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Copyright of Revista Foco (Interdisciplinary Studies Journal) is the property of Revista Foco and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Abstract: Brazilian legislation defines coastal zone as a national patrimony – the geographic space of interaction of air, sea and land formed by the counties directly influenced, but not necessarily by those located in the coastline; also included are those distant until 50km from the coastline, holding activities of great impact for the coastal zone or its ecosystems. The definition includes also the territorial sea of 12 nautical miles. Coastal management is conducted by a national plan legally enforced, complemented by states and counties plans, and a coastal ecologic-economic zoning limited to small portions of the coastal zone. A resolution of the “Environmental National Council” defines as “permanent preservation areas”, of very restricted use, coastal ecosystems as mangroves, sand dunes, and reproduction sites of wild fauna. One could expect that the Brazilian coast should be more protected and properly managed than other countries where a national management plan is lacking (Argentina) or where the guidelines exist but are not yet legally enforced (South Africa). Notwithstanding, we note today in Brazil an intensification of conflicts opposing small-scale vs. industrial fishermen; shrimp farming vs. mangrove crab harvesting; resorts installation vs. native communities; oil and gas activities vs. NGOs; and conflicts on environmental permit between federal and state governmental agencies. This paper evaluates the possible reasons for the failure of the complex legal suite available in Brazil and suggests that participatory management and concerted actions with relevant stakeholders are the key elements for the successful cases. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Background: Salmonella enterica serovar Infantis (Salmonella Infantis) is a zoonotic, ubiquitous and foodborne pathogen of worldwide distribution. Despite Brazil's relevance as a major meat exporter, few studies were conducted to characterize strains of this serovar by genomic analyses in this country. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the diversity of 80 Salmonella Infantis strains isolated from veterinary, food and human sources in Brazil between 2013 and 2018 by comparative genomic analyses. Additional genomes of non-Brazilian countries (n = 18) were included for comparison purposes in some analyses. Methods: Analyses of whole-genome multi-locus sequence typing (wgMLST), using PGAdb-builder, and of fragmented genomes, using Gegenees, were conducted to compare the 80 Brazilian strains to the 18 non-Brazilian genomes. Pangenome analyses and calculations were performed for all Salmonella Infantis genomes analyzed. The presence of prophages was determined using PHASTER for the 80 Brazilian strains. The genome plasticity using BLAST Ring Image Generator (BRIG) and gene synteny using Mauve were evaluated for 20 selected Salmonella Infantis genomes from Brazil and ten from non-Brazilian countries. Unique orthologous protein clusters were searched in ten selected Salmonella Infantis genomes from Brazil and ten from non-Brazilian countries. Results: wgMLST and Gegenees showed a high genomic similarity among some Brazilian Salmonella Infantis genomes, and also the correlation of some clusters with non-Brazilian genomes. Gegenees also showed an overall similarity >91% among all Salmonella Infantis genomes. Pangenome calculations revealed an open pangenome for all Salmonella Infantis subsets analyzed and a high gene content in the core genomes. Fifteen types of prophages were detected among 97.5% of the Brazilian strains. BRIG and Mauve demonstrated a high structural similarity among the Brazilian and non-Brazilian isolates. Unique orthologous protein clusters related to biological processes, molecular functions, and cellular components were detected among Brazilian and non-Brazilian genomes. Conclusion: The results presented using different genomic approaches emphasized the significant genomic similarity among Brazilian Salmonella Infantis genomes analyzed, suggesting wide distribution of closely related genotypes among diverse sources in Brazil. The data generated contributed to novel information regarding the genomic diversity of Brazilian and non-Brazilian Salmonella Infantis in comparison. The different genetically related subtypes of Salmonella Infantis from Brazil can either occur exclusively within the country, or also in other countries, suggesting that some exportation of the Brazilian genotypes may have already occurred. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Neotropical Ichthyology is the property of Neotropical Ichthyology and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Scholarly work on international chains of care have highlighted the stratified nature of reproductive work along the lines of gender, social class, race/ethnicity, and cross-national economic inequalities, particularly with regard to childbearing and childrearing tasks. Immigrant women from the global South are taking rising shares of domestic and care workloads in global North countries. Less attention has been devoted to national contexts, particularly from a quantitative perspective. Using large-scale nationally representative data for Brazil, Colombia, and Mexico, this work presents a quantitative assessment of fertility and offspring mortality patterns among live-in domestic workers and their employers (patronas) during the second half of the 20th century. Our results indicate that the historically low and delayed fertility of live-in domestic workers stems from the confluence of socioeconomic disadvantages throughout their life courses, the everyday mobility constraints they face, the physical control exerted over them by their employers, and the expropriation of their daily and life course time by middle- and upper-class families. These results underline the stratified nature of reproduction in the Latin American context and urge scholars, particularly those working with quantitative data, to re-center research questions around the social mechanisms, including power relations, underpinning unequal living conditions and their consequences for the stratification of reproductive tasks. We use this evidence to argue that the increasingly feminized nature of domestic work and the rising trends of socioeconomic inequalities within and between countries render the examination of intersectionality-defined minorities central for a deeper understanding of family change beyond the Latin American context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study focuses on the relationship between the mainstream press and right-wing protests in Brazil. Guided by the "protest paradigm" literature, my goal was to understand how reporters in the Global South cover conservative demonstrations. Protest paradigm scholarship found that news norms and routines lead to delegitimizing patterns of coverage, focusing on official viewpoints, spectacle, and violence. Here, I consider how the same practices can aid in the legitimization of right-wing movements. Through a mixed methodology combining content analysis and interviews with reporters from the analyzed outlets, findings revealed that when protesters' grievances and demands aligned with the preferences of anti-leftist elites, right-wing politicians subsidized information to journalists. The lack of clashes with the police and cohesive leadership also allowed for coverage to become more thematic. As a result, I argue three conditions lead to news legitimization of protests. First, the movement fitting within a broader political conflict between elites. Second, the movement being sympathetic to the state's repressive apparatus. Third, the movement having cohesive leadership and unified identity. These conditions, which favor right-wing demands, drove legitimizing coverage even when reporters viewed the movement with skepticism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Salmonella enterica subspecies enterica serovar Infantis (S. Infantis) is a non-typhoid, zoonotic and foodborne serovar with worldwide distribution, and often associated with increasing antimicrobial resistance. Efflux pumps are antimicrobial resistance mechanisms able to promote and increase resistance levels to multiple distinct drug classes. Heavy metal tolerance genes have been demonstrated to promote resistance against these compounds and act in the co-selection of antimicrobial resistant strains. Despite the relevance of S. Infantis in clinical and non-clinical fields, few studies worldwide have investigated the occurrence of such genes in strains from diverse sources. Therefore, the present study aimed at determining the prevalence of antimicrobial efflux pump and heavy metal tolerance genes and their genomic relatedness through core-genome multi-locus sequence typing (cgMLST) of 80 S. Infantis strains isolated from food, environmental, human and animal sources from 2013 to 2018 in Brazil. Twenty efflux pump encoding genes were detected, with 17 of these (acrA, acrB, baeR, crp, emrB, emrR, hns, kdpE, kpnF, marA, marR, mdtK, msbA, rsmA, sdiA, soxR and soxS) detected in all strains studied, golS in 98.75%, mdfA in 58.75% and tet(A) in 37.5%. Tolerance genes to arsenic (arsR) were detected in 100% of the strains, gold (golS and golT) in 98.75%, silver (silABCDEFPRS) in 36.25% and mercury (merR and merT) in 1.25%. cgMLST demonstrated a closer genetic relationship among strains harboring similar profiles of heavy metal and efflux pump encoding genes, despite their origin. In conclusion, the high prevalence of some efflux pump and heavy metal tolerance encoding genes alert us about the importance of strong surveillance measures to monitor resistance and the transmission of S. Infantis among diverse sources in Brazil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Acta Veterinaria Brasilica is the property of Acta Veterinaria Brasilica and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The article explores the gray zone of economically dependent self-employment in France and Brazil. It examines how economically dependent self-employment intersects with movements of marketization, social protection, and emancipation, shedding light on the nuanced nature of labor dynamics in both countries.

Copyright of Archives of Industrial Hygiene & Toxicology / Arhiv za Higijenu Rada I Toksikologiju is the property of Sciendo and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Aims: To characterize the genetic relatedness, phenotypic and genotypic antimicrobial resistance and plasmid content of 80 Salmonella Infantis strains isolated from food, humans and veterinary sources from 2013 to 2018 in Brazil. Methods and results: Pulsed‐field gel electrophoresis and single‐nucleotide polymorphism analysis showed major clusters containing 50% and 38.8% of the strains studied respectively. Multilocus sequence typing assigned all strains to ST32. Disk‐diffusion revealed that 90% of the strains presented resistant or intermediate resistant profiles and 38.8% displayed multidrug resistance. Resistance genes for aminoglycosides (aac(6′)‐Iaa; aadA12; aph(3″‐Ib; aph(6)‐Id), β‐lactams (blaTEM‐1; blaCTX‐M‐8; blaCMY‐2), trimethoprim (dfrA8), tetracycline (tet(A)), amphenicols (floR), sulfonamide (sul2), efflux pumps (mdsA; mdsB), chromosomal point mutations in gyrB, parC, acrB and pmrA were detected. Strains harboured IncI, IncF, IncX, IncQ, IncN and IncR plasmids. Conclusions: The presence of a prevalent S. Infantis subtype in Brazil and the high antimicrobial resistance rates reinforced the potential hazard of this serovar for the public health and food safety fields. Significance and Impact of the Study: This is the first study characterizing a large set of S. Infantis from Brazil by whole‐genome sequencing, which provided a better local and global comprehension about the distribution and characteristics of this serovar of importance in the food, human and veterinary fields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this study was to investigate the stability of saramunete sausages submitted to different post‐packaging procedures [heat treatment—HT (80°C/10 min); ultrasound—US (37 kHz/10 min); the combination of heat treatment and ultrasound—HT+US (80°C & 37 kHz/10 min); and control—C (no treatment)]. The combination HT+US at day 1 provided lower water activity (0.974 ± 0.002), pH (6.79 ± 0.03), and non‐protein nitrogen (NPN—440.14 ± 4.86 mg/100 g) compared to the other treatments. During storage at 6.0 ± 1.0°C, HT+US provided better stability with lower rates of lipid oxidation, a shorter time for NPN stabilization, and a longer time for the accumulation of TVB‐N. On the 22nd storage day, counts of ~4 log CFU psychrotrophic microorganisms were found and kept up to end of storage. Therefore, shelf life of up to 22 days is recommended for vacuum‐packed saramunete sausage submitted to HT+US during refrigerated storage. Practical applications: Fish consumption in Brazil is low compared to the recommended by the Food and Agriculture Organization. To increase consumption, it is necessary to use species of commercial interest, such as saramunete, to produce high added value products such as sausages (easier to prepare at home and longer shelf life). The use of combined processing steps employing emerging conservation techniques such as ultrasound may warrant the quality and increase the stability of saramunete sausages. It was observed that the use of ultrasound combined with heat treatment, after vacuum packing, warranted quality and increased the shelf life of the sausages. Ultrasound is a cost‐effective and easy‐to‐apply technique that can be implemented at pilot and industrial scales. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper identifies opportunities from targeted and integrated sanitation action to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This is contextualised to the case of Brazil through a systematic approach applied to the sanitation sector that considers the range of infrastructure, management services and people involved in different phases of the service chain, from municipal wastewater containment to safe disposal or re‐use. Articulating the social, economic and environmental dimensions of sanitation, this study analyses their links with each of the 169 SDG targets. We demonstrate that 87 targets across 16 goals require action in Brazil's sanitation sector to achieve the SDGs. Furthermore, we identify synergies between sanitation and 124 targets in four domains: basic services for resilience building, equity and empowerment, pollution reduction and waste reuse and economic well‐being. Key results include the need for Brazil to invest in closed‐loop systems that valorise waste as a resource and the need to multiply efforts in the integrated provision of basic services in low‐income areas most affected by the lack of access to adequate sanitation. The links identified are supported by the compiled evidence of published research. The analysis of linkages through this structured approach aims to highlight opportunities for strategic governance action to support policy harmonisation and partnerships across Brazil's sanitation sector and beyond. With this research, we show that establishing linkages among the SDGs provides an adaptable framework that can support policy‐makers and practitioners seeking to deliver on the 2030 Agenda. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revista Verde de Agroecologia e Desenvolvimento Sustentável is the property of Revista Verde de Agroecologia e Desenvolvimento Sustentavel and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The production of Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) in Brazil exhibits the highest growth rate in the world and represents approximately 45% of the total fish production. The objective of the present study was to assess the risk for human health due the consumption of tilapia farmed in net cages in eight aquaculture parks in Brazil. The concentrations of pesticides (40 compounds), metals (Mn, Ni, Zn, Cd, Pb, and Sn), arsenic, and cyanotoxins (microcystins) were evaluated in 16 fish from each park. Among analyzed pesticides, pyraclostrobin (0.18–0.32 mg/kg) and fenthion (0.0026–0.0037 mg/kg) exhibited values above the limit of quantification in the tilapia from Aracoiaba, Castanhão, and Ilha Solteira. The highest concentrations of As (0.44 μg/g) in fish tissues were found in Juara, Mn (0.21 μg/g) in Castanhão, and Zi (11.5 μg/g) were found in Três Marias. Furnas and Linhares exhibited the lowest metal concentrations. The estimated daily intake of muscle by the average Brazilian with 70 kg body weight is below the reference dose for all studied metals in all parks. Total free microcystins showed an accumulation pattern (muscle < gill < liver). The highest concentration in muscle was found in Castanhão (1043 μg/kg) samples. The results showed that fish exhibited metal, As, and pesticide tolerable daily intake (TDI) below the limit and pose low risk for human consumption. Otherwise, TDI for microcystins in fish of all studied parks was above the maximum level recommended by the World Health Organization, indicating that there exists a toxicity risk of fish consumption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: Until recently most dietary survey methods have been developed for non‐athletic populations. In this study, we aimed to develop a Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ) to assess the regular dietary intake of Brazilian athletes. Methods: We interviewed 141 athletes (23.36 ± 7.77 years old) for their dietary intake using 24‐hour recalls. After grouping conceptually similar food items into 113 food items, percentage contribution analysis and stepwise regression models were used to highlight foods contributing to at least 90% of the between‐person variability of key nutrients. Results: The developed FFQ contained 59 foods which were important predictors of the variance in nutrient intake. Vitamin C and pyridoxine had the lowest number of selected foods. Conversely, 13 food items were required to explain the between‐person variation for energy, carbohydrate and magnesium intake. Conclusions: Using a multiple regression analysis we developed a 59‐food item questionnaire, which includes culturally specific food items and may represent an important dietary tool to analyse athletic populations. Reproducibility and validity of this FFQ will be verified in future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines discourses on motherhood among young middle-class Brazilian women in Rio de Janeiro for whom the challenge of reconciling motherhood and employment constituted a key drama. Interviews revealed women's multiple strategies, both traditional and modern, including securing a professional position, having two children later in life, and relying on childcare aid of domestic workers and/or grandmothers. Analysis of their stories and commentaries identified three discourses: the first, favoring more direct care than preceding generations; the second, opposing "totalizing" motherhood, i.e. finding stay at home motherhood disagreeable and asserting that women are better mothers with an outside occupation; the third, a discourse of guilt. I suggest the evaluations both justify choices regarding a mother's employment and attest to the speaker's emotional and moral absorption in motherhood. Thus, I find a moral/emotional intensification of mothering allows these middle-class Brazilian women to partially escape from and partially accept a totalizing motherhood. Este artigo examina discursos da maternidade entre jovens mulheres profissionais da classe média carioca para quem o maior drama e desafio é conciliar a maternidade e o emprego. As entrevistas ilustram múltiplas estratégias tanto contemporâneas como tradicionais das mulheres; isto é, assegurar uma posição professional antes de ter dois filhos, e aderir às normas tradicionais de gênero graças a ajuda de empregadas domésticas e/ou das avós. A análise das entrevistas identificou três discursos: o primeiro favorece maior cuidado maternal relativa à geração anterior; o segundo se opõe a maternidade "totalizante;" isto é, acha desagradável ficar em casa cuidando dos filhos e afirma que as mulheres com ocupações profissionais são melhores mães; o terceiro é um discurso de culpa. Proponho que essas avaliações justifiquem as escolhas [End Page 101] em relação ao emprego remunerado e ao mesmo tempo afirmam a dedicação moral e emocional à maternidade da entrevistada. Sugiro que uma intensificação moral/emocional em torno da maternidade permita que estas mulheres da classe média brasileira possam parcialmente escapar e parcialmente aceitar uma maternidade totalizante. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Anthropogenic changes are a major threat to biodiversity. One of these possible changes that affect biodiversity is the introduction of domestic species in the environment, which might represent a threat to wild species. The domestic cat, in particular, has biological and behavioral characteristics that allow a great adaptability to natural areas, thus representing a potential risk to the native species, mainly to the other members of the Felidae family. In this study, the spatial overlap between four species of Neotropical wildcats and domestic cats living in an Atlantic Forest Protected Area in one of the most important forest remnants of this ecosystem was verified. The results indicate the need to adopt mitigation measures against the potential risks of this interaction with the goal of preserving the native species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Obraczka, M.; Beyeler, M.; Magrini, A., and Legey, L.F., 2017. Analysis of coastal environmental management practices in subregions of California and Brazil. Globally, human and natural systems in urban coasts face multiple threats, most importantly from climate change. Increasingly, subnational state and local governments are being forced to include climate change impacts into coastal planning and management. Urban coastal managers are looking to more transparent and integrated coastal and environmental management regimes to better address the multiple stressors and uses, as well as to integrate public and stakeholder participation, and maximize a broad range of community economic and environmental and ecosystem benefits. This research presents a case study of coastal and environment management systems in two important coastal regions: an urbanized area of the central coast of California, United States; and the rapidly urbanizing and developing coastal lowlands of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Similarities and differences in coastal environmental governance, management, and outcomes were identified and analyzed. The contrasting federalist governance structures are compared, and the coastal management and environment assessment systems in the case study locations are analyzed. This research contributes to the body of knowledge on subnational coastal environmental management systems through the review of previous relevant studies; the examination of historical primary and secondary source official reports; and the collection, analysis, and discussion of important qualitative and quantitative interviews and survey data. The study concludes that transparency and accessibility to the decision-making process are essential to the success of coastal environmental management in both locations, with benefits arising from the presence of public participation and trust. The successful integration of broad stakeholders and public awareness in California provides an example that could possibly be replicable in Rio de Janeiro to increase stakeholder participation in the decision-making processes. The paper concludes with recommendations for further studies of governance and management alternatives, and for extending and strengthening state and local capabilities of coastal environmental processes within integrated coastal environmental management systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Diflubenzuron (DFB) is a widely used insecticide to control ectoparasites in fish farming. Although therapeutic concentrations (i.e., 50 to 100 mg/L) are safe as they fail to induce mortality, they can promote tissue changes. In Brazil, Pacu (Piaractus mesopotamicus) is a native species used for commercial production, and it remains crucial to determine underlying mechanisms to mitigate the potential effects of pathogens on productivity. The aim of this study was to analyze the transaminase profile and histopathological changes in the liver of P. mesopotamicus exposed to a DFB bath. Hence, the fish were exposed to an immersion bath containing a 70 mg/L nominal concentration of Difluchem 240 SC® (24% (m/m) DFB) for 30 (n = 10), 60 (n = 10), and 120 min (n = 10), every 24 h for 3 days. Following exposure, plasma transaminases and liver histology were analyzed. In DFB-exposed fish, levels of aspartate transaminase (AST) and alanine transaminase (ALT) were elevated when compared with the control at 30 and 60 min. Furthermore, liver morphology was altered based on exposure times. Compared with controls, the degree of reversible damage (degree of tissue change (DTC)) demonstrated high scores for all exposure times, with no difference between individual groups. Irreversible changes were increased in the 60 and 120-min baths. These findings highlight the impact of the therapeutic DFB concentration (i.e., 70 mg/L), revealing that 60-min and 120-min bathing induces irreversible and progressive hepatic changes.

This paper aims to address the two main spheres of valuation of meat consumption in Brazil: on one hand, the socio-historical aspects and, on the other, the nutritional aspects. To this end, the authors understand the symbolic food bias and consider the relevance of historical experience in the consolidation of eating habits. This paper begins in the context of colonial Brazil, with the inclusion of discursive values related to the consumption of meat. It presents characteristics of meat consumption in Brazil, intensified with the urbanization process from the 19th century. The nutritional speech is noteworthy, developed from the 1930s in Brazil, which ensured the idea of meat as food par excellence, dividing Brazil between those who have access to that food and those who do not. It highlights the importance of meat in the Brazilian food culture, represented especially in steakhouses. It also considers the demonstrations against the consumption of meat permeated by different ideological, ethical, aesthetic and ecological spheres. It intends, therefore, to crisscross lines of these different approaches, emphasizing the different symbolisms that cover the increased meat consumption in Brazil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Amazon region represents approximately 35% of the Brazilian coastline and includes the states of Amapá, Pará, and Maranhão. After several years, the Amazon coastal zone has not made clear progress and has failed to show important results in terms of management plans based on the weak societal and local community support, the absence of a strong institutional coordination, and the scarcity of resources. This study aims to present and discuss the existence of others important factors that have obstructed the development of these plans, specifically, describing and analyzing the uncertainties regarding the redefinition of coastal zone boundaries, integrated management concepts, stake-holders responsibility, and governmental disinterest associated with the area by the government and society. Finally, it is considered the possibility of the emergence of new driving forces for the implementation and development of the State Coastal Zone Management Plan in the Amazon region among which the following stand out: the territorial fragmentation of the states in the Amazon coastal zone, the increased exploitation pressure for coastal zone resources, and the role of global climatic change on coastal areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Brazilian plastic surgeons have successfully promoted a psychotherapeutic rationale for cosmetic surgery. This article critically engages with this 'philosophy' of health, analyzing how it is deployed in busy teaching hospitals. I show how a tradition of intimate hierarchy and class dynamics in medical institutions informs the experimental ethos of clinical practice as patients internalize a psychotherapeutic notion of health and management regimes of female reproduction and sexuality that are becoming normalized among upper social strata. In the process, cosmetic and healing rationales become blurred as patients pursue an expansive, qualitatively defined state of well-being that I call 'esthetic health'. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Primary objective To develop of a quantitative food frequency questionnaire (QFFQ) to assess intake of specific foods, nutrients and heterocyclic aromatic amines (HAAs) in a case-control study of colorectal adenoma. Methods and procedures A cross-sectional survey conducted in a hospital in Sao Paulo, Brazil. A trained dietitian collected 24-h recalls from 60 Japanese Brazilian outpatients (29 men and 31 women; mean age 58 years and 57 years, respectively). Main outcomes and results Fruit, vegetable and legume intake was high, with mean daily servings consumed in men and women of 8.2 and 6.9, respectively. The QFFQ contains 161 food items presented in 15 food groupings, with particular emphasis paid to the HAA content of meat, fish and chicken items. Conclusions We have developed a QFFQ appropriate for Japanese Brazilians that will allow us to estimate HAA intake and will be used to examine our hypotheses related to foods, nutrients and HAAs, and diet-gene interactions in colorectal neoplasia in this population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article looks at ideas and practices around female virginity in Brazil and South Africa. In South Africa, virginity testing of girls as young as six occurs. In Brazil, speculation about female virginity can have a devastating impact on young women's lives. In both contexts the intactness of the vagina becomes a symbol of a woman's worth as well as a reflection of national well-being or decline. I use feminist psychoanalytic theory to connect such valuations and practices to a perceived threat to the symbolic order of language, culture and law. I argue that during times of social upheaval the vagina comes to represent the abject, or a threat to the subject, and is policed in order for dominant meanings to remain intact. As women's experiences in both contexts demonstrate, these meanings are implicated in a violent economy of women's body parts, which render women symbolically homeless. Yet in Brazil, women subvert these valuations in an ongoing struggle for subjectivity, which involves the creative appropriation of soap operas, and the conversion of suffering into pleasure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Pantanal is a 140,000 km2 floodplain wetland stretching across western Brazil and parts of Bolivia and Paraguay. Gold mining with mercury (Hg) amalgamation has thrived since 1980 along its northern rim. We quantified Hg accumulation in sediment cores (N = 5) and food chains in this general region of the northern Pantanal and in a reference region, 200 km deeper into the wetland (Acurizal). Cores were dated with 210Pb and 137Cs using direct gamma-assay. Total Hg was analyzed by cold-vapor atomic fluorescence using a gold-mesh pre-concentration trap. Average pre-1940 Hg accumulation in cores was not significantly different (N = 5, p= 0.14) between both regions and comparable with rates calculated for global reference sites. Post gold-rush Hg (post-1980) deposition averaged 55 ± 11.3 μg m-2 yr-1 in the northern impacted region and was more than 1.5 times higher than the post-1980 rate in Acurizal, implying a regional Hg effect of gold mining. Post-1980 Hg accumulation in Acurizal, in turn, was 2.1 times the rate reported for a global reference during that time period, suggesting an additional basin-wide effect over such reference sites. By combining our core data with assessments of the size of the impacted area and the amount of Hg released to the region since 1980, we estimated that only 2–8% of this Hg was recovered as a sedimentary signal. The remainder of the Hg was lost to the atmosphere, downstream areas, or stored in biota. Hg concentrations in surface sediments in the northern Pantanal (45.5 ± 5.5 ng gdry-1) were significantly higher than those in our reference region (29.1 ± 0.7 ng gdry-1). Hg levels in primary producers were also elevated in the northern Pantanal. Eichhornia crassipes roots contained 2.7–3.0 times more mercury than shoots in both regions and Salvinia auriculata, suggested as a biological monitor for Hg pollution, contained almost four times more mercury in the northern Pantanal (90.7 ± 9.1 ng gdry-1) than in Acurizal (24.5 ± 3.3 ng gdry-1). Plant grazers and scavengers, such as apple snails ( Pomacea sp.) and adult water beetles (Fam. Hydrophilidae), were low in Hg, confirming previous data showing that the channeling of mercury from lower to higher trophic levels along herbivorous links was inefficient compared to transfer along carnivorous links. Collections of 12–16 individuals of four species of Characidae ( Aphyocharax sp., Tetragonopterus sp., Serrasalmus spiropleura and Pygocentris nattereri) in both regions showed elevated Hg body burdens in both piranhas S. spiropleura and P. nattereri from the northern Pantanal (149.9 ± 84.2 and 302.2 ± 159.1 ng gdry-1, respectively). Fish length for each species was not statistically different between regions. P. nattereri length correlated significantly (p<0.001) with Hg content in both regions, but the slope of the regression in the northern Pantanal was 2.6 times the slope for the Acurizal collection, indicating an elevated rate of biomagnification in the Hg-impacted region. Signals of Hg use in mining can be quantified in sediment core chronologies and biological tissues, although species at different trophic levels show dissimilar impacts. Mechanisms involved in Hg magnification along food chains deserve more attention, particularly in tropical regions where the threat of chronic exposure to this neurotoxin may have the greatest implications for biodiversity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article analyzes the problem of illegal subdivision of land in São Paulo, Brazil and explains the behavior of the residents, the real-estate firms and the municipal administration. It is stated that the social conflict in the region takes nontraditional forms, such as Catholic base communities, women's organization and ethic associations. Real estate firms usually purchase land previously used in agriculture, divide it into two and put them into sale. Meanwhile, the administration refuses to provide electricity and drinking water and install a sewage system. It is also noted that the labor force development in the course of industrialization is the key to understanding the irregular mode of urbanization.

Analyzes the petrochemical industry in Brazil, focusing on the argument that the possibility of a symbiotic nexus between international capital and the Third World state is fundamental to the successful penetration of capitalism in the Third world and to the transformations which accompany the penetration. Capital investments and industrialization involved in the development of a petrochemical industry.

In this article emphasis has been given to outlining the main characteristics of food supply in the central Minas Gerais area as it evolved through the gold era of the eighteenth century. The initial sporadic supply was followed by the entry of products from the far distant markets of São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Bahia, and Europe. High prices for food and the declining yields of gold led to the channelling of the manpower in Minas Gerais into agriculture and livestock raising with the result that a more or less self-sufficient food producing area was established in the core area of central and southern Minas Gerais. The significance of the railroad, the truck, and the airplane, as they have modified and are continuing to modify the character of food supply, illustrates the effects of a changing technology upon a situation where the basic obstacles of distance, low productivity, relative lack of competition, and speculation in food prevail, even as they did in colonial days. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]