Search

The current state of knowledge indicates that regular sports practice helps prevent and treat non-communicable diseases. The promotion of sport is, therefore, an important community health intervention for maintaining and improving the health of individuals and populations. Culture is identified as being associated with sports practice and sedentary behaviour of ethnic and national minorities. This study aims qualitatively to analyse the potential for culture as a basis for the promotion of sport among immigrants in four regions of Mediterranean Europe. Ten focus groups (n = 62) were conducted with immigrants—adults and young people over the age of 11—and people involved in promoting sport. Thematic content analysis was conducted. The results enabled identifying two major issues: sport as a vehicle for cultural expression and synergies between sport and culture. Accordingly, sport serves to express global, local and non-ethno-national cultural belonging. Regarding synergies, culture and sport feed each other positively and contribute to immigrants' health and cultural well-being. Culture as a strategy for promoting sports practice requires an interdisciplinary approach that involves collaboration between healthcare practitioners and social sciences professionals. There is also a need to use the various axes of cultural definition—global, local and non-ethno-national—of those involved, and for them to take part themselves in designing sports activities. Moreover, promoting sport through non-ethno-national axes of cultural definition may help with immigrants' social inclusion, as intercultural relations between migrants and newcomers are promoted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Early diagnosis of genetic rare diseases is an unmet need in Brazil, where an estimated 10–13 million people live with these conditions. Increased use of chromosome microarray assays, exome sequencing, and whole genome sequencing as first-tier testing techniques in suitable indications can shorten the diagnostic odyssey, eliminate unnecessary tests, procedures, and treatments, and lower healthcare expenditures. A selected panel of Brazilian experts in fields related to rare diseases was provided with a series of relevant questions to address before a multi-day conference. Within this conference, each narrative was discussed and edited through numerous rounds of discussion until agreement was achieved. The widespread adoption of exome sequencing and whole genome sequencing in Brazil is limited by various factors: cost and lack of funding, reimbursement, awareness and education, specialist shortages, and policy issues. To reduce the burden of rare diseases and increase early diagnosis, the Brazilian healthcare authorities/government must address the barriers to equitable access to early diagnostic methods for these conditions. Recommendations are provided, including broadening approved testing indications, increasing awareness and education efforts, increasing specialist training opportunities, and ensuring sufficient funding for genetic testing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simultaneous spikes in global prices of many agricultural commodities in recent years have induced an interest in quantifying the degree of synchronisation of these movements. We suggest a conceptual framework explaining why temporally varying price synchronisation may happen and propose the concordance index for the empirical measurement of the incidence, symmetry and permanence of synchronisation. We establish that the index generates insights into time series dynamics which are complementary to those obtained from cointegration analysis. We illustrate the approach with an application for the co-movement in cyclical components of pig and cattle prices in three Latin American countries. The findings reveal moderate synchronisation levels which show asymmetric instabilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The SARS-CoV-2 virus was first registered in Brazil by the end of February 2020. Since then, the country counts over 150000 deaths due to COVID-19 and faces a profound social and economic crisis; there is also an ongoing health catastrophe, with the majority of hospital beds in many Brazilian cities currently occupied with COVID-19 patients. Thus, a Nonlinear Model Predictive Control (NMPC) scheme used to plan appropriate social distancing measures (and relaxations) in order to mitigate the effects of this pandemic is formulated in this paper. The strategy is designed upon an adapted data-driven Susceptible–Infected–Recovered–Deceased (SIRD) model, which includes time-varying auto-regressive immunological parameters. A novel identification procedure is proposed, composed of analytical regressions, Least-Squares optimization and auto-regressive model fits. The adapted SIRD model is validated with real data and able to adequately represent the contagion curves over large forecast horizons. The NMPC strategy is designed to generate piecewise constant quarantine guidelines, which can be reassessed (relaxed/strengthened) each week. Simulation results show that the proposed NMPC technique is able to mitigate the number of infections and progressively loosen social distancing measures. With respect to a "no-control" condition, the number of deaths could be reduced in up to 30% if the proposed NMPC coordinated health policy measures are enacted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

American Bullfrogs, Aquarana catesbeiana, are invasive anuran species distributed worldwide. One of the adverse impacts that this species causes in native communities is as a reservoir host for pathogens and parasites. Here, we report the coinfection of two pathogenic organisms in A. catesbeiana : Ranavirus and the nematode Eustrongylides. Bullfrogs were collected in the wild in a pond close to the urban area of São Paulo, Brazil. The prevalence of both pathogens was high: 77% were infected with ranavirus with a mean viral load of 1010.3 viral copies, and 100% of the bullfrogs were infected by Eustrongylides sp. with a mean intensity of infection of 13.4 specimens per host. Four host specimens (31%) presented pathological signs that seemed to be related to the Eustrongylides sp. infection, such as internal organs adhered to each other due to high intensity and large size of the nematodes, ulcers, and raw flesh wounds caused by the nematode. The pathogenic and concomitant infections have potential zoonotic implications and raise concerns about human infection risks for Eustrongylides infection. Moreover, such infections may represent an additional level of threat to native communities through the potential shifts in patterns of parasite and pathogen transmission. Future research involving the native anuran community is essential to ascertain whether invasive bullfrogs are attenuating or exacerbating diseases such as ranavirosis and eustrongylidiosis. [Display omitted] • Invasive American Bullfrogs in Brazil are infected with ranavirus and Eustrongylides sp. • Prevalence and intensity of infection are high. • Coinfections led to severe pathologic manifestations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Scholars have often applied the concept of boundary work and its conceptual progeny to explain how science, policy, and practice collaborate to introduce change into agrifood systems. However, previous studies focused primarily on specific boundary elements (i.e., boundary spanners, boundary organizations, and boundary objects) or particular innovation processes (in terms of scope or timescale) within broad transformative change. This study aims to deepen the understanding of long-term transformative processes in agri-food systems by looking at how boundary infrastructures influenced the evolution of the Brazilian pig production system from a setting in which it mainly produced pork lard for a domestic market to a setting of being integrated in global supply chains and following international standards. Mainly, we add to the extant literature by highlighting that boundary infrastructures influenced the longterm transformative process experienced by BPPS by establishing a space where science-policy-practice interactions legitimized particular visions and values and instilled responsibility and accountability to spur various joint actions in support of innovation. We also contribute to the extant literature by showing that boundary infrastructures evolution in BPPS was incremental, long-term, multi-site, and with intertwined leverage. Boundary infrastructures provide structuration to system transformation and are also (re)structured while transitions unfold. Since boundary infrastructures have a certain directionality and may become hegemonic and exclusionary, this requires sensitiveness to the need to reorient a hegemonic boundary infrastructure or create a parallel one. Our study deepens the understanding of how coordination unfolds in long-term transformative processes, a topic deemed of interest given current debates on promoting agri-food systems transformation. We argue that better awareness of boundary infrastructures in which science-policy-practice interactions occur can help guide the direction of innovation to support sustainability transitions in agri-food systems. • An expanded boundary work view is applied to analyze changes in an agri-food system. • Boundary elements in an infrastructure are highly intertwined and complementary. • Interactions between boundary infrastructure elements play a role in long-term changes. • Boundary infrastructure evolves through a 'mutual structuration process'. • Boundary infrastructure sheds light on political dynamics and inclusion and exclusion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The COVID-19 pandemic (SARS-CoV-2 virus) is the global crisis of our time. The absence of mass testing and the relevant presence of asymptomatic individuals causes the available data of the COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil to be largely under-reported regarding the number of infected individuals and deaths. We develop an adapted Susceptible-Infected-Recovered (SIR) model, which explicitly incorporates the under-reporting and the response of the population to public health policies (confinement measures, widespread use of masks, etc). Large amounts of uncertainty could provide misleading predictions of the COVID-19 spread. In this paper, we discuss the role of uncertainty in these model-based predictions, which is illustrated regarding three key aspects: (i) Assuming that the number of infected individuals is under-reported, we demonstrate anticipation regarding the infection peak. Furthermore, while a model with a single class of infected individuals yields forecasts with increased peaks, a model that considers both symptomatic and asymptomatic infected individuals suggests a decrease of the peak of symptomatic cases. (ii) Considering that the actual amount of deaths is larger than what is being registered, we demonstrate an increase of the mortality rates. (iii) When we consider generally under-reported data, we demonstrate how the transmission and recovery rate model parameters change qualitatively and quantitatively. We also investigate the "the uncertainty tripod": under-reporting level in terms of cases, deaths, and the true mortality rate of the disease. We demonstrate that if two of these factors are known, the remainder can be inferred, as long as proportions are kept constant. The proposed approach allows one to determine the margins of uncertainty by assessments on the observed and true mortality rates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The electrodialysis reversal (EDR) technology was applied as tertiary treatment for final effluent from a Kraft pulp mill industry located in Bahia, Brazil. Two samples were evaluated: first, the final effluent treated by conventional processes (FE); the second one was additionally filtered by sand and activated carbon (FEAC). The tests in a pilot plant were carried out in batch mode, with electrode's polarity reversion. Temperature, pH and electrical conductivity measurements were performed during EDR treatment. Solutions before and after the EDR treatment were submitted to physicochemical characterization in order to determine the system efficiency. Chloride and sulfide concentrations have been reduced by up to 98.6 and 100% respectively. Only for FE treatment it was observed fouling and scaling occurrence, due to high organic and inorganic ions concentrations. In addition, the evaluated ions were satisfactorily removed by EDR for both effluents, giving to them the suitable quality for disposal or reuse in industrial processes. The study presents a mitigating solution to environmental and technological problems, itself as a viable alternative in the tertiary treatment of effluents from the Kraft process in the pulp industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Enfermería Nefrológica is the property of Sociedad Espanola de Enfermeria Nefrologica 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.)

Purpose: The objective of this review is to address the barriers limiting access to diagnosis and treatment of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and lupus nephritis (LN) in Brazil, specifically for patients in the public healthcare system, arguably those with the least access to innovation. Design: A selected panel of Brazilian experts in SLE/LN were provided with a series of relevant questions to address in a multi-day conference. During the conference, responses were discussed and edited by the entire group through numerous drafts and rounds of discussion until a consensus was achieved. Results: The authors propose specific and realistic recommendations for implementing access to innovative diagnostic tools and treatment alternatives for SLE/LN in Brazil. Moreover, in creating these recommendations, the authors strived to address barriers and impediments for technology adoption. The multidisciplinary care required for SLE/LN necessitates the collective participation of all involved stakeholders. Conclusion: A great need exists to expand the adoption of innovative diagnostic tools and treatments for SLE/LN not only in Brazil but also in most countries, as access issues remain an urgent demand. The recommendations presented in this article can serve as a strategy for new technology adoption in other countries in a similar situation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revista Subjetividades is the property of Revista Mal-estar e Subjetividade 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.)

The notion of simply transfering agricultural innovation from suppliers to receivers as a strategy to improve agri-food systems globally has been strongly criticized and has raised debates in the field of agricultural technology development and innovation. Previous studies have shown that there is translational work to be done within agricultural innovation systems when technologies travel from one context to another, and they have also increasingly focused on how public research and technology institutions (PRTIs) participate in such efforts. However, previous literature has not sharpened such translation roles played by PRTIs into local innovation systems to interpret and adapt foreign agricultural technologies. This study aims to analyze translation roles played by Embrapa (a pivotal PRTI in Brazil) into the innovation system linked to Brazilian pig production. It analyses how Embrapa took part in the decontextualization and recontextualization of the pyramid model and hybrid pigs in the Brazilian setting. This study applies a qualitative research approach based on a case study method. Its primary data sources are 21 in-depth interviews with key actors involved with Brazilian pig production. Furthermore, interviewee's content was triangulated with secondary data and interpreted using our conceptual understanding as an analytical lens. Our findings add to theory on agricultural technology development and innovation systems in threefold way: 1) we show that PRTIs get involved in what we dub 'translation ecosystems' when helping to interpret and adapt imported innovations; 2) we uncover that PRTIs may present a 'translation flexibility' and perform more than a single translation role simultaneously within translation ecosystems; and 3) we propose more fine-grained translation roles (orchestrator and supporter) by observing how Embrapa contributed to translation ecosystems functioning. This study enhances previous knowledge on how PRTIs can better deal with global flows of knowledge and traveling of innovation. It also evidences that PRTIs should be highly regarded in terms of how to approach imported innovations in terms of scaling readiness as they can perform pivotal functions to assist actors who may become marginalized by innovations from abroad, by providing options that suit local contexts. [Display omitted] • Innovations go through translational processes when going to scale. • This study unravels how research institutes deal with global flows of knowledge. • Analysis of translational roles played by Embrapa in unpacking and repacking innovation. • Translation processes unfold through translation ecosystems. • Research institutes perform translation roles as supporter and orchestrator. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Five precipitation datasets were evaluated on 714 basins across Brazil. • CHIRPS, MERRA-2 and IMERG excelled in hydrological simulations. • Hydrologic modelling presented KGE > 0.5 for 78 % of the catchments. • The worst hydrological performances were in the most arid hydrographic regions. • Parameter sensitivity varies with catchment climate and aridity. Satellite-based and reanalysis precipitation products are widely adopted as complementary information to in situ measurements for estimating river discharge using hydrological modelling. However, there is still a notable research gap in the literature associated with assessing the accuracy of satellite-based or reanalysis products in different tropical and sub-tropical catchments at large-sampling hydrological modelling with sensitivity analysis. We investigated the accuracy of precipitation, hydrological model performance and parameter sensitivity related to seven precipitation data sets based on satellite and reanalysis products, i.e., CHIRPS, TRMM, GLDAS, IMERG, MERRA-2, PERSIANN-CDR, and ERA5 over 714 contrasting tropical and subtropical catchments located in Brazil. We used the Génie Rural Journalier 4 (GR4J) hydrological model to simulate the hydrological processes of the different catchments with two approaches for the calibration: using measured ground-based precipitation data (approach I) or using each individual satellite/reanalysis precipitation products (approach II) to calibrate the models. The results showed that the precipitation products tend to overestimate precipitation, with the exception of ERA5 and MERRA-2. CHIRPS is the only product that produces unbiased precipitation estimates for most catchments. The model calibration using each precipitation product individually improved the hydrological model performance. CHIRPS, IMERG, and MERRA-2 showed good accuracy in terms of both, precipitation estimation and hydrological simulation performance in the calibration period. In the validation period, the best products in terms of KGE were CHIRPS, IMERG and TRMM (KGE > 0.64). The errors in precipitation products are better compensated via hydrological modelling in wet regions. The model parameter sensitivity varies according to precipitation input, climate, and catchment aridity. Overall, all seven products exhibited their worst hydrological performance in arid regions. This study helps to improve our understanding of the catchment response in tropical and subtropical regions while also providing key insights into the reliability of satellite/reanalysis rainfall products for streamflow simulation. This study is valuable in hydrometeorological applications, climate change assessment, water resources and disaster management, especially in regions with a relatively sparse density of precipitation stations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Amazon is the largest river by discharge volume and one of the most biodiverse biomes in the world. Lately, there has been a rapid increase of the urban population in the region, which has been translated into a growing emission of organic contaminants such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) into surface water bodies. This study provides the most comprehensive evaluation of the PAH contamination levels in surface waters of the Amazon basin. We investigated the occurrence and potential sources of 16 priority PAHs and characterised their risks for freshwater ecosystems. For this, we took 40 water samples from different sites along the Brazilian part of the Amazon River, including three major tributaries, and smaller rivers crossing the main urban areas. The results of this study show that PAHs are widespread contaminants in rivers of the Brazilian Amazon. The sum of the total concentration of the 16 priority PAHs reached values of 134 ng L−1 in the Amazon River, and 163 ng L−1 near densely populated areas. On the other hand, the total PAH concentration was generally lower in the monitored tributaries. In most samples, the contamination pattern was dominated by high molecular weight PAHs, suggesting a major contribution of pyrogenic sources, although petrogenic contamination was also present in some locations near urban areas. We assessed ecological risks posed by PAH mixtures using a hazard index. The results indicated that PAH contamination is not likely to pose direct toxic effects for Amazonian freshwater organisms, however continued monitoring is recommended near densely populated areas. [Display omitted] • The presence of 16 priority PAHs was investigated in Amazonian surface waters. • PAHs were found in all samples, with total concentrations up to 163 ng L−1. • Higher concentrations were found next to large urban areas. • In most samples, PAH contamination was of pyrogenic origin. • PAHs may not directly harm Amazonian freshwater ecosystems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Interviewees were highly favorable to use demand management systems. • Interviewees were more favorable to allowing load shifting than load curtailment. • QoE profiles were leveraged for several appliances focusing demand management systems. The present work delivers the results of a survey conducted in the southern region of Brazil, using a digital questionnaire that inquired about the interaction with residential demand management systems (DMSs). Demand-side management is a very important strategy that can be used to improve the stability of the energy grid acting in different time scales and control levels, as well as, flatten the demand curve. In particular, the survey addressed the interviewees' thoughts on demand management and gathered data to enable the design of Quality of Experience (QoE) based demand management policies. The investigation of QoE-aware approaches is significant as it enables the DMS to take decisions not only based on economic metrics, but also taking the discomfort caused to the users into account. The survey considered three different DM policies assuming that the loads can be sheddable, dimmerizable, or time-flexible.The number of responses guaranteed a confidence level of 95% and an error margin of 4.63%, and the content of such responses showed favorable disposition of the interviewees on allowing interventions of DMSs on their energy consumption habits as long as it reduces their expenses with energy. The data concerning discomfort caused by demand management actions on several home appliances was treated using clustering techniques and different typical user profiles were leveraged, represented by the centroid of each cluster. Those profiles can be used to deploy QoE-aware DMSs tailored for the local reality, which seem like a promising business model as smart houses become a reality. The results of this survey and their promising applicability in DMSs are presented and discussed. 1 1 The authors thank CNPq for projects 401126/2014-5, 303702/2011-7 and 305785/2015-0. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of pesticides in households and peri-urban areas of the Amazon has increased notably during the last years. Yet, the presence of these contaminants in Amazonian freshwater ecosystems remains unexplored. Here, we assessed the exposure to 18 pesticides and 5 transformation products in the Amazon River and in the urban streams of Manaus, Santarém, Macapá, and Belém (Brazil). Pesticide concentrations were analyzed by liquid and gas chromatography methods. Ecological risks were assessed following a two-tiered approach. First, hazard quotients and an overall hazard index were calculated using toxicity data for standard test species of primary producers, invertebrates, and fish. Second, the pesticides showing moderate-to-high ecological risks in the first tier were evaluated using Species Sensitivity Distributions (SSDs). Our study shows that pesticides are widespread in urban and peri-urban areas of the Brazilian Amazon. The frequency of detection was higher in urban streams than in the Amazon River, with some samples taken in Manaus, Santarém, and Belém containing up to 8 compounds. Most pesticides were measured at relatively low concentrations (ng L -1 ), except for malathion, carbendazim and the bulk concentration of chlorpyrifos, which were monitored at concentrations above 100 ng L -1 . Based on the first-tier assessment, we found moderate-to-high risks for freshwater invertebrates for malathion, chlorpyrifos, and chlorpyrifos-methyl, and moderate risks for malathion to fish. The risk assessment performed with SSDs indicated high risks of malathion and chlorpyrifos-methyl in urban areas, with up to 15% and 5% of invertebrate species potentially affected, respectively. The bulk concentrations of chlorpyrifos resulted in high risks in some urban areas (14-22% of species affected) and in areas of the main river (32-44%) impacted by agriculture. We conclude that pesticide residues may contribute to a biodiversity impact in the Amazon and should be further monitored in urban and peri-urban areas, particularly after heavy rainfall events., (Copyright © 2021 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)