Additional notes on systematic of Neotropical Dissomphalus Ashmead (Hymenoptera, Bethylidae)

Diagnosis and genitalia description and illustration of Dissomphalus bicavatusEvans, 1979;D. bispinulatusEvans, 1969;D. brasiliensisKieffer, 1910;Z). caviclypeus Evans, 1969; D. cornutus Evans 1964; D. dumosus, Evans, 1966; D. fungosus Evans, 1979; D. gilvipes Evans, 1979; D. incomptus Evans, 1964; D. infissus Evans, 1969; D. mendicus Evans, 1969; D. microstictus Evans, 1969; D. mirabilis Evans, 1966; D. nanellus Evans, 1969; D. napo Evans, 1979; D. plaumanni Evans, 1964; D. punctatus (Kieffer, 1910); D. puteolus Evans, 1969; D. rufipalpis Kieffer, 1910; D. xanthopus Ashmead, 1893 are provided. Female of D. mirabilis is first described. Five synonymies are proposed: D. connubialis Evans, 1966 of D. brasiliensis, D. montanus Kieffer, 1910 of D. punctatus, D. obliquus Evans, 1979 of D. rufipalpis, D. teren Evans, 1969 of D. cornutus and D. hastatus Evans, 1979 of D. bispinulatus. D. microtuberculatus sp.n. from Northern Argentina is described and illustrated.

New species and notes on Dissomphalus (Hymenoptera, Bethylidae) from Estação Biológica de Santa Lúcia, Santa Teresa, ES, Brazil

Five new species of Dissomphalus Ashmead, 1893 are described and illustrated, all from Espírito Santo, Brazil: D. h-ramus, D. verrucosus, D. laminaris, D. cristatus and D. scopatus. New geographic records and variation data of D. scamatus Azevedo, 1999, D. concavatus Azevedo, 1999, D. rectilineus Azevedo, 1999, D. vallensis Evans, 1979, D. gilvipes Evans, 1979, D. plaumanni Evans, 1964, D. napo Evans, 1979, D. truncatus Azevedo, 2003 and D. cornutus Evans, 1964 are included.

Diálogos sobre a alfabetização, a leitura e a escrita no Programa Provinha Brasil

Esta pesquisa documental analisa as concepções de alfabetização, leitura e escrita subjacentes à Provinha Brasil no período 2008-2012 e o panorama em que esse programa de avaliação é produzido. Parte do referencial bakhtiniano e do conceito de alfabetização de Gontijo (2008, 2013). Ao tomar a Provinha como gênero do discurso, discute os elos precedentes dentro do contexto de produção dessa avaliação, a autoria do Programa e seus principais destinatários. Constata que a Provinha é criada como resposta às demandas de avaliação da alfabetização provenientes de organismos internacionais como o Banco Mundial e a Organização das Nações Unidas para a Educação (Unesco). A avaliação é elaborada pelo Instituto Nacional de Estudos e Pesquisas Educacionais Anísio Teixeira (Inep) como órgão que coordena as avaliações no País, em colaboração com pesquisadores de universidades e de organizações da sociedade civil, para demonstrar confiabilidade científica aliada à participação democrática no processo de produção. Seus principais destinatários são gestores de Secretarias de Educação e professores. Aos primeiros, cabe aderir ao programa de avaliação e tomar medidas administrativas para sua operacionalização nas redes. Os docentes têm o papel central de seguir as orientações do material e reorganizar sua prática em função de melhorias nos desempenhos das crianças no teste. Estas, por sua vez, são desconsideradas como sujeitos de dizeres e é legitimado um discurso homogeneizador sobre seu desenvolvimento. A partir dos testes aplicados e das matrizes de referência e seus eixos, a pesquisa analisa como a diferenciação teórica entre alfabetização e letramento se concretiza na organização das provas. A alfabetização, entendida como apropriação do sistema de escrita, é avaliada no primeiro eixo do teste principalmente como identificação de unidades menores da língua, como letras, sílabas e fonemas. As habilidades de leitura, ligadas ao letramento como concebido nos pressupostos do programa, são aferidas ora como decodificação de palavras e frases descontextualizadas, ora como apreensão de significado predeterminado do texto. A escrita somente é avaliada no ano de 2008 e por meio de itens que solicitavam codificação de palavras e frases ditadas pelo aplicador. Desse modo, a Provinha Brasil contribui para a subtração das potencialidades políticas e transformadoras do aprendizado da língua materna no País.

CROSS-COUNTRY STUDY ON THE DETERMINANTS OF BANK FINANCIAL DISTRESS

ABSTRACTBank failures affect owners, employees, and customers, possibly causing large-scale economic distress. Thus, banks must evaluate operational risks and develop early warning systems. This study investigates bank failures in the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, the North America Free Trade Area (NAFTA), the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, the European Union, newly industrialized countries, the G20, and the G8. We use financial ratios to analyze and explore the appropriateness of prediction models. Results show that capital ratios, interest income compared to interest expenses, non-interest income compared to non-interest expenses, return on equity, and provisions for loan losses have significantly negative correlations with bank failure. However, loan ratios, non-performing loans, and fixed assets all have significantly positive correlations with bank failure. In addition, the accuracy of the logistic model for banks from NAFTA countries provides the best prediction accuracy regarding bank failure.

The uncanny valley, notes on the realism of “living” creatures in digital games and their relationships with the player

Neste artigo argumenta-se que as simulações numéricas fomentam e exploram relações complexas entre o jogador e o sistema cibernético da máquina que com este se relaciona através da jogabilidade, ou seja, da real aplicação às regras de jogo de tácticas e estratégias usadas pelo participante durante o seu trajecto na aplicação lúdica. Considera-se que o espaço mágico imposto pelo tabuleiro de jogo é mais do que um espaço de confusão entre real e artificial mas antes se apresenta como uma cortina ou interface entre o corpo próprio do participante e a simulação digital inerente ao sistema computacional.

Notes on health care planning in Latin America and the Caribbean

Attention is called to the fact that the efforts to improve health of populations in Latin America have generally failed. The inequality in the distribution of ill-health is great. The authors accept the fact that the lack of resources available to the health sector may be a restriction towards the improvement of the situation, but they argue that a much more important issue is the misuse of such resources and their maldistribution within the health sector. The lack of integration and coordination between the health services, the conflict of public and private health systems, the under-utilization of existing services and the gap between planning and real implementation are discussed.

Reliability of self-reported weight and height among State bank employees

INTRODUCTION: Self-reported weight and height were compared with direct measurements in order to evaluate the agreement between the two sources. METHOD: Data were obtained from a cross-sectional study on health status from a probabilistic sample of 1,183 employees of a bank, in Rio de Janeiro State, Brazil. Direct measurements were made of 322 employees. Differences between the two sources were evaluated using mean differences, limits of agreement and intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: Men and women tended to underestimate their weight while differences between self-reported and measured height were insignificant. Body mass index (BMI) mean differences were smaller than those observed for weight. ICC was over 0.98 for weight and 0.95 for BMI, expressing close agreement. Combining a graphical method with ICC may be useful in pilot studies to detect populational groups capable of providing reliable information on weight and height, thus minimizing resources needed for field work.

Notes on the feeding habits of Gaidropsarus guttatus (Collett, 1890) from Faial Island, Azores, NE Atlantic, PT

Copyright © 2014 Société Française d’Ichtyologie.

Notes sur la géologie et la paléontologie du Miocène de Lisbonne. XXI Primeira caracterização de dinoflagelados dos níveis mais baixos da série miocénica de Lisboa

This is the first report on Dinoflagellata from lowermost Miocene beds in Portugal (Tagus basin, Lisbon region, exposure at Benfica). Some general data about Dinoflagellata are presented. Descriptions are provided for some forms: Gonyaulacysta tenuitabulata, Spiniferites ramosus, Achomosphaera sp., Hystrichokolpoma rigaudae, Homotriblium cf. pallidum, Cordosphaeridium sp, and Lingulodinium machaerophorum. Lithostratigraphical study of an important section along Circular highway at Benfica has shown that there is a hitherto unknown sedimentary cycle in Lisbon's lowermost Miocene (upper Oligocene?). Pollen and Ostracoda point out to an Lower Aquitanian or even Upper Chattian age for the first Neogene marine transgression in Portugal, previously considered as Upper Aquitanian or Lower Burdigalian.

Notes sur la géologie et la paleontology du Miocène de Lisbonne. XXII - Une Espèce nouvelle Pokornyella Lusitanica (Ostrocoda), dans le Miocène Inférieur du bassin du Tage

A new species, Pokornyella lusitanica (Ostracoda), from the Lower Miocene (Aquitanian) of the Lisbon area, is described. Some palaeoecological data are presented.

Notes sur la géologie et la paleontology du Miocène de Lisbonne; (XX) les plus anciens mastodontes tetralophodontes (Langhien inférieur Vb), évolution et remarques sur la tetralophodontie

This study deals with mastodont teeth found near Lisbon in Lower Langhian (lower Middle Miocene) fluviatile, feldspathic sands (Vb division). Conclusions are as follows: 1. Tetralophodont molars (even if at a still primitive stade of the tetralophodont condition) do exist at least since lower Langhian times, and not only since late Middle Miocene as was previously known. 2. Tri- and tetralophodont structures may (and indeed do) coexist in the same individual: such examples do not correspond to transitional forms, but instead to a mosaic of juxtaposed characters (however this does not mean there are no transitional forms in other instances). 3. So these structures coexisted in a population not yet geneticaliy separated beyond fertile cross-breeding, i.e. beyond species'level. 4. Origin of the tetralophodont molar was due to some mutation (s). but without crossing species, limits and even more genus' ones. 5. At this times probably soon after the first appearance of tetralophodont mutants, animals with such characters were a small but signifiant minority among the population (17% if account is taken on D4's: only 2% after M2's). 6. There was not then any direct and clear correlation between number of lophs (transversal crests) and tooth size, even if the increase of such number goes along with length's increase. 7. Dimensions (length in special) in tetralophodont teeth tend to exceed those in «normal» trilophodont teeth, this being particularly clear in D4, even if there is no clear distinction: the situation is quite the same, maybe less marked, with the M2. 8. According to the preceding conclusions there are no reasons to segregate different taxa among such mastodont population on the grounds of the presence in D4, M1 and M2 of 3 or 4 crests (this character being regarded as diagnostic of the genus Tetralophodon). 9. On the contrary, if any natural (in biological sense) classification is disregarded and a morphological parataxonomy is adopted there should be considered both Gomphotherium angustidens and Tetralophodon sp.: however this is absolutely not our opinion.

Notes sur la géologie et la paleontology du Miocène de Lisbonne; (XXII) une espèce nouvelle, Pokornyella lus/tan/ca (Ostracoda), dans le Miocène inférieur du bassin du Tage

A new species, Pokornyella lusitanica (Ostracoda), from the Lower Miocene (Aquitanian) of the Lisbon area, is described. Some palaeoecological data are presented.

La «Solitude Préférentielle» : notes sur la mythologi essète (caucase du norte)

Revista da FCSH, N.1, 1980, pp. 205-213

Trends of T. cruzi infection based on data from blood bank screening

Between October 1988 and April 1989 a cross-sectional survey was carried out in six out of eight blood banks of Goiânia, Central Brazil. Subjects attending for first-time blood donation in the mornings of the study period (n = 1358) were interviewed and screened for T. cruzi infection as a part of a major study among blood donors. Tests to anti-T. cruzi antibodies were performed, simultaneously, by indirect hem agglutination test (IHA) and complement fixation test (CFT). A subject was considered seropositive when any one of the two tests showed a positive result. Information on age, sex, place of birth, migration and socio-economic level was recorded. Results from this survey were compared with seroprevalence rates obtained in previous studies in an attempt to analyse trend of T. cruzi infection in an endemic urban area. The overall seroprevalence of T. cruzi infection among first-time donors was found to be 3.5% (95% confidence interval 2.5%-4.5% ). The seroprevalence rate increased with age up to 45 years and then decreased. Migrants from rural areas had higher seroprevalence rates than subjects from urban counties (1.8%-16.2% vs. 0%-3.6%). A four fold decrease in prevalence rates was observed when these rates were compared with those of fifteen years ago. Two possible hypotheses to explain this difference were suggested: 1. a cohort effect related with the decrease of transmission in rural areas and/or 2. a differential proportion of people of rural origin among blood donors between the two periods. The potential usefulness of blood banks as a source of epidemiological information to monitor trends of T. cruzi infection in an urban adult population was stressed.