One-hundred and nine unrelated and healthy males from Santa Catarina, Brazil were included in this study. Allele frequencies and gene diversities for the loci DYS456, DYS458 and DYS448 were calculated. A comparison between our population and others was performed.

The study of the hypervariable segments HVS-I and HVS-II of the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) control region of 80 healthy and maternally unrelated individuals revealed that the population from Santa Catarina is extremely heterogeneous, mainly due to the impact of relatively recent migratory waves from Europe. In spite of this, Native American lineages as well as African lineages incorporated much earlier are also present at noticeable proportions. This strikingly high variability generated by the intense gene flow is mirrored in a high power of discrimination (97.69%), which makes the analysis of mitochondrial HVS-I and HVS-II segments very useful for forensic genetic purposes in this Brazilian population.

Allele frequencies and haplotypes of eight Y-chromosomal short tandem repeats (STRs), DYS19, DYS385, DYS389 I, DYS389 II, DYS390, DYS391, DYS392 and DYS393 were determined in a sample of 109 males from Santa Catarina. The origin of this southern Brazilian population is mainly from Portuguese people, namely from Azores archipelago.

The state of Santa Catarina (Brazil) is known to have represented a cultural crossroads in South America due to several historic migrations mainly from Europe and Africa. We set out to scrutinize whether the genetic imprint of these migrations could be traced through analysis of the matrilineal gene pool of the Catarinenses. The entire control region of the mitochondrial DNA was studied in 80 healthy and maternally unrelated individuals. The analysis of haplogroup distribution revealed that this population is extremely heterogeneous, showing the coexistence of matrilineal lineages with three different phylogeographic origins. European lineages are the most frequent due mainly to the impact of relatively recent migratory waves from Europe. In spite of this, Native American lineages and African lineages incorporated with the slave trade are also present in noticeable proportions. The strikingly high variability generated by intense gene flow is mirrored in a high sequence diversity (0.9930) and power of discrimination (0.9806). Thus, analysis of the entire mitochondrial DNA control region emerges as a valuable tool for forensic genetic purposes in this highly admixed population, an attribute common to several present-day Latin American populations.

The study of X-chromosomal short tandem repeats (X-STRs) can complement the analysis of autosomal and Y-STRs. A decaplex system for the X-chromosome genetic markers, DXS8378, DXS9898, DXS7133, GATA31E08, GATA172D05, DXS7423, DXS6809, DXS7132, DXS9902 and DXS6789, was used to study a population sample of Santa Catarina, Brazil. 184 individuals (72 female and 112 male samples) were typed. DNA was amplified in a multiplex reaction and the automatic detection performed using capillary electrophoresis. Allele frequencies and some forensic parameters were calculated.

The academic interest in analyzing the correlates of sports participation in several countries has increased recently. Nevertheless, in developing countries, which do not monitor sportive data, this type of investigation is still scarce. This study aims to analyze socioeconomic, motivational, and supportive factors related to sports participation in Brazil. Data from the 2015 National Household Survey-Supplementary Questionnaire of Sports and Physical Activities are examined. In the survey, 71,142 individuals older than 15 years were interviewed (mean age 43.12 years; 53.83% women and 46.17% men). Logistic regression is used for analyzing the data. Results demonstrate a low participation in sports (23.38%). Sports participation declines with increasing age (2% less per year), increases with higher educational level (graduated 5.9 times more), and males prevail in the sporting context (2.3 times more). The main obstacle to women's participation is the lack of sports facilities, and for men the lack of time and health problems. Men practice sports mainly due to socialization, fun, and competition, and women due to medical recommendation. Soccer was the most practiced sport (28.1%), predominating among men. Public policies on sports promotion for fun and socialization may increase male participation, and investments in sports facilities may increase female participation.

The universe of the national research, sponsored by FAPESP through the thematic project ‘Open spaces and urban form’ coordinated by QUAPÁ-SEL laboratory, in FAUUSP, encompasses 35 cities, among state capitals and medium-sized cities in Brazil. It is based on procedures that include: individual and group network surveys; workshops held in the cities studied; annual research colloquiums; presentations in national and international scientific events. This paper focuses on five cities located on the coast of Brazil where workshops have already taken place in 2014 and 2015, and have made possible the analysis of some results through comparative approach: Vitória, Salvador, Maceió, Santos and Recife. The text includes reflections and comparisons between cities and concludes by indicating for discussion some criteria of intervention in the studied cities that could generate urban quality, safeguarding the particular socio-environmental situations. In this paper, instead of discussing all the research issues, proposed for the workshops carried out by the QUAPÁ-SEL network, we have decided to focus only in some of them that have in common the fact they relate to the location along the Brazilian coast. The reflection was based basically on the results of the workshops, which brings to this analysis a simplification and, at the same time, a difficulty. The workshops and their reports are presented in a very heterogeneous and uneven manner. However, the discussions were always based on the same lines of research, ensuring, on the other hand, homogeneity in our approach.