From Collective Amnesia to Shared Responsibility: Bridging Trauma in Haruki Murakami’s Kafka on the Shore

In Kafka on the Shore (2002/tr.2005), Haruki Murakami explores the ambiguities surrounding Japan’s traumatic history and its lingering impact on contemporary generations. In the form of two parallel narratives, Kafka on the Shore juxtaposes the story of Kafka Tamura, a fifteen year-old runaway searching for his mother, with that of sixty year-old Satoru Nakata, a man who lost his memory in a strange episode during WWII. Initially isolated, both characters leave Tokyo for Shikoku (the smallest of Japan’s main islands), only arriving at their destination after accepting the support of others. Reaching across generational shores, friendships are used in the text to bridge the gap between past and present, personal trauma and collective amnesia. As affective gestures established outside traditional communities of belonging, these friendships teach characters new ways of interpreting their painful past, while allowing readers to reflect on their own sense of shared responsibility

The Gandarela Mountain Range and the “resistance space” against iron ore mining threat: a focus on the contrapositions

Full Text / Article completAnalyzing a clipping of Lefebvre's space theory and its dialogue with the doxa from Pierre Bourdieu as the theoretical basis, this research aims to build the concept of the “resistance space”. This is a qualitative study characterized as a metaphilosophy by which the knowledge is linked to the practice. This analysis on empirical object is based on the environmental conflict in the Gandarela Mountain Range, located in Brazil, in the state of Minas Gerais. Brazil is a giant supplier of iron ore exports for the world economy, and the state of Minas Gerais is where Vale – a very large transnational mining company - started its operation in the 1940s. Gandarela is the last mountain range environmentally well protected in the heart of Minas Gerais, holding a huge aquifer, but it has iron ore underground. An environmental-social movement has arisen to protect the place. For more than two years, participant observation was carried out and also in-depth interviews were applied to people belonging to the Movement for the Preservation of the Gandarela Mountain Range, who fights to block an iron ore mining activity proposed by “Vale”. The resistance movement proposed the creation of a National Park as an instrumental strategy, and the movement goes beyond conservationism, it opposes the actual social metabolism of the world economy and believes in a different society. Inspired by Lefebvre’s space theory I developed a spacial analysis of the Gandarela case. My hypothesis is that the “resistance space” transits between the abstract space and the differential space. The notion of the “resistance space” contributes for understanding the dimensions from the resistance struggles, their thoughts, and glimpses which guide their actions in the name of territories and communities. This research reached three dialectic representations of the resistance space: the “instruments”, the “contrapositions”, and the “utopia”. The focus of the paper is on the “contrapositions” of the resistance space, the arguments against mining and the current pattern of economic development, thoughts that go beyond development and economic valuation.Cette recherche vise à construire le concept de d'«espace de résistance". Elle se fonde sur une étude qualitative caractérisée comme une métaphilosophie par laquelle la connaissance est liée à la pratique. Cette analyse est basée sur le conflit environnemental dans la Cordillère Gandarela, située au Brésil, dans l'état de Minas Gerais. Le Brésil est un fournisseur géant d’exportations de minerai de fer pour l'économie mondiale, et l'état de Minas Gerais où se situe Vale - une très grande entreprise transnationale minière - a commencé son opération dans les années 1940. Gandarela est la dernière chaîne de montagnes protégée au coeur du Minas Gerais, possédant un immense aquifère, mais avec du minerai de fer souterrain. Un mouvement écologiste-social a surgi pour protéger le lieu. Depuis plus de deux ans, une observation participante a été réalisée et des entrevues en profondeur ont été faites auprès de personnes appartenant au Mouvement pour la préservation de la chaîne de montagnes Gandarela, qui se bat pour bloquer une activité d'extraction de minerai de fer proposé par "Vale". Le mouvement de résistance a proposé la création d'un parc national comme une stratégie instrumentale, et le mouvement va au-delà du conservatisme; il oppose le métabolisme social réel de l'économie mondiale et croit en une société différente. Inspiré par la théorie de l'espace de Lefebvre je développe une analyse spatiale de l'affaire Gandarela. Mon hypothèse est que l '«espace de résistance" est un transit entre l'espace abstrait et l'espace différentiel. La notion d'«espace de résistance" contribue à la compréhension des dimensions à partir des luttes de résistance, leurs pensées, et des aperçus qui guident leurs actions au nom des territoires et des communautés. Cette recherche a abouti à trois représentations dialectiques de l'espace de résistance : les «instruments», les «contrapositions», et l’«utopie». L'objectif de cet article se focalise sur les "contrapositions" de l'espace de résistance, les arguments contre l'exploitation minière et le modèle actuel de développement économique

Aspectos arquitectónicos de los clubes de Salvador en el siglo XX

El artículo trata de un tipo específico de arquitectura de recreación, que se propaga en Salvador durante el siglo XX: la de los clubes. Se pretende presentar y valorar sus usos, características y aspectos arquitectónicos, además de señalar sus actuales circunstancias, aunque consciente de que se trata tan solo de un texto introductorio. Para tratar del tema, se recurre a la utilización de las pistas voluntarias y de los rastros involuntarios. Las pistas voluntarias son aquellas que se dejan en los documentos de una forma clara y repetida, con la intención de que perduren e indiquen determinados relatos de los hechos que deben repetirse indefinidamente, con tendencia a apuntar siempre las mismas historias. Los rastros involuntarios son aquellos que se presentan en los documentos de un modo discreto y disperso, sin la intención de perdurar o de consolidar ninguna historia. También existe la posibilidad de que las pistas voluntarias se conviertan en rastros involuntarios. Aunque los clubes tengan un importante papel en el cotidiano de los ciudadanos y en la ciudad, sus precarias circunstancias actuales demuestran la dificultad de manutención de sus estructuras físicas y de sus memorias.This article deals with specific types of architecture for recreation prevalent in Salvador in the 20th century: that of the clubs. It aims to present and assess their uses, characteristics and architectural features, as well as to reveal their current circumstances, understanding that this is an introductory text. To address this issue, we resorted to intentional clues and unintentional traces. Intentional clues are those left in documents in a clear and repeated manner, with the intention of making lasting accounts of events, for indefinite repetition and with a tendency to recount the same stories. Unintentional traces are those left within documents in a discreet and disperse manner, without the intention of enabling a particular history to take shape or endure. It is also possible for intentional clues to transform into unintentional traces. Although the clubs play an important role in the daily life of local citizens and the city, their current precarious circumstances demonstrate the difficulty of maintaining both their physical structures and their memories.O artigo trata de um tipo específico de arquitetura de recreação que se difunde em Salvador durante o século XX: aquela dos clubes. Pretende-se apresentar e valorar seus usos, suas características e aspectos arquitetônicos, além de apontar suas circunstâncias atuais, tendo-se consciência de que se trata apenas de um texto introdutório. Para tratar do assunto se recorre à utilização das pistas voluntárias e dos rastros involuntários. Pistas voluntárias são aquelas deixadas nos documentos de uma forma clara e repetida, com a intenção de perdurar e indicar determinados relatos dos acontecimentos que devem ser repetidos indefinidamente, tendendo a apontar sempre as mesmas histórias. Os rastros involuntários são aqueles que se apresentam nos documentos de um modo discreto e disperso, sem a intenção de perdurar e de consolidar alguma história. Há ainda a possibilidade das pistas voluntárias se transformarem em rastros involuntários. Embora os clubes tenham um importante papel no cotidiano dos cidadãos locais e na cidade, suas precárias circunstâncias atuais demonstram a dificuldade da manutenção das suas estruturas físicas e das suas memórias.

Variantes genéticas asociadas con la vitamina D en la población brasileña: investigación de potenciales instrumentos para aleatorización mendeliana

Introduction. Vitamin D is required for bone and mineral metabolism, and participates in the regulation of the immune response. It has also been linked to a number of chronic diseases and conditions, usually in populations of European descent. A high prevalence of vitamin D deficiency and insufficiency has been reported in Brazil, despite the widespread availability of sunlight in the country. Thus, it is important to investigate the role of vitamin D as a risk factor for disease and to establish causal relationships between vitamin D levels and health-related outcomes in the Brazilian population.Objective. To examine genetic variants identified as strong determinants of serum vitamin D in genome-wide association studies (GWAS) of Europeans and check whether the same associations are present in Brazil. If so, these SNPs could be developed locally as proxies to use in genetically-informed causal inference methods, such as Mendelian randomization.Materials and methods. SNPs associated with vitamin D levels were extracted from the GWAS catalog. A literature search was then run to select papers ascertaining these variants and vitamin D concentrations in Brazil.Results. GC was the gene with the strongest association with vitamin D levels, in agreement with existing findings in Europeans. However, VDR was the most investigated gene, in spite of it not being associated with vitamin D in GWAS.Conclusions. More research is needed to validate sound proxies for vitamin D levels in Brazil, for example, prioritizing GC rather than VDR.Introducción. La vitamina D es necesaria para el metabolismo óseo y mineral, y participa en la regulación de la respuesta inmunitaria. También se la ha relacionado con enfermedades crónicas, normalmente en poblaciones europeas. En Brasil existe una elevada prevalencia de deficiencia e insuficiencia de vitamina D, a pesar de la amplia disponibilidad de luz solar. Por lo tanto, es importante investigar el papel de la vitamina D como factor de riesgo de enfermedades y establecer relaciones causales entre los niveles de vitamina D y los problemas de salud en la población brasileña.Objetivo. Examinar variantes genéticas fuertemente asociadas a la vitamina D sérica en estudios de asociación genómica (GWAS) de europeos y comprobar si las mismas asociaciones estaban presentes en Brasil. De ser así, estos SNP podrían utilizarse como proxies en métodos de inferencia causal, tales como la aleatorización mendeliana.Materiales y métodos. SNPs asociados con los niveles de vitamina D fueron extraídos del catálogo de GWAS. Luego se realizó una búsqueda bibliográfica para identificar artículos que evaluaran estos SNPs y la concentración de vitamina D en Brasil.Resultados. GC fue el gen más fuertemente asociado con los niveles de vitamina D, en concordancia con los resultados existentes en europeos. Sin embargo, el gen VDR fue el más investigado, pese a no estar asociado con la vitamina D en GWAS.Conclusiones. Se necesita más investigación para validar proxies genéticos de los niveles de vitamina D en Brasil, y se recomienda priorizar GC en lugar de VDR

Asthma Mortality Inequalities in Brazil: Tolerating the Unbearable

Asthma is responsible for a high morbidity, resulting in hospitalizations, recurrent asphyxiation, and eventually death. In Brazil, where asthma is the third cause of hospitalizations for clinical illnesses and the fourth cause of death from respiratory diseases, some 20% of the population present wheezing. We evaluated the asthma mortality rates in the period between 1998 and 2009, using linear regressions, using the National Mortality Database (Ministry of Health of Brazil). The annual mortality rate (per 100,000 inhabitants) ranged from 1.68 in 1998 to 1.32 in 2009 (mean : 1.49). Brazil presents a slight tendency of reduction in asthma mortality. Asthma mortality rates trends declined in the most developed regions of the country:  Midwest, South, and Southeast, but it increased in the underprivileged regions: North (not statistically significant) and Northeast. This terrible sort of inequality requires urgent reaction from the public health authorities

Decentralization And Education Performance: A First View To The Brazilian Process

This paper analyses the impact of the decentralization in educational system that is taking place in Brazil inthe last decade, as a result of several laws that encourage municipalities to invest in fundamental education.The proficiency tests undertaken by the government allows to follow some public schools in two points intime. Therefore we were able to create an experimental group with the schools that were under state system inthe SAEB exam and have migrated to the municipality system by the time of Prova Brasil and a control groupwith the schools that were under the state system between the two exams and compare the difference in theirresults using a fixed effect panel data analysis. The difference in difference estimator indicates that there is nosignificant change in the performance of the students.

Ortorexia nervosa: um desafio para o nutrólogo

The orthorexia nervosa is related with obsessive thoughts about healthy nutrition. This symptom has not been officially recognized as an eating disorder yet, not being present in the DSM -V. However, the literature discusses the concept of orthorexia nervosa that includes these characteristics, interactions, signs and symptoms and treatment. This work shows a systematic literature review of forty-three articles published since 1997 in order to map the knowledge about orthorexia to this date. This work focused on the importance of physician specialist in nutrology on diagnosis and monitoring these patients with a multidisciplinary team. The definition of risk groups and the criteria for diagnosis creating auxiliary methods as the ORTHO -15 are essential for the early diagnosis of this condition. The treatment of orthorexia requires a multidisciplinary team, involving nutritional experts, doctors, psychiatrists, psychologists, nutritionists, physical educator. In some cases, anti-serotoninergic drugs may be required as part of the treatment. Conclusion: More research is needed to define the diagnostic criteria and the prevalence of this eating disorder

An overview of machine learning in health related areas: pitfalls and opportunities / Uma visão geral do aprendizado de máquina em áreas relacionadas à saúde: armadilhas e oportunidades

Machine learning techniques are on the spotlight in current scientific literature and these methods are gaining prominence in the health field. However, there are a few considerations that must be taken before conducting a study with machine learning techniques. This paper aims to provide an overview of machine learning methods applied to studies of health related areas. Additionally, this article will discuss important points about data preparation that may influence on the prediction outcome; comparison with statistical analysis; and potential applications. A literature search was carried out, using IEEE xplore and Pubmed, of publications from the last 10 years. Undoubtedly machine learning is becoming more and more present in science. However, the unfamiliarity with this technology may hinder or jeopardize its application. As any scientific tool, machine learning presents positive points along with limitations and both aspects should be considered in every analysis. The researcher must select the most adequate method and consider all repercussions of data preparation on the predictive model. A special attention should be given towards distance based techniques. ML techniques are full with potential applications; however these methods did not replace classical statistical analysis and, yet, they will continue to be an important tool to in health areas

O CEJUSC COMO INCENTIVO À AUTOCOMPOSIÇÃO NA RESOLUÇÃO DE CONFLITOS: EM BUSCA DA PACIFICAÇÃO SOCIAL.

Este artigo pretende apresentar o CEJUSC, como incentivo à auto composição na resolução de conflitos, com fito na pacificação social onde dois lados opostos se juntam para chegar a um ajuste na tentativa de evitar decisões formuladas por Juízes. A implementação foi iniciada pela Resolução 125/2010 do Conselho Nacional de Justiça, que determinou a criação do Centro Judicial de Soluções de Conflitos e Cidadania. Este centro de direito deve tentar resolver queixas judiciais, antes dos conflitantes entrarem efetivamente no sistema judicial. Ele mostra a capacidade de uma resolução importante, reduzindo os números dos casos legais e fazendo com as partes envolvidas obtenham sucesso em suas queixas num tempo mais curto. A conciliação tem sido usada em muitas partes do país em controvérsias sobre relação de consumo, por exemplo. O presente trabalho tem como objetivo apresentar o modelo alternativo de resolução de conflitos, qual seja, a conciliação não processual, utilizada com frequência em diversos locais de atendimento do sistema judiciário, ao longo de todo o país, com norte na pacificação social

Analysis of the bamboo construction process in the architecture of Leiko Motomura and Simón Vélez

The interest in the use of natural materials by construction professionals has been growing as the concern with designing buildings with low environmental impact arises. For this reason bamboo is an excellent choice, as this material has a high resistance parallel to the fibers, is light and has a great capacity to incorporate CO². Given the context described above, this article aims to analyze the constructive techniques in bamboo culms in two works of architectural relevance: Max Feffer Cultural Center (Brazil) and Casa Serra Grande (Brazil), by architects Leiko Motomura and Simón Vélez. For this, field visits were made for a better understanding of bamboo connections, analysis of photographs, files, 3D models and bibliographical research regarding the material. The study helps to understand and reflect on the constructive components of bamboo in architectural projects, highlighting the association between the traditional elements of fittings, associated with the technology available today, such as the grout associated with screws, clamps and spacers