Street children and their relationship with the police

Background: This paper explores and analyses the experiences of school-age street children. It specifically addresses the relationship of the street children who live on the streets of Sao Paulo (a large Brazilian metropolis), in relation to their experiences, with the policemen. Methods: The paper is a secondary analysis of date previously collected in 1999. The data were collected through individual semi-structured interviews, with 14 school-age children frequenting two city public refuges, with their legal guardians` consent. The text from transcribed interviews was organized according to the validity norms of `thematic analysis`, a technique of contents analysis method. The decomposing and reconstructing process of that analysis gave rise to thematic categories (among which `the police category`) that represented the reconstruction of the difficulties faced by the children in their development. Results and discussion: The children portrayed the police as an enemy, a fearful figure and one of the most agonizing street experiences. Rarely did the police have a positive image to them. According to the children, police violence occurs in three forms: through systematic police persecution in an effort to remove the children from the streets against their will; actions that had the deliberate intent to humiliate them with verbal or physical aggression; and through alleged sexual abuse, revealed by the children in a veiled manner. The authority that is supposedly intended to protect them is portrayed as one of the most feared social agents. Conclusion: The reported hostile behaviour of the policemen shows the state of vulnerability of those children living on the street. This situation must be focused like a health problem because it causes injury to development of children. Nurses can help them through organizing assistance to children in situation of personal and social risk in the school nursing and health institution.

Impact of natural epizootics of the fungal pathogen Neozygites floridana (Zygomycetes: Entomophthorales) on population dynamics of Tetranychus evansi (Acari: Tetranychidae) in tomato and nightshade

The tomato red spider mite, Tetranychus evansi (Acari: Tetranychidae) was recently introduced in Africa and Europe, where there is an increasing interest in using natural enemies to control this pest on solanaceous crops. Two promising candidates for the control of T. evansi were identified in South America, the fungal pathogen, Neozygites floridana and the predatory mite Phytoseiulus longipes. In this study, population dynamics of T. evansi and its natural enemies together with the influence of environmental conditions on these organisms were evaluated during four crop cycles in the field and in a protected environment on nightshade and tomato plants with and without application of chemical pesticides. N. floridana was the only natural enemy found associated with T. evansi in the four crop cycles under protected environment but only in the last crop cycle in the field. In the treatments where the fungus appeared, reduction of mite populations was drastic. N. floridana appeared in tomato plants even when the population density of T. evansi was relatively low (less than 10 mites/3.14 cm(2) of leaf area) and even at this low population density, the fungus maintained infection rates greater than 50%. The application of pesticides directly affected the fungus by delaying epizootic initiation and contributing to lower infection rates than unsprayed treatments. Rainfalls did not have an apparent impact on mite populations. These results indicate that the pathogenic fungus, N. floridana can play a significant role in the population dynamics of T. evansi, especially under protected environment, and has the potential to control this pest in classical biological control programs. (C) 2009 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Biology of predator mite Euseius alatus DeLeon (Acari: Phytoseiidae) under different temperatures

Biology of predator mite Euseius alatus DeLeon (Acari: Phytoseiidae) under different temperatures. Euseius alatus DeLeon (Acari: Phytoseiidae) is one of the most common predators of tropical fruit trees in Brazil, feeding of pollen, mites and other small arthropods. This predator presents wide distribution, occurring from Rio Grande do Sul to Ceara. This work had as objective to evaluate the effect of temperature oil the development and reproduction of E. alatus, in addition to determining their thermal requirements. The study was accomplished at temperatures of 18, 21, 24, 27, 30 and 33 degrees C; relative humidity of 70 +/- 5%; and 12-h photophase. At these temperatures, the egg-adult period lasted 14.0; 8.1; 5.5; 4.9; 3.8 and 3.1 days, respectively. The egg, larva, protonymph and deutonymph stages and the egg-adult period presented thermal thresholds of 12.52; 13.85; 14.86; 14.86 and 13.31 degrees C,and thermal constants of 22.32; 14.23; 16.23; 17.3 and 70.16 degrees days. The values for the parameters of the fertility life table, analyzed ill conjunction With the values of the different variables of development at different temperatures, showed that the temperature of 30 degrees C is the Most suitable for development and reproduction of E. alatus in the laboratory. Therefore, is it apparent that the best temperature conditions for the development of L alatus are found in the warmer regions of Brazil, such as those observed in northeastern Brazil.