Marxismo e filosofia: algumas considerações sobre os textos políticos Merleau-Pontyanos do pós-guerra

A tentativa merleau-pontyana de aproximação do marxismo, empreendida nos idos do pós-guerra, é perpassada por constante ambigüidade. Não obstante o propósito do filósofo de se filiar à teoria de Marx, suas análises políticas revelam-se distantes de suas intenções. Concebendo a história como uma aventura que escapa a qualquer esquema racional, Merleau-Ponty questiona, desde seus primeiros escritos, a dialética marxista entre lógica e contingência na história. A tensão interna que dilacera os textos do autor nos anos 40, anunciando (e preparando) a recusa da teoria da revolução estampada mais tarde nas Aventuras da Dialética, permite indagar se esse desfecho dos anos 50 não teria sido, ao invés de um corte no interior da obra, o resultado necessário dessa tentativa problemática de aproximação do marxismo a partir de categorias que lhe são estranhas (próprias às filosofias da existência e à fenomenologia).

Fuzzy Logic and Geostatistical Techniques for Spatialization of Soil Texture in Region with Rough Terrains

From the geotechnical standpoint, it is interesting to analyse the soil texture in regions with rough terrain due to its relation with the infiltration and runoff processes and, consequently, the effect on erosion processes. The purpose of this paper is to present a methodology that provides the soil texture spatialization by using Fuzzy logic and Geostatistic. The results were correlated with maps drawn specifically for the study area. The knowledge of the spatialization of soil properties, such as the texture, can be an important tool for land use planning in order to reduce the potential soil losses during rain seasons. (c) 2011 Published by Elsevier Ltd. Selection and peer-review under responsibility of Spatial Statistics 2011

Puncture wounds by driftwood catfish during bucket baths: Local habits of riverside people and fish natural history in the Amazon

Objective. - To assess the prevalence of stings by small spiny driftwood catfish (carataí) of the genus Centromochlus (Auchenipteridae) accidentally caught in buckets during bucket bathing by riverside people along the Brazilian Amazon and to determine the probability of catching specimens of these fish during random throws of a bucket into the river. Methods. - We interviewed 27 adult residents living at the confluence of the Negro and Solimões rivers in Brazil regarding whether or not they had ever been stung by driftwood catfish while bucket bathing. To assess the likelihood of catching catfish in bathing buckets, we randomly threw a typical plastic bucket used for bathing in 4 series of 10 throws into the river at dusk or night around a floating house. Results. - Seventeen of the 27 subjects (63%) reported being injured by driftwood catfish during bucket bathing. Three individuals (17.6%) had been injured 2 to 3 times, totaling 23 puncture accidents. All stings occurred at dusk or early night. In the 4 series of 10 bucket throws, we caught 3 driftwood catfish (in 1 series we did not catch any fish). Thus, the chance of catching a driftwood catfish in a single bucket throw at dusk was slightly less than 10%. Conclusions. - The prevalence of stings by driftwood catfish to people bucket bathing in this section of the Brazilian Amazon is high, partly because of the relatively high chances of catching these small catfish during random throws of a bathing bucket into the river.

Hydromorphic Soil, Topographic Depression and Vegetation Development History by Using 13c and 14c In Rondônia State (sw Brazilian Amazon)

13C e 14C obtidos da matéria orgânica do solo foram usados para diferenciar fases de flutuação da vegetação em transição floresta-savana. A região apresenta baixos platôs com depressões topográficas imperfeitamente drenadas na superfície. Na topossequência estudada foram analisados solos de cinco perfis localizados sob floresta (F), transição floresta-savana (S1), borda da depressão sob savana (S2) e centro da depressão sob savana (S3). Os valores de 13C e idades evidenciam que a ~ 200cm de profundidade, com idades entre ~ 12.000 e 10.000 A.P., valores de -27‰ a -27,7‰ indicam vegetação de floresta (C3) em todos os perfis. Na profundidade de 100 cm, com idades entre ~ 6.000 e 5.000 A.P., houve enriquecimento de – 20,2‰ a -22,3‰, indicando regressão da floresta e expansão da savana. Valores entre -15,9 e -18,7‰ a 50-60 cm, estimado entre ~ 4.700 a 3.800 A.P., sugere máxima expansão da vegetação C4 em resposta às condições climáticas mais secas, exceto no perfil S3 com valores mais empobrecidos (-20,9‰), sugerindo que na depressão, o desenvolvimento da hidromorfia possibilitou a presença de espécies de gramíneas C3 e C4 da savana em resposta as mudanças das condições ambientais.

Injuries by marine and freshwater stingrays: history, clinical aspects of the envenomations and current status of a neglected problem in Brazil

Stingrays are a group of rays - cartilaginous fish related to sharks - that have whiplike tails with barbed, usually venomous spines and are found around the world, especially the marine species. Despite recent reports of accidents involving these fish, they are not aggressive, reacting only when stepped on or improperly handled. Injuries by stingrays are seldom mentioned by historians, although they have always been present in riverine communities of inland waters and in South American coasts. Indeed, envenomations by stingrays are quite common in freshwater and marine fishing communities. Although having high morbidity, such injuries are neglected because they have low lethality and usually occur in remote areas, which favor the use of folk remedies. In the present review article, historical aspects of injuries caused by stingrays in Brazil and their distribution on the coast of Sao Paulo state and riverine communities of the North, Midwest and Southeast regions were studied. In addition, other aspects were analyzed such as clinical features, therapeutic methods, preventive measures and trends in occurrence of these accidents in the country, particularly in areas in which freshwater stingrays had not been previously registered, being introduced after breaching of natural barriers.

Analysis of localized muscle fatigue in elderly women with and without a history of falls using electromyographic signal frequency parameters

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

Expert system to detect incipient fauts in rotating machines using fuzzy logic and virtual instrumentation

This paper refers to the design of an expert system that captures a waveform through the use of an accelerometer, processes the signal and converts it to the frequency domain using a Fast Fourier Transformer to then, using artificial intelligence techniques, specifically Fuzzy Reasoning, it determines if there is any failure present in the underlying mode of the equipment, such as imbalance, misalignment or bearing defects.

Phylogeography and Pleistocene demographic history of the endangered marsh deer (Blastocerus dichotomus) from the Rio de la Plata Basin

The marsh deer is the largest neotropical cervid with morphological and ecological adaptations to wetlands and riparian habitats. Historically, this now endangered species occupied habitats along the major river basins in South America, ranging from southern Amazonia into northern Argentina to the Parana river delta. This particularly close association with wetlands makes marsh deer an excellent species for studying the effects of Pleistocene climatic changes on their demographic and phylogeographic patterns. We examined mitochondrial DNA variation in 127 marsh deer from 4 areas distributed throughout the Rio de]a Plata basin. We found 17 haplotypes in marsh deer from Brazil, Bolivia and Argentina that differed by 1-8 substitutions in a 601 bp fragment of mitochondrial control region sequence, and 486 bp of cytochrome b revealed only 3 variable sites that defined 4 haplotypes. Phylogeny and distribution of control region haplotypes suggest that populations close to the Pantanal area in central Brazil underwent a rapid population expansion and that this occurred approximately 28,000-25,000 years BP. Paleoclimatic data from this period suggests that there was a dramatic increase for precipitation in the medium latitudes in South America and these conditions may have fostered marsh deer's population growth.

The historiographic Hispano-Americanism: Spain and America in the perspective of Ricardo Levene and Rafael Altamira

This article analyzes how Latin American history was interpreted by two eminent historians, the Argentine Ricardo Levene and the Spaniard Rafael Altamira. It discusses how their paths crossed in the advocacy of Hispano-Americanism as a political project and interpretive horizon of Iberian and American history.

A fuzzy logic system applied in lightning models

This paper describes a novel approach for mapping lightning processes using fuzzy logic. The estimation process is carried out using a fuzzy system based on Sugeno's architecture. Simulation results confirm that proposed approach can be efficiently used in these types of problem.

Militarism, conflicts and indiscipline in police practices in the State of São Paulo during the First Brazilian Republic

This article examines the challenges involved in the process of police militarization and implementation of police discipline in the State of São Paulo during the First Brazilian Republic (1889 to 1930). The implementation of a militarized police model, initiated by the 1906 French Military Mission, was not fully able to deal with indiscipline issues among policemen. Beyond creating problems of its own, such as fostering a corporatist culture and strengthening rigid hierarchies, military discipline prevented police forces to address new issues that would affect its practices. Documents in the São Paulo State Public Archive provides a window to the daily violence, the personal compromises, the institutional conflicts and the political meddling that was part of police life in the State of São Paulo at the turn of the century.

Short-term changes caused by fire and mowing in Brazilian Campos grasslands with different long-term fire histories

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Taxonomic diversity, niche width and similarity in the use of plant resources by bees (Hymenoptera: Anthophila) in a cerrado area

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

High frequencies of plexiform neurofibromas, mental retardation, learning difficulties, and scoliosis in Brazilian patients with neurofibromatosis type 1

A clinical study of Brazilian patients with neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) was performed in a multidisciplinary Neurofibromatosis Program called CEPAN (Center of Research and Service in Neurofibromatosis). Among 55 patients (60% females, 40% males) who met the NIH criteria for the diagnosis of NF1, 98% had more than six café-au-lait patches, 94.5% had axillary freckling, 45% had inguinal freckling, and 87.5% had Lisch nodules. Cutaneous neurofibromas were observed in 96%, and 40% presented plexiform neurofibromas. A positive family history of NF1 was found in 60%, and mental retardation occurred in 35%. Some degree of scoliosis was noted in 49%, 51% had macrocephaly, 40% had short stature, 76% had learning difficulties, and 2% had optic gliomas. Unexpectedly high frequencies of plexiform neurofibromas, mental retardation, learning difficulties, and scoliosis were observed, probably reflecting the detailed clinical analysis methods adopted by the Neurofibromatosis Program. These same patients were screened for mutations in the GAP-related domain/GRD (exons 20-27a) by single-strand conformation polymorphism. Four different mutations (Q1189X, 3525-3526delAA, E1356G, c.4111-1G>A) and four polymorphisms (c.3315-27G>A, V1146I, V1317A, c.4514+11C>G) were identified. These data were recently published.