Waves of Change Within Civil Society in Latin America: Mexico City and Sao Paulo

For the past half a century, Latin American scholars have been pointing toward the emergence of new social actors as agents of social and political democratization. The first wave of actors was characterized by the emergence of novel agents-mainly, new popular movements-of social transformation. At first, the second wave, epitomized by nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), was celebrated as the upsurge of a new civil society, but later on, it was the target of harsh criticism. The literature often portrays this development in Latin American civil society as a displacement trend of actors of the first wave by the second wave-""NGOization""-""and even denounces new civil society as rootless, depoliticized, and functional to retrenchment. Thus, supposedly, NGOization encumbers social change. The authors argue that NGOization diagnosis is a flawed depiction of change within civil society. Rather than NGOization related to the depoliticization and neoliberalization of civil society, in Mexico City and Sao Paulo, there has been modernization of organizational ecologies, changes in the functional status of civil society, and interestingly, specialization aimed at shaping public agenda. The authors argue that such specialization, instead of encumbering social change, brings about different repertoires of strategies and skills purposively developed for influencing policy and politics. Their argument relies on comparative systematic evidence. Through network analysis, they examine the organizational ecology of civil society in Mexico City and Sao Paulo.

Knowledge and Practice of Prechewing/Prewarming Food by HIV-Infected Women

OBJECTIVE: HIV transmission has been associated with offering a child food prechewed by an HIV-infected caregiver. We assessed awareness of prechewing and oral prewarming of food by an adult before offering it to a child among HIV-infected pregnant women and clinical investigators in 3 Latin American countries. METHODS: HIV-infected pregnant women at 12 sites (Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development International Site Development Initiative Perinatal Longitudinal Study in Latin American Countries, a prospective cohort trial) in Argentina, Brazil, and Peru were administered a screening survey about prechewing/prewarming of infant foods and cautioned against these feeding practices. Survey responses were analyzed, overall, and stratified according to country. RESULTS: Of the 401 HIV-infected pregnant women interviewed, 34% had heard about prechewing (50% from Argentina, 32% from Brazil, and 36% from Peru), 23% knew someone who prechewed food for infants, and 4% had prechewed food in the past. Seventeen percent had heard about oral prewarming of food, 13% knew someone who prewarmed food for infants, and 3% had prewarmed food for an infant in the past. Women who reported knowing someone who prechewed were more likely to also know someone who prewarmed food (P < .0001). Few site investigators anticipated that their patients would be aware of these practices. CONCLUSIONS: Prechewing food, a potential risk factor for HIV transmission, and orally prewarming food, which has not been associated with HIV transmission but might expose a child to blood from an HIV-infected adult, are not uncommon practices in Latin America. Both practices should be further investigated. Site investigator responses underscore that health care providers could be missing information about cultural practices that patients may not report unless specifically asked. Pediatrics 2011;127:e1206-e1211

Desenvolvimento sustent??vel: o desafio da admininstra????o p??blica brasileira nas dimens??es da relev??ncia social, da prud??ncia ecol??gica e da viabilidade econ??mica

Partindo do conceito de bem-estar social, definido em lei como de responsabilidade da administra????o p??blica, especialmente no que diz respeito ?? preserva????o dos recursos naturais para a manuten????o da decente qualidade de vida dos cidad??os, o artigo foi estruturado a partir do relat??rio de pesquisa de inicia????o cient??fica financiada pela Funda????o de Amparo ?? Pesquisa do Estado de S??o Paulo (Fapesp) e desenvolvido na Universidade Estadual de S??o Paulo (Unesp). Tal relat??rio objetivou investigar os par??metros de regularidade da administra????o p??blica, analisando-se a jurisprud??ncia dos tribunais. Foram evidenciadas irregularidades na atua????o da administra????o p??blica, constatando a desarticula????o da gest??o p??blica ao gerir as tr??s dimens??es que definem o desenvolvimento sustent??vel: a relev??ncia social, a viabilidade econ??mica e a prud??ncia ecol??gica. Foi poss??vel constatar com esta pesquisa que a administra????o p??blica brasileira d?? mais import??ncia para a quest??o econ??mica que ??s quest??es sociais e ambientais. Pudemos perceber que enquanto o meio ambiente ?? degradado e a sociedade prejudicada com a piora da qualidade de vida, o econ??mico vem sendo privilegiado constantemente. Sendo assim, evidenciaremos esse descaso propondo algumas mudan??as para a melhora da gest??o das tr??s dimens??es do desenvolvimento sustent??vel; por??m, em contrapartida, mostraremos a seriedade na atua????o dos ??rg??os colegiados ambientais e institui????es do poder p??blico, tais como o Minist??rio P??blico, que hoje atuam em parceria com a popula????o, crescentemente envolvida no processo mediante a pr??tica de den??ncias e reclama????es.

The impact of the digital divide on the perceived interest of an e-Marketplace to support healthcare and social care services

In a Europe increasingly aging, it is now recognized the importance and potential of the service industry for ageing well based on information and communication technologies (ICT), as exemplified by the electronic market of social services and health care, the GuiMarket, proposed by the authors. However, this new range of services requires that individuals have advanced digital skills to fully participate in society. Based on the results of a survey made on a sample of 315 individuals, this paper discusses the importance granted GuiMarket and the intended frequency of use, concluding there is a close relationship between ICT access and use that respondents anticipate making of GuiMarket and alike services.

Parcerias logisticas: estudos de caso

O processo de globalização tem contribuído para o desenvolvimento da reestruturação das firmas, por vezes são necessárias alianças, o que implica alterações na cadeia de valor, sendo fundamentais novas formas de relacionamento interpessoal e de operação. Os Pólos Industriais representam a presença física de entidades em determinadas posições geográficas, responsáveis pelo desenvolvimento económico, tecnológico e social da região. Este trabalho de investigação tem como intuito geral verificar o contributo efetivo para o aumento de vantagem competitiva das firmas parceiras na logística e produção de componentes para o setor automóvel, tendo como estudo do caso Caetano Coatings Automotive. O estudo foi realizado no Pólo Industrial do Carregado, com base numa pesquisa empírica, cumulativamente com revisão da literatura inerente às parcerias em cluster no sector automóvel e várias visitas ao local. Para a realização deste objetivo foi utilizado o método do estudo do caso por permitir ao investigador através da observação direta e entrevista analisar fenómenos atuais. Tal recolha de dados demonstra que alterações de localização e o fator proximidade contribuem para aumento de competitividade do Pólo Industrial através da redução do espaço e tempo e consequentemente redução de custos e lead-time. Foram analisadas de forma comparativa o desenvolvimento das firmas que detinham e detêm parcerias no Pólo Industrial, tendo sido identificado de forma significativa as contribuições para o aumento da vantagem competitiva. Os resultados obtidos evidenciam fatores que contribuem para novos tipos de relacionamento e aumento de vantagem competitiva foi devida à deslocalização das firmas parceiras integradas no Pólo Industrial.

Virtual Communities of Practice: Design and Development of Support Platforms and Participation Fostering

Mestrado em Engenharia Informática - Área de Especialização em Sistemas Gráficos e Multimédia

Development of Schistosoma mansoni in Biomphalaria tenagophila, Biomphalaria straminea and Biomphalaria glabrata

A comparative study of the development of Schistosoma mansoni during the intra-molluscan phase was made by means of histological sections of Biomphalaria tenagophila, B. straminea and B. glabrata from Brazil. Two hundred snails of each species were individually exposed to 50 miracidia of the S. mansoni, AL line. No larvae were observed in the snails fixed 72 h after exposure. In specimens shedding cercariae, 31 days after exposure tissue reactions encapsulating the larvae were seen in B. tenagophila and B. straminea, in the head-foot, mantle collar and renal ducts. No tissue reactions occurred in the digestive glands of these two species. In B. glabrata the presence of numerous sporocysts and cercariae without tissue reactions was observed in the digestive gland, and other organs. The levels of infection of the snails and the average numbers of cercariae shed per day were 32.6% and 79±90 respectively for B. tenagophila, 11.3% and 112±100 for B. straminea and 75.3% and 432±436 for B. glabrata. The lower levels of infection and average numbers of cercariae shed by B. tenagophila and B. straminea are thus related to their more potent internal defense systems.

Social Media Integration in Video Games: A Social Overlay for Desktop Games

Simpósio de Informática (INForum 2015), Covilhã, Portugal. Notes: Best paper award nominee.

Genetic Control of Mosquitoes: population suppression strategies

Over the last two decades, morbidity and mortality from malaria and dengue fever among other pathogens are an increasing Public Health problem. The increase in the geographic distribution of vectors is accompanied by the emergence of viruses and diseases in new areas. There are insufficient specific therapeutic drugs available and there are no reliable vaccines for malaria or dengue, although some progress has been achieved, there is still a long way between its development and actual field use. Most mosquito control measures have failed to achieve their goals, mostly because of the mosquito's great reproductive capacity and genomic flexibility. Chemical control is increasingly restricted due to potential human toxicity, mortality in no target organisms, insecticide resistance, and other environmental impacts. Other strategies for mosquito control are desperately needed. The Sterile Insect Technique (SIT) is a species-specific and environmentally benign method for insect population suppression, it is based on mass rearing, radiation mediated sterilization, and release of a large number of male insects. Releasing of Insects carrying a dominant lethal gene (RIDL) offers a solution to many of the drawbacks of traditional SIT that have limited its application in mosquitoes while maintaining its environmentally friendly and species-specific utility. The self-limiting nature of sterile mosquitoes tends to make the issues related to field use of these somewhat less challenging than for self-spreading systems characteristic of population replacement strategies. They also are closer to field use, so might be appropriate to consider first. The prospect of genetic control methods against mosquito vectored human diseases is rapidly becoming a reality, many decisions will need to be made on a national, regional and international level regarding the biosafety, social, cultural and ethical aspects of the use and deployment of these vector control methods.

New Opportunities for Development Journalism: Enlarging the Public Sphere with ICTs

The present study examines new opportunities offered by the introduction of information and communication technologies (ICTs) to enhance the development journalism practice, in order to enlarge the public sphere and empower ordinary people to participate more actively in public debate on issues affecting their development. The analysis of the achievements and challenges faced by 32 radio stations under the UNESCO project “Empowering Local Radios with ICTs” offers an overview of the introduction of ICTs in different contexts, within and among seven countries in Sub- Saharan Africa. Even though the lack of ICTs access and knowledge is still a concern in the developing world, especially in rural areas, these new tools can be adapted to each context and foster a more pluralistic and participative media in order to address people’s needs and promote social change.

Comparative biology of the two sister species of Triatominae (Hemiptera: Reduviidae)

INTRODUCTION: Triatoma pseudomaculata and T. wygodzinskyi (Hemiptera: Reduviidae: Triatominae) are two Brazilian vectors of Chagas disease. The first is an arboricolous species in sylvatic environment and considered a vector of T. cruzi in peridomestic structures; the second, a rupicolous species in the wild environment of no epidemiological importance. In order to test the assumption that sister species share biological traits, comparative studies of their development cycle and blood ingestion were conducted. METHODS: Eggs laid by five field females of each species were randomly selected. The nymphs were observed daily and fed on mice weekly. The time required to pass through the different stages to adulthood was recorded in days. The triatomines were weighed individually before and after feeding. The mortality rate according to each nymphal stage was calculated. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: Analysis of the results shows that they display only minor biological differences even though they exhibit a distinct ecology. This suggests that the biological traits are important criteria to determine the relationship between species.

A avaliação da interação social em crianças com perturbações do espectro do autismo: perceções de pais e de profissionais

Dissertação de mestrado em Educação Especial (área de especialização em Intervenção Precoce)