Inequality, Uncertainty, and Redistribution

For centuries it has been believed that the extension of the franchise in unequal societies would lead to relatively high levels of redistribution. According to international rankings, how- ever, among the fourteen most unequal countries in the world, nine have been democratic for at least the past fourteen years. A prerequisite for the adoption of redistributive policies is that there be elected representatives who are either committed to or who have an incentive to advocate for such policies. The prospects of such an outcome depend not only on candidates personal policy preferences and motivations, but also how they are perceived by voters. One important feature shared by highly unequal democracies is that they tend to be relatively young, with many new parties and candidates in the political scene. This means elections occur under a high degree of uncertainty about critical information voters need to chose their delegates. Thus, in this paper I develop a model of elections as a game of incomplete information to explore how uncertainty, candidates’ motivation (policy vs. office), and beliefs about their ideological inclinations affect what policy interests are likely to be represented in the political process. I explore the model’s assumptions and outcomes empirically using individual level data for each presidential election in Brazil since democratization.Elections, Redistribution, Inequality, Uncertainty

Political Institutions and Street Protests in Latin America

This paper argues that where institutions are strong, actors are more likely to participate in the political process through institutionalized arenas, while where they are weak, protests and other unconventional means of participation become more appealing. This relationship is explored empirically by combining country-level measures of institutional strength with individual-level information on protest participation in 17 Latin American countries. Evidence is found that weaker political institutions are associated with a higher propensity to use alternative means for expressing preferences, that is, to protest. Also found are interesting interactions between country-level institutional strength and some individual-level determinants of participation in protests.Political institutions, Public policies, Institutional strength, Protests, Alternative Political Technologies, Political party representation, Ideology, Ideological extremism, Latin America

Does Inequality breed Altruism or Selfishness? Gauging Individuals’ Predispositions Towards Redistributive Schemes

Economic and political decisions usually involve a trade-off between efficiency and equality considerations. While some inequality is expected to prevail in our soci- eties, high levels of it are objectionable on various grounds. One of the fundamental roles of government is to collect and reallocate resources among its citizens, and iden- tifying the right policies to guide these reallocations is central to promoting higher equality. While we now have a good grasp of which policies lead to more equality and which do not, we know much less about why they seem to be adopted to varying degrees of intensity in some places and times and not in others. To explain this varia- tion in policy outcomes, the most fundamental task is to identify the constituencies for the different policies. Who supports what policies and under what conditions do they support them? In this paper this question is investigated based on public opinion data on preferences over taxation and government spending on conditional-cash-transfers, pension schemes, and education. All policies that were found to significantly affect inequality. We find that disagreement across socio-economic groups arise not so much on whether the government should tackle inequality, but on how it should go about doing it. Poorer respondents tend to support cash transfers to a greater extent than the rich. But the rich tend to be more likely to support expenditures on public provision education than the poor. Contrary to what is commonly assumed, inequality seems to breed altruism among the rich when it comes to the quintessential poverty reduction scheme of conditional-cash-transfers

Inequality, Uncertainty, and Redistribution

For centuries it has been believed that the extension of the franchise in unequal societies would lead to relatively high levels of redistribution. According to international rankings, how- ever, among the fourteen most unequal countries in the world, nine have been democratic for at least the past fourteen years. A prerequisite for the adoption of redistributive policies is that there be elected representatives who are either committed to or who have an incentive to advocate for such policies. The prospects of such an outcome depend not only on candidates personal policy preferences and motivations, but also how they are perceived by voters. One important feature shared by highly unequal democracies is that they tend to be relatively young, with many new parties and candidates in the political scene. This means elections occur under a high degree of uncertainty about critical information voters need to chose their delegates. Thus, in this paper I develop a model of elections as a game of incomplete information to explore how uncertainty, candidates’ motivation (policy vs. office), and beliefs about their ideological inclinations affect what policy interests are likely to be represented in the political process. I explore the model’s assumptions and outcomes empirically using individual level data for each presidential election in Brazil since democratization

Reflexões sobre a vivência no "cantinho do notebook" em uma turma de educação infantil

The objective of this study was to verify if the introduction, through the teacher, of the "notebook corner" would change the context of a kindergarten classroom, looking for the changes in children's relationships. The research was supported by a socio-historical theoretical frame based on authors like Vigotski, Luria, Leontiev, Tomasello, Wertsch, Bruner and authors who gave continuity to this approach with the activity theory like Nardi, Kaptelinin, Bodker and Cole. The methodological approach was qualitative research, more specifically action research, conducted inside a classroom from a private school in Curitiba. The participants of this study were four and five year's children with previously computational knowledge belonging to a privileged social class. The methodology was action-research where the researcher was also the teacher of the classroom. The data was collected in two stages. It begins with the application of a questionnaire (pre-artifact) and participant observations (pre and post-artifact). The main results of the study showed that there was significant changes in children's relations due to the information technology as a new language to deal with and, as a result, it promoted the growth of communication and collaboration among children and the real necessity of rules allowing participants to effectively use their autonomy.O objetivo deste estudo foi analisar as mudanças no contexto de uma sala de aula de Educação Infantil, mais especificamente buscando encontrar tais alterações nas interações sociais entre as crianças participantes após a introdução, pela professora, do cantinho do notecook na rotina da turma. A fundamentação, pela professora, do cantinho do notebook na rotina da turma. A fundamentação teórica estruturou-se em uma abordagem histórico-cultural baseada em autores como Vigotski, Leontiev, Luria, Tomasello, Wertsch, Bruner, bem como em autores que dão continuidade a essa abordagem e que se inserem na Teoria da Atividade, como é o caso de Nardi, Kaptelinin, Bodker e Cole. A abordagem metodológica pautou-se na pesquisa qualitativa, do tipo pesquisa-ação, e foi realizada em uma turma no ano 2008 de uma escola particular em Curitiba. Os participantes deste estudo foram crianças entre quatro e cinco anos, com conhecimentos computacionais prévios e oriundos de um meio social privilegiado. A coleta de dados se deu-se em duas fases. Na primeira fase aplicou-se um questionário (pré-artefato), e na segunda fase conduziram-se as observações (pré e pós-artefato), por meio de protocolos e gravações em fitas de áudio durante a utilização do novo cantinho, bem como através da escrita de um diário de campo. Com base no referencial teórico e nas categorias de análise identificadas a partir dos dados obtidos, houve a percepção de mudanças significativas nas relações sociais infantis a partir da introdução da informática na sala de aula, como, por exemplo, um aumento da comunicação e da colaboração entre as crianças e também uma efetiva necessidade prática das regras, possibilitando aos participantes o exercício efetivo da autonomia

Recomposição dos reservatórios Santa Maria e Descoberto do Distrito Federal : aspectos geográficos e gestão dos recursos hídricos

Diversos governantes realizam esforços diplomáticos para minimizar questões de cunho socioambiental e buscar mudanças nos padrões de consumo. Nesse sentido, a Organização das Nações Unidas lançou em 2015, a Agenda 2030. O documento possui um plano de ação com 17 objetivos que buscam acabar com a pobreza e a fome, reduzir desigualdades, assegurar uma vida saudável com educação inclusiva e de qualidade, alcançar igualdade de gênero e assegurar a disponibilidade de saneamento básico, energia e água para todos. O acesso à água é uma grande preocupação para a sociedade, pois, estima-se que um bilhão de pessoas carece de acesso a abastecimento de água adequado. Apesar da aparente disponibilidade hídrica, verifica-se que, o consumo não tem acompanhado a recuperação. Os recursos hídricos são um dos elementos que mais sofrem com a degradação ambiental e, aparentemente, as altas tecnologias não são capazes de recuperar a água. Assim, o estudo dos recursos hídricos pela ótica geográfica é de grande valia, visto que, o estudo das diferentes formas de água existentes, a compreensão da circulação e a distribuição das águas, em especial, sob a análise da paisagem que abarca as ações naturais e antrópicas, examinado tanto do ponto de vista natural quanto humano, associado ao tempo e ao espaço, trará um quadro completo do resultado de ações dinâmicas do passado, presente e projeção para o futuro. Observa-se que os recursos hídricos estão no espaço geográfico disputando e se transformando juntamente com outros elementos, além, de ser um elemento ativo na formação da paisagem. Ao longo dos anos houve uma mudança de entendimento de alguns pesquisadores com relação à condição de recurso renovável. Para gerenciar as águas do Brasil foi criada no ano 2000 a Agência Nacional de Águas (ANA). A Agência dividiu o país em 12 regiões hidrográficas definidas a partir da proximidade das bacias, grupo de bacias ou sub-bacias hidrográficas, com características naturais, sociais e econômicas similares. Apesar da aparente condição favorável para uma alta disponibilidade dos recursos hídricos, o Governo do Distrito Federal (GDF) declarou em 2016 que a cidade estava passando por uma crise hídrica, ou seja, a disponibilidade hídrica não era suficiente para atender às demandas da população. É importante pontuar que apesar de os relatórios apresentados mostrarem que o território do DF está localizado em área privilegiada de recursos hídricos, há fatores que podem ter alterado o quadro apresentado. Para o desenvolvimento das políticas públicas é preciso que o Estado abra mão de recursos financeiros, econômicos, humanos, entre outros. Ao analisar os dados observa-se que o Distrito Federal está longe de alcançar o índice de perda na distribuição ideal. Desse modo, é muito importante a escolha correta do modelo de gerenciamento das bacias hidrográficas. A disponibilidade hídrica depende de fatores não controláveis, tais como a chuva, consumo e etc. Observa-se que os reservatórios são essenciais para a garantia de água nos tempos secos. Diante do exposto, é necessário compreender os elementos integrantes do sistema. Começando pela unidade física – a bacia hidrográfica, que é uma das principais bases de intervenção e análise. Assim, os recursos hídricos podem ser considerados sistemas adaptativos complexos, Estes sistemas apresentam características específicas, dentre as quais a resiliência, definida como a medida da magnitude dos distúrbios que podem ser absorvidos por um ecossistema sem que o mesmo mude seu patamar de equilíbrio estável.Several governors undertake diplomatic efforts to minimize social and environmental issues and seek changes in consumption patterns. In this sense, the United Nations Organization launched in 2015, the 2030 Agenda. The document has an action plan with 17 objectives that seek to end poverty and hunger, reduce inequalities, ensure a healthy life with inclusive and quality education, achieve gender equality and ensure the availability of sanitation, energy and water for all. Access to water is a major concern for society, as it is estimated that one billion people lack access to adequate water supplies. Despite the apparent water availability, it can be seen that consumption has not accompanied recovery. Water resources are one of the elements that suffer most from environmental degradation and apparently high technologies are not able to recover water. Thus, the study of water resources from a geographical point of view is of great value, since the study of different forms of water, understanding the circulation and distribution of water, especially under the analysis of the landscape that encompasses natural actions. and anthropic, examined from both the natural and human point of view, associated with time and space, will provide a complete picture of the result of dynamic actions of the past, present and projection into the future. It is observed that the water resources are in the geographical space disputing and transforming together with other elements, besides being an active element in the formation of the landscape. Over the years there has been a change of understanding of some researchers regarding the condition of renewable resource. To manage the waters of Brazil was created in the year 2000 the National Water Agency (ANA). The Agency has divided the country into 12 river basins defined by the proximity of basins, group of basins or sub-basins, with similar natural, social and economic characteristics. Despite the apparent favorable condition for a high availability of water resources, the Federal District Government (GDF) stated in 2016 that the city was going through a water crisis, that is, water availability was not enough to meet the demands of the population. It is important to point out that although the reports presented show that the DF territory is located in a privileged area of water resources, there are factors that may have changed the presented picture. For the development of public policies, the State must give up financial, economic, human resources, among others. By analyzing the data, it is observed that the Federal District is far from reaching the ideal distribution loss rate. Thus, it is very important to choose the right watershed management model. Water availability depends on uncontrollable factors such as rainfall, consumption and so on. It is noted that reservoirs are essential for ensuring water in dry times. Given the above, it is necessary to understand the integral elements of the system. Starting with the physical unit - the watershed, which is one of the main bases for intervention and analysis. Thus, water resources can be considered complex adaptive systems. These systems have specific characteristics, among which resilience, defined as a measure of the magnitude of disturbances that can be absorbed by an ecosystem without changing its level of stable equilibrium

CARICATURA NA DESTERRO DO SÉCULO XIX O Periódico Crítico Matraca

RESUMO O Periódico Crítico Matraca circulou em Nossa Senhora do Desterro no período de 1881 a 1886, registrando, com humor e crítica, acontecimentos políticos, sociais e culturais, como também as peculiaridades da vida da cidade. Esse periódico, editado pela Oficina  de Tipografia e Litografia de Alexandre Margarida, tinha como ilustrador e caricaturista seu filho, Joaquim Margarida. Durante o século XIX, era prática comum entre artistas do Brasil e do exterior se valer da caricatura e da sátira como instrumento para representar com ironia os acontecimentos da sua época. A caricatura e sátira, gênero que combina arte, crítica e humor, fornecem um rico e pouco explorado material que possibilita compreender as relações sociais, culturais e políticas de uma sociedade.Palavras ChaveCaricatura, periódico crítico, Desterro.  Abstract The journal Critical Matraca circulated in Nossa Senhora do Desterro in the period 1881 to 1886, recording with humor and criticism, political, social and cultural as well as the peculiarities of city life. This journal, published by the Oficina de Tipografia e Litografia de Alexandre Margarida, had as an illustrator and cartoonist his son, Joaquim Margarida. During the nineteenth century it was common practice among artists in Brazil and abroad take advantage of caricature and satire as a tool to represent irony in the events of his time. The caricature and satire, genre that combines art, criticism and humor, provide a rich and unexplored material allowing to understand the social, cultural and political society.Key wordsCaricature, critical jornal, Desterro

Inoculation of growth-promoting bacteria in the lettuce crop

Plant growth promoting bacteria (PGPB) are an alternative to increase the productivity of several crops, including lettuce. Several reports are found in the literature with the use of plant growth-promoting bacteria in lettuce cultivation, but most seek increments during the production of seedlings. Aiming to provide increments in the cultivation of lettuce in the field and to generate subsidies to technicians and producers, the present work aimed to study the influence of the application of commercial products based on Azospirillum brasilense, Bacillus subtilis + B. megaterium and Pseudomonas fluorescens, on agronomic characteristics and quality of crisp lettuce. The experiment was implemented in two locations, in a randomized block design, in a 4 x 3 factorial scheme, with four replications. The first factor refers to the application of different PGPB: control, without inoculation; inoculations with A. brasilense; B. subtilis + B. megaterium and P. fluorescens. The second factor was composed of three times of application of PGPB, the first being on the day of seedling transplantation (DAT), the second at 15 STR and the third on the day of seedling transplantation + 15 DAT. At 15 DAT, the relative chlorophyll content, plant height, head diameter, number of leaves per plant, leaf area, leaf dry mass, stem dry mass, root dry mass, total dry mass, root volume were evaluated. and root length. At harvest, the same variables analyzed at 15 DAT + leaf fresh mass, stem fresh mass, head fresh mass, root fresh mass, total fresh mass and leaf contents of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium were analyzed. The inoculated plant growth-promoting bacteria did not promote a significant increase in the development of the lettuce cultivar Vera when compared to the control (without PGPB application)

Physical therapy in sexually dysfunctional women: a systematic review

The World Health Organization (WHO) considers Female Sexual Dysfunctions (FSDs) to be a public health issue. There are a multitude of disorders such as female sexual arousal disorder, hypoactive sexual desire disorder, orgasmic disorder, dyspareunia, and vaginismus. FSDs are detected in 67.9% of the women in the world and are present in 50% of Asians, in 30-50% of Americans, and in 30% of Brazilians. Objective: To systematically review the literature on the different physiotherapy techniques used in the treatment of FSDs. Methods: A systematic search was conducted in the databases EMBASE, PEDro, and MedLine in data as recent as June 2013, by combining words and descriptors of physical therapy treatments and female sexual dysfunctions. Excluded from review were articles concerning male sexual dysfunction, pilot studies, multicentric papers of projects, and those which were either not available in their entirety or were duplicated in another database. After the selection of studies was complete, the randomized clinical trials were scored on the PEDro Evaluation Scale. Results: Eleven articles were included, six of which went on to be qualitatively evaluated on the PEDro scale. The present study followed the methodological structure of PRISMA (Statement for Reporting Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses of Studies). All studies found used questionnaires to assess the effects of physical therapy on FSDs. A total of five different types of interventions were verified: kinesiotherapy (Kegel exercises and pelvic floor muscle training - PFMT), Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), biofeedback, electrotherapy (transcutaneous electrical stimulation - TENS, and therapeutic ultrasound - US), and manual therapy. The limitations found in this systematic review were related to the unavailability of the articles in full and the low methodological quality of the studies. Conclusion: All studies showed improvements in sexual function after physical therapy intervention. There is no consensus on any intervention with better results; however, kinesiotherapy using PFMT proved to be advantageous because of its easy application, low cost, easy learning curve, and lasting results achieved in a short period. However, there are methodological shortcomings that still need to be dealt with to determine the most suitable physical therapy treatment for FSDs, as well as defining the best dosage, the protocol to be followed, and the duration of therapy, as well as the best cost-benefitAs disfunções sexuais femininas (DSFs) são consideradas um problema de saúde pública pela Organização Mundial da Saúde (OMS). Consistem em inúmeras desordens, como distúrbio da excitação feminina, distúrbio do desejo sexual hipoativo, transtorno sexual do orgasmo feminino, dispareunia e vaginismo. As DSFs são detectadas em 67,9% das mulheres no mundo e estão presentes em 50% das asiáticas, em 30 a 50% das americanas e em 30% das brasileiras. Objetivo: Revisar sistematicamente a literatura sobre as diferentes técnicas de fisioterapia utilizadas no tratamento das DSFs. Métodos: Realizou-se uma busca sistemática, nas bases de dados EMBASE, PEDro e MedLine, de artigos publicados até junho de 2013, através da combinação entre palavras e descritores de tratamentos fisioterapêuticos e disfunções sexuais femininas. Foram excluídos os artigos sobre disfunção sexual masculina, estudos pilotos, papers ou projetos multicêntricos, que não estivessem disponíveis na íntegra ou duplicados em outra base de dado. Após a seleção final dos estudos, foi verificada a pontuação dos ensaios clínicos randomizados na Escala de Avaliação PEDro. Resultados: 11 artigos foram incluídos e, destes, seis passaram para a avaliação qualitativa na Escala PEDro. Este estudo seguiu a estruturação metodológica do PRISMA (Statement for Reporting Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses of Studies). Todos os estudos encontrados utilizaram questionários para avaliar os efeitos da intervenção fisioterapêutica nas DSFs. Foi verificado um total de cinco tipos de intervenções diferentes: cinesioterapia (exercícios de Kegel e treinamento muscular do assoalho pélvico - TMAP), terapia cognitivo-comportamental (CGBT), biofeedback, eletroterapia (TENS - eletroestimulação transcutânea e US - ultrassom terapêutico) e terapia manual. As limitações encontradas nesta revisão sistemática foram referentes a não disponibilização dos artigos na íntegra e à baixa qualidade metodológica dos estudos. Conclusão: Todos os estudos mostraram melhora na função sexual após intervenção fisioterapêutica. Não há um consenso sobre a intervenção com melhores resultados, no entanto, a cinesioterapia através do TMAP mostrou-se vantajosa por ser de fácil aplicação, baixo custo, aprendizado imediato e promover resultados duradouros em um curto período de tempo. No entanto, existem lacunas metodológicas que ainda precisam ser preenchidas para determinar o tratamento fisioterapêutico eletivo para as DSFs, assim como definir a melhor dosagem, o protocolo a ser seguido, a duração desta terapia, aliados ao melhor custo-benefíci

Assessing the Effects of Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS) in Post-Thoracotomy Analgesia

SummaryBackground and objectivesTranscutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) is commonly used to treat musculoskeletal pain, but it may also be indicated for postoperative analgesia. The objective of this study was to evaluate the analgesic effects of TENS on post-thoracotomy.MethodsThirty patients between 18 and 60 years of age undergoing thoracotomy for lung cancer resection on the second postoperative day were included in this study. Patients were divided into two groups (G1 and G2). G1 patients were treated with TENS; and in G2 (without TENS) electrodes were placed but the equipment was not turned on. TENS was maintained for one hour. The visual analogue scale was used to evaluate the analgesic effects on three moments: before TENS (M0), immediately after TENS (M1), and one hour later (M2), with the patient at rest, elevation of the upper limbs, change in decubitus, and coughing.ResultsThe intensity of pain at rest was higher in G2 immediately after TENS, but not one hour after the procedure. There was no difference between both groups with elevation of the upper limbs, decubitus change, and coughing.ConclusionsWith the use of TENS for one hour on the second post-thoracotomy day in patients who received fentanyl (50μg) associated with bupivacaine (5mL), a reduction in pain intensity was observed at rest immediately after TENS; with elevation of the upper limbs, change in decubitus, and coughing, a reduction in pain severity was not observed