As adversidades da etnografia antropológica no contexto prisional

El riesgo de contagio biológico de la nueva pandemia del coronavirus presentó desafíos imprevistos para el trabajo de campo. Este artículo se basa en las reflexiones de mi campo etnográfico en el sistema penitenciario del Ceará, en Brasil, buscando acceder a las relaciones y los efectos del crecimiento del archipiélago penitenciario. Uno de los objetivos es contribuir a los estudios comparativos, considerando que cada unidad federativa presenta diferencias sustanciales en los procedimientos administrativos de su sistema penitenciario local. El artículo fue escrito por la necesidad de discutir los contextos de las cárceles, pero también de reflexionar sobre la etnografía antropológica y la incertidumbre sobre la vida y la muerte ante realidades asfixiantes.The risk of biological contagion from the new coronavirus pandemic presented unforeseen challenges for fieldwork. This article is based on the reflections of my ethnographic field in the penitentiary system of Ceará, in Brazil, seeking to access the relationships and the effects of the growth of the penitentiary archipelago. One of the objectives is to contribute to comparative studies, considering that each federative unit presents substantial differences in the administrative procedures of its local prison system. The report was written due to the need to discuss the contexts of the prisons, but also to reflect on anthropological ethnography and the uncertainty about life and death in the face of suffocating realities.O risco de contágio biológico da pandemia do novo coronavírus apresentou desafios imprevistos para o trabalho de campo. Este artigo baseia-se nas reflexões do meu campo etnográfico no sistema penitenciário do Ceará, no Brasil, buscando acessar as relações e os efeitos do crescimento do arquipélago penitenciário. Um dos objetivos é contribuir para estudos comparativos, considerando que cada unidade federativa apresenta diferenças substanciais nos procedimentos administrativos de seu sistema prisional local. O relato foi escrito devido à necessidade de discutir os contextos das prisões, mas, também, refletir sobre a etnografia antropológica e a incerteza sobre a vida e a morte diante de realidades sufocantes

Biofilm formation by filamentous fungi recovered from a water system

Filamentous fungi have been constantly recovered from diverse aquatic environments including drinking water distribution systems. Althoughmost of the works are focused on the study of planktonic form, recent researches have shown that fungi develop biofilm within these systems. In this study, Aspergillus sp. (section Nigri), Aspergillus sp. (section Flavi), Alternaria sp., Botrytis sp., Cladosporium sp., and Penicillium sp. recovered from water biofilms were used to evaluate their capability to grow as biofilms under laboratorial conditions.Morphological and physiological characteristics were analysed using image analysis and biomass and cell activity estimation. All six isolates were able to form biofilm, though different patterns of development were observed. Only Alternaria sp. formed biofilm in water over 24h of analysis.MEB was shown to be the best culture media for biofilm formation. A direct correlation between biomass and cell activity was not observed, but biomass values and morphological parameters, that is, monolayer and EPS production, were directly correlated.Thus, the results present here highlight the capability of fungi to form biofilms and the emergent necessity to standardize methods for further research in this area

Biofilm formation by filamentous fungi recovered from a water system

Filamentous fungi have been consistently recovered from diverse aquatic environments including drinking water distribution systems. Although most of the work is focused on planktonic forms, recent research demostrates unequivocally that fungi develop biofilms within these systems. In this study, individual strains of Aspergillus (section Nigri), Aspergillus (section Flavi), Alternaria, Botrytis, Cladosporium and Penicillium, recovered from water biofilms, were used to evaluate their capability to grow as biofilms in vitro. Morphological and physiological characteristics were analysed using image analysis, and biomass and cell activity estimations. All six isolates were able to form biofilms, although different patterns of development were observed. Only Alternaria sp. formed biofilms in water within 24 h. Malt extract broth (MEB) was the optimal culture medium for biofilm formation. A direct correlation between biomass and cell activity was not observed, but the quantity of biomass and morphological parameters, i.e. monolayer and exopolysaccharides (EPS) production, were directly correlated. Thus, fungi are capable of forming biofilms and there remains a necessity to standardize methods for further research in this area

Quantification of fungal biomass in Penicillium brevicompactum biofilms by image analysis

Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT) - SFRH/BD/43719/200

Biofilm formation by filamentous fungi recovered from a water system

Filamentous fungi have been consistently recovered from diverse aquatic environments including drinking water distribution systems. Although most of the work is focused on planktonic forms, recent research demostrates unequivocally that fungi develop biofilms within these systems. In this study, individual strains of Aspergillus (section Nigri), Aspergillus (section Flavi), Alternaria, Botrytis, Cladosporium and Penicillium, recovered from water biofilms, were used to evaluate their capability to grow as biofilms in vitro. Morphological and physiological characteristics were analysed using image analysis, and biomass and cell activity estimations. All six isolates were able to form biofilms, although different patterns of development were observed. Only Alternaria sp. formed biofilms in water within 24 h. Malt extract broth (MEB) was the optimal culture medium for biofilm formation. A direct correlation between biomass and cell activity was not observed, but the quantity of biomass and morphological parameters, i.e. monolayer and exopolysaccharides (EPS) production, were directly correlated. Thus, fungi are capable of forming biofilms and there remains a necessity to standardize methods for further research in this area

Brazilians in the U.S. and Massachusetts: A Demographic and Economic Profile

Brazil has long seen itself as a destination for immigrants from across the globe, welcoming the likes of Portuguese, Spanish, German, Russian, Polish, Czech, Japanese, and many other nationalities throughout the twentieth century. Migration out of Brazil is a relatively new phenomenon. It was catalyzed in part by the military coup of 1964, when thousands of Brazilians went into exile (though many of them returned following the amnesty of 1979). Over the last few decades, the search for better economic opportunities has led more and more Brazilians to leave their homeland. Five of Brazils’ twenty-six states – Minas Gerais, Espírito Santo, Goiás, Santa Catarina, and Paraná – contribute most heavily to the migration stream, but most of the other states are also affected. It is estimated that since 1987, when approximately 300,000 Brazilians lived abroad, emigration has increased by a rate of about 20% per year. Already by 1995, as many as 2.5 million Brazilians lived abroad1. Brazil has become an emigrant country with more people leaving the country than coming in. Drawing on data from the 2000 U.S. Census, this paper traces a demographic and economic profile of Brazilian immigrants in the U.S. and Massachusetts. It is well documented that the U.S. Census undercounts low-income populations and immigrants, particularly the undocumented. The actual size of the Brazilian population is certainly larger than that reported by the Census Bureau. However, statistical breakdowns in this report are based on the 2000 Census, since the number of Brazilians who were counted was large enough to produce meaningful comparisons

Socio-Economic Profile of Brazilian Businesses in Allston-Brighton

Several studies published in Brazil and in the U.S. focus on the ethnic identity formation, immigration histories, cultural development, and demographic trends of Brazilians in Boston and in Massachusetts (Margolis, 1995; Martes, 1999; Beserra, 2003; Sales, 2003; Siqueira & de Lourenço, 2006; Lima & Siqueira, 2007). A profile of Brazilian businesses and their economic contributions to the nation and the state is still missing. This report is a preliminary attempt to fill this gap for Brazilian immigrants in Boston. Under the sponsorship of the Mauricio Gastón Institute for Latino Community Development and Public Policy and with support from the City of Boston’s Department of Neighborhood Development, we conducted research focusing on the socio-economic characteristics of the Brazilian entrepreneurs of Boston’s Allston-Brighton neighborhood. The research aimed at inventorying and analyzing the Brazilian businesses operating in the neighborhood – understanding their economic strengths and weaknesses, and their needs for technical assistance and other business support

MARKET REACTION TO ANNUAL EARNINGS INNOVATIONS AND ALTERNATIVE TIME-SERIES ASSUMPTIONS: EVIDENCE OF THE BRAZILIAN MARKET

This paper analyses the market reaction to earnings innovations under a high interest rate condition and different time-series assumptions for reported earnings. The sample consists of 176 Brazilian listed firms from 1995 to 2013 and the empirical analysis compare different assumptions of earnings persistence. The results show that high levels of interest rates and transitory components in earnings significantly reduce the forward-looking usefulness of accounting information and that different ARIMA assumptions lead to different the cross-sectional classification of firms in high and low earnings persistence. Additionally, the results show that market agents react more to earnings that exhibit high time-series persistence and that low-order ARIMA models work at least as well as high-order models in representing the time-series process of earnings in the earnings-returns association