Inglorious revolution : sovereign debt, tropical credibility, and financial underdevelopment in imperial Brazil

In 1824 the creation of institutions that constrained the monarch’s ability to unilaterally tax, spend, and debase the currency put Brazil on a path toward a revolution in public finance, roughly analogous to the financial consequences of England’s Glorious Revolution. This credible commitment to honor sovereign debt resulted in successful long-term funded borrowing at home and abroad from the 1820s through the 1880s that was unrivalled in Latin America. Some domestic bonds, denominated in the home currency and bearing exchange clauses, eventually circulated in European financial markets. The share of total debt accounted for by long-term funded issues grew, and domestic debt came to dominate foreign debt. Sovereign debt yields fell over time in London and Rio de Janeiro, and the cost of new borrowing declined on average. The market’s assessment of the probability of default tended to decrease. Imperial Brazil enjoyed favorable conditions for borrowing, and escaped the strong form of “original sin” stressed by recent work on sovereign debt. The development of vibrant private financial markets did not, however, follow from the enhanced credibility of government debt. Private finance in Imperial Brazil suffered from politicized market interventions that undermined the development of domestic capital markets. Private interest rates remained high, entry into commercial banking was heavily restricted, and limited-liability joint-stock companies were tightly controlled. The Brazilian case provides a powerful counterexample to the general proposition of North and Weingast that institutional changes that credibly commit the government to honor its obligations necessarily promote the development of private finance. The very institutions that enhanced the credibility of sovereign debt permitted the systematic repression of private financial development. In terms of its consequences for domestic capital markets, the liberal Constitution of 1824 represented an “inglorious” revolution.

Uma janela tropical: análise do desempenho luminoso de ambientes com aberturas sombreadas para o clima de Natal/RN

This master thesis introduces assessment procedures of daylighting performance in office rooms with shaded opening, recommendations for Natal-RN (Latitude 05,47' S, Longitude 35,11' W). The studies assume the need of window exterior shading in hot and humid climate buildings. The daylighting performance analyses are based on simulated results for three levels of illuminance (300,500 e 1000 lux) between 08h00 e 16h00, in rooms with 2,80 m height, 6 m large and 4 m, 6 m e 8 m depths, with a centered single opening, window wall ratio (20%, 40% e 60%), four orientations (North, East, South and West), and two types of sky (clear and partially cloudy). The sky characteristics were statistically determined based on hourly data from INPE-CRN solar and daylighting weather station. The lighting performance is resulted from dynamic computer simulation of 72 models using Troplux 3.12. The simulation results were assessed using a new parameter to quantify the use of interior daylighting, the useful percentage of daylight (PULN), which corresponds to the time fraction with satisfactory light, in accordance with the illuminance design. The passive zone depths are defined based on the PULN. Despite the failures of illuminance data from the weather station, the analyses ratified the high potential of daylighting for shaded rooms. The most influential variables on the lighting performance are the opening size and the illuminance of design, while the orientation is a little influential

Avaliação demográfica, clinico-laboratorial e genética de indivíduos com lupus eritematoso sistêmico e artrite reumatóide residentes em região tropical

The aetiology of autoimmunes disease is multifactorial and involves interactions among environmental, hormonal and genetic factors. Many different genes may contribute to autoimmunes disease susceptibility. The major histocompatibility complex (MHC) genes have been extensively studied, however many non-polymorphic MHC genes have also been reported to contribute to autoimmune diseases susceptibility. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the influence of SLC11A1 gene in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Ninety-six patients with SLE, 37 with RA and 202 controls enrolled in this case-control study, were evaluated with regard to demographic, genetic, laboratorial and clinical data. SLE mainly affects females in the ratio of 18 women for each man, 88,3% of the patients aged from 15 to 45 years old and it occurs with similar frequency in whites and mulattos. The rate of RA between women and men was 11:1, with 77,1% of the cases occurring from 31 to 60 years. The genetic analysis of the point mutation -236 of the SLC11A1 gene by SSCP did not show significant differences between alleles/genotypes in patients with SLE or RA when compared to controls. The most frequent clinical manifestations in patients with SLE were cutaneous (87%) and joint (84.9%). In patients with RA, the most frequent out-joint clinical manifestation were rheumatoid nodules (13,5%). Antinuclear antibodies were present in 100% of the patients with SLE. There was no significant relation between activity of disease and presence of rheumatoid factor in patients with RA, however 55,6% of patients with active disease presented positive rheumatoid factor. Significant association between alleles/genotypes of point mutation -236 and clinical manifestations was not found

Diversity of decapod crustaceans at the interface of unconsolidated seabed areas and rocky shores in tropical/subtropical Brazil

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

Kinetics and Adsorption Isotherms of Bisphenol A, Estrone, 17 beta-Estradiol, and 17 alpha-Ethinylestradiol in Tropical Sediment Samples

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

In situ differentiation of labile/inert metal species in Brazilian tropical rivers by means of a time-controlled batch-procedure based on TEPHA resin

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

Characterization of the Interactions between Endocrine Disruptors and Aquatic Humic Substances from Tropical Rivers

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

Biosorption of Cr(III) using in natura and chemically treated tropical peats

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Peat humic substances enriched with nutrients for agricultural applications: Competition between nutrients and non-essential metals present in tropical soils

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

A field study to describe diel, tidal and semilunar rhythms of larval release in an assemblage of tropical rocky shore crabs

Available information on the larval release rhythms of brachyurans is biased to temperate estuarine species and outcomes resulting from some sort of artificial manipulation of ovigerous females. In this study we applied field methods to describe the larval release rhythms of an assemblage of tropical rocky shore crabs. Sampling the broods of ovigerous females of Pachygrapsus transversus at two different shores indicated a spatially consistent semilunar pattern, with larval release maxima around the full and new moon. Yet, synchronism between populations varied considerably, with the pattern obtained at the site exposed to a lower wave action far more apparent. Breeding cohorts at one of the sampled shores apparently belonged to actual age groups composing the ovigerous population. The data suggest that these breeding groups release their larvae in alternate syzygy periods, responding to a lunar cycle instead of the semilunar pattern observed for the whole population. For the description of shorter-term rhythms, temporal series at hour intervals were obtained by sampling the plankton and confinement boxes where ovigerous females were held. Unexpectedly, diurnal release activity prevailed over nocturnal hatching. Yet, only grapsids living higher on the shore exhibited strong preferences over the diel cycle, with P. transversus releasing their larvae during the day and Geograpsus lividus during the night. The pea crab Dissodactylus crinitichelis, the spider crab Epialtus brasiliensis and a suite of xanthoids undertook considerable releasing activity in both periods. Apart from the commensal pea crab D. crinitichelis, all other taxa revealed tide-related rhythms of larval release, with average estimates of the time of maximum hatching always around the time of high tides; usually during the flooding and slack, rather than the ebbing tide. Data obtained for P. transversus females held in confinement boxes indicated that early larval release is mostly due to nocturnal hatching, while zoeal release in diurnal groups took place at the time of high tide. Since nocturnal high tides at the study area occurred late, sometimes close to dusk, early release would allow more time for offshore transport of larvae when the action of potential predators is reduced.

Vertical distribution of benthic invertebrate larvae during an upwelling event along a transect off the tropical Brazilian continental margin

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

Imunoglobulina e e eosinófilos em crianças de área tropical, infectadas por ascaris lumbricoides

Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte

Isolation and characterization of Flavobacterium columnare (Bernardet et al. 2002) from four tropical fish species in Brazil

Flavobacterium columnare é o agente etiológico da columnariose em peixes de água doce, ocasionando enfermidade na pele e nas brânquias, provocando freqüentemente um grande número de mortalidade. O objetivo deste estudo foi o isolamento e a caracterização de Flavobacterium columnare em peixes tropicais no Brasil. Piracanjuba (Brycon orbignyanus), pacu (Piaractus mesopotamicus), tambaqui (Colossoma macropomum) e cascudo (Hypostomus plecostomus) foram examinados externamente com relação a sinais característicos de columnariose, como manchas acinzentadas na cabeça, região dorsal e pedúnculo caudal dos peixes. A amostragem compreendeu a coleta de 50 exemplares de peixes, representando as quatro diferentes espécies escolhidas para este estudo. Amostras para o isolamento foram obtidas através de raspado com swab estéril das lesões e do rim dos peixes clinicamente diagnosticados como acometidos por columnarios e imediatamente semeados em meios de culturas artificiais (líquido e sólido) próprios para o estudo de Flavobacterium segundo Carlson e Pacha (1968). No meio líquido, houve o desenvolvimento de microrganismos que observados em gota pendente apresentaram a forma de bacilos finos, longos, móveis por deslizamento. Através da coloração de Gram, apresentaram morfologia de bacilos finos, Gram negativos, agrupados em colunas. em meio sólido, as colônias eram pequenas, cinza-amareladas, com borda em forma de raiz. No total, foram obtidos quatro isolamentos: 01 cepa de Brycon orbignyanus; 01 cepa de Piaractus mesopotamicus; 01 cepa de Colossoma macropomum; e 01 cepa de Hypostomus plecostomus. A caracterização bioquímica das amostras, como absorção do vermelho Congo, produção de flexirrubina, produção de H2S e redução do nitrato, sugere que os isolamentos poderiam ser classificados como Flavobacterium columnare.

A morenidade da china tropical: o racianalismo de Casa-grande e Senzala

This essay discusses the race issue, emphasizing the racial concept in Casa-Grande & Senzala. We discussed the Brazilian intellectual scene of the 1920s and 1930s, also the decadence of the analysis based on the variables of race, geographical environment and climate, emphasizing the ascent of new approaches, structured cultural diversity in the capitalist economy and exclusionary. We use the concept of racialism, understanding it as any narrative that classifies the types of people in a racial criterion

Shape changes of longan fruits during growth in a tropical environment

In this work we propose a new indicator to classify the best period for longan fruit harvest, based on measurements of its longitudinal and transversal axis during growth. Shape analysis based on area per volume ratio (AN) and sphericity show that those indicators stabilize after during longan growth period, independently of variety, in a specific environment. As sphericity increases 6% during fruits growth, AN ratio decreases dramatically (75%) closing to maturity, at 120 days after anthesis. The first derivative of A/V ratio indicates three distinct phases that are related to the growth phases of fruits. We believe that those shape indicators could be used to probe the right point of longan fruits maturity in different environments in a quantitative way.