Search

Purpose: Smart campuses can be seen as the future of higher education efforts, especially for their contributions to sustainability and to encourage innovation. This paper aims to present the benefits of smart practices in a Higher Education Institutions and highlights its connections to the sustainable development goals (SDGs). Design/methodology/approach: The methodology is divided into three steps: first, an international search and assessment of smart practices at universities; second, the identification of smart practices in a university campus in southern Brazil; and third, the presentation of the benefits of smart practices and their relationship with the SDGs. Findings: The results showed that globally, the area most covered by smart practices in universities is the environment and, specifically, focused on waste reduction. in the context of this case study, the benefits of implementing smart practices mainly reach SDGs 4 and SDG 9, especially due to aspects of teaching technologies for the new classroom models and the optimization of campus infrastructure management. Practical implications: The study encourages other universities to implement smart practices in their campuses, to becoming smart campuses while they also collaborate in achieving the SDGs while raising the discussion on the importance of committed actions taken on a university campus with the UN SDGs, to leverage synergies on campus operations at universities. Originality/value: This paper presents a set of smart practices that universities are applying both globally and locally (in southern Brazil). In addition, it contributes to sustainability research by showing how smart practices have the potential to promote SDGs in universities, especially through campus operations.

Purpose: Higher education institutions are widely known both for their promotion to education for sustainable development (ESD) and for their contribution as living labs to urban management strategies. As for strategies, smart and learning campuses have recently gained significant attention. This paper aims to report an air quality monitoring experience with focus on the smart and learning campus and discuss its implications for the university context with regard to ESD and sustainable development goal (SDG) integration. Design/methodology/approach: The air quality monitoring was held at the main campus of University of Passo Fundo and focused on three pollutants directly related to vehicle emissions. The air quality index (AQI) was presented on a website, along with information regarding health problems caused by air pollution, main sources of emissions and strategies to reduce it. Findings: The results showed how the decrease in air quality is related to the traffic emissions and the fact that exposing students to a smart and learning environment could teach them about sustainability education. Practical implications: This case study demonstrated how monitoring air quality in a smart environment could highlight and communicate the impact of urban mobility on air quality and alerted to the need for more sustainable choices, including transports. Originality/value: This paper contributes to the literature by showing the potential of a smart-learning campus integration and its contribution towards the ESD and the UN SDGs.

Purpose: Considering the different roles universities can perform to contribute to sustainable development, it is through teaching and outreach that they might be able to connect to the academic and local communities the most. The purpose of this study is to investigate the extent to which energy sustainability is being considered in campus teaching and outreach activities of different higher education institutions worldwide. In this context, this exploratory study was developed. Design/methodology/approach: Through an online survey, a group of 36 universities from all continents was inquired about the level of sustainability in energy aspects of teaching and outreach activities, including curriculum change, training courses for staff and the regularity of outreach projects. Findings: The results allowed global analysis concerning challenges and opportunities of these educational activities. This study also touches upon the interconnection between these practices and the contribution of universities towards the 2030 Agenda, and how universities can expand their activities and contribute practically to society. In terms of practical contributions, this study provides recommendations for higher education institutions to develop further in the area of energy sustainability through teaching and outreach. Originality/value: Energy is a sustainability aspect relatively well covered by actions on campus operations, but there is a paucity of studies connecting this topic to teaching and outreach activities. This study is an approach to not only fill this gap but also reinforce the university role and contribution to the Sustainable Development Goals.

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to present an experience of inclusion of the theme "climate change" in a Brazilian public school through training conducted with teachers. Design/methodology/approach: The methodology was based on three specific phases: reflection, focusing on the application of a pretest with 45 questions directed to three domains (knowledge, attitude and behavior); climate change education (CCE) training; and application of a post-test and action, regarding the insertion in the school space. Findings: The survey results highlight the difficulty teachers have in understanding and applying CCE in the classroom and it underscores the importance of this approach. Research limitations/implications: The research approach is related to a specific case in a school located in south of Brazil. Although the school has its own context, the reported experience can be considered elsewhere. Practical implications: This case study reinforces that CCE presents broad challenges for the scientific community. For the reason that the understanding of the topic (CCE) is complex, considering the global context and the divergent opinions on the subject. Social implications: The paper reinforces that for today's society, sustainable development is no longer a choice but a necessity, underpinned by global Agenda 2030 discussions. In this context, teachers are essential to the transformation toward a better future. Originality/value: The difficulties and facilities encountered during the experience serve to enhance new actions at national or even global level, respecting each new context of study and insertion of research directed to the theme -- CCE.

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to analyse recent actions of energy efficiency implemented by University of Passo Fundo, a higher education institution located in the south of Brazil, and their contributions to Goal 7. Design/methodology/approach: The analysis is based on collected energy data and information of energy efficiency actions applied at the university. Findings: The paper shows the progress related to the energy practices and discusses opportunities, threats, strengths and weaknesses of applying energy efficiency at universities and its contributions towards sustainable development goal (SDG) 7. Practical implications: The findings of this study can inform readers about University of Passo Fundo's initiatives towards energy efficiency focussed in lightening, photovoltaic solar power generation and free energy market. Readers are able to improve their knowledge with the discussion of internal and external factors related to the initiatives. Originality/value: The originality of this paper is connected to the idea of sharing the experiences from University of Passo Fundo, connecting energy efficiency practices at universities to SDG 7 and also exploring opportunities, threats, strengths and weaknesses of applying these practices in the context of a higher education institution.

Purpose: This paper aims to highlight the contribution of ecological fairs to the promotion of sustainability in university campuses, based on a case study carried out at the University of Passo Fundo, located in Southern Brazil. Design/methodology/approach: Producers and consumers of the ecological fairs were interviewed to analyse how the social, economic and environmental spheres of sustainable development are impacted by these fairs. In total, 24 interviews were conducted. Findings: The results showed how fairs positively impact the academic and local community while bringing sustainability into university campuses. Research limitations/implications: The main limitations of this study were the number of interviews and the short period during when the study was conducted. Practical implications This case study demonstrated how the promotion of ecological fairs on a university campus plays an important role in the implementation and practice of sustainability and can serve as an example for other institutions that intend to work on similar projects. Originality/value: This paper contributes to the literature by providing a discussion on how ecological fairs represent a good addition in the process of universities to become more sustainable and which aspects of each sustainability sphere are involved.

Purpose: There is a widely held belief that sustainable development (SD) policies are essential for universities to successfully engage in matters related to sustainability, and are an indicator of the extent to which they are active in this field. This paper aims to examine the evidence which currently exists to support this assumption. It surveys a sample of universities in Brazil, Germany, Greece, Portugal, South Africa and the UK and the USA to ascertain the extent to which universities that are active in the field of sustainable development have formal policies on sustainable development, and whether such policies are a pre-condition for successful sustainability efforts. Design/methodology/approach: The study involved 35 universities in seven countries (five universities respectively). A mixed-methods approach has been used, ranging from document analysis, website analysis, questionnaires and interviewing. Findings: Although only 60 per cent of the sampled universities had a policy that specifically addressed SD, this cannot be regarded as an indicator that the remaining 40 per cent are not engaged with substantial actions that address SD. Indeed, all of the universities in the sample, regardless of the existence of a SD formal policy, demonstrated engagement with environmental sustainability policies or procedures in some form or another. This research has been limited by the availability and ability to procure information from the sampled universities. Despite this, it is one of the largest research efforts of this kind ever performed. Research limitations/implications: This research has been limited by the availability and ability to procure information from the sampled universities. Practical implications: The findings provide some valuable insights into the connections between SD policies on the one hand and the practice of sustainable development in higher education institutions on the other. Social implications: Universities with SD policies can contribute to models of economic growth consistent with sustainable development. Originality/value: The study is the one of the largest research efforts of this kind ever performed.

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to analyse through a systematic literature review the evolution of the theme of environmental social and governance (ESG) in universities, correlating variables and presenting a panorama for Latin American universities. Design/methodology/approach: This paper uses a systematic literature review approach. The Web of Science database was used for data collection, and a set of keywords (Environmental, Social and Governance × Universities) and a classification method were used, resulting in 111 articles classified in the Zotero software. After classification, these publications were analysed in the VOSviewer software. Findings: The main evidence about ESG and universities shows that its relevance has been growing worldwide with an emphasis on England, the USA, Spain, followed by Brazil in fourth place regarding the number of papers published worldwide. The most representative areas identified were governance, sustainability, higher education, sustainable campus, environmental science, ecology, science and technology. The journals presenting more published papers under the topic are International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education, Journal of Cleaner Production and Sustainability. As for the most relevant authors, the Europeans Lozano and Leal Filho, Velasquez from Mexico and Brandli from Brazil were identified. As for institutions, the University Durham, State University System of Florida and State University of Campinas do Brazil stand out. Research limitations/implications: As the main limitation of the study is related to the sample of articles. This study is focused on the analysis of publications from the last decade, presenting only 111 results. However, this restriction in the timeline is justified as it is a new topic; this study was also limited to the use of a single database; in this sense, future research can carry out a more comprehensive review of the sustainability literature covering periods prior to a decade and an analysis in other databases. Originality/value: These results provide a basis for improving sustainability in universities and ESG in Latin America. It also allows to explore and reflect on several indicators, enabling the evaluation and planning of actions to improve competitiveness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Cadernos de Pesquisa is the property of Fundacao Carlos Chagas 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 safflower crop (Carthamus tinctorius L.) is of agro-economic potential due to its wide range of uses, from ornamentation to oil extraction, with good adaptability to cultivation throughout Brazil. However, this crop still faces challenges regarding the quality of its seeds, as there is a high susceptibility to the attack by phytogenes. Thus, the objective of this study was to evaluate the physiological and sanitary quality of safflower seeds submitted to different storage periods. The experiment was conducted in a completely randomized design, 4x7 (seeds grown in the 2017/2018 harvest: sown in winter and spring 2017, and summer and autumn 2018, and seed storage periods: 0; 6; 12; 18; 24; 30 and 36 sequential months, counted from the harvest dates), with four replications. The quality of seeds was evaluated through the following tests: germination, electrical conductivity, dry mass and seedling length, field emergence and sanity. It was observed that the different safflower seed lots were sensitive to a prolonged storage period, with reduction in their physiological potential, especially in the percentage of germination and seedling emergence, and an increased incidence of harmful phytopathogens on these seeds. Thus, it is recommended a period of up to 12 months to obtain the conservation of safflower seeds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study sought to map schemas of five types of love and characterize their commonalities and differences in the Brazilian context. Two studies were carried out sequentially. In Study 1, 537 adults answered open‐ended questions about friends' love, romantic love, parental love, filial love, and self‐love. Responses for descriptions of the different types of love were grouped into 29 thematic categories. In Study 2, we tested the degree of representativeness of these 29 categories for the five types of love. Five hundred thirteen adults from all regions of Brazil participated. Results from two studies showed that each type of love has peculiarities that distinguish them from the others and that "understanding" is the common core of all types of love. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Parentification involves a role reversal phenomenon between family subsystems, including role distortions and hierarchy inversion. The purpose of this study was to adapt and search for validity evidence of the Parentification Questionnaire for the Brazilian context. After translation procedures, the authors applied the instrument in 868 adults of four geographic regions of Brazil, of which 55.4 percent were women. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses revealed the solution of three parentification factors (i.e., emotional parenting, instrumental parenting and perceived unfairness) as adequate, with satisfactory internal consistency rates, following the construct theory. As expected, the authors also found relations with other variables; for example, people who presented parentification indicators in their speeches displayed higher levels in the three factors of the construct; while women displayed higher levels of parentification than men. The Brazilian version of the instrument showed satisfactory validity evidence and appropriate reliability indicators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

No‐till (NT) is a soil management system designed to protect soil resources from water erosion and provide numerous benefits compared to conventional tillage through the increase of organic matter inputs into the soil. However, NT in isolation is not sufficient to control erosion processes caused by an excessive production of surface runoff. This study evaluated soil losses on agricultural hillslopes under no‐till characterized by contrasted water, soil, and crop management conditions. To this end, water and soil losses were monitored between 2014 and 2018 at two scales, including four macroplots (0.6 ha; 27 events) and two paired zero‐order catchments (2.4 ha; 63 events). The resulting dataset covered a wide range of rainfall conditions that occurred in contrasted soil, crop, and runoff management conditions. Hyetographs, hydrographs, and sedigraphs were constructed, and these data were used to evaluate the impact of management on sediment yields, including that of terraces, scarification, and phytomass on sediment yield. The installation of terraces reduced sediment yield by 58.7%, mainly through surface runoff control. Crop management including an increased phytomass input efficiently controlled soil losses (63%), although it did not reduce runoff volume and peak flow. In contrast, scarification had no impact on runoff and soil losses. The current research demonstrated the need to combine the installation of terraces and leaving a high amount of phytomass on the soil to control surface runoff and erosion and reduce sediment yield. The current research therefore reinforces the relevance of the monitoring strategy conducted at the scale of macroplots and zero‐order catchments to evaluate the impact of contrasted water, soil, and crop management methods and select the most effective conservation agriculture practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

No‐till (NT) is a conservation system that improves the hydrological regime of agricultural slopes by providing greater surface protection and benefits to the physical and hydrological properties of soils. However, the isolated use of NT is not enough to control runoff and its associated degradation processes. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the runoff of agricultural slopes under NT under different runoff control conditions by monitoring 63 rainfall events in two 2.4‐ha zero‐order catchments and 27 rainfall events in four 0.6‐ha macroplots. The catchments are paired and similar in terms of the type of soil and relief, but different regarding the presence of terraces. The macroplots have different soil and crop management systems. By using monitoring techniques, the hyetographs and hydrographs revealed the influence of the different types of management on the catchments and macroplots and allowed rainfall characteristics, runoff volume, runoff coefficients, water infiltration, peak runoff, response times, and curve number to be analysed. The terraces positively affected the NT and controlled runoff and related variables, in addition to infiltration significantly increasing and runoff reducing in the terraced catchment. All the hydrological information assessed pointed to the positive effects provided by the presence of the terraces. The results in the macroplots showed that high amounts of phytomass and/or chiselling do not control runoff and its correlated variables in medium and high magnitude events. The study concludes by underlining the need for additional measures to control runoff (terraces), even in areas under NT and with high phytomass production. Additionally, the study emphasizes the importance of monitoring at the catchment scale to better understand the hydrological behaviour of agricultural areas and provide the necessary parameters to effectively control runoff. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: There is evidence of an association between anemia and diabetes mellitus. However, the relationship between anemia and gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) remains to be established, as well as its impact on genomic instability. Therefore, we aimed to examine the association between anemia and genomic instability in women with GDM treated at a university hospital. Methods: A cross-sectional study of women with a diagnosis of GDM who received prenatal care at the University Hospital of Santa Maria, southern Brazil. Data on GDM, anemia, and iron supplementation were obtained from medical records. Genomic instability was assessed by the buccal micronucleus cytome (BMCyt) assay. Results: Of 44 pregnant women evaluated, 28.6% had anemia and 79.5% received iron supplementation; of the latter, 75.0% did not have gestational anemia. Hemoglobin levels were not associated with genomic instability (p > 0.05), but an association was found between nuclear buds and blood glucose levels (r = 0.977; p = 0.003). Conclusion: There was no association between anemia and genomic instability in women with GDM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The sidewalk is the structuring element of walking on foot in the urban environment. For this, it is necessary that the sidewalks offer moving conditions to all pedestrians. The movement of people on foot in urban space increases the quality of life in the cities. The aim of this paper is to evaluate the quality index of sidewalks in a medium-size Brazilian city, through the pedestrians' perception and technical evaluation. The methodology evaluated the Sidewalk Quality Index (SQI) in Passo Fundo, a medium-sized city in the South of Brazil. The results show that, like the great majority of Brazilian cities, the sidewalks in Passo Fundo have a performance index equivalent to 1.9 points which corresponds to the "G" classification - very bad - in the final evaluation. The improvement of the SQI in the study area should be made possible by the awareness of their importance for mobility, urban planning and the quality of life of people in the cities. Presenting a good SQI provides a number of benefits to cities, among which the following stand out: increased life quality and urban mobility, which, in turn, impacts positively on a number of other urban indicators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Soil degradation is a widespread problem and currently one of the biggest challenges in modern-day agriculture. The partial adoption of conservation agriculture, such as no-till management, does not provide adequate erosion control, and the hydrology dynamics on hillslopes under no-till management remain poorly quantified. This study examines the hydrology of agricultural hillslopes under no-till management, with and without terraces in southern Brazil.Materials and methods: Water and soil losses were measured in two paired, zero-order catchments (2.4 ha) under no-till cultivation, with and without broad-based retention terraces. Rainfall, surface runoff, and suspended sediment concentrations were monitored during major rainfall events. Analysis of hydrographs and sedigraphs was used to derive the peak flow, runoff duration, and sediment yield values and the hysteresis between surface runoff and the suspended sediment concentration during different seasons.Results and discussion: The results show higher soil and water losses in the catchment without terraces. Terracing reduced peak flow rates by 79%, sediment yield from 0.44 to 0.16 t ha−1, and the total surface runoff from 3943 (126 mm) to 855 m3 (36 mm) during 31 events over 16 months. The no-till system without terraces was unable to adequately control surface runoff and soil erosion. Surface runoff and sediment yield were higher under no-till without terraces than under no-till with terraces.Conclusions: The difference in terms of surface runoff volume and sediment yield indicates an important difference in the hydrology and soil erosion in the catchment without terraces, which is represented by high-surface-runoff coefficient values observed during the rainfall-runoff events. The short lag time and steep rising limb of the hydrographs indicate high-surface-runoff responsivity to rainfall in no-till without terraces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Brazil has abundant surface water resources, huge aquatic biodiversity and is home to 213 million people. Genotoxicity assays are sensitive tools to detect the effects of contaminants in surface waters and wastewaters, as well as to determine potential risks of contaminated waters to aquatic organisms and human health. This work aimed to survey the articles published in 2000–2021 that evaluated the genotoxicity of surface waters within Brazilian territory to unveil the profile and trends of this topic over time. In our searches, we considered articles focused on assessing aquatic biota, articles that conducted experiments with caged organisms or standardized tests in the aquatic sites, as well as articles that transported water or sediment samples from aquatic sites to the laboratory, where exposures were performed with organisms or standardized tests. We retrieved geographical information on the aquatic sites evaluated, the genotoxicity assays used, the percentage of genotoxicity detected, and, when possible, the causative agent of aquatic pollution. A total of 248 articles were identified. There was a trend of increase in the number of publications and annual diversity of hydrographic regions evaluated over time. Most articles focused on rivers from large metropolises. A very low number of articles were conducted on coastal and marine ecosystems. Water genotoxicity was detected in most articles, regardless of methodological approach, even in little-studied hydrographic regions. The micronucleus test and the alkaline comet assay were widely applied with blood samples, mainly derived from fish. Allium and Salmonella tests were the most frequently used standard protocols. Despite most articles did not confirm polluting sources and genotoxic agents, the detection of genotoxicity provides useful information for the management of water pollution. We discuss key points to be assessed to reach a more complete picture of the genotoxicity of surface waters in Brazil. • We reviewed the genotoxicity studies of Brazilian surface waters that used bioindicator organisms or standardized tests. • Marine and coastal aquatic ecosystems, as well as other continental waters than rivers, were little evaluated. • 79 % of articles evaluated waters from 3 out of the 12 Brazilian hydrographic regions. • Methodological approaches and assays were efficient to detect genotoxicity. • Most articles did not confirm polluting sources and genotoxic agents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Solar ultraviolet (UV) radiation is an environmental genotoxic factor linked to amphibian decline. Here we assessed the genotoxic risk of UVB and UVA exposure for tadpoles from open ponds in southern Brazil, a mid-latitude region influenced by stratospheric ozone depletion. Daily UV doses were measured on the surface of a pond in Taim Ecological Station (TAIM; 32°49'24"S; 52°38'31"W) on a cloudless summer day to predict the worst-case scenario for UV-induced DNA damage. Pond descriptors were related to the use of microhabitats by Boana pulchella tadpoles in two ponds over the climate seasons of 2013 and 2014. Our results indicate that shaded microhabitats were more frequent than unshaded ones in autumn, winter, and spring but not in summer. Hence, the penetration of UV radiation into the water of unshaded microhabitats was evaluated through laboratory experiments with artificial UV sources and pond water samples. Physical and biological sensors were applied in the experiments to measure the incident UV radiation and its genotoxic action. By integrating field and laboratory data, we demonstrate that low doses of biologically effective UV radiation reached the tadpoles in autumn, winter, spring, and early summer due to a high proportion of shaded microhabitats and a high concentration of solids in unshaded microhabitats. However, the relative reduction of shaded microhabitats jointly with a declining water level in late summer may have exposed tadpoles to high UV doses. Our experiments also indicate that solar UVB radiation, but not UVA, is primarily responsible for the induction of DNA pyrimidine dimers in organisms living under the surface of aquatic ecosystems. The present work highlights the determinant role of wetland descriptors for minimizing the genotoxic potential of UV radiation and its consequences for amphibians. [Display omitted] • High doses of solar UVB/UVA radiation reach the surface of open natural ponds. • UVB radiation is the main responsible for inducing pyrimidine dimers in aquatic organisms. • In general, microhabitats used by tadpoles are protected against UV genotoxicity. • Tadpoles are exposed to an increased risk of UV exposure in clear waters or near the surface. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urban green spaces play a key role in the improvement of environmental quality, livability, and sustainability of towns and cities. The aim of this paper is to elicit the willingness of the population of Passo Fundo, a town in southern Brazil, to pay for improvements, maintenance, and conservation of a park situated in the Cidade Universitária (University Campus) subdivision. After the preliminary description of the current situation of the park, a scenario was defined for environmental valuation offered by proposed improvements according to different experts in urban and environmental planning. A total of 338 households in the urban area of Passo Fundo were surveyed through the application of a questionnaire and by the contingent valuation method. An economic value between R$964,560.00 (US$550,547.94) and R$2,531,970.00 (US$1,445,188.35) was obtained for the improvement, maintenance, and conservation of the park. Also, a relationship was observed between the socioeconomic characteristics of the population and willingness to pay. The analysis of economic viability for the investments in this park showed a positive net present value. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revista Odonto Ciencia is the property of EDIPUCRS - Editora Universitaria da PUCRS 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 following paper presents a study about the student familiarity with analogue situations. In order to do this, it was determined to what extent analogue situations presented to students in teaching activities can be considered familiar as well as their justifications given to evaluate the familiarity. Then, firstly were used some questionnaires that were applied to 112 second and third grade students of four High Schools in Candelária, Nova Palma and Santa Maria in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. After that, some individual interviews with a sample of 06 students from one of the schools involved in the study was done. The answer analysis showed that: a) the students considered familiar just the situations effectively lived; b) some students created new analogies, comparing them to the ones already presented, just changing from student to student the analogy elaborated; c) the analogues that seem appropriated to scientists and teachers sometimes were not presented in the same way to the students, once they rejected them; d) the need for justifying the analogues familiarity enabled the students to explore their personal experiences in order to find out other analogues that could justify the first ones; e) the justifications to the familiarity came from different foundations while some students recurred to lived situations and/or professional experiences, others appeal to the knowledge classified in the school contents; f) the students showed scientific knowledge and information which were learned in and out of the school as well as they used these knowledge and informations to produce their answers; g) the analogues came from a conceptual topic of a specific scientific domain, always face the risk of being little familiar; h) in some regions, some analogue situations showed not familiar to students and familiar to others; i) the socio-cultural aspects from the region where the students live tend to condition the knowledge they use to demonstrate upon the analogues. Finally, it is suggested that teachers verify which analogues should be used in a given context. Besides that, it is advisable, during the analogy teaching, to give preference to analogues present in the students everyday life or suggested by them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article contributes to the debate on judicial behavior in cases of corruption. It asks under what conditions members of the judiciary convict political officials accused of corruption and why some officials are treated more severely than others. To this end, it analyzes all 1,716 cases tried by the 4th Criminal Panel of the Supreme Court of Rio Grande do Sul, the first body specialized in the judgment of crimes by city mayors instituted in Brazil, in 1992, until 2016. The article examines the impact of three groups of hypotheses, concerning the profile of the accused mayors, the socioeconomic characteristics of the municipalities and the workings of justice system institutions. Tested using descriptive and multivariate quantitative techniques, the analysis suggests that the last group of variables exerts greater impact on the chance of criminal conviction of mayors, and that the other variables exhibit a smaller or statistically insignificant impact. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Objective: To evaluate changes in the profile of potential dead donors brain as to age, gender, and cause of death between 1988 to 2004, as well as the notification rates of potential donors, the donation itself, and family non-authorization. Patients and Methods: Records of 2,757 potential donors were reviewed in three periods: I: 1988–1992 (n = 465), II: 1993–1997 (n = 567), and III: 1998–2004 (n = 1,725). Results: The mean age which was similar in periods I and II (30.8 and 29.8 years), increased in period III (38.3 + 18.5 years); (P < .05). The frequency of male donors decreased from 71% and 69%, to 57% (P < .05). The cranium-encephalic trauma decreased from 63.2% and 54.7% to 34.8% (P < .05), while the brain-vascular accidents (CVA) increased from 28.0% and 34.5% to 49.4% (P < .05). The rate of potential donors notified increased from 10.7 per million population per year (pmp/y) and 11.9 to 24.6 pmp/y, while the donation rate increased from 4.4 pmp/y (42.4%) and 7.7 pmp/y (64.3%) to 9.6 pmp/y (38.8%), in periods I, II and III, respectively. The family’s nonauthorization changed from 41.5% and 21.7% to 31.9%. Conclusions: We observed a similar trend as that in developed countries, that is, a significant increases in the ages of potential donors, in the proportion of female donors, and in the CVA brain death. There has been a significant increase in the notification rate and the donation itself, without a significant modification in family nonauthorization rate. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Amphibians have suffered population decline due to several factors, including exposure to pesticides. In the south of Brazil, rice cultivations use herbicides based on atrazine, glyphosate and quinclorac as the commercial formulations Primoleo®, Roundup® and Facet®, respectively. Rhinella icterica was chosen to evaluate oxidative balance markers and body condition after exposure to three concentrations of herbicides (10, 20 and 40 µg/L of atrazine and quinclorac; 100, 250 and 500 µg/L of glyphosate). These xenobiotics, regardless of the concentrations used, accelerated the development process of animals and seemed to act as modulators of development. We observed no significant variations for any of the oxidative balance markers studied (superoxide dismutase, catalase, TBARS and carbonylated proteins); however, we cannot rule out that other antioxidant system components prevent oxidative stress. In general, atrazine and glyphosate accelerated the development of tadpoles, and quinclorac retards this process, which could impact the survival of these animals. [Display omitted] • Tadpoles showed no mortality when exposed to realistic concentrations of herbicides. • Atrazine and glyphosate accelerated the development of tadpoles, while quinclorac slows. • Atrazine and glyphosate determined an increase in weight and K-index. • R. icterica has a high antioxidant capacity, maintaining the activity of SOD and CAT. • This species does not suffer oxidative damage when exposed to three herbicides. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objectives of this study were to test the effects of different plant densities on stem characteristics in two growing seasons: Fall/Winter and Spring/Summer. The plant densities evaluated were 48, 64, 80, 96, 112 and 128plants m-2. The Fall/Winter growing season was from 04/04/2008 to 23/08/2008 and the Spring/Summer growing season was from 03/10/2008 to 23/12/2008. Total and partial plant height did not differ among plant densities in the Fall/Winter growing season. However, in the Spring/Summer growing season total plant height had a quadratic response to increase in plant population whereas the partial height did not vary. In the Fall/Winter cultivation, plants presented larger stems and branches diameter, branches length and total number of nodes main stem and branches diameters, number and length of branches, fresh and dry mass decreased as density increased in the two growing seasons. The capitulum's diameter decreased as density increased in the Fall/Winter growing season, but at the Spring/Summer growing season it decreased in the density from 48 to 96plants m-2 and increased in the density from 112 a 128plants m-2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The characterization of the developmental phases of agricultural crops is important for management practices and for gladiolus in the field this characterization has not been made in Rio Grande do Sul State. The goal of this study was to determine the duration of vegetative and reproductive phases of the developmental cycle, and the relationships between them and with leaf appearance in gladiolus cultivars. Two field experiments were conducted in Santa Maria, RS, Brazil, one during the Spring/Summer 2010/11 with the cultivars 'Priscila', 'Peter Pears', 'Sunset', 'T704', 'Traderhorn', 'Rose Supreme' and 'Jester', and another during the Fall/Winter 2011 with the cultivars 'T704', 'Traderhorn' and 'Jester'. The experimental design was a completely randomized with two replications of five plants per cultivar. The date of heading and end of flowering was determined and the developmental cycle was divided into vegetative (from planting to heading) and reproductive (from planting to and of flowering). Results showed that the duration of the vegetative phase determines the duration of the developmental cycle and the duration of the vegetative phase is affected by leaf appearance rate and by final leaf number. Thus, early cultivars have greater leaf appearance rate and lower final leaf number than late cultivars. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Influence of no-till on nutrient losses by runoff and erosion. • Monitoring of stormwater events at the hillslope and catchment scale. • Nutrient concentration in runoff is high regardless of management. • The losses depends essentially on runoff control practices such as terraces. No-till farming is widely used in grain production in Brazil. However, the lack of runoff control and the low phytomass input are major causes of soil degradation. In addition, surface runoff transports chemical elements, including carbon and nutrients, in dissolved and particulate forms impacting water quality. Given this scenario, this study sought to evaluate the influence of phytomass amount, chiseling, and terracing on nutrient loss (NH 4 +, NO 3 − + NO 2 −, total N, P, K, Ca, Mg, Cu, and Zn) associated with surface runoff, suspended sediments, and to quantify their presence in sediment deposits at the end of the monitoring unit. This study was based on hydrological monitoring in four macroplots and two paired zero-order catchments during rainfall events. The macroplots reproduce use or absence of chiseling with lower or higher phytomass input, and the catchments, presence or absence of terraces. Nutrient concentrations were determined in surface runoff and sediment. In surface runoff, the highest median values of NH 4 +, NO 3 − + NO 2 −, total N, P, K, Ca, Mg, Cu and Zn concentrations in the catchments were 0.9,1.0, 1.5, 0.1, 3.1, 3.9, 1.1, 0.0, and 0.01 mg/L, and in the macroplots 1.0, 1.2, 2.1, 0.2, 3.4, 5.3, 1.7, 0.0, and 0.02 mg/L. In the suspended sediments, the highest median values of P, K, Ca, and Mg concentrations in suspended sediment in the catchments were 0.6, 6.7, 3.4, and 0.8 g kg−1 and in the macroplots 0.6, 6.1, 1.9 and 0.7 g kg−1. Our findings revealed a wide variation in nutrient concentrations in runoff and sediments regardless of the management practices. Nevertheless, the dissolved fraction of surface runoff controls the loss of nutrients during high-magnitude rainfall events. The effects of the increased phytomass and the presence of terraces, affect nutrient losses due to runoff control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Soil erosion is excessive in Southern Brazil in 55 years agricultural use. • Soil redistribution by erosion in Ferralsols on three hillslopes under different soil conservation management methods. • Inventory of 137Cs for the construction of soil redistribution during the last decades based on Mass Balance Model - 2. • These high erosion rates enhanced the need to implement conservation measures to reduce the degradation of soils and water bodies. No-tillage is a soil management practice that results in reduced soil losses when compared to conventional tillage systems. However, when this practice is overly simplified, it may lead, over the years, to higher levels of soil loss than expected. In this context, this study sought to compare the rates of long-term soil redistribution on three hillslopes used for grain production under different soil management on deep weathered soils (Ferralsols) in southern Brazil. Soil samples were collected along three transects in different hillslopes characterized by either no-tillage or conventional tillage. Cs-137 inventories were used to estimate the soil redistribution rates based on Mass Balance Model - 2. The results indicate that along the three slopes and during the last five decades, changes in soil management impacted the patterns of soil erosion in the landscape, showing the occurrence of significant soil loss in the upper and backslope segments, and deposition in the lower parts of the three hillslopes studied. Even with no-tillage, erosion has continued to occur, although at lower rates when compared to conventional tillage. The use of the 137Cs marker associated with the Mass Balance Model - 2 (MBM - 2) conversion model provided an effective tool for estimating soil redistribution rates under different management systems. Although the introduction of no-tillage in the last 28 years has reduced erosion rates, these processes remain significant and the implementation of additional runoff and/or erosion control practices is recommended in order to keep erosion rates at sustainable levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Clinical and epidemiological features of 422 cases of paracoccidioidomycosis attended at University Hospital of Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso do Sul (Campo Grande, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil) from January 1980 to August 1999, were analysed. The mean age was 43.4 years old and the male: female ratio was 10:1. Nearly half (45.5%) of the patients were agricultural workers at the moment of diagnosis. In the acute/subacute form (juvenile type) the phagocytic-monocytic system was very much impaired and mainly marked by lymphadenopathy (95.4%), hepatomegaly (40%), splenomegaly (23.1%). The chronic form (adult type) presents more lesions in oropharynx (66.4%), dysphonia (31.4%) and cough (50.7%). Mycological diagnosis was obtained by direct microscopy of wet mounts in 185/365 (50.7%) patients and by histopathological examination of biopsies in 294/302 (97.3%) patients. The treatment of choice was Sulfamethoxazole/ trimethoprim (Co-trimoxazole), used in 90.3% patients. Sequelae occurred in 30.3% and death in 7.6% of the cases.

Eleven cases of involvement of the genital tract in paracoccidioidomycosis were collected in a retrospective study of the clinical records of 683 patients seen in Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. These cases are herein summarily reported. Eighteen similar cases were gathered in review of the Brazilian literature. Obtained data are discussed.

The first case of eumycetoma by Madurella grisea occurred in Southern Brazilian Region is herein related. In addition, Brazilian literature on this subject was reviewed and, the geographic distribution of this eumycetoma is presented.

Three cases of chronic pulmonary histoplasmosis affecting aged patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease are reported. They had a history of recurrent episodes of respiratory infection and presented radiological lung lesions inducing a misdiagnosis of chronic pulmonary tuberculosis of the adults. The diagnosis of histoplasmosis, suggested by the immunodiffusion test and the detection of yeastlike cells in smeared and stained sputum, was confirmed by the isolation and identification of Histoplasma capsulatum var. capsulatum in selective media. The treatment was carried out with amphothericin B and ketoconazole or itraconazole. Clinical, radiologic, mycologic and serologic improvement was obtained in all the patients. However, relapses occurred within a period of 1 to 18 months after the interruption of the treatment. Mycological diagnosis and the difficulties observed in the treatment were discussed. In addition data on the epidemiology of histoplasmosis in the state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, were presented.

Thirty six cases of acute disseminated paracoccidioidomycosis in 3 to 12 year-old children, natives of the state of Rio de Janeiro, were seen in the period 1981-1996. All patients were residents in the rural region of 15 counties, scattered on the Southwestern part of this state. The rural region of two neighboring counties, where 16 cases (44.4%) occurred, was visited. It exhibited the environmental conditions that are considered favorable to the survival of P. brasiliensis. The most important of these conditions, abundant watercourses and autochthonous forest, are distributed on well defined and limited areas, in which the dwellings are also localized. Probably, a careful epidemiological study of forthcoming cases of the disease in children may facilitate the search for the micro-niche of the fungus.

A case of solitary pulmonary paracoccidioidal lesion-paracoccidioidoma-is related. It is the first reported case in Brazil. The literature on spontaneously regressive lesion of paracoccidioidomycosis is commented upon.

Four cases of Tinea Nigra by Exophiala werneckii, observed in Porto Alegre, RS, during the period 1981-1992 were related. A boy presented bilateral palmar lesions, one girl had plantar lesions and the remaining two girls had lesions on the palms. Three cases were autochthonous and the remaining patient was infected during a trip to Chile. A review of Brazilian literature and comments on the epidemiology and clinical aspects of the mycosis is presented.

An extensive and severe actinomycetoma by Nocardia asteroides, a rare etiologic agent of this infection in Brazil, observed during a 9 year follow-up is reported. Unsuitable social and financial conditions led to amputation as the only possible solution for this case, no signs of infection relapse having been observed in three years after his surgery.

The study of the clinical isolates of Cryptococcus neoformans from 83 Brazilian patients with disseminated cryptococcosis showed that 75 were C. neoformans var. neoformans and 8 were var. gattii. Twenty-seven isolates were serotyped; all 19 var. neoformans were serotype A and all 8 var. gattii were serotype B. The correlation of the varieties of C. neoformans with the presence or not of hosts predisposing conditions to the mycosis showed that: (1) cryptococcosis caused by gattii variety occurred in 7 (58.3%) of the 12 nonimmunosuppressed patients, and (2) cryptococcosis caused by neoformans variety occurred in 65 (98.5%) of the 66 AIDS patients and in all 5 patients with other immunosuppressive conditions. The comparison of the distribution of the gattii and neoformans varieties between the nonimmunosuppressed and immunosuppressed patients showed a significant statistical difference (p < 0.01).

There were described the first three South American cases of subcutaneous zygomycosis caused by B. haptosporus. The patients were children from nearby towns lying just north of 13 degrees latitude S. The diagnosis was based on histopathological aspects plus cultural isolation of the fungus.

Data on thirty-five patients with chromomycosis seen in the hinterland of the State of Rio Grande do Sul (Brazil) are reviewed. Atypical lesions were found in 28.5% of the patients. The lesions were localized on the upper limbs and face in 14.2% and 8.5% of the patients, respectively. The clinical aspects and mycologic diagnosis of chromomycosis are discussed, and an account is given of its regional distribution in Rio Grande do Sul.

We describe a case of subcutaneous zygomycosis caused by Conidiobolus coronatus of six years' duration. Following treatment failure using potassium iodide, the patient responded with ketoconazole therapy. She remained well three years following therapy. Brazilian cases of subcutaneous infections caused by C coronatus and Basidiobolus ranarum are reviewed.

Thirty four cases of the progressive form of histoplasmosis, five epidemics of the mycosis, many histoplasmin skin test surveys and few clinical or histological evidences of the benign form of the disease were reported in Brazil. The occurrence of the infection in animals and the isolation of H. capsulatum from soil have also been reported.