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This study aimed to investigate the impact of as-received biomass fly ashes (BFA) and green liquor dregs obtained from a pulp and paper plant in Brazil as substitutes for metakaolin in geopolymeric formulations. The properties of this type of waste material vary widely between different industrial plants. This study refrains from subjecting the waste materials to any form of pretreatment, taking into account their organic matter and particle size heterogeneity, requiring extensive characterization to evaluate their influence on the compressive strength, apparent open porosity, and water absorption of the geopolymeric samples. The objective was to assess their potential for upcycling purposes as an alternative to energy-intensive materials, such as ordinary Portland cement (OPC) and advanced ceramics. This potential arises from the ability of alkali-activated materials (AAM) to undergo curing at ambient temperatures, coupled with the possibility of compositions primarily derived from waste materials. To improve the sustainability of the products, the amorphous content of the raw material, which is more reactive than crystalline phases, was quantified and used as the base for mixture ratios. This approach aimed to reduce the requirement for alkaline activators, which have significant environmental impacts, while also increasing the waste content in the formulation. The incorporation of waste materials into the geopolymer matrix generally led to a reduction in the compressive strength compared to the benchmark metakaolin sample (19.4 MPa) but did not present a trend. The dregs led to values of 4.1 MPa at 25 wt% and 7.1 MPa at 50 wt%, a behavior that is somewhat counterintuitive, and BFA at 10 wt% presented 5.7 MPa. Nevertheless, the apparent open porosity remained at high levels for all the samples, close to 50%, and the compressive strength of most of them was over the values obtained for the metakaolin-only samples with mixture ratios calculated from the total composition instead of the amorphous composition. The decrease in strength and the increase in porosity were attributed to the specific characteristics of the waste materials, such as their high crystallinity, presence of organic matter, heterogeneous particle composition, and size. Overall, this study provides insight into the variations in geopolymerization based on the bulk and amorphous content of the aluminosilicate sources and how the characteristics of the waste materials influence the geopolymer matrix. It also highlights how calculating mixture ratios based on the amorphous composition improves the possibility of waste valorization through alkali activation. Additionally, it suggests that BFA and dregs might be effectively utilized in applications other than OPC substitution, such as adsorption, filtration, and catalysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article describes how The Language Center at the Espirito Santo Federal University changed from using traditional pencil-andpaper tests to performance testing, based on authentic tasks. The change was prompted because people thought that their testing did not reflect a communicative approach to language teaching. The Assessment Project lasted for two years; the author discusses its participants, goals, stages (including pilot testing), and results. Content and construct validity improved, leading to positive washback. Learning objectives and criteria for passing were clarified.

Taking as an example the very interesting and motivating paper by Sousa Ribeiro et al. (2021) an attempt is made of providing a couple of insights into the decision making process from the point of view of the potentially helpful aspects of data analysis and OR-related modelling. These are just hints and suggestions, meant primarily to emphasise the multifaceted character of the decision making situations and processes, especially when concerning more complex issues. While the course of the procedure proposed and exemplified in Sousa Ribeiro et al. (2021) is treated as fully correctly and successfully carried out to the end, we wish to show the potential use of information, constituting in a sense a "by-product" of such a procedure, or, actually, of any similar procedure, aimed at supporting decision making. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recycled paper has the potential to be used as a mulch for vegetable production and can be adopted for the cultivation of Italian zucchini. However, there have been no studies about the water savings or crop coefficient values used in irrigation management in this system; therefore, there is a need for more research. In view of the above, this study aimed to evaluate the effects of recycled paper mulch on evaporation and evapotranspiration in Italian zucchini and to determine the crop coefficients in its developmental stages. The study was carried out in two cultivation cycles conducted at the Lysimetric Station in Viçosa, MG, Brazil. The experiments were installed in a randomized block design with four replicates. Four lysimeter cultivation treatments were applied: without mulch (C); with recycled paper as mulch (CP); with only recycled paper (P); and with Bahia grass (G). Irrigation and drainage measurements were performed daily to calculate the crop and reference evapotranspiration, and thus the crop coefficient (Kc) values. The following characteristics were evaluated: fruit yield, NDVI and water productivity. For the cultivation of Italian zucchini using paper as mulch, Kc values of 0.54, 0.77 and 0.44 and Kcb values of 0.15, 0.45 and 0.18 are recommended for the initial, intermediate and final stages, respectively. NDVI can be used to estimate the Kc values for Italian zucchini. The use of recycled paper as mulch reduces the water consumption of Italian zucchini. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In July 2015, China's national legislature brought in prosecutor-led civil environmental public interest litigation ("EPIL") for thirteen selected provincial areas of the country. After a two-year legal experiment, this prosecutor-led civil EPIL system was then established nationwide in July 2017. Yet, can it be said that prosecutorial regulators in China are in fact a paper tiger? Drawing upon content analysis of the 655 prosecutor-led civil EPILs and in-depth interviews with twelve frontline prosecutors and judges, this article examines the dynamics of regulatory practice and the motivation of the Chinese prosecutorial organs to engage in environmental regulation through litigation. Based upon the above two legislative landmarks in the law reform of this area, the regulatory practice of prosecutorial organs can be viewed as having occurred in three stages, with each stage featuring a distinct regulatory model: ad hoc regulation through local innovation before July 2015, forced regulation during the legal experiment from July 2015 to July 2017, and perfunctory regulation after the nationwide establishment of the prosecutor-led civil EPIL system in July 2017. The data shows that the Chinese prosecutorial organs have engaged in a larger number of such lawsuits since the second stage, but they have shown a strong preference for cases with less complicated facts, weak and small defendants, and minor environmental violations. Three factors that influence regulatory motivation are employed to analyse the change in regulatory models: the ambiguity of the law, the top-down political pressure for regulation, and the cost of regulation. This study highlights the very limited effectiveness of vertical political pressure in boosting prosecutorial regulation and the strong impacts of the cost of regulation and the ambiguity of the law. In particular, the high cost of regulation that takes weak regulatory capacity, lack of regulatory autonomy, and the winning rate-oriented performance appraisal system into account have significantly weakened the motivation of prosecutorial organs to pursue civil EPIL. The findings of this study echo the conditions present in the successful prosecutorial regulations in Brazil and contribute to the scholarship about prosecutorial regulations in the field of environmental protection in the Global South. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Visceral leishmaniasis remains a serious public health issue, and Brazil was among the seven countries with the highest prevalence of this disease worldwide. The measures to control this disease are not easily developed, and the improvement of its diagnosis, surveillance, and control is still needed. This study aimed to carry out the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) diagnosis of Leishmania infantum in vector samples in some municipalities of the State of São Paulo, which included two municipalities with human disease transmission and two with dog transmission only. Vectors were collected in traps with luminous bait. Next, they were killed at −4 °C and kept in 70% alcohol. Groups of ten female insects (pools) were mashed on cation exchange paper (fine cellulose phosphate with 18 µEq/cm² ionic exchange capacity) for DNA extraction. The PCR was carried out to identify the natural infection of the Leishmania genus in female Lutzomyia longipalpis (Lu. Longipalpis). Out of the 3,880 Lu. longipalpis phlebotomines, 1060 were female and 2820 were male (3:1). The method used to extract the DNA in pools of ten phlebotomines and the PCR resulted in sensitivity, specificity, practicality, and faster analyses when compared to the individual analysis method. The procedure described can be used on a large scale in the leishmaniasis epidemiological surveillance, enabling a higher number of analyses and the optimization of human resources because the traditional diagnostic method is carried out via desiccation of the insect digestive system and microscopic examination, which is time-demanding and there is the need of manual skills. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The subsector of pulp and paper presented in 2013 an electric power consumption of 9.3% of electricity consumption in the industrial sector in Brazil. It experienced a significant growth of production in the last 20 years, exceeding 160%, and their consumption of electricity increased by 130%, reaching the level of 19,594GWh. Due to its characteristics, with a known structure and production processes, and its importance in the country's industrial sector, this subsector was selected for study in this paper, to evaluate the behavior of its long-term annual electricity demand, at the horizon of 20 years ahead, in energy efficiency scenarios through bottom-up approach. This approach is data intensive and requires data with good quality; it consists of a hierarchical structure that enables to check how specific actions can affect the results at each level and its effect on higher levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Museu de Zoologia da Universidade de São Paulo (MZUSP), São Paulo, Brazil houses the largest and most representative Brazilian collection of Diptera. In the present study, following a recommendation of the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature, it is presented a catalogue of the type specimens of Diadocidiidae and Ditomyiidae (Diptera: Bibionomorpha) held in the collection of the MZUSP. Label data and the condition of preservation of 27 type specimens (nine holotypes, two paralectotypes, and 16 paratypes) of 14 Neotropical species are provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Calls from policymakers to assimilate immigrants through English literacy have grown urgent. Yet the 2007 U.S. Census has reported that one in five U.S. residents speaks a language other than English at home. What's more, new immigrants often settle in long-standing immigrant communities in which these non-English languages are the lingua franca. These demographic trends call for a reconceptualization of the problematic relationship of literacy to immigrant assimilation. To whom, precisely, are immigrants assimilating, especially in multi-ethnic communities? And how exactly does literacy, especially biliteracy, shape this process? Through an ethnographic investigation of how two different immigrant groups form biliterate partnerships in the quest for legal immigration papers, this essay examines how literacy and assimilation function in light of the changing writing demands of contemporary immigrant life. (Contains 8 notes.)

This paper describes a cradle-to-gate life cycle assessment of offset paper production in Brazil. The production system is classified into two subsystems: a forest production subsystem, which involves seedling production, soil preparation, seedling planting, forest maintenance, and wood harvesting and transport processes; and an industrial production subsystem, involving wood pulp extraction and bleaching, chemical recovery, and offset paper manufacturing processes. The environmental analysis includes the primary energy demand, environmental impact assessment, and land use indicators. The primary energy demand indicated that the largest amount of both renewable and non-renewable primary energy is consumed by the industrial production subsystem, accounting for 91.0% of the total energy demand. The potential environmental impact assessment included eight impact categories: acidification, ecotoxicity, global warming, human toxicity – cancer effects, human toxicity – non-cancer effects, nutrient enrichment, ozone depletion, and photochemical oxidation. Most of the potential impacts are attributed to the processes of pulp extraction and bleaching, and offset paper manufacturing, mainly due to the production of electricity and thermal energy. As for impacts on land use during the forest activities, a recent developed approach was applied for the regionalized assessment of impacts. Land occupation impacts on erosion resistance, physicochemical filtration, and mechanical filtration showed a reduction in the soil ecological functions, whereas groundwater recharge indicated a credit for the performance of the soil function. With a view to reducing the main life cycle impacts of the industrial production subsystem, an evaluation is made of alternative production scenarios. The best scenario was the substitution of biomass and diesel in the energy generation unit by biomass gasification and optimization of the recovery boiler. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Exacta is the property of Exacta - Engenharia de Producao and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This study aims to analyze the relative efficiency of graduate programs in terms of the quality of their scientific publications in journals. To this end, we applied Data Envelopment Analysis to the fields of Public and Business Administration, Accounting, and Tourism, using data from the 2017 Quadrennial Evaluation developed by the Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior ["Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Education Personnel", CAPES]. The results suggest that efficient graduate programs are concentrated in the center-south axis of Brazil, in the areas of Administration and Accounting. Despite the overall publishing strategy in journals of various ranks (strata), efficient graduate programs allocate their efficiency primarily to Qualis A1 journals, A1 being the excellence rating in the CAPES scale. We conclude that legitimized research practices pressure graduate programs to improve the quality of their publications while threatening the survival of programs that fail to conform to the assessment rules. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The forest sector plays an important role in the circular bioeconomy due to its focus on renewable materials that can substitute fossil or greenhouse gas emissions-intensive materials, store carbon in bio-based products and provide ecosystem services. This study investigates the state of the bioeconomy in Brazil and its forest industry. Specifically, this study presents some examples of novel wood-based products being developed or manufactured in Brazil and discusses possible opportunities for the development of the country's forest sector. The pulp and paper industry plays an important role in the forest sector. It has also been showing advancements in the development of cascading uses of wood invalue-added products, such as nanocrystalline cellulose, wood-based textile fibers, lignin-based products, and chemical derivatives from tall oil. Product and business diversification through the integration of the pulp and paper industry to biorefineries could provide new opportunities. Moreover, biochemicals derived from non-wood forest products, such as resin and tannins could promote diversification and competitiveness of the Brazilian forest industry. Although some engineered wood products are still a novelty in Brazil, the market for such products will likely expand in the future following the global trends in wood construction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper recycling process generates a sludge characterized by a high content of cellulose fiber. To understand the behavior of this fibrous material, this article presents an interpretation of the geotechnical behavior of a waste sludge from a paper recycling plant situated in southern Brazil using data from laboratory tests. Engineering properties of compacted paper mill sludges are similar to those of most fibrous organic soils: low hydraulic conductivity upon compression and high compressibility. The waste studied has a water content of approximately 250%, organic content of 48%, mineral charges, and water. The one-dimensional compressibility parameters are indicative of high compressibility. For the determination of the strength parameters of the material, undrained triaxial tests were carried out. An incredibly high effective friction angle ([lowercase_phi_synonym]′=53°) was found, probably because of the fibrous nature of the paper sludge. In addition, hydraulic conductivity tests were performed on a flexible wall permeameter. The hydraulic conductivity of the fibrous paper sludge reached values near10-9 m/s. The results showed that the paper mill sludge is a ductile material with reduced hydraulic conductivity and elevated shear strength that could have multiple applications, such as in the construction of bottom liners, cover liners, and steep side-slope liners for solid-waste landfills. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Industrial energy efficiency has received increasing attention in many countries because of its importance in the pursuit of energy supply security, increased economic competitiveness and in the mitigation of greenhouse gases emissions. This paper aimed to evaluate the energy consumption development of the Brazilian pulp and paper industry through an energy decomposition analysis and an energy efficiency index approach over a 30 years period. An international comparison with other important paper-producing countries (i.e., Canada, United States of America, Finland and Sweden) was carried out. It was concluded that despite a significant increase in the energy efficiency levels, responsible for 5.6 PJ savings in electricity consumption and for 38.6 PJ savings in fuels consumption between 1979 and 2009, a saving potential of 7.8 PJ and 146.2 PJ related to the annual consumption of electricity and fuels, respectively, could be identified in the Brazilian pulp and paper industry. Among the countries evolved in the international comparison, both the Swedish and Finnish industries were the most efficient, followed by the Brazilian, American and Canadian, the latter being the only one where there was a reduction in the energy efficiency levels from 1979 to 2009. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores how the quality of institutions influences the strategic choice of agents in the pulp and paper production system based on the forest plantation sector. In order to proceed with the study, we employ the Economic Analysis of Property Rights (Barzel, 1982, 1989, 2002) as foundation, and test the proposition: in federative states where the institutional environment is fragile and therefore the State has a high cost to enforce property rights, private mechanisms stand out in the protection of property rights. According to Dixit (2009, p. 8), "if the government does not pro tect property rights, at least not as well as owners require, many private arrangements arise to satisfy the owners' needs". The analysis of three business cases of companies with plantations in more than one federative unit revealed the broad range of private mechanisms in place to cope with insecure land rights. In addition to countrywide strategies, in the federative units where government fails to be a good property rights steward, we found geographically specific initiatives being used. Another finding was the identification of variables that are able to evaluate the quality of institutions and employed in the companies' decision-making process for the selection of land rights protection strategies. Findings altogether are empirical evidence of how the quality of institutions influences the strategic choice of land rights protection in the forest plantation sector in Brazil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Forest based power plants are alternatives in the diversification of domestic energy supply in Brazil, given the growing demand for electricity in recent decades. Evidences of space-time clusters contribute to the understanding of regional development associated with correlated activity. Therefore, this paper analyzed the space-time conglomerates for Brazilian forest-based power plants, from 2000 to 2019. The data used were from the Generation Information System of the National Electric Energy Agency (ANEEL)-SIGA. It detected the existence of clusters by means of scan statistics via space-time permutation, considering the high level of conglomeration. The results show the Center-South region of Brazil with the highest concentration of conglomerates, with black liquor and forest residues being the most used energy resources. The clusters with the highest installed power were in the early 2010s, with the black liquor plants. The regions with the formation of fast-growing forest plantations promoted the existence of conglomerates associated with the pulp and paper and steel industry complexes. It is concluded that there was a conglomeration of forest power plants in the central-south region of Brazil, in which they help in decision-making and guidance of public policies for forestry projects for energy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revista Seqüência is the property of Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Programa de Pos-Graduacao Stricto Sensu em Direito and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Production systems are being restructured to close production cycles via implementing circular economy (CE) practices. The planted tree industry in Brazil has shown potential for applying CE practices due to its efficient use of resources and inclination towards environmental innovation. However, some gaps and difficulties have been observed in several industrial segments so that the logic of the circular production system is put into practice more effectively and intensely. In this context, the aim was to investigate the use and impacts of CE practices in the Brazilian planted tree industry by sector of operation and scale of enterprises based on the ReSOLVE framework. Data were collected from 34 companies that answered a questionnaire, corresponding to 47.2% of Brazilian planted tree industry companies. Data analysis involved univariate and multivariate statistical techniques, considering the grouping of companies by sector of activity (forest producer, pulp and paper, and timber processing) and scale (small, medium, and large). The results revealed that "pulp and paper" and medium- and large-scale companies had the most significant application of CE practices and reported more significant impacts. [Display omitted] • Explores a segmented analysis of the circular economy by scale and sub-sector groups. • Scores of circular practices and their impacts are presented according to the groups. • The association between circular practices and impacts by group are analyzed. • Propositions to enable the adoption of circular practices are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work focuses on evaluating the spatial variability of chemical attributes of soils under different agricultural use and native forest, indicating which are the possible indicator attributes of changes in environmental, through the use and management of the soil. The study was carried out in the southern region of the Amazonas state, in an Argissolo Vermelho-Amarelo (Ultisol). Sampling grids were established measuring: 90 m × 70 m with regular soil collection spacing of 10 m for the guarana and forest areas; 90 m × 56 m spaced at 10 m × 8 m for annatto area; and 54 m × 42 m with spacing between points of 6 m for the cupuaçu area, totaling 80 sampling points in each area, with soil samples collected at depths of 0.0-0.05; 0.05-0.10 m and 0.10-0.20 m. The following attributes were determined: pH, Al3+, K+, Ca2+, Mg2+, P, H + Al, CEC, V% and m%. Descriptive, geostatistical and multivariate statistical analyzes were performed. The results show that it is possible to state that the descriptive, geostatistical and multivariate statistical techniques were able to identify the difference between the spatial variability of the attributes according to each specific use of individual soils. The multivariate analysis made it possible to select the attributes that most contribute to the variability of these soils, and with that, it was found that the forest showed less spatial variability in the surface layer, with higher reach values by scaled semivariograms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Actualidades Biológicas is the property of Universidad de Antioquia and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Over the course of less than a quarter of a century, two Brazilian Heads of State – Fernando Collor in 1992 and Dilma Rousseff in 2016 – have been removed from office by impeachment. There has been much controversy surrounding both proceedings, particularly the latter. The article seeks to discuss briefly the history of the proceeding of impeachment in Brazil and its significance for the country’s political life after 1988. Through an analysis of the impeachment cases of President Fernando Collor and President Dilma Rousseff, and overview of the literature on impeachment in Latin America, the paper will address the similarities and differences present in both cases in which a Brazilian Head of State was removed from office. The last part of the article will further discuss the disputes among Brazilian jurists triggered by differing evaluations of this legal measure and, in particular, the more recent case of its implementation in Brazil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to evaluate the accuracy of pairs of antagonist teeth (epidemiological criterion) for defining pairs of teeth in occlusal contact (clinical criterion) and to estimate the agreement between the prevalence of "shortened dental arch" (SDA) and "functional dentition" (FD) when occlusal units (OUs) or posterior occluding pairs (POPs) are defined by the epidemiological or clinical criterion. Data were collected in an epidemiological oral health survey conducted in a municipality in Minas Gerais, Brazil. OUs and POPs were defined by the epidemiological criterion (dental crown status) or clinical criterion "gold standard" (carbon paper record of occlusal contacts during habitual maximum intercuspation). SDA corresponded to the presence of an intact anterior region and three to five OUs. FD was based on the concomitant presence of = 1 tooth in each arch, 10 teeth in each arch, 12 anterior teeth, = 3 premolar POPs, and = 1 molar POP bilaterally. Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), negative predictive value (NPV), and accuracy of the epidemiological criterion were calculated. The study included 197 adults. Sensitivity, specificity, PPV, and NPV were 88.5, 87.9, 92.5, and 81.9%, respectively, and accuracy was 88.3%. The epidemiological criterion proved to be valid and could be used in epidemiological studies to calculate the prevalence of reduced dental configurations that consider POPs. The assessment of oral functionality is an aspect that should be included in the diagnosis of the clinical condition of patients, contributing to a more effective individual and collective oral health care plan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Malaria is the most important vector-borne disease in the world and a challenge for control programs. In Brazil, 99% of cases occur in the Amazon region. In the extra-Amazonian region, a non-endemic area, epidemiological surveillance focuses on imported malaria and on autochthonous outbreaks, including cases with mild symptoms and low parasitemia acquired in the Atlantic Forest biome. In this scenario, cases are likely to be underreported, since submicroscopic parasitemias are not detected by thick blood smear, considered the reference test. Molecular tests are more sensitive, detecting asymptomatic individuals and mixed infections. The aim of this study was to propose a more efficient alternative to detect asymptomatic individuals living in areas of low malaria endemicity, as they are reservoirs of Plasmodium that maintain transmission locally. In total, 955 blood samples from residents of 16 municipalities with autochthonous malaria outbreaks in the Sao Paulo State were analyzed; 371 samples were collected in EDTA tubes and 584 in filter paper. All samples were initially screened by a genus-specific qPCR targeting ssrRNA genes (limit of detection of 1 parasite/µL). Then, positive samples were subjected to a nested PCR targeting ssrRNA and dihydrofolate reductase-thymidylate synthase genes (limit of detection of 10 parasites/µL) to determine Plasmodium species. The results showed a statistically significant difference (K = 0.049; p < 0.0001) between microscopy positivity (6.9%) and qPCR (22.9%) for EDTA-blood samples. Conversely, for samples collected in filter paper, no statistical difference was observed, with 2.6% positivity by thick blood smear and 3.1% for qPCR (K = 0.036; p = 0.7). Samples positive by qPCR were assayed by a species-specific nested PCR that was in turn positive in 26% of samples (16 P. vivax and 4 P. malariae). The results showed that molecular protocols applied to blood samples from residents in areas with autochthonous transmission of malaria were useful to detect asymptomatic patients who act as a source of transmission. The results showed that the genus-specific qPCR was useful for screening positives, with the subsequent identification of species by nested PCR. Additional improvements, such as standardization of blood plotting on filter paper and a more sensitive protocol for species determination, are essential. The qPCR-based algorithm for screening positives followed by nested PCR will contribute to more efficient control of malaria transmission, offering faster and more sensitive tools to detect asymptomatic Plasmodium reservoirs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: We are investigating the use of natural user interfaces (NUI) applied to information and communication technologies (ICT) supporting workplace dynamics in partnership with mental health providers at a hospital in Brazil. We are using a participatory design (PD) process to uncover their paper-based workflow, defined here as paper user interface workflow (PUI) and their appropriation of mobile technologies supporting patients’ socialization process. We chose this group as they have no experience with graphical user interface (GUI) based interaction, are highly nomadic, have a refined workflow, have a high level of interdependence and are appropriating mobile technologies and social media into their workplace; thus, we believe their perspective within a PD setting provide unique insights into NUI design to provide high fidelity data and real time communication, enhancing data accessibility and fidelity on communication among the professionals. Our PD process has produced workflow representations and we are presenting two scenarios; from them we are proceeding to low- fidelity prototyping. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]