Brazilian Border Research Articles

Two new species of Miconia (Melastomataceae, Miconieae) from the Brazilian northern border and adjacent French Guiana

Two new species of Miconia from northern Amazonia area described. Miconia amapaensis has been collected in the Brazilian state of Amapa and in nearby locations in northern Para and southern French Guiana. It has remarkable seeds, with both the appendix and seed coat covered with long papillae. Miconia forzzae has been collected on the Brazilian side of the Neblina Massif, in the Brazilian state of Amazonas, close to the border with Venezuela. It has 4-merous flowers, with a terete hypanthium, yellow stamens, the ovary apex with unbranched trichomes, and a punctiform stigma. This species may be endangered, considering its narrow distribution, and the fact that it was collected between 2000 and 2100 m elevation in an isolated mountain range with no neighboring mountains with similar height, but we assess its conservation status as “data deficient”, due to a lack of knowledge on the situation of the populations and the number of individuals.

Advertisement and aggressive calls of Pithecopus azureus (Anura: Phyllomedusidae) from the border of Brazil and Paraguay

The categories of calls previously described for the closely related species Pithecopus azureus and P. hypochondrialis are reassessed. In addition, the advertisement and aggressive calls of P. azureus from Brazil-Paraguay border in southwestern state of Mato Grosso do Sul in western Brazil are redescribed. Intraspecific comparisons of call traits are made for populations of P. azureus from Argentina and Bolivia, and the vocalization of P. azureus is also compared with that of the closely related species of the P. hypochondrialis Group (subclade of lowland species). Given the similarities among the advertisement calls of P. azureus, P. hypochondrialis, and P. nordestinus, it seems that acoustic traits, at least solely, should not be employed as reliable diagnostic characters among these species

Zika Virus Speed and Direction: Reconstructing Zika Introduction in Brazil

ObjectiveTo estimate the velocity of Zika virus disease spread in Brazil usingdata on confirmed Zika virus disease cases at the municipal-level.IntroductionLocal transmission of Zika virus has been confirmed in67 countries worldwide and in 46 countries or territories in theAmericas (1,2). On February 1, 2016 the World Health Organizationdeclared a Public Health Emergency of International Concern due tothe increase in microcephaly cases and other neurological disordersreported in Brazil (2). Several countries issued travel warnings forpregnant women travelling to Zika-affected countries with Brazil,Colombia, Ecuador, and El Salvador advising against pregnancy(3-7). The risk of local transmission in unaffected regions is unknownbut potentially significant where competent Zika vectors are present(8) and also given the additional complexities of sexual transmissionand population mobility (9,10). Despite the rapid spread of Zikavirus across the Americas and global concerns regarding its effectson fetuses, little is known about the pattern of spread. Knowledge ofthe direction and the speed of movement of disease is invaluable forpublic health response planning, including the timing and placementof interventions.MethodsData for this analysis were obtained from the Brazil Ministryof Health and consisted of confirmed cases of Zika virus disease.The centroids of the municipalities were taken in meters from theshapefiles and used to perform a surface trend analysis. Surfacetrend is a spatial interpolation method used to estimate continuoussurfaces from point data. The continuous surface of time to infectionwas estimated by regressing it against the X and Y coordinates. Timewas in days and X and Y coordinates were meters. Parameters wereestimated using least squares regression and velocity (in km per day)was obtained by inverting the final magnitude of the slope.ResultsData provided from the Brazil Ministry of Health on May 31,2016, indicated that Zika had been confirmed in 316 of the 5,564municipalities in Brazil representing 26 states, with six additionalmunicipalities identified from other reporting sources. Our modelsindicated a southward pattern of introduction of Zika starting fromthe northeast coast towards the southeastern coastal states of Rio deJanerio, Espírito Santo, and São Paulo. There was also a pattern ofwestern movement towards Bolivia. Overall, the average speed ofdiffusion was 42.1 km/day across all models was 6.9 km/day to amaximum of 634.1 km/day. The municipalities in the Northeast andNorth regions had the slowest speeds whereas the municipalities inthe Central-West and Southeast regions had the highest speeds. Thisis due to proximity of cases in time and space, with more cases havingoccurred closer in time and over larger areas in South, Southeast, andCentral-West regions resulting in faster rates of introduction.ConclusionsThe average speed of spread was 42 km per day and it tookapproximately five to six months for Zika to spread from thenortheastern coast to the southeastern coast and western border ofBrazil. The rapid spread of Zika can help us understand its possiblefuture directions and the pace at which it travels, which are key fortargeted mosquito control interventions, public health messaging, andtravel advisories. A multi-country analysis is needed to understand thecontinental spatial and temporal patterns of dispersion of Zika virus.

Morphometric correlation between Apis mellifera morphotypes (Hymenoptera) and Varroa destructor (Acari) from Uruguay

Uruguay is characterized by having an Africanization gradient in its honey bee (Apis mellifera) populations from areas bordering Brazil to the most remote locations. Morphological differences have also been found among Varroa destructor populations from different regions. A possible explanation for these morphological changes in mites could be explained by morphological correlations in the host/parasite A. mellifera/V. destructor system. The objective of the present study was to identify A. mellifera ecotypes in Uruguay and their correlation with V. destructor populations, using geometric morphometrics analysis. The hypothesis states that there is an Africanization gradient of A. mellifera in the north-southeastern direction in Uruguay that correlates with morphological variations in V. destructor populations. A morphometrics analysis of six honey bee populations and their respective phoretic mites was carried out by sampling zones that show the gradient in the Uruguayan region. The main results obtained were a morphometric correlation between honey bees and mites. The use of landmarks could be adjusted for the intraspecific differentiation of V. destructor populations, which had not been considered previously. These studies are of major importance to further understand the parasitism caused by V. destructor in honey bees.

A ilha Amapá - panorama ecolingístico da fronteira franco-brasileira

Este artigo apresenta um panorama da fronteira franco­-brasileira a partir dos fundamentos epistemológicos da Ecolinguística. O aparato teórico-metodológico utilizado na formatação deste quadro tem por base a perspectiva ecolinguística de Calvet (1999), a abordagem ecossistêmi­ca proposta por Couto (2007), além dos fundamentos me­todológicos da pesquisa descritiva de cunho etnográfico.

Major phytopathogens and strains from cocoa (Theobroma cacao L.) are differentiated by MALDI-MS lipid and/or peptide/protein profiles.

Phytopathogens are the main disease agents that promote attack of cocoa plantations in all tropical countries. The similarity of the symptoms caused by different phytopathogens makes the reliable identification of the diverse species a challenge. Correct identification is important in the monitoring and management of these pests. Here we show that matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization mass spectrometry (MALDI-MS) in combination with multivariate data analysis is able to rapidly and reliably differentiate cocoa phytopathogens, namely Moniliophthora perniciosa, Phytophthora palmivora, P. capsici, P. citrophthora, P. heveae, Ceratocystis cacaofunesta, C. paradoxa, and C. fimbriata. MALDI-MS reveals unique peptide/protein and lipid profiles which differentiate these phytopathogens at the level of genus, species, and single strain coming from different hosts or cocoa tissues collected in several plantations/places. This fast methodology based on molecular biomarkers is also shown to be sufficiently reproducible and selective and therefore seems to offer a suitable tool to guide the correct application of sanitary defense approaches for infected cocoa plantations. International trading of cocoa plants and products could also be efficiently monitored by MALDI-MS. It could, for instance, prevent the entry of new phytopathogens into a country, e.g., as in the case of Moniliophthora roreri fungus that is present in all cocoa plantations of countries bordering Brazil, but that has not yet attacked Brazilian plantations. Graphical Abstract Secure identification of phytopathogens attacking cocoa plantations has been demonstrated via typical chemical profiles provided by mass spectrometric screening.

Illegal Enslavement, International Relations, and International Law on the Southern Border of Brazil

The La Plata River Basin, bordering Uruguay and Brazil, was the site of constant disputes between the Spanish and Portuguese crowns into the eighteenth century. The conflicts dated back to the seventeenth century with the founding of the Colônia do Santíssimo Sacramento on the left bank of the river. Although both sides engaged in diplomatic efforts over the years, these were not enough to prevent war, and there were ongoing battles interspersed with short periods of calm until the end of the 1860s and the so-called Paraguayan War (1865–70).

PREVALENCE OF NUTRITIONAL DEFICIENCIES AND MORBIDITY BY INFECTIOUS DISEASES IN CHILDREN 0-5 YEARS OF AGE IN IÑAPARI IN THE PERUVIAN AMAZON

Introdução: A cidade de Iñapari localiza-se no Peru e faz fronteira com a região Amazônica brasileira pelos estados do Acre e Amazonas. As crianças peruanas menores de 5 anos padecem com moderado percentual de anemia e a desnutrição crônica infantil constitui um dos principais problemas de saúde pública no país. O objetivo deste estudo foi levantar a prevalência das principais morbidades da infância, como anemia, desnutrição infantil, parasitoses intestinais, toxocaríase e hepatite A, e investigar a associação entre elas e as condições socioeconômicas e ambientais encontradas em Iñapari. Métodos: Foram realizadas entrevistas com base em questionários, assim como a relação das medidas antropométricas, a coleta de amostra de fezes e a coleta de sangue venoso. Resultados: Dentre os resultados encontrados, destaca-se a prevalência de anemia de 20%, desnutrição crônica avaliada pelo déficit de altura para a idade de 8,5%, presença de patógenos em 24,5% das amostras de fezes tendo como principal patógeno Giardia intestinalis (14,7%), prevalência de toxocaríase de 33,3% e de hepatite A de 23,3%. Conclusão: Neste estudo ficou evidenciada a associação entre os desfechos e as más condições de moradia e higiene da população. A baixa renda mostrou-se claramente associada à presença de desnutrição e anemia.

An eighteenth century travelling theodolite.

An old topographic compass displayed in a showroom of the Museu de Astronomia e Ciências Afins (MAST), in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, took our curiosity namely because of its resemblance to a theodolite, described by J.H. de Magellan. Not many things were known about its previous history. From the different documents studied, and the characteristics of this singular theodolite, it must have belonged to the collections of instruments acquired for the Brazilian border demarcations undertaken after the Santo Ildefonso Treaty, agreed to by the Portuguese and Spanish courts in 1777. Several instruments were bought in London, and supervised and chosen by Magellan, the Portuguese instruments expert. We present arguments in favour of this conclusion.

Science and miscegenation in the early twentieth century: Edgard Roquette-Pinto's debates and controversies with US physical anthropology.

The article analyzes Brazilian anthropologist Edgard Roquette-Pinto's participation in the international debate that involved the field of physical anthropology and discussions on miscegenation in the first decades of the twentieth century. Special focus is on his readings and interpretations of a group of US anthropologists and eugenicists and his controversies with them, including Charles Davenport, Madison Grant, and Franz Boas. The article explores the various ways in which Roquette-Pinto interpreted and incorporated their ideas and how his anthropological interpretations took on new meanings when they moved beyond Brazil's borders.

POLÍTICA DE SEGURIDAD DE BRASIL EN LA FRONTERA AMAZÓNICA Y SECURITIZACIÓN DEL CONFLICTO COLOMBIANO (2001-2011)

The cross-border effects of the Colombian conflict occurred unevenly in each neighboring country. The merging of the Colombian conflict with the global war on terrorism in 2002 was a turning point for the responses of neighboring countries. For Brazilian border policies, the main impact of this turning point was to reinforce the trend toward militarizing the institutional presence at the Brazil-Colombia border and in the entire Amazon region. The Brazilian government's responses did not occur only in a traditional way of closing the borders, but with new modalities of border control, with a focus on the cross-border illegal flows. The mapping produced by this research demonstrates that the current profile of Brazilian policies for border security was strongly influenced by the responses to challenges brought about by the Colombian conflict. It can be showed by the mapping. The result of this process represented a shift in the policies related to the continental border of Brazil. Considering security and development as two main drivers of Brazilian government approach at the border, we note that a focus on security issues, at the expense of cross-border regional development, has prevailed in recent years. Another possibility is to consider regional cooperation on security as a means to achieve better results in regional development and integration.

A CONSTRUÇÃO DAS IDENTIDADES TERRITORIAIS NA FRONTEIRA SUL DO BRASIL / The Construction of the Territorial Identities in the South Borderland of Brazil

As fronteiras caracterizam-se na contemporaneidade por voltar ao centro das discussões, principalmente devido ao maior movimento populacional nestas áreas e aos conflitos gerados nos limites entre os países. Contudo, faz-se necessário não somente compreender a mobilidade espacial, mas também a construção cultural que ocorre nas zonas limítrofes entre os Estados Nacionais. A partir desta problemática, o presente trabalho tem como objetivo analisar a formação das identidades territoriais na fronteira sul do Brasil a partir dos símbolos fronteiriços, da paisagem pampeana, visando compreender as representações sociais oriundas dos processos de identificação. Os caminhos da pesquisa utilizados baseiam-se em revisões bibliográficas e análises de obras literárias.AbstractThe borderlands are characterized in the contemporaneidade by returning to the center of the discussions, mainly due to higher movement of populations in these areas and the conflicts generated in the limit countries. However, is necessary not only to understand the spatial mobility, but also the cultural construction that occurs in neighboring zones of National States. Based on this problematic, this paper aims to analyze the formation of territorial identities on the southern border of Brazil from bordering symbols, the Pampa landscape, aiming to understand the social representations derived the identification processes. The search paths that were used are based on the bibliographical reviews and literary works.Keywords:Tterritorial Identity; Borderland; Landscape; Mobility

Phlebotomine sandfly (Diptera: Psychodidae) diversity and their Leishmania DNA in a hot spot of American Cutaneous Leishmaniasis human cases along the Brazilian border with Peru and Bolivia.

In this study, we identified the phlebotomine sandfly vectors involved in the transmission of American Cutaneous Leishmaniasis (ACL) in Assis Brasil, Acre, Brazil, which is located on the Brazil-Peru-Bolivia frontier. The genotyping of Leishmania in phlebotomines was performed using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism. A total of 6,850 sandflies comprising 67 species were captured by using CDC light traps in rural areas of the municipality. Three sandfly species were found in the state of Acre for the first time: Lutzomyia georgii, Lu. complexa and Lu. evangelistai. The predominant species was Lu. auraensis/Lu. ruifreitasi and Lu. davisi (total 59.27%). 32 of 368 pools were positive for the presence of Leishmania DNA (16 pools corresponding to Lu. davisi, and 16 corresponding to Lu. auraensis/Lu. ruifreitasi), with a minimal infection prevalence of 1.85% in Lu. davisi and 2.05% in Lu. auraensis/Lu. ruifreitasi. The Leishmania species found showed maximum identity with L. (Viannia) guyanensis and L. (V.) braziliensis in both phlebotomine species. Based on these results and similar scenarios previously described along the Brazil/Peru/Bolivia tri-border, the studied area must take into consideration the possibility of Lu. davisi and Lu. auraensis/Lu. ruifreitasi as probable vectors of ACL in this municipality.

The Two Enslavements of Rufina: Slavery and International Relations on the Southern Border of Nineteenth-Century Brazil

Abstract As the Atlantic slave trade came to an end in Brazil in the 1850s, a new form of trafficking began across the borders of Brazil and its neighboring countries. Free persons—mainly women and children living in small communities in Uruguay and Argentina—were kidnapped to be sold as slaves in Brazil. By analyzing the illegal enslavement of the African Rufina and her family along the border between Brazil and Uruguay in 1854, this study argues that Brazilian catchers opened up a new frontier of enslavement, kidnapping free persons in countries where slavery was already abolished. The kidnappings and the diplomatic problems that they generated brought tensions to the development of international relations between Brazil, Uruguay, Argentina, and Britain in the 1850s and 1860s.

Leprosy in Brazilian counties bordering Paraguay: Mato Grosso do Sul State, 2001–2011

In Mato Grosso do Sul state, Brazil, the dry border shared with Paraguay is a territory marked by facilities in the flow of goods, services and people, bringing difficulties for surveillance of communicable diseases. The purpose of this study is to characterise leprosy epidemiologically in dry border municipalities of Mato Grosso do Sul in Brazil with contiguous urban areas with neighbouring Paraguayan counties, in the period 2001-2011. This is an exploratory descriptive investigation that includes the four dry border municipalities of Mato Grosso do Sul (Coronel Sapucaia, Paranhos, Ponta Porã, and Sete Quedas) in Brazil whose urban areas are contiguous with Paraguay. Data comprised the period 2001-2011. The rates of leprosy detection and prevalence oscillated along the study period, increasing in the last 2 years investigated. The detection rate was 3.3/10,000 in 2011, up from 1.7/10,000 in 2009. Prevalence was 5.3/10,000 in 2011, up from 2.5/10,000 in 2009. The Virchowian disease form was predominant in 8 of the 11 years investigated. Most patients were male, with limited formal education (44.2% with less than 4 years of study). In the border of Brazil, most (greater than 70%) of the cases detected were classified as multibacillary. The higher coefficient found in Brazilian municipalities was the Virchowian clinical form, which can influence the operational classification in multibacillary. The predominance of the Virchowian clinical form, larger number of patients in rural areas and children under 15 years of age provides new information on the manifestations of the disease in the border territories. The study revealed that municipalities with contiguous cross-border urban areas with Paraguay have unique epidemiological features that need to be addressed by policies focusing leprosy as a public health priority.

Virulence and genetic diversity among isolates of Mycosphaerella fijiensis in two regions of Brazil

Black sigatoka, caused by the fungus Mycosphaerella fijiensis (anamorphic stage: Paracercospora fijiensis), was first detected in Brazil in early 1998 in the Benjamin Constant and Tabatinga municipalities in the State of Amazonas, near to where the borders of Brazil, Colombia, and Peru converge. Understanding how cultivars react to the pathogen, and characterizing the genetic variability of isolates from two distant and distinct banana-producing regions, are important for determining the virulence of M. fijiensis. In the present study, the genetic diversity of 22 M. fijiensis isolates was assessed using simple sequence repeats (SSR) markers, and their virulence was determined following inoculation on three different banana tree cultivars. All 22 isolates caused symptoms of the disease in the Maçã and Prata Comum cultivars 45 days after inoculation, and at least two virulence groups were identified for the Maçã and Prata Comum cultivars. For the D'Angola cultivars, two virulence groups were observed only after 60 days post-inoculation, and three of the isolates were not virulent. Using SSR markers, the isolates from two different regions of Brazil were placed into two genetic groups, both genetically distant from the Mf 138 isolate collected in Leticia, Colombia. There was no evidence of correlation between the virulence groups and the genetic diversity groups. These results demonstrate variability in virulence between isolates as measured by the severity of black sigatoka in the analyzed cultivars.

Violência contra as mulheres na fronteira: as cidades gêmeas de Corumbá/Porto Quijaro e Ponta Porã/Pedro Juan Caballero

The present paper deals with two specific state policies interfaces to contemplate the border and violence against women, due to field research held in the year 2014 in the twin cities located in the Brazilian border line. The scope chosen on the research was to ascertain whether there is integration of these policies, if they contemplate the reality of the border population, and if they adequately serve this population. It was applied a qualitative exploratory study, in which we used literature and data collection in official agencies, interviews with professionals in the treatment of women network in Brazil and neighboring countries, as well as visits to the respective government agencies on both sides of the Brazilian border. For the effectiveness of preventive and repressive actions against women violence, it is essential the service network articulation, which is something that becomes a little more complex in dry border regions because this articulation must necessarily contemplate the neighboring country. The research shows that international cooperation is one of the paths needed to ensure the effectiveness of public policies of women protection in the border region, because violence against women has no borders or nationality.

A Reserva Indígena Raposa Serra do Sol: Direito ao Desenvolvimento Sustentável dos Indígenas Versus Direito de Exploração da Atividade Econômica dos Rizicultores.

O estudo objetiva demonstrar que os povos indígenas sofrem com invasões a suas terras, intensificadas pela cobiça do poder econômico e pela omissão do Estado. Em um certo período, os indígenas asseguravam as fronteiras do território brasileiro em regiões mais remotas, locais que os brancos não estavam dispostos a enfrentar. Uma vez assegurado o território e facilitado o acesso passou haver exploração econômica, em terras indígenas. O mesmo Estado que precisou dos índios para fortalecer e consolidar as fronteiras incentivou, e posteriormente, até concedeu títulos de propriedade para "brancos" em terras indígenas, dizimando inúmeras comunidades, o que ocorreu até meados do século XX. A Terra Indígena Raposa Serra do Sol, embora tenha seu direito à demarcação reconhecida pelo Supremo Tribunal Federal, sofreu com maciça exploração da rizicultura. Verificou-se que, após o término da monocultura do arroz, não houve diminuição do desempenho econômico no Estado de Roraima que teve no produto interno bruto o maior crescimento em dez anos. O crescimento em volume do PIB de Roraima no ano de 2010 foi da ordem de 9,6%, ocupando a nona posição no ranking nacional e a quinta posição na Região Norte.

NIR-2015 Brazil—Highlighting South America

C aipirinha! If you don’t know what this is, ask anyone who attended the 17 ICNIRS conference in Foz do Iguacu, Parana State, Brazil. The caipirinha is the national cocktail of Brazil and is composed of crushed cane sugar and limes, filled to the top of the glass with cachaca and shaken with ice—a refreshing and delicious drink in the tropical heat that averaged above 35°C in late October. For those of us residing in the northern hemisphere, it was a wonderful last gasp of summer before we returned to slide into the early stages of a long winter. I have been looking forward to NIR-2015 for over two years since my first ICNIR conference in La Grande Monte, France, and this conference was exceptional in every way. A sincere bravo goes to the Organising Committee for selecting the venue and location in the vicinity of the National Park of Foz do Iguacu at the border of Brazil, Argentina and Paraguay, and one of the seven Natural Wonders of the World. As a contributor to the Wildlife and Ecology session of the conference, the setting and experience of the tropical environment and its biodiversity was especially rewarding. I believe we now have about 100 pictures of a particular Toucan and several friendly coati. The cultural heritage of Brazil and other countries of South America were on display from the beginning when performances in traditional costumes and dance followed the opening presentation by Phil Williams, winner of the ICNIRS Karl Norris Award. While Phil gave an enlightening and inspiring presentation, the performers punctuated the mood of the evening with music, balancing acts and an array of colourful costumes that ranged from barely there to a full-feathered assembly of birdwings. The most memorable act was the bead whirler who gave a close shave to one of our conference participants—brave man! ICNIRS participants from around the world answered the call and formed several conga lines to celebrate South America with the dancers and musicians and to take in the experience. The opening night continued with a meet-and-greet caipirinha cocktail hour that set the stage for a wonderful week of networking, exchange of scientific ideas and formation of new partnerships. Soren Balling Engelsen, winner of the Tomas Hirschfeld award, opened the scientific sessions with his plenary talk offering a thorough view of the evolution of NIR and chemometrics and what the future may hold. The morning session focused on Phil Williams with the ICNIRS Karl Norris Award medal presented by Ana Garrido. Photo: Organising Committee—NIR 2015

O PATRIMÔNIO LOCAL COMO UM FATOR DE DESENVOLVIMENTO: POTENCIALIDADES TURÍSTICAS DE JAGUARÃO-RS

O patrimônio local é um elemento de identidade e, atualmente, vem se convertendo em um importante componente de motivação para o turismo. Tendo em vista seu centro urbano, avaliado como maior conjunto histórico e paisagístico protegido no Rio Grande do Sul, a cidade de Jaguarão, localizada no Sul do estado, município limítrofe Brasil e Uruguai, foi considerada pelo Instituto do Patrimônio Histórico e Artístico Nacional-IPHAN, Patrimônio Cultural Brasileiro desde 2011. O texto discute as possibilidades do aproveitamento do patrimônio de Jaguarão como uma alternativa para o turismo e o desenvolvimento local.