Brazilian Metropolitan Regions Research Articles

Costs of air pollution in Brazilian metropolitan regions

This study evaluated the economic impact of health events associated with air pollution in Brazilian metropolitan regions. From the estimated mortality attributable to concentrations of particulate matter (PM) in 29 metropolitan areas, with a total of 20,050 deaths, the costs associated with mortality were calculated by means of the use of DALY (Disability Adjusted Life Years) methodology. The cost of premature deaths in Brazil resulted in $ 1.7 billion annually. Translating losses in public health to economic values served to compare this data with the expense budget of the Ministry of Health and highlight priorities in decision-making of public policies that minimize the magnitude of these impacts.

Variações intra e intermetropolitanas da desigualdade de renda racial

Qual é o diferencial de renda entre brancos e negros dentro de uma mesma região metropolitana? Qual situação coloca o indivíduo em maior desvantagem: a cor da pele ou o local de residência? Políticas de mitigação de desigualdades devem ser universais ou locais? Para responder esses questionamentos comparamos os salários de brancos e negros no centro e na periferia de seis regiões metropolitanas utilizando diferentes recortes geográficos. Os resultados obtidos a partir da PNAD (2008) demonstram que a cor da pele tem maior impacto no salário predito dos indivíduos do que a localização dentro da cidade e indicam substancial heterogeneidade espacial nos diferenciais raciais de rendimento.

Specificities of the artistic cultural labor market in Brazilian metropolitan regions between 2002 and 2010

This paper analyzes the singularity of artistic cultural sector workers in the Brazilian metropolitan labor market, considering the job satisfaction of artists that Throsby proposes in his work preference model of artist behavior (1994). We also examine the effect of public expenditures on the income of workers in the cultural sector. Using 2002 to 2010 data from the Monthly Employment Survey (PME) and administrative records from Finance of Brazil (FINBRA), we estimate a probit model and a wage equation. In our model, we estimate wages as a function of: (1) sociodemographic characteristics of workers, (2) a variable for informal jobs, (3) the number of working hours, (4) a variable for the worker having another job, (5) per capita expenditures on culture interacted with a dummy for artistic cultural workers, (6) interactive binary variables involving place of residence and artistic cultural workers and (7) the predicted probability obtained by the probit model. This probability is estimated based on the likelihood of working in a creative activity, considering both workers from the cultural sector and other workers, controlled by: (1) sociodemographic characteristics of workers, (2) characteristics of their jobs, (3) dummies for the metropolitan regions and (4) willingness of creative workers to work additional hours interacted with the number of hours worked. Our results show that workers in the cultural sector are likely to work longer hours when compared to workers in other sectors. For our wage equation, the results suggest that women earn relatively less than men and blacks earn less than whites. Furthermore, earnings increase with age and the level of education. Formal workers obtain higher earnings when compared to informal ones. Finally, an increase in the per capita public expenditure on the cultural sector raises the income of workers in artistic cultural occupations.

Molecular epidemiology and virulence markers of Salmonella Infantis isolated over 25 years in São Paulo State, Brazil

Infection of humans and animals caused by Salmonella is a major public health problem worldwide. Among the more than 2500 serovars, S. Infantis has been one of the 15 most isolated serovars in the world. Despite its clinical importance, little is known about the molecular characteristics of S. Infantis strains from Brazil. The aims of this study were to type S. Infantis isolates of this country and to assess their pathogenic potential. The molecular epidemiology of 35 S. Infantis strains, isolated from human sources (25) and food items (10) between 1984 and 2009 in São Paulo State, Brazil, were investigated using ERIC-PCR, PFGE and MLST. Furthermore, the presence of some virulence markers from Salmonella pathogenicity islands (SPIs) SPI-1 and SPI-2 and from the virulence plasmid was assessed by PCR. Using ERIC-PCR, 34 S. Infantis strains exhibited a high genetic similarity (⩾93.7%) and using PFGE, 32 strains exhibited a similarity ⩾80.6%. Additionally, MLST showed a high clonal similarity among strains that all presented the same ST32. Thirty-two isolates under investigation contained the virulence markers invA, sopB, sopD, sipA, sipD, ssaR, sifA, flgK, fljB and flgL. In conclusion, the S. Infantis strains studied were genetically similar, suggesting that a prevalent subtype has been causing disease and food contamination during a 25year period in São Paulo State, an important metropolitan region in Brazil. Furthermore, the contamination between strains from food items and sick humans indicates that better control measures for S. Infantis may be needed in this country.

Fear, Security, and the Spread of CCTV in Brazilian Cities: Legislation, Debate, and the Market

Latin America has shown itself to be a fertile ground for the proliferation of surveillance cameras, especially in retail and in small-scale private security (homes, condominiums, shopping malls, etc.). In Brazil, this proliferation has occurred for three main reasons: the absence of specific legislation regulating how these systems are used; the limited scope of the debate about the deployment of surveillance technology and the implications of its widespread use; and a growing atmosphere of urban fear that affects the way people live in and move around large and medium-sized cities. In a study carried out in Brazil and Mexico and funded by the International Development Research Centre (IDRC), various aspects of the use of surveillance technologies were mapped and described, focusing on existing legislation, related studies, research centers, current technologies and the market. In this article we present some of the results of this research as they relate to the proliferation of video surveillance in Brazil. The Brazilian market for video surveillance, which has grown steadily since the 1980s, is now booming, reflecting the growing interest this technology holds for the (property and personal) security market as well as the real estate market. Over the past 30 years, this interest centered on public areas with large numbers of people, such as parks, squares, and major commercial streets, or private spaces such as shopping malls, sports centers, and event centers. However, in recent years there has been an expansion in the security market as a result of the gentrification of large residential areas in medium-sized cities and metropolitan regions in Brazil. A consequence of these developments in the real estate market has been, indirectly, a growth in the use of CCTV systems as crime- and violence-prevention tools by small, medium-sized, and large private security companies targeting all social classes. In this study, we highlight the following aspects of video surveillance in Brazil: regulation of the use and proliferation of CCTV; involvement of the scientific community through debate and academic training; and the technologies used in electronic surveillance as a response to a growing demand by the urban security and real estate markets.

Food Security and Agricultural Productivity in Brazilian Metropolitan Regions

This study aimed to investigate the relationship between agricultural productivity and food security of households in Brazilians metropolitan regions, considering others individuals’ factors. We found that there are significant relationships between the level of education of the household head, the presence of persons under 18 in the family and the fact that per capita income household earning is less than minimum wage and food security. Productivity gains are indeed associated with greater household food security, but in low proportions, due to high influence of particular characteristics, such as education and income.

Redes de atenção às urgências e emergências: pré-avaliação das Unidades de Pronto Atendimento (UPAs) em uma região metropolitana do Brasil

OBJETIVOS: um estudo avaliativo, exploratório das UPAs na região metropolitana do Recife, no ano de 2011. MÉTODOS: considerou-se a descrição da intervenção, o delineamento do modelo lógico, o envolvimento dos interessados e a construção de perguntas avaliativas. Realizou-se abordagem de três fases interativas, utilizando, para sua operacionalização, a análise documental, entrevistas e Conferência de Consenso. O modelo lógico elaborado subsidiou a construção de matriz com critérios e indicadores, que foi submetida a um comitê de informantes-chave para obtenção do consenso. RESULTADOS: a matriz de critérios e indicadores resultante do consenso é composta de três níveis de análise (assistência à saúde, integração interistitucional e gestão) com 41 critérios e 74 indicadores avaliativos. Com base no modelo lógico, na Conferência de Consenso, na matriz de critérios/indicadores e nas considerações sistematizadas dos inte-ressados, foram elaboradas 14 perguntas avaliativas. CONCLUSÕES: as UPAs encontram-se adequadas à rea-lização de avaliações, pois se verificou que os elementos identificados no modelo lógico são condizentes com as condições que a intervenção possui para alcançar suas metas e objetivos.

Increasing heterosexual transmission of HIV‐1 subtype C in Inland Central Western Brazil

The molecular epidemiology of HIV-1 in Brazil is complex and heterogeneous because several subtypes co-circulate with some important regional differences. This study evaluated HIV-1 subtypes amongst pregnant women living in the metropolitan area and in the interior cities from central western Brazil. From June 2008 to June 2010, 86.9% of confirmed cases of HIV-1 infection amongst pregnant women (172 out of 198 cases) were recruited in Goiania/Goias state. The HIV-1 pol gene was sequenced after nested-PCR. HIV-1 subtypes were assigned by REGA, phylogenetic, and bootscan analyses. The median age of participants was 26 years (15-41 years range); 58.7% of participants were diagnosed during prenatal care and 51.7% of participants came from >50 interior cities within Goias state. Amongst the 131 HIV-1 pol sequences, 64.9% were subtype B, 13.0% were BF1 recombinant, 11.4% were subtype C, 7.6% were subtype F1, and 2.3% were BC recombinant. According to the HIV-1 diagnosis date (1994-2010), a significant increase in subtype C and a decrease of BF1 mosaics were observed over time. All subtype C patients lived in interior cities where the highest prevalence of subtype C outside southern Brazil was observed (18.4%). Phylogenetic analysis revealed multiple independent introductions of the Brazilian subtype C clade from the southern/southeastern regions of Brazil. The HIV-1 epidemic in women from central western Brazil infected by the heterosexual route is characterized by an unexpectedly high prevalence of subtype C viruses highly related to those circulating in southern/southeastern Brazil. These findings highlight the importance of molecular surveillance programs outside large metropolitan regions in Brazil.

Integrated solutions for urban runoff pollution control in Brazilian metropolitan regions

One of the most important causes for poor water quality in urban rivers in Brazil is the low collection efficiency of the sewer system due to unforeseen interconnections with the stormwater drainage system. Since the beginning of the 20th century, Brazilian cities have adopted separate systems for sanitary sewers and stormwater runoff. Gradually these two systems became interconnected. A major challenge faced today by water managers in Brazil is to find efficient and low cost solutions to deal with this mixed system. The current situation poses an important threat to the improvement of the water quality in urban rivers and lakes. This article presents an evaluation of the water quality parameters and the diffuse pollution loads during rain events in the Pinheiros River, a tributary of the Tietê River in São Paulo. It also presents different types of integrated solutions for reducing the pollution impact of combined systems, based on the European experience in urban water management. An evaluation of their performance and a comparison with the separate system used in most Brazilian cities is also presented. The study is based on an extensive water quality monitoring program that was developed for a special investigation in the Pinheiros River and lasted 2.5 years. Samples were collected on a daily basis and water quality variables were analyzed on a daily, weekly or monthly basis. Two hundred water quality variables were monitored at 53 sampling points. During rain events, additional monitoring was carried out using an automated sampler. Pinheiros River is one of the most important rivers in the São Paulo Metropolitan Region and it is also a heavily polluted one.

Lean diesel technology and human health: a case study in six Brazilian metropolitan regions

OBJECTIVE:Due to their toxicity, diesel emissions have been submitted to progressively more restrictive regulations in developed countries. However, in Brazil, the implementation of the Cleaner Diesel Technologies policy (Euro IV standards for vehicles produced in 2009 and low-sulfur diesel with 50 ppm of sulfur) was postponed until 2012 without a comprehensive analysis of the effect of this delay on public health parameters. We aimed to evaluate the impact of the delay in implementing the Cleaner Diesel Technologies policy on health indicators and monetary health costs in Brazil.METHODS:The primary estimator of exposure to air pollution was the concentration of ambient fine particulate matter (particles with aerodynamic diameters <2.5 µm, [PM2.5]). This parameter was measured daily in six Brazilian metropolitan areas during 2007-2008. We calculated 1) the projected reduction in the PM2.5 that would have been achieved if the Euro IV standards had been implemented in 2009 and 2) the expected reduction after implementation in 2012. The difference between these two time curves was transformed into health outcomes using previous dose-response curves. The economic valuation was performed based on the DALY (disability-adjusted life years) method.RESULTS:The delay in implementing the Cleaner Diesel Technologies policy will result in an estimated excess of 13,984 deaths up to 2040. Health expenditures are projected to be increased by nearly US$ 11.5 billion for the same period.CONCLUSIONS:The present results indicate that a significant health burden will occur because of the postponement in implementing the Cleaner Diesel Technologies policy. These results also reinforce the concept that health effects must be considered when revising fuel and emission policies.

Socio-climatic hotspots in Brazil

Brazil suffers yearly from extreme weather and climate events, which can be exacerbated in a warmer climate. Although several studies have analyzed the projections of climate change in Brazil, little attention has been paid to defining the locations that can be most affected, and consequently have a more vulnerable population, in a spatially-explicit form. This study presents a spatial analysis of summarized climate change data and a joint investigation combining these possible climate changes and social vulnerability indicators in Brazil. The Regional Climate Change Index (RCCI), which can synthesize a large number of climate model projections, is used for the climate analysis, and the Socio-Climatic Vulnerability Index (SCVI) is proposed to aggregate local population vulnerabilities to the climate change information. The RCCI results show climatic hotspots emerging in Brazil, covering the western portion of the Northeast (NE), northwestern Minas Gerais state and center-western (CW) and northern regions (N), except northeast Para and Amapa states. The SCVI analysis reveals major socio-climatic hotspots in the NE and several localized hotspots in some of the major Brazilian metropolitan regions, namely Manaus, Belo Horizonte, Brasilia, Salvador, Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo. The two novelties of this study are a spatially detailed analysis of the RCCI in Brazil and the development of an index that can summarize the large amount of climate model information available today with social vulnerability indicators. Both indices may be important tools for improving the dialogue between climate and social scientists and for communicating climate change to policymakers in a more synthetic and socially relevant form.

Curva de estimativa das internações hospitalares nas regiões metropolitanas brasileiras: um estudo de série histórica

The objective of this study was to investigate temporal variations in the distribution of hospital admissions occurring in the National Health System (SUS) in all Brazilian metropolitan areas between 1995 and 2006. This ecological, historical series study was performed using secondary data from 36 Brazilian metropolitan regions. We conducted a descriptive analysis of the data, and then subjected the data to Spearman correlation and curve estimation. The results indicate that the F test was significant in a decreasing order for the linear (p = 0.001), quadratic (p = 0.002) and cubic (p = 0.004) models. On the other hand, the R2 values showed an increasing order of values (0.277, 0.307 and 0.338), respectively. The cubic model showed that the mean percentage of hospital admissions in 2006 declined when compared to 1995. In conclusion, the percentage of admissions occurring in the SUS in Brazilian metropolitan areas decreased during the studied period. Descriptors: Hospitalization; Patient Admission; Information Services; Single Health System; Epidemiology.

ANÁLISE DE REDES SOCIAIS COMO FERRAMENTA QUE CONTRIBUI PARA A MELHORIA DAS RELAÇÕES ENTRE EMPRESAS PARTICIPANTES DE UM APL DE EVENTOS

Companies that organize parties consist of the typical case in which different actors such as buffet, photographer, DJs or musicians, decorators come together to perform specific events. This work analyzes a Local Productive Arrangement (LPA) located in a brazilian metropolitan region consisting of 88 companies called APL Events. The objective of this study was to identify the relations of knowledge that exist between APL Events participants, using the approach of Social Network Analysis (SNA) and to indicate ways to improve relations between the participants. The research identified who knows who and the results showed gaps in the relations between companies. Participants were able to perform the analysis of information based on their own networks (egonetworks) and their centralities. Another relevant fact was the average connection by company type. It was found that buffets have more relations, while companies of photography have less relations. In a workshop with 31 participants suggestions of actions were presented for the improvement of these relations. The main actions that have emerged are: performing more informal meetings, social events, tours, creating virtual space that allows interaction between participants and conducting more formal meetings in general and in groups.

Alfabetismo e aspirações educacionais dos jovens brasileiros nas metrópoles

Este artigo apresenta os resultados de uma pesquisa sobre o alfabetismo de jovens de 15 a 24 anos, residentes em nove regiões metropolitanas brasileiras. Com base em teste cognitivo e questionário aplicados a 1.008 jovens, a investigação buscou apreender as habilidades de leitura, escrita e matemática desse segmento, bem como as relações dessas habilidades com práticas de letramento, experiências e expectativas educacionais dos jovens. Constata que, mesmo sem a percepção exata de suas deficiências em relação à leitura e à escrita – medidas pelo teste –, os jovens nutrem elevadas expectativas educacionais, que podem ser aproveitadas por políticas educacionais que integrem a formação básica com a profissional.

Urbanização descontínua: fronteiras e novas centralidades. Estudo de caso do município de Paulínia (SP)

The article discusses the emergence of the new center of services in Paulínia and the changes in the urban fabric of the city, relating the case to the phenomenon of disperse urbanization often seen in Brazilian metropolitan regions, including the Metropolitan Region of Campinas. For this purpose, it examines aspects of urbanism, architecture, use and appropriation of this new central space, based on surveys on historical, census and management data. These data make it possible to reflect on the influence of this new center, split and discontinuous vis-à-vis the main downtown area, on the urban dynamic of the city and to evaluate the effects resultingfrom this process.Key words: discontinuous urbanization, new centers, RMC, Paulínia, urban management.

Urbanização descontínua: fronteiras e novas centralidades, estudo de caso do município de Paulínia/SP

The article discusses the emergence of the new center of services in Paulinia and the changes in the urban fabric of the city, relating the case to the phenomenon of disperse urbanization often seen in Brazilian metropolitan regions, including the Metropolitan Region of Campinas. For this purpose, it examines aspects of urbanism, architecture, use and appropriation of this new central space, based on surveys on historical, census and management data. These data make it possible to reflect on the influence of this new center, split and discontinuous vis-a-vis the main downtown area, on the urban dynamic of the city and to evaluate the effects resulting from this process. Key words: discontinuous urbanization, new centers, RMC, Paulinia, urban management.

A distribuição de indivíduos qualificados nas regiões metropolitanas brasileiras: a influência do entretenimento e da diversidade populacional

A base teórica do trabalho é a discussão proposta por Florida, em particular duas das hipóteses do autor que são: a importância de uma sociedade local vibrante na atração de talentos, e a importância de uma sociedade tolerante como fator de aumento da atratividade local. Foi feita uma análise empírica sobre a distribuição de indivíduos qualificados nas regiões metropolitanas do Brasil (RMs). Foram analisadas empiricamente as hipóteses desse autor mediante regressões múltiplas em painel. Verificou-se que uma parte do que foi proposto por Florida é corroborado empiricamente: aquelas que tinham índices de entretenimento, proxi para a primeira das hipóteses citadas acima, mais elevados tendiam a apresentar maiores proporções de indivíduos qualificados. Esse fato não foi observado para os índices de diversidade populacional, proxi para a segunda das hipóteses, que tiveram resultados não significativos. Por fim, as RMs foram classificadas com a utilização da técnica multivariada de aglomerados em grupos similares.

Qualidade das amenidades urbanas: uma estimação da propensão marginal a pagar para as regiões metropolitanas do Brasil

O artigo tem como objetivo principal obter evidências das preferências dos trabalhadores residentes das Regiões Metropolitanas (RMs) do Brasil pelo consumo das amenidades locais, em especial as de clima. Desta forma, com base no montante que os trabalhadores estão dispostos a pagar por esses atributos, as Regiões Metropolitanas são ordenadas com respeito à "qualidade" dos mesmos. A abordagem da escolha discreta, com base no método mixed logit, é aplicada para valorar as amenidades. A partir deste método foram relaxadas três hipóteses da abordagem tradicional hedônica: i) a hipótese do trabalhador representativo (TRAIN, 2003); ii) a hipótese de livre mobilidade dos trabalhadores (BAYER, 2006); e iii) a hipótese de que o pesquisador é capaz de observar todos os atributos importantes dos imóveis (VILLAS-BOAS e WINER, 1999). A análise é realizada para nove RMs Brasileiras: Belém; Fortaleza; Recife; Salvador; Belo Horizonte; Rio de Janeiro; São de Paulo; Curitiba; e Porto Alegre. Em resumo, os resultados sugerem que os consumidores têm preferências heterogêneas pelo consumo das amenidades locais, e que a Região Metropolitana do Rio de Janeiro, em comparação com as demais, está melhor servida dos atributos locais considerados para a estimação do Índice de Qualidade das Amenidades (IQA).

Do Changes in the Labour Market Take Families Out of Poverty? Determinants of Exiting Poverty in Brazilian Metropolitan Regions

Using survival models, we test whether short-term changes in the labour market affect poverty duration. Data are from the Brazilian Monthly Employment Survey. Such a monthly dataset permits more accurate estimations of events than using annual data, but its panel follows households for a short period. Then methods that control for both right- and left-censoring should be used. The results are as follows: households with zero income are not those with the lowest chances of exiting; changes in aggregate unemployment do not affect poverty duration; and increasing wages in the informal sector has a negative effect on poverty duration.

Segregação socioespacial e inserção no mercado de trabalho na Região Metropolitana de Campinas

Based on the premise that “space matters,” the present study is intended as a contribution to the analytic efforts focused on investigating the impact of segregation, understood here as how the concentration in space of similar socioeconomic strata affects the ability of individuals and families to respond to the numerous problems and risks involved in large urban areas. More specifically, the article consists of an investigation into whether, for the case of an emerging metropolitan region in Brazil (Campinas, in the State of Sao Paulo), there are indications of the effect of segregation on the various characteristics of the inclusion of individuals in the labor market. Data from the Federal Demographic Census of 2000 show how unemployment, formality of labor, and the social protection of the economically active population are influenced both by the sociodemographic characteristics, including migratory status and condition of intraurban mobility (pendularity), and by the population’s physical location in the region. As a spatial variable related to segregation, a measure is proposed on Moran’s Local rate, which seeks to identify homogeneous areas in terms of the socioeconomic composition of their inhabitants. Although the results obtained are not conclusive, they do suggest the importance of location on way individuals are absorbed by the labor market. This finding corroborates several of the theoretical propositions taken into account in this study