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This paper explores the praxis of the Zionist Left in Brazil, particularly during the 2010s. It argues that the Zionist Left, which claims to be a progressive grouping that stands in solidarity with the oppressed people in Palestine and in Brazil, functions in fact as a colonial counterrevolutionary actor against radical-left emancipatory politics. Indeed, the Zionist Left functions as a gatekeeper, blocking sectors of the Jewish community and the Brazilian Left from joining the growing anti-Zionist decolonial movement in Brazil. This paper aims to show how various Zionist Left groups have historically worked with the Zionist elite and the Brazilian state to undermine anti-Zionist communist Jewish alternatives by resorting to fraudulent discourse and even force in order to build support for the Zionist settler-colonial project in Palestine. This paper utilises a Marxist, anti-Zionist and anti-colonial framework in order to provide a counter-hegemonic critique for an emancipatory praxis that rejects colonialism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyses the implementation of the right to adequate housing in Brazil, China, and Russia, which are part of the BRICS group of countries. The study reveals that while Brazil and Russia have legally recognised the right to housing through domestic law and multinational human rights treaties, China has been less willing to do so. Even when international instruments have been implemented, they have not always successfully ensured state accountability for housing rights violations, and few cases have been brought under individual complaint procedures. This study highlights common housing issues faced by each jurisdiction in the practical implementation of the right to housing, which are similar to those encountered by other countries but are often more severe due to the economic, political, and historical circumstances of the countries under review. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article analyses the impact of COVID-19 on the rights of indigenous peoples, particularly in Brazil. It deals with the current situation of the Brazilian indigenous peoples, the impacts of the pandemic, the rights created on the adoption of protective sanitary measures for indigenous people and land rights in Brazil. Does the Brazilian government comply with international law, with constitutional rights of indigenous peoples in the current COVID-19 crisis, particularly with the Brazilian Supreme Court decision on the adoption of protective sanitary measures for indigenous people? With a focus on the 2020 Report of the Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, this paper will identify and examine the gaps in protection of the indigenous peoples rights by reason of the impact of the COVID-19 crisis. This paper argues that the crisis is misused as an occasion for land invasions, deforestation, forest fires and the denial of basic indigenous rights. Especially in Brazil, a transformative change, an emergency support for indigenous peoples, and a still stand agreement on logging and extractive industries operating next to indigenous communities are needed. Brazilian NGO statements give guidelines as to how to manage the threats of the present pandemic on indigenous peoples of Brazil. The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, the United Nations and the International Labour Organisation all offer further relevant suggestions as to how to address the serious impacts in the response to and the aftermath of this crisis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyses how the technical and managerial support of buyers affects the performance and investment capacity of Brazilian pig farmers. The paper also analyses the influence of the farmers' investment capacity on their own performance and how that performance in turn influences the investment requirements demanded by buyers. We developed a structural equation model applied to a sample of 199 farmers including piglet farmers (n=91) and finishers (n=108) working under production contracts. The model includes two constructs that assess performance – financial performance and production and quality performance. The results show that buyer support positively influences both performance constructs and investment requirements for piglet farmers and finishers. The relationship between buyer support and investment capacity was significant only in the sample of finishers. Farmers' investment capacity positively influences both performance constructs in the sample of piglet farmers. For finishers, investment capacity influences only financial performance. Moreover, only production and quality performance of finishers influences investment requirements. The results provide buyers and farmers with insights for refinements in support policies and management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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In this paper I attempt to tackle the issues of creolisation, magic, and mimesis, as well as colonialism. I will approach this last via the the first three. I begin by discussing two travel and ethnographic accounts, and then a piece by Diderot. I also discuss Taussig's work. My overall argument, following closely on the heels of Diderot's and Taussig's work, but also somewhat expanding them, is that writing ethnography or any account of 'others' involves closely linked and complex processes of creolisation, mimesis, and magic. There is also, of course, a personal dimension to them. Such processes in fact affect not only ethnographic writing, but perhaps any writing. I also include myself in this narrative, albeit only marginally, as someone born and raised in Brazil, perhaps the most famous hub of creolisation ever, and who ventures not only across the South Atlantic, but eventually also into the Indo-Pacific world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we rely on an extended version of the traditional transaction cost economics (TCE) framework to explain the variety of plural forms in the governance of food supply chains. Relying on the interplay of two transactional attributes – asset specificity and uncertainty – we explore not only the existence of plural forms, but their empirical diversity. This aspect has been largely under-explored and very little has been done empirically so far in this respect, despite its empirical significance. From an organizational point of view, this diversity requires an explanation as they carry different governance properties. We propose that while both are important drivers for the prevalence of plural forms, each of them plays a different role in their composition. Whereas uncertainty determines the type of plural form, asset specificity determines the level of coordination within the plural form and sheds light in the relative weights of each organizational arrangement composing it. An embedded case study of the Korin firm in Brazil, a leading firm in the organic food market, illustrates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the importance of low-tech manufacturing sectors for national economies, previous studies on UIC benefits for the firms were conducted mostly in high-tech sectors, making the knowledge on the impact of UIC on innovation in low-tech sectors unexplored. The present research aims to identify combinations of UIC s that may lead the low-tech firms to high innovation performance. By using the csQCA technique applied to secondary data from the BR Survey, which is the largest UIC databank in Brazil, the researchers identified that the most intense collaborations in terms of knowledge and resource exchange, such as development-oriented and research-oriented, are among the most beneficial for firms' innovativeness. Diffusion-oriented UIC does not contribute to innovation, unless it is combined with both research-oriented and development-oriented UIC s. Finally, the csQCA suggests that in most cases the firms should focus on engaging in one specific UIC type rather than split its effort and resources among a mix of UIC. The findings amplify comprehension of the range of impacts that entrepreneurial universities promote in low-tech sector, creating both theory and policy implications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article makes empirical use of the concepts of norm localization and norm subsidiarity, as developed by Acharya and revamped by Prantl and Nakano, to analyze Brazil's engagement with the Responsibility to Protect (R2P) and its development of the 'responsibility while protecting' (RwP) note in 2011. Many rising powers face a clear clash between their own normative priors and putatively universal norms such as R2P; the RwP note is one of the clearest examples in recent times of an attempt to navigate this contestation. The RwP note itself is not innovative, and its final intention is unclear; it contains elements of both norm localization and of the desire to establish the subsidiarity of Brazilian and regional traditions of non-intervention. As such it recasts the R2P in language acceptable to a Brazilian (and global Southern) public while simultaneously seeking to inject regional interpretations into the larger, global debate. The article makes use of Acharya's model to outline drivers and resistances in the localization process, identifying the extent to which successful localization has occurred and contributing to more clearly differentiating the notions of localization and subsidiarity. RwP contains elements of both, which the paper clearly identifies in Brazil's initial forays into the intervention debate. As such the piece contributes to advancing both the current state of norm diffusion theory and analysts' and policymakers' understanding of emerging powers' engagement with R2P and intervention norms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines the legal concept of Brazilian jurisdictional waters (BJW), which claims jurisdiction over the superjacent waters of its outer continental shelf, and considers its impact on the freedom of the high seas. Initially, the article introduces the idea of BJW through its historical and conceptual evolution. Then, Brazilian interventions in the United Nations Conferences on the Law of the Sea and municipal legislation are analysed in an attempt to identify if Brazil had previously made such a claim. Finally, each freedom of the high seas as listed in Article 87 of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (LOSC) is evaluated in the context of BJW and the domestic laws that enforce the jurisdiction. The article concludes that the concept of BJW, together with applicable laws, is inconsistent with the LOSC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article deals with the reasons and dynamics of the Lebanese immigration to Brazil since the end of the 19th century onward, adding figures and charts to better expose and explain this social economic phenomena. For this, the article relied on a number of fugures, statisctics and studies to explain the reasons for this mass immigration of the Lebanese people. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Brazilian dairy industry is still in its infancy, especially in regards to competitiveness on foreign markets. Therefore, it is facing difficult challenges to upgrade in terms of professionalisation, productivity and technological improvements, but also to avoid exclusion of small-scale farms. This study identifies the main factors affecting the competitiveness and slowing the modernisation of the supply chain in one of the most promising and dynamic dairy production areas in the world - the mesoregion 'Grande Fronteira do Mercosul' in Southern Brazil. The analysis is based on the perceptions of supply chain leaders about the challenges to improving the industry's competitiveness. The paper also presents various strategies already implemented by some actors to overcome such barriers to competitiveness. The empirical results have manifold implications. One of which is that the problems and strategies must be the target of managers and authorities in a sustainable common project of development to the benefit of the whole dairy supply chain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Smart farming (SF) is a relatively new concept referring to the use of information and communication technology in farm management, focusing simultaneously on productivity, profitability, and conservation of natural resources. However, despite the benefits, the adoption rate of some SF technologies has not been uniform in some countries. The aim of this paper was to identify the barriers and determining factors influencing the decisions of grain farmers regarding adopting SF technologies. A sample of farmers in southern Brazil (n=119) was analyzed through descriptive analysis, Logit and Poisson models. The results showed there was no strict pattern in farmers' profile, especially in terms of socioeconomic characteristics, to explain the adoption of SF technologies as a package. Adoption of some technologies requires more years of education and knowledge about how technology works, other technologies demand more scale. Broadly speaking, SF requires farmers to be open and receptive to this concept of agriculture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study evaluates the adoption of biological control of the Diaphorina citri and the citrus growers' willingness to pay for biopesticides. The citrus greening continues to spread over Brazilian orchards, reaching 17.89% of all citrus trees in 2015. Utilizing data from a survey with decision-making agents from the sector, this paper used a logit model to obtain the determinants and a contingent valuation method to elicit growers' willingness to pay for a biopesticide. Results showed high acceptability of growers to the biocontrol. Important factors regarding its adoption included experience in growing citrus, a high level of education and dependence on citrus production. Producers from São Paulo's southern region paid the highest value for the biopesticide. We observed that worsening of the disease has led players from citrus chain to search for new forms of insect control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this paper is to discuss cultural studies, depicting art, history and culture conceptions, taking as reference the cultural studies of Raymond Williams (1972), Stuart Hall (2002- 2009), Homi Bhabha (1998), Tomaz Tadeu da Silva (2000), Walter Benjamin (1985) and the debate among Jean-Claude Forquin (1993), Fernando Hernandez (2000), Philippe Perrenoud (2000), Jean- Pierre Pourtois (1999), Huguette Desmet (1999) and Gaston Bachelard (1962) amid others, crisscrossing them with the discourse analysis of Efigenia Rolim's (born 1931) life and work. This Brazilian artist from Minas Gerais State discovered herself as an artist when she was 60 years old, creating stories and objects from garbage and candy wrapping. From her humble country life to the streets of Curitiba city, she built her way as a performer, creating the persona Efigênia, a poet, a storyteller, an artist who shares the space of squares, schools and museums with melodies, clothing, sculptures and performances by discussing, in a playful and unusual way, universal and complex issues of post-modernity. The artist stated her work as art, a kind of art that her discourse wanders, in large squares and museums. Her work merges into others arts and is object of researching studies, such as an awarded film, papers, articles and publications from diverse fields. Nowadays, aged 80, with the strength and beauty of maturity, she finds space to claim the creation of the Candy Wrapping Alive Museum's, a "ghetto" museum. Efigenia Rolim receives the Medal of the Order of Cultural Merit, in 2008, due to her work and performance, alongside national and foreign personalities who have distinguished themselves in culture. Facing exclusion and poverty, from a marginalized situation to a respected position, Efigenia Rolim's work, sculptural and ephemeral, troubadour and theatrical, reincorporates contemporary subjectivity and teaches about culture, education and humanities. This research reveals that the boundaries amongst history, art and the life of the artist are fused with the complex postmodern world. The present study also draws a visualization to contemporary identities; in those, art, education and curriculum are combined, as well as an appropriate view to our diverse context: a multicultural and multifarious contemporary world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the significant advances of Brazilian agriculture, transportation and storage costs still constitute the main barriers to the Brazilian agribusiness. The aim of this article is to analyze the effect of segregation of maize and soybeans in the Brazilian transport and storage logistics, especially genetically modified grains. In the context of the guidelines of the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety (CPB) as well as of the competitiveness in the international market, we develop a spatial equilibrium model in the form of a mixed complementarity problem. The competitiveness of Brazilian maize and soybeans on the international market is compromised by the inefficient logistics and slow responses to the demands of the CPB. The contribution of the paper is to evaluate how regulatory issues of a segment, in this case biotechnology, may interfere with logistic infrastructure projects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

What can we learn from language island research? Answers drawn from German language island research refer to linguistics, ethnology and language politics. German language islands in Russia and Brazil are on the way to language shift. The varieties of these communities display varying degrees of decomposition and simplification in terms of morphology. Regular and irregular morphology are developing differently. How could these differences be explained? What is the impact of language contact? To what extent does variation within language change depend on the distinctiveness of this linguistic community? The contribution is about comparative language island research, relating linguistic results to the ethnographic background and the conditions of language politics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drawing on the analysis of biographical interviews with Brazilian activists, this article explores youth activism in radical right movements as a challenge to and indicator of 21st-century democratic transformation through the lens of youth participation studies. In recognition of the symbolic boundaries that institutionalized discourses of democratic youth participation produce, participation in radical right movements is analysed as a case of 'liminal participation'. The article begins with a brief overview of the literature on youth participation in radical right movements in Brazil and Europe, with a focus on how the concept of 'liminal participation' can be used to analyse it. We then reconstruct four biographies and discuss how liminality emerges as a strategy and a negotiation status, related to processes of youth politicization. Finally, the findings are related to a broader reflection on democracy and participation in a society of risks in which conflict and antagonism play a central role. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Studies in Brazil and other Latin American countries have demonstrated how the expansion of illegal drug markets and firearms trafficking over borders has increased the risks for young people, especially those who live in socially vulnerable neighborhoods, of becoming victims of lethal violence. In addressing this scenario, we review some of the most relevant research approaches that seek to understand the involvement of young men in organized crime, the rise of criminal factions or groups and their internationalization process, and the social and institutional mechanisms that contribute to the production and reproduction of lethal violence. Delving both into sociological and anthropological studies in Brazil, as well as other Latin American contributions, we elaborate on the most promising contributions that combine an intersectional approach to the sociological and criminological theories most often employed to understand the involvement of youth with lethal violence in Brazil and the Latin American context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Aphelenchoides besseyi is a concern to Brazilian agriculture, since the losses caused by the green stem and foliar retention syndrome in soybean, especially in hot and humid climates, could reach high levels. However, limited information is available regarding the host-parasite relationship. The objective of this study was to evaluate the capacity of A. besseyi to penetrate soybean roots and its movement in soybean tissues until reaching the top parts. Plants inoculated with 1000 A. besseyi were evaluated for root penetration from 1-28 days after inoculation (DAI), and post-penetration and movement inside tissues by staining them with acid fuchsin. Plant development, chronology of the symptoms and the number of pods were also evaluated at 60 DAI. Aphelenchoides besseyi was found in the cortex and xylem vessels of roots from 1 DAI. During the experimental period, the number of nematodes from roots to shoots increased more than 123, 330 and 430%, respectively, for roots, stems + petioles + inflorescences, and leaves, demonstrating the ascendent movement of A. besseyi. Necrotic lesions in young leaves and apical tissues were observed from 8 DAI; the typical symptom of 'amachamiento' was observed from 10 DAI, with enlargement of nodes and lesions in inflorescences and, at 30 DAI, stunted plants were detected. At 60 DAI, inoculated plants had lower numbers of pods and exhibited severe symptoms including abortion of flowers and tissue splitting and cortical lesions in a few pods and roots. These observations emphasise the importance of A. besseyi for Brazilian soybean production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: The Brazilian Amazon has the world's largest concentration of indigenous American peoples, but many environmental threats have affected the preservation of this enormous human ethnocultural heritage. This study identified the species and studied the different uses of wood by two indigenous ethnic groups in Southeastern Pará, Brazil, namely the "Gavião" and "Suruí". Ten taxa were identified, distributed in eight botanical families, with five being identified to genus and five to species levels. The wood of Bertholletia excelsa , an endangered forest species in Brazil, is important in the material culture of the Suruí indigenous people. The indigenous ethnic groups studied preferentially use medium density wood for building and high-density wood for hunting and warfare artefacts. The technological properties of wood justify its use by the indigenous peoples studied. We caution that the increasing environmental threats in Indigenous Lands within the Brazilian Amazon harm the preservation of the ethnocultural heritage of indigenous peoples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a summary of the status of child and adolescent rights in Brazil. It describes the evolution of the legislation, particularly after the implementation of the Child and Adolescent Statute (ECA). Analyzed topics include life, identity, health, protection, education, and housing. The violation of child and youth rights is also considered, with an emphasis on child labour, sexual violence, and exploitation. Although much progress has been made in terms of protecting and guaranteeing such rights, Brazil is far from attaining the ideals determined by the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) and the ECA. For this to happen, a culture of respect for child and adolescent rights has to be implemented in Brazil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: The nematode causing the green stem and foliar retention syndrome of soybean, Aphelenchoides besseyi , is a concern to Brazilian growers, especially in warm and humid climates, where losses can reach 60% of the yields. Management options have not yet been studied properly, but apparently genetic variability is found in soybean genotypes in the resistance to this nematode. However, the correct phenotyping of soybean genotypes is compromised by the scarcity of studies of this pathosystem. Therefore, the objective of this study was to evaluate the inoculum densities of A. besseyi and the plant ages at inoculation to obtain the correct phenotyping of soybean genotypes. Experiments were conducted under glasshouse conditions with the soybean 'Elite', using a completely randomised design and a factorial scheme (five nematode population densities: 150, 300, 600, 1200 and 2400 nematodes plant−1, and three plant ages at inoculation: 7, 12 and 17 days after planting). Evaluations were performed 35 days after inoculation, extracting nematodes from soil, roots and shoot parts of plants to obtain the final population of the nematodes of each replicate. The inoculum of 150-300 A. besseyi specimens per plant is the most suitable to assess the reaction of soybean genotypes to this nematode as it resulted in the greatest reproduction factors. Population densities higher than 1500 nematodes per plant could lead to misclassification of the host reaction because of the inconsistent reproduction factors obtained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Rice, one of the most consumed cereal crops worldwide, is commonly grown under flooded conditions, which directly influences the nematode community. Meloidogyne graminicola is the predominant species in rice fields, causing significant damage and requiring integrated management practices. This study aimed to investigate the response of different Poaceae crops, soybean, and common weeds of rice to three biotypes of M. graminicola (G1, G2 and G3) recently detected in Brazil. The highest reproduction factor (RF) for the three nematode populations was detected in the weeds Echinochloa colonum and E. crus-galli , followed by rice and Italian ryegrass. Wheat 'TBio Sonic' and millet 'ADR 500' served as poor hosts to the nematodes, whereas black oat, white oat, signalgrass, millet 'ADR 905', maize, wheat 'TBio Toruk', and soybean acted as non-hosts (RF < 1) in both experiments. Of the three M. graminicola biotypes, G1 was the most aggressive, followed by G3 and G2 (lowest RF values). The findings of the current study can support the selection of crop rotation or succession approaches for the management of different biotypes of M. graminicola in irrigated rice fields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Meloidogyne enterolobii is an emerging pathogen in Brazil, considered highly destructive to tomato. Due to the lack of cultivars resistant to this nematode, the objective of this work was to evaluate the effect of Trichoderma spp. strains on the promotion of tomato growth and biological control of M. enterolobii populations. The use of eight strains from the CENARGEN collection and three formulated products at a concentration of 1.43 × 106 conidia ml−1 significantly increased the fresh weight of roots compared to control plants inoculated only with nematodes. These Trichoderma strains, except CEN316, also promoted a significant increase in the number of nematodes and in the reproduction factor (RF). With the increase of spore concentration (1 × 108 conidia ml−1) in the second assay, the inoculation of nematode or fungi plus nematode promoted an increase in the fresh weight of roots, except in treatments CEN162, CEN287, UFT 201, and CEN287 + nematodes, which maintained the fresh weight of roots equal to the control without nematodes. None of the spore concentrations (1.43 × 106 and 1 × 108 ml−1) of different Trichoderma spp. strains influenced the plant height (45 and 90 days after nematode inoculation) or the dry plant weight 90 and 110 days after nematode inoculation, respectively. However, there was a positive and significant correlation between RF and fresh root weight, eggs (g root)−1 and total eggs, in the two doses. Furthermore, the Trichoderma spp. strains did not result in control of M. enterolobii under glasshouse conditions after a complete life cycle of the tomato plant: high nematode infection was observed in both doses of the fungi, including in treatments with the commercial formulations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article analyses the challenges that Brazil faces in implementing Article 82 of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (LOSC), which imposes a levy with respect to the exploitation of non-living resources on the continental shelf beyond 200 nautical miles. First, it presents the developments made by Brazil with reference to Articles 76 and 82 of the LOSC, which are closely associated. Then, legal opinions and the conclusions of the Working Group (created to discuss the implementation of Article 82 in Brazil) are examined. Lastly, the tender protocol and the draft concession agreement for the ongoing bidding round – which includes blocks on the outer continental shelf – are considered. The article argues that the conclusions of the Working Group and core provisions of the relevant documents may compromise the proper implementation of Article 82 and impact the future relationship between Brazil and the International Seabed Authority. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Policy planning has a long history in the Ministries of Foreign Affairs around the world. This article provides an overview of almost 70 years of this technique in Brazil's Ministry of External Relations (Itamaraty). I will argue that there has been a clear trade-off between predicting, preaching, disrupting and managing. Despite its failures, planning has been an important tool for coping with uncertainty and has provided coherence in foreign policy-making. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Brazil has one of the largest varieties of aquatic ecosystems and rich freshwater biodiversity, but these components have constantly been damaged by the expansion of unsustainable activities. Free-living nematodes are an abundant and ubiquitous component of continental benthic communities, occurring in all freshwater habitats, including extreme environments. Despite this, hardly any studies have examined the generic composition of nematodes in different latitudes and the geographic overlap of assemblages. We provide data on nematode genera from six regions in Brazil, over a north-south gradient spanning about 4000 km, encompassing rivers, coastal lakes, and reservoirs with different levels of human impact. Interpolation/extrapolation curves were generated and the zeta diversity was used to assess the overlap of nematode assemblages. Freshwater nematode assemblages comprised 54 families and 132 genera. Mononchidae, Monhysteridae, Chromadoridae, Tobrilidae and Dorylaimidae were the most diverse families. Differences in diversity and high turnover of genera were found among regions, probably related to stochastic processes. Mononchus was the only widely distributed genus. Our results revealed a high biodiversity of free-living freshwater nematodes among the regions. The limited spatial coverage of the data reveals an enormous knowledge gap in a country with 12% of the world's freshwater resources. The lack of spatial patterns, e.g. , latitudinal variation, suggests that freshwater nematode assemblages are primarily structured by the intrinsic properties of habitats. This reinforces the uniqueness of freshwater ecosystems and suggests that the nematode assemblages may be sensitive to environmental disturbances, since the limited distributions of taxa may lead to lower resilience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The production of illegal charcoal, associated with other local human practices, is responsible for the degradation of native forests, especially in the Brazilian Amazon. The need for market control and charcoal production is accompanied by the lack of comparative charcoal materials from the Amazon. Here, we describe charcoal samples of 21 Brazilian species and provide SEM images that can facilitate the charcoal identification. It is possible to distinguish the species on the basis of anatomy. Features such as vessel groupings, vessel–ray pitting, perforation plates, axial parenchyma, ray cellular composition, storied structure and secretory elements were chosen as primary diagnostic features for the identification of species. We highlight vessel groupings, axial parenchyma type and in some cases even perforation plates, which were easily observed in low magnification SEM images and can assist in the supervision by government agents. From our descriptions, evaluations and photomicrographs, it will be possible to compare charcoal from commercial species from the Amazon. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Traditionalist movement that derives from the French esoteric philosopher René Guénon is known to have been influential in Europe and North America, especially through the activities of religious groups, usually of Sufi origin, and also through the growing impact of the political version of Traditionalism first developed by the Italian esoteric philosopher Julius Evola. This article looks at Traditionalism beyond Europe and North America, taking the important case of Brazil during the 1980s and 1990s, where one of the main Traditionalist Sufi groups, the US-based Maryamiyya, became established, and where two local groups developed, one of which focused exclusively on doctrine, and one of which turned not to Sufism but to T'ai chi and Brazilian indigenous religion. The article also considers a new and important political philosopher, Olavo de Carvalho, who emerged from the Brazilian Traditionalist milieu. Carvalho applied Guénon to political issues rather as Evola had, but unlike Evola combined Traditionalism with Roman Catholicism, a development also found in Argentina during the early twentieth century. During the 2010s, Carvalho's radical rightist philosophy became widely known in Brazil, where his admirers included the president, Jair Bolsonaro. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we look at recent developments in our understanding of the life cycle of the red spiny lobster Panulirus argus (Latreille, 1804) and examine the evidence for connectivity between geographical regions, especially the north-northeast Brazilian continental shelf and the Wider Caribbean. The study also covers aspects of reproduction, phyllosoma density, large-scale oceanic circulation, self-recruitment, settlement patterns, ecological behaviour, and the impact of the Amazon and Orinoco river discharge on recruitment. Our findings support the hypothesis that lobster larvae are transported by ocean currents and free eddies from Brazil to the Caribbean via the Lesser Antilles, outlining a south-to-north connectivity. In addition, we look into the probable existence of hybrids between sympatric lobster species, as evidenced by differences in colour patterns and morphology. Resumo: Neste estudo, examinamos os desenvolvimentos recentes em nossa compreensão do ciclo de vida da lagosta vermelha Panulirus argus (Latreille, 1804) e examinamos as evidências de conectividade entre regiões geográficas, especialmente a plataforma continental norte e nordeste Brasileira e o Caribe mais amplo. O estudo também cobre aspectos de reprodução, densidade do filossoma, circulação oceânica em grande escala, auto-recrutamento, padrões de assentamento, comportamento ecológico e o impacto da descarga dos rios Amazonas e Orinoco no recrutamento. Nossos resultados apoiam a hipótese de que as larvas de lagosta são transportadas por correntes oceânicas e redemoinhos livres do Brasil para o Caribe através das Pequenas Antilhas, delineando uma conectividade sul-norte. Além disso, examinamos a provável existência de híbridos entre espécies de lagostas simpátricas, como evidenciado por diferenças nos padrões de cores e morfologia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Interactions between dryinids and their hosts are poorly known in the Neotropical region, especially for the Brazilian fauna. This study aims to expand this incipient knowledge by describing a new species of Anteon Jurine and four new species of Gonatopus Ljungh reared from parasitized leafhoppers (Cicadellidae) collected in the state of Paraná, Southern Brazil. The new species, A. elianeae sp. nov., G. josei sp. nov. , G. meloi sp. nov. , G. pinhalensis sp. nov. and G. taquarensis sp. nov., are associated with leafhopper species of the subfamilies Iassinae (tribe Gyponini) and Deltocephalinae (tribes Deltocephalini and Pendarini). Both sexes of G. josei sp. nov. and G. taquarensis sp. nov. were associated and males are described, representing the first sexual association based on reared specimens from Brazil. We record for the first time species of Dryinidae parasitizing the leafhoppers species: Curtara concava, Gypona lita and Reticana lineatta (Gyponini), Graminella striatella (Deltocephalini) and Copidinomus vittulatus (Pendarini). All known records in the Neotropic of both Anteon and Gonatupus species associated with host are compiled, all known records of parasitoids of gyponines are reviewed, and the interactions with dryinids are discussed. Each new species is diagnosed and described, and illustrations of both dryinids and parasitized hosts are provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Corotoca is a strictly Neotropical genus of termitophilous beetles associated with termites of genus Constrictotermes. A cladistic analysis based on 13 terminal taxa and 60 characters (57 morphological and three behavioral) was conducted. The exhaustive search with equally weighted characters resulted in two most parsimonious trees with 95 steps. Spirachtha is proposed to be the sister group of the monophyletic "subgroup Corotocae" (Corotoca + Cavifonexus gen. nov.), based on eleven synapomorhphies (ten exclusive and one homoplastic). The monophyly of Corotoca is supported here, including six species associated with Constrictotermes cyphergaster: (Corotoca hitchensi sp. nov + (C. melantho + C. pseudomelantho sp. nov.) + ((C. fontesi + (C. phylo + C. araujoi)). A new genus, Cavifronexus gen. nov. , is proposed to two species associated with Constrictotermes cavifrons (Holmgren, 1910): Cavifronexus guyanae comb. nov. , from Guyana and Brazil, previously described as Corotoca ; and a new species, Cavifronexus papaveroi sp. nov. , from Brazil. This work also includes descriptions, redescriptions, and illustrations for all species and genera. Keys for genera and species identification in "subgroup Corotocae" are also provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Meloidogyne spp. and Pratylenchus spp. are the most damaging plant-parasitic nematodes to sugarcane and the knowledge of soil characteristics that influence the occurrence of these pathogens can be useful in their management. With the objective to investigate the relationships between soil variables and populations of Meloidogyne spp. and Pratylenchus spp. in sugarcane fields, root-zone soil and root samples were collected from 20 farms located in 16 municipalities in Alagoas state, Brazil. The multivariate regression tree technique was used to model the population density's response variables for Meloidogyne spp. and Pratylenchus spp. in the root-zone soil and the roots according to sugarcane cultivars, soil organic matter, and soil chemical and physical variables. The results showed the existence of associations between soil factors, sugarcane cultivars and populations of nematodes. Root samples from soils with K > 37.79 mmolc dm−3, Al < 5.93 mmolc dm−3 and sugarcane 'RB92579', 'SP753046', 'SP813250' and 'SP921631' showed the lowest Pratylenchus spp. population densities. However, the lowest densities in the root-zone were found in soils with sum of bases > 1.91 mmolc dm−3, Ca:Mg ratio < 1:2 and soil organic matter < 10.7 g dm−3. The lowest population densities of Meloidogyne spp. in roots were associated with sugarcane 'RB92579', 'RB93509', 'RB98710', 'SP791011' and 'SP921631' and soil aggregate mean diam. > 0.48 mm, while root-zone densities were minimum in soils with P > 28.59 mg dm−3. This information should support further studies to investigate the effect of each variable on populations of Pratylenchus and Meloidogyne. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

At the beginning of the twenty-first century, Brazil became a crucial player as the principal advocate of South American integration. To Mercado Común del Sur (Mercosur) was added the Union of South American Nations (UNASUR), reaffirming regional policies around the idea of "South America." Today, however, the withdrawal of Brazilian leadership along with the reversals and loss of focus in UNASUR and Mercosur have damaged the credibility of the region's initiatives, as well as finding South America's common voice. Despite this, this article argues that Brazil has not entirely disengaged from the region or abandoned the principle of regionalism. Recognition of Latin America's distinctive history the authors to construct a model that incorporates complexity and disorder in which Brazil's institutional political development will have significant repercussions for the future of the region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The subtribe Cylindromorphoidina Cobos, 1979 , the only representative of tribe Aphanisticini in the Neotropical region, is currently composed of two genera, Eurynodes Théry, 1934 and Cylindromorphoides Kerremans, 1903. The genus Taphroceroides Hespenheide, 2007 , originally proposed in Cylindromorphoidina, is currently placed in Brachyina (tribe Tracheini). A detailed morphological comparison of Taphroceroides species with members of Eurynodes and Cylindromorphoides shows similarities that strongly support their transference back to Cylindromorphoidina. A new morphological definition and classification of Cylindromorphoidina is presented along with the description of new species in the three genera: Eurynodes gemmatus sp. nov. , E. capillatus sp. nov. , Cylindromorphoides ferrugifrons sp. nov. , Taphroceroides brunneus sp. nov. , and T. brasiliensis sp. nov. Photographs and comments on the type series of previously described species are provided. New biological data and possible association of Cylindromorphoidina species with Bromeliaceae are reported. Finally, a distribution map is provided for all species of Cylindromorphoidina. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Paracanthon Balthasar 1938 includes four nominal species of dung beetles occurring in the Atlantic Forest of northeastern, southeastern and southern Brazil, and Misiones, Argentina. Here we describe twelve new species of Paracanthon : P. arnaudi sp. n. , P. belloi sp. n. , P felipei sp. n. , P genieri sp. n. , P. grossiorum sp. n. , P. laevinotus sp. n. , P. lopesandradei sp. n. , P. marinezae sp. n. , P. millerorum sp. n. , P.monteiroorum sp. n. , P. muriloi sp. n. , P. ocellatopunctatus sp. n. We propose P. pereirai d'Andretta & Martínez 1957 as a new junior subjective synonym of P. rosinae Balthasar 1942. In addition, we present new data on the morphology of the hindwings and male genitalia, and an identification key to the species of the genus. Paracanthon is restricted to the Atlantic domain, and we briefly discuss the possible processes that might have led to the diversification of the putative lineages recognized here. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Brazilian Amazon is vastly deforested by unsustainable practices. Several species of trees are threatened by extinction and their exact number is hard to quantify. Federal laws prohibit the harvest of endangered forest species. It is a vast challenge to control the illegal trade of wood and especially charcoal in Brazil. The goal of this work is to contribute to an identification database. It presents the anatomy of wood and charcoal of Bertholletia excelsa , Hevea brasiliensis and Swietenia macrophylla. Structural modifications due to carbonization were also studied. One Eucalyptus sp. hybrid was analysed as a comparison with native species. Anatomical features were well preserved in charcoals. Quantitative modifications, such as mass loss, increase of vessel and ray density, and reduction of vessel diameter and ray height, were seen in all species. The native species were easily distinguished from eucalypt in both wood and charcoal, and this study will allow easily sorting these species in cases of illegal trading. Since Amazon conservancy is highly dependent on the knowledge of native species, our results contribute to avoid illegal charcoal trade. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Crustaceana is the property of Brill Academic Publishers and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

A new taxon of Hermanellonota or subtribe Hermanellina (Ephemeroptera: Leptophlebiidae: Atalophlebiinae) was found from Northern Brazil, in the limits of Pacaraima in Brazil and Santa Helena de Uairén in Venezuela. While nymphs of this taxon are similar to those of the genus Farrodes , the adults could not be assigned to any of the genera included in the group. In order to clarify the systematic relationship of this taxon and to provide a reliable hypothesis concerning its generic placement, we analyzed it using an available matrix from the literature and performed a new cladistic analysis. As a result we describe Rondophlebia rubra gen. nov. et sp. nov. sister to the Perissophlebiodes complex + Hermanella complex. Our analyses also shed new insights on the systematics of Hermanellonota. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Crustaceana is the property of Brill Academic Publishers and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Nine new species of the collembolan genus Salina MacGillivray from South America are described and illustrated. Two Neotropical species were recorded for the first time from Brazil: S. dedori s Mari-Mutt and S. tristani Denis. Salina was previously known to occur in three Brazilian states, and this is now updated to include 19 states with 12 recorded species. A new proposal of morphological character description and illustration, and an identification key for the celebensis group are provided. A hypothesis for the phylogenetic relationships among 34 species of Salina (about 50% of the 72 described species) allowed three main pursuits: (a) a reevaluation of Salina species groups; (b) the first explicit interpretation of how morphological characters of these springtails may have changed during the course of the diversification of the taxon; and (c) an evaluation of the historical biogeographic connections of Salina , with an emphasis on the celebensis group distribution to the New World. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Herein we describe two new species of Brazilian springtails, both from Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil. Brachystomella nordestina sp.n. resembles other Neotropical congeners with 8+8 eyes, postantennal organ with four lobes and 19/19/18 chaetae on tibiotarsi I–III, but it is unique in the combination of trilobed apical bulb, 2+2 dorsal chaetae on thorax I, male's genital plate with 4+4 modified eugenital chaetae and 2+2 hr chaetae on lateral anal valves. Seira (Lepidocyrtinus) dapeste sp.n. is similar to other Neotropical species of Lepidocyrtinus Börner, 1903 in long antennae, mesonotum projected over head and presence of modified blunt macrochaetae on dorsal furca, but differs in the combination of dorsal head chaetotaxy, 14–19 a macrochaetae on thorax II, 7–9 central macrochaetae on thorax III and 4 central macrochaetae on abdomen II. We also present a detailed comparison and an updated key of the Neotropical species of Brachystomella Ågren, 1903. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Root-knot nematodes, Meloidogyne spp., cause great losses to coffee crops in Brazil and worldwide. However, little is known about the physiological changes that these pathogens induce in coffee plants. The present work aimed to compare the physiological variables of coffee seedlings (Coffea arabica 'Catuaí Vermelho IAC 144') infected with Meloidogyne paranaensis or M. exigua with healthy coffee plants. Nematode-infected plants showed reductions in height and starch content in roots compared to healthy plants. In addition, the infected plants had a reduction in transpiration, stomatal conductance and CO2 concentration. However, only the coffee seedlings infected with M. paranaensis showed reduction in the rate of photosynthesis. Nematode-infected plants had lower leaf contents of P, K, Mn and Fe when compared to healthy plants. However, only coffee seedlings parasitised by M. paranaensis exhibited lower levels of Ca in the leaves. Therefore, M. paranaensis and M. exigua , with emphasis on M. paranaensis , alter the normal coffee seedling physiology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most plant species in the Atlantic Forest invest in zoochory as a dispersal mechanism and many depend on vertebrates to fulfill that role. The sizes of fruits and seeds are limiting factors in interactions between vertebrates and plant species. For example, plants that produce fruits with large seeds are more dependent on large frugivorous vertebrates for dispersal. We used camera traps to observe the interactions between frugivorous vertebrates and two large seed-producing plants of the genus Spondias in the Tableland of the Atlantic Forest of Espírito Santo, Brazil. Between 2015 and 2016 (622 camera days), we recorded 17 species of frugivorous vertebrates potentially ingesting fruit at the studied sites. Among the species recorded, only the lowland tapir (Tapirus terrestris) was observed interacting directly with S. venulosa and S. macrocarpa. Our analysis indicates that the type of interaction depends on the body size of the vertebrate species, meaning that direct interaction with fruits of Spondias is commonly performed by medium and large vertebrates, such as spotted pacas, agoutis, and tapirs. Our study highlights the importance of these vertebrates in the forest remnants of the Atlantic Forest Tableland, such as the Linhares-Sooretama forest complex, for conservation and regeneration of plant communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The explosion in bilateral investment treaties (BITs) signed between countries in the 1990s and the concurrent surge in foreign direct investment (FDI) flows draw substantial attention in the literature. This article tackles the controversial relationship between BITs and FDI inflows using an innovative technique: the synthetic control method. Brazil is a peculiar case because it is one of the few cases where FDI inflows had a significant surge even in the complete absence of BITs. Did foreign investors really not need BITs in order to invest in Brazil? I find evidence that, although Brazil received substantial amounts of FDI even in the absence of BITs, had they enacted any BIT, the inflow in the period would have been greater. The method builds a synthetic Brazil from a pool of other countries providing this way a better comparative analysis. The findings are robust to both in-space and in-time placebo experiments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses about the dispute involving EU and Japan as complainants and Brazil as respondent. It is regarding the taxation and charges imposed by Brazil under programmes offering exemptions, reductions or suspension of federal taxes in the electronics and technology industry, automotive sector and tax advances for exporters.

Resulting from cross-breeding a horse and a donkey, the mule influenced southeast Brazil's economic development perhaps more so than any other domesticated animal; the mule served as the key transport vehicle during both Brazil's 18th century gold era and 19th century coffee era. In enabling mining and agriculture products to traverse mountainous terrain to reach port cities near São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, the mule played a central role in the region's economic and ecological history. Although the mule has not been southeast Brazil's primary transport method since the train's arrival in the 1870s, rural and urban dwellers still employ the mule over short distances near two protected landmasses despite declining generational interest and use. More recently, with increasing leisure use as a companion animal, the mule stimulates tourism and local economic patterns via large gatherings while serving as a cultural symbol of Brazil's patrimony. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

On a variety of levels, parasites are profoundly important. Somewhat surprisingly therefore, parasites infecting reptiles are often very poorly known, particularly relative to those from mammals and birds. Haemogregarines, apicomplexan intracellular parasites, are some of the most common in reptiles. Recently Calil et al. (2019) presented a molecular assessment of these parasites from snakes from Brazil, including sequences considered to be from a region of the Apicoplast. Unfortunately, close examination of these sequences indicates they are probably all contaminants. This highlights the need for careful consideration of sequences from poorly known groups and the value in publishing negative results – where for example primers do not amplify the expected genes. Such information can still be valuable in ensuring other researchers do not spend time only to reach the same, negative, conclusions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]