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A surfer has gone viral for daring to ride the dangerous rapids of a flooded river in Brazil
Two-time surfing champion Paulo Coelho can be seen on his board in the violent brown waters of the Rio Doce river in his hometown of Governador Valadares
The extreme videos showed the 53-year-old and a friend entering the river despite a warning issued by the Minas Gerais State Civil Defense over its overflowing levels
'The objective is to understand the possibilities, advantages and disadvantages of each board model, and how they behave with variations in the size and shape of the wave,' he wrote in an Instagram post.
Coelho told Estado de Minas newspaper that his love for waters sports started with kayaking excursions and that he was drawn to surfing by actors he saw on television as a child.
He was just 13 years old when he took on the challenge of surfing beach waves in the state of Bahia while on vacation in 1985.
A few years later, a friend shared a video that he had recorded in Europe of a person surfing in a river surrounded by canoes.
Since the Atlantic Ocean sits about 185 miles away from his hometown, Coelho and his friends decided to test their skills by surfing in the river.
'I don't recommend anyone who doesn't surf to get involved,' Coelho said.
'Even those who have been surfing for a long time should contact us so we can tell them where the waves are, and what safety points to take and what to watch out for so they don't run unnecessary risks.'
Coelho usually waits until the weekend to surf in the river with his 28-year-old nephew.
He has passed down his favorite hobby to his 14-year-old son and 18-year-old daughter, and is also teaching them how to ocean surf.
It's unsure if Coelho will be returning to surf this week due to the weather conditions in Minas Gerais.
The National Institute of Meteorology elevated its alert to orange in the state due to the risk of heavy rain on Thursday.
Authorities expect wind gusts of up to 68 miles per hours and up to 4 inches of rain on Thursday.
At least nine cities in the northern region of the state declared a state of emergency Thursday due to rain.
One person was found dead Monday in the rural municipality of Glaucilandia after his car was swept away while attempting to drive over a flooded bridge.
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known as "consuls" or "coyotes," are profiting from Brazil's woes.Police allege that many of the country's top coyotes hail from the region of eastern Minas Gerais that includes Alpercata
They're now expanding aggressively into far-flung new territories in Brazil's north and west
places with no long-standing tradition of U.S
according to federal police in Governador Valadares
a city of nearly 300,000 people a half-hour drive from Alpercata."This is now a nationwide market," said federal Detective Cristiano Campidelli
a former chief of the Governador Valadares office who has tracked the illicit trade.'VALADOLARES'Still
the epicenter for now remains Minas Gerais
a mineral-rich state whose ties to the United States can be traced to the U.S
search for mica used in planes and radios during World War II
Almost everyone in this part of the country has a relative in Boca Raton or Boston
Locals have nicknamed the city "Valadolares" for the dollars earned by emigres and sent here as remittances.A strong U.S
The dollar is up more than 50% against the Brazilian real since late 2018
when right-wing President Jair Bolsonaro was elected.Migration has surged on his watch
with the number of Brazilians detained at the southern U.S
border rising more than 3,500% over the same period
Brazilians abroad are now wiring $300 million to $400 million back home each month
up from $200 million to $300 million a month during the first two years of Bolsonaro's presidency.Although these dollars are welcome
Governador Valadares now lacks engineers and healthcare workers
even the pão de queijo - Brazil's famous cheese bread - is under threat.Near an evangelical church whose logo is emblazoned with a U.S
Owner Valquiria Ribeiro said she's struggling to retain trained breadmakers; she has lost three to the United States since the pandemic began.Over at one of Alpercata's middle schools
janitor Egnalda Oliveira is laying the groundwork for her own journey north.A single mother of a teenage boy
she said the deaths of her husband and parents
Mother and son recently obtained their first passports
who has watched many of his friends depart."If I could leave tomorrow
I would," Oliveira said.Reporting by Gabriel Stargardter; additional reporting by Brad Haynes; editing by Marla Dickerson
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How this rural district in Brazil started a pipeline of immigrant labor that is transforming Martha’s Vineyard
Brazil – The man with kind eyes and a gentle face presents an old Polaroid photo
The image captures his hometown here in this region in Brazil’s interior as it looked back in 1985: dirt roads
were still the main mode of transportation back then
which was then just a tiny village in Brazil’s mineral-rich interior
was taken in the fateful year when Brazil’s U.S.-backed military dictatorship ended after 20 years of rule
and the country took on the strains of transitioning back to democracy
Goiabeira struggled economically through what became known as “the lost decade” caused by the huge debt and hyperinflation driven by massive infrastructure projects taken on during military rule
This 61-year-old man sharing the Polaroid starts on his story
That journey would take him from his rural hometown in this Brazilian state of Minas Gerais all the way to Orlando
where he sought to achieve a better quality of life
It was a relatively brief stint working on Martha’s Vineyard
but it would earn him a unique place in history as the first known Brazilian immigrant to work on Martha’s Vineyard
set in motion a wave of immigration that started small
and steadily surged to become a king tide of immigrants flowing here to find work
many of whom would stay on to establish second- and third-generation Brazilian families who have transformed the Island
He was born in 1963 in a modest home made of clay bricks and rustic plank floors
His parents named him after the 36th president of the U.S.
who had just been sworn in after the assassination of President John F
and liked the sound of the name “Lyndon,” and it was something of a custom across Latin America at that time to name children after world leaders
I searched for other Brazilians in many places
but couldn’t find any,” he began his story
“It was a life of loneliness; I walked by myself at the beach
Pereira was 22 when the tourist visa was stamped on Sept
He bought a plane ticket \and then overstayed his visa to work
Soon after Pereira took a chance on a job on Martha’s Vineyard
He knew them both from a neighboring town of his
Then about 20 more from the two neighboring towns followed them the next year
nearly 10 percent of the babies born at the Vineyard hospital had a Brazilian mother
estimates counted 3,000 Brazilians living on the Island
resulting in a change in the Island’s demographics
Today, the total Brazilian population is estimated to be 20 percent of the Island’s year-round population, and the second most spoken language after English is Portuguese, according to the 2021 Dukes County rural health assessment
roughly a third of all babies born at the Martha’s Vineyard Hospital are of Brazilian descent
And an estimated 40 percent of the students in the Island’s public schools speak Portuguese as the first language in their homes
A majority of these immigrants to the Island
and those sprinkled across Massachusetts in towns like Framingham and Falmouth
are from the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais
The state is known for its mining and rural economy
as well as its flavorful food — like cheese bread — and its warm hospitality
Goiabeira is among more than 50 municipalities with the highest international immigration rate proportionally in all Brazil
he found his first job at Bond & Buckhart in Newton
a gourmet carryout famous for its awardwinning pecan rolls
invited him to work at a restaurant that she would co-manage on Martha’s Vineyard: David Ryan’s
He had never heard of this Island called Martha’s Vineyard before
Pereira started working on the island in January 1987
cleaning for the restaurant’s seasonal opening
and he would stay on to work as a dishwasher
He worked double shifts despite leaving with his legs hurting: “In Boston
one of those affable people always with a giant smile.”
She would later become co-owner of Chesca’s, also in Edgartown, a popular fine-dining restaurant, for 26 years
She watched how the Island’s workforce that hails from Brazil has transformed the Island and become a vital part of its economy
Maxwell said she does not believe the service industries
would have survived on Martha’s Vineyard without the extraordinary work ethic of the Brazilian community
She said that in her many years working with Brazilian immigrants
she has observed that they do not ask for time off
“We had to tell them to take a day for themselves,” said Maxwell
Maxwell was not aware of her unexpected historical role as the first employer to hire the first Brazilian immigrant
“I feel glad to have been a part of being welcoming and treating people fairly
The need for a workforce did not go unnoticed by Pereira
and he explained what drives most Brazilians: “I’d do my best to be good at work because I needed to keep that job and earn money
You need to be like that when you’re already in a country you don’t speak the language
you have at least to be good to be successful to achieve what you need.”
The immigration pipeline from Brazil follows patterns similar to other historic migrations of ethnic groups that represent the history of America
they include the surge of Irish immigrants to Boston and New York in the mid 19th century to the Portuguese immigrants who came before them in the 17th and 18th centuries
particularly to the Cape and Islands to work in the lucrative whaling industry
the hard work does not resolve the melancholy that many feel for their loved ones back home
Pereira remembers how disappointed he was when his girlfriend in Brazil ended their long-distance relationship after a year
and he remembers how lonely he felt as the only Brazilian on the Island
To stay closer to loved ones and his beloved hometown
and even VHS tapes he recorded on a Panasonic video camera
but everything changed when his father suffered a stroke
to become his father’s caretaker for 12 years
he recommended another Brazilian for his job
the word spread about this Island where pay was higher and the American dream could be achieved more quickly
around 20 Brazilians embarked on the ferry to find work on the island
As this new immigration pipeline from Brazil to the Island was just getting underway in the mid-1980s
Congress was discussing major reform of immigration law
The legislative efforts culminated with President Ronald Reagan signing the Immigration Reform and Control Act (IRCA) in November 1986
The act offered a path to legalization through amnesty
and created an employment verification system
The effect of this law was the largest single legalization in the U.S.
regularizing the immigration status of nearly 3 million people
among other factors such as high job availability in the U.S
and few pathways for those immigrants to bring family members
contributed to increasing the immigrant wave to the U.S
Pereira’s pioneering role for Martha’s Vineyard impacted mainly two of Goiabeiras’ neighboring towns: Cuparaque in Minas Gerais state
and Mantenópolis in the bordering state of Espírito Santo
these towns couldn’t be more different from the Vineyard
About a four-hour drive from the nearest ocean, they look more like towns in rural Kentucky, set in valleys and surrounded by steep mountains. These towns’ income levels are low, with an average annual salary under $4,000 per year, compared with the exclusivity and wealth of the Island with an average gross income per year of $107,400
the money earned by Brazilian immigrants on the Vineyard was mostly sent home
and it transformed small rural towns in Minas Gerais
and contrast them with the more modest homes that surround them
there is a horse-breeding farm that embodies this newfound wealth
there are two ornate statues of majestic horses
each with a flagpole: one for the Brazilian flag and the other for the American flag
there are backyard gardens that seem inspired by the landscaping that has become a signature of the mansions of Martha’s Vineyard
adorned with tropical plants like orchids and desert roses
There are shops and restaurants that draw inspiration from the Island
including a small local bakery serving chocolate glazed doughnuts with birthday cake sprinkles that look straight out of Backdoor Donuts
Everyone I spoke to during my visit said they either had lived in the Vineyard or have a family member who lives or had lived there
The Island is in people’s memories and strongest emotions: A man showed me with pride the last house he helped build before heading back to Brazil several years ago; another says that if he closes his eyes
he can remember all the roads in Edgartown; a mother got emotional just hearing “Martha’s Vineyard,” because her 19-year-old daughter has been living there for a year; a businessman shows all the buildings he bought with his hard work on the Island — and while the current Mantenópolis mayor is also an American citizen
three out of seven Cuparaque mayors have lived on the Island
For a long time, until 2009, Pereira was unaware of his historical role. “I myself didn’t know [I was the first immigrant],” he said. It was Daniela Gerson
a professor at California State University who specializes in immigrant and multiethnic populations
who found him during her master’s-degree research at the University of Southern California
and documented the story for the Financial Times
It was only when Gerson asked him about his unique claim to fame as the first Brazilian immigrant to Martha’s Vineyard that Pereira realized the role he had played in history
“I started remembering that actually there was nobody else besides me,” he said
where he championed the campaign to raise the village to a town status in 1995
the town’s main revenues started coming from public jobs in the town hall
and health centers — as well as from remittances from abroad that injected money into local commerce
While immigration to the Vineyard changed Pereira’s life
and the life of people in Goiabeira and nearby towns
he has also honored the migration history of his ancestors to the region
As in the myth of the conquest of the American West
people celebrate their settler past in a big rodeo party
every year: children with their hobbyhorses and adults with horse wagons and bull carts
Pereira is one of the founders of the celebration called “Festa do Carreiro,” or “Bull Cart Riders Party,” running since 1996
the four-day party drew hundreds of people from nearby towns for the daily events
a parade of dozens of horse wagons set off at the town entrance
where shining silver letters write “Goiabeira” next to a statue of a man leading a bull cart and four black and white spotted oxes
The procession then headed to the town center
where people waved and took pictures of different generations of families riding together
some carrying traditional Minas Gerais milk brasses
my great-grandfather owned coffee farms and a fleet of bull carts,” Pereira said
as they transported goods in the small towns in the area when migrants like his ancestors arrived from the coastal towns
that region of the state was one of the last to be settled by the Portuguese in the 1800s
the rodeo harks back to a frontier era with a dark side: wars that enslaved and exterminated local indigenous communities
Like the Aquinnah Wampanoag on Martha’s Vineyard
Economic extractive cycles of timber, iron ore, and by World War II, mica — which was exported exclusively to the U.S. — drained the region’s resources. Sueli Siqueira, a professor at Vale do Rio Doce University in Minas Gerais, investigated how this region became the origin of a pipeline for immigration to the U.S.
She found that it all started when an American engineering company called Morrison was fixing the Vitória-Minas railroad in the 1960s
and they decided to stay in Governador Valadares after the project ended
encouraged her students to do cultural exchanges in the U.S
“The first immigrants were the children of the local elite
who went to study English and found out they could work and earn money
more and more started traveling to the U.S
After establishing “Little Brazil” in midtown Manhattan
those immigrants found other markets in need of labor
it was the local middle class’ turn to emigrate
“The ones who had gone before started financing others to move and work for them,” Siqueira said
Governador Valadares is a regional economic center
and transformed also into an immigration regional center
spreading its influence to dozens of towns like Goiabeira
the words “Governador Valadares” are a synonym of Brazilian immigration to the U.S
Valadares even became Framingham’s sister city in 2004
Pereira thought about going back to Martha’s Vineyard to raise money when his job situation was not stable in Brazil
He had reconnected with an old crush upon arriving back home: Maria Aparecida de Freitas
They got married on the last day of 1988 — he left the Vineyard in the beginning of that year
as they had to wait and see if there would be openings they could apply for
young men migrated alone for a few years to raise money and go back home
he was able to buy a piece of land near Cuparaque and a house in the town center
but at the time it was not enough for the newly married couple
“One day he got home and said he was thinking about going back to the U.S
to improve our life,” Maria Aparecida Pereira said
‘If the idea is for you to go and for me to stay here
I prefer that we divorce then.’” After that
both got stable teaching jobs: He was a math teacher for 29 years
and she was a Portuguese teacher for 28 years
And now we are enjoying the grandchildren that keep coming,” she said
and are expecting the arrival of their sixth grandchild
Pereira himself never traveled back to the U.S.
and took pictures of places he had heard his father talk about
Pereira himself is uncertain about visiting the Island
but he said he would like to reconnect with the people he met in the U.S.
who welcomed him in the two years and eight months he lived in Boston and the Vineyard
Maria Aparecida Pereira said she’s proud of her husband’s story: “I think he opened doors for many others
who had even better opportunities than his
It’s also a story of friendships; he tells us about being treated well by his employers
and speaks highly of the Americans he worked for and with
we stop at the top of a hill so Pereira can show me the exact place he took the Polaroid 39 years ago
and it’s hard to see downtown’s square with its stores and parked cars from there
because of the many multistory large houses on the horizon
Pereira is proud of Goiabeira and likes enjoying a small-town quiet life — living a short distance from his mother
and his wife’s family in a town where he knows almost everybody
enjoying a level of safety not all in Brazil are able to have
He calls his hometown a paradise: His house is one of the largest in the neighborhood
and he enjoys a quiet life as a retired math teacher
and hosting community radio shows in a small studio he built for himself
dozens of feathered friends that he feeds in his backyard
“Many were able to grow and earn a lot of money; some were very poor,” he said about people who immigrated to the Vineyard
“I’m very happy they transformed their lives
they can give a better future to their children,” he said
The author of this inaugural piece of our series exploring how Brazilian immigrants transformed Martha’s Vineyard
Paula Moura is a Brazilian journalist working in Massachusetts and an MV Times regular contributor
it was her first time traveling to those towns and villages where so many immigrants to the Island come from
She said everyone there was very welcoming and
I had no idea how the Brazilian population arrived here
The article also seems like a slightly different direction for editorial and I love it for its depth and ability to give me new perspectives
The MV Times comment policy requires first and last name for all comments
Nikolas Motta remembers what it was like walking into the Nova Uniao gym in Rio de Janeiro as a teenager with dreams of one day becoming a world champion
“It was crazy because I would look around and see so many legends and guys that fight all around the world,” he said
“He (head coach Andre Pederneiras) used to have like 15 UFC fighters in the room and so many guys that used to fight in Japan and be world champions
Now I'm back and I feel nostalgic sometimes.”
Nine and a half hours away from his real home in Governador Valadares
the budding MMA fighter found kindred spirits who helped him develop his craft and get him to within striking distance of the UFC
There was a stint on The Ultimate Fighter Brazil 4 in 2015 that put his name on the international map
some ups and downs on the regional circuit and ultimately
where he continued chasing the Octagon dream in New Jersey and Colorado
that dream came true when he defeated Joseph Lowry to earn a UFC contract
The bad news is that the 29-year-old hasn’t fought since
Jim Miller and Cameron Van Camp at times last year
he did so with an uncertain future until the phone rang
“I got to a point when my manager called me to offer me a fight
I'm ready to fight,’ and I would fight anyone
I've been waiting for so long and I've been working my ass off for so long.”
Luckily, that call came attached to an opponent Motta had already prepared for in the man with the most fights in UFC history, Miller.
The only question was, would Motta go back to Colorado to train with the Factory X squad, or stay in Brazil and go back to his fighting roots? He chose the latter option and couldn’t be more excited.
View this post on Instagram A post shared by Nikolas Motta (@nikolasmotta)
“I think this time I feel in a better place mentally and more confident,” he said
At the time I went to The Ultimate Fighter
I was only 21 years old and I was only fighting MMA for two and a half years
and I'm ready to fight one of the biggest names in MMA and UFC history
and I'm happy and grateful for this opportunity
I worked hard my whole life for this moment.”
he believes he’s arriving in the big show at the perfect time
Johnny Walker & Jamahal Hill | Best Finishes
“I've been working my ass off the whole year of 2021
but I've been working hard the whole time and improving my game and getting better
I take these fights way more seriously right now
Maybe I wouldn't take it so serious when I was younger and immature
Don't miss a single round of UFC Fight Night: Walker vs Hill, live from the UFC APEX on Saturday, February 19 on ESPN+
If you're trapped on an island and had to choose a handful of fights you couldn't live without
Go Through All The Heavyweight Title Winners In UFC History
Brazilian Brings A New Aresenal In Search Of First UFC Win Saturday At UFC Fight Night: Walker vs Hill
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a leading global supplier for freight and transit rail
announced today a definitive agreement to acquire Super Metal
a supplier of automated vehicles and equipment solutions that support rail operations
Super Metal is one of the leading Brazilian companies in the maintenance of way segment in the rail industry
This acquisition complements our Nordco acquisition and accelerates our strategy to expand into international markets
The financial terms of the acquisition were not disclosed
“Super Metal's solutions and equipment for railway maintenance of way have synergy with Wabtec’s Services portfolio,” said Danilo Miyasato
President & Regional General Manager of Wabtec in Latin America
“The combination of these solutions will enhance our maintenance portfolio and offer our customers increased safety
“This deal highlights a lifetime of work from an entire family and boosts the Super Metal's capacity to deliver innovative solutions to the market
We are excited with this new chapter as a Wabtec business.”
Super Metal has nearly 30 years of experience supplying diverse automated vehicles and maintenance equipment that include vehicles for rail and tie maintenance
and project execution for day-to-day operations of railroads throughout Brazil.
“Super Metal is a great addition to our maintenance of way portfolio
Their differentiated road to rail solutions will accelerate our international growth in key regions such as Latin America
Group President of Wabtec’s Global Freight Services.
With Super Metal located in Governador Valadares city in Minas Gerais
this acquisition provides Wabtec a robust rail maintenance portfolio in South America
It also complements Wabtec’s existing freight rail manufacturing presence in Contagem
Transportation solutions that revolutionize the way the world moves
we help our customers overcome their toughest challenges by delivering rail and industrial solutions that improve safety
30 Isabella StreetPittsburgh, PA 15212 - USAPhone: 412-825-1000Fax: 412-825-1019
An official website of the United States government
Watch Live at 11:30 a.m. ET: Results of Nationwide Law Enforcement Effort Press Conference
View the latest ICE guidance on COVID-19
Get information about how to check in with your local ICE Office here
Reportándose con ICE: Obtenga información sobre cómo reportarse a su oficina local de ICE aquí
View in other languages
Call 1-866-DHS-2-ICE to report suspicious activityReport Crime
Learn More About ICE
ICE's ERO officers uphold United States immigration laws by focusing on individuals who present the greatest risk to national security
View the annual report
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the archive contains content from a previous administration or is otherwise outdated
This information is archived and not reflective of current practice
For more information on EOIR, visit: justice.gov/eoir
BOSTON — Fugitive Operations Team officers with Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) Boston arrested a Brazilian national wanted in his homeland for aggravated homicide on Feb
The foreign fugitive is wanted on an active criminal warrant for the charge of aggravated homicide in Brazil
a city in the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais
this individual could face up to 30 years in prison
Border Patrol originally apprehended the criminally charged fugitive near Otay Mesa
after officials determined he entered the United States illegally
and released him on an order of recognizance pending removal proceedings
The Brazilian criminal court issued the fugitive’s arrest warrant after the U.S. Border Patrol released him on recognizance, which flagged ERO Boston authorities. The Brazilian fugitive will remain in ICE custody pending the outcome of an upcoming hearing to be scheduled with the Department of Justice’s Executive Office for Immigration Review
In fiscal year 2022
ERO arrested 46,396 noncitizens with criminal histories; this group had 198,498 associated charges and convictions
These included 21,531 assault offenses; 8,164 sex and sexual assault offenses; 5,554 weapons offenses; 1,501 homicide-related offenses; and 1,114 kidnapping offenses
ERO operations target public safety threats
such as convicted criminal noncitizens and gang members
who have violated our nation's immigration laws
including those who illegally re-enter the country after being removed and immigration fugitives ordered removed by federal immigration judges
ERO deportation officers assigned to Interpol also assist in targeting foreign fugitives for crimes committed abroad at-large in the U.S
ERO manages all aspects of the immigration enforcement process
ERO repatriates noncitizens ordered removed from the U.S
Members of the public can report crimes or suspicious activity by calling 866-347-2423 or completing ICE’s online tip form
Learn more about ERO’s mission in your community on Twitter @EROBoston
For media inquiries about ICE activities, operations, or policies, contact the ICE Office of Public Affairs at ICEMedia@ice.dhs.gov
Metrics details
Leishmaniasis is a highly diverse group of diseases caused by kinetoplastid of the genus Leishmania
with human pathogenic species separated into two subgenera according to their development site inside the alimentary tract of the sand fly insect vector
The disease encompasses a variable spectrum of clinical manifestations with tegumentary or visceral symptoms
Leishmania (Leishmania) amazonensis is an important etiological agent of human cutaneous leishmaniasis that accounts for more than 8% of all cases in endemic regions
(L.) amazonensis is generally found in the north and northeast regions of Brazil
(L.) amazonensis from dogs with clinical manifestations of visceral leishmaniasis in Governador Valadares
an endemic focus in the southeastern Brazilian State of Minas Gerais where L
These isolates were characterized in terms of SNPs
chromosome and gene copy number variations
confirming that they are closely related to a previously sequenced isolate obtained in 1973 from the typical Northern range of this species
The results presented in this article will increase our knowledge of L
(L.) amazonensis-specific adaptations to infection
parasite survival and the transmission of this Amazonian species in a new endemic area of Brazil
although hindgut development appears to be ancestral
These distinct disease features have been classified into tegumentary (TL; also known as cutaneous leishmaniasis or CL) and visceral leishmaniasis (VL)
The municipality of Governador Valadares in the southeastern Brazilian state of Minas Gerais is an endemic area for TL and a focus of intense transmission of VL
identification of Leishmania species using molecular or biochemical tools has not been conducted in this area
Our study has found important differences in terms of SNPs
chromosome and gene copy number variation within L
(L.) amazonensis and with the closely related species L
(L.) mexicana that have not been explored previously
As well as expanding our knowledge of the diversity and epidemiology of L
this information will ultimately contribute to the understanding of some of the mechanisms of L
(L.) amazonensis infection and survival as well as provide conclusive evidence of the presence of this species in VL-endemic urban areas
Molecular genotyping indicates that isolates S3 and S6 belonged to the Leishmania mexicana complex due to the matched restriction profile with L. (L.) amazonensis/L. (L.) mexicana (Supplementary Fig. S3) whereas the remaining 34 isolates were genotyped as L
(L.) infantum isolates were sequenced on the Illumina HiSeq 2000 v3 platform at The Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute
Raw sequence data was deposited in the European Nucleotide Archive with the accession number ERP016755
base and mapping quality as described in the methods
This approach identified 23,921 and 17,624 SNPs between JPCM5 and isolates S3 and S6
13,474 variants were shared between both isolates
This result contrasts with the lower number of variants called in the other three L
(L.) infantum isolates against the JPCM5 (2,342; 2,318 and 2,149 SNPs in S1
This finding is consistent with PCA result for these isolates that shows a cluster of three isolates with the JPCM5 reference strain, while samples S3 and S6 were markedly different (Fig. 1). This result confirmed that isolates S3 and S6 were somehow unrelated to the rest of the isolates and therefore required further analysis.
PCA shows that the S3 and S6 isolates to do not group with L
Competitive mapping against the L. (L.) mexicana U1103 and the L. (L.) amazonensis M2269 reference genomes resulted in more than 78% of the reads from both the S3 and S6 isolates mapping specifically to L. (L.) amazonensis M2269 with a median genome coverage of 40.5 and 29.7, respectively (Supplementary Fig. S4)
This result suggested that both samples had a closer relationship to L
The resulting contigs were subsequently ordered into 34 pseudochromosomes assuming a similar chromosomal organization to the most closely related species available (L
Comparing our assemblies for S3 and S6 against seven species
we identified 294 single-copy orthologous loci (302,742 nucleotides) for phylogenetic analysis
We identified the TVM model with invariable sites as the best model for the concatenated nucleotide dataset
Concatenated dataset 294 loci (302,742 nucleotides)
The x-axis shows absolute time scale in millions of years and nodes are located at the mean divergence
This result shows that isolates S3 and S6 correspond to L
(L.) amazonensis and have an 82Ky divergence from the M2269 L
All nodes in the tree are supported with a posterior probability of one (red circles on figure)
the most recent common ancestor of S3 and S6 existed around 1,900 years ago (4.6Kya-43ya) suggesting that the L
(L.) amazonensis population in the vicinity of Governador Valadares could have been present for more than 2,000 years
Columns represent the estimated haploid copy number for each chromosome. Mean genome ploidy is indicated by a dotted black line.
The figure shows the read depth coverage on each individual chromosome (internal boxes) along with the number of expanded genes for each isolate
The mean read depth is shown as a line plot for each chromosome in green for disomic regions and on red for expanded genomic regions
read depth is evenly distributed along the entire chromosome 30 on both isolates suggesting that the whole chromosome is expanded
The internal histogram displays the total number of gene expansions identified in each chromosome indicating that most expanded genes are located on chromosome 33
To confirm our estimates of chromosome ploidy for each isolate from read depth-based analyses
we examined the distribution of allele frequencies across sites for each chromosome; heterozygous sites on disomic chromosomes should have frequencies close to 0.5
while those on trisomic chromosomes will show frequencies of 1/3 or 2/3 and those on tetrasomic chromosomes can show peaks at 1/4
The blue lines represent normalized counts of the proportions at heterozygous positions for all chromosomes
The results support that most chromosomes are disomic in both isolates
(L.) amazonensis is also likely to act during the transition to infecting metacyclic promastigotes
These tandem gene arrays include surface antigen protein 2 (PSA2)
may be particularly important for the more aggressive disease phenotype associated with L
(L.) amazonensis that can range from DCL to VL infection
The genomic analysis performed in this study of the two L
(L.) amazonensis isolates allowed us to explore some unique features in terms of chromosome and gene copy number variations that are unique to this species
(L.) amazonensis could be the result of different selection pressures to other Leishmania species
Gene copy number variations in relation to L
(L.) mexicana show that species-specific expansions exist despite the high similarity
especially in expanded genes and tandem arrays in proteins potentially involved in cell differentiation
cellular trafficking and parasite host interaction
this mechanism could be crucial for invasion and survival inside host macrophages
playing an important role for PSA2 and EF-1α
and it may also be partially responsible for the broad clinical phenotype associated with different isolates including TL
It is important to emphasize that because we are analyzing only two L
it is difficult to obtain robust information about determinants of the disease
This question should be addressed in a larger study with an increased number of L
amazonensis isolates and oriented towards a comparative perspective against a VL species
this article presents the first report of L
(L.) amazonensis in Governador Valadares and shows a potential risk for current control efforts in the area that have been designed considering only the presence of L
(L.) amazonensis presented all clinical symptoms shown by dogs infected with L
This information provides evidence of the severity of L
(L) amazonensis infection and might indicate potential involvement of L
(L.) amazonensis in canine VL that should be further investigated
We also find evidence that the presence of L
(L.) amazonensis in southern Brazilian regions correspond to an ancient dispersion event rather than a recent introduction of this species
as our two southern isolates are estimated to have a common ancestor almost two thousand years ago
Sequence data from additional isolates from both foci would help to shed further lights on the epidemiology of L
and exclude an alternative explanation of multiple introductions of this species to Southern Brazil
Our results indicate that the EIE-LVC kit and possibly other diagnostic kits based on similar antigens can cross-react with L
This cross-reactivity may have resulted in an underestimation of the distribution and prevalence of L
This important drawback underscores the need to develop better diagnostic methods capable of discriminating between L
(L.) infantum and to encourage the use of genomics into epidemiological studies
Given the different clinical presentations of human infections with L
surveillance efforts and control activities in this region should consider the presence of L
(L.) amazonensis and address putative vectors for this species and the risks of co-infections in human subjects
The upper right inset shows the location of the Minas Gerais State in Brazil
the city of Governador Valadares (black circle) and the isolation site of the M2269 L
(L.) amazonensis reference in the State of Para (green circle)
we show the neighborhoods where isolates S3 and S6 were collected in Governador Valadares (Vila Mariana and Santa Helena
Parasites were cultivated in Schneider culture medium supplemented with 10% fetal bovine serum and 1% penicillin and streptomycin for up to three passages
Genomic DNA was extracted from ≈109 promastigotes using the DNeasy Blood and Tissue Kit (Qiagen) using the manufacturers protocol
Sera from dogs were tested in triplicate by ELISA using the EIE-LVC kit supplied by Biomanguinhos following the manufacturer’s standard protocol
This kit consists of soluble antigens of L
(L.) major and has been widely used in public health laboratories in Brazil for the diagnosis and surveillance of canine visceral leishmaniasis
Based on results from molecular typing we sequenced the genomes of five selected isolates
Genomic DNA was sheared into 400–600-base pair fragments by focused ultrasonication (Covaris Adaptive Focused Acoustics technology (AFA Inc.
USA)) and standard Illumina libraries were prepared
These libraries were used to produce 100 base pair paired-end reads on the HiSeq 2000 v3 according to the manufacturer’s standard sequencing protocol
a minimum per base average quality of 25 and a minimum read length of 65 bp
(L.) amazonensis M2269 genome as a template
Protein and nucleotide sequences from nine Leishmania species were downloaded from release v10 of the TriTrypDB database
(L.) infantum JPCM5 coding sequences (CDSs)
and the best match was retrieved for each gene
Nucleotide sequences were filtered out using an in house Perl script to remove pseudogenes
except for the Yule’s speciation process as a tree prior and the divergence estimate calibration points
using a normal distribution to model the prior uncertainty in these calibration dates
Times of divergence were obtained by combining estimated from 3 independent Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) runs in order to ensure convergence between the runs
Each run had a chain length of 30 million generations
with posterior samples retained every 5000 steps of each chain
All information produced by BEAST was summarized onto a single “target” tree using the TreeAnnotator module of BEAST with Burnin of 20% of the samples and tree topology was represented using Figtree
The mean read depth of these genes was then used to normalize each position along the genome
Gene copy numbers were furthered normalized by the average chromosome haploid copy number calculated from the allele frequency analysis
We employed a cutoff of 1.85 to discriminate between single-copy and expanded genes
Comparative genomics of canine-isolated Leishmania (Leishmania) amazonensis from an endemic focus of visceral leishmaniasis in Governador Valadares
Publisher's note: Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations
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Download references
DCB’s research was supported by Fundação de Amparo a Pesquisa do Estado de Minas Gerais (FAPEMIG)
Instituto Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia de Vacinas (INCTV)—Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)
Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) and Pró-Reitoria de Pesquisa (PRPq)—Universidade Federal de Minas Gerias (UFMG)
CITBM is co-funded by Fondo Nacional de Desarrollo Científico Tecnológico y de Innovación Tecnológica
HOV and JLRC received scholarships from CAPES
JAC and MJS are supported by the Wellcome Trust through core funding of the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute (grant 098051)
We thank Matt Berriman for his support of this work
and members of the DNA pipelines team at WTSI for generating the sequencing libraries
Laboratório de Imunologia e Genômica de Parasitos
carried out most of the bioinformatics analysis
contributed to the study conception and design and drafted the manuscript
participated in the study conception and design and drafted the manuscript
genome sequencing and writing of the manuscript
participated in the bioinformatics analysis
coordination and writing of the manuscript
The authors declare no competing financial interests
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Spot Guide: Rincon Queen, of the Coast
6 of the Heaviest Waves in the World
Five Decades of Surfing, Travel and Narrative Collide in Sam George’s New Book
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Boat Get Totally Wrecked by Wave in Indonesia (Video)
How To Surf Till You're 100, Brainwork: Mickey Munoz
hit Brazilian town; madman river surfer Paulo Coelho attempts to ride it
It’s on the periphery of traditional surfing
with eccentric wave-riders flocking to standing
the Eisbach River (the OG in the river surfing realm) in Munich
this next one is something entirely different
It comes from the Rio Dolce in the Brazilian township of Governador Valadares
Willy Wonka Chocolate Factory torrent is madman Paulo Coelho
“The state of Minas Gerais had another day of heavy rain
the volume of water was so great that it even formed waves in the Rio Doce
He is a city businessman and says he already has many years of experience in the sport
the Fire Department and Civil Defense warn of the risks of surfing in such a strong current.”
For Coelho, however, this was just an everyday R&D session. On Instagram
We’re unable to load this content right now
View directly on Instagram
“Testing the boards according to the volume of water from the Doce River
and how they behave with the variation of wave size and shape.”
Coelho advised that this activity is reserved for experienced river surfers only:
“I don't recommend anyone who doesn't surf to get involved,” he wrote
“Even those who have been surfing for a long time should contact us so we can tell them where the waves are
and what safety points to take and what to watch out for so they don't run unnecessary risks.”
at least nine cities in the region have declared a state of emergency due to the downpours
after car was washed away while attempting to cross a bridge
Approximately 5,000 peasants from all over Brazil will take part in the National Free Lula March organized by the Landless Workers’ Movement (MST) and La Via Campesina (LVC)
The demonstration will take place in August 10th through 15th and will end in Brasília
In addition to fighting against the prison of ex-president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva
who is being held in Curitiba for more than 100 days
workers will march to draw Brazilians’ attention to the severe economic and political crisis the country is currently facing
The marchers will walk 50 kilometers (more than 30 miles) in four days
in three different columns: one group will set off from the city of Formosa
All columns will arrive in Brasília simultaneously and each will have around 1,500 landless workers marching
Members of the MST from all 23 states where the movement is organized will take part in the march
Protesters will gather on August 10th in each of the three starting points and the opening rally will join the National Day of Demonstrations and Protests of Labor Union Federations
activists will plan a schedule with dialogue circles
The idea is to promote the interaction between workers who are taking part in the demonstration and locals
expanding the debate about democracy and the problems the country is facing
it is crucial that Lula can run in the elections,” Gilmar Mauro
Organizing a large number of people in such a huge demonstration can be challenging
But the movement has long experience in this sense
There was food for everyone and we had no incidents
And this time it will be the same,” Mauro said
The national march staged by the landless workers in 2005
and for two weeks peasants walked almost 200 kilometers (nearly 125 miles) to Brasília
In 1997, around 1,300 landless workers held, in Eldorado dos Carajás, the National March for Employment, Justice, and Agrarian Reform. That march aimed to arrive in Brasília on April 17th, exactly one year after the Eldorado dos Carajás Massacre – when 21 peasants and members of the MST were murdered by Pará state military police officers
The marchers set off from three different locations on February 17th
and walked for two months through several cities of Brazil
one of the columns set off from the city of São Paulo with 600 people; one from Governador Valadares
with 400 members; and one from Rondonópolis
Each column walked around 1,000 kilometers (more than 600 miles)
approximately 100,000 people welcomed the landless workers expressing their solidarity and sympathy for the struggle for Agrarian Reform
The episode became known as “The 100,000 March.”
Thirteen years after the last great national march organized by the MST
Gilmar Mauro points out the key elements of this demonstration
“The goal is that the people will encircle Brasília
and it’s very important that all activists from unions
and activists who are not part of organizations can join this mobilization process
Our understanding is that the only way to make sure we have clean
free elections with the participation of ex-president Lula is to stage major people’s demonstrations.”
Fuente: Brasil de Fato
MARLBOROUGH — Kethlen Paula Alves Trindade DaRocha came to the United States from Brazil with the hope to improve her life and help her family back home
Those hopes came to a tragic halt on Wednesday, when the 28-year-old woman was shot and killed inside her Rice Street residence. Her alleged killer and on-and-off boyfriend, Marlon Moreira Costa, 29, then killed himself in what authorities say is a murder-suicide
"Kethlen was sweetheart — we're all in shock with what happened," said Junior Dantas
started her own salon business in Brazil a few years ago
a very successful salon but just a little over a year and a half ago decided to come to the U.S
Her salon in Brazil is still active — her family is running the operation down there — and she was here working as a hairdresser and doing delivery
Earlier: Police investigating death of couple as murder-suicide in Marlborough
police responded to the Rice Street residence for a report of a shooting
DaRocha's roommate called 911 at 10:05 a.m
Family friend said couple had dated for a few months
breaking up 'a couple of times'Dantas said DaRocha and Costa had been dating for a couple of months and had already broken up and gotten back together "a couple of times." On Tuesday night
they got into an argument at his home and the argument continued until Wednesday morning
with Dantas saying Costa threatened DaRocha and DaRocha told him she was going to call his mother and police
"He went home and came back with a handgun
he asked her to open the door," said Dantas
he found a window with an AC (air conditioner)
One other person in the house tried to stop him
she grabbed her own son and jumped out the window after hearing a shot
Neighbors helped her take shelter and called 911 — but when they (police) arrived
Fatal stabbing: Marlborough woman is charged with manslaughter
A GoFundMe has been created to help defray the costs of DaRocha's funeral
the fundraiser has raised a little more than $3,200 of the $6,000 being sought
"Kethlen Paula Alves Tavares Trindade Rocha
came to the United States with the American dream of helping her family in Brazil
but had this dream interrupted by a fatality," according to the GoFundMe
I ask Our Dear Community to help us with the expense of her Cremation
To donate to the GoFundMe, visit https://gofund.me/60133e36
The Middlesex District Attorney's Office said Thursday there was no new information about the case and it remains under investigation
Dantas said he's helping the family arrange a funeral locally
was really vibrant all the time and will be missed forever," Dantas said
Norman Miller can be reached at 508-626-3823 or nmiller@wickedlocal.com
follow him on X @Norman_MillerMW or on Facebook at facebook.com/NormanMillerCrime
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scholars have studied Brazil's southeastern city of Governador Valadares as the main source of Brazilian immigrants to the United States
but work by a UMass-Amherst researcher may soon change that
a geographer writing a doctoral dissertation on Brazilian migration
found that a growing number of Brazilians in Massachusetts hail from Goias
a state that shares borders with Minas Gerais
"Minas Gerais has sent the highest numbers of Brazilians immigrants to Massachusetts," said Marcus
Most Framingham Brazilians hail from Valadares
and the close relationship between both communities was formalized in 2004
when officials signed a sister-city agreement between Framingham and Valadares
who visited Framingham and traveled to Minas Gerais and Goias as part of his fieldwork
found Goias natives made up a large portion of the local Brazilian community
In a review of 1,200 job applications Brazilians filed at a Framingham center between 1999 and 2006
Marcus found 50 percent were from Minas Gerais and over 20 percent from Goias
"Goias is an understudied state in the history of Brazilian immigration," he said
"The migration corridor between Framingham and Valadares is the oldest and the most traditional one
The corridor between Goias and the United States is newer and under-researched."
The presence of Goias natives in Framingham and MetroWest goes back to the 1980s
when Brazilians from Minas Gerais began immigrating here taking advantage of the networks developed by a group of pioneers
most of whom hail from the Valadares region
The proximity of Minas Gerais to Goias helped spur migration in Goias as the news of the benefits of working abroad spread across the region
But Goias didn't become Brazil's second exporter of Brazilians overnight
who owns a real state business in downtown Framingham
recalled the days when he moved here in 1988
"I was one of the first people from Goias in town," said Maia
there were 27 people from Minas (Gerais) and one from Goias
Most Goias natives came here during the 1990s
the 24-year-old woman who died after undergoing an illegal liposuction performed at a Framingham basement in 2006
Goias' officials estimate that 10 percent of its population lives abroad
- between 400,000 to 500,000 of its 4.5 million residents - and that they send more than $1 billion per year to Brazil
About 250,000 are said to live in the United States
Not only researchers are taking notice of the exodus from the state that is home to Brasilia
"O Popular," published a story about the subject saying
"What happened with Valadares in the 1990s has been happening in cities in Goias over the past five years."
"They are the new Valadares: The cities lose their local labor force and gain investments in real state."
where she has lived since 2001 when she left Goiania
With 30,000 of its 300,000 citizens living abroad
Valadares is known in Brazil as the country's major exporter of Brazilians
Goias is sending most of its population to Europe
where many are finding jobs in the meatpacking industry
a municipality of 24,000 that is quickly becoming the symbol of Goias' migration abroad
Officials said 12 percent of Piracanjuba's population lives outside Brazil
where many Goias natives are settling down
some on their second migration from Framingham and others directly from Piracanjuba
Due to the presence of so many Brazilians in Georgia
officials will soon open a Brazilian Consulate in Atlanta
Goias natives bring hard work ethics and strong entrepreneurial spirit to their new land
who owns a clothing shop on Concord Street
and Lindamar Martins and her husband Francisco
who run a perfume shop next door to Guimaraes
who co-owns Vera Jewelers with his wife Vera Dias-Freitas
who owns "Ana's Shop," one of the most popular Brazilian shops in downtown Framingham
The migration from Goias seems to have a strong religious component due to the influence of U.S
Protestant missionaries that came to the state in the late 1960s and throughout the 1970s
"There is a transnational religious network," said Marcus
"It's beneficial to join a Pentecostal church in Brazil because once you're in the United States
the idea is that they'll take care of you."
Religion played a big role in Wando Resende's coming here
who was an evangelical radio host in his native Goias and a musical director
was invited to come here to join a Brazilian church in Marlborough
known as "Maestro Wando" for his musical credentials
He hosts the most popular Brazilian radio show aired through Framingham-based WSRO 650 AM
"People from Valadares discovered America for us," said Resende
"Most Brazilians around here hail from Valadares
There are so many of us that we feel at home here."
Liz Mineo can be reached at 508-626-3825 or lmineo@cnc.com
Petition reflects fears over rightwing populist presidential candidate Jair Bolsonaro
Some of Brazil’s most celebrated musicians, writers and public intellectuals have said Latin America’s largest democracy could take an authoritarian turn if rightwing populist Jair Bolsonaro emerges victorious from next month’s presidential election.
Read moreWith less than a fortnight until the 7 October vote, Bolsonaro, a pro-torture former army captain who recently called for his political opponents to be shot
many of whom hail from Brazil’s middle and upper classes
see him as an iron-fisted antidote to the corruption and violence they believe is the result of 13 years of leftist Workers’ party rule
But in an online manifesto that reflects mounting anxiety over a possible Bolsonaro presidency
150 prominent artists and thinkers denounced him as “a clear threat to our fundamental civilisational heritage”
a trio of politically engaged composers who all spent time in European exile during Brazil’s 1964-1985 dictatorship
View image in fullscreenGilberto Gil is one of the signatories
Photograph: AFP/Getty Images“It’s never too often to remember how throughout history and to this day fascist
Nazi leaders and many other autocratic regimes were first elected with the promise of rescuing the self-esteem and credibility of their nations
before submitting them to the most varied authoritarian excesses,” said the declaration
The signatories called themselves a politically mixed bag with a common commitment to a free, tolerant, inclusive and democratic Brazil. They also include: rapper Mano Brown from the group Racionais MC’s, the actor Camila Pitanga, the director Fernando Meirelles, the novelist Milton Hatoum, the feminist scriptwriter Antônia Pellegrino
The manifesto, which organisers say has attracted more than 180,000 signatures since being published on Monday
is the latest in a series of anti-Bolsonaro protests to emerge in the lead-up to Brazil’s most unpredictable and divisive election since the return of democracy in the 1980s
One anti-Bolsonaro samba circulating on social media features the lyric: “[Under Bolsonaro] we’ll have bullets, revolvers and grenades on our plates instead of rice and beans. Not him! Not him! Not him. For the love of God, not him! … If this chap gets elected and sees this video, I’m off to Japan. Not him! Not him! Not him. For the love of God, not him!”
Read moreFears Bolsonaro could drag Brazil back into dictatorship are not confined to Brazil’s cultural and intellectual elite
a 56-year-old taxi driver from the town of Teófilo Otoni in Minas Gerais state
estimated that 40% of his colleagues backed the far-right candidate because of his hardline stance on crime
But he felt they were making a grave mistake
“Today we’ve got these silly billies going around saying: ‘Let’s vote for Bolsonaro
Let’s have the military take back control of the country!’ They don’t know what they are talking about
They have no idea what a dictatorship is.”
a 27-year-old Bolsonaro supporter in the nearby city of Governador Valadares
rejected claims his candidate was an authoritarian
“I believe that when it comes to governing the country he won’t be a totalitarian
who helps run the campaign of a local candidate for Bolsonaro’s party
“He’s got a firm hand but I don’t think he’s a hard-line guy
He thinks about other people’s rights,” Contão added
“Brazil needs someone with the courage to fight for the people’s interests and the people’s rights.”
Volcanic eruptions 600 million years ago inundated what is now Rio Doce Bay with lava
Leonardo Gonçalves/UFOPSugarloaf mountain in inland Minas Gerais State: now exposed
the block of rock once formed part of the Rio Doce arcLeonardo Gonçalves/UFOP
Anyone viewing the mountainous landscape of the Brazilian Southeast would never suspect that this region was the site of a long chain of high
active volcanoes some 600 million years ago
the shape and position of the continents differed from what they are today
and the mountain range extended along the shores of a gulf at one extremity of a narrow sea
stretching for nearly 550 kilometers from the present-day city of Teófilo Otoni
its peaks may have been as impressive as those of the Andes
But we may never know the actual dimensions of this chain of mountains because
like the narrow sea and the ancient continent
What remains are fragments of the sea bed and of the rocks that once formed the deep roots of the chain of volcanoes
These records are helping geologists understand the origin and evolutionary history of what is known as the Rio Doce volcanic arc
“We worked to reconstruct the history and topography of this group of mountains,” says geologist Antônio Carlos Pedrosa Soares of the Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG)
In an article published in November 2015 in the journal South American Earth Sciences
Soares and 14 other researchers describe how the Rio Doce arc emerged and was formed
Soares and his colleagues collected rocks from outcroppings on the outskirts of the towns of Governador Valadares and Teófilo Otoni
near the border between the states of Minas Gerais and Espírito Santo
and analyzed their chemical composition and the age of the constituent minerals
They combined those data with information from prior studies on the geology of the remnant blocks of the volcanic chain in order to reconstruct the region—the first signs of which were identified in the 1960s by geologist Fernando de Almeida of the University of São Paulo (USP)
The compiled data now confirm that there is some variation in the age of the rocks in the arc
near the Minas Gerais-Espírito Santo border
in the area between Teófilo Otoni and Governador Valadares
The ages were determined by analysis of the decay of radioactive chemical elements in the mineral zircon
the Federal University of Ouro Preto (UFOP)
the University of Brasília (UnB) and Rio de Janeiro State University (UERJ)
“It’s a very consistent dataset,” Soares says
Determination of the ages of the rocks
combined with the study of the chemical composition and structure of their minerals
produced a history divided into three chapters
The Rio Doce arc probably began to form 630 million years ago
when the then-existing pieces of continents were joined into a supercontinent near the South Pole
one of the continents had a long peninsula that had formed from a very ancient continental embryo involving parts of what are now eastern Brazil and West Africa
which geologists call the São Francisco-Congo Craton
there was a narrow sea known as the Adamastor Ocean
which was similar to the Red Sea and extended from the present-day state of São Paulo to Bahia State
Between 630 million and 605 million years ago
the movement of tectonic plates likely caused the oceanic crust in the region of the Adamastor Ocean to submerge beneath the Congo Craton
triggering the formation of the volcanoes—a phenomenon similar to the forces now helping to form the Andes and causing volcanic activity in Chile (see infographic)
new mountains formed and vulcanism expanded towards the shores of that primitive ocean
between 585 million and 575 million years ago
when the ocean had practically disappeared
a large block of oceanic crust that was sinking beneath the continental plate is thought to have broken off and submerged beneath the Earth’s mantle
there was greater warming of the continental crust and a final episode of volcanic activity
“That was likely the final moment in the evolution of the Rio Doce arc,” explains Pedrosa Soares
“when the ocean closed up and the edges of the São Francisco and Western Congo cratons came together.”
Other groups have already identified remainders of volcanic chains from the same period in Brazil and other countries
has had a history as fascinating as that of the Rio Doce arc
formed between two continents at the edge of an inland sea
the rocks at the extreme north end of the arc have an unusual composition
They are formed from magma containing more melted continental crust than oceanic crust
and were described by geologist Leonardo Gonçalves of UFOP
in a recent paper published in the journal Gondwana Research
a PhD student of Pedrosa Soares and first author of the article in the Journal of South American Earth Sciences
we still need to clarify many details of the history of the Rio Doce arc
“There are several rock formations that may be part of the arc
but they still need further study,” she says
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Among the 55 programs with open seats are Cinema
and Chemistry (Photo: Rodrigo Milanni/UFJF)
The Federal University of Juiz de Fora (UFJF) in Brazil is offering 165 seats for international students from 74 countries in 55 undergraduate courses
Students will have the chance to pursue a full
tuition-free undergraduate degree at the institution
provided they are proficient in Portuguese
UFJF offers a new preparatory program with 15 seats
that includes a one-year couse about Portuguese language and Brazilian culture classes
after which students can apply for an undergraduate course
Applications are open until August 23rd and must be submitted through Brazilian embassies or consulates in participating countries
The seats are distributed between UFJF’s two campuses
located in the countryside: the main one in Juiz de Fora
Most of the opportunities are for enrollment in the first semester of 2025
the proficiency preparation course will admit 15 students at the Juiz de Fora campus
Among the 55 programs with open slots are Cinema, Law, Production Engineering, Medicine, Psychology, Chemistry, and Tourism. Physical Education and Mathematics Education offer the most seats, with ten available in each. See the full list of programs and seats at UFJF
over 8,100 seats are available in 108 universities and institutes
a one-year linguistic and cultural program aimed at achieving proficiency in the Portuguese language
after which students can begin their undergraduate studies
These initiatives are managed nationally by the Ministry of Education (MEC) and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
This is the first time UFJF has participated in the PEC-PLE
Training at the Physical Education Faculty; UFJF is a public institution with tuition-free courses
Eligibility requirements include the following: international applicants must not have dual Brazilian nationality or the right to Brazilian nationality at the time of application; they must reside abroad and be at least 18 years old by January 1
Applicants must also demonstrate proficiency in Portuguese through the Certificate of Proficiency in Portuguese for Foreigners (Celpe-Bras) or other means listed in the public notice. Check all the conditions on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs website
it is possible to enroll in the PEC-PLE program to learn the language at UFJF and then begin their undergraduate studies
Applications are free and can be submitted until August 23rd at Brazilian embassies or consulates in participating countries
Candidates from the Caribbean can also apply at the Brazilian Delegation to the Organization of American States (OAS) in Washington
The selection process involves document analysis by the ministries
Preliminary results will be announced starting October 25th.PEC-PLE applications are also submitted through Brazilian embassies and consulates
The same public notice applies to both PEC-G and PEC-PLE
PEC-G students may receive scholarships from the Brazilian Ministry of Foreign Affairs in specific cases
which provides R$ 622 (USD 113) monthly for six months
candidates will have access to the University Restaurant
while lunch and dinner are R$ 1.40 (USD 0,26) each
Belphon Kiminu came from the Republic of the Congo to study Electronic Systems Engineering at UFJF (Photo: Alexandre Dornelas/UFJF)
Belphon Kiminu came from the Republic of the Congo to study Electronic Systems Engineering at UFJF
He holds a degree in Networks and Telecommunications from his home country
Kiminu had to pass a Portuguese language proficiency test in the city of Chapecó
“Studying at one of the best universities in the world has been an incredible experience
and I found the connection between students and professors very interesting
as the teaching methodology is quite different from that in my country
it was very challenging at first because my Portuguese proficiency was quite low.”
PEC-G is one of the best programs in the world
and he was unaware of its existence for a long time
I was very impressed because it offers many benefits
a place to achieve my goals and where I can realize one of my dreams
I have the opportunity to experience a new culture and a very welcoming community.”
AdaptationUFJF has been participating in the PEC-G since its implementation in Brazil 60 years ago
with the first students coming from Nicaragua in Central America to study Medicine
the institution is joining the Portuguese as a Foreign Language Program (PEC-PLE)
selecting 15 international students to take Portuguese language and Brazilian culture classes over one year.“With this significant investment in PEC-PLE at UFJF
we will have the opportunity to expand the range of internationalization activities
to provide opportunities for students coming to Brazil to share their languages
and practices as a form of internationalization at home,” says UFJF’s Director of International Relations
Part of the main campus located in Juiz de Fora
The Federal University of Juiz de Fora (in Portuguese
Universidade Federal de Juiz de Fora) is a public university based in Juiz de Fora and Governador Valadares (Minas Gerais
The institution is a scientific and cultural reference
having an impact on the country’s development
as evidenced by the highest grade obtained in a national evaluation
ranking among the best universities in Brazil and Latin America.Juiz de Fora and Governador ValadaresJuiz de Fora offers a range of cultural options and a low cost of living in comparison to big cities
the town combines tranquility and safety with a dynamic urban life
Governador Valadares is home to the second campus of UFJF
The city has around 280,000 inhabitants and is considered the paragliding capital of the world
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According to the photographer and environmentalist Leonardo Merçon
the water of Rio Doce river "looks like a chocolate drink with a rusty smell."Leonardo Merçon/Instituto Últimos Refúgios
Governador Valadares is the most affected town after water supply was cut off
since the mud from the collapsed dams in Mariana had arrived to Rio Doce river
The population is queuing to buy mineral water and complains about the lack of solution to the problem
The town is 300 kilometers away from the village where the dams burst and has a population of 280,000 people
Water supply had to be cut off after the mud wave containing mining tailings reached the river
which is the main source of local water supply
The municipality declared state of emergency
"I waited for more than two hours to buy them
not knowing when we’ll have pure water again."
For retired José Monte who has always lived in the town
Governador Valadares is living the worst moment in its history
"No one knows when there will be water again
residents of the town have protested against the company Vale
which together with BHP controls Samarco mining company
responsible for the collapsed dams in Mariana
They blocked the railway line used by the mining company
asking for a solution to the lack of water supply
Governador Valadares city hall reported that 38 water trucks run around the area to fill the tanks
and return back to provide water supply primarily to hospitals
13) they will send 2.4 million liters of water a day to Governador Valadares
the water of Rio Doce river "looks like a chocolate drink with a rusty smell." He coordinates the NGO Latest Refuges (in an unofficial translation)
He went to Governador Valadares to check the situation and photograph it
"It is possible to see fish dying asphyxiated
shrimp going to hot rocks to escape the mud," he said
"All living beings from Rio Doce river that need water to breathe have died," he added
Merçon reported.Leonardo Merçon/Instituto Últimos Refúgios/Divulgação
Merçon reported that many residents of the region are not aware of how delicate the situation is
But many people have complained that the fish are smelly and say that the situation is becoming unbearable
No one knows when things will go back to normal." Espírito Santo
the mud should cut off water supply in the towns of Baixo Gandu and Colatina
where there are more than 120,000 residents
Residents of the town will be unable to get water from Rio Doce river," said State Development secretary João Coser to Agência Brasil
the state government is seeking alternatives to stay for "weeks without water supply
We need now to provide water supply to people
And we’ll place some water tanks in some parts of the city," Coser added
Governador Valadares (Minas Gerais) - Mud passing over Rio Doce river
led to an environmental disaster Leonardo Merçon/Instituto Últimos Refúgios/Divulgação
The failure of Samarco's tailings dam in November 2015—destroying Bento Rodrigues village near the town of Mariana
in Minas Gerais—is the largest release in recorded history over the last 100 years
Considering the volume of residues released—50 to 60 million cubic meters (m³)—
the accident would practically be equivalent to the sum of the world's two other largest accidents recorded—both in the Philippines
releasing 28 million cubic meters; and another in 1992
releasing 32.2 million cubic meters of mud
Data are part of the Bowker Associates' study— consulting about risk management for high risk heavy construction in the United States—in partnership with the geophysicist David Chambers
But the disaster has beat not only the volume record
which is the distance from the point of failure the released contents travels
Samarco's leaked sludge broke another record—so far 600 km traveled
an accident in Bolivia in 1996 second the ranking
Bento Rodrigues village hit by the mud from Samarco's mining company's collapsed tailings dams Antonio Cruz/ Agência Brasil
the companies responsible for the Brazilian disaster are being sued until now at $ 5.2 billion
Researching court records and other government data
the consultancy company found only one in recorded history post 1990 with damages as high as $1billion
Although the exact numbers remain somewhat distorted
the dam failure at Samarco's mining company is without question the largest tailings dam failure in recorded history based on these three severity measures
a total of 129 dam failures—of the 269 known events—and forecasts
one serious accident per year in the period of a decade
All mining disasters have been caused by human error and faults for not following the best practices
The coordinator adds that accidents are also caused by public partners' failure
She further declared that one of the concerns is that Brazil allows the use of the upstream dams
less stable method of construction in the case of large dams
this is a deviation from the knowledge and practices generally accepted
this inherent instability was exacerbated by the tailings rate and the increasing rate
which were well above the best global standards for dams," she added
The study also noted another accident with dams in Brazil in September 2014 in Itabirito
The Herculano mining company is responsible for the works
two workers were killed and one disappeared
Mariana (Minas Gerais) - area affected by the dam failure in Bento Rodrigues village in the town of Mariana
in Minas Gerais Corpo de Bombeiros/MG - Divulgação
The failures of Samarco and Herculano are just the two most recent examples of a government that has failed in the national mining policy
No action was taken by the government at the state or federal level to identify the problems and prevent them from happening with new sudden failures
Undersecretary of Environmental Regulation of Minas Gerais Secretariat for Environment
told the committee formed at the State Legislative Assembly to investigate the dam disaster in Mariana
that Minas Gerais government wants to ban the upstream dam system in the state
but so far the company has not commented on data collected by Bowker Associates' study
Eike Batista is a Brazilian-German entrepreneur who made a fortune in the oil and gas and mining industries
becoming one of the ten richest people in the world in 2011
Eike Batista has a net worth of -$1.2 billion
The chairman of the conglomerate EBX Group
he spearheaded large-scale infrastructure projects in Brazil that ultimately bankrupted his companies
Batista was sentenced to 30 years in prison for bribing Rio de Janeiro governor Sérgio Cabral with the purpose of obtaining public contracts
Between August 2012 and August 2013, Eike Batista's wealth plummeted at a shocking pace. His net worth once peaked at $30 billion which made him the 10th richest person in the world and the richest person in South America
He is the second of seven children of Brazilian businessman Eliezer and German-born mother Jutta
Eike went on to attend the University of Aachen in Germany
where he studied metallurgical engineering
he worked as a door-to-door insurance policy salesman
Batista turned his attention to the gold and diamond trades
as well as buyers in large cities throughout Brazil and Europe
Eike started his own gold trading firm called Autram Aurem; within just over a year
he became the CEO of the Montreal-based company TVX Gold
which established his relationship with global capital markets
Following his implementation of the Amazon's first mechanized alluvial gold mining plant
Focused on infrastructure and natural resources
the Rio de Janeiro-based conglomerate consists of companies such as OGX
Eike raised $20 billion in value through the operation of gold and silver mines in Brazil
The EBX Group is also responsible for implementing Brazil's first commercial-scale solar power plant
the group acquired stock control of the Canadian mining firm Ventana Gold
which owns mineral rights in Colombia's historic
In addition to its work in the infrastructure and natural resources sectors
the EBX Group invests in areas such as entertainment
focuses on urban development and income-generating assets and has a portfolio that includes Hotel Glória
EBX Group supports over 170 social and environmental initiatives across Brazil
including historical and cultural preservation
Batista was once the seventh wealthiest person in the world
with a net worth of around $35 billion in early 2012
He often boasted that he would overtake Mexican business magnate Carlos Slim to become the richest man in the world by 2015
within a little over a year of his net worth reaching its peak
This was due in large part to the numerous debts he accumulated from working on large-scale projects and to the falling stock prices of the EBX Group
His losses were also caused by a downturn in the precious metal mining industry
in addition to the massive collapse of his OGX company
which was only delivering 15,000 barrels a day when it claimed to be pumping 750,000
Batista's wealth decreased by more than 100% to a negative net worth
Brazilian authorities seized cash and seven cars from Batista
Eike has written about his fall from the billionaire ranks
He has stated that he regrets launching his companies in the stock markets and that he should have used a private equity model to finance his ventures
Batista was one of nine individuals issued a detention by Brazilian authorities as part of Operation Car Wash
a high-profile money laundering investigation
he was detained in a maximum security prison in the Rio de Janeiro neighborhood of Bangu and was shortly after charged with making $16.5 million in bribes to Sérgio Cabral
the disgraced former governor of Rio de Janeiro
Eike was convicted of bribing the governor in order to secure state government contracts
He was ultimately sentenced to 30 years in prison
Batista wed model and actress Luma de Oliveira
Eike became romantically involved with lawyer Flávia Sampaio; together
Batista competed in offshore powerboat racing in the 1990s
Eike traveled the 220-nautical mile course between Santos and Rio de Janeiro in a record time of three hours
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