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Traffic congestion is a major concern in urban centers, as it can affect society, the environment, and the economy. There are many studies on the use of computational intelligence (CI) to improve mobility in urban centers. Some of these researches focus on developing strategies for traffic light programming, since traffic coordination is complex due to its many parameters, variables, and dynamic behavior, and also an inefficient traffic control plan can lead to increased delays and contribute to traffic congestion. Although there are many works in the literature on strategies for traffic control, there are still some contributions and gaps to be filled, especially because some studies do not consider the automatic optimization of traffic signals in real time, that is, according to the demand of vehicles on the roads, considering multiple objectives and the use of a network of intersections in their experiments. In addition, some of the proposed models are not independent of simulation to evaluate the solutions of CI algorithms, resulting in a more complex deployment in real situations. In this context, this paper presents a new method to optimize traffic light plan in a network of intersections and in real time, called Active Control of Traffic Signals (ACTS) associated with the Non-Dominated Sorting Genetic Algorithm, considering multiple objectives in the optimization process (minimizing the average delay time and the number of vehicles stops per cycle). To test the applicability of the model, a real dataset of vehicle demand collected by the Company of Transport and Traffic of Belo Horizonte (BHTrans) is loaded into the AIMSUN simulator, then the method is applied and compared with the current traffic control plan used by BHTrans. The results show that the ACTS method reduces the average vehicle delay by almost half compared to the results obtained with the current solution used by BHTrans. In real life, this means less time spent in traffic, which promotes faster traffic flow, reducing traffic congestions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The choice of a particular PV technology for best performance is sometimes based upon a single factor or single operating condition. However, many parameters have functionalities that oppose each under actual operating conditions. In this paper, the comparisons of different PV module technologies under moderate environmental conditions (Tropical Climate Zone, Belo Horizonte, Brazil) are explored based upon the two competing parameters of soiling-layer spectral effects and panel operating temperature. Specifically, low-bandgap PV technologies (e.g., Si or Cu(In,Ga)(SSe)2) are reported to have performances less affected by the absorption of incoming sunlight than higher-bandgap absorbers (e.g., a-Si:H or CdTe). However, the opposite is true for operating temperatures, with higher bandgaps having advantages under higher-temperature operating conditions. We present a simple comparative soiling-temperature model with experimental collaborative data to address the following question: What is the controlling parameter of the combination of soiling spectral effects and temperature on lower- and higher-bandgap module technologies? Temperature coefficients are measured for groups of modules for the four technologies having bandgaps ranging from 1.1 to 1.7 eV. Additional optical absorption for the soiling layers in the range of 300 nm to ~600 nm is confirmed by transmission measurements. The data from our soiling monitoring stations indicate that these potential spectral effects are based on consistent differences in soiling ratios and soiling rates. Some differences between the model predications and experimental observations are discussed. This paper reports temperature and soiling regions of "best-of-class" performances for these four commercial PV technologies in this climate region based upon the two competing parameters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Internationally, there is a large body of scientific evidence concerning the benefits of integrating health and social care to ensure that frail older people living in the community receive the assistance they need to maintain independence. In the Brazilian city of Belo Horizonte, located in the state of Minas Gerais, an integrated care intervention has been developed: the Programa Maior Cuidado - Older Adult Care Programme (PMC). This programme represents a pioneering example in Brazil of the provision of carers for highly vulnerable older people, through integrated action between public health and social service agencies. This paper draws on the first phase of a mixed method evaluation of PMC, including data from documentary sources, focus groups, empirical observation and expert workshops, to examine the processes that led to the establishment of programme. The origins of the PMC are discussed and its operational processes, with a particular emphasis on integrated activities and the roles of different actors. The paper situates PMC within comparable international experiences of integrated provision for older people and considers how it has been affected by unique context and challenging of a middle-income country. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Botanical substances such as essential oils (EOs) have demonstrated insecticidal properties and are a valid option for vector control. However, free EOs are unreliable as mosquito larvicides due their easy degradation by environmental exposure to ultraviolet light and higher temperatures. Here, we assessed the efficacy of a mosquito larvicide based on orange oil in a yeast-based delivery system against Aedes aegypti strains with different resistance status towards chemical neurotoxic insecticides. This larvicide preparation was physicochemically characterized in a previous report. Methods: Larvae of four Ae. aegypti strains from different regions of Brazil and different resistance profiles for deltamethrin (pyrethroid) and temephos (organophosphate) were tested against yeast-encapsulated orange oil (YEOO) in laboratory conditions for measurement of LC50 and LC90 values. The same assays were performed with the Belo Horizonte strain under environmental conditions (natural light and temperature). The resistance profiles of these strains were compared to the Rockefeller reference strain in all conditions. Results: YEOO was found to be a highly active larvicide (LC50 < 50 mg/L) against all Ae. aegypti strains tested in both laboratory conditions (LC50 = 8.1–24.7 mg/L) and environmental conditions with natural light and temperature fluctuation (LC50 = 20.0–49.9 mg/L). Moreover, all strains were considered susceptible (RR < 5) to YEOO, considering resistance ratios calculated based on the Rockefeller strain. The resistance ratios were only higher than 2.5 for LC90–95 of Belo Horizonte in the laboratory, probably due the higher heterogeneity associated with older egg papers (> 5 months). Conclusion: YEOO demonstrates high larvicidal activity against Ae. aegypti strains with resistant phenotypes for deltamethrin (PY) and temephos (OP). This larvicidal activity suggests the potential for the development of YEOO as an alternative intervention to synthetic insecticides in integrated vector management programs, for populations with resistance to commonly used insecticides. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Equine Protozoal Myeloencephalitis (EPM) is an infectious disease whose main agent is the protozoan Sarcocystis neurona. The parasite affects the central nervous system of horses and can cause neurological alterations like ataxia, paresis, muscle atrophy and changes in mental status. With wide distribution in the national territory, it is important that this disease is part of the differential diagnosis in animals of equine species, since equines with this disease can present from discrete signs, such as a slight decrease in performance, to serious neurological signs. That is why the veterinarian must understand its characteristics and effective diagnostic methods for its identification. A five-year-old Brazilian Sport Horse mare was attended in the city of Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, with a history of atrophy in the lumbar region and rump. Also, the presence of opossums on the farm where the animal lived was reported. In neurological examination, grade 2 motor incoordination was detected. The SAG ELISA test was performed, and a positive result was obtained. All findings and the positive test result corroborate the diagnosis of EPM, which led to the recommended treatment, and visible clinical improvement. The aim of this paper is to report a clinical case of EPM in a mare in the city of Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil, taking into account the importance of knowledge of the epidemiological, clinical, diagnostic and therapeutic aspects of disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Both global climate change and urbanization trends will demand adaptation measures in cities. Large agglomerations and impacts on landscape and natural environments due to city growth will require guided densification schemes in urban areas, particularly in developing countries. Human biometeorological indices such as the Universal Thermal Climate Index (UTCI) could guide this process, as they provide a clear account of expected effects on thermal sensation from a given change in outdoor settings. However, an earlier step should optimally include an adequacy test of suggested comfort and thermal stress ranges with calibration procedures based on surveys with the target population. This paper compares obtained thermal comfort ranges for three different locations in Brazil: Belo Horizonte, 20° S, Aw climate type; Curitiba, 25.5° S, Cfb subtropical climate, both locations in elevation (above 900 m a.s.l.); and Pelotas, at sea level, latitude 32° S, with a Cfa climate type. In each city, a set of outdoor comfort field campaigns has been carried out according to similar procedures, covering a wide range of climatic conditions over different seasons of the year. Obtained results indicate a variation of neutral temperatures up to 3 °C (UTCI units) as a possible latitude and local climate effect between the southern locations relative to the northernmost location. Low UTCI values were found in the two subtropical locations for the lower threshold of the thermal comfort band as compared with the original threshold. A possible explanation for that is a longer exposure to cold conditions as buildings are seldom provided with heating systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Botanical substances such as essential oils (EOs) have demonstrated insecticidal properties and are a valid option for vector control. However, free EOs are unreliable as mosquito larvicides due their easy degradation by environmental exposure to ultraviolet light and higher temperatures. Here, we assessed the efficacy of a mosquito larvicide based on orange oil in a yeast-based delivery system against Aedes aegypti strains with different resistance status towards chemical neurotoxic insecticides. This larvicide preparation was physicochemically characterized in a previous report. Methods: Larvae of four Ae. aegypti strains from different regions of Brazil and different resistance profiles for deltamethrin (pyrethroid) and temephos (organophosphate) were tested against yeast-encapsulated orange oil (YEOO) in laboratory conditions for measurement of LC50 and LC90 values. The same assays were performed with the Belo Horizonte strain under environmental conditions (natural light and temperature). The resistance profiles of these strains were compared to the Rockefeller reference strain in all conditions. Results: YEOO was found to be a highly active larvicide (LC50 < 50 mg/L) against all Ae. aegypti strains tested in both laboratory conditions (LC50 = 8.1–24.7 mg/L) and environmental conditions with natural light and temperature fluctuation (LC50 = 20.0–49.9 mg/L). Moreover, all strains were considered susceptible (RR < 5) to YEOO, considering resistance ratios calculated based on the Rockefeller strain. The resistance ratios were only higher than 2.5 for LC90–95 of Belo Horizonte in the laboratory, probably due the higher heterogeneity associated with older egg papers (> 5 months). Conclusion: YEOO demonstrates high larvicidal activity against Ae. aegypti strains with resistant phenotypes for deltamethrin (PY) and temephos (OP). This larvicidal activity suggests the potential for the development of YEOO as an alternative intervention to synthetic insecticides in integrated vector management programs, for populations with resistance to commonly used insecticides. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper we seek to analyze the Special Education policy of the municipality of Belo Horizonte-MG to understand the organization of this type of education in its network and the articulation with national policies. To do so, we used the analysis of national and municipal documentation that we consider representative of the Special Education policy, and the analysis of data from the School Census (2018). We can see that historically Special Education is characterized by disputes between public and private. Both nationally and at the municipal level, there has been a tendency to target private-assistance institutions, thus enabling public funding for the private network. The school census data showed that most students in Special Education were enrolled in municipal schools and 84% did not attend AEE; besides the significant number of students with intellectual disabilities enrolled (45.4%) and the existence of segregated spaces. Despite the obstacles that public school presents, we believe that this is the space where students have access to systematized knowledge and, therefore, this is the space where Special Education students should be. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper we aim to understand the flows between female inmates and their family members through quantitative and qualitative research conducted in a female penitentiary in Belo Horizonte, Brazil. The literature in this field indicates a high porosity between life inside and outside of prisons, yet when it comes to incarcerated women, these studies have stressed their abandonment. We argue that there is no abandonment, but a family restructuring that, though very often not allowing frequent visits, nevertheless enables essential flows that ensure the inmate's survival--with many consequences for their families. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We seek in this paper to analyze the relationship between image, identity and style for young female executives from Belo Horizonte, through a qualitative research based on semi structured interview. Thus, theoretically we discussed the relationship between identity, image and style, on the influence of appearance in the corporate environment and about women in organizations. Their style acts mirroring their identities as well as their positioning prominently within your professional context, to provide them status and power demonstrating their commitment to the organization and social distinction, as well as being a way to combat gender bias in work. We conclude that the choice of clothing beyond aesthetic elements involving identity, symbolic, contextual aspects as well as the projection of a given image and, thus, a true wardrobe management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyzes how the restructuring of the public transport system in the city of Belo Horizonte collaborated with the territorial expansion of the Heavy Metal identity group. Based on the revisions of urban planning registers from RMBH and excerpts from interviews conducted with the musicians of the scene. It was clear mobility structure changes have increased the spreading of the Heavy Metal movement. It has coincided with the period of this musical genre popularization and greater accessibility to it, which resulted in new relationships between headbangers and the urban space of the city. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aimed to analyze how higher education institutions contribute to the creation of technology-based firms. The research method was that of multiple cases, represented by two universities and five technology-based firms in Belo Horizonte. We selected businesses that had as founders students or former students of the researched universities. The results showed that the institutions have robust structures and programs, but still act in a little internally integrated way. In addition, the entrepreneurs do not identify the contribution of their university education in their entrepreneurial trajectory. The study contributes to the understanding of the role of the university in the entrepreneurial ecosystem. From a theoretical point of view, the study identified categories of analysis to evaluate entrepreneurial universities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to find out how the points suggested by Everardo Rocha (1985) as social legitimizers of the advertising profession are present in the reports of workers from Belo Horizonte at the list Como é trabalhar aí?, an online file that circulated on the Internet with descriptions of the routines of agencies. Conceptually, the elements that constitute the profession's imaginary are presented and a discussion is made about the common practices of this occupation. Methodologically, the contents of the list are analyzed in order to identify the representations that advertisers make of their occupation within the scope of praxis. The results when compared show a negative scenario of abuse and exploitation far from what is socially represented to legitimize the profession and that, although different, both dimensions contribute to the construction of meanings of belonging to the same working class. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Verbal violence, configured by multiple semioses (FAIRCLOUGH, 2003) as offensive, has a useful space in the virtual environment. Anonymity and the lack of regulation of face-to-face interaction cause social agents to mobilize lexicogramatical resources, producing violent discourses. This choice can generate offenses and insults, in order to promote and perpetuate unequal power relations. This article aims to analyze copyright voices inserted in the news published by BHAZ and by news paper O Tempo, both from Belo Horizonte – MG, about a broadcast via WhatsApp of a job offer characterized as a crime of injury. It will be analyzed not only two news texts, one from each vehicle, but also the comments of internet users about this fact. For this, we will use the categories of analysis of the verbal sociodiscursive reactions (GOMES, 2020), of the representational and identificational meanings (FAIRCLOUGH, 2003) intertwined with intersectional studies (AKOTIRENE, 2019; CRENSHAW, 2002, 2004; NASH, 2008). Our analysis allowed us to observe that verbal violence is constitutive of racist and fatophobic systems of oppression, reproducing exclusive power relations that regulate bodies, ratifying the often opaque and naturalized privilege of the white and thin body. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The loss of public in Carnival festivities in Minas Gerais state hinterland is at issue in this paper, that this reduction in Carnival participants occurs in towns located in this territorial context, we believe, while Carnival in Belo Horizonte receives increasingly tourists? contingents. A phenomenological attitude was adopted to carry out the research and bibliographic research and conducting semi-structured interviews (analyzed qualitatively), were adopted as methodological tools. A festivities city like Oliveira tries to adapt to the transformations in progress. Oliveira, home of a Carnival celebration with peculiar characteristics, is the territorial focus of the research that seeks to understand how festive spatialities can be re-signified. We concluded that it is possible to observe an exceptionality of transformations experienced by Oliveira's festive place, a movement that probably should occur in Carnival cities of Minas Gerais, in an intense dispute among themselves for the hegemony as the most attractive places for visitors and in an atmosphere of symbols that thickens during the festivity period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nowadays, most of the Brazilian population is living in cities, and slums are growing with poor living conditions, in a context of enormous social-economic inequality. One of the local challenges is the poor nutrition of its inhabitants, along with the high cost of healthier food. This paper presents the results of an urban gardening project, developed through the partnership of universities, communities and public institutions at the city of Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais. It represents university research and extension projects on building community gardens, aiming at the constitution of a social-economic innovative process to increase local social cohesion, popular protagonism and food sovereignty. Each garden that is part of the Community Gardening Project is facing particular challenges in relation to its social, environmental and economic sustainability, but the initiative is proving to be a significant alternative to humanize those spaces, systemically bringing together approaches as Systemic Design, Agroecology and Food Sovereignty and Solidarity Economy, Integral Endeavours and developing cooperative and innovative actions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Rapid automatized naming (RAN) is the ability to name, as fast as possible, symbols such as letters, digits and figures. The present study aimed to investigate intragroup performance patterns on RAN tasks in children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms alone, children with reading disability (RD) alone and controls with typical development. Methods: A total of 216 Brazilian children between 8 to 11 years old were selected from public schools located in two Brazilian capitals, namely Porto Alegre and Belo Horizonte, to participate in the study. Mixed 3 (participant group: ADHD symptoms, RD or control group) x 3 (type of stimulus: letters, numbers or figures) ANOVAs were performed using response time and number of errors as dependent variables. Only intragroup comparisons are described in this paper. Results: The groups with ADHD symptoms and RD showed similar performance results on naming speed. There were no differences between letters and numbers within each group, but we found slower responses in figure naming compared to the other tasks for both groups. Concerning accuracy, children with ADHD symptoms showed a similar number of errors in all three tasks. These patterns were distinct from the performance of the control group. Conclusion: Results suggest a shared deficit in naming speed of alphanumeric stimuli in children with ADHD symptoms and those with RD, and impairments in naming digits correctly in children with ADHD symptoms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the historical narratives of women publishers in Brazil are scarce or non-existent, our goal in this work is to record, as completely as possible, the editorial history and the work of women publishers in the country, especially in the 20th and 21st centuries, beginning with two case studies. In this paper, we present a set of relevant characters both to understand Brazilian publishing practices and to sketch the history of the occupation of public spaces by contemporary women. More in particular, we present two examples of publishing houses directed by women who work in the contemporary Brazilian literary scene: the publishers of Chão da Feira (Belo Horizonte/Lisbon/São Paulo) and Relicário (Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyzes the protests and popular demonstrations that took place in the city of Belo Horizonte between 2012 and 2015, having as theoretical background the new mobility paradigm. Through a quantitative and qualitative analysis of three hundred and twenty three journal articles and reports, firstly we verify he composition and intensity of the protest motives that claim the right, access and quality of urban mobility. In a second moment, it was shown how the spaces of mobility and the movement of the bodies present in those events are fundamental in the composition of performative repertoires of political groups. Our finds show that urban mobility is not only a complex and extremely important political agenda, but that the very act of moving and / or interrupting the flow of movement of this city are fundamental strategies in the search for visibility and dissemination of political challenges on the public scene. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyzes the cemeteries as a place of many devotions, devotions among them marginal. the various ways in which people worship their dead through their graves. The devotions that are manifested before these graves within the cemeteries demonstrate the practice of faith is called the marginal devotion. Ordinary people who are worshiped as a miracle worker. The paper examines how this devotion in the cemetery of Bonfim in Belo Horizonte City, more specifically in the miraculous Num Benigna's Tomb helps the devotees by the time their distress happene. It looks at how devotion is perpetuated the margin of the official belief. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Large‐scale urban projects (LSUPs) are capable of changing cities' structures and, consequently, have a potential deep impact on land values. However, to assume that the LSUP always uplift land values may dismiss too quickly some key aspects of these investments. This work uses a difference‐in‐differences model to assess the impacts of LSUPs on land values, implemented in Belo Horizonte, Brazil. Results indicate that the impacts of LSUPs vary according to the kind of project (transit, iconic building and retail) and property (residential, commercial and vacant land). Macroeconomic cycles, negative externalities, and projects location within the local urban structure are key to understand the impacts' dynamics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An efficient urban freight transport (UFT) system is crucial for sustainable city development. However, implementing city logistics measures still seems challenging for municipalities and decision-makers. Moreover, city authorities' decisions depend on politics and social issues, and the city residents' opinions seem to be very important in this context. Therefore, the primary objective of this paper was to assess the perception of urban mobility problems and freight solutions from the perspective of city users, considering the point of view of Brazilian and Polish city dwellers. The work was based on a survey realised in Belo Horizonte (Brazil) and Szczecin (Poland). The analysis identified the similarities and differences between the perceptions of different resident groups in both cities. The practical advantage of this research is the establishment of a set of recommendations for city decision-makers in the context of residents' perceptions and their expectations regarding the implementation of urban freight measures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this paper is to present the preliminary results of a survey of about five hundred subway users of Belo Horizonte (MG), particularly in the boarding platform of the Central Station. One of the reasons offered by museologist Pierre-Yves Catel and by the staff who took part in the assembly and organization of the Museum of Arts and Crafts (Museu de Artes e Ofícios -MAO), for the occupation of the building of the Central Station and its reinterpretation, which turned it into a museum institution - dedicated to the history/memory of work and the workers -was that, at that place, it would be possible to find "a potential audience of one million visitors a year coming by underground". In this sense, the research seeks to understand, especially, the relationship that is established, at present, between the subway user and the Museum. However, before disclosing the data of this investigation, it was necessary to analyze some aspects concerning the history of MAO and also some aspects of the long-term exhibition presented to the audience since the inauguration of the mentioned institution, in 2006. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper we analyze relations between territoriality and identity in organizational context, advancing in perspective of identity about what is distinctive, enduring and core in an organization. Our research was conduced in Central Market of Belo Horizonte (Brazil), place of multiple practices -- like as bohemian, buyers, goer and tourist's ones -- in which Minas Gerais'culture is presented in several nuances, an adequate research object because it permits observation of complex phenomena. Under a qualitative approach, 40 interviews were made with professionals from Central Market of Belo Horizonte to comprehend their vision about the space where they work. This material was analyzed through French discourse analysis. The coexistence of main aspects analyzed -- distinctive (commerce), everlasting (church) and central (business office) -- demonstrates conflicts as because there is a duplication of functions, as because in organizations there is a quotidian among different people, polarized for some groups that dominate and other who resist. These relationships equilibrate through movements of social actors in their territories around the argument of mutual survival. We have observed that shared beliefs, according Albert and Whetten (1985), also serve to explicit a kind of comprehension of space. And if this is basis idea, it is because it does not limited by purely concrete elements, once it incorporates symbolic point of view. Sharing a multiple practices space, this market has a conjunct of territories which oscillate between harmony and conflicts, once they are dynamyzed by colliding forces in defense of particular group's interests. Territories, however, in the same way collide, accommodate each other under same ideology, of mutual survival. The territories are not categorized hierarchically, but they have different roles in socially constructed reality. Theirs spaces are not static, either interchangeable: once institutionalized, they become taken for granted appearance, immanent ones. However, what explains balance is that social actors move between territories playing multiples roles. To solve problem related to territory in what they are, what we can notice is a trial of "be part of the game". It demonstrates that individual essentiality looks for get closer of hegemonic group, initiating an incorporation process of dominant ideology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although studies on the subject of African Brazilian religions, there still remains the ignorance and discrimination towards them for a significant part of the population. Notwithstanding the existing production, new approaches and perspectives of analysis are needed. For this purpose, the present study translates into clear language some ritual practices, the configuration of the sacred space and worship performed to the deities of the African pantheon, specifically the Candomblé. The text presents an analysis and interpretation of the religious system of that religion, based on a recent survey conducted in the "terreiros" of Contagem, a metropolitan region of Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais. Finally, the paper acknowledges the complexity of the symbolic universe of that region and reaffirms the need for further research on the topic, in order to make this reality understandable and increasingly familiar. This task is not easy, but it is necessary as a legal requirement and also as a democratic right of worship for all citizens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper presents the results of a study about information management, information technology management and behaviors and values concerning information in Brazilian institutions of higher education. The 'information orientation' (IO) model, developed by Donald A. Marchand, William J. Kettinger and John D. Rollins (2000) was adopted as a conceptual basis for the study. The data was collected through questionnaires filled by 83 (eighty-three) managers of higher education institutions (HEI) located in Belo Horizonte, Brazil. The results show that, as perceptions of their managers, HEI are oriented towards information, although this guideline varies according to the dimensions of the construct of the HI Model, which has as central information management, information technology and informational values and behaviors. It was noted that the managers of HEI perceive each of these elements, there is a predominance of HEI Information Technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Municipal solid waste issue has acquired a growing importance into urban management discussions, particularly in metropolitan areas. Although metropolitan regions were created for integrating public functions of common interest, it appears that the structures, in general, are limited to planning activities. In this context, the democratization process occurred in Brazil during 1980's led to the strengthening of inter-municipal arrangements of voluntary cooperation, acquiring great expressiveness in metropolitan areas, responsible for 60% of waste generated in Brazil. However, despite the consortia emergence as an alternative management of metropolitan territory, its process of setting up and operation is not free of challenges and dilemmas. This paper starts with the hypothesis that inter-municipal consortia in metropolitan areas have high strength asymmetry and weak regional identity among municipalities, conditions that tend to create barriers to its concretization. In this context, this research aims to develop a comparative study of inter-municipal arrangements for solid waste management in the metropolitan areas of Curitiba (pr), Belo Horizonte (bh) and Salvador (ba), by identifying influence degree of regional identity and strength asymmetry in these arrangements. The multiple case study reveals an inverse proportionality relationship between regional identity and strength asymmetry among the municipalities, deeply influenced by political interinstitutional arrangement and the metropolitan area in which they are is inserted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite its youth (founded 1897) Belo Horizonte has witnessed a "relative" process of emptying the historic center with the demolition of some buildings, the displacement of middle-class to other regions, the reduction of areas of public space for coexistence and the presence of the elite in this region. Like in several cities, this process has mobilized the public and the private sector in the development of urban regeneration projects in their centers. The purpose of this paper is to analyze how these projects are being implemented by the government, as well as how the region has been appropriated by these actors. Our hypothesis is that the processes of urban regeneration in Belo Horizonte are not a gentrification, which would mean interventions directed only to the market, to entertainment and cultural consumption [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Contemporary society coexists with social, political and economic conditions that give rise to the desire for peace, tolerance and justice. The school is an essential institution in social organization, because it works with young people for a considerable period of time of its formation and construction of their identity. In this process, the political Pedagogical Project (PPP) has a key role because it generates an intentional action and proposes a direction from a commitment collectively constructed and articulated with the interests of education statewide and nationally. This paper presents the results of a qualitative research conducted in schools of the state of Belo Horizonte - MG. Political Pedagogical Project offers information to help schools achieve their goals and also to face challenges and to plan their future as young citizens trainers [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this paper is to report a brief history of control actions for Visceral Leishmaniasis (VL) from2006 to 2010 in the Sanitary District (DS) of Venda Nova, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil, focusing on the use of information systems and Geographic Information System (GIS) tools. The analyses showed that the use of an automated database allied with geoprocessing tools may favor control measures of VL, especially with regard to the evaluation of control actions carried out. Descriptive analyses of control measures allowed to evaluating that the information system and GIS tools promoted greater efficiency in making decisions and planning activities. These analyses also pointed to the necessity of new approaches to the control of VL in large urban centers [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper focuses on the everyday public space around that lies around housing between private areas and the public space designated for community and leisure activities. Such space constitutes a blind spot in urban regulations and daily activities and can provide a focal point for deliberate intervention by those who experience it on a daily basis. In order to discuss the views of city dwellers regarding production of this kind of space, two situations involving spaces that could potentially be used in urban neighborhoods of Belo Horizonte (Brazil) are analysed. The possibility of a collective creation of everyday public space is discussed, based on the different degrees of resident engagement. This kind of collective work does not depend on the bureaucratic structure of local government but rather occurs according to the negotiation and direct action of the individuals and groups involved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims at discussing which rationality types may orient contemporary artistic practice. This objective emerged from a research made in Grupo Galpão, a twenty-eight years old theatre group from Belo Horizonte. As we entered into the research locus, by documental analysis, non participant observation and interviews, the rationality issue became a prominent theme to be discussed considering contemporary art production. By means of discourse analysis elements, we could identify in artists' discursive practices meanings about art-making, sometimes related to instrumental rationality and to surviving in the market of cultural goods; and sometimes, on the other hand, were related to substantive rationality and to practices oriented by ethical or esthetical ideals. By the end, despite of economic pressures from the cultural industry context, we understand that authentic art is intrinsically a transcendent practice and keeps moments of freedom and assertion of out-of-the-ordinary life values [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyzes the as a sphere of dialogue between Police and community and, consequently, a new organization of traditionally hierarchical structures through the insertion of the citizen into the management of public policies. The matter of popular participation in public policies emerged as a focus of analysis in Brazilian social sciences, especially after the resignation of city councils, seeking to approximate public policy managers and citizens. In the specific case of public security, the motivation for the engagement of citizens in public policies acquires a more incisive connotation due to the growth of violent crime levels in the country. The present article offers a case study of the Council of Public Security in Brumadinho, a city in the Metropolitan Area of Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais. This case presents relevant elements for the understading of the complex interaction between social and public actors as well as their implications for the construction of public policies. In this way, it is possible to simultaneously discuss the challenges of popular participation and the new arrangement of the public structures, traditionally responsible for managing public security policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this paper is to discuss the obstacles and problems which have been encountered during the implementation process of Law 11340/2006, the Maria da Penha Law. The reflections presented are based on empirical data obtained during the research on “Access to Justice for Women in Situations of Violence. Comparative Study on Women’s Police Stations in Latin America (Brazil, Ecuador, Peru and Nicaragua)”. The survey was conducted between 2007 and 2009 in Belo Horizonte, and had as its core research 15 in-depth interviews with women who experienced violence in marital relations and who sought the women police station to register the incident. From the set of results, we selected some data as well as some thoughts that help to illustrate the daily life of law enforcement in that municipality. This text has reviewed aspects concerning the role of the police, the judiciary and the network of specialist services in assisting women who are victims violence. The goal is to provide elements for the debate about the application of Maria da Penha Law and contribute to its full implementation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes a procedure to evaluate sustainable mobility in urban areas. A set of indicators according to three dimensions of sustainability, i.e., environment, economics, and social aspects, are proposed to evaluate mobility in urban areas. The sustainable mobility evaluation is based on an Index calculated through a weighted multi-criteria combination procedure. A group of specialists in Brazil was involved in the development of the Index by defining the weights for the criteria. An application of the methodology in the city of Belo Horizonte, capital of the State of Minas Gerais, with 2.24 million inhabitants, is presented to validate the methodology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• An online cluster approach transforms an 8-objective problem onto a 2-objective one. • A Pearson/ τ -Kendall hierarchical cluster approach generates the 2-objective problem. • The approach coupled with a state-of-art algorithm is tested on a realistic dataset. • Comparing with the original formulation, the approach shows competitive performance. • The approach shows a favourable impact on search efficiency and computational cost. In this paper, we address an online dimensionality reduction approach to deal with a many-objective formulation of a Vehicle Routing Problem with a Demand Responsive Transport (VRPDRT). The problem relates to a mode of transport similar to available carpooling services in which passengers are transported from their origin to their destination sharing the same vehicle. The goal is to reduce the operating/riding costs while meeting passenger needs and providing high-quality service. Due to the complexity and conflicting characteristics of the problem, an evolutionary approach based on a dimensionality reduction technique is applied to solve the VRPDRT in which eight different objective functions are used. The performance of the proposed approaches – OnCL τ -MOEA/D and OnCL ρ -MOEA/D – are compared to an a priori cluster dimensionality reduction with Pearson's and τ of Kendall correlation coefficients using a realistic data set containing distances and travel time for Belo Horizonte, Brazil. The online and offline versions of the algorithms are also compared with a baseline approach, a classic version of MOEA/D. Results show that the online cluster-based approach achieves a better spread of solutions, when compared to its a priori versions. Moreover, there is no difference between the results obtained from the online Cluster-based approach and the original MOEA/D. It shows that the proposed dimensionality reduction is an effective technique presenting a positive effect on the search efficiency, computational cost, and in the application of usual visualization techniques. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present paper, we review the use of two-state, Generalized Auto Regressive Conditionally Heteroskedastic Markovian stochastic processes (MS-GARCH). These show the quantitative model of an active stock trading algorithm in the three main Latin-American stock markets (Brazil, Chile, and Mexico). By backtesting the performance of a U.S. dollar based investor, we found that the use of the Gaussian MS-GARCH leads, in the Brazilian market, to a better performance against a buy and hold strategy (BH). In addition, we found that the use of t-Student MS-ARCH models is preferable in the Chilean market. Lastly, in the Mexican case, we found that is better to use Gaussian time-fixed variance MS models. Their use leads to the best overall performance than the BH portfolio. Our results are of use for practitioners by the fact that MS-GARCH models could be part of quantitative and computer algorithms for active trading in these three stock markets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The relationship between crime and income inequality is a complex and controversial issue. While there is some consensus that a relationship exists, the nature of it is still the subject of much debate. In this paper, this relationship is investigated in the context of urban geography and whether income inequality can explain the geography of crime within cities. This question is examined for the specific case of residential burglaries in the city of Belo Horizonte, Brazil, where I tested how much burglary rates are affected by local average household income and by local exposure to poverty, while I controlled for other variables relevant to criminological theory, such as land-use type, density and accessibility. Different scales were considered for testing the effect of exposure to poverty. This study reveals that, in Belo Horizonte, the rate of burglaries per single family house is significantly and positively related to income level, but a higher exposure to poverty has no significant independent effect on these rates at any scale tested. The rate of burglaries per apartment, on the other hand, is not significantly affected by either average household income or exposure to poverty. These results seem consistent with a description where burglaries follow a geographical distribution based on opportunity, rather than being a product of localized income disparity and higher exposure between different economic groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]