Ineffective Controls on Capital Inflows Under Sophisticated Financial Markets: Brazil in the Nineties

We analyze the Brazilian experience in the 1990s to assess the effectiveness of controls on capital inflows in restricting financial inflows and changing their composition towards long term flows. Econometric exercises (VARs) showed that controls on capital inflows were effective in deterring financial inflows for only a brief period, from two to six months. The hypothesis to explain the ineffectiveness of the controls is that financial institutions performed several operations aimed at avoiding capital controls. To check this hypothesis, we conducted interviews with market players. We collected several examples of the financial strategies engineered to avoid the capital controls and invest in the Brazilian fixed income market. The main conclusion is that controls on capital inflows, while they may be desirable, are of very limited effectiveness under sophisticated financial markets.

Dinner and a show : the role of male copulatory courtship song and female blood-feeding in the reproductive success of Lutzomyia longipalpis from Lapinha, Brazil

The work was supported by CNPq (Science without Borders program) and CAPES.Lutzomyia longipalpis is the main vector of visceral Leishmaniasis in the Americas and is composed of a species complex. Males of this sand-fly produce acoustic signals during copulation and different patterns are observed among Brazilian populations. Such acoustic signals are commonly involved in species recognition. However, since the song is only produced during copulation it is not clear how it affects mating success or contributes to sexual isolation. Another aspect that may affect reproductive success is the presence of food. Since hematophagy is such an important aspect of L. longipalpis biology, we wanted to test if blood-feeding can influence the reproductive behaviour of this insect. We performed crossing experiments removing males' wings (silencing them) and playing back either the homo-specific or the hetero-specific song to either unfed or blood-fed females. Our results showed that both songs and blood-feeding affect insemination success, but not the frequency of copulation. In trials where females were not blood-fed song clearly affected insemination; males with wings, and males with homo-specific song playback had a higher insemination success than wingless males (no song) and trials with hetero-specific song. Blood-feeding females prior to the trials increased insemination in all groups including the control group which suggests that mating happens simultaneously with, or immediately after, the blood meal. Blood-fed females also seemed to discriminate less against the wrong song or the lack of song (wingless) one day after feeding, however trials with the correct song still had higher insemination rates. Altogether, our results show that both the male copulatory courtship songs and female blood-feeding are important for reproductive success and as such are important components of the sexual behaviour of L. longipalpis.PostprintPeer reviewe

Sete passos para uma boa ensilagem de milho: cartilhas adaptadas ao letramento do produtor.

Esta coleção é elaborada a partir de textos científicos de interesse prático e imediato dos produtores rurais para a melhoria das condições de trabalho, produção e produtividade agropecuária. Todo conteúdo é adaptado à cultura e ao nível de letramento do público-alvo. A linguagem desta cartilha é simples e o vocabulário próximo ao cotidiano dos produtores rurais. O material produzido serve de apoio pedagógico para a interlocução entre extensionistas e produtores rurais. Esperamos que as informações aqui contidas cumpram o papel de disseminar o conhecimento aplicado de uma tecnologia importante para a alimentação animal e fazer uma boa silagem de milho em sete passos.bitstream/item/138280/1/Sete-passos-milho.pd

Sete passos para uma boa ensilagem de sorgo: cartilhas adaptadas ao letramento do produtor.

Esta coleção é elaborada a partir de textos científicos de interesse prático e imediato dos produtores rurais para a melhoria das condições de trabalho, produção e produtividade agropecuária. Todo conteúdo é adaptado à cultura e ao nível de letramento do público-alvo. A linguagem desta cartilha é simples e o vocabulário próximo ao cotidiano dos produtores rurais. O material produzido serve de apoio pedagógico para a interlocução entre extensionistas e produtores rurais. Esperamos que as informações aqui contidas cumpram o papel de disseminar o conhecimento aplicado de uma tecnologia importante para a alimentação animal e fazer uma boa silagem de sorgo em sete passos.bitstream/item/138008/1/Sete-passos.pd