Brazilian Participants Research Articles

Arielism Versus Cosmopolitanism: Brazilian Reaction to 9/11/01 as Cultural Narrative and Identity Work

This research examines identity work vis-à-vis Brazilian discourse regarding the events of September 11, 2001. The data is drawn from Brazilian nationals and expatriates participating in a digital discourse forum hosted by the newspaper O Estado de São Paulo. In discussing the events of 9/11/01, Brazilians also make sense of what it means to be Brazilian and what it means to be human. As the data show, Brazilians frame their reactions by drawing on larger understandings of the social world. The two most dominant stances come from Brazilians adopting what can be called Arielist and cosmopolitan stances. In addition, a small group of Brazilian expatriates join the fray as self-proclaimed Americanophiles. In examining these dynamics, we see that identities result from the process of identity construction best framed from a social constructionist perspective. In these three cases, identities emerge from interaction, engagement, and reaction to competing identity frames. Through the ongoing dialogue interactions, Brazilian participants implicitly make statements about their self-conceptions and visions of Brazil’s place in the world during this historic event. Significantly, the complementary and oppositional stances in reaction to 9/11/01 continue to persist almost twenty years after the attacks in the ideological frameworks around national identities circulating in both Brazil and the U.S. at present. In this way, the discourse from 2001 foreshadows the impending political chasm between right and left in both Brazil and the United States and provides an impetus for future research.

THE USE OF ACOUSTIC TELEMETRY TO MONITOR FISH SPECIES IN MARINE PROTECTED AREAS: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW WITH NOTES ON BRAZILIAN PERSPECTIVES

Inferring pathways used by organisms within ecosystems is essential to the design, management and evaluation of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs). This study aimed to present a systematic review on the literature regarding the use of acoustic telemetry to monitor marine fish movement and its application on MPAs. Searches were conducted on electronic databases. The first studies using telemetry on marine fish date back to the 60’s, while application on MPAs only appeared 30 years later. However, over the last decade, studies in MPAs accounted for 20% of the overall acoustic telemetry publications on marine fish species. Recent technological development has had an important impact on those results. The number of studies inside MPAs followed the number of general studies and coverage areas of MPAs declared around the world, although frequency of studies did not match MPA coverage in some countries. Developed countries scored more studies, probably due to the relative high cost of acoustic telemetry. Studies in Brazilian MPAs are scarce, with only one study available on elasmobranchs. Brazil has recently increased its MPA coverage to 26%, so it is expected to increase the need for MPA effectiveness studies. Brazilian participation on global tracking networks may help filling this gap.
 Keywords: PRISMA statement, fish movement, remote monitoring, MPA effectiveness, tracking networks

Organization of Free and Open Source Software Projects: In-between the Community and Traditional Governance

This work aimed to understand what community-based free software projects are and what governance characteristics (structure and control) differentiate them from traditional organizations, thus spurring further reflections on this business model. A literature review was conducted to outline the main perceptions on this topic, as well as qualitative exploratory research, involving documentary analysis and interviews with four Brazilian participants who work in the management of projects.. The exploratory research was a preliminary contact with the investigated field to make the arguments presented more reliable. Among the reflections, it is observed that even though it is possible to distinguish community-based free software projects from traditional organizations, a crucial factor not always considered are the transformations resulting from the development of these projects. It is necessary that the studies consider the context of functioning, as well as the changes and interorganizational relationships established by the projects over time. Considering these issues, it is believed that approximations between projects and traditional organizations can occur, even if community characteristics are maintained.

TRANSFORMAÇÕES RECENTES DA POLÍTICA SOCIAL BRASILEIRA: OS EFEITOS DA “CORONA CRISE”

In the last decade, Brazilian economy moved from an optimistic perspective in 2010 to successive crises until 2020, such as the new coronavirus pandemic. Especially after 2014, the economic and political context were: the reduction in growth, the rise in inflation, the serious political crisis, and the severe fiscal austerity. Thus, the Brazilian State participation in the economy was diminished and the social policy suffered significant changes, with a reduction in their budget. In this scenario, the coronavirus pandemic introduced a large challenge to the Brazilian population, which it will depend more on the social policy. Therefore, this article intends to investigate the Brazilian social policy in the recent period (focus between 2015 until 2020), with an emphasis on the effects of the coronavirus crisis. To obtain it, the methodology is a bibliographic and data review, with a division of session as follows: an introduction, a brief conceptualization and recent evolution of Brazilian social policy, the preliminary effects expected from the coronavirus crisis and the final remarks.

The social psychology of a selective national inferiority complex: Reconciling positive distinctiveness and system justification

The national inferiority complex was described in 1958 by the Brazilian journalist Nelson Rodrigues as “how Brazilians voluntarily place themselves in a position of inferiority in comparison to the rest of the world.” In three experimental studies, we tested the hypothesis of a “national inferiority effect” on the behavior of Brazilian participants awarding compensation to a victim of police violence. Study 1 varied the skin color (Black vs. White) and cultural origin (Brazilian vs. African vs. European) of a target and demonstrated the presence of a selective national inferiority effect: participants awarded less compensation to the Brazilian victim than to the European, but higher compensation to the Brazilian victim than to the African, particularly when the victim was White. Study 2 replicated this effect, showing that the victim's skin color is a key factor in the emergence of the national inferiority complex. Study 3 went further and showed that the perceived injustice of an arrest mediates the national inferiority effect. The discussion suggests that the national inferiority complex could represent a compromise between positive distinctiveness and system justification motivations.

Male Mating Expectations in Brazilian and American Samples.

This study aims to investigate assortative mating based on mate value from male perspective. Male participants (132 Brazilian and 106 American) evaluated hypothetical “stimulus” males described in terms of physical attractiveness, social skills, and social status (each varied in high or low levels). Participants rated each stimulus and each stimulus' preferred mating partner on nine traits. The results showed that (1) positive assortative mating was expected in romantic relationships; (2) the stimulus ratings did not vary independently, suggesting that mate value is the result of the interaction of the characteristics of individuals; and (3) that participants expected physically attractive and healthier female partners to pair with high-status male stimuli. The American and Brazilian mating expectations were similar, minor differences indicate that Brazilian participants considered men with high levels of social skills to be more ambitious and intelligent; American participants expected men of high status to be healthier; Brazilians expect men of high status to have more attractive faces, while Americans expected these men to possess more attractive bodies; and Brazilian participants assigned more attractive bodies to men of lower status. These differences reflect the influence of economic and cultural factors on the local environment. The study contributes to the understanding of the construction of market value and reveals that male expectations are in line with human mating preferences. The investigation of mating expectations can be a rich approach to investigate socio-cultural aspects that are related to mating in different cultures

Cross-cultural emotional response to food stimuli: Influence of consumption context

Emotional responses elicited by certain types of food can be influenced by past experiences, frequency of consumption, culture, and other personal preferences. The present research aimed i) to investigate the impact of culture (Brazilian and Spaniard) on consumers' emotional responses and acceptability of different food stimuli, and ii) to explore the influence of evoked contexts. Brazilian (n = 437) and Spanish (n = 397) participants were exposed to three visual food stimuli (image of chocolate, potato chips, and yogurt) in an online survey and reported their emotional responses. Sociodemographic data, liking, and frequency of consumption were also collected. The evoked context in our study were designed and proposed, for each product and culture, based on four dimensions (consumption time, location, social setting, and hungry state). The evoked emotional lexicon was different for each food stimulus and was clearly influenced by the cultural factor. However, there are more similarities between cultures when evaluating the same product category. The evoked contexts were appropriated and influenced the citing frequency of some emotion terms, including positive ones. The most cited emotion terms tended to positively impact product liking ratings, acting as drivers of liking. Consumption level was positively related to liking regardless of cultural interactions for both chocolate and potato chips stimuli. In conclusion, the cultural background demonstrated to be an important impact factor to be considered for understanding the effects of product, consumption occasions, and degree of liking, on emotional responses to foods. These findings offer new possibilities to be explored in marketing messages for interventions or stimuli that guide food choices.

The political dimension of Brazilian port development: a content analysis of the 2013 new port law

The Brazilian seaport infrastructure has witnessed significant changes in the cargo volumes and trade profile as a consequence of Brazilian economy participation in international trade during the 1990s and more in the 2000s. In the main ports, not only the volume of containerized cargo has presented double-digit growth but also the bulk cargo (dry and liquid) have broken records. The Brazilian port system has been through a legal transformation in the mid-1990s with the Port Reform Law 1993 (Act 8630) and the first landlord concessions were signed in years 1995/1997. Then, 20 years later, in 2012, another port reform law was proposed and in a record time fashion, it was passed as law (Act 12815) in the year 2013. This paper analyzes the process by which the Brazilian Port Reform law was passed in Congress, aiming to capture the political dimension of such changes. The study uses content analysis methodology to examine a series of public documents to explicit the motivations, the changes proposed and the final text passed in Congress. The results demonstrate that the port reform law, beyond its economical motivations, represented the political dimension of the port development in Brazil, and as such, it was under the influence of different groups of interest through their Congress Representatives who have disputed the law shape and content.

Regional and global patterns of participation in value chains: Evidence from Brazil

This paper focuses on the role played by the Brazilian economy in global value chains with reference to global and regional contexts. To this end, we calculate downstream and upstream indicators of global and regional integration and fragmentation of global value chains. We use the full Eora Multiregional Input-Output Table for the period from 1990 to 2015. The main results indicate that Brazilian participation in global value chains increased during this period and became more fragmented internationally, mainly in global terms, but its regional insertion has increased more than its global insertion. Although South America has a small share in value-added trade, Brazil operates as a regional hub, as it is a reference for international trade in this region. In the global context, Brazil plays the role of supplier of intermediate inputs, while in the regional context, it serves as the main production center.

The profits of the Portuguese–Brazilian transatlantic slave trade: challenges and possibilities

ABSTRACT Together, Portugal and Brazil were the second biggest players in the transatlantic slave trade. However, we still know little about the profits generated by the slave trade and by the activities carried out by slaves within the Portuguese Empire – in particular in the Atlantic world. In other words, who were the various groups benefiting from those profits and where was the capital obtained invested and/or reinvested? In this article, we present preliminary estimates of gross profits generated by the Portuguese Brazilian participation in this business and discuss the methodological challenges faced to calculate the net profits of Portuguese–Brazilian participation in the slave trade as well as in assessing the weight of slave-based produce in the economies of Portugal, and Brazil. The first part of our study relies mainly on the data available in the Transatlantic Slave Trade Database, evidence gathered from several Portuguese archives, and the slave prices’ series built by David Richardson and David Eltis et al for West and West Central Africa and the Brazilian slave prices series built by Laird Bergad. The second part will be based on the vast body of literature and source materials available in Portuguese, English and other languages on the topic.

Consequences of psychoactive substance use: a comparative study of two services in Brazil and Portugal.

To compare the consequences of psychoactive substance use among users of mental health services in Brazil and Portugal. Cross-sectional, comparative, quantitative study, carried out with 362 users of two specialized treatment services in the cities of São Paulo (n = 200) and Lisbon (n = 162). Data collected in 2019 through the application of the Substance Addiction Consequences scale. A descriptive analysis and ordinary least squares and logistic regressions were performed. All dimensions assessed by the scale were more severe for Brazilian users, with a difference for the physical domain and cognitive skills (p < 0.01). Brazilian participants were more likely to consume cocaine (p < 0.01) and have psychosis (p = 0.02) and Portuguese participants to have hepatitis (p < 0.01), personality disorders (p < 0.01), use benzodiazepines (p < 0.01) and tobacco (p < 0.01), and receive pharmacological support (p < 0.01). It was found that Brazilian users have more serious consequences related to substance use, and Portuguese users have more comorbidities and exposure to risky consumption. It emerges that Portuguese responses minimize the consequences severity.

Cinema negro in Brazil: Disrupting the Visual and Discursive Foundations of Blackness in Branco sai, preto fica (2014)

This essay aims to intervene in a conversation about the development of cinema negro brasileiro (or, Black cinema in Brazil). Prior to and concomitant with government efforts to promote the participation of Black Brazilians in film, many artists and activists have advocated for greater presence of Black Brazilians in film production and an improved representation of the Black experience in Brazil. To that end, I situate the film Branco sai, preto fica / White Out, Black In (dir. Adirley Queirós, 2014) as an example of contemporary Black cinema in Brazil. The film emphasizes an understanding of Black cinema in terms of collaborative authorship and clearly denounces institutionalized violence against Brazil's Black population. What is more, in my discussion of the film, I consider production practices as well as how the tropes of science fiction blend with documentary elements in ways that disrupt the visual and discursive foundations of Blackness in Brazil.

Brazilian manuscripts published in the Dysphagia journal

ABSTRACT Objective: to survey the Brazilian participation in original and review articles published in the Dysphagia journal. Methods: original and review articles in volumes 1 to 35, quantifying all those developed in Brazil, the diseases researched, the places where the investigations were conducted, and the number of citations they received, were analyzed. The categorical variables are presented in relative and absolute frequencies. Literature Review: a total of 35 Brazilian manuscripts were published. The most researched disease was Parkinson’s, followed by Chagas disease, stroke, and the physiology of swallowing. The highest number of publications was carried out at the Universidade de São Paulo, campus at Ribeirão Preto, SP, and the Universidade Federal de São Paulo, capital city. Between 2001 and 2010, 14 manuscripts were published (3.7% of the journal), and between 2011 and 2020, 20 were published (2.9% of the journal). By 2019, the manuscripts had received 481 citations - 17 citations per article between 1998 and 2009, and 14, between 2010 and 2019. Conclusion: Brazilian manuscripts are regularly published in the Dysphagia journal and have a scientific impact. However, there has not been a progressive increase in the number of published articles.

The MCT1 gene Glu490Asp polymorphism (rs1049434) is associated with endurance athlete status, lower blood lactate accumulation and higher maximum oxygen uptake.

The purpose of this study was to explore the association of the MCT1 gene Glu490Asp polymorphism (rs1049434) with athletic status and performance of endurance athletes. A total of 1,208 Brazilians (318 endurance athletes and 890 non-athletes) and 867 Europeans (315 endurance athletes and 552 non-athletes) were evaluated in a case–control approach. Brazilian participants were classified based on self-declared ethnicity to test whether the polymorphism was different between Caucasians and Afro-descendants. Moreover, 66 Hungarian athletes underwent an incremental test until exhaustion to assess blood lactate levels, while 46 Russian athletes had their maximum oxygen uptake ( ) compared between genotypes. In the Brazilian cohort, the major T-allele was more frequent in Caucasian top-level competitors compared to their counterparts of lower competitive level (P = 0.039), and in Afro-descendant athletes compared to non-athletes (P = 0.015). Similarly, the T-allele was more frequent in European athletes (P = 0.029). Meta-analysis of the Brazilian and European cohorts confirmed that the T-allele is over-represented in endurance athletes (OR: 1.48, P = 0.03), especially when Afro-descendant athletes were included in the meta-analysis (OR: 1.58, P = 0.005). Furthermore, carriers of the T/T genotype accumulated less blood lactate in response to intense effort (P < 0.01) and exhibited higher (P = 0.04). In conclusion, the Glu490Asp polymorphism was associated with endurance athletic status and performance. Our findings suggest that, although ethnic differences may exist, the presence of the major T-allele (i.e., the Glu-490 allele) favours endurance performance more than the mutant A-allele (i.e., the 490-Asp allele).

Are there really many runners out there? Is the proportion of runners increasing over time? A population-based 12-year repeated cross-sectional study with 625,460 Brazilians

ObjectivesTo investigate the proportion of individuals who practice running, its temporal trend, and to describe the runners’ characteristics. DesignPopulation-based repeated cross-sectional study. MethodsThe data from the Protective and Risk Factors for Chronic Diseases by Telephone Survey (Vigitel) from Brazil were used. Telephone interviews were conducted with adults from the Brazilian capitals (27 cities) between 2006–2017. The interviewer read the questions and recorded the participants’ responses immediately in a questionnaire. Data analyses were conducted using a Bayesian approach. ResultsThe Vigitel database consisted of 625,460 Brazilian participants composed of 295,681 exercisers and within them 15,529 runners. The mean yearly proportion of runners was about 2.45% (95% Bayesian credible interval [CrI] 1.93 to 3.11) and 5.32% (95%CrI 4.29 to 6.54) in the entire study population and within exercisers, respectively. The absolute increase in the proportion of runners per year over the 12-year period was 0.13% and 0.17% in the entire study population and within exercisers, respectively. Runners were more likely to be younger, men, within normal body mass index, highly educated, moderate alcohol drinkers, non-smokers, less exposed to TV, living near physical activity/sports facilities and less exposed to health conditions such as arterial hypertension, diabetes and dyslipidaemia. ConclusionThere was a 95% probability that the yearly proportion of runners lies between 1.93% and 3.11% in the population of the 27 Brazilian capitals, and between 4.29% and 6.54% within exercisers. There has been an increase in the proportion of runners over time. Runners were associated with healthier characteristics compared to non-runners and non-exercisers.

Adaptation and Validation of the Brazilian Version of the Fear of COVID-19 Scale.

The pandemic caused by COVID-19 has generated psychological impacts, such as fear of this disease. The authors developed the Fear of COVID-19 Scale (FCV-19S), which aims to assess the fear of COVID-19 in the general population. Adapt and validate the FCV-19S for the Portuguese language in the Brazilian context. Four main initial steps were performed: translation, back-translation, semantic validation, and experimental application. Snowball sampling corresponded to 354 Brazilian participants. Psychometric tests were performed to investigate the validity and reliability of the test, such as confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). Analysis of the data showed satisfactory internal consistency (α = 0.88), and CFA (factor loads from 0.57 to 0.86) confirmed the unidimensional structure. The Brazilian version of FCV-19S is considered valid, reliable, and appropriate for application among the general Brazilian population and may contribute to the prevention, treatments, and mental health programs, resulting from the pandemic of COVID-19.

Contemporary foods – Can they become new comfort foods or simply mimic them?

This paper aims to provide a broad view of how contemporary foods have altered the conception of comfort foods. Can ‘green’ foods be comfort foods? Moreover, are modern trends producing new comfort foods? To answer these questions, we conducted qualitative research which included semi-structured interviews with 20 Brazilian participants. It was shown that cultural predilections, health concerns, self-awareness, past experiences, familiarity, satiety, and taste may explain why comfort food preferences vary from healthy to unhealthy foods, and from traditional to modern foods. The psychological manifestation of comfort was shown to be more closely related to a sense of morality where healthier foods were concerned. A desire for novelty may explain a growing desire for contemporary foods as a way to escape a sense of routine or boredom in taste experiences. We suggest considering contemporary foods to be comfort foods mimics which elicit similar emotional effects in different contexts.

Physical activity in periods of social distancing due to COVID-19: a cross-sectional survey.

Physical inactivity and sedentary behavior are associated with poor physical and mental health. The article aims to assess the changes in the habits of the Brazilian participants engaged in physical activities in relation to their practices, due the measures of social distancing during the COVID-19 epidemic in 2020. The secondary objective was to describe their levels of anxiety and depression. The questionnaire used in this online survey included demographic information, questions about self-perceptions of the impact of the COVID-19 in the life routines and the 14-item Hospital Anxiety Depression Scale. A total of 1,613 adults completed the questionnaire between May 11 and 15, 2020. Of those, 79.4% reported that the measures to contain the epidemic had any impact on their physical activities, and many had to interrupt or decrease the frequency of their practices. Participants who felt a higher impact of quarantine on their physical activities tend to have higher prevalence of anxiety and depression symptoms. Individuals who practiced physical activities reported that social distance had a high influence on their practices. Furthermore, changes in these habits are associated with high levels of poor mental health.

Valores Ambientais como Mediadores da Influência de Altruísmo e Frugalidade Sobre o Sacrifício Material

Um dos grandes desafios no estudo de valores ambientais perpassa o entendimento da relação dinâmica entre diferentes crenças e atitudes capazes de constituir uma rede de influência sobre o comportamento de consumo, dentre eles a disposição ao sacrifício material. Para o presente estudo, 391 participantes brasileiros, com idade média de M = 35.39 (DP = 12.5), 148 (37.9%) do sexo masculino, 243 (62.1%) do sexo feminino, responderam a Escala de Sacrifício Material, Escala de Familiaridade com a Natureza, Escala de Frugalidade, Escala de Altruísmo Autorreportado e um questionário sociodemográfico. As análises bivariadas apontam que sacrifício material apresentou correlações positivas com as dimensões de todas as medidas empregadas, incluindo frugalidade e altruísmo. No modelo multivariado, foi observado que valores ambientais servem como mediadores do impacto da frugalidade e altruísmo sobre o sacrifício material, com o modelo final atingindo ajuste satisfatório para a complexidade de sua estrutura, que inclui modelo métrico completo.

Perceived fear of COVID-19 infection according to sex, age and occupational risk using the Brazilian version of the Fear of COVID-19 Scale

We investigated the fear of COVID-19 infection after proper translation and cultural adaptation of the “Fear of COVID-19 Scale” to the Brazilian Portuguese language. A sample of 1,743 Brazilian participants were included. The scale showed excellent psychometric characteristics. Women showed higher anxiety levels. Fear of COVID-19 scores were lower in males with occupational risk of contamination. On the other hand, women and younger individuals showed higher fear of COVID-19 infection scores. The Brazilian Fear of COVID-19 Scale proved to be a reliable tool with excellent psychometric properties for identifying fear of COVID-19 infection in the Brazilian population.