pricing decisions, and optimise product placement with the aid of AI. The end result is that customers are connected with the proper products at the suitable time, in the appropriate place, and at the appropriate price. Utilizing predictive analytics may assist in determining the amount of a product that should be ordered to ensure that shops do not end up with either an excess or a shortage of inventory. Design/Methodology/Approach: The efficiency of our workplaces may be substantially improved by the use of artificial intelligence. When AI is utilised to do tasks that are boring or dangerous, human workers are given more time to concentrate on endeavours that need capabilities such as creativity and empathy, amongst other abilities. Artificial intelligence (AI) may be of assistance to a corporation in three different areas: the automation of corporate processes; the acquisition of insight through data analysis; and the interaction with consumers and staff. Findings/Result: As a result of AI, individuals will be freed up to focus on the 20% of non-routine jobs that account for 80% of the value they create. In the future, "intelligent automation of process change" (IAPC) will be used by smart machines to constantly examine and improve the whole process of a business's response to artificial intelligence. Automated and optimised everyday chores save your time and money and improves operational efficiency and productivity. The outputs of cognitive technology may help you make quicker business judgments and benefits the AI in the Workplace. Doing the same thing over and over again might take a toll on your workers' productivity. Automating and optimising these procedures will save you money. Employees will be able to concentrate on multiple areas at once, resulting in increased production. As AI processes data more quickly than humans, this leads to increased productivity. Originality/Value: It is essential to have a deeper comprehension of the differences between AI and human intelligence if we are to be adequately prepared for a society in which AI will play a much more pervasive role in our everyday lives in the foreseeable future. The process of reproduction is intricately connected to both biological and human intelligence. The advancement of artificial intelligence (AI) is significant for the reason that it paves the way for software to perform human activities and cost-effective than it was previously possible. Paper Type: Company Analysis.

This paper analyzes the discourse on the Amazon of Brazil's president Bolsonaro at the UN General Assembly in 2020. The objective is to observe how the region has been integrated into the federal political agenda and the discursive strategies marked by “disinformation" adopted by Brazil's chief executive. We use the three-dimensional assumptions of Critical Discourse Analysis. Brazil’s president promoted inaccurate data, made unfounded statements, victimized himself, and kept silent about negative information related to his management. He sought to promote a distorted view on environmental management and on the Amazonian reality, putting the effective protection of the region at risk.

For the third year, Oceana analyzed e-commerce packaging data and found that Amazon generated 709 million pounds of plastic packaging waste in 2021. This is a 18% increase of Oceana’s 2020 estimate of 599 million pounds and is enough plastic to circle the Earth more than 800 times in the form of air pillows. Oceana found, based on data from a peer-reviewed study on plastic waste pollution published in Science in 2020, that up to 26 million pounds of this plastic waste will end up in the world’s waterways and seas. Plastic is a major source of pollution and is devastating the world’s oceans. Sea turtles and other ocean animals mistake the kind of plastic used by Amazon – primarily plastic film – as food, which can ultimately prove fatal. Amazon refuses to outline a plan and commit to a company-wide reduction in plastic use. In doing so, the company is ignoring its shareholders. At its Annual General Meeting in May 2022, nearly 49% of Amazon’s shares voted in favor of a resolution asking the company to be transparent and address its growing plastic packaging problem. This is the most support that a shareholder-led resolution has received in the company’s history. Despite Amazon’s commitment to transparency for its other sustainability efforts (such as its climate initiative), until December 2022, the company has not been transparent about its global plastic packaging footprint. On Dec. 13, 2022, Amazon released a blog which stated, “[i]n 2021, we reduced average plastic packaging weight per shipment by over 7%, resulting in 97,222 metric tons [just over 214 million pounds] of single-use plastic being used across our global operations network to ship orders to customers.” Oceana acknowledges this step towards increased transparency. The reported figure, however, represents only part of the company’s global plastic packaging footprint. In contrast to Oceana’s estimate, Amazon’s disclosure excludes orders made on Amazon’s e-commerce platforms that are fulfilled through third-party sellers and it is unclear how much of Amazon’s total sales this represents. When Oceana inquired, Amazon declined to disclose this information. While Amazon claims to have reduced average plastic packaging weight per shipment by over 7% in 2021, it has not disclosed by how much its global plastic packaging footprint grew from 2020 to 2021. Amazon’s sales are reported to have grown by 22% in this time period. As sales increase, the company’s plastic footprint grows too. Oceana estimated a plastic footprint growth of 18%, accounting for the plastic reduction measures Amazon has taken in some countries (such as India). Amazon is often cited as one of the most innovative companies on the planet and has demonstrated its ability to create viable solutions to replace and reduce its plastic packaging. Examples of this are its development of a paper-padded mailer and use of returnable packaging in markets like India. The company has even, according to Amazon and local accounts obtained by Oceana, moved away from all plastic packaging use for shipments originating from its own fulfillment centers in Germany, which is the company’s second largest market. It is clear that Amazon can solve its plastic problem. Yet, it is choosing not to commit to do so on a global scale, despite the severe cost of plastic pollution to our oceans and planet.

The textile and apparel (fashion) industry has been influenced by developments in societal socio-cultural and economic structures. Due to a change in people’s preferences from economic functionality to supra-functionality beyond economic value, the fashion industry is at the forefront of digitalization. The growing digitalization in the fashion industry corresponds to digital fashion, which can satisfy the rapid shift in consumers’ preferences. This paper explores the evolving con-cept of innovations in digital fashion in the textile and apparel industry. Specifically, it centers on the evaluation of Amazon’s digital fashion initiatives, which have made the platform the United States’ top fashion retailer. An analysis of the business model of Amazon’s digital fashion business showed that with the advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) powered by advanced Amazon Web Services (AWS), Amazon has introduced novel digital solutions for the fashion industry, such as advanced digital fashions (ADFs), on-demand manufacturing, neo-luxury, and, ultimately, cloud-based digital fashion platforms, that is, a supra-omnichannel, where all stakeholders are integrated, and their activities are visible in real time. This can be attributed to the learning orchestration externality strategy. This study concludes that with the advancement of digital innovations, Amazon has fused a self-propagating function that advances digital solutions. This study shows that Amazon is the largest R&D company. Its R&D process is based on users’ knowledge gained by their participation through AWS-driven ICT tools. This promotes a culture of experimentation in the development of user-driven innovations. Such innovations have further advanced the functionality of AWS in data analysis and business solutions. This dynamism promotes the development of soft innovation resources and revenue streams. These endeavors are demonstrated in a model, and their reliability is validated through an empirical analysis focused on the emergence of ADF solutions. Therefore, based on an analysis of the development trajectories of Amazon’s digital fashion technologies, such as ADFs, on-demand manufacturing, and neo-luxury, insightful suggestions and a framework for solutions beyond e-commerce are provided.

Over-the-air (OTA) updating is a critical mechanism for secure internet of things (IoT) systems for remotely updating the firmware (or keys) of IoT devices. Message queue telemetry transport (MQTT) is a very popular internet of things (IoT) communication protocol globally. Therefore, MQTT also becomes popular in facilitating the OTA mechanism in many IoT platforms, such as the Amazon IoT platform. In these IoT platforms, the MQTT broker acts as the message broker and as an OTA server simultaneously; in these broker-based OTA architectures, it is quite common that an IoT application manager not only uploads the new firmware/software to the broker but also delegates his signing authority on the firmware/software to the same broker. If the broker is secure and trusted, this OTA model works well; however, it incurs lots of security concerns if the broker is not fully trusted or if it is curious. Many MQTT deployments do not own their own brokers, but rely on a third-party broker, which sometimes is a freeware program or is maintained by a curious third party. Therefore, a secure OTA process should protect privacy against these brokers. This paper designs a novel MQTT-based OTA model in which an IoT application manager can fully control the OTA process through an end-to-end (E2E) channel. We design the model using MQTT 5.0’s new features and functions. The analysis shows that the new model greatly enhances security and privacy properties while maintaining high efficiency.

The Amazon is a biodiversity hotspot. Around 90% of its territory is inhabited by native communities, who spontaneously organize themselves into groups of extractivists and small producers, relying on biodiversity as their primary means of sustenance. This paper aims to discuss how the biotrade of Amazonian biodiversity goods affects native communities with respect to environmental, social, and economic sustainability. Based on a sample of 178 native extractivists in four communities, we concluded that biotrade enabled native communities to market their products by adapting to existing conditions, considering the difficulties and the expectations of traditional residents, and contributed to the three dimensions of sustainable development.

A circulação de mercadorias constitui uma etapa fundamental no processo de produção capitalista, contribuindo para a conexão entre diferentes espaços no contexto global. O objetivo deste trabalho é analisar a intensidade das trocas comerciais, identificando as mercadorias e parceiros do comércio exterior realizado pelas cidades-gêmeas localizadas na fronteira amazônica. Buscar-se-á relacionar as configurações territoriais dessas cidades, conforme as características de interações e articulações fronteiriças com os dados do comércio internacional. Dentre os procedimentos metodológicos, destacam-se a revisão bibliográfica, sobretudo as contribuições de Marx a respeito da produção em geral, pesquisa documental fundamentada nas legislações e publicações do Estado brasileiro sobre fronteiras e cidades-gêmeas e a coleta e sistematização dos dados de exportação e importação das cidades-gêmeas da Amazônia, disponíveis no portal Comex Stat do Ministério da Economia. A circulação de mercadorias nesta fronteira tem demonstrado um perfil diversificado, com destaque para os países limítrofes que aparecem como os principais destinos das exportações, sugerindo uma situação de integração econômica, independente do padrão de interações e articulações fronteiriças. The circulation of goods constitutes a fundamental step in the process of capitalist production, contributing to the connection between different spaces in the global context. The objective of this paper is to analyze the intensity of trade, identifying the goods and partners of foreign trade carried out by the twin cities located on the Amazon border. We will try to relate the territorial configurations of these cities, according to the characteristics of border interactions and articulations with international trade data. Among the methodological procedures, we highlight the bibliographic review, especially Marx's contributions regarding production in general, documentary research based on the Brazilian State's legislation and publications on borders and twin cities, and the collection and systematization of export and import data from the Amazon's twin cities, available on the portal Comex Stat of the Ministry of Economy. The circulation of goods on this border has shown a diversified profile, with emphasis on the bordering countries that appear as the main destinations for exports, suggesting a situation of economic integration, regardless of the pattern of border interactions and articulations. La circulación de mercancías constituye una etapa fundamental en el proceso de producción capitalista, contribuyendo a la conexión entre diferentes espacios en el contexto global. El objetivo de este trabajo es analizar la intensidad del comercio, identificando las mercancías y los socios del comercio exterior que realizan las ciudades gemelas situadas en la frontera amazónica. Se intentará relacionar las configuraciones territoriales de estas ciudades, según las características de las interacciones fronterizas y las articulaciones con los datos del comercio internacional. Entre los procedimientos metodológicos, destacamos la revisión bibliográfica, especialmente los aportes de Marx sobre la producción en general, la investigación documental basada en la legislación y publicaciones del Estado brasileño sobre fronteras y ciudades gemelas y la recopilación y sistematización de datos de exportación e importación de las ciudades gemelas amazónicas, disponibles en el portal Comex Stat del Ministerio de Economía. La circulación de mercancías en esta frontera ha mostrado un perfil diversificado, con énfasis en los países limítrofes que aparecen como principales destinos de las exportaciones, lo que sugiere una situación de integración económica, independientemente del patrón de interacciones y articulaciones fronterizas. La circulation des marchandises constitue une étape fondamentale du processus de production capitaliste, contribuant à la connexion entre différents espaces dans le contexte mondial. L'objectif de ce travail est d'analyser l'intensité du commerce, en identifiant les biens et les partenaires du commerce extérieur réalisés par les villes jumelles situées à la frontière amazonienne. Nous tenterons de mettre en relation les configurations territoriales de ces villes, en fonction des caractéristiques des interactions frontalières et des articulations avec les données du commerce international. Parmi les procédures méthodologiques, nous soulignons la revue bibliographique, en particulier les contributions de Marx concernant la production en général, la recherche documentaire basée sur la législation et les publications de l'État brésilien sur les frontières et les villes jumelées et la collecte et la systématisation des données d'exportation et d'importation des villes jumelées amazoniennes, disponibles sur le portail Comex Stat du ministère de l'Économie. La circulation des marchandises sur cette frontière a montré un profil diversifié, avec un accent sur les pays frontaliers qui apparaissent comme les principales destinations des exportations, ce qui suggère une situation d'intégration économique, indépendamment du schéma des interactions et des articulations frontalières.

This paper explores the status of visuality in surveillance capitalism by considering its role in the management of Amazon’s logistical operations. Whereas Amazon is often portrayed as being at the forefront of developments in surveillance associated with face recognition technologies, a focus on its logistical operations highlights the more mundane role of the barcode scan. The barcode is considered a calm image, central to the operation of capture in the warehouse and beyond. Logistics is here marked by invisualities, wherein visuality is operationalised to optimise logistical flows of data, things and people, rather than geared towards visual forms of surveillance. These invisualities mean that power is exercised primarily through the scan as capture, with power characterised as operational and environmental. Recent developments in logistics towards augmented video surveillance and its associated networked images must also be assessed in the context of this mode of power and its economy.

Globalizacija je utjecala na poboljšanje poslovanja trgovačkih poduzeća. Promjenjivo okruženje u međunarodnoj trgovini omogućilo je trgovačkim poduzećima da prošire svoje poslovanje na međunarodnu razinu. Uz podršku lokalnih vlasti, svjetskih organizacija i razvijenih korporacija, trgovačka poduzeća mogu konkurirati na međunarodnom tržištu, suočiti se s liberalizacijom tržišta i izazovima uvjetovani globalizacijom. Globalizacija je utjecala na povećanje konkurencije. Pandemija COVID-19 pokazala je kako velike globalne krize mogu značajno uzdrmati globalnu trgovinu, ali i prilagodbu poduzeča poput Amazona na pandemiju. Poduzeće Amazon je pravi primjer uspješnog prilagođavanja globalizaciji današnjice te je uzet kao primjer u ovom radu., Globalization has affected the improvement of commercial enterprises. The changing environment in international trade has allowed trading companies to expand their business internationally. With the support of local authorities, world organizations and developed corporations, trading companies can compete in the international market, face market liberalization and the challenges posed by globalization. Globalization has had an impact on increasing competition. The COVID-19 pandemic has shown how major global crises can significantly shake global trade, but also the adaptation of companies like Amazon to a pandemic. Amazon is a real example of successfully adapting to today's globalization and is taken as an example in this paper.

Located at the Brazilian Amazon, the municipality of Novo Aripuanã has elements of the urban space created based on the economic cycles of the region. The goal of the article is to understand the logics and agents that played a role in the construction of the urban space of Novo Aripuanã. A profile of the geo-history of the municipality from 1830 to 2020 was used as a methodology to better understand the issue. This article identified that the rubber and Brazilian nut cycles are directly related to the origin of the municipality, whereas the exploitation of wood and minerals predominates as the current economic activities. Most of the municipality's economic cycles are associated with the dynamics of life in rural areas or elsewhere, while municipal administration and urban life were poorly benefited from it. Regarding the agents that created the urban space of Novo Aripuanã, documents point to contributions of the owners of the means of production, Roman Catholic Church, which build important urban facilities, and the State, although, in most cases, acting late and ignoring socially excluded groups. This paper concludes that Novo Aripuanã has the basic characteristics of a small town in the Amazon, characterized by slow temporalities and administrative and social assistance incapability. Situado en la Amazonía brasileña, el municipio de Novo Aripuanã presenta elementos del espacio urbano y de su creación a partir de los momentos y ciclos económicos de esa región como un todo. En ese sentido, el objetivo de este artículo es comprender las lógicas y los agentes que contribuyeron para la producción del espacio urbano de Novo Aripuanã, y para esa comprensión se trazará un perfil de la geohistoria del municipio desde 1830 hasta 2020. Se identificó que los ciclos del caucho y la castaña están directamente relacionados con el origen del municipio, y en la actualidad predomina la explotación de madera y minerales. Siendo, la mayor parte de estos, asociados a la dinámica de la vida en la zona rural o de otros lugares, mientras que la administración municipal y la vida de la ciudad han sido o son poco beneficiadas. En cuanto a los agentes productores del espacio urbano, los registros apuntan contribuciones de los propietarios de los medios de producción e Iglesia Católica Apostólica Romana, creadora de importantes equipamientos urbanos, y del Estado, aunque, en la mayoría de las veces, actuando tardiamente paralos grupos socialmente excluidos. Se puede concluir que las características básicas de Novo Aripuanã son las de una pequeña ciudad en la Amazonía, marcada por las temporalidades lentas y por la incapacidad administrativa y de asistencia social. Situado na Amazônia brasileira, o município de Novo Aripuanã apresenta elementos do espaço urbano e de sua criação pautáveis aos momentos e ciclos econômicos dessa região como um todo. Nesse sentido, o objetivo deste artigo é compreender as lógicas e agentes que contribuíram para a produção do espaço urbano de Novo Aripuanã, e para essa compreensão será traçado um perfil da geo-história do município a partir de 1830 até 2020. Identificou-se que os ciclos da borracha e da castanha estão diretamente relacionados à origem do município, e na atualidade predomina a exploração de madeiras e minerais sendo, a maior parte deles, associados à dinâmica da vida na zona rural ou de outros lugares, enquanto a administração municipal e a vida na cidade pouco foram ou são beneficiadas. No que se refere aos agentes produtores do espaço urbano, os registros apontam contribuições dos proprietários dos meios de produção e Igreja Católica Apostólica Romana, criando importantes equipamentos urbanos, do Estado, embora, na maioria das vezes, agindo tardiamente para os grupos socialmente excluídos. Pode-se concluir que as características básicas de Novo Aripuanã são de uma pequena cidade na Amazônia, marcada pelas temporalidades lentas e pela incapacidade administrativa e assistência social.

This paper aims to discuss about Amazonian Diversity and its relation with multiculturalism and inclusive education. Specifically, the issue of multiculturalism and the challenges of inclusive education in the Brazil-Colombia-Peru Tri-border area. It is understood that people with disabilities must be accepted and respected in their differences, limitations, needs and particularities, understanding that inclusion is not only about access to school and mere permanence in the classroom, but being aware of their rights of inclusion. The methodology of this article is bibliographic research, which consists of a collection of scientific productions on the theme, in order to present a historical and conceptual overview of the research issue under analysis. It was observed that the educational environment is of paramount importance to receive the students who need this inclusion, it is up to the teachers to prepare and adapt them to this multicultural reality for the exercise of diversity and surely the irreprehensible way salutary the manifestation of citizenship, character and legitimate respect, affection among others. El presente trabajo tiene como objetivo discutir sobre la Diversidad Amazónica y su relación con la multiculturalidad y la educación inclusiva, específicamente el tema de la multiculturalidad y los desafíos de la educación inclusiva en la Triple Frontera Brasil-Colombia-Perú. Se entiende que las personas con discapacidad deben ser aceptadas y respetadas en sus diferencias, limitaciones, necesidades y particularidades, entendiendo que la inclusión no es sólo el acceso a la escuela y la mera permanencia en el aula, sino ser conscientes de sus derechos de inclusión. La metodología de este artículo es la investigación bibliográfica, que consiste en la agrupación de producciones científicas sobre el tema, para presentar un panorama histórico y conceptual sobre la problemática de investigación analizada. Se observó que el ambiente educativo es de suma importancia para recibir a los alumnos que necesitan esta inclusión, corresponde a los profesores prepararlos y adaptarlos a esta realidad multicultural para el ejercicio de la diversidad y seguramente la manera irreprochable saluda la manifestación de la ciudadanía, el carácter y el respeto legítimo, el afecto entre otros. O presente visa discutir acerca da Diversidade Amazônica e a relação com o multiculturalismo e a educação inclusiva, especificamente, a questão do Multiculturalismo e os Desafios da Educação Inclusiva na Tríplice Fronteira Brasil-Colômbia-Peru. Pois ter o olhar para o multiculturalismo como requisito essencial para a inclusão, entende-se que as pessoas com deficiências devem serem aceitas e respeitadas em suas diferenças, limitações, necessidades e particularidades, compreendendo que incluir não se constitui apenas em acesso à escola e mera permanência em sala de aula, mas estar ciente de seus diretos de inclusão. A metodologia desse artigo é a pesquisa bibliográfica, que consiste no agrupamento de produções científicas que versam sobre o tema, para apresentar um panorama histórico e conceitual acerca da problemática de pesquisa analisada. Observou-se que, o ambiente educativo é de suma importância para receber os educandos que necessitam dessa inclusão, cabe aos docentes prepará-los e adaptá-los a essa realidade multicultural para o exercício da diversidade e seguramente a forma irrepreensível salutar a manifestação de cidadania, caráter e legitimo respeito, afetividade entre outros.

Through the Amazon Influencer Program, Amazon customers can follow influencers whose content they enjoy. Before the implementation of my technical project, customers had to locate each influencer individually. During my internship at Amazon, I implemented a recommendations widget to suggest influencers and their content to customers. This widget provided a dedicated place for customers to discover new content and used machine learning (ML) to optimize recommendations based on what customers liked. The technical portion of this paper provides an overview of the design, architecture, and results of the recommendations widget project. It describes the full technological stack, from the frontend decisions to the backend construction with machine learning extensibility. Though the machine learning algorithm behind this particular widget was simple, it brought to mind the issue of customer data privacy. Since machine learning algorithms become more effective with more data, this issue of data ethics is a complex sociotechnical dilemma. Additionally, there is a blatant lack of transparency behind tech companies and their user data. This problem is further compounded by the lack of effective legislation, both on public and private levels, to oversee the ethical use of these immense volumes of data. To demonstrate why machine learning applications have become so prevalent, I first investigate their power, specifically in the form of recommendation engines that help users find new content through personalized suggestions. The dominance of these applications lies in their potential to provide revenue, personalization, and content discovery. I then frame the issue of customer data privacy using the Social Construction of Technology (SCOT), or the idea that social groups dictate nearly every aspect of a technology to shape its function in society. Given the sociotechnical complexity of this issue, algorithmic bias often appears through the implicit bias of the engineers implementing the ML, despite the algorithms seeming objective. This is dangerous as it ignores the nuances of the social groups that the data represents, resulting in discriminatory outputs. To explore the ethics of data collection and transparency, I analyze recommender systems using utilitarian and virtue ethics. To explore my research question “To what extent is it ethical, from a utilitarian and virtue standpoint, for tech companies to use customer data to provide more personalized experiences?” I conduct several research methods. First, I survey my UVA peers to gauge stances on software companies using their data for personalized services. The survey results highlight an interesting paradox: respondents were generally uncomfortable with companies tracking their data, but also would not stop using these services due to their unique value and lack of viable alternatives. I then analyze two case studies of ML algorithmic bias and data persistence across different platforms. In the first, juridical deliberation in Broward County, Florida used ML to assign recidivism scores to 18,000 criminal defendants, but systematically overestimated for black people. In the second, the Chinese government used artificial intelligence (AI) to profile the Muslim Uighur minority, marking the first known example of a government using AI for racial profiling. This research demonstrates a severe need for effective data policies to promote ML data collection in ethical and effective ways.

Today, Amazon.com is the world’s biggest e-commerce website, which is powered by a large community of third-party sellers. Amazon provides an online marketplace specifically tailored to their sellers, but this marketplace is lacking in user reviews. As such, the technical research report aims to increase user engagement in this marketplace through the creation of an email notification system that sends reminders to leave reviews. Although Amazon can encourage people to leave reviews on their website, Amazon is not able to guarantee that user reviews are genuine. This predicament leads to the STS research paper, which investigates the fake review problem that has plagued Amazon over the past decade. The tightly coupled technical and STS topics both revolve around user reviews on Amazon, in which they examine how a review system is supplemented with a notification system, as well as the various social groups that influence the design and use of a review system. The technical research report outlines the process of creating a new email notification system that works with Amazon’s Seller Central Partner Network (SCPN). After a seller subscribes to an application on the SCPN, they will receive an email reminder to leave a review for that application. In order to determine who needs to receive an email reminder, the notification system queries several internal Amazon databases and sends over the relevant data to an AWS Lambda function, which is a cloud computing service provided by Amazon. If a seller is eligible to leave a review, then the notification system sends the email reminder and keeps track of that seller in a DynamoDB database. Completion of this notification system was achieved over a twelve week internship at Amazon. A finalized design of the system was presented after the first six weeks, and the remainder of the internship was dedicated to the implementation of the system. The notification system is able to receive new seller data every day and successfully sends an email to the target seller. Due to time constraints, not all the features proposed in the design were able to be implemented. After the end of the internship, the notification system was passed on to Amazon’s SCPN software engineering team, where they are continuing to add functionality to the system. The initial inspiration for researching Amazon’s fake review problem came from a desire to understand the social context of online misinformation, and the focus was placed on Amazon to provide an appropriate scope of topic that is closely related to the technical project. When it comes to Amazon, the STS research strived to answer the question of why people are motivated leave fake reviews and how different social groups influenced Amazon’s decisions to revise their review system. Pinch and Bijker’s Social Construction of Technology theory was the framework used to analyze Amazon’s fake review problem. This framework was best suited to explain how Amazon’s review system is constantly evolving in order to meet the demands of each social group. As it turns out, a major contribution to Amazon’s fake review problem involves incentivized reviews. Although Amazon decided to ban incentivized reviews on their website, nefarious sellers discovered that they could fish for fake reviews on other platforms such as Facebook. Thus, Amazon’s fake review problem persisted, and the company resorted to additional measures to attempt to contain the damage caused by fake reviews. Although the STS research did not recommend a solution to Amazon’s fake review problem, the research instead provided a better understanding and appreciation for how individuals can shape a particular technology.

The Llanos de Mojos of the Bolivian Amazon is a domesticated landscape with a long history of management by pre-Columbian communities. This paper uses a landscape approach to interpret the settlement patterns of pre-Columbian raised-field farmers in west central Mojos. The pre-Columbian landscape was reconstructed by mapping the distribution of three types of landscape features: forest islands, raised agricultural fields, and water systems (rivers, streams and wetlands). Previous research has identified four types of patterned clustering or ‘constellations’ of these landscape features in west central Mojos. These constellations and the immediate area of the landscape that surrounds them afforded Mojos farmers a specific set of tasks or activities to take part in as part of harnessing resources from the landscape. The mapping of landscape features and their associated tasks onto the landscape provides insight into the organization of the communities that constructed and managed them. It was found that the landscape of west central Mojos is organized into two distinct regional patterns. In the northern part of the region, evidence of large farming communities is dispersed along the banks of the permanent rivers with networks of landscape features extending off into remote areas of the savanna. In the southern part of the region, evidence for large farming communities is clustered closer together in remote areas of the savanna with networks of landscape features extending back towards the permanent rivers. The two regions are melded together by a transitional zone that implies a type of interaction between the regions rather than a distinct separation.

The order Odonata (Insecta) is composed of aquatic insects popularly known as dragonflies and damselflies. Members of this order are closely linked to the conservation status of their habitats; however, the Wallacean shortfall in some regions still remains high. The Volta Grande do Xingu region is known to have high endemism of some groups, such as Actinopterygii (fish), which can be applied to other groups that do not yet have their fauna known at the site, such as the order Odonata. The Wallacean shortfall and constant anthropic changes (for example, the construction of the Belo Monte Hydroelectric) have been obstacles in the preservation of these and other groups. In that regard, the main aim of this paper is to provide a checklist of Odonata (Insecta) adult species from the streams of Volta Grande do Xingu, Pará, Brazil. The collections were carried out in 19 streams in the Volta Grande do Xingu region in September 2019, corresponding to the drought period. A total of 526 specimens were collected, where two suborders, six families, 26 genera and 43 species were identified. Three species of Odonata were registered for the first time in the state of Pará: Erythrodiplax famula (Erichson in Schomburgk, 1848); Acanthagrion chacoense Calvert, 1909 and Epipleoneura lamina Williamson, 1915. These data allow us to help increase the knowledge of Odonata fauna in the streams of Volta Grande do Xingu, a region that is under intense anthropic pressure. This helps to reduce the Wallacean shortfall, with another area sampled for the state of Pará.

On the one hand, the withdrawal of natural resources from the subsoil has been defended as an important generator of foreign exchange and as a mechanism for economic growth. On the other hand, those responsible (environmentalists and / or affected groups) highlight their environmental and social impacts, their inability to promote local development and to generate benefits for localities and those responsible. Based on these considerations, the objective of the paper is an analysis of the impacts of the neo-extractive mining activity in the state of Amapá, particularly the extraction of gold. Therefore, the pertinent bibliography of the area is read, with the support of a database (RAISG, SIGMINE-ANM, among others). To illustrate this situation, we can base our analysis on several projects that already exist in Amapá, either in the legal sphere (mining companies) or by illegal mining (artisanal and small scale mining), as we can see in the maps generated. They highlight what already exists in legal mining (authoritative titles) and expectations (about the right to mine, which are represented by the requirements). Thus, it is observed that the socioenvironmental impacts arising from the neo-extractive activity of minerals favor the deforestation of protected areas and / or indigenous territories, particularly due to the illegal mining that crosses the borders of the state of Amapá (French Guiana and Suriname), the which makes it possible to observe that, despite the legal framework, the neo-extractive mining activity is responsible for favoring a degradation of the Amazonian biome, with the presence of land grabbing, the creation of highways, in addition to affecting the traditional mode. D'une part, le retrait des ressources naturelles du sous-sol a été défendu comme un important générateur de devises et comme un mécanisme de croissance économique. D'autre part, les responsables (écologistes et / ou groupes concernés) mettent en avant leurs impacts environnementaux et sociaux, leur incapacité à promouvoir le développement local et à générer des bénéfices pour les localités et les travailleurs impliqués. Sur la base de ces considérations, l'objectif de cet article est d'analyser les impacts de l'activité minière néo-extractive dans l'état de l'Amapá, en particulier l'extraction de l'or. Par conséquent, la bibliographie pertinente de la zone est présentée, à l'aide de bases de données (RAISG, SIGMINE-ANM, entre autres). Pour illustrer cette situation, nous orientons notre analyse à partir de plusieurs projets qui existent déjà dans l’état de l’Amapá, soit dans le domaine juridique (sociétés minières), soit par exploitation minière illégale (exploitation minière artisanale et à petite échelle), comme on peut le voir sur les cartes générées. Celles-ci montrent ce qui existe déjà dans le minage légal (titres faisant autorité) et en tant qu'attentes (sur le droit de miner, qui sont représentés par les exigences). Ainsi, on observe que les impacts socio-environnementaux découlant de l'activité néo-extractive des minerais favorisent la déforestation des aires protégées et / ou des territoires autochtones, notamment en raison de l'exploitation minière illégale qui traverse les frontières de l'État de l’Amapá (Guyane Française et Suriname), ce qui permet de conclure que légalement, l'activité minière néo-extractiviste est responsable de la dégradation du biome amazonien, avec la présence d'accaparement des terres, la création de pistes, en plus d'affecter le mode de vie de la population autochtone. Por um lado, a retirada de recursos naturais do subsolo tem sido defendida como um importante gerador de divisas e como um mecanismo de crescimento econômico. Por outro lado, seus críticos (ambientalistas e/ou populações afetadas) destacam seus impactos ambientais e sociais, sua incapacidade de promover o desenvolvimento local e de gerar benefícios para as localidades e os trabalhadores envolvidos. A partir dessas considerações, objetiva-se uma análise dos impactos da atividade neoextrativista de mineração no estado do Amapá, particularmente a extração do ouro. Para tanto, procede-se à leitura da bibliografia pertinente da área, com apoio de banco de dados (RAISG, SIGMINE-ANM, entre outras). Para ilustrar essa situação, podemos pautar nossa análise a partir de diversos projetos já existentes no Amapá, seja na esfera legal (mineradoras) ou pelo garimpo ilegal (mineração artesanal e de pequena escala), como podemos observar nos mapas gerados. Eles evidenciam o que já existe de mineração legal (títulos autorizativos) e as expectativas (sobre o direito de minerar, que são representados pelos requerimentos). Desse modo, observa-se que os impactos socioambientais oriundos da atividade neoextrativista de minérios favorecem o desmatamento de áreas protegidas e/ou territórios indígenas, particularmente em função do garimpo ilegal que atravessa as fronteiras do estado do Amapá (Guiana Francesa e Suriname), o que permite concluir que, apesar do arcabouço legal, a atividade neoextrativista de mineração é responsável por favorecer uma degradação do bioma amazônico, com a presença de focos de grilagem, a criação de rodovias, além de afetar o modo de viver das populações tradicionais.

The brown pelican (Pelecanus occidentalis) is a seabird with wide geographic distribution along the coast of the American continent. The species lives most of its life at sea, returning to the mainland only to nest. This paper reports the occurrence of brown pelicans in the Anavilhanas National Park, Brazilian Amazon, and describes how artisanal fishermen living in the surroundings of this Conservation Unit have been interacting with this unexpected visitor. Through field sightings and interviews with local residents, up to six brown pelicans were recorded which, according to local residents, appeared for the first time in the second half of 2019. The interactions between fishermen and birds involve especially the offer of fish, but conflicts were also recorded, such as when pelicans are attracted by the smell of fish and head towards fishing vessels, causing fishermen to chase the birds away, and the report of the slaughter of one of the birds for consumption. This is the most interior record of the species in a continental Amazonian environment and the first to describe a cluster of brown pelicans interacting with inhabitants of the region. The results presented demonstrate that we know little about the factors that influence the migration and dispersion of brown pelicans, contribute to a better understanding of cultural attitudes related to human-fauna interactions, and support the conservation management of these rare birds in interior Amazonian areas. El pelicano pardo (Pelecanus occidentalis) es un ave marina con amplia distribución geográfica a lo largo de la costa del continente americano. La espécie vive la mayor parte de su vida en el mar y regresa al continente solo para anidar. Este artículo describe la ocurrencia de pelícanos pardos en el Parque Nacional Anavilhanas, Amazonía brasileña, y describe cómo los pescadores artesanales que viven en los alrededores de esta Unidad de Conservación han estado interactuando con este visitante inesperado. Através de avistamientos de campo y entrevistas con moradores locales, se registraron hasta seis pelícanos pardos que aparecieron por primera vez en el segundo semestre de 2019. Las interacciones entre pescadores y aves involucran especialmente la oferta de pescado, pero conflitos también se registraron, como cuando los pelícanos son atraídos por el olor del pescado y se dirigen hacia los barcos de pesca, lo que provoca que los pescadores ahuyenten a las aves, y el informe de la matanza de una de las aves para su consumo. Este es el registro más interior de la especie en un ambiente amazónico continental y el primero en describir un grupo de pelícanos pardos que interactúan con los habitantes de la región. Los resultados presentados demuestran que sabemos poco sobre los factores que influyen en la migración y dispersión de los pelícanos pardos, contribuyen a una mejor comprensión de las actitudes culturales relacionadas con las interacciones humano-fauna y apoyan el manejo de la conservación de estas raras aves en las áreas del interior amazónico. O pelicano-pardo (Pelecanus occidentalis) é uma ave marinha com ampla distribuição geográfica pela região costeira do continente americano. A espécie vive a maior parte da sua vida no mar, retornando ao continente apenas para nidificar. O presente trabalho relata a ocorrência de pelicanos-pardos no Parque Nacional de Anavilhanas, Amazônia brasileira, e descreve como pescadores artesanais que residem no entorno desta Unidade de Conservação vêm interagindo com este visitante inesperado. Por meio de avistamentos em campo e entrevistas com moradores locais, foram registrados até seis pelicanos-pardos que, segundo moradores locais, apareceram pela primeira vez no segundo semestre de 2019. As interações entre os pescadores e as aves envolvem especialmente a oferta de peixes, mas também foram registrados conflitos, como quando os pelicanos são atraídos pelo cheiro do peixe e vão em direção às embarcações de pesca, fazendo com que os pescadores tenham que afugentar as aves, e o relato de abate de uma das aves para consumo. Este é o registro mais interior da espécie em ambiente continental amazônico e o primeiro a descrever um agrupamento de pelicanos-pardos em interação com moradores da região. Os resultados apresentados demonstram que pouco sabemos sobre os fatores que influenciam a migração e dispersão dos pelicanos-pardos, contribuem para um melhor entendimento de atitudes culturais relacionadas às interações humano-fauna, e subsidiam o manejo conservacionista destas aves pouco comuns em áreas interiores amazônicas.

This paper analyzes the land use and land cover changes in the region of Silves municipality, State of Amazonas, between 1970 and 2010. Historically, this area corresponds to one of the oldest colonization set on the edge of the Amazon River. However, the recent tendency to opening and constructing roads has significantly changed the way of life in the region. The methodological approach includes the classification using a time series of Landsat images in order to identify change along rivers and roads, which cross the area of study. The results show the new spatial configuration experienced by the local population, pointing out the change of the main deforestation areas from the rivers’ edge to roads., Este artigo analisa a mudança de uso e cobertura da terra na região do município de Silves, Estado do Amazonas, entre os anos de 1970 a 2010. Historicamente, a área de estudo corresponde a uma das localidades mais antigas de colonização às margens do Rio Amazonas. No entanto, a atual tendência de abertura e construção de estradas na região tem alterado significativamente o modo de vida da população local. A partir da classificação de uma série de imagens Landsat e a aplicação de buffers sobre determinados alvos de interesse, foi realizada uma análise temporal das mudanças na paisagem ao longo dos rios e estradas que cruzam a área de estudo. Os resultados evidenciam a nova configuração espacial vivenciada pela população, destacando a mudança das principais áreas desflorestadas da margem dos rios para as estradas.

Amazon’s expansion led it to places unlikely to be reached by an online retailer, including physical stores. The firm’s diversification history cues us over the logic around these decisions. Despite the current excitement around SVoD services by customers and competing firms alike, in the early 2000sthe prospects of investments in this new market was far less evident. Amazon, at the time just an online retailer, was one of the first companies to bet on this industry and today it reaps its benefits. This paper analyses strategic reasons for Amazon to diversify into streaming as well as its future prospects.

International audience; The way vegetation is officially named, classified, and identified has critical implications for ecosystems and biodiversity conservation. Yet little attention is given to how such issues hinder the efficacy of laws mandating environmental conservation on private land. In the Brazilian Amazon where half of the land is now already under private tenure or is available for future land-uses, differences in vegetation mapping and interpretation directly affect the level of protection in private rural properties, especially in transition areas where forest and savanna areas intermingle. Since Brazil's Native Vegetation Protection Law (NVPL) attaches a higher percentage of protection to forest-located properties, landowners may be tempted to use conflicting mappings and different vegetation classifications to claim their properties are located in areas other than forests to reduce their conservation requirements. In this paper, we compare three official vegetation databases and examine different law interpretation scenarios to assess the extent to which the level of private conservation may fluctuate. We found a difference of up to 430,000 km2 of protected vegetation (an area the size of Iraq) according to the database and vegetation characteristics chosen. This technical ambiguity may lead to make additional deforestation legal or reduce sharply the amount of vegetation to be restored for these areas, if left unaddressed. Clarifying the database and criteria used to define forest is critical, especially as Brazilian states may make different choices in that regard, and cases in which loopholes are exploited occurred in the recent past. Given the importance of this region for global biodiversity conservation and climate, we highlight the urgent need to: (1) support additional research to clarify vegetation characteristics and location; (2) agree on a harmonized methodology to determine forests for NVPL implementation, and (3) explore alternative criteria for defining forests when databases conflict.

The paper applies the radical view of Monopoly Capitalism to the digital platform economy. Based on the seminal ideas of Hymer and Zeitlin that led Cowling and Sugden to define the large monopolistic firm as a means to plan production from a single strategic decision-making centre, we attempt to develop a framework where digital platforms are conceived as an evolution of large transnational corporations. Power and control, in our view of monopoly capitalism, are thus to be understood not only in terms of market relations, but rather as levers for coordinating global production and influencing world societies. Applying this framework to the Amazon case, we highlight the key analytical dimensions to be considered: not only does Amazon dominate other firms and suppliers through its diversification and direct control of data and technology; its power is also linked to global labour fragmentation and uneven bargaining power vis-à-vis the world’s governments, as in the tradition set by Hymer and Cowling.

The question of how to generate development while preserving the environment is central to the history of the Brazilian Amazon. Many decades of top-down state interventions conceived and executed under a developmentalist framework have resulted in a socioenvironmental crisis. In response, the Sustainable Oil Palm Production Program (SPOPP) was launched in 2010. It promised to break with developmentalist visions and articulate environmental and sustainability concerns. This paper uses assemblage thinking to examine how these contrasting, often impossible-to-balance, views manifest within SPOPP implementation. We describe how non-human actors (trees, diseases, previous policies and agroecological zoning technologies) interact with human actors. However, powerful actors, in the state and beyond, continue to garner support for their developmentalist interests and thwart or depoliticize environmental and social concerns, thus limiting change.

Este trabajo se propone tratar la complejidad de la crisis hídrica y su relación con la Amazonia brasileña, especialmente con sus bosques, así como la gravedad de sus impactos actuales en Brasil, todo ello desde la perspectiva de la transnacionalidad. En ese contexto, este artículo tiene como objetivo general de investigación comprender la correlación entre la Amazonia, en especial la brasileña, y la transnacionalidad, siendo el eje del estudio la crisis hídrica. El desarrollo del artículo se divide en 2 partes principales, una centrada en los factores climáticos y otra centrada en el surgimiento de la demanda transnacional. La metodología utilizada se fundamenta en la investigación inductiva, partiendo de conceptos particulares: la crisis hídrica, el contexto climático de la Amazonia, la transnacionalidad y las demandas transnacionales; para llegar a la idea general sobre la correlación entre la crisis hídrica y la Amazonia brasileña y como ésta se pone de manifiesto como una demanda transnacional. This paper aims to deal with the complexity of the hydric crisis and its relationship with the Brazilian Amazon, especially the forest, and the seriousness of the contemporary hydric crisis in Brazil, and how this only demonstrates the reality of transnationality. In this context, this article's general research objective is to understand the correlation between the Amazon, especially the Brazilian, and transnationality based on the understanding of the hydric crisis. Divided into 2 parts, its product used the inductive method of research, in which it started with particular ideas: the hydric crisis, the climatic context of the Amazon, transnationality and transnational demands; to arrive at the general idea of the research on the correlation between the hydric crisis and the Brazilian Amazon and how it is demonstrated as a transnational demand. Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior de Brasil (CAPES), Programa De Excelência Acadêmica (PROEX).

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected tourism worldwide. This paper examines the impacts of pandemic on companies and professionals related to ecotourism in the state of Amazonas, Brazil. For this purpose, we sent online structured questionnaire to workers in the sector, whose participation was voluntary and anonymous. We had 44 responses from seven macro-regions in the state, most of which were guides and workers in the market for over 15 years. For 91% of respondents, the pandemic totally affected personal or company turnover. Strategies to minimize impacts were adopted in 97% of cases, such as cancellation or rescheduling. The turnover forecast for the remainder of 2020 was very high for 38.6% of respondents. The budget recovery forecast is of at least two years for 43.2% of the cases. The professionals related to ecotourism in Amazonas had their activities affected and the perspective is for a slow recovery, resulting in vulnerability for the activity. Brazil's current image abroad, referring to the weak implementation of actions to mitigate the effects of the pandemic, represents a risk to the activity in Amazonas. Public policies are of utmost importance to recover the ecotourism and the valorization of the different actors and companies related to this tourist segment. Keywords: Amazon; Coronavirus; Social isolation; Protected area; Tourism.

Made available in DSpace on 2022-04-28T19:44:15Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2021-11-01 Nanyang Technological University National Science Foundation This paper presents the geomorphic classification and bathymetry (at 100 m) of 12 major floodplains along a 900 km reach of the middle-lower Amazon River (Manaus – Monte Alegre; total floodplain area of 5164 km2), based on the inundation frequency (IF) derived from 36 yr of Landsat data. Using a mathematical relationship between IF and surveyed depth at the Curuai floodplain in June 2004, this IF-depth model is applied across floodplains of the middle-lower Amazon to estimate bathymetry. The applicability of the model is justified by similar grain size distribution (dominantly silt and clay) of sediment in the surface water of floodplain lakes (the main materials constructing the floodplains), as well as a hydrogeomorphic classification of this reach: seven floodplains lying on the alluvial plain dominated by the Amazon-flood pulse (Type I), three floodplains incised in valleys dominated by sediment-poor upland tributaries (Type II) and two floodplains of mixed types. This classification is used to distinguish the sensitivity of floodplains to the IF-depth model, where Type I floodplains of higher sensitivity provide a more accurate depth estimation. The bathymetry for both types is validated with field survey data across eight floodplains (covering over 200 km survey distance) collected in June – July 2016 and adjusted by the difference between mean June 2004 and June/July 2016 water level. Correlation coefficients of 0.87 (Type I) and 0.94 (Type II) indicate a strong relationship between estimated and measured depth for both floodplain types, while the root mean square error of 1.03 m (Type I) and 1.02 m (Type II) suggest that bathymetry is estimated to around 1 m error, equivalent to 10.9% and 10.8% of maximum water level variability, respectively. We offer the first field-validated and complete bathymetry map for the middle-lower Amazon River with accuracy that can be used to evaluate the role of floodplains in influencing biodiversity, sedimentation, flood control and biogeochemical cycling. Asian School of the Environment Nanyang Technological University National Institute of Education Nanyang Technological University Department of Environmental Engineering Sao Paulo State University Department of Environmental Engineering Sao Paulo State University National Science Foundation: 1558446

Este trabalho analisa as principais mudanças na Lei Federal nº 11.952/2009, conhecida como Política de Regularização Fundiária da Amazônia (PRFA), demonstrando que o Poder Público vem implementando uma política pública de privatização de terras federais ilegalmente invadidas (grilagem), causando prejuízos para a estrutura fundiária rural e para o meio ambiente da região. This paper analyzes the main changes in Brazilian Law no. 11,952/2009, known as the Amazon Public Policy for Land Regularization (PRFA), demonstrating that the Brazilian Government has been implementing a public policy of privatization of illegally invaded federal lands (land-grabbing), causing damage to the rural land structure and for the environment of the region. Cet article analyse les principaux changements de la loi brésilienne n° 11 952/2009, connue sous le nom de Politique de régularisation de la propriété foncière en Amazonie (PRFA), démontrant que le gouvernement brésilien a mené une politique publique de privatisation des terres fédérales illégalement envahies (d’accaparement de terres), causant des dommages à la structure foncière rurale et à l'environnement de la région

João Marques de Carvalho (1886-1910) was one of a few writers that managed to publish a great literary production, as periodics and as volumes, for example poems, short stories, or novels, in the Amazon, in the state of Pará. In prefaces of books and periodic publications, the author raised, with enthusiasm and vehemence, the flag of Naturalism, literary style considered excessively realistic and raw, that he adopted, protected, and devoted along his career. This way, Marques de Carvalho put himself against the literary production practiced in Pará, because most of his coworkers in Belém at the nineteenth century showed much affection to the Romantism, which was still quite expressive in Brazil, even with the appearance of new literary tendencies in the last two decades of the nineteenth century. Therefore, we aim with this paper to demonstrate how Marques de Carvalho positioned himself in relation to Naturalism and to study the main contributions of the author from Pará to this literary style in the Pará Amazon, from the novels O pajé (1887) and Hortência (1888), both published and set in Belém do Pará. João Marques de Carvalho (1866-1910) foi um dos poucos escritores a conseguir na Amazônia paraense publicar uma produção literária tanto em periódicos quanto em volumes, a exemplo de poemas, contos e romances. Em prefácios de livros e publicações periódicas de naturezas diversas, o escritor paraense levantou com entusiasmo e veemência a bandeira do Naturalismo, estilo literário considerado excessivamente realista e cru, que adotou, defendeu e cultivou ao longo da carreira. Dessa maneira, Marques de Carvalho colocou- se na contracorrente da produção literária cultivada na província do Pará, pois a maioria dos colegas de ofício radicados na Belém oitocentista se demonstrava mais afeita ao Romantismo. Diante disso, objetivamos demonstrar como Marques de Carvalho se posicionou em relação ao Naturalismo e estudar as principais contribuições do autor paraense a esse estilo literário na Amazônia paraense, a partir dos romances O pajé (1887) e Hortência (1888), ambos publicados e ambientados em Belém do Pará.

Businesses need to use sentiment analysis, powered by artificial intelligence and machine learning to forecast accurately whether or not consumers are satisfied with their offerings. This paper uses a deep learning model to analyze thousands of reviews of Amazon Alexa to predict customer sentiment. The proposed model can be directly applied to any company with an online presence to detect customer sentiment from their reviews automatically. This research aims to present a suitable method for analyzing the users’ reviews of Amazon Echo and categorizing them into positive or negative thoughts. A dataset containing reviews of 3150 users has been used in this research work. Initially, a word cloud of positive and negative reviews was plotted, which gave a lot of insight from the text data. After that, a deep learning model using a multinomial naive Bayesian classifier was built and trained using 80% of the dataset. Then the remaining 20% of the dataset was used to test the model. The proposed model gives 93% accuracy. The proposed model has also been compared with four models used in the same domain, outperforming three.

Ecosyndemics refer to disease interactions that result from environmental changes commonly caused by humans. In this paper, we push scholarship on ecosyndemics into new territory by using the ecosyndemic framework to compare two case studies—the Southern Interoceanic highway in Peru and the Belo Monte hydroelectric dam in Brazil—to assess the likelihood of socio-environmental factors interacting and leading to ill health in a syndemic fashion. Assessing these two case studies using an ecosyndemic perspective, we find that the construction of dams and highways in tropical forests create the conditions for increases in vector-borne illnesses, surges in sex work and sexually-transmitted infections, and increased psychological stress resulting from violence, delinquency, and the erosion of social cohesion. We suggest that these processes could interact synergistically to increase an individual's immune burden and a population's overall morbidity. However, we find differences in the impacts of the Interoceanic highway and the Belo Monte dam on food, water, and cultural systems, and observed that community and corporate-level actions may bolster health in the face of rapid socio-ecological change. Looking at the case studies together, a complex picture of vulnerability and resilience, risk and opportunity, complicates straight-forward predictions of ecosyndemic interactions resulting from these development projects but highlights the role that the ecosyndemic concept can play in informing health impact assessments and future research. We conclude by proposing a conceptual model of the potential interactions between psychological stress, vector-borne illnesses, and sexaully-transmitted infections and suggest that future investigations of synergistic interactions among these factors draw from the biological, social, and ecological sciences.

International audience; Worldwide, the socioeconomic impacts of COVID-19 disproportionally affect vulnerable groups in society. This paper assesses responses to, and impacts of, the pandemic among mobile migrant populations who work in Artisanal and Small-scale Gold Mining (ASGM) in Suriname and French Guiana. These populations are characterized by poverty, informal or illegal status, and limited access to health care and information. Field research in Suriname (November 2020–January 2021) and French Guiana (January, May, June 2021) included qualitative interviews, informal conversations and observations, and a quantitative survey with 361 men and women in ASGM communities.Contrary to reports from the ASGM sector elsewhere, interviewed inhabitants of ASGM areas in Suriname and French Guiana showed little concern about COVID-19. Respondents reported feeling safer in the forest where they work than in the urban areas or in their home country. Trust in home remedies and over-the-counter pharmaceuticals further reduced anxiety about the pandemic. Three-quarters of survey respondents reported that the COVID-19 pandemic had not affected their work or income at all.The researchers conclude that in these remote Amazon communities, responses to COVID-19 mirror attitudes and behavior vis-à-vis malaria and other health risks: self-medicate, ignore, and pray. Living on the margins of society mitigates the socioeconomic impacts of COVID-19, as containment measures are not applied to these socially invisible populations. Whereas the urban poor are severely hit by the pandemic, this hidden population benefits from high gold prices, an outdoors lifestyle, and traditional resourcefulness in dealing with a life full of risks.