SUMMARY OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to evaluate the association between self-reported race/color and ancestry in Brazilian patients with breast cancer. METHODS: This was an observational, transversal, epidemiological study, evaluating race and ancestry in 1,127 patients with breast cancer. For genetic ancestry, a 46-AIM-INDEL panel was used. The ancestral profile was evaluated with the Structure v.2.3.3 software. Descriptive statistics were performed. To assess differences between race and ancestry, an analysis of variance with Bonferoni adjustment was used. RESULTS: The race distribution was 77.7% white, 17.6% brown, 4.1% black, 0.4% yellow, and 0.3% cafuse. The African ancestry proportion was significantly (p<0.001) more evident in black [0.63±0.21 (0.17–0.96)], followed by brown [0.25±0.16 (0.02–0.70)], and less frequent in white skin color. The European ancestry proportion was significantly (p<0.001) higher in white [0.72±0.17 (0.02–0.97)], followed by brown [0.57±0.19 (0.12–0.92)], yellow [0.27±0.31 (0.12–0.620], and black [0.24±0.19 (0.02–0.72)]. The Asiatic ancestry proportion is significantly (p<0.001) higher in yellow [0.48±0.51 (0.04–0.93)]. The Amerindian ancestry proportion frequency was the least frequent in all groups, and cafuse patients did not express differences between all race groups. The brown race group presented differences in African and European ancestry. CONCLUSION: Although we found many similarities between white European ancestry, black African ancestry, and yellow Asian ancestry, there is great miscegenation between patients. Although they can be labeled as having one race, they do present many ancestral genes that would allow their inclusion in another race group.

Abstract Hotspot mutations (c.-124bp G > A and c.-146bp G > A) in the promoter region of the TERT gene have been recently described in several types of solid tumors, including glioma, bladder, thyroid, liver and skin neoplasms. However, knowledge with respect to colorectal precursor lesions and cancer is scarce. In the present study we aimed to determine the frequency of hotspot TERT promoter mutations in 145 Brazilian patients, including 103 subjects with precursor lesions and 42 with colorectal carcinomas, and we associated the presence of such mutations with the patients clinical-pathological features. The mutation analysis was conclusive in 123 cases, and none of the precursor and colorectal carcinoma cases showed TERT promoter mutations. We conclude that TERT mutations are not a driving factor in colorectal carcinogenesis.

As obras públicas são uma actividade de relevo no desenvolvimento económico e social. As grandes empresas do sector actuam em vários mercados, dado que, normalmente, os mercados domésticos são exíguos para rendibilizar os activos destes agentes económicos. A internacionalização pode seguir diferentes estratégias e formas de abordagem dos mercados externos. A América Latina é um mercado interessante nesta temática. A análise das maiores empresas internacionais que ali operam, à luz dos modelos de internacionalização conhecidos, permite verificar que a proximidade geográfica e cultural, bem como o potencial económico e geoestratégico, são variáveis relevantes na decisão do processo de internacionalização. A criação de redes é igualmente importante, associada a questões de relacionamento entre as diversas partes interessadas no processo, embora a ligação entre essas partes interessadas não seja facilmente detectável em muitas situações.

Public Works are a relevant activity for economic and social development. The largest companies in this sector operate in several markets, because domestic markets are, usually, too small in order to achieve interesting return levels, which match with the level of investment in assets. Internationalization can use different strategies and different foreign markets approaches. Latin America is an interesting market to study, concerning this theme. The analysis of largest companies that are working there, considering the well known models of internationalization, allows us to conclude that geographic and cultural proximity are relevant variables supporting the internationalization process decision. Also economic potential and strategic geographic situation are important variables concerning the same set of decisions. Networks creation is also important and, sometimes, the relations between stakeholders of the internationalization process are the most important parameter supporting the market approach, but those relations are often difficult to discover.