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Background: Brazil is one of the countries with the highest rates of caesarean sections (CS), reaching almost 90% of births in the private sector. A quality improvement project called "Adequate Childbirth Project (PPA)" was conceived to reduce CS in the private sector. This project consisted of four primary components: "Governance", "Participation of Women", "Reorganization of Care" and "Monitoring". This paper aims to evaluate: (1) which specific activities of the PPA had the largest effect on the probability of a woman having a vaginal delivery; (2) which primary component of the PPA had the largest effect on the probability of vaginal delivery and (3) which scenarios combining the implementation of different activities planned in the PPA had a higher effect on the probability of vaginal delivery. Methods: A sample of 12 private hospitals participating in the PPA was evaluated. We used a Bayesian Network (BN) to capture both non-linearities and complex cause-effect relations. The BN integrated knowledge from experts and data from women to estimate 26 model parameters. The PPA was evaluated in 2473 women belonging to groups 1–4 of the Robson classification, who were divided into two groups: those participating or not participating in the PPA. Results: The probability of a woman having a vaginal delivery was 37.7% higher in women participating in the PPA. The most important component of the project that led to an increase in the probability of vaginal delivery was "Reorganization of Care", leading to a 73% probability of vaginal delivery among women in labor. The activity that had the greatest effect on the type of delivery was access to best practices during labor, with a 72% probability of vaginal delivery. Considering the 12 scenarios combining the different activities of the PPA, the best scenarios included: a non-scheduled delivery, access to information about best practices, access to at least 4 best practices during labor and respect of the birth plan, with an 80% probability of vaginal delivery in the best combinations. Conclusion: PPA has been shown to be an effective quality improvement program, increasing the likelihood of vaginal delivery in private Brazilian hospitals. Plain English Summary: Introduction: Brazil boasts one of the highest rates of caesarean sections (CS) globally, with nearly 90% of births in private facilities being delivered via CS. In response, the 'Adequate Childbirth Project – PPA' was launched as a quality improvement initiative aimed at curbing CS rates in private healthcare. Its goal is to improve the quality of childbirth and reduce the number of CS in private healthcare. The project has four main parts: 'Governance', 'Participation of Women', 'Reorganization of Care', and 'Monitoring'. Method: an evaluative study was conducted across 12 private hospitals involved in the PPA, involving 2473 women who were categorized into PPA participants and non-participants. They used a method called a cause-effect network to see which parts of the PPA helped more women have vaginal deliveries. Results: They found that women in the PPA were 37.7% more likely to have a vaginal delivery. Giving women access to good practices during labor and birth was really important. Also, 'Reorganization of Care' was the most important part of the project. It led to a 73% chance of vaginal delivery for women in labor. Conclusion: The PPA is effective in helping more women in private hospitals have vaginal deliveries. This means it's a good program for improving childbirth in Brazil's private hospitals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aimed to characterise Brazilian participation in the Summer Paralympic Games between 1972-2020 and relate it to the historical-national, political and Brazilian Paralympic Committee's strategic plan for the paralympic cycles. This paper also intended to compare Brazilian's results with the best-ranked countries in Rio 2016. Until 2020, the Brazilian delegation was represented by 774 athletes, 251 of whom were medalists (70.9% men and 29.1% women) in 17 different sports, four collective and thirteen individuals. Regarding disability type, 64.9% of the medalist athletes have a physical impairment, 32.3% visual impairment and 2.8% intellectual impairment. During the analysed period, Brazil won 373 medals: 109 gold (29.2%), 132 silver (35.4%) and 132 bronze (35.4%). In conclusion, it is possible to highlight that the improvement in public policies, strategic plans and investments has favoured Brazilian's results. In the last four Paralympic cycles, Brazil could consolidate itself, winning the largest number of medals in 2016 and reaching third place in accumulated growth (3.2%) between 1988-2020, surpassed only by China and Ukraine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Brazil, the use of Eucalyptus is focused on the production of wood or pulp for the paper industry but without any general recovery of waste, with leaves and branches being left on the ground. One possibility is to use these residues as raw materials in the production of industrially relevant and value-added compounds such as essential oil. The aim of the present study was to investigate the chemical composition, yield, anti-inflammatory/antinociceptive activities, and acute toxicity in mice, as well as the antimicrobial effects of essential oils from the leaves of 7 varieties of Eucalyptus and hybrids against Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, and Candida albicans. The extraction of oils was carried out using hydrodistillation, and they were analyzed by gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry. Urocam and Grancam were the plants that obtained the highest oil yield, with yields of 3.32 and 2.30%, respectively. The main chemical components identified in these plants were 1.8 cineole and α-pinene. The antinociceptive effect of the 7 oils (50 mg/kg, p.o.) was initially assessed in the acetic acid-induced writhing test. In this assay, a significant (p < 0.05) antinociceptive/anti-inflammatory effect was observed from 4 tested essential oils (E. benthamii, E. saligna, and the hybrids Urocam and Grancam) when compared to the vehicle-treated group. This effect was then confirmed in the formalin-induced paw licking test. No toxicological effects or alterations were observed in motor coordination after the administration of the studied oils to the animals. In the antimicrobial evaluation, the seven essential oils inhibited the growth of S. aureus, E. coli, and C. albicans at different concentrations. Collectively, these results demonstrate that the essential oil from the leaves and branches of Eucalyptus species and varieties present potential biomedical applications and represent a source of antimicrobial and/or anti-inflammatory compounds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Brazilian Amazon Estuary-Delta (AED) covers an area of over 160,000 km 2 and includes forty-nine mostly small urban centers. Despite development hurdles, these small towns are hubs of social and economic life. This paper has a twofold goal: to present a review of typologies developed to categorize urban areas in Brazil, and the Amazon region in particular; and to assess the extent to which these different typologies can be used to distinguish the singularities of small towns in the region. Most typologies do not capture the diversity of urban realities in the region; this needs to be considered in public policy programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To explore whether there is any causal combination of marketing conditions affecting the growth stage of social entrepreneurship proposals in two emerging countries: Brazil and Mexico. Method: An exploratory type of research was developed, applying a comparative qualitative configurational analysis with 18 case studies or study units, nine from each country, to discover the combination of key conditions of marketing variables associated with the growth stage of the ventures studied. Main Results: In Mexico, growth occurs with the presence of a distribution channel, approach to multiple target markets, hybrid mission, and penetration pricing strategy. In Brazil, on the other hand, growth is explained by penetration pricing, variety of products and services, multiple distribution channels, and loyalty programs. Relevance: This work is relevant for its contribution to the understanding of the role of marketing variables in the survival and extension of the growth phase of social enterprises. Theoretical/Methodological Contributions: The paper contributes to the advancement of knowledge of marketing capabilities in growth-stage social enterprises in emerging countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: This paper accomplishes two goals. First, we assesses the measurement invariance of legal cynicism among adolescents in São Paulo, Brazil, Montevideo, Uruguay, and Zurich, Switzerland. Second, we evaluate a series of social and individual antecedents that are expected to influence legal cynicism across contexts.Methods: This paper first evaluates the measurement invariance of legal cynicism using Multigroup Confirmatory Factor Analysis with three randomized clustered samples of adolescents in Zurich (n = 1447), São Paulo (n = 2680) and Montevideo (n = 2204). Second, we assessed the correlates for legal cynicism in each city using structural equation modelling techniques.Results: The results demonstrated metric invariance, but not scalar invariance among adolescents in São Paulo, Zurich, and Montevideo. We were able to establish partial measurement invariance for legal cynicism in São Paulo and Zurich, and therefore proceeded with the comparison of latent means and antecedents. The results show that on average legal cynicism is higher in Zurich, but that the size and strength of antecedents were similar across cities. Low self-control was by far the strongest correlate of legal cynicism.Conclusions: Overall, our results suggest that current operationalizations of legal cynicism may not be rooted in social structural context and experiences with legal authorities, but rather reflect how individuals interpret legal boundaries and dispositions towards rule-breaking. Researchers must reconsider how legal cynicism fits into models of legal socialization, and whether developmental models of self-control may help us understand the origins and nature of legal cynicism, as it is currently measured. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: this paper aims to exemplify and analyze each of the operational steps of the MSDO / MDSO technique in order to reduce the systemic complexity in the use of the csQCA method, with the support of the MDSO / MSDO web application. Methodological Design: Comparative analysis: more different cases with equal results and more similar cases with different results (MDSO / MSDO). An application of the technique was carried out to identify the causal conditions that explain the differences in innovative performance in 26 innovation networks in Brazil and Spain. Results From the twenty causal conditions analyzed, which were grouped into four categories (clusters) called Structural, Human, Financial and Organizational Resources, eight causal conditions explaining the difference in performance were identified. Methodological implications: Considering that one of the main problems in social research, including recent innovation studies, is the size of systemic complexity. The difficulty of reducing systemic complexity has been manifested repeatedly when researchers in the field of Administration and Innovation have used case analysis with binary data, called Crisp Set Comparative Qualitative Analyzes - csQCA. The MSDO / MDSO analysis (more different cases with equal results and more similar cases with different results) contributed to minimize this problem Originality: the technique has been less used in Brazil. The four stages of application of the technique are detailed demonstrated and analyzed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Leisure-time physical activity (LTPA) is a crucial behavior to reduce the global burden of disease. The objective of this study was to understand the relationship between LTPA, employment status, and physical workload (PWL). This study analyzed data from 38 449 individuals interviewed in the National Health Survey (NHS), representative of the Brazilian population. This paper examines LTPA in the last 30 days and whether participants achieved the recommended physical activity (≥150 min week−1) according to employment status and PWL utilizing Poisson regression models. One third and ¼ of the participants reported LTPA in the last 30 days and achieved the recommended LTPA, respectively. Intense PWL was reported by 28.7% [95% confidence interval (CI): 27.8–29.6%] of participants; 32.2% among men (95% CI: 31.0–33.5%); 24.3% among women (95% CI: 23.1–25.5%). Precarious employment was associated with a lower prevalence of physical activity among men [adjusted prevalence ratio (PRa) = 0.92; P = 0.016], but not among women (PRa = 1.11; P = 0.039). Employment policies and protection of the work environment are relevant aspects to stimulate physical activity, and may vary by gender. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Conifer wood moldings are classified as high value-added wood products and are used for several purposes in civil construction. Brazil is the world’s leading exporter of this product and the United States are its main destination market. It is very important to analyze the behavior of such importations and exportations to set strategies to obtain or increase the competitive advantage and improve the commercialization of these products. The objective of this study was to analyze the US importation seasonality of conifer wood moldings from Brazil and Chile, the main competitor of the Brazilian product in the US market. To write this paper, monthly data of the quantity of US importations of Brazilian and Chilean moldings from the period of 2011 to 2017 were collected from the database of the United States Department of Agriculture/Foreign Agricultural Service. The methodology proposed by Hoffman (2006) was employed to calculate the seasonal and seasonality indexes. The results indicated that the US importation of conifer wood moldings, both from Brazil and Chile, have a seasonal behavior, with great variation of the seasonal index. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: This paper aims to analyze usage rates for the emergency contraceptive pill (ECP) among women living in the city of São Paulo and their associated factors.Study Design: A population based cross-sectional survey was conducted in 2015 with a probabilistic sample of 4,000 women aged 15 to 44 living in São Paulo, Brazil. Response rate for households was 75% and 77% for eligible women. Binary logistic regression models were used to describe the association between each outcome and selected variables.Results: A total of 51.4% of women living in the city of São Paulo had used ECP at least once in their lifetime. Women under 35 were more likely to use ECP, as were those with more than 9 years of schooling, having at least one live birth, not cohabiting with a partner, with more than two lifetime sexual partners and as length of sexual life decreased. Among ECP users, 32.6% used it only once, 47.5% used it 2 to 4 times, and 19.9% used it 5 or more times.Conclusions: Our findings suggest that ECPs have been incorporated into the contraceptive method mix for many women as a fundamental strategy for regulating fertility. Particularly young women, unmarried women and those who have had more partners seem to take greater advantage of ECP to prevent pregnancy.Implications: Despite the high use rate, lower levels of schooling are associated with lower levels of ECP use. There is a need for both policies to reduce schooling inequities and strategies to improve women's knowledge of reproduction and contraception. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The shortage of doctors and their unequal distribution serve as challenges to advancing primary healthcare (PHC) and achieving effective universal healthcare coverage in Brazil. In an effort to use nurses' potential more efficiently, the country is investigating the introduction of the advanced practice nurse (APN) into PHC. This paper presents a situational analysis of the practices of Brazilian nurses based on the following components: regulation, practice, and education.Methods: This is a national multi-method study with triangulated data from a documentary study, a scoping review, and an exploratory study. The regulation component involved the analysis of official normative documents on the regulation of nursing education and nurses' scope of practice. The practice component aimed to identify the practices performed by nurses in Brazilian PHC based on primary studies. The education component intended to identify the practices taught in nursing training based on a survey and interviews with directors of undergraduate nursing programs.Results: Federal legislation in Brazil authorizes nursing graduates to perform a set of advanced practices as part of the PHC nurse's daily routine. They can request and interpret complementary tests and prescribe medication. However, in the local context, municipalities define the scope of this assistance based on technical norms or nursing protocols. Furthermore, this study indicates that undergraduate nursing programs do not fully prepare students to adequately execute these tasks.Conclusions: In the context of Brazilian PHC, advanced practices have already been implemented and respond to main healthcare demands. Therefore, it is unnecessary to introduce the APN as a new professional category. Upon detecting deficiencies in the training process, the current education model should undergo reforms that seek to incorporate the skills compatible with the regulated advanced practices and in-service training for practicing nurses. Regarding the introduction of APN along international lines, this article presents recommendations that may support the operationalization of a Brazilian APN model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper carries out a comparative study between the legal questions that surrogate pregnancy raises in Spain and in Brazil. Surrogate motherhood is a reality achieved thanks to the advances in biomedicine and that undoubtedly requires a response from legal science. In the world scene, this technique receives different legal treatments: some countries authorize it without restrictions, others prohibit it, in others it is allowed with restrictions and in others there is a legislative vacuum. The importance of studying the two systems, the Spanish and the Brazilian, lies in confronting totally different realities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, Chomsky & Herman's "propaganda model" was applied on the examination of the news coverage practiced by Brazilian mass media regarding the exclusion of candidates due to legal processes in the 2018 Brazilian and Venezuelan presidential elections. To this end, this research employs the chomskyan methodology of conducting a comparative study of the news content concerning the excluded candidates from each election produced by Brazilian newspaper O Estado de São Paulo between January 1st and May 31st of 2018. The analysis focused on: how the paper framed the matter in each case through representation techniques, the plurality of opinions presented, and how authors of opinion pieces positioned themselves. The results show that the newspaper's coverage corroborates claims of attacks on the freedom of candidacy in the Venezuelan election, whilst rejecting such claims in the Brazilian election. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper we reflect on the fundamental cause for the afro-reparations demands, emphasizing some evidences during the post-abolition period, framed in the 19th century liberal ideas, highlighting the non-integration of the majority of former slaves in the United States of America and Brazil. Through a comparative analysis we intend to make more visible a historical legacy for afro-descendants in those countries, selecting indicators of inequalities that currently affect these communities and are, to a large extent, connected with the post-abolition. Subsequently, we tried to understand how the very high mortality of that population by Covid-19, relating it to those indicators, is a projection of the post-slavery era, making those inequalities prominently visible and, thus, reinforcing the need for the debate of afro-reparations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There are only a small number of reported intervention studies to improve health literacy among older populations. This paper reports on a study designed to investigate the feasibility and potential impact on health literacy and health practices of embedding an intervention programme to improve health literacy with older people through established primary health care units (PHCUs) in a disadvantaged urban community in Brazil. This investigation utilized a quasi-experimental design, with 42 participants recruited for the intervention group and comparison group. The Alfa-Health Program was offered by a nurse in a PHCU as part of the public universal health system over a period of 5 months, and was compared for its impact on a range of health literacy and self-reported health outcomes with routine health care available for older people. The intervention achieved relatively high levels of participation, and positive feedback from participants. Some improvements in vaccination rates, health literacy and reported health behaviours related to food choices and physical activity were observed. The intervention made good use of existing facilities; the content and methods were well received by the participants. However, there were some difficulties in recruitment and in retention of participants. The study has demonstrated the practical feasibility of delivering a comprehensive health education programme designed to improve health literacy in a PHCU in Brazil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Many countries are employing strategies intended to reduce maldistribution of health workers and inequities. The purpose of this study was to analyse the impact of expansion policies of medical schools on regional inequalities in the distribution of undergraduate class sizes, and the capacity to attract and retain doctors and to expand health facilities. Methods: We conducted a descriptive analysis to compare the distribution of undergraduate places in 2007 and 2016 to determine the impact of targeted expansion policies on inequalities in access to medical education in Brazil. A group of municipalities with new medical schools (n = 54) and a control group without medical schools (n = 408) were compared to analyse impacts of expansion in the health sector. We compared the increase in the number of physicians per 1000 inhabitants and health establishments per inhabitants between 2007 and 2016 based on these two groups. We also analysed the relationship between geographic distance from the state capital and capacity to attract physicians. Results: There was a decrease in the regional inequalities of undergraduate places in medical schools; the greatest increase in the places per 1000 inhabitants was in municipalities of between 50 000 and 100 000 inhabitants. Municipalities with new medical schools showed an increase in physicians per 1000 inhabitants and in health establishments per inhabitant ratio, demonstrating the potential to attract and retain doctors, as well as strengthening the health infrastructure. Municipalities more distant from state capitals showed a greater increase in physician : inhabitant ratio. Discussion: Countries with health workforce shortages and inequalities in their distribution might consider public financing and regulation policies for expansion of medical schools as a strategy to attract and retain professionals. Early results in Brazil showed that such strategies could strengthen service networks in deprived areas, supporting implementation of Universal Healthcare Coverage. How can medical schools influence regional inequities in access to medicine? This paper describes how expansion policy impacts upon the distribution of the medical workforce and the capacity to attract doctors to underserved areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article seeks to identify the contributions that the new comparative-historical method (CHM) has made to political science and public administration. By showing how recent advances in CHM can generate analytical gains through establishing causal conditions and tests associated with process tracing, we hope this will contribute to strengthening qualitative-based research of these two disciplines in Brazil. To achieve this, the paper begins by dissecting the main elements of this method. Then we review the classic work entitled Sessenta e quatro: anatomia da crise (Sixty-four: anatomy of the crisis) by Wanderley Guilherme dos Santos in light of the method's precepts. The paper also reviews a number of studies on Argentine foreign policy and highlights the gains that can be generated by the disciplined application of CHM. In the conclusion, the potential and limitations of the method are identified and some considerations are made with regard to the importance of its application to Brazilian political science and public administration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Extreme learning machines have gained a lot of attention by the machine learning community because of its interesting properties and computational advantages. With the increase in collection of information nowadays, many sources of data have missing information making statistical analysis harder or unfeasible. In this paper, we present a new model, coined spatial extreme learning machine, that combine spatial modeling with extreme learning machines keeping the nice properties of both methodologies and making it very flexible and robust. As explained throughout the text, the spatial extreme learning machines have many advantages in comparison with the traditional extreme learning machines. By a simulation study and a real data analysis we present how the spatial extreme learning machine can be used to improve imputation of missing data and uncertainty prediction estimation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biorefineries can upgrade waste lignocellulosic biomass (LB) into soluble (C5 and C6) sugars that can be fermented into second‐generation (2G) ethanol‐based biofuels and a range of valuable byproducts derived from lignin. Research advances made in various laboratories worldwide have not been easy to translate into large‐scale operations. Here, we performed a simple economic analysis of cellulosic ethanol production from a stand‐alone 100ton dry sugarcane bagasse per day process, from a Brazilian market perspective, based on current state‐of‐the‐art biorefinery process technologies. Economic analysis reveals that the cost of manufacturing (COM) of 2G ethanol in an annexed Brazilian facility is close to USD 1.33 L−1. Fixed and variable costs contributed 57% and 24% in COM of 2G ethanol with a high payback period of ~31 years and a negative net present value (NPV). Further cost reduction can be realized by continuous R&D efforts aiming for innovation in new processing paradigms for cellulosic biorefineries. The key market players (Poet‐DSM, DuPont, Abengoa, Beta Renewables, Raizen, Granbio, Praj, etc.) and other new emerging players (Global Yeast, Taurus Energy, Leaf, Mascoma‐Lallemand) working on ethanologen development, and cellulase producers (Novozyme, Metgen), should also develop partnerships / joint ventures to establish a sustainable business model to develop cost‐competitive 2G ethanol production from bagasse in Brazil. This paper presents additional commentary and analysis with pertinent information about the commercialization of integrated 2G ethanol biorefineries processing sugarcane bagasse, from a Brazilian perspective. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Catfish fossils are mainly represented by disarticulated material, most of which is dorsal and pectoral spines. Morphological data on dorsal and fin spines are described. These materials, collected from two sites of the Adamantina and Marilia formations, Late Cretaceous, of the Bauru Group, reveal the morphologic diversity of the freshwater siluriform taxa. This fauna represents one of the oldest samples of catfish diversity in South America, shortly posterior to its separation from Africa during the Cretaceous. A comparative analysis of these materials with the pectoral and dorsal spines of fossil and extant taxa demonstrated a mosaic of similarities shared with several catfishes, such as the families Bagridae - dorsal spine of morphotype one, Pimelodidae, Ictaluridae and †Bachmannidae - dorsal spine of morphotypes two and three, and Ictaluridae and †Hypsidoridae - pectoral spines of morphotypes one and two. • This paper offers a detailed description of dorsal and pectoral spines of Siluriformes from the Bauru Group. • The Siluriformes specimens present a morphologic diversity which comprises three morphotypes of dorsal spines and two morphotypes of pectoral spines. • The dorsal spine of morphotype one shares features with some Bagridae. • The pectoral spines of morphotypes one and two are most similar to two North American families, †Hypsidoridae and Ictaluridae. • The dorsal spine of morphotypes one and two are like Pimelodidae, Ictaluridae and †Bachmannidae. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although allowing unsolicited proposals continues to be a topic of policy discussion, inexplicably the academic literature lacks information on it. This unique paper can therefore contribute by discussing the ways in which this approach is used to procure public‒private partnership (PPP) projects. Most countries allow this type of procurement model, and many encourage it. Therefore, it is crucial that governments are endowed with well-established procurement frameworks that enable them to overcome the infrastructure gap while simultaneously providing value for money. For this purpose, unsolicited proposals are analyzed in three different countries ‒ Brazil, Korea and the USA ‒ which have implemented PPP projects with this procurement model, using different frameworks. Lessons are drawn, and recommendations are made to improve the current status quo. This procurement option can indeed be useful and valuable, but should be utilized with caution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this essay is to present an overview of policy analysis as a practice and field of knowledge in Brazil. The paper compares the rationalist (positivist) and argumentative (postpositivist) approaches for prescriptive policy analysis. The paper portrays the development and practical use of policy analysis at federal, state and local levels of government, among the executive and legislative powers, in think tanks, and across different policy areas. The institutionalization of the field is also discussed in terms of the establishment of scholarly associations and conferences, scientific journals and graduate education in policy analysis in Brazil. The paper claims that (a) the academic field of policy analysis lacks consolidation in Brazil, and the very term “policy analysis” (análise de políticas públicas) is mostly used to describe theoretically oriented policy research; (b) rationalist policy analysis is mainly used in some “pockets of modernity” at the federal level of government; (c) Brazil has a rich experimentation of participatory mechanisms for argumentative policy analysis through participatory mechanisms at all levels of government. The essay concludes with some directions to build policy analysis capacity in Brazil, in theory and practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper discusses criteria for the definition of what can be discussed by the public based on journalistic production of high visibility: newspapers first page. The object used to discuss this issue is the regional political leadership of the Paraná State (Jaime Lerner) at two different periods: from 1971 to 1975 and from 1988 to 1992. The comparative analysis aims to identify whether there are differences in the treatment given to him in these two moments: the first constrained by formal censorship that affected content published in newspapers, and the second during a period of full democracy. The newspaper analyzed is Gazeta do Povo, a major newspaper in Curitiba. Because it is the same governor, public office, and newspaper, the assumptions is that if there is a difference in treatment to Lerner, it is related to the restrictions imposed by the military regime to the press, that is, the restriction was determined by external political institutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we analyze the impact of the adoption of fair value on the volatility of the results and reserves of Brazilian banks. The sample consisted of 73 banks, which represented, in June 2002, 95.93% of total assets in the national system. We conducted a comparative analysis between the volatilities, with and without the effects of the new regulation, and investigated if there is some symptom of utilization of practices for smoothing the benefits, related to the items of adjustments to fair value. The results of our research revealed that, as opposed to expectations, the new criterion in question has not increased volatility but, on the opposite, has exhibited symptoms of smoothing of benefits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The goal of this paper is to assess the frequency of depression symptoms among Brazilian immigrants living in Massachusetts, the second largest Brazilian immigrant population in the United States, and to identify correlates of depression. A convenience sample of Brazilian immigrants aged 18 or older residing in Massachusetts was used. Data were collected from December 2013 to March 2014, in the Consulate General of Brazil in Boston and in three religious events, using a structure questionnaire and the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale (CES-D). Depression symptoms were observed in 35.3% of the respondents, with equal distribution by sex. Correlates of depression were low income, being single, poor English proficiency, and poor self-perception of health. These results suggest a need for community outreach, sensitization, and counseling, in Portuguese and adapted to the culture of Brazilian immigrants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Long-term survivor models have been extensively used for modelling time-to-event data with a significant proportion of patients who do not experience poor outcome. In this paper, we propose a new long-term survivor hazard model, which accommodates comprehensive families of cure rate models as particular cases, including modified Weibull, exponentiated Weibull, Weibull, exponential and Rayleigh distribution, among others. The maximum likelihood estimation procedure is presented. A simulation study evaluates bias and mean square error of the considered estimation procedure as well as the coverage probabilities of the parameters asymptotic and bootstrap confidence intervals. A real Brazilian dataset on breast cancer illustrates the methodology. From the practical point of view, under our modelling, we provide a parameter that works as a metric to quantify and compare the risk between different stages of the disease. We emphasize that, we developed an online platform for oncologists to calculate the probability of survival of patients diagnosed with breast cancer according to the stage of the disease in real time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims and objectives To investigate whether the type of dressing used (occlusive vs. semi-occlusive) impacts on exit-site infection. Background The exit-site infections are a major predisposing factor for peritoneal dialysis-related peritonitis, the main cause of technique failure and an important cause of mortality. The care taken in exit-site dressing is considered an important procedure for the prevention of trauma and contamination of this area. Nevertheless, to our knowledge, no study has yet analysed the impact of different dressing types on early exit-site infection (up to two months after catheter insertion). Design A prospective observational study involving the BRAZPD II (Brazilian Peritoneal Dialysis Multicenter Study) cohort. Methods All incident patients with data available for dressing type applied following peritoneal dialysis catheter insertion were included in the study. A multilevel logistic regression model was used to compare the log-odds of exit-site infections between groups. Results A total of 2460 incident patients were included. Occlusive and semi-occlusive dressings were applied in 82·6% (n = 2031) and 17·4% (n = 427) of patients, respectively. Exit-site infection incidence was not affected by the type of dressing used, with a logit for occlusive dressing of 2·15 (95% CI 0·81-5·70). The combined outcome of exit-site infection and tunnel infection also showed no significance between the groups (logit 1·46, 95% CI 0·72-2·97). Conclusion Our results indicate that the type of exit-site dressing used during the healing phase following peritoneal dialysis catheter insertion has no impact on early exit-site infection rates. Relevance to clinical practice Provides evidence to support the similarity between occlusive and semi-occlusive dressing regarding infection rates in exit site of peritoneal dialysis catheter, therefore allowing the choice to be made accordingly to routine or availability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study analyzes the volume of Brazilian scientific production in Marketing published in the period 2000-2009 in BAR, RAC, RAE, RAM, RAUSP and Read periodicals and in the proceedings of EnANPAD and the (EMA). When the results were compared with those obtained by Vieira (2003) in the past decade, there was found to be an increase of 368% in the number of published papers. The number of articles published in the proceedings (81.1%) is still much higher than the number of articles published in periodicals (18.9%). Approximately 65% of the authors published only one paper in the conferences. Consumer Behavior is still the most common subject (29%). The average number of authors per paper increased from 1.7 to 2.3 and the concentration of articles produced by the top five most productive schools declined from 62.5% to 49.6%. The average number of citations per article increased from 21.6 to 37.4 but the average number of citations of Brazilian periodicals only increased from 2.0 to 2.5. The study concludes by forecasting the evolution of scientific production in the area of Marketing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The stratified model of care has been an effective approach for the treatment of low back pain. However, the treatment of patients with low risk of psychosocial-factor involvement is unclear. The addition of the therapeutic alliance to a minimal intervention may be an option for the treatment of low back pain. This paper reports on the rationale, design and protocol for a randomized controlled trial with blind assessor to assess the effectiveness of the addition of therapeutic alliance with minimal intervention on pain and disability in patients with chronic, nonspecific low back pain.Methods: Two hundred and twenty-two patients with chronic, nonspecific low back pain and low risk of involvement of psychosocial factors will be assessed and randomly allocated into three groups (n = 74 patients per group). The Positive Therapeutic Alliance group will receive counseling and guidance with an emphasis on therapeutic alliance and empathy. The Usual Treatment group will receive the same information and counseling with limited interaction with the therapist. The Control group will not receive any intervention. The treatment will be composed by two intervention sessions with a 1-week interval. A blinded assessor will collect the following outcomes at baseline, 1 month, 6 months and 12 months after randomization: pain intensity (Pain Numerical Rating Scale), specific disability (Patient-specific Functional Scale), general disability (Oswestry Disability Index), global perceived effect (Global Perceived Effect Scale), empathy (Consultation and Relational Empathy Measure), credibility and expectations related to treatment. The analysis will be performed using linear mixed models.Discussion: This will be the first study to understand the effect of combining enhanced therapeutic alliance to a treatment based on counseling, information and advice (minimal intervention). The addition of the therapeutic alliance to minimal intervention may improve the treatment of chronic, nonspecific low back pain.Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT 02497625. Registered on 10 July 2015. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Immediate breast reconstruction has been increasingly incorporated as part of breast cancer treatment, especially for the psychological benefits. Currently, there are many options for breast reconstruction surgery, but the impact of the different techniques on body posture has not been widely studied. One study demonstrated that immediate breast reconstruction with a Beker-25 prosthesis could help to preserve body posture after mastectomy; however, there is no evidence regarding the effect of surgery on the body posture of women after breast reconstruction when using autologous tissue. Purpose The purpose of this paper is to compare the body postures of women who underwent immediate breast reconstruction using an abdominal flap with those of women who underwent mastectomy alone. Design This is a cross-sectional study. Subjects Seventy-six women diagnosed with breast cancer underwent mastectomy, between 1 and 5 years after the diagnosis, are the participants of the study. Two groups were defined: women who underwent mastectomy and immediate breast reconstruction ( n = 38) and women who underwent mastectomy alone ( n = 38). Procedure To assess body posture, specific anatomical points for obtaining photographs were located and marked in anterior, posterior and right-side and left-side views. The photographs were analysed using Postural Analysis Software/Software de Análise Postural (PAS/SAPO). Results In the left lateral view, there was a significant difference in the vertical alignment of the trunk (4.2 vs 3.1; p = 0.05). There were no significant differences between the two groups for the variables in the anterior, posterior or right-side views. Conclusion Women who underwent mastectomy alone, compared with women who underwent immediate breast reconstruction with abdominal flaps, showed differences in the vertical alignment of the trunk, with greater asymmetry between the acromion and greater trochanter, which can mean trunk rotation. No significant differences were found between the two groups in the alignment of the head, shoulders, scapula, or pelvis. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This paper draws on two linked studies of social policy and wellbeing in later life. The studies make comparisons between distinct groups of older people at the national and sub-national levels, as well as over time. The paper reflects on some of the main challenges for operationalising this complex design, as well as for interpreting findings and identifies lessons for other studies. The first study, conducted in 2002, included a questionnaire survey of around 2000 households containing at least one older person in South Africa and Brazil, supplemented by a set of in-depth qualitative interviews. Intriguingly, these countries had remarkably similar pension programmes, providing the majority of older people a reliable payment of roughly US$3 a day. This offered the prospect of exploring the effects of similar interventions in distinct developmental and cultural settings. In both countries, we found that these pensions had a substantial impact on the prevalence and depth of poverty in the study households, and were usually shared between older people and other family members. The second survey took place in 2008/9 and involved revisiting the households included in the 2002 survey, along with a separate set of in-depth interviews. This provided an opportunity for dynamic analysis of economic and wellbeing effects, against a backdrop of increased divergence in the wider national settings. Among other things, this revealed high and increasing levels of life satisfaction across all the study groups, although the extent to which this was directly related to generous pension provision cannot be ascertained. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: There is a move towards large-scale planting of perennial bioenergy crops in many countries to help reduce Green House Gas emissions, whilst still meeting energy demand. However, the implications of such wholesale land use change have yet to be fully understood which raises some concerns over the strategy. This paper identifies, through literature review, that significant social, economic and environmental impacts might be expected from land use change in two different parts of the world, São Paulo, Brazil, where sugarcane is the predominant perennial biomass crop, and England where miscanthus and short rotation coppice are likely to predominate. In order to examine the extent to which these impacts can be addressed in decision-making, the paper develops a framework for testing the effectiveness of environmental assessment practice in these two regions, and applies it to both. The conclusion is that, whilst tools which can address sustainability impacts in decision-making exist, the legal framework in England precludes their application for the majority of land use change, and in Brazil there is incomplete consideration of social and economic impacts at the strategic level. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This paper is a comparative ethnography of the therapeutic practices at two different spa locations: Caldas da Imperatriz, SC, Brazil, and Termas da Sulfurea in Cabeco de Vide, Portugal. The comparison reveals the existence of contrasting 'explanatory models' held by the spa-goers as well as by the official medical systems. In the Portuguese context this model is highly medicalized; in the Brazilian case, spa treatments are viewed as 'alternative' or 'complementary' therapy and are also related to religious philosophies. Each model corresponds to a different idiom expressing certain experiences and world views, one focusing on 'pains' (dores) and the other on 'energy' (energia), the former leading to the rationale of 'curing', the latter to the notion of 'energizing'. In this paper the author intends to analyze and contrast the categories found in these models, which originate from different conceptions of health, illness and healing for Brazilian and Portuguese spa-goers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper compares the status of social science research in India, China and Brazil using various indicators. It particularly focuses on the analyses of annual average publication rate vis-a-vis global publication share; similarity in research profile of different countries; research priorities of countries as measured in terms of national publications output by sub-fields; relative share of international collaborative papers in the national output; distribution of research output by geographical regions within each country; and characteristics of high productivity institutions and highly cited papers computed on select measures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes a procedure and methodology for performance target setting related to continuity metrics in electricity distribution networks. This proposal deals with one of the key issues in the monopoly regulation, which is either the reduction of the information asymmetry among economic agents or the emulation of a competitive environment in industry segments usually considered as natural monopolies. This paper develops an approach toward standard definitions for Customer Average Interruption Duration Index (DEC) and Customer Average Interruption Frequency Index (FEC) based on inter-companies comparative analysis. This approach introduces productive efficiency concepts to the definition of network performance. In order to do so, the data envelopment analysis (DEA) technique, used for defining the efficiency frontier, was combined with the dynamic cluster technique, oriented toward models of identification of similar networks. A technique for comparative analysis was used for the definition of the network expected performance. Examples with the Brazilian electric systems are provided to clarify the methodology suggested by this paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The aim of the proposed study is to perform a comparative analysis of functional training effects for the paretic upper limb with and without transcranial direct current stimulation over the primary motor cortex in children with spastic hemiparetic cerebral palsy.Methods: The sample will comprise 34 individuals with spastic hemiparetic cerebral palsy, 6 to 16 years old, classified at level I, II, or III of the Manual Ability Classification System. Participants will be randomly allocated to two groups: (1) functional training of the paretic upper limb combined with anodic transcranial stimulation; (2) functional training of the paretic upper limb combined with sham transcranial stimulation. Evaluation will involve three-dimensional movement analysis and electromyography using the SMART-D 140® system (BTS Engineering) and the FREEEMG® system (BTS Engineering), the Quality of Upper Extremity Skills Test, to assess functional mobility, the Portable Device and Ashworth Scale, to measure movement resistance and spasticity, and the Pediatric Evaluation of Disability Inventory, to evaluate performance. Functional reach training of the paretic upper limb will include a range of manual activities using educational toys associated with an induced constraint of the non-paretic limb during the training. Training will be performed in five weekly 20-minute sessions for two weeks. Transcranial stimulation over the primary motor cortex will be performed during the training sessions at an intensity of 1 mA. Findings will be analyzed statistically considering a 5 % significance level (P ≤ 0.05).Discussion: This paper presents a detailed description of a prospective, randomized, controlled, double-blind, clinical trial designed to demonstrate the effects of combining transcranial direct current stimulation over the primary motor cortex and functional training of the paretic limb in children with cerebral palsy classified at level I, II, or III of the Manual Ability Classification System. The results will be published and evidence found may contribute to the use of transcranial stimulation for this population.Trial Registration: ReBEC RBR-6V4Y3K . Registered on 11 February 2015. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Commensality is a remarkable human act, and tends to be more present among families. Nevertheless, it is possible that eating at the table is being taking for granted when one refers to family meals. Thus, this paper aims to analyze working mothers' discourses about family meals eaten at the table, on the couch and in the bed/bedroom.Methods: The participants were thirty mothers working in public universities of the Brazilian region called Baixada Santista. A qualitative study was conducted, using semi-structured interviews. In the transcripts the words "table", "couch", "bed", "bedroom" were located and the excerpts containing them were extracted and analyzed according to a classical and exploratory content analysis.Results: The table is a significant component of meals that unite the family. While for some the meal at the table is an enjoyable moment, it is a stiff moment for others. Indeed, manners and the notion of hierarchy appeared only for the table. Regarding the couch, it seems that the family chose to eat there, because it is a more casual and relaxed setting. Eating in the bed was related to precarity, intimacy and casualness. In the three settings, watching television was a common practice, replacing or being added to talking.Conclusions: Commensality is such an important practice that appears in different settings and even in precarity contexts. The table emerged as the maximal cornerstone of commensality. However, when it was not present, new arrangements were made. Especially the couch seems to be a new commensal space, less formal and rigid, but able to allow some collective conviviality. Eating in the bed was a less common practice. Finally, the significant role that television assumed in meals is highlighted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to investigate the engagement of community communication initiatives and their constitutive organizations in the regulatory process of di-gitization at different countries like Brazil and Spain. It is a comparative case study between these two countries, their differences and similarities of their political and cultural aspects that need to be highlighted: they're at different moments of the transition to the digitalization of TV transmission; they have different structure and involvement from constituted organizations of community communication initiatives and have different and complex governments in regard to the proximity of community communication questions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is intended to contribute to the knowledge about the patterns of innovations in different economic sectors. Hence, the general objective is to assess the differences in rates, directions, sources and efforts of innovations between low-tech and high-tech industries in Brazil. The analysis is based on the database of a survey on innovation (PINTEC) conducted by IBGE. The sample includes 8,578 innovative Brazilian companies surveyed from selected low-tech industries (food and textiles manufactures) and high-tech industries (vehicles and electronics industries). Descriptive and factorial correspondence analysis were used to identify the variables regarding rates, directions, sources and efforts of innovation that discriminate the low-tech industries of hightech. The results confirm that low-tech industries differ from high tech ones in all pattern of innovations dimensions analyzed. Hence, low tech industries, compared to high-tech ones are less innovative, innovate more in process, have fewer people dedicated to R&D, present suppliers as the most significant source of information and is a larger user of Government funding for the purchase of machinery and equipment. On the other hand the high-tech industries are more innovative, innovate more in products, have more people dedicated to R&D, search for information of other groups of companies, customers and competitors and their larger use of public financing is for investing in R&D. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This paper discusses the results of ethno-ornithological research conducted on the local ecological knowledge (LEK) of artisanal fishers in northeast Brazil between August 2013 and October 2014. Methods: The present study analyzed the LEK of 240 artisanal fishermen in relation to Nearctic shorebirds and the factors that may be affecting their populations. We examined whether differences occurred according to the gender and age of the local population. The research instruments included semi-structured and check-list interviews. Results: We found that greater knowledge of migratory birds and the areas where they occur was retained by the local men compared with the local women. Half of the male respondents stated that the birds are always in the same locations, and most of the respondents believed that changes in certain populations were caused by factors related to habitat disturbance, particularly to increases in housing construction and visitors to the island. The main practices affecting the presence of migratory birds mentioned by the locals were boat traffic and noise from bars and vessels. According to the artisanal fishermen, the population of migratory birds that use the area for foraging and resting has been reduced over time. Conclusions: Changes in the local landscape related to urbanization and tourism are most likely the primary causes underlying the reduced migratory shorebird populations as reported by local inhabitants. Thus, managing and monitoring urbanization and tourism are fundamental to increasing the success of the migration process and improving the conservation of migratory shorebird species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Interventions on adolescents' lifestyle are important, but the main mechanisms that explain the changes (mediating variables) on lifestyle are unclear. This paper presents the rationale and methods of an intervention program focused on promoting active and healthy lifestyles (especially physical activity [PA] practice and reducing screen time) among Brazilian students-the Fortaleça sua Saúde program (Portuguese for "strengthen your health").Methods/design: This is a school-based cluster-randomized controlled trial. Three intervention and three control (no intervention) full-time public schools were randomly selected in Fortaleza, northeastern Brazil. Students (n = 1,272) from classes in Grades 7-9 were eligible, and 1,085 (548 in the intervention and 537 in control schools) completed the baseline and follow-up measures. The program duration was approximately four months and took place in 2014. Intervention strategies focused on teacher training, activities on health in the curriculum, active opportunities in the school environment (the availability of equipment for PA), and health education (health materials for students and parents). Data collection was undertaken before and immediately after the intervention. The primary variables included the practice of PA (weekly PA volume, PA behavior change stage and preference for PA during leisure-time) and screen time (TV and computer/video games). Potential intrapersonal, interpersonal and environmental mediators of PA and screen time were evaluated by a standardized questionnaire. Other lifestyle components (e.g., eating habits, substance use), psychological (e.g., self-rated health, body satisfaction) and biological (general and abdominal obesity) aspects, as well as academic performance were also evaluated in the total sample. Depressive symptoms, eating disorders, sleep quality, objectively-measured PA, and sedentary time were evaluated in obese students.Discussion: If effective, this program will contribute to the development of public policies for the promotion of active and healthy lifestyles in youth, especially those from low- and middle-income countries. The main intrapersonal, interpersonal and/or environmental mediators of PA and screen time may also be indicated. Finally, we anticipate that the proposed strategies may be adaptable to public schools and may even be extended to the entire school system.Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.Gov: NCT02439827 . Registration date: May 3, 2015. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The industrial electric motor is the most important load, considering its large number and associated energy consumption, being responsible for approximately 68% of the industrial energy consumption and 35% of the total electrical energy consumption in Brazil. This country, like others, is seeking to establish a regulation on the minimum efficiency index for electric motor equipment. This paper aims to present an overview of the installed park of industrial motors in Brazil and to evaluate the possible effects of such regulation. For this purpose, the measurement results obtained in the 2000–2012 period were used, which were extracted from the approximately 276 three-phase induction motors that had been sold and were being used in the Brazilian market, with a rated power in a large range from under 1 hp to over 150 hp. The analysis of the measurement results provided an overview of the average behavior of the induction motors in industry while considering energy efficiency and allowing estimates and proposals aiming at the improvement of the use of electrical energy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the objectives of physical education classes is to enable students to involve diverse perceptual-motor experience necessary for the development of functional and adaptive behaviors. In this sense, this paper aims to identify students in the elementary school with difficulties coordinative in a particular school of Ilhéus (BA) and check your connection with the participation in Physical Education classes. The results showed that students with indicative of atypical coordinative development were less participatory in Physical Education classes. The discussion was focused on the implications for teacher practice, providing some directions for the organization and development of innovative practices in Physical Education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Digital elevation models (DEMs) provide important support to research since these data are freely available for almost all areas of the terrestrial surface. Thus, it is important to assess their accuracy for correct applicability regarding the correct use scale. Therefore, this paper aims to assess the vertical accuracy of ALOS PALSAR, GMTED2010, SRTM, and Topodata DEMs according to the Brazilian Cartographic Accuracy Standard through the official high accuracy network data of the Brazilian Geodetic System. This study also seeks to investigate whether the altimetric error is correlated with altitude and slope in the study area. Our results showed that the four assessed DEMs in this study demonstrated satisfactory accuracy to provide mappings in scales up to 1:100,000 because more than 90% of the extracted points presented altimetric errors of less than 25 m when compared with the reference points from the high accuracy network of the Brazilian Geodetic System. Regarding the altimetric error, we could not find a significant correlation with altitude or slope in the study area. In this sense, future DEMs assessments should be based on the investigation of other factors that may influence altimetric error. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper provides a comparative analysis of land-use and land-cover (LULC) changes among three study areas with different biophysical environments in the Brazilian Amazon at multiple scales, from per-pixel, polygon, census sector, to study area. Landsat images acquired during the years of 1990/1991, 1999/2000, and 2008/2010 were used to examine LULC change trajectories with the post-classification comparison approach. A classification system composed of six classes – forest, savanna, other vegetation (secondary succession and plantations), agro-pasture, impervious surface, and water – was designed for this study. A hierarchical-based classification method was used to classify Landsat images into thematic maps. This research shows different spatiotemporal change patterns, composition, and rates among the three study areas and indicates the importance of analysing LULC change at multiple scales. The LULC change analysis over time for entire study areas provides an overall picture of change trends, but detailed change trajectories and their spatial distributions can be better examined at a per-pixel scale. The LULC change at the polygon scale provides the information of the changes in patch sizes over time, while the LULC change at census sector scale gives new insights on how human-induced activities (e.g. urban expansion, roads, and land-use history) affect LULC change patterns and rates. This research indicates the necessity to implement change detection at multiple scales for better understanding the mechanisms of LULC change patterns and rates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is placed in the context of comparative analyzes of efficiency between private and state companies and discusses differences regarding the strategic alignment and value creation management procedures on those enterprises, allowing to obtain evidence about "types" of alignment and value origination management "modes". From hypothetical-deductive approach, we used information from the survey previously applied to 95 Brazilian organizations, now stratified according to the origin of capital, private or state. We tested hypotheses about the existence of mean differences in strategic alignment vectors, on the existence of different proportions of types of state and private companies with respect to patterns of value origination and the behavior of the components of the total value created. The tests presented on a recurring basis, mean differences in favor of private enterprise, with results displayed from the confidence interval above 85%, satisfactory when taking into consideration that this is an exploratory study. Also regarding the origination value, was found superior performance of private equity firms in all dimensions/perspectives. Faced with the findings and the relevance of state enterprises, it is expected that the evidence to enable a new performance approach of organizations managed by the state, triggering mechanisms for monitoring performance more in line with the management challenges of contemporary organizations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The Brazilian government has started up a large social housing program for low-income families. Considering the large investment for this program, it is important to analyse the environmental impact to create a base for further improvement assessment. The goal of this paper is to visualise the energy use (embodied and operational) during the life cycle of case study for a house in the social housing program. The case study showed that the embodied energy (EE) is 7.2GJ/m2 or 30% of the total energy from the life cycle, the operational energy is 17.5GJ/m2. Half of the Embodied Energy is due to material use for maintenance and around 57% of the embodied energy is used in the wall construction. Compared to other international studies (5.8GJ/m2 per 50 years), the embodied energy is relative high (7.2GJ/m2 per 50 years) whereas the operational energy is only the half (17.5 compared to 36GJ/m2 per 50 year). The study indicates that the largest improvement potential for reducing the embodied energy is connected to the walls trough choosing materials and systems with less Embodied Energy and higher durability to decrease the need for maintenance and substitution of materials. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

In this paper we concentrate on FDI and argue that the contrasting FDI policies in Brazil and India can be traced back to differences in the respective colonial (or semi-colonial) experiences of the two nations during the 19th century. Our comparative analysis of FDI in Brazil and India shows the importance of historical and institutional awareness in gaining an understanding of the manner in which each society perceived the role of foreign investments in their societies. By doing this, we gain an understanding of the reasons these countries adopted different attitudes and policies towards foreign capital. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]