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The paper analyzes how Brazilian public universities and graduate programs used models of admission calls and resolutions from other institutions to formulate affirmative action policies for entry into masters and doctorate courses. The paper compares the diffusion of institutional designs before and after the issuance of Normative Order No. 13/2016 by the Ministry of Education. The research was based on an analysis of admission calls of 2,763 programs, a survey and semi-structured interviews. The data confirmed that graduate programs looked for models from their universities, other programs within the same field of knowledge, and institutions in the same region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The strategy for assessing simulations produced by climate models established as part of the Atmospheric Model Intercomparison Project (AMIP) delivers an outline for model analysis, verification/validation, and intercomparison. Numerical models are continuously being developed to find the best representation for the amount and distribution of precipitation in Brazil to improve the country's precipitation forecast. This article describes the key features of the Brazilian Global Atmospheric Model (BAM) (developed by the Center for Weather Forecasting and Climate Studies of the National Institute for Space Research (CPTEC/INPE)) and analyses of its performance for annual rainfall climate simulations. This study considered the representation of the annual precipitation in Brazil mainly during the rainy season in the central part of Brazil by the BAM. The model was run over the 1990 to 2015 period using spectral Eulerian model dynamics with a 70-horizontal resolution of approximately 1.0 ∘ × 1.0 ∘ and 42 vertical sigma levels. The analysis was divided into two stages: the annual precipitation and the rainy season precipitation. Model precipitation analyses were performed using statistical methods, such as the mean and standard deviation, comparing modeled data with observed data from two datasets, data from the XAV (observed data from INMET, ANA, and DAEE), and the Climate Prediction Center (CPC). In general, the BAM model simulations reasonably replicated the configuration of the spatial distribution of precipitation in the Brazilian territory almost entirely, especially compared with the XAV. The accumulated precipitation in the southern region presented great variation, accumulating from 750 mm year − 1 in the extreme south to 1750 mm year − 1 in the north of this region. Average values of the BAM accumulated precipitation ranged from 1000 to 2000 mm year − 1 , within the expected average, compared to observed values of 750–1500 mm year − 1 (CPC and XAV, correspondingly). Although there was an underestimation of the accumulated precipitation by the model, the model reasonably reproduced the precipitation during the rainy season. The performed assessment identified model aspects that need to be improved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined an Organic Rankine Cycle powered by a parabolic trough collector and a two-tank thermal storage system based on the development of a mathematical model, for the conditions of the city of Itajubá in Brazil. First, geometrical optics and heat transfer models of the collector–receiver set were used to determine the thermal equilibrium of the solar thermal collector system and parameters such as the efficiency of the solar field, heat and optical losses, and thermal energy of the outlet fluid. Next, the thermal equilibrium of the Organic Rankine Cycle was found in order to establish its operational parameters. Finally, the behavior of the thermal storage system was analyzed through its modeling. Once the characterization of the storage system was completed, the integrated operation of the proposed system was evaluated. Given Itajubá's weather conditions, the results indicate that an electricity generation system can be implemented with the Solel UVAC Cermet selective coating for the absorber tube, water as the heat transfer fluid, and R-245fa as the working fluid. Based on the solar irradiation profile (1 March 2019), the parabolic trough collectors provided 63.3% of the energy required by the Organic Rankine Cycle to generate 7.4 kW, while the thermal storage system provided 36.4% of the energy demanded by the power generation block. Additionally, the results demonstrate the main conclusions that the turbine's efficiency was influenced by parameters such as rotational speed, which is affected by the turbine inlet temperature, which, in turn, depends on the behavior of the solar irradiation profile onsite. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Chronic Chagas Cardiomyopathy (CCC) usually develops between 10 and 20 years after the first parasitic infection and is one of the leading causes of end-stage heart failure in Latin America. Despite the great inter-individual variability in CCC susceptibility (only 30% of infected individuals ever present CCC), there are no known predictors for disease development in those chronically infected. Methodology/Principal findings: We describe a new susceptibility locus for CCC through a GWAS analysis in the SaMi-Trop cohort, a population-based study conducted in a Chagas endemic region from Brazil. This locus was also associated with CCC in the REDS II Study. The newly identified locus (rs34238187, OR 0.73, p-value 2.03 x 10−9) spans a haplotype of approximately 30Kb on chromosome 18 (chr18: 5028302–5057621) and is also associated with 80 different traits, most of them blood protein traits significantly enriched for immune-related biological pathways. Hi-C data show that the newly associated locus is able to interact with chromatin sites as far as 10Mb on chromosome 18 in a number of different cell types and tissues. Finally, we were able to confirm, at the tissue transcriptional level, the immune-associated blood protein signature using a multi-tissue differential gene expression and enrichment analysis. Conclusions/Significance: We suggest that the newly identified locus impacts CCC risk among T cruzi infected individuals through the modulation of a downstream transcriptional and protein signature associated with host-parasite immune response. Functional characterization of the novel risk locus is warranted. Author summary: Chronic Chagas Cardiomyopathy (CCC) usually develops between 10 and 20 years after the first parasitic infection and is one of the leading causes of end-stage heart failure in Latin America. Despite the great inter-individual variability in CCC susceptibility, there are no known predictors for disease development in those chronically infected. We describe a new susceptibility locus for CCC through a GWAS analysis in the SaMi-Trop cohort, a population-based study conducted in a Chagas endemic region from Brazil. The newly identified locus on chromosome 18 is also associated with 80 different traits, most of them blood protein traits significantly enriched for immune-related biological pathways. Finally, we were able to confirm, at the tissue transcriptional level, the immune-associated blood protein signature using a multi-tissue differential gene expression and enrichment analysis. We suggest that the newly identified locus impacts CCC risk among T cruzi infected individuals through the modulation of a downstream transcriptional and protein signature associated with host-parasite immune response. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Data on the prevalence of chronic pulmonary aspergillosis (CPA) in patients with active or cured tuberculosis (TB) are scarce, mainly due to diagnostic difficulties. The diagnosis of CPA is based on pulmonary symptoms and chest computed tomography (CT) scans and is considered confirmed when there is microbiological or serological evidence of Aspergillus spp. infection. Objectives: To estimate the prevalence of CPA in patients treated or undergoing treatment for PTB, seen in two referral hospitals in Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil. Patients and Methods: A total of 193 consecutive patients who were treated or previously treated for pulmonary tuberculosis underwent prospective evaluation: (a) clinical evaluation; (b) chest CT scan; (c) sputum examination—culture for fungi and smears for direct mycology; (d) detection of anti‐Aspergillus fumigatus antibodies using an enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay Platelia® test; and (e) anti‐Aspergillus spp. antibodies were assessed via a DID test. Results: The global prevalence of CPA was 10.9% (95% confidence interval, 7.2%–16.1%), but it increased with the time of TB diagnosis. The variables independently associated with CPA were previous pulmonary tuberculosis over 4 years ago and haemoptysis. Cavities, pleural thickening and the presence of a fungal ball were the most frequent tomographic findings in patients with CPA. Conclusions: The high prevalence observed and its increase over time suggest the need for continuous surveillance of CPA in patients with active or previous pulmonary tuberculosis and throughout life, with clinical, tomographic and serological evaluations (ELISA) for a timely diagnosis and a better prognosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this article was to analyze the relationship between the informational content of the key audit matters (KAMs) reported in the Independent Audit Report (IAR) and financial analysts’ forecasts for the companies listed on the B3 S.A. – Brasil, Bolsa, Balcão (B3). The research that has investigated the relevance of KAMs has not analyzed the incremental information about the audited firm, from the independent auditor’s viewpoint, that can affect financial analysts’ forecasts. The findings of this research reveal that the KAMs reported present relevant informational content about the audited firm for financial analysts, thus improving the quality of their forecasts. In addition, it was observed in the quantile analysis that the KAMs contribute to the fine tuning of analysts’ forecasts. The debate on the auditor-analyst relationship is also widened, specifically regarding the utility of KAMs for financial analysts, in terms of them considering using this information in their projections for the analyzed companies, thus reinforcing the search for their improvement by the regulator. The analysis was conducted based on generalized least squares (GLS) and quantile regressions covering 137 non-financial companies, using data from (quarterly and annual) analysts’ forecasts available from Thomson Reuters Eikon® and financial information from Economatica®. In general, the quantity and content of the items reported as KAMs were revealed to be significant in relation to the analysts’ earnings per share forecasts and to their forecasting error, revealing a reduction in asymmetry. Thus, the higher the informational value of the KAMs, the better the quality of that information is, contributing to forming an earnings forecast consensus and minimizing the error in the financial analysts’ estimates. In addition, it was observed that the disclosure of KAMs has no immediate reflection in the earnings forecast in the quarter following their disclosure, with their informational content being diluted over the following financial period, impacting the annual earnings forecast. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Brazilian charcoal is produced from planted eucalyptus forest wood in traditional batch reactors. The ordinary technology applied in Brazil does not use pyrolysis waste gases, which leads to the loss of 30% of wood energy and decreases air quality. This study evaluated the synchronous use of industrial batch kilns, waste gas burning, and energy recovery to produce electricity. Three scenarios were analyzed: (S1) Eucalyptus charcoal production without gas burning (Base Scenario); (S2) with gas burning; and (S3) with gas burning and electricity generation. Since a eucalyptus forest can fix carbon into its biomass through photosynthesis and finally into charcoal, S1 was able to reduce 3402.5 kg of CO2-eq per Mg of charcoal produced, and S2 reduced 6453.1 kg of CO2-eq due to waste gas methane burning. Electricity production is environmentally positive for all evaluated environmental indicators thanks to gas pollutants destruction and renewable energy generation. For S1, a ratio difference of 6.3 was found between the output of renewable energy and fossil energy input during the charcoal life cycle. For a combined production of charcoal and electricity (S3), a ratio difference of 6.9 was found. Photochemical oxidation was the main impact which can be significantly reduced by adopting gas flaring. • LCA results of batch carbonization reactors working in synchrony with waste gas energy recovery are discussed. • Electricity production can significantly reduce charcoal life cycle impacts in all LCA evaluated categories. • Energy recovery has shown a very high life cycle energy output/input relation of 6.9 yr-1. • Methane burning and electricity generation reduced 3050,6 kg of CO2eq. per Mg of produced charcoal. • The main impact category is Photochemical Oxidation which can be 90% reduced by gas flaring. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Tectona grandis L.f. (teak) is an important forest species with high economy value in Asia, Africa, and Latin America. In Latin America, Brazil is one of the countries with the most cultivated areas. The cultivation of teak turns out to be challenging because of its high nutritional demand and the need for seedling production by clonal propagation that includes about 90 days in the nursery phase. The optimization of seedling production is necessary for better results in the nursery and to enhance growth in the field. In this way, the well-known advantage of using microorganisms that promote plant development appears as a potential biotechnological approach to be explored and for the implantation of new areas of wood production. In this study, the inoculation of Bacillus subtilis as plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) was evaluated, and Rhizophagus clarus , an arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus (AMF), and the co-inoculation of these microorganisms in the teak seedling production phase can improve the development of commercial plantations under field conditions. Experiments were carried out under greenhouse and field conditions to evaluate four treatments based on the substrate inoculation of the seedlings. Treatments consisted of a non-inoculated control, PGPR inoculation, AMF inoculation, and PGPR + AMF inoculation. The results of the biometric evaluation of seedlings in the greenhouse showed that there was a significant difference in AMF inoculation and PGPR + AMF inoculation in terms of the specific root length and root density treatments, there was also a positive correlation between these two treatments and the absorption of some nutrients, such as P, N, K, Mg, Cu, Mn, and Zn. This response led to an increase between 4.75 and 11.04% in the field growth rate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The microbial composition of the rhizosphere and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions under the most common input combinations in maize (Zea mays L.) cultivated in Brazil have not been characterized yet. In this study, we evaluated the influence of maize stover coverage (S), urea-topdressing fertilization (F), and the microbial inoculant Azospirillum brasilense (I) on soil GHG emissions and rhizosphere microbial communities during maize development. We conducted a greenhouse experiment and measured methane (CH4), carbon dioxide (CO2), and nitrous oxide (N2O) fluxes from soil cultivated with maize plants under factorial combinations of the inputs and a control treatment (F, I, S, FI, FS, IS, FIS, and control). Plant biomass was evaluated, and rhizosphere soil samples were collected at V5 and V15 stages and DNA was extracted. The abundance of functional genes (mcrA , pmoA , nifH , and nosZ) was determined by quantitative PCR (qPCR) and the structure of the microbial community was assessed through 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing. Our results corroborate with previous studies which used fewer input combinations and revealed different responses for the following three inputs: F increased N2O emissions around 1 week after application; I tended to reduce CH4 and CO2 emissions, acting as a plant growth stimulator through phytohormones; S showed an increment for CO2 emissions by increasing carbon-use efficiency. IS and FIS treatments presented significant gains in biomass that could be related to Actinobacteria (19.0%) and Bacilli (10.0%) in IS, and Bacilli (9.7%) in FIS, which are the microbial taxa commonly associated with lignocellulose degradation. Comparing all factors, the IS (inoculant + maize stover) treatment was considered the best option for plant biomass production and GHG mitigation since FIS provides small gains toward the management effort of F application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Amazonian floodplain forests are dynamic ecosystems of great importance for the regional hydrological and biogeochemical cycles and function as a significant CH4 source contributing to the global carbon balance. Unique geochemical factors may drive the microbial community composition and, consequently, affect CH4 emissions across floodplain areas. Here, we report the in situ composition of CH4 cycling microbial communities in Amazonian floodplain sediments. We considered how abiotic factors may affect the microbial community composition and, more specifically, CH4 cycling groups. We collected sediment samples during wet and dry seasons from three different types of floodplain forests, along with upland forest soil samples, from the Eastern Amazon, Brazil. We used high‐resolution sequencing of archaeal and bacterial 16S rRNA genes combined with real‐time PCR to quantify Archaea and Bacteria, as well as key functional genes indicative of the presence of methanogenic (mcrA) and methanotrophic (pmoA) microorganisms. Methanogens were found to be present in high abundance in floodplain sediments, and they seem to resist the dramatic environmental changes between flooded and nonflooded conditions. Methanotrophs known to use different pathways to oxidise CH4 were detected, including anaerobic archaeal and bacterial taxa, indicating that a wide metabolic diversity may be harboured in this highly variable environment. The floodplain environmental variability, which is affected by the river origin, drives not only the sediment chemistry but also the composition of the microbial communities. These environmental changes seem also to affect the pools of methanotrophs occupying distinct niches. Understanding these shifts in the methanotrophic communities could improve our comprehension of the CH4 emissions in the region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Paracoccidioidomycosis (PCM) is a systemic and endemic fungal infection in Latin American, mainly in Brazil. The majority of PCM cases occur in large areas in Brazil, comprising the South, Southeast and Midwest regions, with the latter demonstrating a higher incidence of the species Paracoccidioides lutzii. Methodology and main findings: This study presents clinical, molecular and serological data of thirteen new PCM cases during 2016 to 2019 from the state of Mato Grosso do Sul, located in the Midwest region, Brazil. From these thirteen cases, sixteen clinical isolates were obtained and their genomic DNAs were subjected to genotyping by tub1 -PCR-RFLP. Results showed Paracoccidioides brasiliensis sensu stricto (S1) (11/16; 68.8%), Paracoccidioides restrepiensis (PS3) (4/16; 25.0%) and P. lutzii (1/16; 6.2%) as Paracoccidiodes species. Therefore, in order to understand whether the type of phylogenetic species that are circulating in the state influence the reactivity profile of serological tests, we performed double agar gel immunodiffusion (DID), using exoantigens from genotyped strains found in this series of PCM cases. Overall, our DID tests have been false negative in about 30% of confirmed PCM cases. All patients were male, most with current or previous rural activity, with ages ranging from 17 to 59 years, with 11 patients (84.6%) over 40 years of age. No clinical or epidemiological differences were found between Paracoccidioides species. However, it is important to note that the only case of P. lutzii died as an outcome. Conclusions: This study suggests P. brasiliensis sensu stricto (S1) as the predominant species, showing its wide geographic distribution in Brazil. Furthermore, our findings revealed, for the first time, the occurrence of P. restrepiensis (PS3) in the state of Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil. Despite our setbacks, it would be interesting to provide the complete sequencing of these clinical isolates to complement the molecular information presented. Author summary: Paracoccidioides spp. complex and P. lutzii are etiological agents of paracoccidioidomycosis (PCM), one of the most important systemic mycosis of Latin America. This study aimed to describe the molecular epidemiology associated with clinical and serological data of Paracoccidiodes spp. in the Mato Grosso do Sul, located in the Midwest region, Brazil. Thus, for the first time in this state, the clinical Paracoccidioides species were molecularly identified. Previous findings have frequently been misinterpreted as proving that P. lutzii predominates in this region. In fact, we observed that this state differs from others in the Midwest, presenting a higher proportion of PCM cases due to P. brasiliensis sensu stricto (S1). In addition, we described the first report of P. restrepiensis (PS3) occurrence in the Brazilian Midwest region. Then, we presented an update on the occurrence of Paracoccidioides species in the Midwest region from Brazil. On the other hand, our results do not demonstrate clinical and epidemiological differences between Paracoccidioides spp. Nevertheless, this study reinforces that other researches should be carried out in order to evaluate an association of clinical manifestations and epidemiology with Paracoccidioides species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Brazil is the world's leading charcoal producer, mainly used as an energy source and reducing agent for iron ore in the pig iron and steel industry. Despite its vast production, much of the Brazilian charcoal production remains low-tech and inefficient, with limited utilization of by-products. To address potential environmental impacts, promote a circular economy, and reduce energy waste in the charcoal production chain, this study presents the benefits of using wood carbonization by-products through a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA). The analysis was performed by comparing four scenarios: i) Current wood carbonization; ii) Wood carbonization with combustion of non-condensable gases; iii) Wood carbonization with energy recovering of non-condensable gases for electricity generation; and iv) Assessing the utilization of insoluble tar and biomass waste for generating additional electricity, and the use of Pyroligneous Extract (PE) in eucalyptus cultivation. The results demonstrate that by-product utilization prevents energy waste, with an estimated potential to generate 0.19–0.26 MWh per ton of charcoal in Scenarios 3 and 4. Furthermore, 3.3 t of CO2 eq./t of charcoal are sequestered from the atmosphere, and Scenarios 2, 3, and 4 can increase this amount by 5.06%, 6.7%, and 0.48%, respectively. This paper introduces an innovative assessment of PE utilization during eucalyptus cultivation, resulting in a 6.16% reduction in greenhouse gas emission and a 46.98% decrease in abiotic resource consumption, attributed to PE's potential to partially reduce pesticide consumption. [Display omitted] • Photochemical Oxidation is the main impact category due to CO emissions in carbonization kilns. • Potential to generate 0.19–0.26 MWh of electricity per ton of charcoal through by-products utilization. • Forest residues and insoluble tar increase electricity generation potential by 36%. • Charcoal by-products offset GHG emissions from 14 to 203 kg/ton of charcoal. • Pyroligneous Extract use leads to 6% lower GHG emissions and 47% decrease in abiotic resource consumption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revista Contabilidade, Gestao E Governanca is the property of Revista Contabilidade, Gestao E Governanca 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.)

Bone biopsy is still the gold standard to assess bone turnover (T), mineralization (M), and volume (V) in CKD patients, and serum biomarkers are not able to replace histomorphometry. Recently, metabolomics has emerged as a new technique that could allow for the identification of new biomarkers useful for disease diagnosis or for the understanding of pathophysiologic mechanisms, but it has never been assessed in the chronic kidney disease–mineral and bone disorder (CKD–MBD) scenario. In this study, we investigated the association between serum metabolites and the bone TMV classification in patients with end‐stage renal disease by using serum NMR spectroscopy and bone biopsy of 49 hemodialysis patients from a single center in Brazil. High T was identified in 21 patients and was associated with higher levels of dimethylsulfone, glycine, citrate, and N‐acetylornithine. The receiver‐operating characteristic curve for the combination of PTH and these metabolites provided an area under the receiver‐operating characteristic curve (AUC) of 0.86 (0.76 to 0.97). Abnormal M was identified in 30 patients and was associated with lower ethanol. The AUC for age, diabetes mellitus, and ethanol was 0.83 (0.71 to 0.96). Low V was identified in 17 patients and was associated with lower carnitine. The association of age, phosphate, and carnitine provided an AUC of 0.83 (0.70 to 0.96). Although differences among the curves by adding selected metabolites to traditional models were not statistically significant, the accuracy of the diagnosis according to the TMV classification seemed to be improved. This is the first study to evaluate the TMV classification system in relation to the serum metabolome assessed by NMR spectroscopy, showing that selected metabolites may help in the evaluation of bone phenotypes in CKD–MBD. © 2020 The Authors. JBMR Plus published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of American Society for Bone and Mineral Research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Dynamic knee extensor muscle strength is a valid measure among healthy older adults but has not been tested in the sarcopenia condition. This study's objective was to test the validity of a one-repetition submaximal strength protocol to measure dynamic knee extension strength in older adults with and without sarcopenia. Methods: Ninety-four physically independent older adults (female: n = 64, 60 to 85 years; male: n = 29, 60 to 85 years) participated in this study in Brazil during 2016–2017. Sarcopenia was classified and isokinetic unilateral knee extension strength was measured at 60°/s. Bilateral dynamic knee extension strength was estimated with an extensor chair using one-repetition submaximal protocol. Validity was determined using Spearman's correlation with isokinetic muscle strength. Results: The frequency of sarcopenia was 11.7%. Sarcopenic individuals presented lower body mass, body mass index and skeletal muscle index. Only chronological age was higher among the sarcopenic individuals. A high correlation was found between isokinetic unilateral knee extension strength and bilateral estimated one-repetition with submaximal protocol (r = 0.74; p < 0.001), when the presence (r = 0.71; p = 0.014) and absence of sarcopenia (r = 0.74; p < 0.001) were considered. The validity of the one-repetition submaximal protocol for bilateral knee extension was confirmed. Conclusions: The estimated measure of bilateral knee extension muscle strength can be used to monitor adaptations promoted by physical exercise for older adults with and without sarcopenia. The validation enable studies that will propose cutoff points to identify sarcopenia with this submaximal protocol. This will enable early diagnosis and better management of sarcopenia, a disease with adverse impacts for older adults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Studies on metabolomics and CKD have primarily addressed CKD incidence defined as a decline on eGFR or appearance of albuminuria in the general population, with very few evaluating hard outcomes. In the present study, we investigated the association between metabolites and mortality and ESRD in a CKD cohort. Setting and methods: Data on 454 participants of the Progredir Cohort Study, Sao Paulo, Brazil were used. Metabolomics was performed by GC-MS (Agilent MassHunter) and metabolites were identified using Agilent Fiehn GC/MS and NIST libraries. After excluding metabolites present in <50% of participants, 293 metabolites were analyzed. An FDR q value <0.05 criteria was applied in Cox models on the composite outcome (mortality or incident renal replacement therapy) adjusted for batch effect, resulting in 34 metabolites associated with the outcome. Multivariable-adjusted Cox models were then built for the composite outcome, death, and ESRD incident events. Competing risk analysis was also performed for ESRD. Results: Mean age was 68±12y, mean eGFR-CKDEPI was 38.4±14.6 ml/min/1.73m2 and 57% were diabetic. After adjustments (GC-MS batch, sex, age, DM and eGFR), 18 metabolites remained significantly associated with the composite outcome. Nine metabolites were independently associated with death: D-malic acid (HR 1.84, 95%CI 1.32–2.56, p = 0.0003), acetohydroxamic acid (HR 1.90, 95%CI 1.30–2.78, p = 0.0008), butanoic acid (HR 1.59, 95%CI 1.17–2.15, p = 0.003), and docosahexaenoic acid (HR 0.58, 95%CI 0.39–0.88, p = 0.009), among the top associations. Lactose (SHR 1.49, 95%CI 1.04–2.12, p = 0.03), 2-O-glycerol-α-D-galactopyranoside (SHR 1.76, 95%CI 1.06–2.92, p = 0.03), and tyrosine (SHR 0.52, 95%CI 0.31–0.88, p = 0.02) were associated to ESRD risk, while D-threitol, mannitol and myo-inositol presented strong borderline associations. Conclusion: Our results identify specific metabolites related to hard outcomes in a CKD population. These findings point to the need of further exploration of these metabolites as biomarkers in CKD and the understanding of the underlying biological mechanisms related to the observed associations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study aimed to compare health indicators, including the concept of health (CH), level of physical activity (LPA) and anthropometric data, of high school students of private, state and federal schools in the city of Leopoldina -- MG, Brazil. The sample consisted of 388 students, being 205 boys (age: 16.6 ± 1.0 years, BMI: 23.6 ± 3.4 kg/m²) and 183 girls (age: 16.4 ± 1.0 years; BMI: 23.6 ± 2.8 kg/m²). The health understanding infographic and the international physical activity questionnaire (IPAQ) were used to verify CH and LPA, respectively. Anthropometric data were also collected, including body mass, height, body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference (WC). The majority of students (66.7%) presented BMI within the normal range (boys: 23.6 ± 3.4 kg/m²; girls: 23.6 ± 2.8 kg/m²), and 33.3% was overweight. It was verified that more than half (54.6%) of the students were considered insufficiently active/sedentary, and the majority (56.2%) presented CH classified as preventive. In state and private schools, it was found that the higher the LPA, the lower the WC. It was concluded that the prevalence of sedentary lifestyle in the three educational networks surveyed is still high. It is suggested, therefore, the promotion of strategies of intervention through the school and socio-political-economic measures, aiming at raising the LPA and improving students' understanding of health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the increase in life expectancy, it is important to acknowledge the impact of health promotion programs on the elderly. The aimed of this study was to evaluate the influence of the Rio de Janeiro Ar Livre physical program on the functional autonomy of octogenarian elderly women's. To this end, elderly women's from 19 Rio de Janeiro Ar Livre program gyms were selected for the experimental group (EG) (n=23; 82.57±3.78 years), and for the Control Group (CG) (n=17; 82.88±2.23 years) from the attending cohabitation houses of the City of Rio de Janeiro. To access the functional autonomy was used Rikli and Jones (1999) protocol in two times separated by (28 weeks). It was observed in the EG a significant (p=0.010) increase in Upper limbs' strength test (13.00±3.41 to 15.09±3.60 times, pre and post innervation, respectively) and a significant (p=0.002) increase in 2 minutes Step test in the CG (36.59±15.00 to 47.24±10.96 times, pre and post, respectively). However, any significant differences between groups were observed in all variables analysed. Based in the present data we can conclude that the training program was only effective in the promotions of the functional strength of the upper limbs and to maintain the functional autonomy of octogenarian elderly women. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Temperature is one of the most important variables used in climate studies. Changes in its time series can cause various social and political impacts, affecting diverse sectors of society, such as agriculture, for example. Southern Brazil is a region that relies heavily on agriculture, contributing to national production. Therefore, it is important to check the air temperature characteristic, i.e., its spatial pattern in this region. For this, daily data of minimum and maximum temperature of the air of the National Institute of Meteorology were used in the period from 1961 to 2011. The statistical technique of cluster analysis was applied to identify the homogeneous regions of temperature and the boxplot for the characterization of each one. In general, the results showed maximum values of temperatures in the west of Rio Grande do Sul. The regions of minimum temperatures presented a more homogenous pattern, with averages around 15 °C. The regions of the maximum temperatures showed average values oscillating between 22 °C and 28 °C. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Aging process is characterized by reduction of muscle mass and strength, named sarcopenia. To attenuate these declines, resistance training has been purposed. The use 1RM test has been applied to define the maximal strength and prescription of exercise. Otherwise, it is not safe and it has not shown good practical applicability. Thus, the present study aim to compare the repetitions number for high and low load resistance exercise performed until failure between a young and elderly men groups. Methods: We compared (Mann-Whitney test) the repetitions number performed until muscle failure by 9 young and 9 elderly men at four sets 45ºleg press exercise for high (80% 1RM) and low load (30% 1RM). Results: Both groups reached maximum values for rate of perceived exertion, ensuring the muscle failure were achieved and no differences were seen between groups. The repetitions numbers were higher for young men with similar delta of reduction throughout sets between groups at low load resistance exercise. Otherwise, the delta of repetitions number reduction throughout sets at high load resistance exercise was higher for young men than elderly. Conclusions: We conclude elderly people need to perform lower number of repetition to reach muscle failure and thus achieve the desired training stimulus, mainly in low load resistance exercise. Furthermore, as they have better resistance to fatigue along sets the reduction of repetition number along sets is lower for them mainly when high load resistance exercise is performed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Predation is one of the most important interactions between species and a major selection pressure in wild mammal populations. Camouflage is a common pattern of colorations resulting from predation pressure, however, atypical coloration may appear in the wild. Both predation and atypical coloration in mammal species are difficult to observe in a natural setting but contain important biological information. Here we describe a leucistic tayra (Eira barbara) attempting to prey on a sloth (Bradypus tridactylus). The event occurred in Brazilian Central Amazon as a tayra unsuccessfully tried to kill an adult sloth in the mid-canopy of a secondary forest. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the study was to investigate the relation between physical activity level, body mass index (BMI) and the health concept of High School students in the city of Ipanema - MG. The collect was carried out through three moments: application of a questionnaire in order to verify the level of physical activity, stature and body mass collect, and application of an infographic in order to verify the health concept. Two hundred and forty-one (241) students took part in the study (age: 15.8 ± 0.9 years, body mass: 57.2 ± 7.7 kg, stature: 1.62 ± 0.07 m), of which 14.5% were overweight/obese. Most of the sample was considered physically active (156 ± 85.0 min/week of participation in physical activities). There was no statistically significant difference in BMI between the sexes. However, the boys presented a higher level of physical activity compared to girls. Only male students presented a positive correlation between the level of physical activity and BMI. It was observed a health concept more related to prevention in physically active students (64.4% vs. 25.5%) and more related to treatment in insufficiently active students (74.5% vs. 35.6%). We concluded that male students have a higher level of physical activity, once there was relation with BMI and preventive health concept. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Rev Rene is the property of Rev Rene 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.)

Highlights: [•] Different scenarios for energy recovery of MSW in Brazilian cities have been calculated and evaluated. [•] Two alternatives were analyzed to carry out the energy recovery from MSW: landfill biogas and Waste-to-Energy plant. [•] This study was based on urban centres using the MSW characteristics of the metropolitan region of Belo Horizonte. [•] This study also have been assessed the environmental impacts of the energy recovery from MSW using the LCA methodology. [•] Landfill as the worst MSW management option and the most promising option is the combustion of MSW for energy generation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a theoretical and empirical entanglement between the Strategic Management of People, diversity and sustainability, visualized by the perception of organizational climate and the style of employee commitment Agricultural Cooperative Joint Palma Nova (CAMNPAL) / RS. The research was characterized as exploratory and descriptive, with quantitative analysis. The participants were 158 employees of the Cooperative and the data were collected directly in the workplace through a structured questionnaire. The results showed that there is a level of satisfaction and commitment on top of the organization being interviewed with the predominant style of normative commitment, followed by affective. The diversity of perceptions about the climate and the impairment occurred most intensely in groups by gender and income, with respect to the entanglement between the Strategic Management of People, diversity and sustainability, it was possible to conclude that organizational strategies need to turn to better preparation of the leaders on the strategic vision and sustainable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sediment bulk parameters and fatty acid biomarkers were used to investigate the relative contribution of major sources of particulate organic matter during upwelling and non-upwelling conditions, at organic enriched sites on the south-eastern Brazilian coast. The degradation state of the organic material and its implications for benthic food webs were also evaluated. Temperature and salinity values indicate the intrusion of the South Atlantic Central Water in spring with a strong influence at station 4S. C:N ratios and fatty acid biomarkers suggest that sedimentary particulate organic matter is mainly autochthonous and originated from phytoplankton, zooplankton and bacteria, with a minor terrestrial contribution. Short-chain saturated fatty acids predominated, indicating the prevalence of partially degraded detritus. An exception was station 4S, where polyunsaturated fatty acids dominated, indicating the input of labile organic matter linked to upwelling of the South Atlantic Central Water. Fatty acid concentrations and the organic carbon content of the sediments suggest that food quantity is not a limiting factor for benthic fauna. Despite the high organic background of the sediments, the sporadic inputs of labile organic matter associated with South Atlantic Central Water intrusions may produce an important impact on benthic fauna and on the biogeochemistry of the sediments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Alfa: Revista de Lingüística is the property of Alfa: Revista de Linguistica 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.)

Abstract: We investigated the vertical distribution, abundance, specific and functional structure of polychaete assemblages at four organically enriched sites. The effects of fresh organic matter input from the water column driving by upwelling were evaluated. Temperature and salinity values indicate the intrusion of South Atlantic Central Water (SACW) in spring, a nutrient-rich water mass. The dominance of the conveyor belt transport (CONV) in the station influenced by SACW, in the spring survey, is associated with fresh organic matter input as indicated by higher amounts of polyunsaturated fatty acids. Conversely, the predominance of the diffusive mixing (DIFF) bioturbation category, in the sites without SACW influence is related to the preferential accumulation of more refractive food resources as indicated by higher concentrations of short chain saturated fatty acids. At the site influenced by SACW, the changes in polychaete assemblages were not all evident during proceeding upwelling conditions, but may persist at the end of the upwelling. Polychaetes in the study area seemed to be limited by the quality but not the quantity of food. The delay in polychaete response to fresh food supply may be related to the organic enrichment and the prevalence of refractory material in the sediments. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Copyright of Alfa: Revista de Lingüística is the property of Alfa: Revista de Linguistica 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.)

Copyright of Brazilian Journal of Food & Nutrition / Alimentos e Nutrição is the property of Faculdade de Ciencias Farmaceuticas, UNESP 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.)

Copyright of Revista Ibero-Americana de Estratégia (RIAE) is the property of Revista Ibero-Americana de Estrategia/UNINOVE 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.)

Copyright of Brazilian Journal of Food & Nutrition / Alimentos e Nutrição is the property of Faculdade de Ciencias Farmaceuticas, UNESP 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.)

Introduction: Introduction: appropriate appendicular lean soft tissue (ALST) parameters to identify sarcopenia in Brazil are scarce. The use of international references may lead to a false positive diagnosis. The objective was to propose cut-off points to identify sarcopenia in older men and women using DXA-derived ALST values from a young adult population. Methods: this was an observational study with a cross-sectional analysis. University students of both sexes (n = 125), aged 20 to 30 years, underwent anthropometric measurements and DXA scanning to obtain their ALST (kg). Cut-off points for sarcopenia were set at -2 standard deviations (-2SDs) away from the mean ALST of a young sample. Absolute values and indices (ALST/height2, ALST/weight, and ALST/body mass index [BMI]) were considered as recommended by international consensus. Results: compared to women, men presented higher values of weight, height, BMI, bone mineral content, lean soft tissue, ALST, and ALST index (kg/m²). Only fat mass was higher in women, and age was not different between genders. The -2SD ALST indices obtained were ≤ 6.56 kg/m² for men and ≤ 4.67 kg/m² for women. They were below international and national values, which tended to classify false positives. Conclusions: the -2SD ALST values proposed here are validated cut-offs for identifying low muscle in older adults and to prevent misdiagnosis with sarcopenia. In addition, they contribute to efficient monitoring and control of this disease in geriatric populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A retrospective study was performed in 100 dogs with 121 mandibular and 21 maxillary fractures. Dog fight (43.0 %) and automobile (12.0 %) trauma were the most common etiologies for fracture. The cause of fracture was unknown in 23.0 % of the cases, while pathologic fractures occurred in 13.0 % of cases. Young dogs (< 1-year-old) and dogs> 8-years of age were most affected. Mandibular fractures occurred in 90 dogs (90.0 %), with two dogs (2.2 %) having concurrent maxillary fractures. Maxillary fractures only were diagnosed in 10 dogs (10.0 %). The molar region (47.1 %) was the most commonly affected location for mandibular fracture,followed by fractures of the symphysis and parasymphysis (30.6 %), premolar region (17.4 %), angular process (4.1 %) and vertical ramus (0.8 %). In fractures of the mandibular region, the mandibular first molar tooth was often (85.9%) involved while the canine teeth were involved in 67.5 % of symphyseal and parasymphyseal fractures. The most common fracture of the maxilla was the maxillary bone (52.4 %), followed by the incisive (33.3 %), palatines (9.5 %), and nasal (4.8 %) bones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and the trophic structure of polychaete assemblages were studied in sediments at 28 stations in Todos os Santos Bay. Total PAH concentrations varied from 8 to 4163 ng g−1 dry weight. The indexes used for the determination of PAH origin suggested both pyrolytic and petrogenic sources. A total of 397 individuals of polychaetes was recorded which were classified in three trophic groups. The PCA ordination resulted in the formation of three groups of stations, Group I characterised by sandy sediments, low organic content, low total PAH concentration and percentage of potentially harmful PAH was dominated by subsurface deposit-feeders. The other two groups (IIa and IIb), showed similar percentages of silt and clay, however, Group IIb formed by those stations with high total organic carbon, total nitrogen, sulphur contents, high total PAH concentration and percentage of potentially harmful PAH was dominated by carnivores. Trophic changes could be explained by the level of exposure to PAH effects relative to differences in the life style and feeding strategies between deposit-feeders and carnivores. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The Afonso Cláudio Intrusive Complex (ACIC) is a typical post-collisional intrusion from Araçuaí-West Congo orogen (AWCO). The ACIC intruded allanite-bearing orthogneisses from AWCO pre-collisional tectonic stage (Rio Doce arc related rocks) and paragneisses from Nova Venécia Complex and it is composed of two lowered off-centered monzogabbroic and monzodioritic cores surrounded by quartz monzonite high hills, showing intense magma mingling and mixing between these domains. Xenoliths attributed to the enclosing gneisses have been commonly found widespread in the quartz monzonitic rocks, while are occasional in the monzogabbroic and monzodioritic domain. This paper presents the first detailed investigation of the xenoliths hosted by an AWCO post-collisional intrusion, focusing on petrography, major and trace element geochemistry and U–Th–Pb monazite dating of the main xenolith types. For comparison, major and trace element data investigation of the ACIC enclosing rocks has also been conducted. The correlated xenoliths and ACIC enclosing rocks show partially similar geochemical features, however both show different REE and multi-element normalized patterns compared to the ACIC main rocks. These results suggest that correlated xenoliths and enclosing rocks are cogenetic, however both could not represent the main sources of magmas that generated the ACIC. Geochemical modeling of igneous processes of previous ACIC dataset considering the investigated xenoliths and enclosing rocks as the main assimilant material suggests that mixing was responsible for both ACIC main rocks similar geochemical patterns and linear trends in the bimodal diagrams. This modeling also indicates that the evolution of the ACIC main rocks was ruled by different processes. Fractional crystallization with minor influence of assimilation of enclosing rocks controlled the magmatic evolution of monzogabbro and monzodiorite related to an enriched mantle source, while coupled assimilation and fractional crystallization ruled the evolution of quartz monzonite possibly associated to lower crust magmas mainly contaminated by enclosing rocks. U–Th–Pb monazite dating of two xenoliths showed that these rocks preserved similar main ages related to different stages of ACIC and AWCO post-collisional evolution. Both xenoliths showed main older ages of 478 and 477 Ma which are related to ACIC intrusion during AWCO post-collisional stage, while younger ages of 431 and 427 Ma are probably related to the intrusion of syenogranite dykes that crosscut the ACIC, representing an extension of AWCO post-collisional magmatism or a later unrelated thermal event. Due to the similarities between the typical AWCO post-collisional intrusions, the insights brought about the evolution of ACIC magmas could be considered to the typical AWCO post-collisional mantle and crustal magmas. This first investigation of xenoliths hosted by an AWCO post-collisional intrusion has showed that these strange rock pieces could bring new and important insights about the AWCO evolution, which shows an amazing and long-lasting magmatism with common occurrence of poorly investigated xenoliths. • The ACIC is formed by the interaction between mantle and crustal contrasting magmas. • The contrasting magmas evolved ruled by different processes. • Assimilation of enclosing country rocks is an important process in ACIC evolution. • The xenoliths preserved two main ages related to ACIC and AWCO evolution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is associated with a negative impact on neurocognitive development in children. Receptive/expressive oral language is a complex process, with limited investigations on the repercussion of OSA. This study aimed to analyze receptive and expressive oral language skills in children with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).Methodology: This study included 52 children (27 females, 51.92 %) with a mean age of 7 ± 2 years (age range of 4-11 years), which underwent type 3 polysomnography (PSG). The participants were divided into N-OSA (n = 16) and OSA (n = 36) groups based on the apnea-hypopnea index. The speech-language therapist evaluated hearing and oral language for phonology, expressive semantics, syntax, receptive semantics (Peabody Image Vocabulary Test), pragmatics, and understanding of verbal instructions (Token Test).Results: Oral language assessments showed a difference in the pragmatics subsystem (p = 0.047), with positive correlation between OSA severity and oral language functions such as pragmatics and syntax (desaturation index, p = 0.045).Conclusion: Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) had a negative impact on oral language skills, including the syntax and pragmatics subsystems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: to investigate the information retention provided to Community Health Workers on infant hearing health training. Methods: the sample was composed of 24 Community Health Workers prior trained through a cybertutor, a based web education system. The content was ranging from prevention to rehabilitation of hearing impairment. Immediately after training, the Community Health Workers answered a multiple choice questionnaire with 20 questions, divided into domains (1: general concepts; 2: type, prevention and causes of hearing impairment; 3: Techniques of identification and diagnosis of the hearing impairment; 4: general aspects of hearing impairment). The same questionnaire was applied one more time after 15 months. The information retention level was analyzed comparing performance in the evaluations by the Wilcoxon test and the significance level adopted was 5%. Results: it was verified a significant decrease (p = 0.03) in percentage, of the Community Health Workers general knowledge on infant hearing health (73,5±8,4/66,7±12,5). In the analysis by domains it was possible to see a worsening in 1(76,4±14,7/58,3±22,5), 2 (72,9±30,3/64,6±19,4) and 3 (69,4±14,5/68,8±17,2) domains, it was significant in 1 domain (p = 0.012). Regarding to 4 domain, there was a slight improvement (76,0±11,6/78,1±11,2). Conclusion: it was observed significant decrease of the Community Health Workers knowledge on infant hearing health, which demonstrates that the community health workers training should occur continuously. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study evaluated combinations of amphotericin B with anidulafungin, caspofungin, and micafungin against 30 clinical isolates of Cryptococcus neoformans following the CLSI M27-A3 and the checkerboard microdilution method. The combination amphotericin B + micafungin showed 60% of synergistic effect against C. neoformans , while most of the other interactions were indifferent. • The increase in the use of antiretroviral drugs promotes decrease of the incidence of cryptococcosis. • However, the mortality and morbidly rate remain high, especially in developing countries. • Therapeutic failure is associated with multifactorial factors and may be related to AMB toxicity, FLC, and 5FC resistance. • Since 5-flucytosine is not currently available in Brazil, looking for alternatives, this study evaluated antifungal agents, alone and combined with echinocandins. • The combination amphotericin B + micafungin showed 60% of synergistic effect against C. neoformans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The large quantities of residual biomass produced in the palm oil industry have become one of the main environmental and financial concerns of this industry. For this reason, biorefineries are gaining strength in recent years, since through their production model the residual biomass can be used as raw material to produce bioenergetics (biofuels and bio-products), hence contributing to the reduction of greenhouse gases emissions. Therefore, the main objective of this work is to compare and evaluate alternatives to convert a conventional palm oil mill into a biorefinery considering energy and environmental sustainability indicators. In this context, this work presents a study of three scenarios: the first (I), the base case, consists of a traditional palm oil mill; the second (II) considers a palm oil mill working under the biorefinery concept that uses the fast pyrolysis process for the production of bio-oil and biochar; and the third (III) considers a biorefinery that, besides incorporating the pyrolysis process, has an extraction/transesterification stage for the production of biodiesel and glycerin in the palm oil mill. The surplus electricity index was calculated for the three scenarios, and scenario III was the most favorable, achieving 110.23 kW per ton of fresh fruit bunch with an overall efficiency of 82.69%. The environmental assessment carried out for scenario III indicates that environmental impacts of bio-oil production are 32.5% lower than the ones to produce electricity (climate change category) and 14.2% lower than environmental impacts to produce biodiesel (resources category), demonstrating that the production of bio-oil using fast pyrolysis result in lower environmental impacts compared with the other products obtained in the biorefinery. Finally, the Net Energy Ratio was calculated for the scenario with the best thermodynamic performance (scenario III: 21.17) and compared with previously published studies, resulting in a gain of total energy flow of up to 17.77. • Brazil can be considered a potential crude palm oil producer, due to the 7 million hectares available to grow this crop. • The scenario with the simultaneous production of bio-oil, biodiesel and electricity has the best electricity surplus index. • Production of bio-oil had a lower environmental impact than the production of electricity and biodiesel in some categories. • Bio-oil reduces the greenhouse gases emissions due to the carbon neutrality of the biomass. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Forest restoration mitigates climate change by removing CO 2 and storing C in terrestrial ecosystems. However, incomplete information on C storage in restored tropical forests often fails to capture the ecosystem's holistic C dynamics. This study provides an integrated assessment of C storage in above to belowground subsystems, its consequences for greenhouse gas (GHG) fluxes, and the quantity, quality, and origin of soil organic matter (SOM) in restored Atlantic forests in Brazil. Relations between SOM properties and soil health indicators were also explored. We examined two restorations using tree planting ('active restoration'): an 8-year-old forest with green manure and native trees planted in two rounds, and a 15-year-old forest with native-planted trees in one round without green manure. Restorations were compared to reformed pasture and primary forest sites. We measured C storage in soil layers (0–10, 10–20, and 20–30 cm), litter, and plants. GHG emissions were assessed using CH 4 and CO 2 fluxes. SOM quantity was evaluated using C and N, quality using humification index (H LIFS), and origin using δ13C and δ15N. Nine soil health indicators were interrelated with SOM attributes. The primary forest presented the highest C stocks (107.7 Mg C ha−1), followed by 15- and 8-year-old restorations and pasture with 69.8, 55.5, and 41.8 Mg C ha−1, respectively. Soil C stocks from restorations and pasture were 20% lower than primary forest. However, 8- and 15-year-old restorations stored 12.3 and 28.3 Mg ha−1 more aboveground C than pasture. The younger forest had δ13C and δ15N values of 2.1 and 1.7‰, respectively, lower than the 15-year-old forest, indicating more C derived from C 3 plants and biological N fixation. Both restorations and pasture had at least 34% higher H LIFS in deeper soil layers (10–30 cm) than primary forest, indicating a lack of labile SOM. Native and 15-year-old forests exhibited higher soil methane influx (141.1 and 61.9 μg m−2 h−1). Forests outperformed pasture in most soil health indicators, with 69% of their variance explained by SOM properties. However, SOM quantity and quality regeneration in both restorations approached the pristine forest state only in the top 10 cm layer, while deeper soil retained agricultural degradation legacies. In conclusion, active restoration of the Atlantic Forest is a superior approach compared to pasture reform for GHG mitigation. Nonetheless, the development of restoration techniques to facilitate labile C input into deeper soil layers (>10 cm) is needed to further improve soil multifunctionality and long-term C storage. [Display omitted] • Restoring forests increased C storage and soil health compared to reforming pasture. • Young 8–15 y/o forests approached native forest soil C dynamics in the upper 10 cm. • Soil below 10 cm of restorations carried legacies of prior pastureland degradation. • Green manure intercropped with trees improved nitrogen fixation and soil C accrual. • Maximizing soil organic matter quantity and quality led to soil health regeneration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • Grape juices from southeast Brazil, an atypical region, were analyzed. • Grape juices produced from new hybrid varieties presented high antioxidant activity. • Polyphenol content of the grape juices was influenced by the rootstock. • Rootstock effect is dependent on the grape variety. Abstract The objective of this study was to assess the content of bioactive compounds, organic acids and antioxidant capacity of grape juices from Isabel Precoce, BRS Carmem, BRS Cora and IAC 138-22 Máximo varieties grown on the 'IAC 766' and 'IAC 572' rootstocks under tropical conditions in Brazil. In general, the color attributes of the 'Isabel Precoce' juice were inferior to those of the other juices due to their low anthocyanin content. In contrast, 'IAC 138-22 Máximo' juices showed the highest content of most individual anthocyanins, flavonols, trans -resveratrol and total phenolic compounds, and thus, higher antioxidant capacity. Except for 'BRS Carmem', all the juices presented higher sugar accumulation when 'IAC 766' was used. This rootstock also contributed to the accumulation of t -resveratrol and most of individual anthocyanins in the 'IAC 138-22 Máximo' juices. However, the monomeric anthocyanin content was higher in 'BRS Carmem' juices when 'IAC 572' rootstock was used. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract The objective of this work was to evaluate fungi present in raw materials, surface of dry fermented sausage and air of production and maturation areas from the manufacturing plants. The samples were collected in two industries (A and B) located in Brazil, at 0, 7 and 14 days of production, in two occasions. With the exception of some spices, raw materials presented low contamination in both industries. From sausages surface, a wide fungal diversity was recovered, with emphasis on Aspergillus and Penicillium spp. Air contamination was high in both industries, countless (>104 CFU/m3) in 2/14 of sampling from industry A and 8/14 from industry B. In industry B there was presence of Aspergillus westerdijkiae (an ochratoxigenic species harmful for the meat industry) both from sausages and manufacturing air. About half of species present in the air were also isolated from sausages. Since A. westerdijkiae has not been isolated from raw materials, a hard cleaning of environment, including dispersion in the air, would be essential for controlling this micro-organism and thus to prevent the contamination of new manufactured lots. Furthermore, environmental air can be considered a critical point regarding contamination of products and propagation of fungi in food processing areas. Graphical abstract Image 1 Highlights • Fungal microbiota of dry fermented sausage, raw materials and facilities air was evaluated. • Surface of dry fermented sausage and air showed high fungal contamination. • Cladosporium, Penicillium and Aspergillus were the most common genera found. • Ochratoxigenic A. westerdijkiae was present in air and products from industry B. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, Brazil has encouraged the cultivation of pecans to meet both demands of domestic and international market of nuts. New genetic varieties of pecans have been selected in recent years, but available scientific information on the occurrence of fungi and aflatoxins in the international literature is out of date. Therefore, the present study aimed to quantify and identify fungal microbiota and the presence of aflatoxins in pecan nuts cultivated in southern Brazil. Fifty-two pecan nut lots (Barton variety) were obtained from producers from 19 cities of Rio Grande do Sul State and analyzed by direct plating in Agar Dichloran Glycerol 18% (DG18) and Aspergillus Flavus and Parasiticus Agar (AFPA), following incubation at 25 °C for 7 days. Aflatoxins analyses were carried out using HPLC coupled with a mass spectrometer. Results revealed at least 10 different genera of fungi. Aspergillus, Penicillium, Fusarium, and Cladosporium were predominant. Xerophilic species of Aspergillus (A. wentii, A. ruber, A. pseudoglaucus, and A. chevalieri) were commonly reported in the samples. No potential aflatoxin-producing species was isolated and no aflatoxins were detected (LOQ=1 µg/kg and LOD=0.1 µg/kg for AFB1 and AFB2, and 0.3 µg/kg for AFG1 and AFG2) in the evaluated samples. The absence of this carcinogenic group of mycotoxins is highly positive and could boost the investments in the sector, as well as stimulate the commercialization and consumption of this variety of nut. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study aimed to quantify the dissatisfaction registered of moldy foods within the expiration date in a Brazilian complaint site. A total of 36.409 records were accessed in the site "Reclame Aqui" and the complaints corresponded from October 2015 to January 2018. The bomboniere class was the one that presented the largest number of complaints (46.5%) and, in this segment, chocolate and bonbon presented the highest percentage of complaints (52.4%). In the grocery class, the second most cited category (24.4%), the food with the most presence of mold was bread (82.8%). The dairy products category also had high consumer complaints (19.1%), mainly involving cheeses (77.2%). Pizzas (54%) and cereals (40%) were the foods most affected by mold contamination in the frozen and breakfast foods class, respectively. The difficulties of categorization of products as well as the confusion by consumers with regard to the recognition of the alterations present in the foods were obstacles in the use of the data present in the site of complaints. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Technology selection, its power and efficiency determination for electricity generation using agroforestry residues is the main goal and the novelty of this paper. It is based on the fitted efficiency vs. power curves for commercial mature technologies. The assessment of the level of maturity of biomass-based electricity generation Technologies based on Technology Readiness Levels was used as criteria to define the technologies to be considered in this study: conventional Rankine cycle, organic Rankine cycle and gasifier/internal combustion engine. Pretreatment technologies influence on generation costs is determined based on chippers and drum dryers cost and its energy consumption. We developed a coherent methodology for selecting the technology and calculation of power/efficiency of electricity generation projects considering biomass derived from plant-based lignocellulosic solid biomass residues derived from agricultural and forest activities. A case study based on eucalyptus forest residues availability in three microregions of the Minas Gerais State in Brazil allowed to define the technology to be used in each case and its power, efficiency and levelized cost of electricity, that includes pretreatment and logistic costs. Obtained LCOE values are compared with data from different publications, that is a validation of the presented methodology. Results allow concluding about the considerable influence of residues logistics on LCOE. [Display omitted] • Lowest LCOE corresponds to CRC:0,1652 USD/kWh. • Highest LCOE corresponds to G/ICE with 0,3080 USD/kWh. • Costs and power consumption data of pretreatment technologies are presented. • Fitted power-efficiency curves based on an extensive literature review are presented. • Only technologies with higher maturity, CRC, ORC and G/ICE, are considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The key objective of this paper is to analyze the techno-economic feasibility of this alternative for the Brazilian municipalities, classified according to population subgroups, using this parameter as a basis for the calculation of the municipal solid waste generated, the project costs and revenues. Different expenses were taken into consideration, like equipments and installation costs, operation and maintenance costs and the interest rate of the investment. In relation to revenues, they come from of the sale of electricity, the incomes of the recyclable materials, the fees paid by the Brazilian municipalities for the disposal of municipal solid waste in sanitary landfills and incomes by the carbon credits. An analysis of each population subgroup, combining three different economical scenarios was done, with an annual rate of interests of 10.58% for Scenario 1, 7.5% for Scenario 2 and 15% for Scenario 3. The economic feasibility was evaluated using as economic indicators the net present value and the internal rate of return. The net present value was positive for the municipalities with more than 60,714 inhabitants for the Scenario 1, 34,203 for Scenario 2 and 259,845 for Scenario 3. A hypothetic gasification plant is capable to generate 905 kW/ton municipal solid waste for a population of 60,714 inhabitants (Scenario 1), 794 kW/ton municipal solid waste for a population of 34,203 inhabitants (Scenario 2) and 1065 kW/ton municipal solid waste for a population of 259,845 inhabitants (Scenario 3). It is concluded that the economic feasibility increases with the installation of bigger units, showing a positive scale up gains, therefore as higher the capacity of the installation lower the specific costs and higher are the benefits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • The paths for hydrogen production using concentrated solar energy are presented. • A new methodology for the operation of several solar reactors is proposed. • Different scenarios for the production of renewable hydrogen are presented. • A total sun to hydrogen efficiency of 31.8% is obtained. • A levelized hydrogen production cost of 4.55 US$/kg is obtained. This paper analyses renewable hydrogen production using concentrated solar energy considering a hypothetical production plant located in Guamaré, Brazil. The solar resource and the solar field performance for a typical meteorological year (TMY) were evaluated for this location. The thermochemical metal oxides cycle and the high-temperature electrolysis (HTE) were selected as hydrogen production paths due to their high development potential. For the HTE was proposed, a novel arrangement for a high-efficiency operation and the hydrogen production was carried out in a Solid Oxide Electrolysis Cell (SOEC) in thermo-neutral operation, driven by the electricity generated in a concentrated photovoltaic (CPV) system and heat obtained from the solar field, this arrangement uses tubular and closed volumetric receivers for the steam production and superheating, and a heat exchange network for heat recovery at SOEC outlet. In the thermochemical metal oxides case, a commercial CFD code was used to perform the reactor's thermal simulation, and the hydrogen production rate was calculated using different scenarios for the oxygen uptake capacity. In addition, an operation strategy was proposed to increase the hydrogen yield. Maximum year averaged sun to hydrogen efficiencies of 31.8% and 10.2% were obtained for the HTE system and the thermochemical metal oxide cycle, respectively. The hydrogen production cost was estimated for different production capacities and scenarios, leading to a hydrogen production cost of 4.55 US$/kg for HTE and 4.32 US$/kg for the metal oxide cycle for a long-term scenario and a production capacity of 2500 tonnes per year. Finally, a novel approach of hydrogen-production is proposed and evaluated, using HTE coupled with CPV and concentrated thermal energy. This approach has high development potential due to its high sun to hydrogen efficiency and the use of known technologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study analysed the effects of 16 weeks of an exercise programme on blood lipids, blood pressure, anthropometry and functional autonomy of elderly women. Fifty-four elderly women were divided into two groups: experimental group (EG) (68.9 ± 6.8 years), who underwent a 16-week training programme, and a control group (CG) (66.6 ± 6.0 years). All metabolic parameters changed over the 16-week period for the EG: total cholesterol (228.0±34.8 to 190.5±22.5 mg/dl), HDL (48.4±4.9 to 53.4±6.0 mg/dl), LDL (162.4±16.6 to 115.2±11.9 mg/dl), VLDL, (31.5±4.0 to 29.7±4.4 mg/dl), triglycerides (127.5 ± 53.5 to 105.1 ± 30.2 mg/dl) and glucose (94.8±11.3 to 85.9±5.9 mg/dl). CG showed changes in total cholesterol (220.0±30.5 to 198.3±29.1 mg/dl) only. For blood pressure, EG improved after training with respect to systolic blood pressure (145.3±4.3 to 136.2±10.9 mmHg) and diastolic blood pressure (95.8±8.6 to 85.9±8.6 mmHg), while the CG showed improvement in systolic blood pressure (147.8±12.2 to 140.1±12.8 mmHg) only. Body mass index was lower after training for the EG (29.0±5.2 to 28.4±5.1 kg/m2). For functional autonomy, EG improved performance in the five tests evaluated: 10m walk test (C10m) (10.4±4.5 to 7.9±2.3 m), rising from a seated position (LPS) (12.4 ± 4.3 to 10.5 ± 3.0 s), rising from the prone position (LPDV) (7.9±4.3 to 6.2±3.6 s), rising from a chair and moving around the house (LCLC) (63.8±16.5 to 55.8±12.3 s) and testing to put on a shirt (VTC) (18.9±8.7 to 15.6±6.9 s). The authors conclude that a multiple-component physical activity training programme improves blood lipids, blood pressure, BMI and measures of functional autonomy in older women. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Identification of genotype-environment interaction in beef cattle may help the artificial selection process and increase the efficiency of genetic evaluation on sires submitted to different environments. Post-weaning traits are economically important and are more influenced by the effects of genotype-environment interactions than pre-weaning traits. Thus, the aim of this study was to investigate whether this interaction has any effect on bodyweight at 365, 450, and 550 days of age in Nellore cattle reared in Brazil. Analyses considered the states of Goiás, Mato Grosso, Mato Grosso do Sul, Minas Gerais, Pará, and São Paulo. Genetic parameters were estimated for each trait, per state, using the restricted maximum likelihood method, in two-trait analysis under an animal model. Genetic correlations regarding the same trait in two different states were used to evaluate the effect of the genotype-environment interaction on the traits studied. Genetic correlation estimates smaller than 0.80 between observations for the same trait in different states were taken to be indicative of genotype-environment interaction. It was observed that there is evidence of genotype-environment interaction in some of the states studied, and they tend to increase when the weight measurements are made at later ages. From this, it was concluded that selection conducted using data from one state might be different from selection based on data from another state. Summaries of bulls that consider different environments could contribute greatly to the genetic improvement of livestock. Identification of the genotype-environment interaction in beef cattle may increase the efficiency of genetic evaluation on sires subjected to different environments. This study investigated whether this interaction has any effect on bodyweight at post-weaning ages in Nellore cattle reared in Brazil. There is evidence of genotype-environment interaction in some of the environment studied. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]