Do triunfalismo à burocratização: a despolitização da reforma sanitária brasileira.

Essa dissertação trata da trajetória da Reforma Sanitária Brasileira (RSB), desde o período de sua formulação inicial (final dos anos 70, início dos anos 80), até o décimo ano de sua implantação, 1998. Busca verificar nesta trajetória especialmente como foi tratada a questão do direito social à saúde. Ao traçar a trajetória histórica da Reforma, aponta características particulares do processo político que a viabilizou. Entre tais características são realçadas, por exemplo, a conjuntura politicamente favorável da redemocratização do país em que se realizou a Oitava Conferência Nacional de Saúde, da qual saiu o projeto inicial da RSB. É destacada, ainda, a existência de uma "frente sanitária" que envolveu diversos setores sociais mobilizados em torno da bandeira "saúde é direito de todos e dever do Estado", e o fato de intelectuais médicos de formação ou militância de esquerda terem liderado a "frente". A dissertação procura demonstrar que a falta de definição precisa dos direitos sociais à saúde e dos mecanismos de proteção ou tutela desses direitos vem enfraquecendo as possibilidades de sucesso da Reforma Sanitária Brasileira na atual conjuntura. Tal insuficiência, presente desde a fase de formulação do projeto da Reforma, vem contribuindo para despolitizar a condução do processo de implantação da reforma, o qual enfatiza questões gerenciais de pouco apelo popular. O desenvolvimento do tema envolve tanto a discussão de questões conceituais de ciência política (capítulo 2) e relativas à concepção dos direitos de cidadania, com ênfase nos direitos sociais (capítulo 3), quanto procedimentos empíricos, como o estudo do conteúdo: das resoluções de três conferências nacionais de saúde: da legislação social brasileira; e das resoluções do Conselho Nacional de Saúde, entre 1991 e 1998.

Do triunfalismo à burocratização: a despolitização da reforma sanitária brasileira.

Essa dissertação trata da trajetória da Reforma Sanitária Brasileira (RSB), desde o período de sua formulação inicial (final dos anos 70, início dos anos 80), até o décimo ano de sua implantação, 1998. Busca verificar nesta trajetória especialmente como foi tratada a questão do direito social à saúde. Ao traçar a trajetória histórica da Reforma, aponta características particulares do processo político que a viabilizou. Entre tais características são realçadas, por exemplo, a conjuntura politicamente favorável da redemocratização do país em que se realizou a Oitava Conferência Nacional de Saúde, da qual saiu o projeto inicial da RSB. É destacada, ainda, a existência de uma "frente sanitária" que envolveu diversos setores sociais mobilizados em torno da bandeira "saúde é direito de todos e dever do Estado", e o fato de intelectuais médicos de formação ou militância de esquerda terem liderado a "frente". A dissertação procura demonstrar que a falta de definição precisa dos direitos sociais à saúde e dos mecanismos de proteção ou tutela desses direitos vem enfraquecendo as possibilidades de sucesso da Reforma Sanitária Brasileira na atual conjuntura. Tal insuficiência, presente desde a fase de formulação do projeto da Reforma, vem contribuindo para despolitizar a condução do processo de implantação da reforma, o qual enfatiza questões gerenciais de pouco apelo popular. O desenvolvimento do tema envolve tanto a discussão de questões conceituais de ciência política (capítulo 2) e relativas à concepção dos direitos de cidadania, com ênfase nos direitos sociais (capítulo 3), quanto procedimentos empíricos, como o estudo do conteúdo: das resoluções de três conferências nacionais de saúde: da legislação social brasileira; e das resoluções do Conselho Nacional de Saúde, entre 1991 e 1998.

A modular planar robotic manipulandum with end-point torque control.

Robotic manipulanda are extensively used in investigation of the motor control of human arm movements. They permit the application of translational forces to the arm based on its state and can be used to probe issues ranging from mechanisms of neural control to biomechanics. However, most current designs are optimized for studying either motor learning or stiffness. Even fewer include end-point torque control which is important for the simulation of objects and the study of tool use. Here we describe a modular, general purpose, two-dimensional planar manipulandum (vBOT) primarily optimized for dynamic learning paradigms. It employs a carbon fibre arm arranged as a parallelogram which is driven by motors via timing pulleys. The design minimizes the intrinsic dynamics of the manipulandum without active compensation. A novel variant of the design (WristBOT) can apply torques at the handle using an add-on cable drive mechanism. In a second variant (StiffBOT) a more rigid arm can be substituted and zero backlash belts can be used, making the StiffBOT more suitable for the study of stiffness. The three variants can be used with custom built display rigs, mounting, and air tables. We investigated the performance of the vBOT and its variants in terms of effective end-point mass, viscosity and stiffness. Finally we present an object manipulation task using the WristBOT. This demonstrates that subjects can perceive the orientation of the principal axis of an object based on haptic feedback arising from its rotational dynamics.

An assessment of chemical contaminants detected in passive water samplers deployed in the St. Thomas East End Reserves (STEER)

This report is the second in a series from a project to assess land-based sources of pollution (LBSP) and effects in the St. Thomas East End Reserves (STEER) in St. Thomas, USVI, and is the result of a collaborative effort between NOAA’s National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science, the USVI Department of Planning and Natural Resources, the University of the Virgin Islands, and The Nature Conservancy. Passive water samplers (POCIS) were deployed in the STEER in February 2012. Developed by the US Geological Survey (USGS) as a tool to detect the presence of water soluble contaminants in the environment, POCIS samplers were deployed in the STEER at five locations. In addition to the February 2012 deployment, the results from an earlier POCIS deployment in May 2010 in Turpentine Gut, a perennial freshwater stream which drains to the STEER, are also reported. A total of 26 stormwater contaminants were detected at least once during the February 2012 deployment in the STEER. Detections were high enough to estimate ambient water concentrations for nine contaminants using USGS sampling rate values. From the May 2010 deployment in Turpentine Gut, 31 stormwater contaminants were detected, and ambient water concentrations could be estimated for 17 compounds. Ambient water concentrations were estimated for a number of contaminants including the detergent/surfactant metabolite 4-tert-octylphenol, phthalate ester plasticizers DEHP and DEP, bromoform, personal care products including menthol, indole, n,n-diethyltoluamide (DEET), along with the animal/plant sterol cholesterol, and the plant sterol beta-sitosterol. Only DEHP appeared to have exceeded a water quality guideline for the protection of aquatic organisms.

An assessment of chemical contaminants, toxicity and benthic infauna in sediments from the St. Thomas East End Reserves (STEER)

This report contains a chemical and biological characterization of sediments from the St. Thomas East End Reserves (STEER) in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands (USVI). The STEER Management Plan (published in 2011) identified chemical contaminants and habitat loss as high or very high threats and called for a characterization of chemical contaminants as well as an assessment of their effects on natural resources. The baseline information contained in this report on chemical contaminants, toxicity and benthic infaunal community composition can be used to assess current conditions, as well as the efficacy of future restoration activities. In this phase of the project, 185 chemical contaminants, including a number of organic (e.g., hydrocarbons and pesticides) and inorganic (e.g., metals) compounds, were analyzed from 24 sites in the STEER. Sediments were also analyzed using a series of toxicity bioassays, including amphipod mortality, sea urchin fertilization impairment, and the cytochrome P450 Human Reporter Gene System (HRGS), along with a characterization of the benthic infaunal community. Higher levels of chemical contaminants were found in Mangrove Lagoon and Benner Bay in the western portion of the study area than in the eastern area. The concentrations of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), DDT (dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane), chlordane, zinc, copper, lead and mercury were above a NOAA sediment quality guideline at one or more sites, indicating impacts may be present in more sensitive species or life stages in the benthic environment. Copper at one site in Benner Bay, however, was above a NOAA guideline indicating that effects on benthic organisms were likely. The antifoulant boat hull ingredient tributyltin, or TBT, was found at the third highest concentration in the history of NOAA’s National Status and Trends (NS&T) Program, which monitors the Nation’s coastal and estuarine waters for chemical contaminants and bioeffects. Unfortunately, there do not appear to be any established sediment quality guidelines for TBT. Results of the bioassays indicated significant sediment toxicity in Mangrove Lagoon and Benner Bay using multiple tests. The benthic infaunal communities in Mangrove Lagoon and Benner Bay appeared severely diminished.

Land-sea characterization of the St. Croix East End Marine Park, U.S. Virgin Islands

The St. Croix East End Marine Park (STXEEMP) was established in 2003 as the first multi-use marine park managed by the U.S. Virgin Islands Department of Planning and Natural Resources. It encompasses an area of approximately 155 km2 and is entirely within Territorial waters which extend up to 3 nautical miles from shore. As stated in the 2002 management plan, the original goals were to: protect and maintain the biological diversity and other natural values of the area; promote sound management practices for sustainable production purposes; protect the natural resource base from being alienated for other land use purposes that would be detrimental to the area’s biological diversity; and to contribute to regional and national development (The Nature Conservancy, 2002). At the time of its establishment, there were substantial data gaps in knowledge about living marine resources in the St. Croix, and existing data were inadequate for establishing baselines from which to measure the future performance of the various management zones within the park. In response to these data gaps, National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS), Center for Coastal Monitoring and Assessment, Biogeography Branch (CCMA-BB) worked with territorial partners to characterize and assess the status of the marine environment in and around the STXEEMP and land-based stressors that affect them. This project collected and analyzed data on the distribution, diversity and landscape condition of marine communities across the STXEEMP. Specifically, this project characterized (1) landscape and adjacent seascape condition relevant to threats to coral reef ecosystem health, and (2) the marine communities within STXEEMP zones to increase local knowledge of resources exposed to different regulations and stressors.

Benthic habitats of Fish Bay, Coral Bay and the St. Thomas East End Reserve

NOAA’s National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science Biogeography Branch has mapped and characterized large portions of the coral reef ecosystems inside the U.S. coastal and territorial waters, including the U.S. Caribbean. The complementary protocols used in these efforts have enabled scientists and managers to quantitatively and qualitatively compare marine ecosystems in tropical U.S. waters. The Biogeography Branch used similar protocols to generate new benthic habitat maps for Fish Bay, Coral Bay and the St. Thomas East End Reserve (STEER). While this mapping effort marks the third time that some of these shallow-water habitats (≤40 m) have been mapped, it is the first time that nearly 100% of the seafloor has been characterized in each of these areas. It is also the first time that high resolution imagery describing seafloor depth has been collected in each of these areas. Consequently, these datasets provide new information describing the distribution of coral reef ecosystems and serve as a spatial baseline for monitoring change in the Fish Bay, Coral Bay and the STEER. Benthic habitat maps were developed for approximately 64.3 square kilometers of seafloor in and around Fish Bay, Coral Bay and the STEER. Twenty seven percent (17.5 square kilometers) of these habitat maps describe the seafloor inside the boundaries of the STEER, the Virgin Islands National Park and the Virgin Islands Coral Reef National Monument. The remaining 73% (46.8 square kilometers) describe the seafloor outside of these MPA boundaries. These habitat maps were developed using a combination of semi-automated and manual classification methods. Habitats were interpreted from aerial photographs and LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) imagery. In total, 155 distinct combinations of habitat classes describing the geology and biology of the seafloor were identified from the source imagery.