Abstract English is the lingua franca for scientific communication, but some journals, especially in developing countries, still publish non-English studies. A shift towards publishing in English may promote internationalization and more visibility of scientific journals. Here we compared quality indexes between Brazilian journals that have always published in English and journals that have published in languages other than English. We also investigated whether a temporal shift towards publishing in English led to elevated quality measures. Our analyses covered 16 Brazilian biodiversity journals and accounted for 12640 papers published since 2007. The mean impact factor was on average 55% higher in journals that have published consistently in English, compared to the so-called multilanguage journals. The proportion of publications in English increased to nearly three times the original value in multilanguage journals between 2007 and 2016, and the impact factor tripled during this period. At the same time, the Qualis-Capes classifications (B1-B2-B3) tended to fall. Publishing in English can be a first step to increased visibility, and this is particularly important for biodiversity journals, since Brazilian ecosystems are considered of interest to the international scientific community and nature conservation.

ABSTRACT Plant development is influenced by several abiotic factors, which in turn influence morphological traits and life history. We investigated whether leaf area, herbivory, toughness, fluctuating asymmetry, structural complexity and the number of inflorescences of Palicourea rigida are influenced by sun/shade conditions or by Cerrado phytophysiognomy (typical cerrado or rupestrian field). We expected to find greater structural complexity, leaf toughness and more inflorescences in sun plants; shaded plants were expected to exhibit a greater degree of fluctuating asymmetry (an index of plant stress), reduced leaf toughness and greater herbivory. As for phytophysiognomies, we expected to find higher levels of leaf toughness and reduced structural complexity in plants from the rupestrian field. We sampled plants in the sun and shade from both phytophysiognomies. Leaf area, toughness, herbivory and fluctuating asymmetry, were influenced more by sun/shade conditions than phytophysiognomy; leaf toughness was the only variable to show greater values in conditions of sun. Our results indicate that exposure to sunlight is not a requirement for increased plant development, but plants in shade are experiencing stress, as shown by increased fluctuating asymmetry; increased leaf area, which is a strategy to compensate for lower light exposure for plants and higher herbivory, which depicts lower toughness.

Resumo Neste trabalho temos como objetivo compreender o processo de reconfiguração do quadro partidário e eleitoral brasileiro pós-1930 e anterior ao primeiro período democrático do país (1945-1964). Nossa análise centra-se em dois momentos: (i) a relação entre elites políticas e a construção de uma nova ordem política-institucional no país e (ii) os efeitos de mudanças institucionais sobre a competição e representação políticas. Demonstramos que as eleições realizadas em 1933 e 1934 são as primeiras eleições competitivas no Brasil em que às oposições vitoriosas é garantida a possibilidade de assumirem o poder. Esses pleitos expõem, portanto, um cenário muito diferente daquele frequentemente apresentado pela literatura consolidada sobre a Primeira República brasileira.

Abstract In this paper, we aim to understand the process of the Brazilian party and electoral systems' reconfiguration after 1930 and before the first democratic period in the country (1945-1964). Our analysis is focused in two stages: In the relationship between political elites and the formation of a new political and institutional order in the country, and in the effects of institutional changes on the political competition and political representation. Based on new data, we demonstrate that the elections held in 1933 and 1934 were the first plural and competitive elections in Brazil, where the possibility of assuming the office was guaranteed to the opposition. Thus, these elections expose a very different scenario from the one often presented by the consolidated literature on the First Republic of Brazil.

We tested the preference prediction of plant vigor hypothesis by examining the relationship between gall occurrence and leaf size. We also examined the effect of galls on leaf asymmetry, which is a measure of developmental instability. Gall occurrence did not increase with leaf size, thereby providing no support to the preference prediction. Galled leaves were significantly more asymmetric than ungalled leaves. Moreover, leaf asymmetry increased with both gall occurrence and gall size, indicating that galls boosted the stress levels in Ouratea polygyna.

Fluctuating asymmetry (FA) can be defined as small, random deviations from bilateral symmetry in structures that are bilaterally symmetrical and can estimate a population's inability to buffer its growth against perturbations of environmental origins. Another important issue about FA is whether biotic factors may also induce stress in organisms. Therefore, in this study I aimed to investigate the influence of both the abiotic (light exposure) and biotic (Ditylenchus sp. galls) factors accounting for increased FA in Miconia fallax leaves. Galls are known as parasites and a major cause of leaf stress. Additionally, since M. fallax is a pioneer plant species, individuals in the shade were supposed to present high levels of FA relative to plants on the edges exposed to direct sunlight. Results showed no concomitant interaction between gall abundance, light exposure and FA. Separate analysis showed that plants in the shade presented the highest level of FA, almost 25% higher than plants on the edges, indicating that plants growing in places with little sunlight were in stressful condition. The presence of galls did not cause alterations in FA relative to leaves without galls. The lack of relationship between galls and leaf FA indicates that M. fallax can tolerate and buffer the presence of these leaf parasites, revealing the high homeostasis ability of this plant species against a biotic stress.

La asimetría fluctuante (AF) se refiere a las pequeñas desviaciones al azar en la simetría bilateral de las estructuras y órganos que son bilateralmente simétricos, y permite estimar la incapacidad de una población cualquiera para corregir su crecimiento de acuerdo con disturbios y tensiones ambientales. Una consideración importante en los estudios de la AF es si los factores bióticos también pueden causar estrés en la planta. Por lo tanto, el objetivo de este estudio fue investigar la influencia conjunta de factores abióticos (exposición solar) y bióticos (presencia de agallas de Ditylenchus sp.) en la asimetría de las hojas de Miconia fallax. Las agallas de las hojas son parásitos, y como M. fallax es una planta pionera, los individuos que se encuentran en la sombra pueden presentar niveles altos de AF en comparación con los de los bordes, expuestos a la luz solar directa. El análisis no mostró ninguna interacción entre la abundancia de agallas, la exposición al sol y AF. El análisis separado reveló que los individuos a la sombra tenían niveles más altos de la AF, aproximadamente 25% más alto que los individuos en los bordes, lo cual muestra que los individuos de M. fallax con poca luz se encuentran en condiciones de estrés. La presencia de agallas no causó ningún cambio o aumento de la AF en comparación con las hojas sin agallas. La falta de relación entre la presencia de agallas y AF indica que los individuos de M. fallax tienen una gran capacidad para mantener la homeostasis, ya que la planta ha tolerado estos parásitos sin cambios significativos en la AF de las hojas.

A psitacose, também conhecida como ornitose, é causada pela Chlamydia psittaci; caracteriza-se por doença de início insidioso, sintomas brandos e inespecíficos, lembrando infecção de vias aéreas superiores. Acomete principalmente o pulmão, sendo raramente doença sistêmica e fatal. Descreve-se um caso raro de pneumonia por Chlamydia psittaci que evoluiu para insuficiência respiratória aguda, necessitando de ventilação mecânica. Destaca-se a importância em considerar o diagnóstico, especialmente em casos de pneumonia comunitária que evolui de modo insatisfatório, que não responde à terapia antimicrobiana e cuja epidemiologia é positiva para exposição às aves. O diagnóstico precoce é fundamental devido à excelente resposta terapêutica. O diagnóstico tardio pode levar a curso grave e fatal da doença.

Psittacosis, also known as ornithosis, is a disease caused by Chlamydia psittaci. The most common clinical presentation is insidious onset, mild symptoms resembling a nonspecific viral illness and preference for the lungs. It is rarely a systemic and fatal disease. It is described a rare case of pneumonia due to Chlamydia psittaci that progressively developed into respiratory failure, requiring mechanical ventilation. It is very important to consider psittacosis in cases of atypical pneumonia whose evolution is unsatisfactory, with no response to antimicrobial therapy and epidemiology is positive for exposure to birds. Prompt recognition is vital as the response to appropriate treatment is excellent. Delayed diagnosis may lead to a severe course and fatal outcome.