The service concession agenda in protected areas in the state of São Paulo

In the last decade, the importance of the debate on the implantation of public-private partnership for the management of protected areas has been rising in Brazil. In this context, the Pub. L. 16.260/16 was published in state of São Paulo, entitling the State Treasury to grant the exploration of services and the use of areas in 25 state protected areas, which house important forest remnants and numerous traditional communities. Its approval process has been troubled since its first drafting as Bill 249/13, with numerous questions raised by various sectors of society. This study analyzed the formulative process of the agenda of service concession in protected areas in the state of São Paulo, which culminated in the publication of Pub. L.16.260/16. The theoretical framework used was Kingdon’s Multiple Streams Framework (2003) and the data were obtained through documentary research, bibliographic research and semi-structured interviews with the main actors involved in the process. The results show that the agenda-setting process was motivated by a crisis in the management of protected areas, but the choice of service concessions as a solution to this problem was influenced by actors and the favorable political environment.Na última década, a discussão sobre o uso das parcerias público privadas no âmbito da gestão das áreas protegidas tem ganhado força no Brasil. Neste contexto, foi publicada no estado de São Paulo a Lei n° 16.260/16, autorizando a Fazenda do Estado a conceder a exploração de serviços e o uso de áreas em 25 unidades de conservação estaduais, que abrigam importantes remanescentes florestais e inúmeras comunidades tradicionais. Seu processo de aprovação foi conturbado desde sua primeira redação como o Projeto de Lei nº 249/13, tendo sido levantados inúmeros questionamentos por parte de vários setores da sociedade. Este estudo analisou o processo de formação da agenda de concessão de serviços em unidades de conservação no estado de São Paulo que culminou na publicação da Lei nº 16.260/16. O referencial teórico utilizado foi o Modelo de Fluxos Múltiplos de Kingdon (2003) e os dados foram obtidos através de pesquisa documental, levantamento bibliográfico e entrevistas semiestruturadas com os principais atores envolvidos no processo. Os resultados mostram que o processo de formação da agenda foi motivado por uma crise na gestão das áreas protegidas, mas a escolha da concessão de serviços como solução para esse problema teve influência dos atores e do ambiente político favorável

As populações caiçaras e o mito do bom selvagem: a necessidade de uma nova abordagem interdisciplinar

Characterisation of caiçara communities as traditional, isolated, self-sufficient, primitive, and with their subsistence based mainly on fishing is discussed based on a diachronic perspective. Transformations that occurred as a result of the arrival of the motor boat, in the beginning of the XX century, are stressed. The abandonment of agricultural activities, totally or partially, is analysed in a broader historical context, considering it as one of the innumerable economic cycles which these populations have already passed. The low number of ecological studies and appropriate field data are also criticised. It is argued that these communities are usually analysed in literature through an ecological romantic view, linking them to the "good savage" myth. It is also proposed that the lack of multidisciplinary studies reduces the cultural richness of these communities.A caracterização, na literatura, das comunidades caiçaras como pescadoras, tradicionais, isoladas, auto-suficientes, primitivas e dotadas de um referencial marítimo é discutida com base numa perspectiva diacrônica. Ressalta-se o papel transformador da chegada do barco a motor e da pesca embarcada para as comunidades caiçaras, que as levou a abandonar total ou parcialmente as atividades agrícolas. Esta mudança é inserida num contexto histórico mais amplo, que considera essa passagem como um dos inúmeros ciclos econômicos pelos quais essas comunidades teriam passado. Criticou-se também a falta de uma abordagem ecológica séria e de uma base empírica confiável na literatura, o que muitas vezes tem levado a considerações na linha do discurso ecológico romântico, que tendem a vincular a imagem dos caiçaras ao mito do "bom selvagem". Argumenta-se que a falta de abordagens multidisciplinares reduz a expressão da riqueza cultural das populações caiçaras

The slash-and-burn agriculture: a system in transformation

Slash-and-burn agriculture has been practiced for thousands of years in the forests around the world, especially in the tropics, where it provides for the livelihood of countless poor rural populations. Characterized by an array of techniques based on crop diversification and shifting land use, this cultivation system has on the utilization of forest decomposing vegetation´s energetic capital its main asset. Many studies claim that slash-and-burn agriculture is sustainable only when performed under conditions of low human demographic density and maintenance or even increase of local biodiversity. However, it is growing in the academic literature, as well as in development debates, the concern regarding the role that this system has been playing in the deforestation of the planet´s tropical forests. This process appears to be closely linked to changes in land use patterns (agricultural intensification) and urban and rural demographic growth. On the thread of these concerns, this article presents a critical review of the international and national academic literature on slash-and-burn agriculture. Thus, this review intend to draw a broad scenario of the current academic debate on this issue, as well as to identify the main alternatives strategies proposed to maintain or replace this cultivation system

Impactos da agricultura itinerante sobre o solo em florestas tropicais: uma revisão

The sustainability of shifting cultivation is presently a topic of debate in scientific and institutional communities; however, there \ud is no current consensus. To address this debate, we performed a search of the pertinent literature that was published during \ud the last 30 years on the impact of shifting agriculture on tropical soils. This search revealed that the nature of the impact \ud depends on the shifting cultivation system (SCS) phase (conversion, cultivation, or fallow) and on the soil properties (physical, \ud chemical, and biological). We also suggest soil quality indicators for evaluating this agricultural practice in tropical forests, which \ud may be used as a basis for analyses on the tendencies of conservation and degradation of impacted soils. Future research \ud should improve the choices of these indicators, relying mostly on practical criteria, so they can be used by shifting cultivators.A sustentabilidade da agricultura itinerante é, atualmente, um tema bastante debatido no meio científico e institucional, \ud sobre o qual ainda não existe consenso. Como forma de subsidiar este debate, realizamos um levantamento da literatura \ud pertinente, publicada nos últimos 30 anos, a respeito dos impactos da agricultura itinerante sobre os solos tropicais. Este \ud levantamento demonstrou que a natureza dos impactos depende da fase do sistema (conversão, cultivo ou pousio) e \ud das propriedades do solo (físicas, químicas e biológicas). Também foram sugeridos indicadores de qualidade do solo \ud para essa prática agrícola em florestas tropicais, que poderão servir como base para o acompanhamento das tendências \ud de conservação e degradação de solos impactados. Pesquisas futuras devem aprimorar as escolhas destes indicadores, \ud baseando-se em critérios principalmente práticos, para que possam ser utilizados pelos agricultores itinerantes

Shining a Light on s-Triazine-Based Polymers

The strong interplay between the structure and optical properties of conjugated s-triazine-based framework (CTF) materials is explored in a combined experimental and computational study. The experimental absorption and fluorescence spectra of the CTF-1 material, a polymer obtained through the trimerization of 1,4-dicyanobenzene, are compared with the results of time-dependent density functional theory and approximate coupled cluster theory (CC2) calculations on cluster models of the polymer. To help explain the polymer data, we compare its optical properties with those measured and predicted for the 2,4,6-triphenyl-1,3,5-triazine model compound. Our analysis shows that CTFs, in line with experimental diffraction data, are likely to be layered materials based around flat hexagonal-like sheets and suggests that the long-wavelength part of the CTF-1 absorption spectrum displays a pronounced effect of stacking. Red-shifted peaks in the absorption spectrum appear that are absent for an isolated sheet. We also show that the experimentally observed strong fluorescence of CTF-1 and other CTF materials is further evidence of the presence of rings in the layers, as structures without rings are predicted to have extremely long excited state lifetimes and hence would display negligible fluorescence intensities. Finally, subtle differences between the experimental absorption spectra of CTF-1 samples prepared using different synthesis routes are shown to potentially arise from different relative arrangements of stacked layers

Food intake and ecology of riverine populations in two Amazonian ecosystems: a comparative analysis

OBJETIVO: Este artigo analisa e compara os dados de consumo alimentar de duas populações ribeirinhas da Amazônia vivendo em ecossistemas contrastantes de floresta tropical: a várzea estacional e a floresta de terra firme. MÉTODOS: Foi estudado o consumo alimentar de 11 unidades domésticas na várzea (Ilha de Ituqui, Município de Santarém) e 17 na terra firme (Floresta Nacional de Caxiuanã, Municípios de Melgaço e Portel). O método utilizado foi o recordatório de 24 horas. As análises estatísticas foram executadas com o auxílio do programa Statistical Package for Social Sciences 12.0. RESULTADOS: Em ambos os ecossistemas, os resultados confirmam a centralidade do pescado e da mandioca na dieta local. Porém, a contribuição de outros itens alimentares secundários, tais como o açaí (em Caxiuanã) e o leite in natura (em Ituqui), também foi significante. Além disso, o açúcar revelou ser uma fonte de energia confiável para enfrentar as flutuações sazonais dos recursos naturais. Parece haver ainda uma maior contribuição energética dos peixes para a dieta de Ituqui, provavelmente em função da maior produtividade dos rios e lagos da várzea em relação à terra firme. Por fim, Ituqui revelou uma maior dependência de itens alimentares comprados, enquanto Caxiuanã mostrou estar ainda bastante vinculada à agricultura e às redes locais de troca. CONCLUSÃO: Além dos resultados confirmarem a importância do pescado e da mandioca, também mostraram que produtos industrializados, como o açúcar, têm um papel importante nas dietas, podendo apontar para tendências no consumo alimentar relacionadas com a atual transição nutricional e com a erosão, em diferentes níveis, dos sistemas de subsistência locais.OBJECTIVE: This article analyses and compares data on household food intake of two Amazonian riverine populations settled in different rain forest ecosystems: terra firme (land not subject to annual flooding) forest and floodplain. METHODS: Food surveys were carried out in 11 households at the floodplain area (Ituqui Island), located in the Municipality of Santarém, and in 17 households at the terra firme area (Caxiuanã National Forest), located in the Municipalities of Melgaço and Portel. Household food consumption data were collected using the 24-hour food recall method. Data analysis was run in Statistical Package for Social Sciences, version 12.0. RESULTS: The results confirm, in both ecosystems, the central roles of fish and manioc in the local diet. Nevertheless, other secondary food items, e.g. açai (in Caxiuanã) and milk (in Ituqui) are also important. In addition, sugar stands out as a reliable household energy source to cope with the extreme seasonality of rain forest natural resources. In addition, there seems to be a greater caloric contribution of fish in Ituqui's diet, probably due to the higher productivity of lakes and rivers in Ituqui varzea (low and flat land alongside a watercourse). Finally, Ituqui has shown greater dependency over purchased items, whereas Caxiuanã has still a strong reliance on agricultural activities and on local social and economic exchange networks. CONCLUSION: Besides confirming the importance of fish and manioc, results have also shown that industrialized products, such as sugar, play an important role in local diets, and may point towards new tendencies in food consumption related to the current nutritional transition and to the erosion of local subsistence systems

Biological predictors of chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN): MASCC neurological complications working group overview.

Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) is a common and debilitating condition associated with a number of chemotherapeutic agents. Drugs commonly implicated in the development of CIPN include platinum agents, taxanes, vinca alkaloids, bortezomib, and thalidomide analogues. As a drug response can vary between individuals, it is hypothesized that an individual's specific genetic variants could impact the regulation of genes involved in drug pharmacokinetics, ion channel functioning, neurotoxicity, and DNA repair, which in turn affect CIPN development and severity. Variations of other molecular markers may also affect the incidence and severity of CIPN. Hence, the objective of this review was to summarize the known biological (molecular and genomic) predictors of CIPN and discuss the means to facilitate progress in this field

Improving the dE/dx calibration of the STAR TPC for the high-pT hadron identification

We derive a method to improve particle identification (PID) at high transverse momentum ($p_T$) using the relativistic rise of the ionization energy loss ($rdE/dx$) when charged particles traverse the Time Projection Chamber (TPC) at STAR. Electrons triggered and identified by the Barrel Electro-Magnetic Calorimeter (BEMC), pure protons and pions from $\Lambda\to p+\pi^{-}$ ($\bar{\Lambda}\to \bar{p}+\pi^{+}$), and $K^{0}_{S}\to\pi^{+}+\pi^{-}$ decays are used to obtain the $dE/dx$ value and its width at given $\beta\gamma=p/m$. We found that the deviation of the $dE/dx$ from the Bichsel function can be up to $0.4\sigma$ ($\sim3$) in p+p collisions at $\sqrt{s_{NN}}=200$ GeV taken and subsequently calibrated in year 2005. The deviation is approximately a function of $\beta\gamma$ independent of particle species and can be described with a function of $f(x) = A+\frac{B}{C+x^{2}}$. The deviations obtained with this method are used to re-calibrate the data sample from p+p collision for physics analysis of identified hadron spectra and their correlations up to transverse momentum of 15 GeV/$c$. The ratio of $e^{-}/e^{+}$ (dominantly from $\gamma$-conversion) is also used to correct the residual asymmetry in the negative and positive charged hadrons due to momentun distortion in the STAR TPC.Comment: 18pages, 10 figure