Fraction of work-related accidents attributable to occupational noise in the city of Botucatu, São Paulo, Brazil

Background: Noise is the most common agent of occupational exposure. It may induce both auditory and extraauditory dysfunction and increase the risk of work accidents. The purpose of this study was to estimate the fraction of accidents attributable to noise occupational exposure in a mid-size city located in southeastern Brazil. Materials and Methods: In this population case-control study, which included 108 cases and 324 controls, the incidence rate ratio of work accidents controlled for several covariables was obtained by classifying occupational noise exposure into three levels, as well as determining the prevalence in each level. Results: Based on these data, the attributable fraction was estimated as 0.6391 (95 CI = 0.2341-0.3676), i.e., 63 of the work accidents that took place in the study site were statistically associated with occupational noise exposure. Discussion: The causes of this association as well as its implications in the prevention of work accidents are discussed.

Gas exchange rates at different vapor pressure deficits and water relations of 'Pera' sweet orange plants with citrus variegated chlorosis (CVC)

Net photosynthesis (A) and transpiration rates (E), stomatal conductance (g), water use efficiency (WUE), intrinsic water use efficiency (IWUE) and internal leaf CO2 concentration (C) in response to different vapor pressure deficit (1.2 and 2.5 kPa) were investigated in 'Pera' sweet orange plants affected by citrus variegated chlorosis (CVC), a disease caused by Xylella fastidiosa. All plants were well watered and leaf water potential (Pw) was also measured by the psychrometric technique. Results showed that healthy plants responded to higher vapor pressure deficit (VPD), lowering its net photosynthesis and transpiration rates, and stomatal conductance. However, diseased plants presented no clear response to VPD, showing lower A, E and g for both VPDs studied and very similar values to these variables in healthy plants at the highest VPD. Internal leaf CO2 concentration also decreased for healthy plants when under the highest VPD, and surprisingly, the same pattern of response was found in plants with CVC. These results, the lower Psi(w) and higher WUE values for diseased plants, indicated that this disease may cause stomatal dysfunction and affect the water resistance through xylem vessels, which ultimately may play some role in photosynthetic metabolism. (C) 2003 Elsevier B.V. B.V. All rights reserved.

CO2 assimilation, photosynthetic light response curves, and water relations of 'Pêra' sweet orange plants infected with Xylella fastidiosa

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Water relations of cut inflorescences of Alpinia purpurata treated with seven pulsing solutions

Alpinia purpurata (Vieill) K. Schum, common name red ginger belongs to Zingiberaceae family, and is a perennial, with nice inflorescences composed of layers of bracts arranged in spirals. The utilization of keeping-quality solutions seeks to prolong vase-life and to maintain the quality of cut flowers. This research was performed to evaluate the effect of seven pulsing solutions (during 24 hours) on water relations, quality (turgor, browning and curvature) and the longevity of cut red ginger. The experiment followed complete randomized design, in factorial arrangement. The following treatments were studied: 1) distilled water (control), 2) sucrose 2% + 8-hidroxyquinoline citrate 200 ppm, 3) sucrose 2%, 4) sucrose 2% + citric acid, 5) benzyladenine 10 μM, 6) benzyladenine 10 μmol + sucrose 2%, 7) quaternary ammonia 0,5 mL/L. There was no significant (P>0.05) reduction of the relative water content (RWC) of the inflorescence bracts, among solutions, in the first period (7 days) and in the second period (14 days) and, between the two periods for all treatments. Significant differences among RWC of some treatments were recorded after 16 days of vase life. The utilization of benzyladenine, benzyladenine plus sucrose and sucrose plus citric acid, in the pulsing solution, allowed to keep the flowers quality for longer periods than the other treatments.

Attributable fraction of work accidents related to occupational noise exposure in a Southeastern city of Brazil

Noise is the most frequent type of occupational exposure and can lead to both auditory and extra-auditory dysfunction as well as increasing the risk of work accidents. The purpose of this study was to estimate the attributable fraction of work accidents related to occupational noise exposure in a medium-sized city in Southeast Brazil. In this hospital-based case-control study, including 600 cases and 822 controls, the odds ratio of work accidents (controlled for several covariables) was obtained classifying occupational noise exposure into four levels and determining the prevalence at each level. Based on these data, the calculated attributable fraction was 0.3041 (95%CI: 0.2341-0.3676), i.e., 30% of work accidents in the study area were statistically associated with occupational noise exposure. The authors discuss the causes of this association and the implications for the prevention of work accidents.

Fragmentos de um modelo: pequenas lavouras de café e acumulação de capitais. Franca/São Paulo 1890-1914

Este artigo versa sobre a importância da pequena cafeicultura no complexo cafeeiro entre 1890 e 1914. Discutimos aqui as relações de trabalho, as formas de financiamento e o modo como a pequena propriedade se insere neste universo. Utilizamos como fontes prioritárias os contratos de trabalho que envolviam a formação e/ou o trato de cafeeiros e as escrituras de dívidas hipotecárias, ambas lavradas nos Livros Cartoriais, fontes estas ainda não trabalhadas pela historiografia de forma mais sistemática. Desviamos nosso olhar para uma região marcada predominantemente pelas pequenas e médias fazendas produtoras de café, observando a dinâmica da acumulação em um período de expansão e de crise da cafeicultura.

Domínios do café: ferrovias, exportação e mercado interno em São Paulo (1888-1917)

Não obstante o peso decisivo das receitas geradas pelo café para os balanços financeiros das ferrovias paulistas entre 1888 e 1917, e a centralidade da atividade cafeeira na economia paulista de então, discute-se neste artigo a especialização relativa ao nível da produção verificada em São Paulo e a questão dos fretes das ferrovias neste cenário. Parte-se da ideia de que a cafeicultura, em seu desenvolvimento, demandava a diversificação de culturas agrícolas, pois as unidades básicas de produção - as fazendas de café - não se caracterizavam unicamente pela monocultura, sendo que os nexos entre uma produção voltada à exportação e outra voltada ao mercado interno davam-se nas relações de trabalho estabelecidas entre contratantes e contratados, e nas formas pelas quais os fazendeiros expropriavam aqueles que se subordinavam aos seus interesses. Verifica-se no caso estudado o aumento simultâneo das quantidades de café e de alimentos transportadas e transacionadas pela Cia. Mogiana nos marcos da periodização proposta; porém, percebe-se estreita dependência em relação à receita gerada pelo transporte de café. Aponta-se, ainda, a especialização absoluta ao nível do crédito e da circulação (transportes) que caracterizavam este complexo econômico.

Crédito e pequena cafeicultura no oeste paulista: Franca/SP 1890-1914

This article turns on the importance of the small coffee production in the coffee complex economy between 1890 and 1914. We argue here the relations of work, the forms of financing and the way as the small coffee production inserts itself in this universe. We use as priority sources the employment contracts that involved the formation and/or the treatment of coffee trees and the Writes of mortgage debts, both recorded in Notarial Books, documents not used by historiography in a systematical way. We turns our look for a region marked predominantly for small and the middle producing farms of coffee, observing the dynamics of the accumulation in a period of expansion and crisis of the coffee economy.

Anônimas da história: relações de trabalho e atuação política de sapateiras entre as décadas de 1950 e 1980 (Franca-SP)

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)