Elections and Democracy in Brazil: Victor Nunes Leal and the 1945 Transition

This article discusses the necessary conditions for a democratic government to prevail, with the study Coronelismo: the Municipality and Representative Government in Brazil as the point of departure. The article seeks to identify the book's causal explanations for the emergence of democracy, and more precisely for regimes in which governments lose elections. Why were elections not truly competitive over the course of the Empire and the First Republic? Why did they change after the fall of the Estado Novo? Nunes Leal was one of the few Brazilian authors to explicitly tackle this challenge.

Occurrence and behavior of butyltins in intertidal and shallow subtidal surface sediments of an estuarine beach under different sampling conditions

Contamination by butyltin compounds (BTs) has been reported in estuarine environments worldwide, with serious impacts on the biota of these areas. Considering that BTs can be degraded by varying environmental conditions such as incident light and salinity, the short-term variations in such factors may lead to inaccurate estimates of BTs concentrations in nature. Therefore, the present study aimed to evaluate the possibility that measurements of BTs in estuarine sediments are influenced by different sampling conditions, including period of the day (day or night), tidal zone (intertidal or subtidal), and tides (high or low). The study area is located on the Brazilian southeastern coast, Sao Vicente Estuary, at Pescadores Beach, where BT contamination was previously detected. Three replicate samples of surface sediment were collected randomly in each combination of period of the day, tidal zone, and tide condition, from three subareas along the beach, totaling 72 samples. BTs were analyzed by GC-PFPD using a tin filter and a VF-5 column, by means of a validated method. The concentrations of tributyltin (TBT), dibutyltin (DBT), and monobutyltin (MBT) ranged from undetectable to 161 ng Sn g(-1) (d.w.). In most samples (71%), only MBT was quantifiable, whereas TBTs were measured in only 14, suggesting either an old contamination or rapid degradation processes. DBT was found in 27 samples, but could be quantified in only one. MBT concentrations did not differ significantly with time of day, zones, or tide conditions. DBT and TBT could not be compared under all these environmental conditions, because only a few samples were above the quantification limit. Pooled samples of TBT did not reveal any difference between day and night. These results indicated that, in assessing contamination by butyltin compounds, surface-sediment samples can be collected in any environmental conditions. However, the wide variation of BTs concentrations in the study area, i.e., over a very small geographic scale, illustrates the need for representative hierarchical and composite sampling designs that are compatible with the multiscalar temporal and spatial variability common to most marine systems. The use of such sampling designs will be necessary for future attempts to quantitatively evaluate and monitor the occurrence and impact of these compounds in nature

Private and Public Dental Care in the City of Sao Paulo in the First Decade of the XXI Century

Two concomitant movements occur in the first decade of the XXI century within the private and public dental services in Brazil: the entrance of oral health on the agenda of political priorities of the federal government and the vigorous growth of additional dental care. We analyzed the occurrence of these phenomena in the city of Sao Paulo, by seeking information in official documents and electronic databases in the Municipality of Sao Paulo, the Ministry of Health and National Health Agency (ANS), and also in scientific literature. During the studied period - January 2000 to December 2009 - and with basis on indicators such as coverage of First Consultation Program and Dental coverage Population Potential, percentages were found that characterize low public assistance and a situation far short of the constitutional principle of universal access to dental care. The growing number of beneficiaries of additional services through exclusively dental coverage insurance plans and other types of private insurance plans in the same period was significant, accounting for a major expansion of population coverage in this mode of care. It was found that, compared to the overall national framework, the city of Sao Paulo offers poor access to public dental care, with reduced supply of services to adults and aged people. Furthermore, considering the limitations of market additional services to provide dental care to all Brazilians, it reinforces the need for continuity and expansion of Brasil Sorridente, which is the programmatic expression of the National Oral Health Politics.

International collaborative project to compare and monitor the nutritional composition of processed foods

Background: Chronic diseases are the leading cause of premature death and disability in the world with overnutrition a primary cause of diet-related ill health. Excess energy intake, saturated fat, sugar, and salt derived from processed foods are a major cause of disease burden. Our objective is to compare the nutritional composition of processed foods between countries, between food companies, and over time. Design: Surveys of processed foods will be done in each participating country using a standardized methodology. Information on the nutrient composition for each product will be sought either through direct chemical analysis, from the product label, or from the manufacturer. Foods will be categorized into 14 groups and 45 categories for the primary analyses which will compare mean levels of nutrients at baseline and over time. Initial commitments to collaboration have been obtained from 21 countries. Conclusions: This collaborative approach to the collation and sharing of data will enable objective and transparent tracking of processed food composition around the world. The information collected will support government and food industry efforts to improve the nutrient composition of processed foods around the world.

Materno-infantilism, feminism and maternal health policy in Brazil

In the last days of 2011, President of Brazil Dilma Rousseff issued a provisional measure (or draft law) entitled "National Surveillance and Monitoring Registration System for the Prevention of Maternal Mortality" (MP 557), as part of a new maternal health programme. It was supposed to address the pressing issue of maternal morbidity and mortality in Brazil, but instead it caused an explosive controversy because it used terms such as nascituro (unborn child) and proposed the compulsory registration of every pregnancy. After intense protests by feminist and human rights groups that this law was unconstitutional, violated women's right to privacy and threatened our already limited reproductive rights, the measure was revised in January 2012, omitting "the unborn child" but not the mandatory registration of pregnancy. Unfortunately, neither version of the draft law addresses the two main problems with maternal health in Brazil: the over-medicalisation of childbirth and its adverse effects, and the need for safe, legal abortion. The content of this measure itself reflects the conflictive nature of public policies on reproductive health in Brazil and how they are shaped by close links between different levels of government and political parties, and religious and professional sectors. (C) 2012 Reproductive Health Matters

Environmental impact assessment, from Rio-92 to Rio+20 and beyond

The 1992 Rio Earth Summit was of paramount importance in the consolidation and international dissemination of environmental impact assessment, officially recognized as a tool for informed decision-making towards sustainable development (Principle 17, Rio Declaration) and for protection of biodiversity (Article 14, Convention on Biological Diversity). A significant development afterwards was the strengthening of strategic environmental assessment in the design of policies, plans and programs. Both forms of impact assessment can establish the necessary connections between one goal of the Rio+20 Conference - reaching an agreement on the transition to a green economy - and the underpinning decision making processes. Although the Rio+20 Summit has faced challenges to acknowledge its potential, impact assessment should be strengthened in support of both government and business decisions.