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The article presents a reply by authors to a comment on their study related to petrogenesis of rhyolite in Paraná, Brazil. It notes that a fractional crystallization model for a rhyolite can be easily reconciled with highly eruptive temperature and similar incompatible element ratio. It mentions that upper-crustal derived materials can be distinguished by oxygen isotopes.

The paper examines the determinants of rentier income in contemporary financialised capitalist economies by analysing the case of Brazil. It argues that different drivers of rentier income may have comparable potential to channel a substantial share of aggregate income to asset owners. The paper estimates an expanded functional income distribution for Brazil for the period between 2000 and 2019, which distinguishes between rentier income, wages, profits of enterprise and government income. In the last two decades, the share of rentier income in Brazilian GDP has fluctuated around an approximately stable trend even though its composition has changed profoundly. The estimation presented allows for an analysis of the role played by financial expropriation (i.e. interest payments out of wage income) in this expanded functional income distribution, which points to alternative results concerning the recent trajectory of the wage share of income and of the distributive conflict. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The contribution of this paper is to discuss the particularities of financialisation in peripheral economies, emphasising the channels through which financialisation contributes to redefining their trajectory of structural change. This paper has, as a reference, the structural regression of the Brazilian case, which is characterised by the deindustrialisation and trade specialisation marked by export reprimarisation. The aspects covered are the financialisation of non-financial corporations, of the exchange rate and of the determination of the commodity prices, which are associated with the Dutch disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Brazil, many D/deaf persons use the country's official sign language, Libras, to communicate and develop a sociocultural identity. For most Libras users, learning how to read and write in Portuguese, the country's official written language, is a challenge. To address the problem, we present a framework for codesigning accessible technologies for and with D/deaf persons. In this paper, we describe and analyze the case study of an environment to support the teaching–learning process of written Portuguese as a second language. Our main contribution is the documented experiences of codesigning with D/deaf and hearing participants, through individual and collaborative work, which increased confidence and creativity and enhanced empathy through sharing own experiences. Various types of participants were included through the entire framework process, and important values were reinforced, such as ownership and self-determination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Santa Catarina is a small, developed, and relatively safe state in South Brazil. Despite having positive social economic indicators, it still faces multiple challenges regarding forensic practices for personal identification. The objective of this paper is to discuss the recent advances and current challenges in the region, from the perspectives of anthropological and dental postmortem human identification, missing persons, and disaster victim identification (DVI) from 2019 to 2021. The recent creation of a Forensic Anthropology Sector (SAF) in the state's official forensic institution (Polícia Científica—PCI) has significantly improved identification of unidentified remains and optimised resources available for DNA analysis. However, SAF is still quite understaffed, which negatively affects the recovery of skeletal material, its preparation, and the time needed for filing reports. Santa Catarina has passed legislation for missing persons in 2015, 4 years prior to the sanction of federal laws implementing the national policy for the disappeared. Nonetheless, a lack of integration between stakeholders remains a problem that PCI has tried to circumvent with the Conecta Programme, a multidisciplinary and integrated initiative between families of the missing persons, police agencies, and the Public Ministry. The programme aims to collect not only reference DNA samples, but also relevant anthropological and dental data. It also offers facial progression services in cases of disappearances that occurred many years ago. Despite a history of disasters in the state, PCI still needs to implement international DVI standards at an institutional level. Recent training on Phase 1 DVI procedures, integrated with other responding institutions, indicates better preparation for future disasters. There are many challenges ahead for Santa Catarina's forensic institution and professionals that have yet to be addressed, but the overall situation on routine personal identification, missing persons initiatives, and DVI has improved over the last 2 years. Over the last 2 years, the Santa Catarina state in South Brazil has experienced significant improvements in personal identification procedures, missing persons policies, and DVI capacitation. The creation of the Forensic Anthropology Sector (SAF) in October 2020 (which also houses dental postmortem examinations) in the state's official forensic institution (PCI) has established an alternative for quick, low-cost personal identification in cases of unidentified remains, in addition to optimising resources available to DNA analysis. PCI's Programme Conecta has been locally promoting improved integration of missing persons' stakeholders with the newly instituted national policy for the disappeared in Brazil. Despite having a history of disasters and a recent first integrated training on Phase 1 DVI procedures, Santa Catarina state still needs to implement DVI procedures at an institutional level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Given the challenges related to reducing socio-economic and health inequalities, building specific health system approaches for Indigenous peoples is critical. In Brazil, following constitutional reforms that led to the universalization of health care in the late 1980s, a specific health subsystem was created for Indigenous peoples in 1999. In this paper, we use a historical perspective to contextualize the creation of the Indigenous Health Subsystem in Brazil. This study is based on data from interviews with Indigenous and non-Indigenous subjects and document-based analysis. In the 1980s, during the post-dictatorship period in Brazil, the emergence of Indigenous movements in the country and the support for pro-Indigenous organizations helped establish a political agenda that emphasized a broad range of issues, including the right to a specific health policy. Indigenous leaders established alliances with participants of the Brazilian health reform movement, which resulted in broad debates about the specificities of Indigenous peoples, and the need for a specific health subsystem. We highlight three main points in our analysis: (1) the centrality of a holistic health perspective; (2) the emphasis on social participation; (3) the need for the reorganization of health care. These points proved to be convergent with the development of the Brazilian health reform and were expressed in documents of the Indigenist Missionary Council (CIMI) and the Union of Indigenous Nations (UNI). They were also consolidated in the final report of the First National Conference on the Protection of Indigenous Health in 1986, becoming the cornerstone of the national Indigenous health policy declared in 1999. Our analysis reveals that Indigenous people and pro-Indigenous groups were key players in the development of the Indigenous Health Subsystem in Brazil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The empirical investigation on countries' long-term growth usually relies on growth accounting methods, which are based on a supply-led approach, where factors accumulation are the main countries' growth constraints. This approach, however, ignores the importance of effective demand in explaining the long-term dynamics. Conversely, Keynesians stress the centrality of effective demand to explain why some countries present high growth rates for prolonged periods and others do not. They account for different views on the determinants of demand growth, such as exports dynamics, income distribution and public investment. The aim of the paper is twofold. Firstly, it extends the SDA method – a method that allows us to identify sources of changes in input–output matrices – to account for endogenous consumption and import-substitution impacts, and, secondly, it applies this method to understand the Brazilian slowdown in the 2010s. Based on a Miyazawa–Leontief framework, it is possible to identify the importance of each of the demand factors in explaining countries' growth, considering both the autonomous sources of demand and their potential to spread through the economy via their multiplier effects. The application of this extension to investigate the Brazilian slowdown in the 2010s shows the importance of natural resource exports, public investment and absorption of domestic demand in different sub-periods. Based on these findings, we discuss the possibility of Brazil to restore its growth potential through specific demand stimulus, such as infrastructure investments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ocean grabbing occurs when traditional users, such as small-scale fishers, are pushed aside by new development activities. This grabbing must be prevented to avoid sea uses that maintain or increase social inequity. In this paper, we show that in tropical Atlantic countries, such as Brazil and Senegal, examples of ocean grabbing already occur. In this context, we analyse if Maritime Spatial Planning (MSP) may be an opportunity to limit ocean grabbing or, to the contrary, poses a risk to increase it. MSP calls for an ecosystem approach that requires integrated coastal and marine management and involves stakeholders in developing a shared vision of the future, where society and environment are preserved. However, recent studies have shown that MSP is a process to be used cautiously to ensure equitable decisions. Meanwhile, the concept is spreading worldwide including in tropical Atlantic countries. We highlight that context matters and the specificities of the tropical Atlantic must be taken into account when deploying MSP processes. In the tropical Atlantic context, there is increased imbalances of stakeholder power, traps from decision support tools, and a need for adaptive management. These specific features must be addressed when deploying MSP in a way to avoid ocean grabbing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this paper is to investigate whether Brazil’s financial system has a differentiated strategy in space. The analysis is based on the theory of liquidity preference, regionally differentiated. In addition, it assumes that the banking strategies are associated with centrality, as defined in Christäller’s central place theory. The analysis used indicators of 2,924 cities grouped according to the type of financial services they provide. In addition, the paper presents an estimation using a dynamic panel data econometric model for the period 2000–08, in order to test if the banking strategies are related to the centrality of the cities. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic posed several challenges to the Brazilian health system, among them the general context of ambiguity and uncertainty and the conflicting positioning of the government in power concerning scientific advice resources. Different aspects can be analyzed to explore the dynamics of strengthening and resilience of the system. This paper focuses on its analytical capacity, examining how it was developed and recently challenged. The investigation employed survey data, analysis of official documents and newspaper articles, and in-depth interviews with specialists and federal bureaucrats. The research shows the magnitude and relevance of that dimension of policy capacity in the federal health system and how it was crucial to the resilience of the system in defining the directions of the fight against COVID-19 in Brazil, although scientific-based recommendations were rejected by political leaders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Brazil is renowned worldwide for its remarkable reforms in pharmaceutical regulation, as the Generic Drug Act that have enhanced access to essential medicines while lowering drug costs. In contrast with analysis of pharmaceutical regulation that invokes international guidelines as inspiration for countries to reformulate their norms or argues that regulations emerge in order to serve the interests of powerful interest groups; this paper focuses on actors' preferences and demands to explain how Brazil promoted this large-scale regulatory policy. Paradoxically, the generic drug regulation introduced in the name of patients and opposed by local firms given the high cost to adapt its plants and processes, is today opposed by important patient advocacy groups but solidified by the strong support of local and multinational pharmaceutical firms. The paper concludes that the state still matters for pharmaceutical regulation and that pharmaceutical regulation is only partially influenced by non-state actors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article investigates the existence of a link between financial cycles and fiscal cycles, and discusses possible policy implications for developing and emerging economies (DEEs). It empirically analyses the impact of financial cycle shocks on the short-term dynamics of Brazil's fiscal policy by estimating a vector autoregressive (VAR) model for the period 1997–2018. The results indicate that financial cycles have pro-cyclical effects on the fiscal policy. This suggests that a fiscal policy should consider not only the cyclical behaviour of the output, but also its role in minimising financial factors. By explicitly linking Brazil's fiscal performance with Brazil's higher vulnerability to the financial cycle, this article adds to the literature that strives to understand the policy implications of the financialisation process in DEEs. It also contributes to the more general empirical literature on DEEs' fiscal dynamics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Improving management practices in industrial forest plantations may increase production efficiencies, thereby reducing pressures on native tropical forests for meeting global pulp needs. This study aims to predict stem volume (V) in plantations of fast-growing Eucalyptus hybrid clones located in southeast Brazil using field plot and airborne Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) data. Forest inventory attributes and LiDAR-derived metrics were calculated at 108 sample plots. The best LiDAR-based predictors of V were identified based on loadings calculated from a principal component analysis (PCA). After selecting these best predictors using PCA, we developed multiple regression models predicting V from selected LiDAR metrics. Metrics related to tree height and canopy depth were most effective for V prediction, with an overall model coefficient of determination (adj. R²) of 0.87, and a root mean squared error (RMSE) of 27.60 m³ ha-1 (i.e. relative RMSE = 9.99 per cent). We used this model to map stem V of Eucalyptus hybrid clones across the full LiDAR data extent. The accuracy and precision of our results show that LiDAR-derived V is appropriate for updating Eucalyptus forest base maps and registries in the paper and pulp supply chain. However, further studies are necessary to evaluate and compare the cost of acquisition and processing of LiDAR data against conventional V inventory in this system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper we study the link between television and divorce in Brazil. We exploit variation in the timing of availability of the signal of Rede Globo--the network that had a virtual monopoly on telenovelas in the country--across municipal areas. Using three rounds of census data (1970, 1980, and 1991) and controlling for area fixed effects and for time-varying characteristics, we find that the share of women who are separated or divorced increases significantly after the Globo signal becomes available. The effect is robust to controlling for potential determinants of Globo's entry strategy and is stronger for relatively smaller areas, where the signal reaches a higher fraction of the population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper contributes to the growing body of research on participatory democracy and the literature on associational democracy by exploring the impact that institutional reforms have on local-level configurations of civil society. In the 1980s a wide range of participatory experiments were initiated in Brazil, most notably Participatory Budgeting in municipal governance. Municipios that adopted PB in principle devolve much or all of the decision making on new investments to decentralized participatory forums. In this paper we consider the results of an eight-city matched-pair analysis conducted in 2004. in which we selected municipios that adopted PB in 1997-2000, and matched them with a similar municipio that did not in the same period, drawing from the full sample of municipios over 20,000 inhabitants. Building on relational theories of civil society, we show that PB has clear but limited effects on civil society. It moves civil society practices from clientelism to associationalism, but does not contribute to the capacity of civil society to self-organize, at least in the time-frame considered. We also show that this democratizing effect on civil society practices and networks is conditioned by pre-existing state-civil society relations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Surface wave analysis provides important information on crustal structure, but it is challenging to obtain accurate/robust models in aseismic regions because of the lack of local earthquake records. In this paper, interstation empirical Green's functions retrieved by ambient seismic noise in 75 broad-band stations from 2016 January to 2018 September were used to study crustal structure in west-central Brazil. Fast marching method was applied to calculate the 2-D surface wave tomographic maps, and local dispersion curves were estimated in the period range of 4–80 s for each geographic cell. 1-D damped least squares inversion method was then conducted to obtained shear wave velocity model. Finally, the average (⁠|$\tilde{\rm V}$| S) of the calculated VSV and VSH quasi 3-D models were used to characterize the crustal structure. Besides the checkerboard test resolution, a stochastic test with the effect of errors in the dispersion curves and choice of inversion parameters were carried out to better evaluate model uncertainties. Our results show a clear relation between the sedimentary thickness and geological units with the shorter period tomographic maps. Agreement has also been observed in longer periods such as the clear N–S anomaly along the Asuncion and Rio Grande Arches representing the boundary between the Chaco-Paraná and the Paraná basins. A 3-D composite velocity model shows a crustal structure consisting of three main layers. Some differences in lower crustal properties were found between the Paraná and Chaco-Paraná basins, consistent with a recently postulated, gravity-derived Western Paraná suture zone. However, no high velocities along the SW–NE axis of the Paraná basin were found to confirm proposed underplating. At the eastern edge of the Pantanal basin, the thin crust seems to be associated with a very thin (or lack of) lower crustal layer, consistent with a recently proposed crustal delamination hypothesis for the formation of the Pantanal basin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Throughout the 1970s in South Asia and Latin America, there was a surge of experiences of offering small loans through innovative practices. Following these successes, the dissemination of microfinance institutions is seen all over the globe. Brazil stands out for being a pioneer in this field, having developed a microcredit program even before Grameen Bank, from Bangladesh, the main institution responsible for the spread of microfinance worldwide. This paper aims to understand the social practices, power relations and institutional infrastructure surrounding microfinance, taking the Global South as a starting point and focusing on Brazil. In so doing, it looks at the policy mobility of microfinance, shining light on how policy diffusion and transfer are entangled in the practices and processes of different institutions, actors and networks. It identifies two approaches within the formulation and practice of microfinance historically. Four illustrative cases are discussed in order to present the mobility of microfinance policies in Brazil drawing from the international scenario. The paper's point of departure for the analysis of the mobility of microfinance is that policy trajectories are fraught with ambivalence and contradiction. They are part of a complex universe permeated by hybridism over time and space. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper estimates firm specific indexes of technical efficiency for the Brazilian plastics and steel industries. Two different indexes are employed for the empirical estimates—the Farrell index and an index developed from a linear programming approximation of a nonstochastic frontier production function specified in the Cobb-Douglas functional form. Evidence of substantial relative technical inefficiency is revealed. In both industries only a very small proportion of all the observed firms were producing amounts of output greater than 80 percent of that technically possible on the estimated frontier. Relative efficiency of the firms in the two industries was not seen to be significantly related to ownership (foreign or government), but tests did suggest a tendency for larger firms, possessing larger market shares, to be closer to the frontier than smaller firms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper contributes to discussions about subnational responses to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic in federal countries. In the scholarship on federalism and public policy, few studies seek to understand the factors that shape subnational differences in welfare levels. This article seeks to better understand this issue in Brazil by exploring how, in a context with little national-level coordination, subnational governments tackle the inequalities exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. This study analyzes two social policy areas with distinct national-level coordination mechanisms and federal responsibilities: social assistance and education. Two multi-level cases are examined: the states of Amazonas and São Paulo and the cities of Manaus and São Paulo. This analysis relies on quantitative data, mainly social indicators, and qualitative data collected through documents and in-depth interviews. Social assistance and education policy actors in Amazonas and São Paulo faced at times significant obstacles adapting and/or creating policies to tackle inequalities, resulting in a fend-foryourself federalism and fragmented subnational policies. Differences in subnational responses can be explained by distinct policy legacies and previous capacity, which were key in organizing a useful response to the pandemic. However, to fully explain subnational responses, the role of actors within institutional contexts must also be taken into account. In social assistance, shared responsibilities among different levels of government led to competition and credit claiming dynamics, reinforcing fragmented and uncoordinated responses. In education, decentralization and more stable funding allowed political leadership to activate and mobilize subnational capacities and other actors at the subnational level, producing more sustainable responses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Forensic Sci Res. 2022; 7. 2 Miamoto P, Uehara C. Personal identification and missing persons initiatives in Santa Catarina state, Brazil: forensic perspectives from 2019 to 2021. Invited authors were forensic anthropology practitioners in Brazil representing the main cities in which practice is being pursued. What is the current state of Forensic Anthropology in Brazil and where do we stand when identification is concerned?. [Extracted from the article]

This article provides an overview of beef production and carcass evaluation in Brazil. It highlights Brazil's significant role in the global beef market and its record-breaking export revenues. However, Brazil lacks a national carcass grading system, with slaughterhouses using their own metrics to meet market demands. The current standard for carcass classification in Brazil is based on dentition, gender, carcass weight, and subcutaneous/external fat scores. The article also discusses beef cattle production systems, market statistics, and the need for a new Brazilian classification and grading system that incorporates eating quality parameters and technological advancements. [Extracted from the article]

Background Hansen's disease is a chronic, infectious and transmissible disease that is considered a public health problem in Brazil. Hansen's disease is marked by stigma and prejudice, because it carries with it a strong negative social image, reinforced by policies of social isolation in the community. Methods A qualitative study was conducted in Ribeirão Preto, an inland city of the state of São Paulo, Brazil. Eleven patients under treatment for the disease were interviewed. The interviews were audio recorded and transcribed in full, then were analyzed through the stages of transcription, transposition and reconstitution, as informed by concepts proposed by Goffman. Results The results showed that the marks of stigma are still present in the twenty-first century and were presented in two axes: 'Stigma and work for the person affected by Hansen's disease' and 'The experience of stigma in the family'. The participants refer to fears of losing their jobs and of being ridiculed, which stops them talking about the disease. Regarding their families, the participants reported episodes of discrimination, the creation of family secrets and fear of relatives' reactions. Conclusions All these aspects interfere in the follow-up and treatment of patients and need to be considered and welcomed by health professionals. It is recommended that these aspects are addressed in the initial training and continuing education of health professionals. Contexte La maladie de Hansen est une maladie chronique, infectieuse et transmissible, considérée comme un problème de santé publique au Brésil. La maladie de Hansen est marquée par la stigmatisation et les préjugés, car elle véhicule une image sociale fortement négative, renforcée par des politiques d'isolement social au sein de la communauté. Méthodes Étude qualitative menée à Ribeirão Preto, une ville intérieure de l'État de São Paulo, au Brésil. Onze patients traités pour la maladie ont été interrogés. Les entretiens ont été enregistrés et transcrits intégralement, et ont été analysés en suivant les étapes de transcription, de transposition et de reconstitution, selon les concepts proposés par Goffman. Résultats Les résultats montrent que les marques de la stigmatisation sont toujours présentes au 21ème siècle et ont été présentées selon deux axes : 'La stigmatisation et le travail pour la personne affectée par la maladie de Hansen' et 'L'expérience de la stigmatisation dans la famille'. Les participants évoquent la peur de perdre leur emploi, la peur d'être ridiculisés, ce qui les pousse à ne pas parler de la maladie. En ce qui concerne les familles, les participants ont rapporté des épisodes de discrimination, la création de secrets de famille et la peur des réactions des proches. Conclusions Tous ces aspects interfèrent dans le suivi et le traitement des patients et doivent être pris en compte et accueillis par les professionnels de la santé. Il est recommandé que ces aspects soient abordés dans la formation initiale et la formation continue des professionnels de la santé. Antecedentes La enfermedad de Hansen es una enfermedad crónica, infecciosa y transmisible, considerada un problema de salud pública en Brasil. La enfermedad de Hansen está marcada por el estigma y el prejuicio, ya que conlleva una fuerte imagen social negativa, reforzada por políticas de aislamiento social en la comunidad. Métodos Estudio cualitativo realizado en Ribeirão Preto, una ciudad del interior del estado de São Paulo, Brasil. Se entrevistaron a once pacientes en tratamiento para la enfermedad. Las entrevistas fueron grabadas en audio, transcritas en su totalidad y analizadas a través de etapas de transcripción, transposición y reconstitución, según los conceptos propuestos por Goffman. Resultados Los resultados muestran que las marcas del estigma siguen presentes en el siglo XXI y se presentaron en dos ejes: 'Estigma y trabajo para la persona afectada por la enfermedad de Hansen' y 'La experiencia del estigma en la familia'. Los participantes mencionan el miedo a perder sus trabajos, el temor a ser ridiculizados, lo que les impide comentar sobre la enfermedad. En cuanto a las familias, los participantes reportaron episodios de discriminación, la creación de secretos familiares y el miedo a las reacciones de los familiares. Conclusiones Todos estos aspectos interfieren en el seguimiento y tratamiento de los pacientes y deben ser considerados y acogidos por los profesionales sanitarios. Se recomienda abordar estos aspectos en la formación inicial y la educación continua de los profesionales sanitarios. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a means of dealing with shortcomings in the coverage, quality and efficiency of the public health care sector, several municipalities in the state of São Paulo, Brazil, have started to contract pre-certified non-profit or non-governmental organizations to take part in the delivery of health care services.This paper explores the impact of introducing these contracts in the primary health care sector. Using data on the 645 municipalities in the state of São Paulo and difference-in-differences methods, we estimate the effect of contracting out in the primary health care sector on various dimensions of mortality and health care use. The results show that implementation of the contracting out strategy significantly increases the number of primary health care appointments by approximately one appointment per user of the national health care system per year. Point estimates indicate a reducing effect on hospitalization for preventable diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores how iatrogenic stigma, or stigma that is produced through a patient's encounter with physicians or with biomedicine in general, might emerge in outpatient treatment for Hansen's disease, or leprosy. Based on in-depth interviews with people affected by Hansen's disease and observations conducted at several public health clinics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, this research identified several aspects of the biomedical encounter that generated or contributed to stigma, either felt or enacted. Also noted in the research were positive examples of techniques used by physicians and health care workers for minimizing or circumventing stigma. The paper touches upon several topics, such as culturally mediated responses to medication side effects and communication between health care workers and patients, that might be salient or useful for health educators and others who are attempting to reduce health-related stigma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Objective The purpose of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of a randomized controlled trial investigating the effectiveness of a multimodal program (PAT-Back) compared to best practice advice on pain and disability in older adults with chronic low back pain (LBP) in primary care. Methods This feasibility study took place in Fortaleza, Northeast Brazil. The PAT-Back intervention consisted of a program including exercises, pain education, and motivational text messages for the in-home component. The control group received an evidence-based educational booklet. Feasibility outcomes were recruitment, adherence and retention rates, level of difficulty of the education and intervention content, perception of utility of mobile technology, and adverse events. The feasibility criteria were previously defined. Results A total of 248 people were screened, of which 46 older adults were eligible. The retention rate was high (100% in the PAT-Back group and 95% in the control group). The adherence rate to intervention was partially met (60%), whereas the adherence rate to unsupervised exercises was adequate (75%), and perception about safety to perform home exercise was partially acceptable (70%) in the PAT-Back group. In addition, 100% of older adults reported which text messages motivated them to perform the exercises in the PAT-Back group. Difficulty reported by participants in understanding and performing the intervention was small in both groups. Six participants reported transient adverse events in both groups. Conclusion Older adults accepted both interventions. Results demonstrated that the program is feasible, although minor changes targeting adherence and safety in home exercise are needed. Impact This feasibility study supports progression to a full trial investigating the effectiveness of a multimodal program (PAT-Back) on pain and disability in older adults with chronic LBP within a primary health care setting in low to middle income countries where such data from the older population are scarce and the burden of LBP is increasing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the fragmentation of healthcare provision being considered one of the main obstacles to attaining effective health care in Latin America, very little is known about patients' perceptions. This paper analyses the level of continuity of health care perceived by users and explores influencing factors in two municipalities of Colombia and Brazil, by means of a cross-sectional study based on a survey of a multistage probability sample of people who had suffered at least one health problem within the previous three months (2163 in Colombia; 2167 in Brazil). An adapted and validated version of the CCAENA© (Questionnaire of care continuity across levels of health care) was applied. Logistic regression models were generated to assess the relationship between perceptions of the different types of health care continuity and sociodemographic characteristics, health needs, and organizational factors. The results show lower levels of continuity across care levels in information transfer and care coherence and higher levels for the ongoing patient-doctor relationship, albeit with differences between the two countries. They also show greater consistency of doctors in the Brazilian study areas, especially in primary care. Consistency of doctors was not only positively associated with the patient-doctor ongoing relationship in the study areas of both countries, but also with information transfer and care coherence across care levels. The study area and health needs (the latter negatively for patients with poor self-rated health and positively for those with at least one chronic condition) were associated with all types of continuity of care. The influence of the sex or income varied depending on the country. The influence of the insurance scheme in the Colombian sample was not statistically significant. Both countries should implement policies to improve coordination between care levels, especially regarding information transfer and job stability for primary care doctors, both key factors to guarantee quality of care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is a study of the behaviour of the aggregate savings coefficient in the course of Brazilian development. Brazil is especially useful for such a case-study. Unlike most less-developed countries, many of the economic and social changes and the policy measures which have been suggested on a priori grounds as conducive to raising marginal savings rates have in fact taken place. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To systematically review the literature on the psychometric properties of the Clinical Dementia Rating (CDR) scale among Hispanic-Latinx communities. Data Selection: We searched multiple cross-disciplinary databases from January 1970 until April 2023 for relevant papers written in English and Spanish. We used the following terms: (1) Clinical Dementia Rating, (2) validity, (3) reliability, (4) psychometric, (5) Hispanic, (6) Latinos or Latinx, (7) outcome measures, (8) Spanish language, and (9) Alzheimer's disease. Data Synthesis: We found 609 studies with 56 eligible studies. Only 5 studies examined psychometric properties of the CDR in Hispanic-Latinx communities. Each study implemented divergent study designs. Of the 5 selected studies, one study evaluated the validity of the CDR Sum of Boxes among 1073 Mexican Americans. A second study evaluated the CDR's test–retest reliability and internal consistency among 94 Spanish speaking participants from the United States. The third study examined the validity of the CDR Sum of Boxes among 343 Brazilians living in Brazil. A fourth study assessed the CDR Sum of Boxes sensitivity and specificity among 407 Brazilians living in Brazil, whereas a fifth study evaluated the validity of a Portuguese CDR version on 424 Brazilians living in Brazil. Conclusions: Our systematic review revealed limited studies examining the validation of the CDR in the Hispanic-Latinx communities. The limited number of studies raises concerns about versions of the CDR scale implemented in ad clinical trials, and its implications to study results, interpretation, and generalizability of findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this study is to analyze the accuracy and applicability of the AncesTrees software with respect to a set of cranial measurements of a Brazilian sample consisting of 114 identified skulls from two osteological collections, predominantly composed of European (n  = 59), African (n  = 35), and admixed individuals (n  = 20). Twenty-four different craniometric measurements are performed and input to AncesTrees via two algorithms, one of which is used in three configurations, with different ancestral groups integrated in the model. The software exhibits superior performance in the estimation of European individuals, reaching 73% accuracy, compared with 66% in the African individuals. Those individuals classified as admixed produce a variety of ancestral classifications, mainly European. Overall, the most accurate combination of AncesTrees is obtained using ancestralForest with only the European and African groups integrated into the algorithm, where the accuracy reaches 70%. The applicability of this software to a specific population is fragile because of the high admixing load, making it necessary to create a more representative anthropometric database of the Brazilian people. Key points Ancestry estimation methods are seldom validated in Brazil. AncesTrees performed poorly on our sample, with a maximum accuracy of 70%. Brazil's highly mixed population hinders ancestry estimation. Mixed individuals (pardos) are predominantly classified as Europeans. The insertion of Brazilian metric data into the AncesTrees database would produce better results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite research commenting on and analyzing signed poetry, there is little research exploring the aims and intentions of the signing poets. This paper considers the producers of signed poetry, rather than their products. Using material gathered from interviews with three established signing deaf poets, we consider what they hope to achieve when they perform their poetry, including who they aim their work at, and how their perceived audiences influence their performances. This allows us to understand more clearly what challenges audiences face when trying to understand the poetry and how the poets can help audiences meet those challenges. We find that signing poets understand how deaf audiences have been conditioned to respond to poetry, and create connections between themselves and deaf audiences by using the shared specific cultural and linguistic experiences of deaf people. Although deaf audiences are their ultimate preferred audiences, poets welcome hearing audiences, especially if their engagement with the poetry leads to increased understanding of Deaf culture or encourages them to learn sign language. The close, embodied relationship between the poet, poem, and audience makes them inseparable. Written poetry may be abstracted and contained in a book; in contrast, the signing poet is, in effect, the book. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The dominance of the ‘growth fetish’ ideology has much contributed to lure societies into believing that people’s value judgements are unnecessary for a better life and social justice. The theme ‘human values’ became the central research topic for the United Nations Development Programme Human Development Report team in Brazil after the promotion of a nationwide consultation to choose the focus of its 2009/10 report. A new index, named the Human Values Index (HVI), was created to tackle the issue of human values as part of development strategies. The main objective of this paper is to introduce this index, showing its features and properties. The HVI is built on an understanding that development is not a value-neutral concept and that from a human development perspective, welfare indicators should be qualitatively closer to human values focusing on statistics that can be useful to ordinary citizens, with the hope that in their hands the HVI might become a useful tool in promoting public reasoning and social justice. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The advantages of established intergovernmental decision-making arenas for the implementation of health policies in decentralized settings are not well known. This paper presents the case of the joint health management committee, known as the Tripartite Committee, created to formalize intergovernmental decisions about the implementation of policies of the Brazilian Unified Health System. This paper adopts a descriptive approach for the strategic analysis of decision process among governmental actors from three federative levels, as well as of mechanisms for the negotiation of their interests in the formalization of health policy agreements. The roles and positions of governmental actors within the Tripartite Committee were analysed, together with the definition of decision agendas and strategies. The data come from normative documents and proceedings of the Tripartite Committee, interviews with their governmental actors and observations of their meetings. The distinct governmental actors from the Tripartite Committee employed cooperation strategies with permanent negotiations oriented towards interchanges and political mediation. The power of the federal Government is also pre-eminent for the constitution of decision agendas and in the shaping of negotiation processes and priorities. The Tripartite Committee formalized agreements between unequal administrative and political powers to ensure a systemic integration of governmental policies and a self-regulation of the political autonomies. There are some divergences within the governmental actors interpretation of key policies and processes in this decision arena; the primacy of political or technical criteria as well as the applicability of laws or ad hoc norms. Although such cooperation strategies may slow down the decision-making process and render it more complicated, they also define more clearly areas of institutional responsibility and ensure a broader support from different levels of government for the implementation of public health policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Amazonian savannas are isolated patches of open habitats found within the extensive matrix of Amazonian tropical forests. There remains limited evidence on how Amazonian plants from savannas differ in the traits related to drought resistance and water loss control. Previous studies have reported several xeromorphic characteristics of Amazonian savanna plants at the leaf and branch levels that are linked to soil, solar radiation, rainfall and seasonality. How anatomical features relate to plant hydraulic functioning in this ecosystem is less known and instrumental if we want to accurately model transitions in trait states between alternative vegetation in Amazonia. In this context, we combined studies of anatomical and hydraulic traits to understand the structure–function relationships of leaf and wood xylem in plants of Amazonian savannas. We measured 22 leaf, wood and hydraulic traits, including embolism resistance (as P50), Hydraulic Safety Margin (HSM) and isotope-based water use efficiency (WUE), for the seven woody species that account for 75% of the biomass of a typical Amazonian savanna on rocky outcrops in the state of Mato Grosso, Brazil. Few anatomical traits are related to hydraulic traits. Our findings showed wide variation exists among the seven species studied here in resistance to embolism, water use efficiency and structural anatomy, suggesting no unique dominant functional plant strategy to occupy an Amazonian savanna. We found wide variation in resistance to embolism (−1.6 ± 0.1 MPa and −5.0 ± 0.5 MPa) with species that are less efficient in water use (e.g. Kielmeyera rubriflora , Macairea radula , Simarouba versicolor , Parkia cachimboensis and Maprounea guianensis) showing higher stomatal conductance potential, supporting xylem functioning with leaf succulence and/or safer wood anatomical structures and that species that are more efficient in water use (e.g. Norantea guianensis and Alchornea discolor) can exhibit riskier hydraulic strategies. Our results provide a deeper understanding of how branch and leaf structural traits combine to allow for different hydraulic strategies among coexisting plants. In Amazonian savannas, this may mean investing in buffering water loss (e.g. succulence) at leaf level or safer structures (e.g. thicker pit membranes) and architectures (e.g. vessel grouping) in their branch xylem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study seeks to understand how young, unmarried mothers and mothers-to-be in the favelas (shantytowns) of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, have experienced religious morality as applied to themselves and other adolescents in their communities, as well as how religious leaders grapple with the moral issue of unmarried adolescent maternity in their midst. Drawing on more than 50 interviews conducted in Rio with young mothers, Catholic and evangelical religious leaders who work with the poor, and staff members of non-governmental organizations, this paper seeks to understand the acceptance—or even approval—that unmarried pregnant teens and adolescent mothers usually encounter, which casts doubt on whether the issue is actually posing a moral dilemma for these religious institutions. The realities of everyday life in Rio's favelas, most prominently the ever-present specter of violence, high rates of teen motherhood, strong popular opposition to abortion, the high value accorded to motherhood, and the intense competition of the religious marketplace appear to influence the ways in which favela residents and religious leaders understand and interpret morality. More generally, this study offers an example of how religious groups working in impoverished communities throughout the world might adapt traditional moral codes to suit their circumstances. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Contrary to what many may expect, this article argues that Brazil did a better job than the USA when it came to responding to HIV/AIDS. Because of the Brazilian government’s concern about its international reputation and the partnerships it has forged with international donors and civil society, the government has been committed to strengthening decentralization processes by introducing both formal and informal re-centralization measures that strengthen health policy devolution, while effectively targeting the biggest at-risk groups. The US, in contrast, has not achieved these objectives, due to its lack of interest in increasing its international reputation and its focus on bi-lateral aid rather than investing in domestic policy. The paper closes by explaining the lessons that Brazil can teach the US and other large federations seeking to ensure that decentralization and prevention policy work more effectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyses a micro-deliberative process in order to discuss how subtle forms of power pervade discussions and are challenged in them. The study of the First National Seminar of Former Hansen's Disease Colonies, held in Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) in 2004, shows how the power to set the agenda and the power to claim credibility to one's utterances from sources other than reason may generate inequalities among participants. The analysis also reveals these forms of power are often challenged throughout communicative exchanges. Sometimes a clash of different forms of power may help in overcoming asymmetries. Based on these findings, it is suggested micro-deliberative arenas should be as heterogeneous as possible and connected to other deliberative arenas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper presents the preliminary results of tests carried out to calculate the emissions in the sector of railway freight transport in Brazil. The analysis is based on a proposition derived from a European model to determine the factors relevant to designing a model suitable for the characteristics of Brazilian cities. In this simulation the Artemis model is used with positive results for determination of the greenhouse gases in the route between the states of Mato Grosso and São Paulo. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Brazil is one of the largest ethanol biofuel producers and exporters in the world and its production has increased steadily during the last three decades. The increasing efficiency of Brazilian ethanol plants has been evident due to the many technological contributions. As far as yeast is concerned, few publications are available regarding the industrial fermentation processes in Brazil. The present paper reports on a yeast selection program performed during the last 12 years aimed at selecting Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains suitable for fermentation of sugar cane substrates (cane juice and molasses) with cell recycle, as it is conducted in Brazilian bioethanol plants. As a result, some evidence is presented showing the positive impact of selected yeast strains in increasing ethanol yield and reducing production costs, due to their higher fermentation performance (high ethanol yield, reduced glycerol and foam formation, maintenance of high viability during recycling and very high implantation capability into industrial fermenters). Results also suggest that the great yeast biodiversity found in distillery environments could be an important source of strains. This is because during yeast cell recycling, selective pressure (an adaptive evolution) is imposed on cells, leading to strains with higher tolerance to the stressful conditions of the industrial fermentation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: The aim of this paper was to compare the quantity and frequency of alcohol use and its associated negative consequences between two groups of college students who were identified as being "risky drinkers." Subjects were randomly allocated in a clinical trial to intervention or control groups. Methods: Risky drinking use was defined as Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) ⩾8 and/or Rutgers Alcohol Problem Index (RAPI) ⩾5 problems in the previous year. Students who had undergone the Brief Alcohol Screening and Intervention for College Students (BASICS) (N = 145 at baseline; 142 at 12 months, and 103 at 24 months, loss of 29.7%) were compared with a control group (N = 121 at baseline; 121 at 12 months and 113 at 24 months, loss of 9.3%), the nonintervention group. Variables included drinking frequency, quantity and peak consumption, dependence assessment, and family and friends' abuse assessment. Results: Treated students at a 24-month follow-up decreased quantity of alcohol use per occasion and lowered AUDIT and RAPT scores. Conclusions: This is the first brief intervention work on risky drinking with college students in Brazil and the results are encouraging. However, it is difficult to conduct individual prevention strategies in a country where culture fosters heavy drinking through poor public policy on alcohol and lack of law enforcement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper uses publicly released audit reports to study the effects of disclosing information about corruption practices on electoral accountability. In 2003, as part of an anticorruption program, Brazil's federal government began to select municipalities at random to audit their expenditures of federally transferred funds. The findings of these audits were then made publicly available and disseminated to media sources. Using a data set on corruption constructed from the audit reports, we compare the electoral outcomes of municipalities audited before versus after the 2004 elections, with the same levels of reported corruption. We show that the release of the audit outcomes had a significant impact on incumbents' electoral performance, and that these effects were more pronounced in municipalities where local radio was present to divulge the information. Our findings highlight the value of having a more informed electorate and the role played by local media in enhancing political selection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This paper proposes a simple method of hand skill assessment in children that can be useful in clinical practice. A reduced 5-hole version of Annett''s Peg Moving Task was used to quantify hand skill bilaterally in 435 normally developing preschool and school-children, and adolescents aged 3–18 years from Brazil. The cross-cultural validity of the normative data obtained in Brazil was verified in 157 school-children aged 6–11 years from France. An application in 76 children with cerebral palsy (hemiplegia 21, diplegia 34, triplegia 6, mixed type 15) showed very important variability of the deficits in hand function within each subtype of cerebral palsy (CP). Hand deficits were more severe in children in special schools than in children in regular schools within each CP subtype. A qualitative analysis showed which difficulties during the execution of the task were specific to children with CP and which were also observed in normally developing children. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

• Background and Aims Based on the bell shape and greenish colour of the flowers, bat-pollination was suggested for some Sinningieae species (Gesneriaceae). Actually, there are no reports on pollination biology and visitors for these species. This paper reports on pollination biology of Sinningia brasiliensis, Paliavana prasinata and P. sericiflora in south-eastern Brazil.• Methods Flowers were observed in situ to determine phases of anthesis, colour patterns and scent intensity. Corolla measures were taken from fresh flowers. Nectar production and concentration were measured in flowers bagged at the pre-anthesis phases. Direct visual observations of visitors were made during the day and night, and photographs were taken to analyse their visiting behaviour.• Key Results Some floral features of the three species fit the bat-pollination syndrome: large, robust and gullet-shaped corollas, colour patterns and large amount of nectar. However, other floral features—such as onset of anthesis, nectar attributes and odour intensity—differ among the species. Nectar volume and total sugar production increased significantly at midnight in S. brasiliensis and P. prasinata, but in P. sericiflora there were no significant differences in the total nectar and sugar production during anthesis. Scent intensity is much higher in S. brasiliensis and P. prasinata than P. sericiflora. Flowers of S. brasiliensis and P. prasinata, whose features fit the chiropterophilous syndrome, are pollinated by glossophagine bat species. Paliavana sericiflora, on the other hand, presents floral features intermediate between bat and hummingbird syndromes, but is visited and pollinated only by hummingbirds.• Conclusions These data strengthen the statement that the bat syndrome in Sinningieae originated independently in Sinningia brasiliensis and in Paliavana species. Paliavana sericiflora may be another example of a plant ‘in transition’ from the hummingbird to the bat pollination, but a reversion in the direction of bat to hummingbird might not be excluded. It is also possible that this is a case of speciation on both bat and hummingbird pollination. Studies on Paliavana sister species may provide insights about origins and the evolutionary directions of the pollination systems of these species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Background and Aims The aim of this paper was to verify the variation in the loss of seed dormancy during after-ripening and the interspecific and interpopulation variability in the degree of dormancy of seven wild and two cultivated rice species comprising 21 populations and two cultivars.• Methods Four wild rice species from South America, Oryza glumaepatula, O. latifolia, O. grandiglumis and O. alta, and two O. sativa cultivars were tested in one experiment. In a second experiment, five wild species, O. punctata, O. eichingeri, O.rufipogon, O. latifolia and O. glumaepatula, and one cultivated species (O. glaberrima) were evaluated. Initial germination tests were performed soon after the seeds were harvested and subsequently at 2-month intervals, for a total of six storage periods in the first experiment and three in the second. All tests were conducted in the dark at a temperature of 27 °C.• Key Results Different patterns of after-ripening among populations within and between species were observed.• Conclusions The cultivated species (O. sativa and O. glaberrima) and, amongst the wild species, the tetraploids O. latifolia, O. grandiglumis and the diploids O. eichingeri and O. punctata, had weak dormancy, losing it completely 2 months after harvest, while O. rufipogon and O. glumaepatula exhibited pronounced dormancy. The latter showed different patterns of after-ripening between populations indigenous to the Amazon region and those originating in the Paraguay River system. Seeds of Solimões (Amazon) and Japura origin showed weak dormancy whereas those of Paraguay origin showed deep dormancy. Ecological differences among natural habitats may be involved in such differentiation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper describes variation at 6 microsatellite loci in 107 specimens of Ctenomys minutus from a chromosomal hybrid zone on the coastal plain of southern Brazil. Of the 56 alleles uncovered in this study, 39.2% are exclusive to alternative cytotypes or the contact populations. Clinal variation is not obvious because there are no microsatellite fixed differences among chromosomally divergent populations, but variation at Hai 2 locus is gradual across the zone. The local populations are highly differentiated and structured. The moderate estimated values of gene flow follow an isolation-by-distance model, which predicts concentration of an allele or a homozygous genotype in patches with generations of individuals with limited dispersal and mating by proximity. Analysis of populations distantly localized from the contact zone probably will provide further insights in the genetic relationship among cytotypes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Background and aims Pollination is a critical stage in plant reproduction and thus in the maintenance and evolution of species and communities. The Caatinga is the fourth largest ecosystem in Brazil, but despite its great extent and its importance few studies providing ecological information are available, with a notable lack of work focusing on pollination biology. Here, general data are presented regarding the frequency of pollination systems within Caatinga communities, with the aim of characterizing patterns related to floral attributes in order to make possible comparisons with data for plant communities in other tropical areas, and to test ideas about the utility of syndromes. This paper also intends to provide a reference point for further studies on pollination ecology in this threatened ecosystem.• Methods The floral traits and the pollination systems of 147 species were analysed in three areas of Caatinga vegetation in northeastern Brazil, and compared with world-wide studies focusing on the same subject. For each species, floral attributes were recorded as form, size, colour, rewards and pollination units. The species were grouped into 12 guilds according to the main pollinator vector. Analyses of the frequencies of the floral traits and pollination systems were undertaken.• Key Results Nectar and pollen were the most common floral resources and insect pollination was the most frequent, occurring in 69·9 % of the studied species. Of the entomophilous species, 61·7 % were considered to be melittophilous (43·1 % of the total). Vertebrate pollination occurred in 28·1 % of the species (ornithophily in 15·0 % and chiropterophily in 13·1 %), and anemophily was recorded in only 2·0 %.• Conclusions The results indicated that the pollination systems in Caatinga, despite climatic restrictions, are diversified, with a low percentage of generalist flowers, and similar to other tropical dry and wet forest communities, including those with high rainfall levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines violent crimes on the public transport system in a large Brazilian city. The research included 191 interviews with workers, labour union officials, users, managers, and the police officers and the examination of 88 police records and 26 criminal investigations. Robberies are seen as interactive, relatively unexpected though common events. We interpreted bus robbery as a psychological power game generating financial loss, injuries and fatalities, racial tensions and harsh policing We evaluated the efficiency of law and order measures taken to combat bus crime, including the excessive use of force by the police. The study concludes that improved policing social policies, targeting poor and black-mulatto youths, who make up most of the young offenders involved, should be implemented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The provision of care and support to persons living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in Brazil who also use drugs and/or alcohol represents special challenges because of the combined effects of addiction, poverty, stigma, and discrimination. This paper presents details on a program providing both clinic- and field- based care to HIV-infected injection drug users, highlighting the use of a specialized case management approach to address the clinical and psychosocial needs of this population. This program includes both a mobile case management team that fosters group discussions and provides individual counseling, and provision of medical consultations at 2 major drug treatment centers in Rio de Janeiro. The article also describes the experience of working with injection drug users who regularly attend an outpatient clinic serving marginalized communities through the use of mutual self-help groups and specialized support groups to address to issue of adherence to antiretroviral therapies for the treatment of HIV/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper we present the first speckle interferometric measurements of binary stars performed at the Observatório do Pico dos Dias of the Laboratório Nacional de Astrofísica in Brazil, using the 1.60 m Perkin-Elmer telescope. In order to carry out these observations, we had to perform an opto-mechanical modification to Camera 1 of the 1.60 m to meet the specifications of the observational programme. We focused our efforts on objects from the Washington Double Star Catalogue that were obtained during four observing runs allocated in 2017 and 2018. Among these objects, we have been interested in performing a follow-up observation of double stars discovered by the Hipparcos mission. We report here 464 astrometric measurements of 139 pairs, with angular separations ranging from 0.09 to 6.36 arcsec, including 361 systems with separations smaller than 1 arcsec. We estimated a mean error in separation of 15 mas and 1 |${^{\circ}_{.}}$| 2 in position angle. We confirmed 15 double stars discovered by Hipparcos, as well as four new pairs observed in previously known binaries turning them into triple systems, three of which have separations smaller than 0.16 arcsec. With these observations we introduce a new instrument to the astronomical community available at the Observatório do Pico dos Dias, capable of identifying relatively bright binaries, with angular separation very close to the resolution power of the telescope. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Green lacewings (Neuroptera: Chrysopidae) are predators commonly found in coffee plantations in Brazil that can serve as important biological control agents against insect pests such as the coffee leaf miner, Leucoptera coffeella (Lepidoptera: Lyonetiidae). However, the efficacy of different lacewing species in controlling L. coffeella needs to be evaluated before they are used in augmentative biological control programs. Here, laboratory experiments were conducted to investigate the effects of the L. coffeella developmental stage on the functional response of 3 species of green lacewings: Chrysoperla externa , Ceraeochrysa cincta , and Ceraeochrysa cornuta. The attack rate, handling time, and the number of prey attacked during 24 h with different densities (1, 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, and 64 individuals) of either L. coffeella larvae or pupae were recorded for each of the 3 lacewing species. Based on logistic regression models, all 3 predators showed a Type II functional response when consuming both larvae and pupae of L. coffeella. All 3 species also had similar attack rates (0.0091 larva/h and 0.0095 pupa/h), handling times (3.5 and 3.7 h for larvae and pupae, respectively), and estimated number of prey attacked during the observation period (6.9 larvae and 6.6 pupae) for L. coffeella larvae and pupae. Therefore, our laboratory studies show that the 3 green lacewings Ch. externa , Ce. cincta , and Ce. cornuta have potential for the biological control of L. coffeella , although these results need to be confirmed under field conditions. These findings have implications for the selection of lacewings for augmentative L. coffeella biocontrol. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]