Reshaping the global agricultural landscape: perspectives from Brazil

This article highlights the main changes observed in Brazilian agriculture and analyzes the connections of the observed changes in global agriculture. My approach to the analysis focuses the main drivers of changes, where institutions play a central role. Three driving forces are are considered: first, the effects of global demand for food, fiber, and energy; second, the sustainability debate; and third, the bio-energy paradigm. Each driver presents both local as well as global effects. The article does not emphasize the impact changes in Brazil had on the global agricultural landscape but argues that the impacts run from local and global changes, which cannot be discussed separately.

Slant or occlusion: global factors resolve stereoscopic ambiguity in sets of horizontal lines

Perceived slant was measured for horizontal lines aligned on one side and of varying lengths whose length disparity was either a constant linear amount for all lines (consistent with uniocular occlusion) or proportional to line length (consistent with global slant). Although the disparity of any line was ambiguous with respect to these two possibilities, slant of individual lines did not occur in the former case, but a subjective contour in depth was reported along the alignment. For proportional disparity of the set, global slant was seen. Adding a constant length to each line on the invalid eye for occlusion resulted in multiple slants. Smooth uniocular variations in alignment shape elicited subjective contours slanting or curving in depth. Global context can disambiguate the depth status of individual disparate lines. (C) 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A Computational Study of Tetrafluoro-[2.2]Cyclophanes

A computational study of the isomers of tetrafluorinated [2.2]cyclophanes persubstituted in one ring, namely F-4-[2.2]paracyclophane (4), F-4-anti-[2.2]metacyclophane (5a), F-4-syn-[2.2]metacyclophane (5b), and F-4-[2.2]metaparacyclophane (6a and 6b), was carried out. The effects of fluorination on the geometries, relative energies, local and global aromaticity, and strain energies of the bridges and rings were investigated. An analysis of the electron density by B3PW91/6-31+G(d,p), B3LYP/6-31+G(d,p), and MP2/6-31+G(d,p) was carried out using the natural bond orbitals (NBO), natural steric analysis (NSA), and atoms in molecules (AIM) methods. The analysis of frontier molecular orbitals (MOs) was also employed. The results indicated that the molecular structure of [2.2]paracyclophane is the most affected by the fluorination. Isodesmic reactions showed that the fluorinated rings are more strained than the nonfluorinated ones. The NICS, HOMA, and PDI criteria evidenced that the fluorination affects the aromaticity of both the fluorinated and the nonfluorinated rings. The NBO and NSA analyses gave an indication that the fluorination increases not only the number of through-space interactions but also their magnitude. The AIM analysis suggested that the through-space interactions are restricted to the F-4-[2.2]metacyclophanes. In addition, the atomic properties, computed over the atomic basins, shave evidence that not only the substitution, but also the position of the bridges could affect the atomic charges. the first atomic moments, and the atomic volumes.

Quantum phase-space analysis of the pendular cavity

We perform a quantum-mechanical analysis of the pendular cavity, using the positive-P representation, showing that the quantum state of the moving mirror, a macroscopic object, has noticeable effects on the dynamics. This system has previously been proposed as a candidate for the quantum-limited measurement of small displacements of the mirror due to radiation pressure, for the production of states with entanglement between the mirror and the field, and even for superposition states of the mirror. However, when we treat the oscillating mirror quantum mechanically, we find that it always oscillates, has no stationary steady state, and exhibits uncertainties in position and momentum which are typically larger than the mean values. This means that previous linearized fluctuation analyses which have been used to predict these highly quantum states are of limited use. We find that the achievable accuracy in measurement is fat, worse than the standard quantum limit due to thermal noise, which, for typical experimental parameters, is overwhelming even at 2 mK

Governing society today: Editors' introduction

The notion of governing society has for a long time seemed self-evident. Society was conceived as a totality coincident with a certain space, a territory, and occupied by a population. Governing was undertaken by a unified agency that acted upon the society of which it was also a specialized part--the government, or, more broadly, "the state." The notion of "governing society" thus referred unproblematically to the binary of state and society. The articles in this special issue of Alternatives, however, each in its own and different way, address the question of "governing society today."

Global solutions for abstract neutral differential equations

We study the existence of global solutions for a class of abstract neutral differential equation defined on the whole real axis. Some concrete applications related to ordinary and partial differential equations are considered. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Global solutions for abstract impulsive differential equations

In this paper, we study the existence of solutions on the whole of R for a class of impulsive abstract differential equations. An application to partial differential equations is presented. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The influence of oscillations on global existence for a class of semi-linear wave equations

The goal of this paper is to study the global existence of small data solutions to the Cauchy problem for the nonlinear wave equation u(tt) - a(t)(2) Delta u = u(t)(2) - a(t)(2)vertical bar del u vertical bar(2). In particular we are interested in statements for the 1D case. We will explain how the interplay between the increasing and oscillating behavior of the coefficient will influence global existence of small data solutions. Copyright c 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Global solutions for abstract impulsive neutral differential equations

We study the existence of mild solutions for a class of impulsive neutral functional differential equation defined on the whole real axis. Some concrete applications to ordinary and partial neutral differential equations with impulses are considered. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Language, discourse and politics

After discussing the meaning of the word politics, this paper shows that there are four possible approaches to the issue of the relationships between language, discourse and politics: a) the intrinsic political nature of language; b) the relations of power between discourses and their political dimension; c) the relations of power between languages and the political dimension of their usage and; d) linguistic policies. This paper addresses only the first two of these items. Languages have an intrinsically political nature because they subject their speakers to their order. The acts of silencing operationalized in discourse manifest a relation of power. The spread of discourses in the social space is also subject to the order of power. The use of language may be the space of pertinence, but is also that of exclusion, separation and even the elimination of the other. Therefore, language is not a neutral communication tool, but it is permeated by politics, by power. Because of the dislocations that it produces, literature is a form of swindling language, unveiling the powers that are imprinted on it.

Political Parties and Governors as Determinants of Legislative Behavior in Brazil`s Chamber of Deputies, 1988-2006

This article examines the relative importance of regional and national forces in shaping the behavior of Brazilian legislators at the national level. A widely held view is that national legislators respond to state pressures in making decisions, rather than pressures from the national government. Governors not only can influence national debates but also can determine outcomes by exerting control over their states` legislative delegations. This article examines a dataset of all roll-call votes in the Chamber of Deputies between 1989 and 2006 to isolate and evaluate the impact of local pressures on legislative voting. Spanning the terms of five presidents and five different congresses, the data show that the local influence is weaker than the national on the voting decisions of individual legislators and the voting cohesion of state delegations. Alternative institutional resources allow the central government to counteract the centrifugal pressures of federalism and other institutional influences.

Sweeping democracy: considerations on the political relations between Janio Quadros and the National Congress

This article examines the relation between President Janio Quadros and the National Congress during the early 1960`s. Based on the analysis of the discourse of these figures, it proposes that Quadros maneuvered to diminish the legitimacy of the Congress in the public opinion, thus disrespecting its constitutional competencies. Consequently, it shows that not only did the Congress structure political mechanisms in an attempt to recover its credibility with society, but also that this dispute and its results had important effects on President Joao Goulart`s administration and even on the 1964 military coup.

RACE, RESOURCES, AND POLITICAL PARTICIPATION IN A BRAZILIAN CITY

Does race influence political behavior in Brazil? Using data from Belo Horizonte, Brazil, we explore whether an individual`s propensity to take part in a political association is affected by race, independent of socioeconomic position and of the availability of resources derived from this position. We found that white individuals participate more in political associations than do black individuals; however, after taking into account the differences in all types of resources, we found no difference in participation by racial groups. Nevertheless, by interacting race, skills, and income, it turns out that different racial groups use the same resources differently. A white individual`s propensity to participate politically is significantly more affected by income than a similar black individual`s propensity. Therefore, we argue that race mediates the effect of resources on political participation, which means that either different groups may use different resources or different groups can differ in how intensively they use resources.