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While the work of waste pickers advances urban sustainability, there has been little focus on how climate change impacts affect them. This paper reports on a pilot study with 61 waste pickers in Minas Gerais, Brazil to understand their perspectives on climate change impacts and actions. It explores how waste pickers experience climate change impacts at home and at work, their adaptive strategies and the specific actions and actors needed to address these impacts. Waste pickers have practical knowledge and experience of climate events. But due to precarious employment and lack of access to services, infrastructure and social support, their responses are improvised and inefficient. They require better institutional support and their proposals must be incorporated into a negotiated approach to urban resilience. Proposals such as the climate bonus – similar to the existing recycling bonus – may help address the structural drivers of vulnerability for waste pickers in Minas Gerais. [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]

Copyright of Geosul is the property of Geosul 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.)

This paper presents an analysis of surface water quality of the sub-basin of the Vargem das Flores reservoir, which is used for public water supply to the metropolitan station of Belo Horizonte (RMBH), Minas Gerais. A total of 5415 data items and eight water quality parameters, common to all monitoring stations, from the period 2002 to 2018 were assessed using multivariate and nonparametric statistical tests. The water quality parameters that were assessed included color, biological oxygen demand (BOD), total phosphorus, total manganese, dissolved oxygen (DO), total suspended solids, and turbidity showed violations of the maximum concentrations allowed in most of the tributaries to the reservoir. Despite this, the stations inside the reservoir appeared to have good quality water, particularly at Station 1, whose water is designated for human consumption. The results of a cluster analysis showed that the water quality of the sub-basin of the Vargem das Flores reservoir is in a condition of environmental degradation relative to the water quality of the water courses that feed the reservoir. The intense and disorderly development in the sub-basin and the discharge of untreated or poorly treated wastewater effluents are factors that can lead to sediment supply and cause the silting and contamination of the water. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This paper investigates the incentives to coffee farmers to participate in certification schemes that require improved agricultural practices. Design/methodology/approach: The authors ran a choice experiment among 250 Brazilian coffee farmers in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil. Findings: The authors' findings show that both cash and non-cash payments are likely to incentive farmers' participation in a certification scheme. Besides price premium, incentives as long-term contracts and provision of technical would encourage producers to adopt eco-certification schemes. Our results also suggest that non-cash payments may be appropriate substitutes to a price premium to some extent. Research limitations/implications: The large coffee producers are over-represented in our sample compared to the population of Brazilian coffee farms. However, it seems reasonable to focus on these producers, as they are usually the ones who individually adopt strategies, since small farmers are induced by collective strategies (e.g. cooperatives). Social implications: The result regarding technical assistance makes sense given that Brazilian farmers generally have poor access to rural extension services. Originality/value: We contributed in the literature about adoption of sustainable agriculture practices analyzing the requirements and motivations for farmer participation in certification schemes. We also contribute private and public strategies to encourage the adoption of sustainable practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revista do Serviço Público (Civil Service Review) is the property of Revista do Servico Publico 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.)

The mining sector, over a number of centuries, has become a strong cultural attribute of Minas Gerais. Due to its mining reserves, the state has the biggest concentration of tailings dams built to retain mining waste. This led to large-scale accidents in the last decade -- in Mariana (in October 2015) and in Brumadinho (in January 2019). These accidents have shifted the debate about mining in the region, and more widely changed the leading forces among society, bringing a new equilibrium to social relationships. The objective of this paper, as part of a monitoring effort, is to assess the impacts of these accidents on crime and violence as a new face of extractivism. The results can be used to design better responses in terms of welfare programs or compensation efforts, leading to a better and more responsible extractivism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of SHILAP Revista de Lepidopterologia is the property of Sociedad Hispano-Luso-Americana de Lepidopterologia 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.)

Copyright of Sustainability in Debate / Sustentabilidade em Debate is the property of University of Brasilia, Center for Sustainable Development 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.)

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to analyze the changes of the characteristics of the study area caused by human influence and the reduction of flow rates with time, in Água Limpa stream basin, Jequitinhonha Valley of Minas Gerais, Brazil. Design/methodology/approach – The study area is a typical arid zone in the northeast of Minas Gerais, Brazil. Field observations, collection and analyses of precipitation, evaporation, temperature and flow rate data were the main approaches used in this study. The data cover the last 50 years, including aerial photographs and satellite images of different dates. The stream flow rate has decreased in the region of the Jequitinhonha valley in the last decades, in particular during draught periods (base flows), with serious social-economic and environmental consequences. The increase in stream intermittence is responsible for rural exodus to other parts of the country, mainly to São Paulo state. The study presented provides decision makers with important information that can assist them in making objective decisions relational this problem. Findings – The research shows that the forest cover has declined, the agricultural and pasture cover have decreased and the deforestation areas have grown. These changes resulted in a spatially diverse landscape with implications in the flow rate, and consequently, in the social-economic condition of the region considering the high rate of emigration. Practical implications – The expected results of this study will be of great importance, because the clarification of the factors addressed in this project will allow progress in the understanding of the reduction of flow rates. This reduction has been occurring in the Jequitinhonha Valley and also in almost all Brazilian rivers. Originality/value – This paper is original and reports the main causes for decreasing of the stream flow rate in the region of the Jequitinhonha valley in Brazil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper articulates the concepts of political culture, schooling and slavery in order to comprehend the process of instituting modern schools in Brazil, during the period immediately after Independence in 1822. With a view to this, it takes as its starting point the strategies and proposals of different groups disputing the direction of the nation-building movement, and the importance they attached to instruction amidst this process. Analysis focuses on the province of Minas Gerais, a region in which issues related to education received particular attention. A fundamental characteristic of this region was the hegemonic presence of blacks in its demographic structure, a large proportion of whom were slaves. The paper thus seeks to relate the profile of the population to the educational proposals which circulated in debates on the process of organising and structuring the province. Various documentary sources were used in the analysis, especially projects proposed by politicians, minutes and reports of the Provincial Presidents, newspapers and provincial censuses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose The aim of this paper is to describe the arena in which managers of small size Brazilian municipalities make decisions as constrained by stakeholder influence. Design/methodology/approach - Four case studies were carried out with municipalities in the State of Minas Gerais, Brazil. The investigation was carried out using grounded theory. Data were gathered through in-depth interviews with managers and with the main stakeholders. Data were analysed using content analysis, supported by QSR N6 software. Findings - The contribution of this paper to theory is based on a description of the arena in which Brazilian municipal districts make decisions. In so doing, it endeavours to model this arena as comprised of five clusters of stakeholder concerns: limitation, collaboration, orientation, legitimacy, and inspection. The paper raises some issues that are helpful in explaining the relationship between stakeholder influences and public organisations. In other words, it helps to al el stakeholder influences and to make stakeholder influence more manageable by public organisations at the local government level. In practical terms, the paper concludes that the number of stakeholders is less important than the sort of influence they are supposed to exert upon organisations. Research limitations/implications - The limitations of this investigation relate to the features of the case study methods employed. The results show the particular situation of the State of Minas Gerais (at the southeast of Brazil) and represent the situation of small municipalities. Originality/value - There has been very little prior analysis of stakeholder influence focusing on local government. This investigation is the first with a specific focus on identifying the arena in which Brazilian municipalities make decisions and the relationship of those municipalities with stakeholders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Upper Velhas River Basin, in the mining region of the Iron Quadrangle, is one of the most polluted basins in Minas Gerais, Brazil. The region has been exploited for gold and iron, among other substances of interest. In addition to abandoned mines, active works and mineralized rocks contribute to the discharge of contaminated waters into the rivers and streams. Thus, high-density geochemical mapping with the determination of reference values has become very important, as it allows the spatial distribution of contaminant elements to be obtained, contributing to the recognition of areas with deviant values in the basin. Two hundred and eight sediment samples were collected from streams throughout the Velhas River Basin, with a density of one sample per 15 km2. Geochemical maps were compiled using the distance-weighted inverse interpolation method, and concentrations were distinguished from anomalies using the box plot Upper Inner Fence technique. It was found that 73–78% of the basin area does not present geogenic and anthropic anomalies, with values up to the third quartile for As, Cd, Cr, Ni, Cu, Pb, and Zn. However, anomalies related to human actions, mainly mining works and rock types, occupy 2 to 11% of the area. This first high-density mapping in the Upper Velhas River Basin found numerous streams with concentrations of the elements studied above the Probable Effect Level, allowing us to determine which locations, cities, and river sub-basins are exposed to environmental risks and should be monitored and protected. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Yellow fever is an acute, frequently fatal, febrile arbovirosis that in Brazil occurs only in the sylvatic form. Sylvatic yellow fever (SYF) appears in sporadic outbreaks over a large area of Brazil. In this paper, we analyze the demographic profile of 831 SYF cases that occurred between 1973 and 2008, to determine which segments of the exposed population are at greater risk. Methods Data were statistically analyzed and were also geo-referenced in order to observe their spatial pattern. The basic reproductive number of infections, R0, was estimated by the ratio between average life expectancy and the average age of the cases. Results SYF cases showed a modal profile of young male adults, approximately 30 years of age, living in rural areas of the states of Pará, Goiás, Maranhão and Minas Gerais, who were unvaccinated or whose vaccination was out of date. The disease showed a high mortality rate (51%, 421/831) among the notified cases, with death occurring on around the seventh day of illness for most patients. The R0 for SYF was estimated at approximately 2.4. Conclusion The results of this study suggest that lack of vaccination coverage is a major risk factor for SYF, and that the groups most at risk are migrant laborers, farm workers and tourists. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

In this article, I draw on the specific case studies of the Xakriabá people and the Judicial District of Manga, and the Maxakali people and the Judicial District of Águas Formosas, both located in the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais. I examine how criminal justice officials apply dominant concepts of indigeneity in these regional contexts, showing how they arbitrarily construct and deploy the category of Indigenous person based on essentialist assumptions of indigeneity that ignore Indigenous peoples' self-identification as such. This adds to scholarship on how indigeneity is institutionally conceived and applied within the justice system in ways that contrast with Indigenous notions of it and aim to deny Indigenous persons recognition in legal processes. By providing specific accounts of how Indigenous defendants are treated in the justice system and experience loss of rights, I consider the professional practices of state officials within the broader framework of Brazilian indigenist policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A systematic monograph of the Trembleya s.s. clade is presented, a Brazilian endemic lineage of Melastomataceae comprising 11 species and currently recognised as part of Microlicia s.l. (Melastomataceae). First, we investigate phylogenetic relationships within Lavoisiereae using two nuclear markers and two sampling datasets (102 and 134 terminals). Then, we provide a systematic revision and new circumscription of the Trembleya s.s. clade, including line drawings, photos of living specimens, leaves and floral parts, distribution maps, a key to the 11 accepted species, comments on morphology, reproductive biology, richness, endemism, biogeography and recommended conservation assessments. A nomenclatural update of all taxa previously treated in Trembleya is also provided, including the designation of 45 lectotypes and the proposal of 38 new synonyms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Standardized treatment regimens for chronic hepatitis B (CHB) are crucial in suppressing viral replication, disease progression and the development of complications. However, information on routine compliance with such therapeutic recommendations in medical practice is rare. Aim: To evaluate the application of Brazilian therapeutic guidelines for CHB within the scope of the Unified Health System in Minas Gerais state. Four key recommendations from the national guidelines were compared with data from treated patients: (i) eligibility to start treatment; (ii) type of treatment applied; (iii) rescue antiviral therapy; and (iv) monitoring of virological response. Most physicians (69.8%) declared to adopt these guidelines, while 10 of them were unaware. However, according to the criteria established by the guidelines, only 39.5% of treated patients should have been considered "truly" eligible to start treatment and only 67.6% of these underwent the recommended pharmacological treatment. The virological response was laboratory monitored in just over a third of patients. Rescue therapy was adequately supplanted in 41.2% of patients previously treated with lamivudine. There was low compliance with national guidelines by public service physicians in Brazil, highlighting the need to raise awareness of the importance of its adherence to expand the control of CHB. Thus, increasing the adherence of health professionals to this tool is a current challenge for health institutions and managers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The properties and components of the peat allow peatlands to function as water reservoirs which participate in the hydrological cycle by modulating water discharge. In particular, mountain peatlands from Serra do Espinhaço Meridional (Minas Gerais State, Brazil) provide water of good quality for the nearby cities and also serve as habitats for wildlife and flora, with unique endemic species. In this paper, we present the characterization of four mountain mires (Pau de Fruta, São João da Chapada, Pinheiros and Sempre Viva) based on morphological, physical, chemical, and elemental properties analyzed in five selected peat cores (PdF-I, PdF-II, SJC, PI and SV). Radiocarbon dating indicates that they started to form during the late Pleistocene. Principal components analysis was applied to synthesize their main peat properties and underlying processes. The first principal component, PC1, is related to the relative content in inorganic versus organic matter of the peat, most probably related to the evolution of the soils of the mires' catchments (i.e. soil erosion); PC2 seems to be related to the incorporation of inorganic material by deposition of dust from regional sources; PC3 reflects the content and preservation of plant remains; and PC4 indicates the degree of peat decomposition. Our results suggest that mountain tropical mires from Serra do Espinhaço Meridional are complex peatland ecosytems, with a large potential for the reconstruction of environmental changes (i.e. climate change) occurred since the late Pleistocene, and that they should be fully protected. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report on the occurrence of pillow lava in the upper part of the banded‐iron‐formation (BIF) sequence of the Quadrilátero Ferrífero, famous for hosting world‐class iron‐ore deposits in Minas Gerais, Brazil. A pillow‐lava domain is found as an outlier within the BIF sequence, known as the Itabira iron formation or the Itabira Group. The pillow lava occurs as lateritized, indurated crusts in a sequence of ochreous itabirite, the weathered expression of dolomitic itabirite, a metamorphosed BIF rock containing dolomite. About 90 zircon grains, extracted from two samples of lateritized pillow lava, an indurated pillow rim and a friable pillow core, yielded Archaean to Palaeoproterozoic ages between 3.37 and 2.14 Ga, with age clusters at 2.98, 2.72, 2.25, and 2.14 Ga, and minor clusters at 3.37, 3.26, 3.16, and 2.82 Ga. The youngest grains, all exhibiting perfectly euhedral crystals, defined a Concordia age at 2,141 ± 6 Ma, interpreted as the age of subaqueous volcanism. This young zircon age and the perfectly euhedral zircon crystals suggest that the pillow‐lava domain represents an outlier of Palaeoproterozoic volcanic rocks, which covered the unconformity between the Itabira Group and the overlying Piracicaba Group. The finding of pillow lava lends support to previous, but usually ignored works, which described metavolcanic rocks in spatial association with the Itabira Group, and provides evidence for subaqueous volcanism that challenges the prevailing view of a stable‐shelf or passive‐margin setting for the geological evolution of the Minas Supergroup. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This paper looks at prospective in Brazil for the past 30years. The prospective approach and methods, with their myriad tools, were adopted by Brazilian governmental bodies and companies in a process of progressive maturation of concepts and models. They brought about major changes for the country and for the companies and governmental bodies in which they were adopted. The following examples stem from the application of the prospective process, with the participation of employees and the population. We chose to highlight results applicable to practical life and visible today: 1) the opening up of the Brazilian economy (BNDES, 1984–90); 2) the anticipation of the global warming issue (ELETRONORTE, 1987–1998); 3) the preparation of a monopolistic oil and gas company to work in a competitive environment (PETROBRAS, 1989–2010); 4) the creation of a highly successful strategic state plan (Minas Gerais state, 2002–2010, and 5) the drafting of a strategic municipal plan (Belo Horizonte Municipal Government, 2009). [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Objectives. To evaluate the geographic distribution of human T-lymphotropic virus types 1 and 2 (HTLV-1/2) in the State of Minas Gerais, Brazil, in puerperal women whose newborns were tested for HTLV-1/2 during neonatal screening, and to overlap seropositivity with social and economic status determinants. Methods. During September-November 2007, the dry-blood samples taken from newborns on filter paper for routine screening were also tested for maternal IgG anti-HTLV-1/2 antibodies. For reactive samples, the mothers of the newborns had blood drawn to test for these viruses. Results. The study analyzed 55 293 specimens taken from newborns. Of these, 52 (9.4 per 10 000) were reactive and 42 mothers (7.6 per 10 000) were confirmed with HTLV-1/2 infection. HTLV-1/2 geographic distribution was heterogeneous, with a tendency to be higher in the North and North-East parts of Minas Gerais. The highest rates of seropositivity were observed in Vale do Mucuri (55.9 per 10 000) and in Jequitinhonha (16.0 per 10 000), overlapping with the State's worst social and economic indicators. Conclusions. To our knowledge this was the first time that neonatal screening for HTLV-1/2 was performed in Brazil. This model could be used in other areas with high HTLV-1/2 prevalence rates. The detection of carrier mothers can enable intervention measures, such as providing infant formula to newborns, to be implemented expeditiously to reduce vertical transmission. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Adamantina and Marilia formations are considered to be the richest vertebrate-bearing units in the Bauru Group, Upper Cretaceous, Brazil. In contrast, the fossil content from the Uberaba Formation, which only outcrops in Minas Gerais State, is scarce and poorly understood. In this essay the first taxonomically informative titanosaur remains unearthed from this unit are reported. They comprise anterior caudal vertebrae from two different individuals corresponding to a probably basal titanosaur (CPP-360) and a derived titanosaur (CPP-217). Although these remains can be clearly distinguished from other titanosaurs on the basis of their unique association of characteristics like the presence of mildly procoelous centra, lateral pits in the anterior caudal vertebrae, and prezygapophyses with a dorsal protuberance in anterior caudals in CPP-360 and the presence of strongly developed prespinal, spinopostzygapophyseal and centropostzygapophyseal laminae in CPP-217, more complete materials are needed to propose them new names. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The Neoproterozoic Vazante Group at the western border of the São Francisco Craton, Brazil, hosts the largest Zn–Pb district in South America. Several authors have classified this mineral district as Mississippi Valley-type (MVT), based on the intimate association with carbonates and the epigenetic character of most ore bodies. In this paper, we present 47 new lead isotope data from four deposits located along the 300 km N–S Vazante–Paracatu–Unai linear trend. Pb isotope ratios indicate sources with relatively high U/Pb and Th/Pb ratios. Considering the 206Pb/204Pb and 208Pb/204Pb ratios as indicative parameters for the source, we suggest an upper crustal source for the metals. The small variation on the Pb isotope ratios compared to those observed in the classical MVT deposits, and other geological, fluid inclusion and sulphur isotopic data indicates a metallogenic event of long duration. It was characterized by focused circulation of hydrothermal fluids carrying metals from the basement rocks and from the sedimentary pile. The data obtained are more compatible with an evolution model similar to that of IRISH-type deposits. The existence of three Pb isotopic populations could be the result of regional differences in composition of the source rocks and in the fluid–rock interaction since the mineralization is a long-term process. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Copyright of Imago Mundi is the property of Routledge 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.)

Here we describe a new species of Passiflora subg. Passiflora (Passifloraceae sensu stricto) found in the Brazilian Atlantic rainforest in areas of campos rupestres of the João Pinto formation in Minas Gerais and on granitic inselbergs of Espírito Santo. The new species, named Passiflora ita, is described, illustrated, compared to similar species and its conservation status is preliminarily assessed as Endangered (EN) following IUCN Red List categories and criteria, reinforcing the importance of the areas where it occurs (which are not national or state-level parks) as priorities for conservation. Citation: Mezzonato-Pires A. C., Ribeiro R. da S. & Gonella P. M. 2021: Maracujá on the rocks: a new Passiflora species (Passifloraceae sensu stricto) from the rupicolous ecosystems of the Brazilian Atlantic rainforest. – Willdenowia 51: 371–381.https://doi.org/10.3372/wi.51.51305 Version of record first published online on 14 December 2021 ahead of inclusion in December 2021 issue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives The study aim was to identify key factors associated with the health-related quality of life (HRQOL) of patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) treated with neutral protamine Hagedorn (NPH) insulin or human insulin analog glargine (IGLA). Methods We conducted two cross-sectional studies in Minas Gerais State, Brazil. One with 401 patients treated with IGLA, and the other with 179 T1DM patients treated with NPH. HRQOL was measured by Euroqol (EQ-5D-3L). Key findings Most participants were male (51%), aged between 18 and 40 years (47%), non-black (58%) and from the highest economic strata (A1-B2) (74%). Participants perceived their health as good/very good (51%), had one to three medical consultations in the previous year (51%), were not hospitalized in the previous year (74%), did not report angina (96%), diabetic neuropathy (90%), hearing loss (94%) or kidney disease (89%). Non-severe hypoglycaemia episodes in the last 30 days were reported by 17% of participants.Conclusions Higher HRQOL was associated with younger age (18–40 years), good/very good health self-perception, having had up to three medical consultations in the last year, not being hospitalized in the last year, having none to three comorbidities, not reporting angina, diabetic neuropathy, hearing loss or kidney disease and having had episodes of non-severe hypoglycaemia. In addition, the findings of our study demonstrated inequalities in access to treatment, which will be the subject of future research projects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The goal of this study is to perform a comparative analysis of agroecological and conventional small coffee farms. We investigated 15 coffee farms in the East region of Minas Gerais, a Brazilian rural region, based on coffee production using a multicriteria analysis with economic, social and environmental factors. The results suggest that agroecological farms perform better than conventional farms in terms of sustainability, reduce labor intensity and improve income stability and the environmental impact, such as agro-biodiversity and forest cover. In particular, the results reveal that agroecological farms, though they have lower levels of coffee productivity than conventional farms, perform better in terms of income stabilization. This result depends on product diversification (such as agri-food products, vegetables or fruits) for local markets, which reduces farmer risks associated with coffee price volatility, improving both the local economy and local food security. Moreover, agroecological farms rely more on labor than capital. Overall, the results of this study reveal that agroecological systems support the socio-economic sustainability of the rural areas under study and suggest the potential of agroecology to boost sustainable development in the East Region of Minas Gerais. In short, the spread of agroecological systems could improve local employment conditions, reducing migration toward large cities and shanty towns in other parts of Brazil. Hence, agroecology systems can represent the main alternative to conventional production systems to improve the well-being and wealth of rural populations in developing countries. The analysis presented in this study is based on a specific case study, but the rural area under study has many similarities with other areas in Latin America regarding all aspects of economic, social and environmental sustainability. Finally, some agricultural policy implications are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sediments geochemical data from Araxá city, Minas Gerais State, Brazil, have provided new insights on the pollutants inputs in different drainage systems of Araxá city, Minas Gerais State, Brazil. The sediments profiles (6) provided from a lake (Grand Hotel) and streams (Sal, Areia, Fundo, and Feio). The local municipality uses some waters (Areia, Fundo, and Feio streams) in water-supply systems. Because of the Brazilian environmental agency does not establish concentration guidelines for several heavy metals occurring in freshwater sediments, the values reported in this paper were compared with limits proposed elsewhere. Enrichment Factor (EF) values of 20–40 (very high enrichment) and EF > 40 (extremely high enrichment) were found for Ba (in two sediment core), Nb (in three sediment core) and Se (in four sediment core). The 210Pb chronological method was useful for tracking some major events that occurred in the history of Araxá city, showing concentration peaks around 1962 and 1993 for BaO, Nb 2 O 5 , Fe 2 O 3 , P 2 O 5 , SO 3 , SrO and CeO 2 and around 1972 and 1999 for SeO 2. • Application of the 210Pb chronological CRS model at drainages from Araxá city, Brazil. • Cr, Zn, Cu and Pb levels in the sediments above of the PEL standards for freshwater; -Ba concentration in sediment cores exceeding the limiting value of 750 μg/g for agricultural land use. •Enrichment Factor (EF) values suggesting extremely high enrichment for Ba, Nb and Se. •Historical fluxes of BaO, Nb 2 O 5 , Fe 2 O 3 , P 2 O 5 , SO 3 , SrO and CeO 2 showed concentration peaks around 1962 and 1993, coinciding with important events that occurred at Barreiro area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of the creation of protected areas (PAs) to avoid deforestation using Matching methods, focusing on the north of the Minas Gerais state, Brazil. Using GIS (Geographic Information System) techniques, we randomly distributed several 3 ha plots across the study region. The deforestation rates in plots inside and outside PAs were compared using Matching analysis. Our results indicate that the PAs created in the north of Minas Gerais in the 1990s were effective in reducing deforestation, though avoided deforestation rates have been relatively low (1.62% from 1996 to 2009). Geographical location was a key factor for PAs effectiveness and plots inside PAs in flat regions or close to large cities and roads had a greater impact on avoided deforestation. The results of this study corroborate a global trend of establishment of PAs in remote areas under low deforestation pressure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The genus Franciscobasis Machado & Bedê, 2016 is endemic to the Serra da Canastra National Park in Minas Gerais state, Brazil. Two species of Franciscobasis were described simultaneously with the genus description: F. franciscoi and F. sonia, the latter described only from females. Through morphological and molecular analysis, we investigated if F. sonia may represent the young female of F. franciscoi. Resulting data did not present adequate differences between females to characterize them as different species. Therefore, we suggest that F. sonia is a junior synonym of F. franciscoi, and the female of F. franciscoi goes through a complex ontogenetic color change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to establish effective conservation strategy, drivers of local and regional patterns of biodiversity need to be understood. The composition of local biodiversity is dependent on a number of factors including evolution and redistribution of lineages through dispersal and environmental heterogeneity. Brazilian canga is characterised by a ferrugineous substrate, found both in the Iron Quadrangle of Minas Gerais and in the Carajás mountains in Amazonia. Canga is one of several specialised habitat types comprising Brazilian campo rupestre, a montane vegetation found within or adjacent to several major Brazilian bioregions, including the Atlantic Forest and Amazonia, with exceptionally high levels of diversity and endemism arising from both history of dispersal and environmental variation. In order to inform biodiversity conservation for canga, and more broadly for campo rupestre, we performed floristic and phylogenetic analyses investigating affinities between 28 sites on different substrates (canga and quartzite) and geographic locations (Carajás, Pará [Amazonia]; Cadeia do Espinhaço, Minas Gerais; Chapada Diamantina, Bahia). Through analysis of 11204 occurrences of 4705 species of angiosperms, we found that Amazonian Carajás canga plant communities formed a cohesive group, distinct from species assemblages found in Eastern Brazil (Minas Gerais, Bahia), either on canga or quartzite. The phylogenetic megatree of species across all sites investigated shows associations between certain clades and Amazonian canga, with few shared species between the Amazonian Carajás and Eastern Brazil sites, while the floristic comparison shows high levels of heterogeneity between sites. The need for reserves for Amazonian Carajás canga has been recognized and addressed by the creation of a national park. However, current sampling does not provide sufficient reassurance that the canga areas now benefitting from full legal protection adequately represent the regional canga flora. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hypostomus subcarinatus Castelnau, 1855 is rediscovered in the Lagoa da Pampulha, an urban lake in the Rio das Velhas basin (Rio São Francisco system) in the state of Minas Gerais, southeastern Brazil. Herein, H. subcarinatus is redescribed and diagnosed from its congeners based on characters such as blue-tan dorsal fin in live specimens, slender bicuspid teeth, dentaries angled more than 90 degrees, moderate keels along lateral series of plates, small roundish dark spots, one plate bordering supraoccipital, by having nuptial odontodes mainly on pectoral, dorsal and caudal-fin rays, and long anal-fin unbranched ray. The rediscovery of H. subcarinatus more than 160 years after its original description was an unexpected event, because the Lagoa da Pampulha is an artificial, silted and polluted urban lake. The lake is located in downtown Belo Horizonte, the third largest urban agglomeration in Brazil with a population exceeding 5.9 million inhabitants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two new genera of cavernicolous Hydrometridae are described from limestone caves in northeastern Brazil: Spelaeometra n. gen., with type species S. gruta n. sp., from the Lapa D'Água do Zezé, Lapa do Nestor, Lapa do Saco Velho, and Lapa do Caboclo caves in Minas Gerais state; and Cephalometra n. gen., with type species C. pallida n. sp., from the Natividade cave in Tocantins state. Both new taxa are flightless, possess reduced eyes, and exhibit other reductional character states linked to life in underground ecosystems. The new taxa are interpreted to be highly aberrant members of the family Hydrometridae, based on the possession of eyes set well forward on the head capsule, the posterior pair of cephalic trichobothria arising from distinct tubercles, the presence of an apical invagination on the fourth antennal segment, and the structure of the male parameres. They are provisionally placed in the subfamily Hydrometrinae based on the apical articulation between the first and second antennal segments. On the basis of a preponderance of shared apomorphic character states these new genera appear most closely allied to Veliometra schuhi Andersen, which is also endemic to Brazil, although currently placed in a different subfamily. Color habitus photographs and line drawings of key characters are provided for both new taxa, accompanied by maps and photographs of the caves in which the species occur. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article analyzes the evolution of ethnographic texts written about Jê-speaking peoples of the interior of Minas Gerais, Brazil, from the 1760s through the 1830s. It interprets both the timing and content of these sources with reference to the emergence of Enlightenment thought, the development of a transatlantic community of letters, and the intervention of an idiosyncratic French military officer, Guido Marlière, who participated in Brazil's Botocudo War of 1808-31. Marlière's writing, informed by his long association with Jê peoples, mastery of their languages, and advocacy for more humane indigenous policy, was unprecedented in its cultural specificity. Marlière also contributed directly and indirectly to the production of canonical texts authored by European scientists. In this article, Bieber recovers Marlière's vivid, humanizing observations about Jê peoples and uses him as an example of how local actors contributed to the circulation of ideas and production of ethnographic knowledge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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This article explores the onomastic universe of the parish of São José del Rei, Minas Gerais, during the period 1751–1890. The analysis draws upon a nearly complete set of parish registers of births, augmented by extensive marriage, death, and supplemental census records. The results of the research provide new information regarding patterns of naming at both the aggregate level of social groups and at the intergenerational level made accessible to study through family reconstruction. Slave, freed, and free children bore significantly different names. Family ties reached across generations through naming practices, revealing a more stable and enduring social structure. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Background Among the neglected tropical diseases (NTDs), schistosomiasis and the three main soil-transmitted helminthiases (STHs), i.e., ascariasis, trichuriasis and hookworm infection, represent the most common infections in developing countries. In Brazil, there is a lack of epidemiological data in many parts of the country, which favors the unawareness of the real situation concerning these diseases. Due to this, we investigated the occurrence of schistosomiasis and STHs in a region of Minas Gerais State, Brazil. Methods One stool sample was collected from 503 individuals, whose ages ranged from 0.1 to 91.2 years, and screened using both the Kato-Katz and the Formol-Ether methods. In parallel, a malacological survey was carried out in the main water bodies of the district, and Biomphalaria susceptibility assays and kernel-based techniques were also performed. Results No individual was found infected with Ascaris lumbricoides or hookworm. Schistosoma mansoni was the most common parasite found (1.6%). The prevalence was higher in males and the chance of acquiring the disease increased by 43.35 times with contact with a body of water. None of the Biomphalaria tenagophila and B. glabrata specimens were found naturally infected, but B. glabrata was highly susceptible to infection with Schistosoma mansoni. Using kernel-based techniques, clusters of Biomphalaria were found near the households where the infected individuals lived. Conclusions Schistosomiasis was the most prevalent parasitic infection found. Our findings show that the occurrence of this disease has been underestimated by the local health care service, and highlight the importance of epidemiological surveillance in areas of low prevalence for schistosomiasis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Propolis quality depends on its botanical origin and the producing bee species. Twenty-one propolis samples from northeast, southeast and southern Brazil were investigated using palynological and physicochemical techniques. The aim of the present study was to understand Artepillin-C concentration in the propolis samples in relation to the pollen spectrum and its phytogeographical origin. The propolis obtained fromBaccharis(Asteraceae), occurring mainly in mountain regions of the southern part of the state of Minas Gerais to the northern part of the state of Paraná, presents a high content of Artepillin-C and is the most valuable. Nevertheless, Artepillin-C was detected in the propolis samples from localities whereBaccharisplants are growing. It is expected that other plant species of the Asteraceae family, such asEupatorium, may contribute to the production of propolis containing a high content of flavonoids. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this article is to analyse the process of institutionalisation of public elementary schooling associated with the political organisation of the constitutional monarchy and the legislation regarding citizen rights and prerogatives in Brazil, especially in the province of Minas Gerais, during the nineteenth century. During this century, two characteristics in Brazil were significant: the existence of a constitutional monarchy from 1822 to 1889 and the continuity of slavery until 1888. Paradoxically, the development of the idea of citizen rights and duties, and steps taken to provide access to elementary school, coexisted with these characteristics. Education was considered a decisive step for the effective implementation of social change. My hypothesis is that the new political structure also led to a new dynamic of interdependence between rulers and ruled as constituents of the civilising process underway. Even so, this was an extremely tense process whose results fell short of those intended by the elite governing authorities; by the end of the nineteenth century, Brazil still had an illiteracy rate of 85%. In order to understand this situation, an analysis of situations and conflicts present in the process of implementing public elementary education is essential. Important among these are poverty, ethnic and racial prejudice, political decentralisation of elementary education administration, disputes among local politicians and the definition of teachers as public servants and funding of school supplies. For this study, documents consulted included government reports, laws, official letters and correspondence among government officers, parents and teachers. The main theoretical concepts used were Norbert Elias’ sociological theory for analysis of the civilising process and the dynamics of interdependence in the organisation of society, and the characteristics of postcolonial society discussed by Hilda Sabato, Marcelo Caruso and Miriam Dolhnikoff. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Drawing on data from the first large scale survey of street working children in Minas Gerais, Brazil, this article calls for a debate around how to support street working children. Street working children experience multiple human rights abuses; yet anti-poverty programmes do not target sufficiently their needs and fail to engage with their perceptions of their lives or consider the choices they make as salient for policy making. Using insights from the new sociology of childhood, we argue that policy makers need to come to terms with the agency of child street workers and adjust their policies accordingly. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present study the tick prevalence, mean intensity of infestation and species were recorded on birds captured between January 2009 and December 2010 in the Ecological Station Pirapitinga-ESEC from Minas Gerais State, Brazil. A total of 967 birds, from 15 families and 40 species were captured and 165 (17.1 %) individuals were parasitized by ticks. Of these 160 (97 %) belonged to the order Passeriformes. Five tick species were identified: Amblyomma longirostre ( n = 274) was the most common species followed by Amblyomma parvum ( n = 43), Amblyomma nodosum (n = 39), Amblyomma ovale ( n = 24) and Riphicephalus sanguineus ( n = 7). None of 61 unengorged larvae molted to nymph. The mean intensity of infestation was 2.7 ± 2.4 ticks per bird (448 ticks/165 birds) ranging from 1 to 10. Only 19 (11.4 %) birds were infested with one species of tick. The remaining birds were infested by two, three or four species of ticks. Also new hosts for all five ticks were recorded. Only nymphs were recorded throughout the year with two similar peaks during autumn and winter 2009 and 2010. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In all geological scenarios, mineral water reactions will affect the water chemistry. As such, water resources in different rocks commonly involve different hydrogeological compartments. The aim of this work is to evaluate the influence of geology in the geochemistry signature of Itacolomi State Park waters. To do so, a survey of the geological units in the area was carried out, a geological/stratigraphic division was made, and its correlation with the main geological events was determined. Using the advantages of GIS, all the catchments were delimited. Based on this division, near 30 stream and lake segments were chosen for analyses. In each point, all physiochemical properties of the water were measured, and samples were collected to determine the concentrations of major and trace elements by ICP–OES. The dynamics of the Itacolomi State Park rock-soil and stream water solutions suggest that mixing of drainage waters from different bedrock and soil sources regulates stream water physical–chemical parameters and solute concentrations. The analytical data showed a clear correlation between the chemical compositions of the solute and the geological characteristics of the catchment. Units that are covered by iron oxide hardpan (Manso unit) and iron-banded formations (Custódio unit) show a large amount of soluble elements, including high values of Fe and Mn. On the other hand, the presence of high values of Al and K (Itacolomi unit) are a direct consequence of the presence of quartzite associated with low pH values. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lateritic weathering of metamorphosed Proterozoic banded iron-formation (BIF), locally named itabirite in Brazil, produced large deposits of iron ore. At the Capanema iron-ore mine in the Quadrilatero Ferrifero in Minas Gerais state (southeast Brazil), the BIF is a bedded metasedimentary rock composed essentially of layers of hematite/kenomagnetite alternating with layers of quartz. The BIF is cut by dolerite dykes. The lateritic weathering of itabirite in wet tropical conditions resulted in a well-developed weathering mantle, with a specific succession of horizons of different chemical, mineralogical and textural compositions capped by a ferruginous duricrust or canga. The lack of alumina in the itabirite and the intense leaching of silica inhibited the formation of clay minerals. However, some alumina (from the weathered dolerite) is incorporated in secondary minerals. The process of alternating dissolution and reprecipitation of Fe and Al oxides and oxy-hydroxides controls the lateritic weathering. Eight different types of goethite (I-VIII) and three types of hematite (I-III) were identified based on texture, derivation and chemistry, related to five transformation fronts that include desilication, oxides dissolution, cementation, duricrust and erosion. Mass balance of the weathering column indicates varying iron redistribution (as goethite and hematite) through the profile, with an absolute enrichment of aluminium, locally derived from weathered dolerite. This alumina appears to act as an accelerant in the lateritisation process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new spider species, Ochyrocera ibitipoca sp. n., is described from caves in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil. A close relationship to Ochyrocera viridissima Brignoli, 1974 is indicated by male genital characteristics. A discussion on the delimitation and composition of Ochyrocera Simon, 1891 is included, with hints on the heterogeneous nature of the genus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new Late Cretaceous titanosaur sauropod from the Bauru Basin of Brazil, Uberabatitan ribeiroi gen. et sp. nov., represented by at least three specimens, is described. The material comes from a level of coarse sandstone within the Serra da Galga sequence in Uberaba County, Minas Gerais State. The fossiliferous strata belong to the Marília Formation (Serra da Galga Member), Bauru Group, considered to be Maastrichtian in age. The fossils occur in the uppermost levels of the above-mentioned unit; thus, Uberabatitan ribeiroi is the youngest titanosaur to have been recorded from the Bauru Basin. The autapomorphies that support the new species are: (1) anterior and mid-cervicals with postzygodiapophyseal lamina (podl) segmented in zygapophyseal and diapophyseal laminae, of which the first extends rostrodorsally over the second; (2) mid-dorsals with a robust lateral lamina formed mainly by a diapophyseal lamina (probably homologous to the postzygodiapophyseal lamina), and, to a lesser extent, by a relic of the spinodiapophyseal lamina (spdl); (3) mid (and probably posterior) dorsals with accessory neural laminae, which are lateral to the prespinal lamina, and probably homologous to the spinoprezygapophyseal laminae (sprl); (4) mid-caudal centra with deeply excavated lateral faces; (5) pubis very thick and robust, with a very stout longitudinal crest on its external (ventral) face; and (6) proximal end of the tibia with a prominent lateral protuberance, which articulates with an equally prominent medial knob of the fibula. The titanosaurian assemblage at Uberaba includes, apart from U. ribeiroi, well-preserved specimens assigned to species of uncertain affinities ( Trigonosaurus pricei and Baurutitan britoi), as well as a few vertebrae assigned to aeolosaurines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose - The purpose of this research was to identify the major environmental impacts occurring in Melo Creek, Minas Gerais, Brazil, especially as regards to its water quality. Design/methodology/approach - Initial evaluation was based on aerial photograph interpretation. All the small creek catchments were delimited and 12 stream segments were chosen for sampling and analyses. The segments had their water discharge calculated and channel pattern described. Also determined for these segments were the physical and chemical parameters of the water, as well as the microbiological content. Both water and sediment samples were analyzed for metals and trace element quantification. Meanwhile, an environmental inquiry was conducted in all the small villages along the creek. Findings - Data show a decrease in water discharge during the last decades, related to the increased destruction of the Atlantic Forest, especially at the riverheads and in permanent preservation areas (PPA). Most of the native vegetation was cut down to create farmlands and pasture. The water quality is also diminishing because for most of the properties, the main activities are pig raising and sugarcane liqueur production, which discharge their untreated effluents, along with domestic wastewater and sewage, directly into the creek. The results indicated that during its passage through the catchment, stream water became significantly contaminated with fecal coliform bacteria. As a consequence, the area possesses a high endemic disease index for water transmitted parasitism, especially for Schistosomiasis mansoni. Originality/value - This was the first study done in the Melo catchment, a small rural basin without basic sanitation and with a highly prevalent schistosomiasis rate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Field work and data from herbaria collections (2686 records) representing 283 taxa (265 species and 18 infraspecific taxa) of Bromeliaceae occurring at Minas Gerais state, southeastern Brazil, were analyzed in order to obtain distribution and diversity information, and to determine IUCN (The World Conservation Union) conservation status for each taxon. A map containing 1° x 1° grid cells was used to identify priority areas for new research collections, areas of high species diversity, and Bromeliaceae conservation status. A clear decrease in Bromeliaceae diversity is observed between the eastern and the western portions of Minas Gerais, and low Xoristic similarities were found between neighboring grid cells. The rocky mountains of Cadeia do Espinhaço are considered the most important area for Bromeliaceae endemics. From the 283 taxa of Bromeliaceae that occur at Minas Gerais, 118 (42%) are considered threatened, and 124 taxa (44% of the total) do not occur inside any protected area. The region of the Quadrilátero Ferrífero in the southern portion of the Cadeia do Espinhaço is the most threatened, and urgent strategies for conservation of this rich Bromeliaceae Xora are needed. Northeastern Minas Gerais, particularly the rocky outcrops or inselbergs located in the Jequitinhonha and Mucuri rivers drainage basins need additional collection efforts and conservation actions focused on these saxicolous taxa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Manganese oxide veinlets occur in high grade compact haematite ore at Fábrica in the Quadrilátero Ferrífero of Minas Gerais in Brazil. The veinlets are microbreccias of cryptomelane and minor mechanically twinned haematite, with void-infilling lithiophorite. Bulk-rock geochemistry of selected samples shows that the increased Mn content is accompanied by enrichment in Hg (to 8 ppm), as compared with Mn-free compact haematite. This Mn–Hg mineralisation within the compact haematite has hitherto not been recognised in the Quadrilátero Ferrífero and may exist in other haematite ores containing Mn. The microbrecciation is tentatively attributed to late- or post-Brasiliano tectonics and seismic activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The new species Mollugo viscosa Thulin & Harley is described from Minas Gerais in eastern Brazil. It was previously part of the recently published M. brasiliensis Thulin & Harley, a species that was found to be non‐monophyletic in molecular phylogenetic analyses. Mollugo brasiliensis is here divided into a northern species (M. brasiliensis s.str.) in Bahia and a southern species (M. viscosa sp. nov.) in Minas Gerais. The new species differs from M. brasiliensis in its denser and more viscous indumentum, and in its distinctly smaller seeds with smaller tubercles and a smaller hilar peg, and from its sister species M. ulei by being a perennial herb with bisexual flowers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]