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Cultivated and plant-based meats are substitutes for conventional animal meat products. As radical innovations, they may trigger profound social and economic changes. Despite the many benefits of alternative meats, such as environmental sustainability, animal welfare, human health and food safety, some unintended consequences remain unexplored in the literature. In this paper, we studied the potential impact of the meat production system transition on jobs. Using a survey, we compared opinions regarding the impact on jobs in Brazil, the United States and Europe, according to alternative protein experts. Our results showed the potential of plant-based and cultivated meat production to create new and higher-skilled jobs. The data analysis also suggested that the impact of novel food production systems on jobs in conventional meat production may be different for each stage of the value chain. In particular, the results showed a pressure point on animal farmers, who may be most affected in a fast transition scenario. Considering the studied geographical contexts, Brazilian professionals were more optimistic about the potential of plant-based and cultivated meat production to create new jobs. Our findings may provide new insights for the development of policies, measures and strategies that promote job creation, skills and income in view of the ongoing transition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the present study was to perform a critical reflection about intervention options for bruxism reduction in children and adolescents. Search was conducted based on the PICO-structured question: "What are the intervention options to reduce bruxism in children/adolescents?". No language, year, or study design restrictions were imposed. Studies reporting interventions to reduce bruxism in children (< 10) and adolescents (10 to 19 years old) were included. Reviews and letters to editors were not included. From 2723 records, 17 papers were included. Included studies were primarily randomized clinical trials performed in Brazil (35.3%) and using different criteria for the diagnosis of bruxism. Reduction in self-reported bruxism and headaches associated with bruxism were observed in studies that used medications (hydroxyzine/trazodone/flurazepam), occlusal splints, orthodontic interventions, and psychological and physical therapy interventions. Reduction in Rhythmic Masticatory Muscle Activity was observed with the use of the occlusal splint and in orthodontic interventions. Alternative treatments (medicinal extracts such as Melissa officinalis-L) have shown inconclusive results.Conclusions: Several intervention options are available to inhibit or reduce bruxism activity. The respective indication, contraindications, and side effects of each treatment option must be assessed individually and carefully, taking into account that bruxism is not considered a disorder in otherwise healthy individuals.What is known• Biological and psychological factors have been strongly correlated to the development of bruxism• Bruxism prevalence ranging from 6 to 50% in childrenWhat is new• Reduction in self-reported bruxism and headaches associated with bruxism were observed in studies that used medication (Hydroxyzine/ Trazodone/ Flurazepam), occlusal splints, orthodontic interventions, psychological, and physical therapy interventions• A reduction in Rhythmic Masticatory Muscle Activity was observed with the use of the occlusal splint and orthodontic interventions. Alternative treatments (medicinal extracts such as Melissa officinalis L) show inconclusive results in respect of the reduction in bruxism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The step test provides valuable information on cardiorespiratory parameters such as maximal oxygen uptake and heart rate. Cardiorespiratory capacity is critical to health-related fitness, with heart rate recovery after exercise serving as a predictor of mortality risk. Main Body: The primary objective of this review was to identify trends, key contributors, and emerging themes in the step test literature through 2023 using the Web of Science Core Collection. Bibliometric data extraction and analysis were performed using a dedicated bibliometric software (VOSviewer). The analysis showed continued interest through 2021. The research categories highlight the multidisciplinary nature of the step test, covering cardiovascular systems, respiratory systems, sports sciences, and medicine. It has gained global attention, with 31 countries involved, with Brazil and the United States leading the way. The diversity of contributing nations is increasing, reflecting a growing global interest. With 111 journals involved, such as Respiratory Care and Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, step test research is spread across the academic landscape. With 761 contributing researchers, there is a collaborative and diverse community. The top 10 institutions, including the University of Alabama System and Monash University, illustrate the variety of settings in which step test studies are conducted. Step test studies span multiple disciplines, underscoring their adaptability. The clusters identified in this bibliometric analysis of the step test literature guide future research, suggesting avenues for refining protocols, exploring health implications, optimizing tests for specific conditions such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and adapting step tests in diverse populations. Conclusions: Practical implications highlight the role of the step test in cardiovascular risk assessment, fitness monitoring, and rehabilitation. This broad review underscores the relevance of the step test in diverse settings, reflecting its adaptability and ease of application across occupational and clinical settings. Key Points: Global interest and research in the step test has grown significantly, with contributions from 31 countries and diverse disciplines, highlighting the adaptability and multidisciplinary relevance of the step test. Practical implications of the step test include its critical role in cardiovascular risk assessment, fitness monitoring, and rehabilitation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper measures the influence of climate normals (average long-term surface wetness and temperature) and interannual climate variance on farms in the United States and Brazil using satellite data. The paper finds that just climate normals or just climate variance variables can explain both net revenues and how much land is used for cropland. However, because they are correlated with each other, it is important to include both normals and variance in the same statistical model to get accurate measures of their individual contribution to farm outcomes. In general, higher climate variance increases the probability that land is used for cropland in both countries and higher temperatures reduce both cropland and land values. Other annual effects were not consistent across the two countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper tests whether climate has an impact on per capita rural income. The study finds that total (agricultural and nonagricultural) income in rural counties and municipios in the US and Brazil are affected by climate. The study demonstrates that this income effect is due to changes in the net value of agriculture. Regions with better climates for agriculture support higher rural incomes and regions with poor climates have more rural poverty. The results also suggest that global warming will likely increase rural poverty. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyzes the Illinois State Variety Test results for total and extractable starch content in 708 samples of 401 commercial varieties of corn. It is shown that the normally distributed extractable starch content has the mean of 66.2% and the standard deviation of 1.13%. The corresponding maximum theoretical yield of ethanol is 0.364 kg EtOH/kg dry corn, and the standard deviation is 0.007. In the ethanol industry units, this yield translates to 2.64 gal EtOH/nominal wet bushel, and the standard deviation is 0.05 gal/bu. The U.S. ethanol industry consistently has inflated its ethanol yields by counting 5 volume percent of # 14 gasoline denaturant (8% of energy content) as ethanol. Also, imports from Brazil and higher alcohols seem to have been counted as U.S. ethanol. The usually accepted USDA estimate of mean ethanol yield in the U.S., 2.682 gal EtOH/bu, is one standard deviation above the rigorous statistical estimate in this paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rapid growth of biofuel production in the United States and Brazil over the past decade has increased interest in replicating this success in other nations of the Pan American region. However, the continued use of food-based feedstock such as maize is widely seen as unsustainable and is in some cases linked to deforestation and increased greenhouse gas emissions, raising further doubts about long-term sustainability. As a result, many nations are exploring the production and use of cellulosic feedstock, though progress has been extremely slow. In this paper, we will review the North-South axis of biofuel production in the Pan American region and its linkage with the agricultural sectors in five countries. Focus will be given to biofuel policy goals, their results to date, and consideration of sustainability criteria and certification of producers. Policy goals, results, and sustainability will be highlighted for the main biofuel policies that have been enacted at the national level. Geographic focus will be given to the two largest producers-the United States and Brazil; two smaller emerging producers-Argentina and Canada; and one stalled program-Mexico. However, several additional countries in the region are either producing or planning to produce biofuels. We will also review alternative international governance schemes for biofuel sustainability that have been recently developed, and whether the biofuel programs are being managed to achieve improved environmental quality and sustainable development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Little is known about the mental health status of Brazilians living in the U.S. We assessed the prevalence and correlates of depression to guide the development of culturally relevant community-based mental health interventions. An online survey was conducted between July and August 2020 among a sample of Brazilian women living in the U.S. (age 18 and over, born in Brazil, English or Portuguese speaking) recruited through Brazilian social media pages and community organizations. The survey assessed depression using the Center for Epidemiological Study Depression Scale (CES-D-10), the Everyday Discrimination Scale (EDS), the Oslo Social Support Scale (OSSS), and community strengths (CS). We first assessed the correlation between CES-D-10 scores and EDS, OSSS, and CS. We found that half of the participants (52.2%) had CES-D-10 scores of 10 or greater, indicating the presence of depressive symptomatology. In a multivariable model controlling for significant covariates (age, time lived in U.S.), EDS was positively associated with CES-D-10 scores (β = 0.64, 95% CI = 0.45, 0.83), while OSSS was negatively associated with CES-D-10 scores (β = -0.53, 95% C I= -0.80, -0.27). No statistically significant relationship was observed between CES-D-10 and CS scores. In this sample of Brazilian immigrant women, depressive symptomatology was highly prevalent, and experiences of discrimination were associated with increased symptoms of depression. There is a need to understand and address mental health in Brazilian immigrant women. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

John Virgo gave generously of himself and expected nothing in return. He inspired the same in others. The world has sadness as well as joy, but while he was here, he made it radiant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many situations in practice require appropriate specification of operating characteristics under extreme conditions. Typical examples include environmental sciences where studies include extreme temperature, rainfall and river flow to name a few. In these cases, the effect of geographic and climatological inputs are likely to play a relevant role. This paper is concerned with the study of extreme data in the presence of relevant auxiliary information. The underlying model involves a mixture distribution: a generalized Pareto distribution is assumed for the exceedances beyond a high threshold and a non-parametric approach is assumed for the data below the threshold. Thus, the full likelihood including data below and above the threshold is considered in the estimation. The main novelty is the introduction of a regression structure to explain the variation of the exceedances through all tail parameters. Estimation is performed under the Bayesian paradigm and includes model choice. This allows for determination of higher quantiles under each covariate configuration and upper bounds for the data, where appropriate. Simulation results show that the models are appropriate and identifiable. The models are applied to the study of two temperature datasets: maxima in the U.S.A. and minima in Brazil, and compared to other related models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

regional and continental carbon balances of terrestrial ecosystems become available, it becomes clear that the soils are the largest source of uncertainty. Repeated inventories of soil organic carbon (SOC) organized in soil monitoring networks (SMN) are being implemented in a number of countries. This paper reviews the concepts and design of SMNs in ten countries, and discusses the contribution of such networks to reducing the uncertainty of soil carbon balances. Some SMNs are designed to estimate country-specific land use or management effects on SOC stocks, while others collect soil carbon and ancillary data to provide a nationally consistent assessment of soil carbon condition across the major land-use/soil type combinations. The former use a single sampling campaign of paired sites, while for the latter both systematic (usually grid based) and stratified repeated sampling campaigns (5-10 years interval) are used with densities of one site per 10-1,040 km². For paired sites, multiple samples at each site are taken in order to allow statistical analysis, while for the single sites, composite samples are taken. In both cases, fixed depth increments together with samples for bulk density and stone content are recommended. Samples should be archived to allow for re-measurement purposes using updated techniques. Information on land management, and where possible, land use history should be systematically recorded for each site. A case study of the agricultural frontier in Brazil is presented in which land use effect factors are calculated in order to quantify the CO fluxes from national land use/management conversion matrices. Process-based SOC models can be run for the individual points of the SMN, provided detailed land management records are available. These studies are still rare, as most SMNs have been implemented recently or are in progress. Examples from the USA and Belgium show that uncertainties in SOC change range from 1.6-6.5 Mg C ha for the prediction of SOC stock changes on individual sites to 11.72 Mg C ha or 34% of the median SOC change for soil/land use/climate units. For national SOC monitoring, stratified sampling sites appears to be the most straightforward attribution of SOC values to units with similar soil/land use/climate conditions (i.e. a spatially implicit upscaling approach). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The role of public opinion polls in electoral democracy is undeniable because, for good or for bad, they affect, in part, the kinds of laws and policies elected officials enact. But the voices measured in polls are not perfectly representative of their populations of interest. More precisely, polls generally sing with a more “knowledgeable” accent than those they represent because of the greater tendency of the less knowledgeable to remain silent. This distortion, however, can be palliated by providing conditions more propitious to attitude development. By relying on survey-experiments conducted in Brazil and in the U.S., I present evidence that inducing people to think more carefully before answering attitude questions reduces substantially the likelihood of the less knowledgeable, which compose most of the Brazilian and American populations, to express a nonopinion response. Thus providing people with greater opportunity to think about politics—something most of them do not do very frequently—makes for more representative measures of public opinion. But the analyses also suggest that increased thought induces greater uncertainty or ambivalence among the most knowledgeable. As a whole, this paper improves our understanding on how people come to develop political attitudes and on the conditions that lead to greater attitude uncertainty or ambivalence. It also carries important lessons and implications for survey design more generally. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cultural consonance is the degree to which individuals, in their own beliefs and behaviors, approximate widely shared cultural models. In previous research in Brazil and the United States we found that higher cultural consonance in the cultural domains of lifestyle and social support was associated with lower psychological distress. The aim of this paper is to expand on these results in two ways. First, the measurement of cultural consonance has been improved through a closer link of cultural domain analyses and survey research. Second, the number of domains in which cultural consonance has been examined has been expanded to include-along with lifestyle and social support-family life, national identity, and food. We found that cultural consonance in these five domains can be conceptualized as two latent variables of generalized cultural consonance, and that this generalized cultural consonance is associated with lower psychological distress. These results continue to support the usefulness of cultural consonance as a theoretical construct in the explanation of human social suffering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The growth in international trade in recent years necessitates a better understanding of customs and expectations in cross-cultural negotiations. While several researchers have sought to examine and detail the similarities and differences between select countries, their data have generally been obtained under neutral or unspecified negotiating conditions. However, issue importance, opponent (prowess, ethical reputation), and context (location, confederate awareness, urgency) can play a significant role in the use of negotiating tactics. This paper describes a study comparing the perceptions of one hundred and forty-two current and future business professionals from two emerging trade partners, Brazil and the United States, regarding the appropriateness and likely use of five categories of negotiation tactics under seven challenging or unfavorable negotiating conditions commonly faced by negotiators. The results indicate an overall conditional effect for both attitudes (perceived appropriateness) and intentions (likelihood of use). In addition, while no significant difference in perceived appropriateness was found due to country, there were differences in likely use due to country for six conditions-behaviors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Studies have shown mixed findings regarding the impact of immigration policy changes on immigrants' utilization of primary care. Methods: We used a difference-in-differences analysis to compare changes in missed primary care appointments over time across two groups: patients who received care in Spanish, Portuguese, or Haitian Creole, and non-Hispanic, white patients who received care in English. Results: After adjustment for age, sex, race, insurance, hospital system, and presence of chronic conditions, immigration policy changes were associated with an absolute increase in the missed appointment prevalence of 0.74 percentage points (95% confidence interval: 0.34, 1.15) among Spanish, Portuguese and Haitian-Creole speakers. We estimated that missed appointments due to immigration policy changes resulted in lost revenue of over $185,000. Conclusions: We conclude that immigration policy changes were associated with a significant increase in missed appointments among patients who receive medical care in languages other than English. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In contrast to discourses of multiraciality as leading to a future beyond race, this commentary looks at how multiracial discourses and symbols underline race. Taking an overview of multiracial discourses and identities in relation to Blackness in the United States and Brazil, this commentary examines the deployment of multiraciality to maintain white supremacy. Under global capitalism, United States multicultural discourses, and Latin American foundational narratives, multiracial peoples are often propped up as a solution to racism, the eradication of race, or reduced to racial binaries centering whiteness. The section ends with considerations of how fears of racial passing and fraud coincide with multiracial identities. Questions for further consideration on the nexus of political identities and racial identities are proposed in relation to multiraciality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The United States and Brazil are key players in the international market for orange juice, mainly frozen concentrated orange juice (FCOJ). The U.S. orange juice industry benefits from one of the highest levels of import protection in U.S. agriculture. Additional trade protection was recently added with a U.S. industry victory in an antidumping trade suit against Brazil. We study the impact of FCOJ imports from Brazil on U.S. prices using time series econometric models and find only a weak FCOJ domestic price response to imports from Brazil, because extremely large U.S. inventories mute the price impact of any fluctuation in imports. Our findings imply that the antidumping tariffs were unjustified based on a material injury argument. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Immigration can improve economic status and access to education compared to the country of origin, but it challenges access to health and preventive care. Assess Brazilian immigrants' overall health conditions and dietary intake in New Jersey (US). This pilot study assessed health conditions and dietary intake. Brazilians immigrants were interviewed through their communities. Trained dietitians interviewed them using a questionnaire and three days of 24H recall. Dietary intake was analyzed using the Nutrition Data System for Research software. A sample of 118 individuals completed the protocol, majority female and overweight/obese, living in the US for 11.3 years with 21.1% declaring having Noncommunicable Diseases. The average number of daily meals was 2.20 ± 1.04. Energy intake does not correlate with time in the US. Obesity, dyslipidemia, and hypertension are the most prevalent Noncommunicable Diseases, demanding interventions that include managing saturated fat, cholesterol, and sodium intake. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A number of recent series airing on traditional and streaming platforms portray sensitive topics faced by adolescents, including depression and suicide. Research has suggested that these subjects may be difficult for parents and adolescents to discuss, given their stigmatized nature. It is possible, however, that series portraying these issues in a realistic way can influence parent viewers' perceived understanding of and comfort discussing these topics, and subsequently, relate to self-reported conversations with their adolescents. In addition, it is likely that these relations may differ for participants from different countries, especially considering country differences in mental health, access to mental health care, and stigmatization about mental health. We tested these relations using data from 778 parent viewers of the series 13 Reasons Why. We sampled viewers from four countries: Australia, the United States, Brazil, and the United Kingdom. Results suggested an indirect association between self-reported topic understanding and starting a conversation with their adolescent about these topics via reports of comfort discussing these topics. Participants' country of habitation at the time of the study did not significantly influence these associations. We discuss these findings in the context of parent-adolescent communication, particularly around sensitive health-related topics. Highlights: Four-country sample of parents of adolescents (ages 13–17) who viewed 13 Reasons Why. Relation between understanding of portrayed sensitive topics and comfort discussing them with child. Relation between comfort discussing sensitive topics and reports of having a conversation with child. Few differences as a function of country. Implications for the role of media in prompting and supporting difficult conversations between parents and children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Southeast Brazil has experienced two large yellow fever (YF) outbreaks since 2016. While the 2016–2017 outbreak mainly affected the states of Espírito Santo and Minas Gerais, the 2017–2018 YF outbreak primarily involved the states of Minas Gerais, São Paulo, and Rio de Janeiro, the latter two of which are highly populated and popular destinations for international travelers. This analysis quantifies the risk of YF virus (YFV) infected travelers arriving in the United States via air travel from Brazil, including both incoming Brazilian travelers and returning US travelers. We assumed that US travelers were subject to the same daily risk of YF infection as Brazilian residents. During both YF outbreaks in Southeast Brazil, three international airports—Miami, New York-John F. Kennedy, and Orlando—had the highest risk of receiving a traveler infected with YFV. Most of the risk was observed among incoming Brazilian travelers. Overall, we found low risk of YFV introduction into the United States during the 2016–2017 and 2017–2018 outbreaks. Decision makers can use these results to employ the most efficient and least restrictive actions and interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alien or non-native species are defined as species living outside their natural distributional ranges. The spread of alien species is increasing globally as a result of rapid technological advances and globalization. Recent investigations have estimated global hotspots of alien established species on the basis of geopolitical boundaries, including Dawson et al. (in: Nat Ecol Evol 1:186. 10.1038/s41559-017-0186, 2017). In particular, these investigations do not consider Intra-Country Established Alien Species, i.e., successful introductions that occur among regions within the same country. In continental countries such as Brazil, the USA and China, studies excluding Intra-Country Established Alien Species (IEAS) waste essential information. Here, we argue that researchers should also consider intra-country introductions when estimating and addressing the risks of alien introductions. By using detailed data for freshwater fish including IEAS in large countries, we demonstrate that novel hotspots for IEAS have arisen worldwide. We illustrate emblematic examples of IEAS, as well as their vectors and negative impacts, to demonstrate the range of impacts that might be missed when excluding IEAS data from analysis. We recognize the need for generalizations, but generalizations based on incomplete data can misinform conservation efforts, particularly in megadiverse regions. Ignores IEAS influences how we count non-native species, invasions and perceive invisibility and impacts. Consequently, upcoming records and analysis of invasion patterns and management of aliens and EAS global hotspots must account for such biases in quantifying the IEAS portion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In ecotoxicological assays, previously selected and standardized organism tests are exposed to an environmental sample. Some species of the Chironomus genus have been extensively used in ecotoxicological assays. Among these, Chironomus tentans is usually utilized in the USA and Chironomus sancticaroli in Brazil. We conducted ecotoxicological bioassays to compare a population of C. sancticaroli, kept for 6 years under laboratory conditions, with a sylvatic population of the same species, collected in the field. The aim was to test the hypothesis that populations of C. sancticaroli, maintained in the laboratory for long periods, could have a different response to stressors/substances. We analyzed the responses of C. sancticaroli for potassium chloride, zinc chloride, potassium dichromate, linear alkylbenzene sulphonate (LAS) and caffeine. The results showed no significant differences between the two populations in the analyses and seems to indicate the possible use of C. sancticaroli from populations kept in the laboratory for long periods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: Leishmaniasis is caused by parasites of the genus Leishmania sp. that differ in their geographical distribution, hosts, and vectors. Knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) of the population are important to understand their relation to the disease. The aim of this study was to characterize KAP with regard to the leishmaniases in inhabitants of the triple border area Argentina-Brazil-Paraguay in specific neighborhoods where infected dogs were found and phlebotomine were captured, identifying a transmission focus.Methods: This is an observational, descriptive design based on a quantitative transversal survey. Sixty-two surveys were applied in homes located in areas at risk. Surveys were carried out in households in the San Francisco and Santa Rosa neighborhoods where the presence of infected reservoirs (dogs) was confirmed and Lu. longipalpis had been previously identified and captured.Results: Seventy-one percent of respondents stated that they had heard about the disease. Knowledge about types, mode of transmission, and symptoms of the disease was rare. Attitudes and practices were closely related to pet dogs, and confusion between human and canine cases was noticed. There was a major flaw in the public services responsible for the transfer of knowledge to the population.Conclusion: These results suggest the necessity of conducting an educational intervention in these vulnerable populations, to improve conditions for prevention and control of leishmaniasis in the triple border where the flux of people is very intense and the chances of outbreaks are currently very high.ᅟ [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electricity in Brazil is mostly generated by hydroelectric plants that depend on the volume of water in their reservoirs. Due to the fact that rainfall is dramatically decreasing year by year, alternative methods, much more expensive, are often required to supply the energy demand. The increasing number of electronic devices, overconsumption, and energy wasting are also contributing to the problem. There are many ways for wasting energy, often as a result of malfunction devices or human faults. In this way, to assist consumers to save energy and repair a possibly damaged equipment, we propose a system to monitor the energy consumption of electronic devices in order to automatically detect novelties and send alerts. For this, we have evaluated the performance of established machine learning methods, such as Sliding Window, Exponentially Weighted Moving Averages, Clustering, Average consumption by Cycle and Stage, Gauss Distribution, and Artificial Neural Networks. The results show that such methods are very efficient in real-time novelties detection, since they have presented a balanced performance with a high novelty detection rate and low false alarm rate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: A preference inversion occurs when "worse" health (instead of "better" health) along a scale or score is preferred. Our aim was to confirm past findings of EQ-5D-5L preference inversions among English-speaking respondents and to explore inversions among Portuguese-speaking respondents. Anecdotal evidence suggests that inversions may be more common in the Portuguese version, where the translation of the fourth level "severely" (gravemente) means "gravely."Methods: Through an infusion clinic in Tampa, Florida, United States and a cardiology clinic in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 740 respondents completed a tablet-based survey, which included the EQ-5D-3L and -5L followed by paired comparisons designed to assess preference inversions between the fourth and fifth levels of each of the five domains: Mobility (MO), Self-Care (SC), Usual Activity (UA), Pain/Discomfort (PD), and Anxiety/Depression (AD). An example from the AD dimension would be: "Which do you prefer? Starting today, 30 days with health problems: Severely anxious or depressed or Extremely anxious or depressed" (i.e., Level 4 AD vs. Level 5 AD).Results: In the English-speaking respondents, preference inversion was only observed to a substantial extent in the AD dimension (U.S. N = 470; 7% MO, 14% SC, 14% UA, 20% PD, and 45% AD). Inversions were more common among the Portuguese-speaking respondents (Brazil N = 270; 11% MO, 32% SC, 35% UA, 49% PD, and 65% AD). Specifically, 44 out of 68 Brazilian respondents (65%) preferred "extremamente" (Level 5 AD) over "gravemente ansioso (a) ou deprimido (a)" (Level 4 AD).Conclusions: This evidence confirms previous findings for the U.S. English version of the EQ-5D-5L and led to a relabeling on the Portuguese version. It demonstrates the usefulness of collaboration between psychometric, econometric, and linguistic experts in developing the wording for and translating preference-based measures of health-related quality of life. Further research may explore inversions in other translations. The authors recommend that preference inversion tests should be included in the development and translation process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on a study which examines large-scale observational evidence of cross-cultural differences in facial behavior using advanced in computer science. Topics discussed include the automated facial coding used, the reliability of the facial action unit detection algorithms across different testing subsets, multilevel regression estimates predicting each facial action's base rate percentage.

Purpose: Depression is a leading cause of disability worldwide. Research suggests that by far, the greatest contributor to the overall economic impact of depression is loss in productivity; however, there is very little research on the costs of depression outside of Western high-income countries. Thus, this study examines the impact of depression on workplace productivity across eight diverse countries.Methods: We estimated the extent and costs of depression-related absenteeism and presenteeism in the workplace across eight countries: Brazil, Canada, China, Japan, South Korea, Mexico, South Africa, and the USA. We also examined the individual, workplace, and societal factors associated with lower productivity.Results: To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to examine the impact of depression on workplace productivity across a diverse set of countries, in terms of both culture and GDP. Mean annual per person costs for absenteeism were lowest in South Korea at $181 and highest in Japan ($2674). Mean presenteeism costs per person were highest in the USA ($5524) and Brazil ($5788). Costs associated with presenteeism tended to be 5-10 times higher than those associated with absenteeism.Conclusions: These findings suggest that the impact of depression in the workplace is considerable across all countries, both in absolute monetary terms and in relation to proportion of country GDP. Overall, depression is an issue deserving much greater attention, regardless of a country's economic development, national income or culture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although social vulnerability has recently gained attention in academic studies, Brazil lacks frameworks and indicators to assess it for the entire country. Social vulnerability highlights differences in the human capacity to prepare for, respond to, and recover from disasters. It varies over space and time, and among and between social groups, largely due to differences in socioeconomic and demographic characteristics. This article provides a social vulnerability index (SoVI) replication study for Brazil and shows how SoVI concepts and indicators were adapted to the country. SoVI Brazil follows the place-based framework adopted in the Social Vulnerability Index initially developed for the United States. Using a principal component analysis (PCA), 45 city-level indicators were reduced to 10 factors that explain about 67 % of the variance in the data. Clearly identified spatial patterns showed a concentration of the most socially vulnerable cities in the North and Northeast regions of Brazil, as well as the social vulnerability of metropolitan areas and state capitals in the South and Southeast regions. The least vulnerable cities are mainly concentrated in the inland regions of the Southeast. Although different factors contribute to the social vulnerability in each city, the overall results confirm the social and economic disparities among Brazilian's regions and reflect a differential vulnerability to natural hazards at local to regional scales. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Limited English proficient (LEP) individuals face disparities in accessing substance abuse treatment, but little is known on how to reach this population. This study aimed to test online recruitment methods for tobacco and alcohol screening among LEP Portuguese speakers. The study was advertised in Portuguese using Facebook, Google, online newsletters and E-mail. Participants clicked ads to consent and access a screening for tobacco and alcohol dependence. Ads yielded 690 screening responses in 90 days. Respondents had a mean age of 42.7 (SD 12), with a higher proportion of women than men, 95 % born in Brazil with high levels of LEP and low levels of acculturation. Facebook ads yielded 41.4 % of responses, and were the lowest cost recruitment channel ($8.9, $31.10 and $20.40 per respondent, hazardous drinker and smoker, respectively). Online recruitment of LEP populations is feasible. Future studies should test similar strategies in other LEP groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Satisfaction with life is one of three hallmarks of subjective well-being, along with frequent positive emotions and infrequent negative emotions (Diener et al. in Psychol Bull 125:276-302, ), and the satisfaction with life scale (SWLS; Diener et al. in J Pers Assess 49:91-95, ) has been used worldwide to evaluate it. The current study seeks to (a) adapt and gather evidence of validity and reliability of the SWLS for a Brazilian sample, (b) evaluate gender equivalence on Brazilian university students, and (c) test for invariance between Brazilian and US samples. Participants were US ( N = 241), and Brazilian ( N = 1,388) undergraduates. Results from the Brazilian sample, based on confirmatory factor analyses and measurement invariance tests, showed: (a) evidence of validity of the scale, (b) scalar invariance across gender, (c) scalar invariance within group. However, nonequivalence between Brazil and US samples was found. Such results suggest that within comparisons can be conducted with Brazilian undergraduates, but comparisons between Brazil and the US might be misleading due to lack of invariance. Similar findings have already been reported in other cultures and raise questions about cross cultural studies with this scale. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Some research suggests that the risk of physical aggression by an intimate partner is related to marital status, but this relationship may vary across cultures and by gender. In the present study, we systematically examine the relationship between marital status and physical partner aggression by gender across 19 countries. Logistic and multilevel regression confirmed previous findings of lower rates of physical aggression for legally married versus cohabiting and separated/divorced women and men across most, but notably, not all countries. Single status was associated with higher risk in some countries and lower in others reflecting possible cultural differences in risk for different marital statuses. For example, single women had significantly lower rates of victimization than did married women in India where violence against wives is often accepted. The variation in the cross-cultural findings highlights the importance of examining both men and women and considering the cultural context when interpreting the relationship between partner aggression and marital status. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study focuses on comparison of perceptions of ethical business cultures in large business organizations from four largest emerging economies, commonly referred to as the BRICs (Brazil, Russia, India, and China), and from the US. The data were collected from more than 13,000 managers and employees of business organizations in five countries. The study found significant differences among BRIC countries, with respondents from India and Brazil providing more favorable assessments of ethical cultures of their organizations than respondents from China and Russia. Overall, highest mean scores were provided by respondents from India, the US, and Brazil. There were significant similarities in ratings between the US and Brazil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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new best estimate methodology is proposed and oriented towards the determination of parameters related to a magnetic field anomaly produced by a simple geometric-shaped model or body such as a thin dike and horizontal cylinder. This approach is mainly based on solving a system of algebraic linear equations for estimating the three model parameters, e.g., the depth to the top (center) of the body ( z), the index parameter or the effective magnetization angle ( θ) and the amplitude coefficient or the effective magnetization intensity ( k). The utility and validity of this method is demonstrated by analyzing two synthetic magnetic anomalies, using simulated data generated from a known model with different random errors components and a known statistical distribution. This approach was also examined and applied to two real field magnetic anomalies from the United States and Brazil. The agreement between the results obtained by the proposed method and those obtained by other interpretation methods is good and comparable. Moreover, the depth obtained by such an approach is found to be in high accordance with that obtained from drilling information. The advantages of such a proposed method over other existing interpretative techniques are clarified, where it can be generalized to be automatically applicable for interpreting other geological structures described by mathematical formulations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We use annual panel data, 1870–1910, to estimate and compare the determinants of European emigration to Argentina, Brazil, and the USA. The Hausman–Taylor instrumental variable technique we use provides for cross-sectional (country) controls, accounts for variables that are potentially correlated with the unobservables and allows the recovery of the coefficients of temporally invariant variables. In general, migration was from low-wage source countries, from countries with large stocks of immigrants in the destination who were born in the origin, and from countries with relatively much recent migration to the destination. Certain determinants differ considerably for the three countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using data from Brazil, Chile, and the U.S., we estimate country specific models of household income that characterize mothers according to their marital status, living arrangement, and employment status. We assess the predicted economic well-being of each type of mother relative to a benchmark of married mothers in the same country, and at various points in the income distribution. We find dramatic cross-country differences in the distribution of mothers across categories, but few differences in each type's relative economic status. In all three countries and at all points in the income distribution, mothers who are the only adults in their households have the lowest levels of predicted income, while married mothers followed closely by cohabitors—have the highest levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this comparative survey of 126 Brazilian and U.S. business professionals, we explore the effect of national culture on ethical decision-making within the context of business. Using Reidenbach and Robin's (1988) multi-criteria ethics instrument, we examined how these two countries' differences on Hofstede's individualism/collectivism dimension are related to the manner in which business practitioners make ethical decisions. Our results indicate that Brazilians and Americans evaluate the ethical content of actions or decisions differently when applying utilitarian criteria. By contrast, business people from both countries do not differ significantly when they use egoistic criteria in evaluating the ethical nature of business decisions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Discusses the efforts of the Center for Research Libraries and the Latin American Microfilm Project to scan and index microfilmized Brazilian government documents. Strengths and weakness of the indexing approaches; Publication of the scanned documents on the Internet.

This research assessed land-use impacts on C flux at a national level in four countries: former Soviet Union, United States, Mexico and Brazil, including biotic processes in terrestrial ecosystems (closed forests, woodlands, and croplands), harvest of trees for wood and paper products, and direct C emission from fires. The terrestrial ecosystems of the four countries contain approximately 40% of the world's terrestrial biosphere C pool, with the FSU alone having 27% of the global total. Average phytomass C densities decreased from south to northwhile average soil C densities in all three vegetation types generally increased from south to north. The C flux from land cover conversion was divided into a biotic component and a land-use component. We estimate that the total net biotic flux (Tg/yr) was positive (= uptake) in the FSU (631) and the U.S. (332), but negative in Mexico (-37) and Brazil (-16). In contrast, total flux from land use was negative (= emissions) in all four countries (TgC/yr): FSU -342; U.S. -243; Mexico -35; and Brazil -235. The total net effect of the biotic and land-use factors was a C sink in the FSU and the U.S. and a C source in both Brazil and Mexico. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The usefulness of a theoretical model of the determinants of business negotiation outcomes is tested in a simulation with business people from four countries (the United States, Japan, Brazil and Spain). The article is an extension of Graham, Mintu, and Rodgers (1994), and also directly tests Hofstede's and Hall's theories of culture. A problem-solving approach results in higher negotiation outcomes for Americans when their partners reciprocate. Role (buyer or seller) is the key determinant of profits for Japanese negotiations; that is, buyers do better than sellers. For the Spanish negotiators, a problem-solving approach actually yielded lower profits. For the Brazilians, interpersonal attractiveness lead to higher partner satisfaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To stem the rising incidence of toxic exposure as well as the associated morbidity and mortality, the past century has seen the establishment and evolution of poison control centers (PCCs) worldwide. Depending on the location, PCCs vary in terms of staffing model, services offered, and funding sources. In this article, we discuss a survey of poison control centers worldwide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on the collaboration between the U.S. and Brazil on nanotechnology, which has been discussed at the 2012 U.S.-Brazil Joint Commission Meeting on Science and Technology Cooperation in Brasilia, Brazil. It states that the U.S. explored collaboration in natural disaster management and ocean science, while Brazil proposed nanotechnology as on the three areas of bilateral cooperation. It offers information on the visit of Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff in the U.S.