Identidade, memória e narrativas na dança de São Gonçalo do povoado Mussuca (SE)

This study deals with the participation of the dance of São Gonçalo of the Mussuca town/SE, in the process of construction of the ethnic identity among this social group. The Mussuca is a grouping recognized as afro-descendents, linked with black enslaved people in the valley of the Cotinguiba region. The collective memory functions as a drive of this linking with the past and if it makes to elaborate narratives on this descent. The objective of this study was to investigate the ways the rite went through to constitute itself as an element of ethnic representation. Internal and external agents had been identified who had participated in different contexts. By means of an ethnographic work we ve reached some aspects of the local structure social which demonstrated the contradictions through the social relations of the group. This process of ethnic autorecognition presents the kinship and the space question as definers of the social arrangements which establish its ethnic boundaries

Negros misturados: um estudo de caso sobre identidades negras em Mossoró-RN

With more or less 213.000 habitants, Mossoró is the second more developed city from the Rio Grande do Norte. The town is proclamated like the land of freedom. To so far, exist four moments in your history related with the defence of freedom that is point like truthful from so proclamation. Suchlike happenings are the first female vote on Brazil, the resistance against the Lampião s band, the worman s mutiny and the slave release in 1883, five year before the Áurea law sanction. These happenings are commemorate yearly on setember with one big theatrical event called by the freedom high. Inside this contexto of exaltation to freedom, there is one black movement by name black and beautiful. Is the present dissertation, talked about the building of black identities between the black militants of Mossoró and the dwellers from the Santo Antônio district. With such approach, we intend to think about possibles differences or likeness, how the militants and dwellers from the refered district self-calleds like blacks or not. We are understanding black identity like one process to self-affirmation done by specificities of the social context and the individual particularity. This way, the identity change into one dynamic and contextual reality, gone always by one business process against the interaction of the social actors. So we search to discuss the specificities that involve the process to building of black identities in the city of freedom

Os exus em casa de catiço : etnografia, representações, magia

This dissertation is the result of an ethnographic journey undertaken in three spiritual centers of Umbanda , located in different districts of Natal/RN. The aim of the study was to understand how the representations of exus (spirit category) are established in the studied religious environment. In order to study this, mythical narratives of songs and of people were analyzed. In addition, the incorporated spirit entities, loaded with codes and values, were possible to be read and understood. The present work was developed according to a theoretical and methodological approach that interprets culture as a constant construction process, with representations and significations. The empirical research focuses on the ethnographic observations and the narratives; providing the experimentation of the models of discursive dialogues and polyphony. It was observed that the studied empirical field is marked by the cult of the Jurema which influences the mythical construction of exus . Therefore, this study enabled a reflection on the meeting of notions of two distinct worlds ( Umbanda and Jurema ). This reflection is crucial to the understanding of the position that exus occupy in the local umbandista system

Nego veio é um sofrer : uma etnografia da subalternidade e do subalterno numa irmandade do Rosário

The object of this work is a fellowship of São Sebastião e Nossa Senhora do Rosário in the city of Jardim do Seridó (RN), that is, a black catholic fellowship on the sertão potiguar. The devotion to Nossa Senhora do Rosário, in colonial Brazil, organizes itself through black catholic men as fellowships. They blossomed in Brazil until the abolition, getting support from the Catholic church, from owners of slaves and from the population in general − unlike others afro-Brazilian religious expression. Today, these fellowships remain active, against the sentimental pessimism of the folklore studies, and they also have a highlight position in the calendar of many cities in Brazil, and in particular in Seridó. The research s foothold is the apparent valorization of the fellowship by the local elite, attitude that hides asymmetric relationships between the group of negros do Rosário and the local authorities, having as its consequence that the members occupy a subaltern position inside their own fellowship. This subalternity take place, mainly, in the public area, where the negros do Rosário cannot represent themselves neither political nor discursively. To discuss this idea, it s done a brief historical of these catholic institutions as well as a description of the relationship between the negros do Rosário and the elites of the city. Then, the phenomenon is analyzed as folklore and/or religion , under the perspective of many agents that participate in this process. In other moment, it is going to be presented how the group formulates their own representation of the history, of the devotional forms and of their own political-religious experiences. In this sense, an ethnography of the subalternity is understood as an analysis of the process that leads the negros do Rosário to become a subaltern group. It s also outlined the perception that the group has of its own position, through an ethnography essay of the subaltern subject. The research, focused in the group of Rosário, was done between August 2010 and January 2012 and includes other agents (like treasurers, priests and intellectuals). Besides that, as a methodological complement, there are documental research, photography, as well as shoots of the party days and public presentation

O Ofício das Rezadeiras: um estudo antropológico sobre as práticas terapêuticas e a comunhão de crenças em Cruzeta/RN

The present Master´s dissertation aims to study the practices of the rezadeiras, Brazilian women healers, through an anthropological perspective. Special attention will be given to the understanding of these practices as a dynamic process in relation to those women who heal in Cruzeta (Seridó, Rio Grande do Norte), where is located our ethnographic research. For this research, twenty four rezadeiras were contacted and colaborated with our work plan. Among them, two were pentecostal rezadeiras and another one was member of the Jurema cult, an afro-brazilian religious cult. Similarities among these women healers were perceived in the research process, mostly in terms of their learning process and the use of certain objects and ritual techniques. However, apparent differences among them gave us the chance for understanding and reflecting on the actual heterogeneity of this world of specialists. Furthermore, i tried to capture the relations between the rezadeiras and the therapeutic practices from health professionals or the religious practices of religious leaders (Catholic, pentecostal, etc). It is possible to ascertain about the complementarity between therapeutic practices from different cultural logics. This complementarity is also perceived through the religious interchanges and transits among different healers, including those who have different religious beliefs. In this work, rituals are also described and they are a crucial factor to the understanding of this particular religious and therapeutic practice conducted by women. Following these ideas, our basic aim is to understand how the rezadeiras make interpretations about health and illness, specially those ones which are particular associated with their practices, the so called "doenças de rezadeiras"

A Cabana Umbamdista Pai Joaquim de Angola: frente a intolerância a Umbanda na Cidade do Natal/RN

This dissertation presents an attempt to register the initial steps of african-Brazilian religion Umbanda in the city of Natal, capital of Rio Grande do Norte, from a case study of Cabana Umbanda Pai Joaquim de Angola, represented by its maintainer, umbanda of the priest José Clementino. The main objective is to record the memories of fans in aspects of its tradition, experience social and cultural religious building, in an attempt to show the religious hatred with practitioners of Umbanda. Used to: in audio recordings of festivals and rituals, narratives about the memories and stories of employees and their explanations, photographs, diary entries in the field, participant observation and interviews available. The analysis referred to in umbanda Natal / RN, was based on field research as a product of the visits that took place between the years 2006 to 2009 in Terreiro de Umbanda Pai Joaquim de Angola, located in the neighborhood of Rocas.

Relatos de sangue: apresentação de mundos de famílias negras vítimas ocultas da violência

This work aims at understanding of social suffering, caused by unsolved homicides in the black population. Thus, when the homicide occurs, family and friends become hidden or indirect victims of this crime. So, It will be made a historical imbalance of Afro-Brazilians to the capitalist system after slavery. Those who suffered from the absence of inclusive public policies. Also try to contextualize them within the current data with that place as the immediate victims of murder. Finally, reports from family members, through their life stories, and snippets from the ethnographic field notes were the methodologies used

Entre parentes :cotidiano, religiosidade e identidade na Serra de Portalegre/RN

Si les études sur les groupes noirs ruraux connaissent un essor dans l´Antropologie brésilienne contemporaine, au Nordeste, et spécialement au Rio Grande do Norte, ce genre de recherches restent rares. Ce travail a comme principal objectif de faire une description ethnographique des communautés du Pêga, do Arrojado e do Engenho Novo, dans la commune de Portalegre/RN, désignées comme des descendants africains et dont les membres se reconnaissent comme appartenant a une "grande famille". Ainsi, nous voulons analyser les processus d´élaboration d´une identité collective et comprendre le rôle des relations de parenté dans la vie cotidienne, festive et religieuse de Portalegre. En effet, nous pouvons observer que les "parents" développent des stratégies économiques et affirment leur alterité, reprennant des traits culturels et religieux qui leur sont propres pour se présenter comme un groupe doté d´une grande cohésion face a la société environnante. Nous utilisons la méthode ethnographique et la technique de l´observation participante, alliée à l´analyse des sources historiques primaires dans le but de décrire ces pratiques et stratégies. Nous pensons que la participation des membres du groupe à la production agricole, spécialement dans la confection de la farine de manioc, la construction des relations sociales au quotidien et l´organisation de la danse de São Gonçalo représentent autant d´occasions où la mémoire du groupe se fortifie, l´identité collective se cristallise et où la sociabilité se trouve consolidée. Nous analysons ces pratiques collectives et ces moments festifs comme des moyens de réaffirmation d´une identité locale centrée sur les relations de parenté

OBALUAIÊ: um estudo sobre o estigma no convívio com o HIV/Aids em terreiros de Umbanda na cidade de Fortaleza-Ceará

The tradition and living in African-Brazilian religious spaces, called yards, reveal how dynamic the reproduction and exchange of knowledge are, and that through their worldview, reveal ways of dealing with health and disease. The yards are culturally rich territories, in which people shape concepts, practices, and beliefs about health, disease and forms of healing, passed on from generation to generation through oral tradition. With the advent of HIV/AIDS from the 80s, a new challenge is established in the community of the yards and in the individual trajectories of people affected by the disease, who since an early age participate in this religious practice. The objective of this research is the analysis on the stigma in living with HIV/AIDS in yards of Umbanda in Fortaleza-Ceará, considering the (re)production of social dramas experienced by the community in question. During the investigation we adopted two basic parameters: the first one considers the understanding of the reproduction of stigma (or deteriorated identity) in relation to HIV/AIDS in its socio-historical dimension and its effects in the investigated context (Goffman, 1988). And the second one refers to the creation and reproduction of social dramas as a social experience carried through learning, handling and symbolic performance, which is reproduced in four stages: rupture, crisis, corrective action and reintegration (Turner, 1971)

Atividade da 6-fosfogliconato desidrogenase em deficientes de glicose-6-fosfato desidrogenase

As enzimas G6PD e 6PGD são responsáveis pela geração do aporte de NADPH, necessário para a detoxificação dos agentes oxidantes produzidos pelo estresse oxidativo metabólico nos eritrócitos. Devido à alta prevalência de deficiência de G6PD na população mundial, principalmente de origem negróide africana, muitos estudos têm sido realizados na tentativa de conhecer melhor a atuação destas enzimas. O objetivo deste estudo foi avaliar a atividade enzimática da 6PGD, nos deficientes de G6PD, para verificar a existência de aumento da atividade desta enzima, correlacionando com um possível aumento do número de reticulócitos ou presença de alterações da série vermelha. A pesquisa em 2.657 indivíduos do sexo masculino resultou em 97 deficientes de G6PD, determinando uma prevalência de 3,65% para a região de Bauru (SP), com atividade enzimática média de G6PD de 1,74 UI.g Hb-1. min-1 a 37ºC, 14,4% da atividade da G6PD normal. A atividade enzimática média da 6PGD foi de 9,5 UI.g Hb-1. min-1 a 37ºC, estando aumentada em 47,4% dos deficientes de G6PD. Os resultados não confirmaram que a hipótese do aumento da atividade enzimática da 6PGD, em deficientes de G6PD, seja decorrente da presença de um número aumentado de reticulócitos na corrente circulatória, faixa etária ou alterações eritrocitométricas que denotem anemia. O mais provável é que a hemólise autolimitada, imposta pelos processos oxidativos, preserve os eritrócitos mais jovens, que possuem atividade enzimática mais elevada, uma vez que naturalmente ocorre diminuição da atividade destas enzimas com o envelhecimento celular.

Association of IL1 gene polymorphisms with chronic periodontitis in Brazilians

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

Os convivas da morte no banquete das almas: presença de eguns em um conto de João Antônio

A literatura escrita tem sido um espaço privilegiado para a representação e, consequentemente, para o registro e divulgação dos valores e costumes de variados grupos e segmentos sociais. No conto analisado neste ensaio – Eguns –, o escritor paulistano João Antônio (1937-1996) traz um narrador que descreve com detalhes uma rara festa religiosa ocorrida na Bahia, destinada ao culto dos ancestrais. Contemplativo e respeitoso, limita-se a contar o que a tradição religiosa permite. O contato com a alteridade ganha foros de rito iniciático e a experiência – em sentido forte – é transferida ao leitor.

Práticas de cura místico-religiosas, psicoterapia e subjetividade contemporânea

Nous avons analysé les résultats d'une recherché sur les pratiques de guérison mystico-religieuses (chez les Églises Évangéliques et Catholique Renovée, et chez l'Oumbanda). Ainsi que leur comparaison avec le traitement fourni, chez les Ambulatoires de Santé Mentale publiques, aux individus se plaignant de souffrance psychique. L'analyse statistique a révélé que les pratiques de guérison mystico-religieuses sont efficaces à la solution des problèmes de ceux qui les ont cherché, en surmontant, dans le court délai, l'efficacité obtenue par les pratiques ambulatoriales. Un des principaux moyens d'efficacité des pratiques de guérison mystico-religieuses consiste dans l'offre de sens de diverses nuances, d'où se ressort le sens radical de teneur imaginaire, qui implique en des adhésions institutionelles du type fanatique ou ritualistique en bonne partie des cas. Les pratiques de guérison mystico-religieuses semblent fonctioner comme des orthopédies des maladies de l'individualisme contemporain, en réinstallant, par des moyens syntoniques, quelque fonctionalité de la catégorie individu. Comme suite de l'analyse, nous arrivons à l'hypothèse sur l'existence d'une Culture du Mysticisme en état avancé de formation dans le contexte brésilien, comme conséquence des caractéristiques culturelles et des effets de la perturbation des rapports du sujet avec le domaine du symbolique, dans les sociétés de consommation mondialisées à exclusion sociale accentuée et affectées par une importante crise de sens, conséquence de l'ébranlement des idéaux les plus basilaires du libéralisme.

Molecular phylogeny of advanced snakes (Serpentes, Caenophidia) with an emphasis on South American xenodontines: A revised classification and descriptions of new taxa

We present a molecular phylogenetic analysis of caenophidian (advanced) snakes using sequences from two mitochondrial genes (12S and 16S rRNA) and one nuclear (c-mos) gene (1681 total base pairs), and with 131 terminal taxa sampled from throughout all major caenophidian lineages but focussing on Neotropical xenodontines. Direct optimization parsimony analysis resulted in a well-resolved phylogenetic tree, which corroborates some clades identified in previous analyses and suggests new hypotheses for the composition and relationships of others. The major salient points of our analysis are: (1) placement of Acrochordus, Xenodermatids, and Pareatids as successive outgroups to all remaining caenophidians (including viperids, elapids, atractaspidids, and all other colubrid groups); (2) within the latter group, viperids and homalopsids are sucessive sister clades to all remaining snakes; (3) the following monophyletic clades within crown group caenophidians: Afro-Asian psammophiids (including Mimophis from Madagascar), Elapidae (including hydrophiines but excluding Homoroselaps), Pseudoxyrhophiinae, Colubrinae, Natricinae, Dipsadinae, and Xenodontinae. Homoroselaps is associated with atractaspidids. Our analysis suggests some taxonomic changes within xenodontines, including new taxonomy for Alsophis elegans, Liophis amarali, and further taxonomic changes within Xenodontini and the West Indian radiation of xenodontines. Based on our molecular analysis, we present a revised classification for caenophidians and provide morphological diagnoses for many of the included clades; we also highlight groups where much more work is needed. We name as new two higher taxonomic clades within Caenophidia, one new subfamily within Dipsadidae, and, within Xenodontinae five new tribes, six new genera and two resurrected genera. We synonymize Xenoxybelis and Pseudablabes with Philodryas; Erythrolamprus with Liophis; and Lystrophis and Waglerophis with Xenodon.

Imprint cytology of osteosarcoma of the jaw: A case report

Introduction. Osteosarcomas are highly malignant bone-forming neoplasms that account for about 20% of all sarcomas. In light of their aggressive behavior, early diagnosis is crucial for determining adequate treatment. Dental professionals may be the first to detect jaw osteosarcomas in their initial stages. The aim of this case report is to draw attention to the possibility of diagnosing this tumor based on clinical, radiographical and cytological characteristics before confirmation by histology. Case presentation. A 24-year-old Afro-Brazilian man presented with swelling and pain on the left side of the mandible in the region of the third molar (tooth 38). Radiography showed a poorly delimited intraosseous lesion with radiolucent and radiopaque areas. The cytological aspects were consistent with the diagnosis of osteosarcoma, which was confirmed by biopsy. Conclusion. Imprint cytology was found to be a reliable, rapid and easy complementary examination. An early diagnosis of osteosarcoma of the jaw is fundamental to the early determination of an adequate treatment. © 2009 Cabral et al; licensee BioMed Central Ltd.